Somewhere in the Main Belt, Draco system
The shuttle moved through the vast expanse of the Draco star system's main belt, a little bit over 1 Astronomical Unit from the star. Jil and Hank were huddled around the scanner console, eyes fixed on the pulsating lights, while Gabe's fingers danced across the controls, adjusting the scanner frequencies to filter out the debris cluttering the region.
"This belt is a real maze. If the Separatists are here, they could easily hide among these rocks." - he said
Meanwhile, aboard the approaching Sentinel, Captain Rael studied the gathered data on the bridge. They were just 45 minutes from a rendezvous with the Celestial Voyager shuttle. Lieutenant Douklan Paravides was at the helm, with Corbin McRogers sitting in an observation chair nearby. In a seat normally reserved for admirals and VIPs out of the chain of command, Corbin was being treated like a real guest of honor.
Suddenly, the unexpected appearance of a sleek starship near the shuttle disrupted the Celestial Voyager crew. Lights flickered as the long-range transport materialized a few hundred kilometers away.
Gabe peered through the magnified viewport. "What in the galaxy is that? Looks like an ITC ship. Wonder what they're doing out here."
As the starship stabilized, a communication channel crackled to life. "This is the ITC Bureau of Investigation vessel Alpha-Zero-Nine. We've just arrived from hyperspace near your position but will change course with your authorization. Apologies for the disturbance; I'm defrosting the human crew now," conveyed a metallic voice.
On the ITC vessel's bridge, a synthetic being efficiently processed data. Following standard procedures, it remotely accessed the cryo-pod chamber and initiated the thawing sequence for Special Agent Slaine Rowan and Senior Special Agent Alex Mercer.