The Calla Maraine was attacked as they left the asteroid field. The Hammership appeared to also have a cloak, and when the squid decloaked to fire the bolts, they began following them. Only Tiegorus' trained crew kept the attackers at bay for so long, but their defenses were failing.
The shuttle attacked the hammership from above, first dropping the glowing helmseeker down to the deck and then moving away, making them think it was a bomb. Hall cast several spells, giving the bolt the appearance of a Helmshatterer (A Helmseeker designed to literally shatter a ship's helm) and then making their way back to the Calla Maraine.
Before they could make it there, the shuttle was caught in the gravity well of a newcomer ship: a Vodoni strikeship. Ville was there, and recognized the captain's shuttle. The hammership and strikeship began raining shot, bolts and small arms on the hammership, although the hammership would not surrender.
It wasn't until the Dreadnought appeared, seemingly from nowhere, that the Hammership raised it's white flag.
The strikeship , with the crippled hammership in tow, returned to Spectre, leaving Holinor and three of his crew on the Calla Maraine. The Calla Maraine, with both her crew and the Eternal Wanderer's onboard, towed the dreadnought into the dragon's lair.
Onestar, Tiegorus, Hall, Blaise, Phantom, Holinor and Estress all met at the base of the Dreadnought.
"Well, at least we learned who was behind all the destruction the past few days," Onestar began, his face now much more somber after learning of his ship's destruction.
It was learned that the Dizantar and the Scro Mercenaries were hired by Te-Ess'Arr, the Arcane who refused to accept Onestar offer of the Psionic Helm.
"It seemes that Arr had plans to leave Spelljamming altogether," Onestar commented as the party walked over to the Dreadnought's enterance. "He got a better offer by bouncing around the outer planes. Arr knew that we had the potential to bring a new light to Spelljamming, and that we threatened his plans for making more money elsewhere."
Hall continued. "So, through contacts and associates, he managed to hire a few Dizantar to kill off Blaise, so he couldn't bring the plans to any of the other Arcane. After he got rid of him, he planned to destroy the Eternal Wanderer. We threatened his plans for universal domination."
"How did you learn all thisss?" Holinor asked.
"Estress probed one of the prisoner's minds," Blaise commented. "The Scro was one of Te-Ess'Arr's chief henchmen, a being named Nazmit."
**I also got rather an upset stomach from the meal,** Estress added. Those gathered laughed.
"What are your plans now?" Tiegorus asked. Onestar stopped and looked up at the Dreadnought.
"We're going ahead with the redesign of this ship. It'll take a couple months, but it should be worth it. With the entire crew here, it'll be a little faster."
"We're not gonna let one Arcane stop us," Hall added. "Wildspace is big. There's room for everyone to ply their trade here. Te-Ess'Arr be damned."
"And what of him?" Holinor questioned.
"Odds are he escaped into the planes," Blaise replied. "He always has a way out. No doubt he'll be back, tho. This is too good of a moneymaker for him to pass up for long."
"And odds are he'll be after us again," Onestar added. "Between him, the Dizantar, the Scro, the Beholder..."
"The Imperial Elven Army."
"Thank you Hall. The Imperial Elven Army, we have more than our fair share of adventures waiting for us."
What will you call the Dreadnought?
"What else?" Hall repiled. "The Eternal Wanderer!"
"Tiegorus, will you and your crew stay and help us with the refitting?" Onestar asked.
"Well, I guess Solaris won't miss us for too long." She smiled and winked as she said that. "Just like old times, right Hall?"
"Yeah."
"I have to return to Narrasssshan, but I have asssked two of my daughtersss to remain here and assssissssst you. They will even join your new crew, if you wissssh," Holinor offered.
"I am honored," Onestar said, bowing.
Three months to the day later, another portal on the asteroid opened. The Calla Maraine sailed out, it's hull looking polished and like new. Behind her, another ship passed exited the dimensional portal. It's main shell, a conch-like structure with the points removed, appeared to have the texture of glass. It was the color of wildspace, dark as night but with a blue tint added. Flecks of starlight seemed to flow within it.
The two rams in the front were also changed. The same color as the ship, they were outlined in silver streaks and had openings at the front. The top was now an inverted shuttle craft, blending into the rest of the ship like a dome.
The Calla Maraine banked to port and then moved away from the night-blue Dreadnought. Inside, on the command deck, Onestar sat in the captain's chair. Hall stood to one side, while Blaise stood to the other. Around them, at all the stations on the multi-leveled craft, people were checking starcharts and reviewing systems.
