The shuttles were launched minutes after the explosion and the assailant was moving away at 600 gravities. The armed... whatever it was, had the drive of a courier boat and, after spending the moments reviewing the visual logs of the event, Sam reasoned that it had started out as one, at least. Had the ship still had its original long-range armaments he'd had fired a broadside 'up the kilt' of the ship's unprotected aft aspect out of sheer spite, but their targeting systems and older missiles were built to bust raiders with maybe a cruiser-size hull if they weren't running a much larger converted freighter.  He'd go after them... eventually.<br/><br/><br/>An hour later...<br/><br/>Aboard the small shuttle, Peter McCandless sat in the pilot's seat, maneuvering the small craft toward the relay on thrusters. He was close enough now to see the relay and the small white pod attached to a maintenance port, running lights flashing, with ITC insignia on it.<br/>He keys the private comm circuit connecting him to his mothership. "Guys, that sensor blip was right, looks like there's a maintenance pod attached to the relay, it was so close their signatures merged. What do you want me to do?"<br/><br/>On the bridge, Sam smirked to himself at the former Navy pilot's lack of protocol. THe kid was a great pilot, but had made a less than stellar officer, and ever since he<i>could</i>drop protocol, he did. "See if anyone's home, then haul their ass back here, kicking and screaming if you have to, Rabbit."<br/><br/>McCandless' reply was quick. "Got it, Boss," he said, twisting his control sticks to get the shuttle within one relay's length of the relay itself, and the pod. He dare not go closer. He flipped the comm to the emergency broadcast channel, something the pod's computers would detect and light up every receiver and speaker inside the tiny craft. "ITC pod, this is Peter McCandless of the GMS<i>Manticore</i>, we  witnessed your ship's destruction and are here to render aid. Please respond." This time his voice was the unflappable calm of a seasoned pilot.