Ghost Ship

[Garrett Blade]

The ISM Nomad, a colony ship serving as a research facility and passenger transport over long distances, almost four kilometres in length and a kilometre wide, emerged from hyperspace above the pearl Arcan IV. No hail was sent to the communications center on the planet. Instead, a pre-recorded encoded transmission was sent.

"This is 3rd Medical Officer Jenkins of the ISM Nomad. Our ship has bezzzzzz....zzz.....zzz by zzzz..zzzz.z.zzzzzzzzz......survivors and...zzzzzzzzz....zzzzz three days ago. We've zzzz.....zzz..z.z..z and are trying to zzzz...z.......zzz......z. Please send zzzzzzz.....z.z... quickly. We don't have much zzzzz........"

The picture failed, but the sound carried on. What sounded like a door being broken down could be heard, followed by screams, moans and eventually gunfire. The transmission abruptly ended at that point. The man on the screen sounded distressed and looked terrified. It was an SOS, no doubt about that. However there seemed to be no exterior damage, nor did anything show up on the scans made. Life signals were scarce, yet the ship was capable of sustaining a crew of thousands. Something terrible must have happened. But what?

[Oriadin]

Oriadin had been on Arcan IV for a few days. He was awaiting some information he hoped the researchers on the ISM Nomad had been able to find out. He had been sitting quietly for a few hours waiting for the colony ship to arrive. There seemed to be a bit of a commotion, usually a sign that a ship was arriving. He studdied peoples movments and actions and thought to himself that something more was happening than just a ship arriving.

He concentrated on a select few to try and figure out thier emotions. Confusion, fear and worry seemed to be on everyones mind. Indeed, something was very wrong. He stood up and made his way to somone nearby. The individual looked reletivly calm, almost as if he knew what was going on.

--Excuse me--

there was a pause as Oriadin awaited the person to face him.

--Do you know whats going on here? Is there anything I can do to help?--

It was obvious Oriadin was a Jedi in training by the way he was dressed. He was wearing bage colourd robes with a brown cloak. He looked quite impossing but spoke with a soft, friendly tone.