Blaise checked a crystal panel beside him, aglow with green lights. "All stations reporting in, captain. We're ready to go."
"Well, old friend, it's been a longer delay than I expected, but we're ready to go to Krynnspace. Better get downstairs and take the helm."
"Aye, aye sir!" Hall walked over to the ladder with a renewed enthusiam. He made it down the four levels to the helm in less than a minute. Crystal took the ship out of dock, but Hall would have the first shift.
Hall sat down on the Bardic Helm, now mounted and improved for the Dreadnought. He felt a wave of heat wash over him as his senses expanded to meet the new ship.
[Helm ready,] Hall said, his voice seemingly coming from under Onestar's chair.
"Then let's be on our way to Krynnspace, Hall. Spelljamming speed at your convience."
The Eternal Wanderer turned, faced away from the asteroids, and disappeared into the night.
"Tradesman ho!" the lookout called, from the small circular deck at the top of the crystalline dreadnought.
Along the side of one of the hulls was written the Illithid word Tirikis. Indeed that was the name of the ship, but it was also an in-joke, for no one called the ship Tirikis. This was an Illithid translation of the ship's official name: Eternal Wanderer.
Onestar was near the observation deck when the lookout called, so he went to the open deck to see for himself. Indeed there was a tradesman approaching. It was gold colored, with a variety of silver and brass highlights. The small ship was approaching under a white flag, so battle stations were unnecessary. Onestar looked closely at the ship and saw a familiar symbol on one of the pennants: a circle divided equally into three regions: one white, one red, and one green. The symbol of the Conorg Consortium, Pascal's parent company.
"Blaise!" Onestar called, "I think you should come up here!"
A few minutes later the tradesman was grappled beside the dreadnought, and its single passenger brought aboard. The tradesman was the Elusive Damsel, and it's captain the infamous scoundrel named Garaden Raleigh. In truth, he was one of the most reliable freight runners in the Radiant Triangle, and Pascal had worked with him before. Raleigh presented himself to Onestar and Hall, then slapped Pascal on the back, like an old friend.
"What brings you here?" Pascal asked. "Running from another angry husband?"
Raleigh laughed hard. "If only I were so lucky! I'm on route to Realmspace," he said. "I've got a load of Ginsel marble on board. It seems some old wizard in Shadowdale wants to expand his tower. What about you, Blaise? Still searching for the perfect product?"
Pascal smiled. "I've got a few irons in the fire."
"Glad to hear it. I'm glad I caught up with you. After that scrape you were in back on Spectre, word traveled fast."
"I can imagine," Hall said quietly. Onestar just rolled his eyes.
"I have a message for blue-man, here," Raleigh said. "That's why I approached under your company banner."
Raleigh handed a scroll to Blaise, who stepped aside to read it. Raleigh then turned to Hall and Onestar.
"Where about are you folks heading?" he asked.
"Greela," Onestar answered, "to get some supplies, then to Krynnspace."
"Ah, I'm heading for Greela myself, to get a passenger. Mind if I tag along until then?"
"I don't see why not," Onestar answered.
"Great! It looks like you have a... fine crew here..."
Raleigh was looking up to one of the ringed decks above the main deck. On the ledge was Eloelia, Illeria, Crystal, and one of the lizard women, giving the human coquettish looks.
"A fine crew indeed..."
At that he started for the stairs. Onestar and Hall just shrugged.
"I'll be on the flying bridge," Onestar groaned.
"Understood." Hall turned to some of the deck crew: "Secure the tradesman for towing, and have Damian resume course for Greela."
Pascal was on the muster deck, and his heart was filled with anticipation. The message was a summons to a company meeting on the Rock of Bral in six months time. Conorg was acting fast to fill the GATH's retreating market, and had called for a general business conference. The thought of working out the details that would make Conorg one of the most powerful economic forces in the known spheres was so elating to him that he was ready to burst.
"Te-Ess'Arr, you fool," he whispered. "You will regret that you messed with Conorg and the rest of the independent consortiums. You will be especially sorry that you messed with me..."
His thoughts drifted to the Nextasy device, which was already well under repair, and to the prototype helm that was in the cargo area. Perhaps he could get Onestar to develop the device after all—with Conorg backing, naturally. A psionic helm, the first in a new line of spelljamming products, and very soon the demand will go up... His heart was racing.
The End.
