Attention σ cadets: The game

Aye, Captain. Holding her steady. Thank you", Q says beaming broadly

"Load it up again, boys!"

Your ship is slightly faster than the squid ship and while you exchange more shots back and forth, it will not change the outcome: You get away and they abandon the pursuit.

Quintis sets the course back and the speed picks up. At some point your ship slows, marking the unexpected presence of something else in the vicinity. It takes just a moment to spot another hammerhead ship in the distance. The other ship is severely damaged and adrift. Every few seconds, bands of electricity ripple out from the center of its hull, dealing further damage to the ship.

You are not far from your end destination, where your hand off the logbook

"Does anyone have a method of communicating at a distance?

"Or is there a way to scan for any lifesigns?"

Q notices the pulses of electricity have their source at the mid-point of the drifting Hammer head and he attempts to manoeuvre their ship so they are bow-to-bow with the wreckage

"Captain, I'm attempting to move us out of the arc of the electrical pulses. The ship apperas to be adrift, so we should be able to pull away from it if you so order, or I can try and get us closer to observe"

"Q, let's get closer to observe. If anything gets unsafe, you are authorized to wheel us out of the danger."

Frug yells loudly: "Can anyone sense illusions or other magical effects at a safe range?"

Q responds immediately to the Captains orders, attempting to avoid the electrical assualts by changing the ships relative attitude to the crippled Hammerhead

Seeing that we are on an approach course with the drifting ship Johnny grabs a rope and hook, then gets up into a position to jump onto the other ship if the opportunity should arise.

The Sailor called Sharpe Eyes taps the Mammoth Minotaur on the back of the leg and hands him a rope, "Tie this around thee waist, just in case."

"With all due respect Captain, we should go. Our orders are to make it back with the book. This could be a trap that would doom us all." Torch says this very matter-of-factly, without fear or hesitation.

"I appreciate the suggestion, Number 2.

"‘Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought it back.’

"This time, we will investigate the wreckage only a second more.

"Q, you are clear to approach. At the first sign of trouble, we are out of there."

Johnny can easily throw a line to the other ship and evacuate the other crew.

Torch relaxes a bit at the sight of Miken, but is still suspicious. "Keep the book close, Captain. We don’t want to lose it now." Torch moves to help Johnny with ropes.

"Bringing her alongside, Captain, and ready to flee on your word", Q says as he brings the ship alongside the distressed vessel

"Number 2, masterful thought!

"Acaelia, can you please join Quintis inside by the helm with the book? I would hate to lose it so close to completing our objective."

Once the ships are close enough Johnny jumps on to the other deck and moves to assist the crew, giving a friendly wave to Miken. "Can thee get yourself across to our vessel?" he asks of Miken.

Torch positions herself to catch the other crew as the board and get them onto this side safely.

You rescue the crew off the burning hammership and return to base.

---

The illusion around you ends in a wave of silvery blue light, and you stand within the simulation chamber where your training exercise began. Magical energy ripples like a turbulent cloud around you, reaching out to touch the rune-scribed walls, then exploding outward as bolts of lightning, sending Saerthe, Tarto, and others flying to the ground.

You can see similar flashes of lightning discharges from inside the other simulation chamber where Miken and the other team was being tested.

Johnny gives out a savage grunt as the lightning rips through him, his magnificent mane now standing on end as sparks jump from horn tip to horn tip.
Instinctively his shield and sword jump to hand as he takes a protective stance beside his shipmates, scanning the area for dangers.