Long time no see, ppl. Sorry for the year or so of no updates but I couldn't get onto J2O and then I couldn't log in. BUT now I'm back and I've got tons to post so don't go to sleep on me ...

When Alpha reached Carrotus, she was just in time to have to wait for a large, slow frieghter to pass. Cursing, she wrenched her ship around the frieghter and dove towards the planet below.
When she found Omega's ship she knew ...
Omega was unconscious, lying in the Jendara's medivac. It was in freefall, and she couldn't stop in time. She slid to a stop beside the medivac.
He looked peaceful, despite the awful wounds crisscrossing his body. Alpha winced when she saw a jagged white scar, newly healed, running across his face. The medivac had hastened the healing, but the new skin was still tender and delicate. She abruptly reached and flipped the switch that restored gravity. Slowly she landed on the ground. Then she punched the deactivate button.
The medivac's steady hum died down, and the sleep inducer turned off. Alpha touched Omega's shoulder, and he stirred.
"Alpha?" His voice was so soft she barely heard it.
"'Here am I.' What happened?"
"Blasted ... enemies. They ... got me good. But ... I sent Them ... to the ... hottest ... reaches ... of Hellantra. And They won't ... be coming back."
"Good. Who were they?"
" ... Beren ... Deathless Ones ... attacked ... "
"Beren? Deathless Ones? Who?"
"On the street. They surrounded me ... my opal ... " Automatically Alpha glanced over to where Omega's sword lay, as if discarded on the floor. The opal was slightly blackened, and the blade dark with smoke.
"What of it?"
"Kroys' ... magic fused in ... fired bolts ... "
"Your opal used the magic that passed through it when Kroys died to save you from the mysterious Deathless Ones."
"Yes ... it's still ... charged. It will ... protect me ... when I need it."
"I see. Sleep now. You need it." Omega stubbornly struggled up into a sitting position.
"No. Tell ... Copper. They want ... her. Us. They'll use ... her ... us ... to take ... over. Tell her!"
"I will. I promise! Omega, can I use your ship?"
Omega was standing now, breathing heavily.
"I'll help you. Beren ... won't get me ... again."
"Good. Shall I put the freefall on?"
"Yesss ... "
Alpha almost pulled the switch. But Omega swayed dangerously beside her, and she turned to help him. But before she could reach him, he collapsed.

The coldly elegant blue rabbit moved easily through the crowd as he made his way to the shipyards. His cargo was live - a replacement captian for the Yeshi Suun. His small ship could easily make the transfer. The problem was that he didn't have coordinates.
The Firenzev captain wasn't a rabbit, but one of the native felines, and very female. Her delicate, small-boned frame was as tough as a leather strap, and her shifting grey-blue eyes missed nothing.
"We have an idea where the Suun is, but we cannot be sure. We do not even know if she is at the bottom," she informed him. Jassiv thought she'd said her name was Tsai. Her grey fur had a strange sheen to it, almost oily. She had a low, husky voice. He wondered how she'd ever been promoted to captain.
"Tsai, we need to hurry. If this ship is damaged it might not have much time."
"Yes. What is your ship's name, Jassiv?"
"The Starblown."
"Very well. I will see if you may make contact with the Suun."
She murmered something into the comm, and then nodded slightly.
"You may. Let us go, Jassiv."
Jass decided that he didn't really like this calm, cold, calculating captain. She was too distant, too impersonal.
"What were you captain of?" he said it before he could stop himself. She didn't look at him.
"I commanded the battleship Kiyan Saranai. My skimmer was the Tsaira."
"Oh."
She moved up the ramp, still not looking at him.
"So if you have your own ship, why are you commanding this one?"
"The Yeshi Suun's last message was informing us that she had lost her captain. I will help them."
"Oh. Well, buckle up."

When they found the Yeshi Suun, she was half sunk. Her stern stuck up at a crazy angle, but she was still floating.
He landed on her tilting deck, and lowered the ramp. Tsai strode off, looking taller than she actually was.
"Who is in command here?" she demanded. One of the haggard Firenzev stepped forward.
"I am. You are Captain Tsai Rtyra?"
"Yes. Are the hydraulic pumps working?"
"They should be. We have been waiting for them to recharge."
"Get them going. We are going to turn this ship right side up if it kills us all."
The Yeshi Suun was not like most ships. She was more of a battleship.
She was much like a sideways pyramid in shape, tapering to a point at her bow and rising to the main cabin, which overlooked the sides which had a low guardrail. Large supports that doubled as pumps curved over below the rail, and portholes beside these marked cabins.
She was sideways in the water. How they were going to right her he had no idea. Tsai glanced back at him and nodded.
"You may leave if you wish."
A few minutes later the Starblown rose and vanished into the clouds.