{[JOIRAN CLUSTER] [Pteraspis] [On route to Skorpios] [917117/2583/152/space]}

Ever since the Trimador delegations had provided the Cluster with the report on new tested speeds some six revolutions ago, Donaven found it hard to keep up. He left more and more of the Verging to the newly promoted senior capitaine. He felt useless and disliked the feeling immensely even though the voyage was an important factor in finding the girl. The girl. Why was she so damned important? But he was not in a position or level high enough to be given the details. He hadn’t even asked. He just accepted his orders like he always did. He looked back down at the report.
Experts had made the point that the quicker they could travel, the higher the chances of ‘her’ survival. The Trimador Nest had provided three additional ships to the search but answered only to their superiors. They had asked no questions at the meeting either but Donaven was sure their reasons were more interesting than his own reticence. Chen Sorance had handed the Nest a plan to ensure they didn’t double up efforts and they simply nodded and left. Directly after the debriefing Chen had been about to say something about Trimador’s disinterest in the plan and their early exit but a Coalition leader had interrupted sternly telling Chen to continue with his summary. Chen had accepted the interruption but Donaven was suspicious. The Search and Rescue Coordination Unit (SRCU) was now officially focused on finding one girl. One girl in the Jorian Cluster, consisting of thirteen planets.
Not for the first time Donaven was wishing he was OnPlanet. Six revolutions into the S&R and he had only six holidays. There was more and more Verging now that they could travel faster, which meant they could investigate more planets. To date there was still no sign or word of the girl.
He sat in his quarters, alone.
Realization had come to him far too late. He wasn’t a popular man. Not that the opinions of people mattered to him but it did affect the work environment. He loved being in space, and that was why he tried to get up as many space missions as possible. But the promotions kept coming. The higher the promotion meant less time in space. He hated to think of what that implication meant.

Lone Creature