While Teddy, Varca and Zhouth probably all wanted to join the salvage team, they were currently engaged in questioning Redthane. Taking the Mercifuge down was just a preliminary survey anyway.

Ghent and Collyn are left on the Torsk as overwatch, though there's not much to watch out for any more. Lu from the Mercifuge was swapped with Pelgrel from the Torsk, and Orvark (gunner/security) from the Torsk is given duty on the Vultan.


These 'temporary reassignments are to break up any little cliques that might exist.

Joining the Mercifuge for the operation are Ingrid, Kira and Rayjaynul. That leaves Aaron and Donio on the Vultan with the command crew and the Torsk transfer.


As the ship descends into the crevasse, the Mercifuge's TL15 salvage sensors more accurately register the presence of the 52 meters of hafnium-oxide laced ice that was distorting visuals so badly.

It takes about a half hour of laser fire to carefully remove the ice and provide access to the Harrier through the dorsal access hatch.

By now, it's become obvious that this Harrier is also a slightly different model than the Vultan--it's about 10% larger for starters.

And it's severely damaged! A rough estimate puts the hull at about 82% destroyed--holes, rips, slagged--it put up one helluva fight before its power plant took a hit. The ship then did an uncontrolled spiral drop into the crevasse bouncing off the walls and further breaking the structural supports.

Technically, of course, the ship could be made to fly again, but once you replace 75%, what's the point?