Taryn Zel didn't know why the Jedi looked so glum as they marched across the empty plain, back toward Red Kiss' crash site. Yes, they'd lost people- Praelyx's people- on this mission, and Muro's betrayal had been an unfortunate surprise, but in the end they'd accom-plished exactly what they wanted to: the destruction of the bioweapon and the elimination of Sinsor Khal and all his nasty knowledge. True, Taryn would have preferred to take them captive so they could confirm Ducha Markessa's hand behind all this, but there were other ways to prove her complicity. The main threat had been eliminated.

The sight of Red Kiss halfway smashed into the ground dimmed her spirits. The freighter had served her and her sister well on many missions, and one look told her it wouldn't be spaceworthy again, not unless someone dragged it out of the dust with a heavy tractor beam. She looked overhead, through the chasm of the worldship's split-open exterior and decided that was unlikely.

"Captain Praelyx," she said, interrupting the awkward silence that had fallen over the group comm channel.

"Yes?"

"Do you suppose Wayward Soldier could slip through that crack and drag us out?"

"I'm not sure," the captain grunted. "It may have to. I just hope your sister got the comm system working in that wreck so we can call Harn."

"Maybe that other freighter can help," piped Neevo. The sole surviving Rodian had, lucky for him, been tossed out of the shuttle by the Imperials when they re-claimed it.

"I'm not sure about that," Tahiri said softly. The woman had clearly been shaken by Muro's betrayal.

"That may be our best option," said Zekk. "We can… tell the co-pilot about what happened later."

"Assuming he wasn't in on it," Praelyx shook his head. "Good help is hard to find, Jedi."

Once they got close enough to Red Kiss, Taryn turned on her comm and called, "Oh sister, dear, you're still there aren't you?"

After a short second, Trista replied, "Good to see you're back. Report."

"Target neutralized. Weapon destroyed. It's a victory."

"You don't sound victorious."

"Tell me what your repair work accomplished."

Trista sighed deeply and said, "You'd better all come aboard."

The five of them climbed through the airlock, and to Taryn's surprise, her sister and two mercenary techs had found a way to seal whatever hull breach had caused the atmosphere leak.

"We can't bring up the climate control systems or air recyclers," Trista warned as they took off their helmets. "So this is all the air we've got."

"Cold too," Taryn said. She could feel it prickling her face.

"With all of you back we'll use up the air real fast," the Snivvian merc added.

"Good to see you too, Gorlum," Praelyx said, then looked at Trista. "What about comm systems? Can we call Wayward Soldier?"

There was a long pause, and Trista's heart sank. Her sister said, "No. The transmission dish got shot clean off during the missile attacks."

"What about the sensor array?" Praelyx pressed. "Can we at least see what's going on up there?"

"We heard they called for reinforcements," added Tahiri.

Trista nodded grimly. "We could only pick up a little. It looked like some kid of a fight, but we can't be sure."

"We need to find some way to let my people know we're down here," Praelyx said.

"Assuming they haven't been blown up," added Neevo.

Praelyx turned on him. "No. I trust Harn. He can handle himself. Let's have a look at those sensors."

The group crowded into the cockpit, where Praelyx bent over the console and scoured the few systems that still worked. The determination on his face wilted into disappointment, then tightened again in curiosity.

"What is it?" Taryn shouldered next to him. "What do you see?"

"Look at the telemetry data." He tapped the console. "The planet. It's getting closer."

"Getting closer?" the Snivvian, Gorlum, said from the back. "How is it getting closer?"

"It's not coming to us," Praelyx said. "We're coming to it."

"Does that man this thing's orbit is decaying?" asked Neevo.

"It certainly seems that way. Something in the battle could have knocked its orbit into a steeper decay."

"Like what? Like Wayward-"

"No." Praelyx held up a finger. "We need to signal them, let them know we need pickup."

"But how?" Gorlum whined. "I don't want to die on this rock!"

Praelyx looked to Taryn, then Trista, and for once Taryn felt a flush of shame. She had no idea how to contact the ships in orbit- assuming there was anyone friendly to contact at all.

Then Zekk and Tahiri sucked in breaths at once. Tahiri looked tense still, but a smile softened Zekk's features. Taryn hadn't seen many of those, and it suited him.

"We're gonna make it," he said. "Help's on the way."