Orbist

The hum of the engines reverberated through the ship, steady and reassuring. The signal's coordinates glowed faintly on the console, growing closer with each passing moment.

Plavo's excitement was palpable as he leaned over the map, his finger tracing potential routes. "We'll be there in no time! Easy, right?"

Kael, standing near the viewport, didn't share the enthusiasm. His eyes scanned the void outside. "Nothing out here is ever easy."

The words hung in the air like a premonition.

Without warning, the ship jolted violently, sending Plavo sprawling to the floor. The lights flickered as alarms blared, their shrill cries cutting through the sudden chaos.

"Status!" you barked, gripping the edge of your seat to steady yourself.

Plavo scrambled back to the console, his hands flying over the controls. "Something's hit us! It's… external, but I can't see what!"

Kael's voice was calm but sharp. "Shields are holding, but we're losing power on the left thruster."

Through the viewport, faint flashes of light danced against the darkness. At first, they seemed like distant stars, but they moved—erratic and deliberate.

"Are those… ships?" Plavo whispered, his voice trembling.

"Not ships," Kael corrected. "Drones. Hostile."

Another impact rocked the ship, this one closer. Sparks flew from a panel overhead, showering the bridge in fleeting bursts of light.

"Evasive maneuvers!" you ordered, tightening your grip as the ship banked hard to the right.

Plavo's fingers danced across the console, his determination outweighing his fear. "I'm rerouting power to the engines! That should give us a boost… I think."

Kael moved swiftly to the weapons console. "Think faster. They're not waiting."

The first volley fired from your ship, streaks of energy cutting through the void. One of the drones exploded in a brilliant flash, but the others closed in, relentless and precise.

"We can't keep this up," Kael warned. "They'll overwhelm us."

"Plavo, where's that signal?" you asked, your voice steady despite the chaos.

"Almost there!" he called back. "It's… wait. I've got an anomaly ahead! Could be a way out!"

You exchanged a glance with Kael. "Do it. Take us there."

The ship surged forward, engines straining as Plavo pushed them to their limits. The drones pursued, their fire growing more aggressive.

As the anomaly came into view, it shimmered like a ripple in the fabric of space. A gamble, but the only option.

"Brace yourselves," you commanded.

The ship plunged into the anomaly, the universe bending and warping around you. For a moment, there was only blinding light and deafening silence.

Then, as suddenly as it began, it was over. The ship steadied, the alarms fading into an uneasy quiet.

Kael exhaled, his grip on the console relaxing. "We're clear. For now."

Plavo let out a nervous laugh, slumping into his chair. "That… that wasn't so bad."

You shot him a look, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at your lips. Outside the viewport, a new section of space unfolded, unfamiliar and eerily calm. Somewhere out there, the signal's origin awaited, but now, there were more questions than answers.