The sphere looms closer and closer, filling the sky, to the point that it seems like the ship must be right on top of it, and yet there are still hundreds of miles yet to go.
Hyacinth returns to deck and casts her spell again, opening a swirling hole in the shell before then, and soon enough, they are in starry skies again. The crew cheers and the torches are once again lit.
"Damn the luck!" Belvin calls out. "Pirates on the starboard bow!"

In the distance are a pair of ships built to somewhat resemble hammerhead sharks. "Hammerships, Captain," Belvin declares. "No activity on deck. They may not have seen us."
"No way they missed the gate through the shell," Macaw says.

From the flags --which are apparently a constant across myriad planes, or at least Rae's and this one-- these are definitely pirate ships, if oddly constructed. But the pirates don't seem that interested in this newly arrived ship. In fact, there doesn't seem to be anyone above deck at all.

"We're not a salvage vessel," Macaw says. "But the condition of those ships, if they be truly abandoned... the gear must be in good shape."
"It smells of trap," Sands says.
"That it does," Macaw agrees. "But reoutfitting a ship doesn't come cheaply."

Sands nods. "There's very specific currents in the Flow. Most ships coming in from Bralspace are going to enter in roughly this area."