Public The Scream Between Stars

[Protectorate Stories]

The Scream Between Stars

An Open Halloween Horror Thread

Space has always held its share of mysteries. Beyond the familiar hyperspace lanes and well-charted systems lie countless phenomena that even the most experienced explorers struggle to explain. Ships disappear without warning, distress signals emerge from seemingly empty regions of space, and occasionally, something is encountered that defies every reasonable explanation. Most such stories are dismissed as spacers' superstitions, embellished through generations of retelling. Yet some tales endure because someone survived long enough to tell them.

One such tale is about to become terrifyingly real.

A passenger transport has emerged from hyperspace along a relatively quiet trade route, far from any major population center. The vessel is drifting, its engines inactive and its communications systems broadcasting an automated distress signal. There is no indication of a battle, no evidence of a collision, and nothing immediately suggesting the ship suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure. Its hull remains intact, its escape pods are still secured, and its life-support systems continue to operate. By every outward indication, the transport should be functioning normally.

Yet nobody aboard is answering.

Preliminary scans have produced contradictory readings. The vessel's systems indicate that passengers and crew were present when it entered hyperspace, but subsequent scans have failed to establish their whereabouts. Occasional fluctuations in the ship's power distribution suggest that something remains active within its corridors, though whether this is due to malfunctioning equipment or something else entirely is unknown.

More disturbing are the irregularities detected along the vessel's exterior. Automated sensors have registered movement across sections of the hull, only for the readings to disappear whenever a more focused scan is attempted. At least one monitoring station has reported hearing something beneath the repeating distress transmission, a faint and distorted sound resembling a voice. Attempts to isolate the audio have yielded no conclusive results.

With no response from the transport and little information regarding its condition, an open distress advisory has been issued to vessels operating within the surrounding region. Anyone capable of providing assistance is encouraged to investigate, determine the fate of those aboard, and render aid wherever possible.

Those who answer the call may arrive for any number of reasons. Some will come out of duty or compassion, others through curiosity, professional obligation, or the possibility of recovering valuable information. Whatever brings them to the abandoned transport, they will soon discover that its silent corridors hold far more questions than answers.

And somewhere within the darkness, something is waiting.

OBJECTIVE I: THE SILENT VESSEL

Board the abandoned passenger transport and investigate the circumstances surrounding its mysterious arrival. Search the passenger cabins, crew quarters, bridge, and other accessible compartments for evidence of what occurred during its final hyperspace journey. Recover flight records, examine unusual sensor readings, and attempt to establish the whereabouts of the missing passengers and crew.

The vessel may appear deserted, but appearances can be deceiving. Strange noises, inexplicable equipment failures, and increasingly disturbing discoveries may complicate even the most routine investigation.

OBJECTIVE II: SOMETHING IN THE DARK

Whatever happened aboard the transport may not be entirely over. Reports of movement along the hull, unexplained disturbances, and unsettling sounds suggest that the vessel's problems extend beyond mechanical failure.

Those who venture deeper into the ship may encounter phenomena that challenge their understanding of the galaxy. Force-sensitive individuals may find themselves particularly vulnerable to whatever lurks aboard, although nobody should assume that an absence of Force sensitivity guarantees safety.

Investigate these disturbances, protect your companions, and find a way to survive whatever the transport has brought back from hyperspace.

OBJECTIVE III: ANSWER THE DISTRESS CALL

Despite the vessel's apparent abandonment, the possibility of survivors cannot be dismissed. Search inaccessible compartments, restore damaged systems, establish communications, and prepare for a potential evacuation. Engineers, medical personnel, pilots, and anyone with experience in rescue operations may find their skills particularly valuable.

The transport's condition remains uncertain, and there is no guarantee that its systems will continue functioning indefinitely. Whether survivors are discovered or not, those answering the distress call must determine whether the vessel can be saved or whether abandoning it is the only reasonable course of action.

OBJECTIVE IV: BRING YOUR OWN

Not every character needs to arrive as part of an organized rescue operation. Perhaps you were already aboard when the incident occurred, followed the distress signal out of curiosity, or have a personal interest in the vessel and its cargo. You may wish to investigate an unrelated mystery, recover something valuable, or simply find yourself caught in circumstances far beyond your expectations.

Participants are welcome to develop their own stories and interactions within the larger setting, provided they remain consistent with the thread's cooperative nature.

---

OOC: PARTICIPATION GUIDELINES

This is an open Halloween horror thread intended to bring characters from across the galaxy together for a shared experience. Jedi, Sith, Mandalorians, Imperials, criminals, independents, and members of otherwise opposing factions are all welcome to participate.

For the purposes of this event, all participants are expected to set aside their usual hostilities. Characters may recognize one another as enemies, distrust each other's motives, or exchange some appropriately tense dialogue, but there is to be no PvP combat, infighting, sabotage of fellow participants, or deliberate attempts to derail another writer's storyline.

The focus of this thread is the mystery, atmosphere, exploration, and supernatural dangers aboard the transport, not settling existing grudges or faction disputes. Characters do not need to become friends, but they are expected to coexist peacefully and cooperate when circumstances require it.

Please respect the agency of other writers and their characters. No forced injuries, deaths, possession, or other significant consequences should be imposed upon another player's character without their consent.

Above all, this is meant to be a fun, collaborative Halloween experience. Leave the galactic wars outside, enjoy the horror, and give everyone the opportunity to participate.

After all, whatever is waiting aboard that ship probably doesn't care which side of the Force you follow.