defy the tyrannous stars
GHOST SHIP
Galactic Alliance Dominion of Widek Hex
"We should be dropping out of hyperspace shortly, Admiral," Commander Bashir, Mon Calamari XO of the ANS Hereafter, reported."I've got a bad feeling about this," Zark mumbled quietly, still gazing out the small forward viewport at the front of the star carrier's command deck.
The Vice Admiral was the leader of this expedition into the Farlax sector, where the latest sightings of Codename Valencia had been reported. The Valencia itself was supposedly a phantom derelict that had been drifting out from the Unknown Regions towards the Core through the use of intermittent short hyperspace jumps.
For months the Strategic Intelligence Service had written the accounts off as local folk legend or some form of elaborate prank, but too many legitimated sources have corroborated the tales of a drifting, unresponsive star destroyer. To this date, no first hand witnesses of the Valencia's passing have been recovered, the only evidence of her existence obtained from the data logs of inexplicably abandoned starships the destroyer leaves in her wake.
"Reversion in three...two...one."
The GADF expeditionary group exploded back into realspace on the edge of the target nebula, swirling cosmic gases immediately shrouding the Admiral's view and causing static interference on sensor stations throughout the bridge. The phantom traveler was projected to drop from hyperspace and pass through the nebula any moment now.
"No going back now," Bashir's voice was grim.
Under better circumstances, an Alliance science team would have taken a more delicate approach, but they no longer had the luxury of time. Six days ago the Valencia had passed through the outer edge of the inhabited Galantos system, and upon reestablishing contact with their frontier outpost, the system's native Fians had discovered no sign of all two hundred eighty seven souls who had moments before served as station personnel.
The ghost ship's present course would soon bring it within several AUs of the nonaligned border world of Widek, far too close for the planetary government's comfort. They had asked the Alliance for help, and since the Triumvirate had agreed it was now Zark's duty to manifest the will of that pledge.
"Contact!" a raised voice called from the bridge's main sensor station, "Hyperspace reversion detected, close proximity!"
Through nebula mists, the Jedi Knight caught a glimpse of a star destroyer's outline.
"Inform first contact teams that they are go for launch."
Jedi, Soldiers, Mercs, and Agents: Participate in the boarding of the ghost ship Valencia, a derelict star destroyer drifting from the Unknown Regions that leaves no surviving witnesses in its wake.
Pilots, Freighter Captains, and Naval Officers: Join in on an escort patrol through the nebula, prepare to contend with the contents of the Valencia's not so abandoned hangar bay, as the destroyer will eventually launch a complement of phantom TIEs.
Diplomats, Entrepreneurs, Civilians and Scoundrels: Join the investigation team in an advisory capacity, offer support for the panicking Widek planetary government, assist in quelling civil unrest and evacuation efforts as word begins to leak to the populace about the potential danger heading their way.
And of course, BYOO - Bring Your Own Objective!
