Two hours had passed. The small group was together once more. Jess glanced around at the others. The divisions in their group were painfully obvious. Ali sat beside Jess on one sofa. Teeko stood next to Jess. Ben was riding on Teeko’s back as usual. Sal sat close to Dash on the other sofa, casting suspicious glances at both Jess and Ali.
“If the charts are accurate we’re now two hours out from the Quarantine Zone,” Jess said. “We have to assume we might encounter it sooner, though, if the Empire has increased security.”
“What state is the Wanderer in?” Dash asked.
“Pretty good, considering the battering it took. Shields are over ninety percent. Most of the weapons have been fixed or replaced. Nearly all of the damaged thrusters have been repaired as well.
“Structurally, we a
