Hinsman and Karoff are already ripping out most of the EPNs that were so recently installed by the time you finish suiting up. Your sleek one piece outfit is in the Order colors of dark blue and grey, and more than just a uniform. With the addition of your helmet with its built in breathing mask it serves as well in combat as any armor, and protects you in any climate and even for a time in open space. It feels good to be back in it. Between the detour through the Camarov system and then the stop here you've been running around without it for an unusually long time.

Hinsman charges by with a load of power cables draped over one arm, then checks himself mid-stride and comes back over to you. "Zee, question."

"Yes?"

"Do you think we should put Matti in cryo and send her out of here?"

"You're asking me?" You're a little surprised. He hadn't seemed to like hearing your opinions on Matti very much a little earlier.

"Not that I'm giving much credence to your theory about her. I'm asking you now, just as a matter of risk assessment, how putting an injured and weakened woman in a cryo pod would stack up to having her stay here with a hostile force on the way."

You pause a moment to run over both scenarios. The cryo is a significant risk, but a one time thing. The possibility of attack is an ever evolving situation with the threat level varying from not worth mentioning to all of you dead and the station destroyed. Plus, even with Hinsman telling you to disregard the thought, there's the possibility Matti might not be trustworthy. You know already that he won't include any of your suspicions in the note to the Camarovians and they won't investigate nearly as thoroughly as the Order would even if he did. But guilty or innocent, the rest of you may soon have your hands too full to pay attention to her if you do get company.

Finally you reply.

You say "Everything will be fine here once the defenses are up."

Hinsman hesitates. "I just worry something may happen to her. She's so weak still, she needs care we may not be able to give depending on how things go."

"Pirates are a risk at any time, and this station was designed to be defended by only three people," you point out.

He nods after a moment and flashes you a smile. "You know, you're right. Thanks Zee. But I guess we better gets to work now before Karoff finds us just standing around talking."



You both drag piles of equipment about while Karoff diverts more power from the ship, as much as can be spared, and even sacrifices most of the shuttles. Before long the equipment is in place and the three of you begin rigging up cables, energy cells, power nodes and anything you can find that can produce or transfer a charge down each of the station's splayed arms to the laser and torpedo turrets mounted at their tips.

Finally, the heavily damaged medical wing is the last that needs attention. That's all on you.

"Think we can get by without that one?" Hinsman asks.

Karoff shakes his head. "Without the turrets that's a biiiig area where they can get in close and freely maneuver and we can't touch them."

"Figured. All right then Zee, off you go. Just hook up these cables and don't slip and go floating off into space, it'll be a pain in the ass to collect you again. One of us will keep in voice contact while you're there."


You stand in the airlock, the minutes ticking by while you wait for the atmosphere to slowly equalize with that of the absent one in the medical wing. You know you're getting close when you begin to float in place.

Once the door opens and you drift into the entrance to the medical wing, you search for the panel Karoff told you about. It's about the only one here that hasn't had its conduits fried, and you remove a connector you'll need. That and the EPN loaded with an energy canister you have strapped to your back should be all you need to power the turrets. After checking in on your wrist comm you start to make your way on down to the hall.

You carry a cable as well, meant to be attached to your suit. If you were following safety recommendations, one of the two clips along the length should always be anchored to something. You're not entirely sure you need it however. The sides of this section have blown out in some places but you can just avoid getting too near the edge of those gaps. Using the tethered cable is fine when working in one place, but tediously slow when trying to move.