It was serval more minutes of tense maneuvering through the rocks before they were finally approaching the object. Alex dropped her speed down considerably, and as they crested over a particularly large asteroid Eta let out a startled gasp.
Floating in front of them was the vast outline of a ship. Her trusters were dark as she rolled slowly, and despite the shadows it was clear the entire front end had been pulverized. But as Alex's docking lights settled on it, they threw the scars across the front of the Type-7 into sharp relief. The extent of damage suddenly becoming clear to see. To Eta's horror she could make out a spiderweb of cracks over the single-story high canopy. But the lights revealed another thing, the name 'Tula's Wing' stenciled in clear text along her flank.
"Jesus... I thought you said these were durable?" Alex asked as she glanced over at her comms panel, noting grimly that it was displaying no nearby contacts. Eta pointed at the ship before them.
"Yes they're derelict, but they're still in one piece. Could the Peregrine take that much damage and say the same?"
"...point taken," Alex said for the second time today.
"Miss Alex... may... I please request you to bring us as close as you can to the cockpit... and turn off your lights?" Eta asked, her voice all of a sudden sounding tentatively hopeful. Alex raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she slowly brought them in. The bulk of the giant ship looming over them and once again cast in shadow as Eta stared intently forward.
"The canopy is cracked, but it hasn't shattered," she noted. "That material is very resilient. It will still be airtight. And look!" she exclaimed excitedly, pointing forward.
"They still have emergency power!"
She was pointing at the faint lights that could barely be seen illuminating the doorway at the rear of the cockpit.
"So they have some power, but no comms," Alex mused, trying to think of a way to make contact if anyone was still alive inside.
"An unfortunate combination," Eta admitted as she continued to study the front of the ship intently. Alex pursed her lips as her eyes traveled over her console. As they drifted over her targeting display, she noted the distance between the two ships: the number triggered something deep in her memory.
Before the canopy two panels retracted, and her twin laser cannons extended forward before locking into position. Their barrels swiveling around automatically to track the silent ship as Eta let out a squeak of surprise.
"Miss Alex! What exactly do you intend to do?!" she asked in alarm.
"You ever read those stories where you throw a rock at your lover's window, and hope the noise gets their attention?" Alex asked with a chuckle.
"I'm going to do that. But not with those," she added, nodding towards the visible cannons. She toggled something on her control stick before lining up a shot. A second later Eta heard a gentle hissing sound somewhere beneath her, which abruptly cut off as a blur launched forward from below the Peregrine. The single small missile darted through the black, taking an erratic path as it spiraled in on its target. Eta held her breath, her eyes wide in confusion. But as the missile impacted against the hull of the Tula's Wing... it bounced off harmlessly. Spinning off into the distance without exploding.
Eta twisted around to stare at Alex, who glanced back with a grin as she retracted her guns.
"You... knew it wouldn't detonate," Eta said slowly, catching up.
"Exactly," Alex chuckled. "There's a minimum arming distance."
"To prevent it from exploding too close to yourself," Eta finished, not sure if she should be impressed or concerned. Alex nodded, still grinning.
"All I did was make a nice loud thunking sound for them."
Eta let out a breath as she quickly composed herself, before both woman focused their attention on the door from the Type-7's cockpit. And only moments later a wave of relief passed over them as it slid back. In the gloom they could make out a few figures cautiously entering, before waving excitedly as they spotted the Peregrine floating before them.
"Holy shit, they're alive!" Alex exclaimed as she gently rolled the ship side to side as a greeting.
"Okay..." she continued, thinking aloud as her mind raced. "Looks like we're evacuating some miners. But... how the fuck do we coordinate that without their comms..." she muttered to herself. Eta was silent for a long moment, just processing the situation before a look of realization crossed her face.
"Miss Alex," she said suddenly, eyes bright. "Would... I have permission to offer my assistance towards your... job?"
"Sorry, what?" Alex replied in surprise, pulled out of her own train of thought.
"Would I have permission to offer my assistance," Eta repeated, her voice determined.
"I mean... yeah of course. But what are you thinking?" Alex asked as she caught up.
"Pilot's Federation Statute Y4549 states all ships must carry suits capable of sustaining life in space. Do... you have one?" her passenger asked intently.
"God you and Verity should be friends," Alex muttered to herself. "I mean.. yeah I have a Maverick Suit in storage. But hold on, are you... wanting to go out there?" she asked in disbelief. Eta pointed back at the damaged ship.
"The Type-7's communications antenna is located in the bulkhead above the cockpit," she said, indicating a spot absolutely savaged by damage.
"If I can get to their antenna, I can repair it. That would allow you to restore communication with the crew."
"Whoa, whoa..." Alex cut her off, gesturing outside. "Eta, we're in the middle of an asteroid field. The big rocks are far enough apart to work around, but there's still little ones floating everywhere."
Even as she spoke one bounced off the Peregrine's shields, leaving behind a blue ripple as it was redirected away.
"They're small enough ships don't give a shit. But they can still kill a person. And even ignoring that, the hull looks fucked. Like, you are incredibly skilled, but how can you fix smashed scrap metal?"
"It would be a risk, yes," Eta admitted. "But they appear slow moving enough I would be able to avoid them, especially... if I could ask you to keep a... look out for me while I focus on repairs? And as for those repairs: yes the surface is badly deformed from the impacts, but I only see a few spots where the damage fully penetrated the hull. Their antenna is demonstrably not functioning, but it's in almost certainly better condition than the exterior."
Eta was staring at Alex intently. The Commander recognizing the same determination she had seen on the woman's face as she proposed her idea during the interdiction. She couldn't help but enjoy seeing Eta shake off her docile nature, even for a moment, but that didn't mean she liked the plan.
