Thirteen hours into the four-day hyperjump, I was in my cabin coiled around my pillar, actually playing a game for once. I really enjoyed this activity when I was human and I still do... but if anyone asked, it was a tactical training simulator for large force movements.
As I brought my troopers in a flanking maneuver around the left side of the battlefield, I suddenly felt the pillar shudder beneath me. I heard a crackling sound before another stronger shudder occurred and the ship suddenly felt like it had decelerated... Something that was impossible in hyperspace.
I quickly closed down the game and brought up sensors while opening the com to the bridge. "Mr. Cormac, report!"
"I don't know, Captain. We dropped out of hyperspace! Nothing on scanners so it wasn't an interdiction field," he answered as my fingers played across the controls
"Engineering, What happened?" It was a second before Padme answered.
"BUSY!" The channel closed, causing me to frown.
While not exactly a good idea to do that to your Captain, a good Captain knew that if an engineer was stressed enough to do that, you left them the hell alone to solve the problem before you turned into debris.
Uncoiling from the pillar, I made my way up to the bridge. "Mr. Cormac?"
He shrugged, "No idea, Skipper. We just dropped out of hyperspace and the hyperdrive is not responding."
I nodded and coiled around the bridge pillar. "Where are we?"
He shook his head and answered, "I have no clue, Captain. If you drop out of hyper early, you could end up anywhere. Personally, I'm just glad we are not in the middle of a star."
The pillar beeped and I opened the intercom. "Bridge, Captain here."
Sarah Honor answered, "Sorry about earlier, Captain, but me and my sister were a bit busy. I had to kill the hyperdrive. There wasn't really any choice... Something popped and it started to red-line. If I hadn't killed the hyperdrive, it would have fried and we would be stuck wherever we landed."
I frowned but hummed. "Very well, Miss Honor, you made the right choice. Can you fix it?"
She sighed, "I think so, Skipper, but it'll take weeks."
Groaning, I nodded, "Very well... better get to work while we try to figure out where in the Force we are."
"Aye, Captain. But I tell you this... when I get my hands on the bantha lickers that installed this thing..." She closed the channel before she could further incriminate herself.
I blinked and looked over at Cormac as he shrugged and Commander Swan entered the bridge. "Captain, I have Padme's report."
She gave me a nod while taking her seat. "Mr. Cormac, any ideas on where we are yet?"
He shook his head. "Sorry Commander. There is a system we can reach but its a week away via emergency hyperdrive. The computer is working, but unless it gets more data, it's as lost as we are."
I frowned. "Would getting a clear look on that system help narrow things down?"
Cormac nodded, "It might if it had planets. The order, number and orbit sizes of all known systems are in the database and if we get close enough to get a good look, it would allow the computer to get a lock. Besides, we can't be 'anywhere'. I was a bit unclear earlier. We know pretty much the general area of space from the location of pulsars, but without knowing exactly, going back into hyper to somewhere far away can run us right into a star. So, a look at the system would really, really help."
Slowly uncoiling from the pillar, I gave him a nod before starting to make my way to engineering. "Set a course, Mr. Cormac. XO, you have the bridge."
When I reached engineering, I pressed the button to open the hatch just to be met with a stream of swearing from one Sarah Honor as she was waist deep, headfirst inside the hyperdrive compartment.
I calmly closed the hatch again... Something told me that bothering her right now would not be safe. I'd try again in a couple of hours...