The ship drifted silently through the new expanse, its crew shaken but focused. The anomaly had spat them out into an uncharted region, where the stars glimmered faintly against an oppressive blackness.
Kael's voice broke the silence. "Status report?"
Plavo, still hunched over the console, ran a quick diagnostic. "Engines are stable. Shields at forty percent. No immediate threats on the scanners."
You nodded, your gaze fixed on the viewport. "And the signal?"
Plavo tapped a few keys. The faint beacon still pulsed on the display, stronger now but no less cryptic. "It's close. Maybe a few clicks out."
"Good," you said. "Kael, keep the weapons ready. I don't trust the quiet."
Kael grunted in agreement, his hands tightening around the console's edges. "Quiet's just the calm before it hits the fan."
The ship moved forward cautiously, its sensors sweeping the area. The closer you got to the signal, the more the atmosphere seemed to thicken, a subtle tension creeping into every breath.
"Captain," Plavo said suddenly, his tone edged with uncertainty. "I… I'm picking up faint energy readings. They're erratic, but… big. Could be debris, or… something else."
Kael's jaw tightened. "Something else" never meant anything good.
"Put it on-screen," you ordered.
The main display flickered, showing a distorted view of the source. Jagged shapes floated in the void—twisted metal and shards of a once-massive structure. It wasn't just debris; it was the remains of a ship, colossal in scale and eerily familiar.
"Is that…?" Plavo trailed off, his voice barely audible.
Kael's expression darkened. "One of ours. Or what's left of it."
The realization hit like a punch to the gut. This was one of the escape pods' origin points, one of three. Whatever had happened here wasn't just an accident.
"Scans," you said, your voice firm. "I want to know everything."
Plavo worked quickly, his fingers flying over the controls. "There's… no life signs. But there's residual energy. A lot of it. And… wait."
He froze, his eyes widening.
"What is it?" you asked sharply.
"Movement," Plavo whispered. "Something's moving out there."
Before you could respond, the ship rocked violently. Alarms blared as the crew scrambled to maintain control. Outside, shadows began to coalesce, shifting and swirling like smoke given form.
Kael was already at the weapons console. "Hostiles incoming! Multiple bogeys, closing fast!"
"Evasive maneuvers!" you shouted, gripping the armrest as the ship veered sharply.
The shadows grew sharper, revealing sleek, alien constructs bristling with weaponry. They darted through the debris field with unnerving precision, their firepower lighting up the void.
Plavo's voice rose above the chaos. "I'm rerouting power to the shields, but they won't hold long!"
Kael's reply was a growl. "We'll hold as long as we have to. Keep them off us, and aim for the signal."
The ship's weapons fired back, bursts of light streaking through the darkness. One of the attackers exploded, but more closed in, relentless and unyielding.
You forced yourself to focus, the chaos around you demanding clarity. "Push through. Get us to that signal."
Plavo nodded, sweat beading on his forehead. "On it, Captain."
The ship surged forward, engines straining as it weaved through the debris and enemy fire. The signal grew stronger, pulsing like a heartbeat—a beacon calling you toward the unknown.
But as you drew closer, one thought loomed above the rest: if this was only the beginning, what awaited you at the signal's source?