The stars outside twist and warp as your ship bucks violently against the fury of the ion storm. The lights flicker crimson, and warning klaxons screech through the narrow corridors of the Starling. Every control surface on your console spasms with static. Power flickers. Engines drop offline. You’re drifting.

You slam your palm on the auxiliary console—nothing but static and sparks. The comms screen blinks to life for a brief moment, bathed in blood-red glow.

MAY DAY… MAY DAY…
VESSEL: ARDENT DAWN…
COORDINATES LOCKED…
UNKNOWN ENTITY… HULL BREACH… REQUEST—
—signal corruption—

Then silence.

You steady your breath. This was supposed to be a standard courier run. Just in and out—no drama, no surprises. But out here in the dead fringe of known space, surprises tend to bite back.

The storm still rages, but your scanners show the signal is close. Whatever the Ardent Dawn was… it’s still there.

You glance at the controls, the choices flickering before you.