The Dead Zone
Unnamed System DZ199,181
Aboard ISS Belfast Windfall

Grx'bzzgah flew the ship onto the elliptic plains of DZ199,181 with an organic finesse. Arella immediately went to work gathering data on the planets: a bright gas giant with stunning rings, a ball of ammonia ice toward the edge of the system, a veritable brick in close stellar orbit and one other. "Commander Hilsfar, I think we may have it. There's a terran spectrum world--it's just inside the ecosphere band."

"Commander Grix, let's get into a nice, low orbit," said Biggs from behind his desk. He was sipping contentedly on a cup of hot, fresh coffee. A quick glance at the status board on the bulkhead told him the shields were up. Biggs hit the comm box, "Ux how're my generators holding up?"

"My generators are just fine, sir," came the reply. Biggs chuckled.

They were in orbit a short while later, and Arella left the bridge for the science lab to begin an intensive survey of the planet. It was a terran world, all right: oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, trace nobles in the air; There were oceans of liquid water; the radiation levels coming in from the star were iffy, a bit less would've been better. DZ199,181 had been at the leading edge of the Dead Zone when the crystal planet had been destroyed. DZ199,181 hadn't flared, though. She checked the charts to make sure and then ran a spectral summary on the star. It had incredible stability, bordering on the implausible. But there it was, a star that had probably avoided flaring by a few hours or days. Arella looked at the scans again and detected an added bonus, a fairly robust array of organic life. "Hello. What's this?" The analysis took eight hours in all.

"Commander, I'm afraid this can't be the place." Arella displayed a few test results. "First of all, the soil composition is all wrong. You can tell from the foliage that populates the planet. It would take years to work this soil to high enough standards. Your average Elowan could survive there, but a headfruit nursery wouldn't last especially long." Biggs set his coffee down. "I don't think this is the Eshbullr Colony. There aren't even any permanent settlements or ruins there," she concluded.

The Dead Zone
Unnamed System DZ199,181
Thrynn Frigate Kryssthoggr

Just as ISS Belfast Windfall slipped behind the horizon of the second planet the Kryssthoggr entered the system. "She'ss on the far sside of the planet...she hassn't detected uss, Captain," said new sensor array officer. She was a young one. "Esstimated time to re-emerge on the far sside... thirty-eight minutess, fifteen ssseconds."

"Make ready the weaponnsss and redirect all non-critical power to the ssshielding," ordered Hthssbr. "We'll fly into the ssystem behind the cover of the two outer planetss. Navigator, begin the necessary calculationss." Hthssbr was pleased. Her initial fears were unfounded. She was in firm control of the virulent young officers. The glory of this day would be sweet indeed.

----------
Next: "Ux"

Starport Outpost One, the jewl of the Leghk Sector! Okay, so it's just a ratty donut orbiting a useless gas giant in the worthless Ptera system. But don't let that stop you from a pit stop at the Nebula Lounge! It's where the in-the-know crowd greases palms, drops names, wheels, deals and churns the rumor mill. Wednesday night: Tandelouvian Happy Hour!

"Hilsfar & Company: Because Chewbacca Encourages You to Fly Casual"