Hawkeye saw the distant ship almost at the same time as the other lookout noticed one of the other ships converging on the distress call. They called it in, agreeing that the ship behind was the Perfect Circle, an elderly Lantharian clipper of some renown.

The heliograph turret on the forecastle swung round and slammed a brutally-fast burst of communication at the Circle behind them, then pivoted back to signal the ship ahead. By the silhouette alone, it was difficult to tell much about it. Hawkeye felt that the shape matched a mid-weight frigate built in Martis, Poryse that there was some similarity to the light cruisers that the country of Presage now favoured.

The Perfect Circle finally got their act together and flashed a reply.

BEGIN MESSAGE STOP
OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS “REMOTE POSSIBILITY” PRESAGE HEAVY CARGO VESSEL, “NULL HYPOTHESIS” PRESAGE CRUISER STOP
ADVISE “SILVER SKIES” INITIATE CONTACT STOP
DISTRESSED SHIP IS “CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE” EARTH LIGHT CRUISER GATEKEEPER STOP
END MESSAGE STOP