*Content Warning: Gore warning. This is the last of this happening for awhile.*
(Embers POV)
The gentle thrum of hyperspace engines created a constant backdrop of white noise as Ember sat on the edge of the narrow bunk in her assigned quarters aboard the Imperial transport vessel. The room was spartanly furnished with just a bed, a small storage locker, and a compact refresher unit. It was functional but impersonal, the kind of accommodation designed for efficiency rather than comfort.
She turned the metallic cylinder over in her hands, studying its familiar weight as her mind replayed the events that had led to this unexpected journey. Just six hours ago, she had been relaxing in the apartment she had come to think of as home, enjoying the afterglow of surviving the Academy tournament and looking forward to whatever came next. Cherry had been curled up beside her on the couch watching the TV.
Then Vex had returned from what she claimed was a routine Intelligence briefing, her usually composed demeanor carrying an edge of urgency that immediately set Ember on alert. There had been no gradual preparation, no explanation of long-term plans just the stark announcement that Ember needed to pack immediately for off-world training that would begin within hours.
"Advanced tactical instruction" Vex had explained tersely while Ember threw her few possessions into a travel bag. "The Academy tournament identified you as having exceptional potential that requires specialized development. The training facility is classified, but you'll be working with some of the Empire's finest instructors."
The explanation had felt incomplete, almost evasive, which was unlike Vex's usual style. But there had been no time for questions or protests a transport was already waiting, and schedules were not subject to negotiation.
The hardest part had been saying goodbye to Cherry. Her younger sister had tried to be brave, but Ember could sense the fear radiating from her through the Force. They had never been separated since their escape, and the prospect of facing an unknown future alone clearly terrified the eight-year-old.
"How long will you be gone?" Cherry had asked, her small hand clutching Ember's sleeve as if physical contact could somehow prevent the inevitable departure.
"I don't know" Ember had admitted, hating the uncertainty in her own voice. "But I'll come back. I promise."
Now, sitting alone in the sterile quarters as the ship carried her toward an unknown destination, she wondered if that promise had been naive as there was no guarantee that after she finished that training that she would return to Dromund Kaas.
She cracked the metallic device once along its central seam and brought it to her lips, inhaling the familiar vapor that helped her relax. The vapor worked its way through her system, bringing the blessed harmony that allowed her to function normally. As she exhaled slowly, some of the tension in her shoulders began to ease.
Rising from the bed, Ember moved to the small storage locker and began the methodical process of preparing for sleep. Her travel bag contained the essentials—several changes of clothes, personal hygiene items, a small collection of her metallic devices, and the emergency medical supplies that Sera had insisted she carry at all times. Everything she owned in the galaxy fit into a single bag, a sobering reminder of how recently her life had been completely different.
She changed into the simple sleep clothes she had packed, then carefully removed her eyepatch and placed it on the nightstand beside the narrow bunk. The familiar ritual of preparing for bed felt oddly comforting in the alien environment of the transport vessel. As she settled onto the thin mattress, she looked around the ship with her Force sight, noting the life signatures of the crew and the handful of other passengers scattered throughout the vessel.
The ship seemed to be carrying perhaps twenty individuals total, what she had to assume was a skeleton crew sufficient to operate the transport during hyperspace transit, plus what appeared to be several other passengers in quarters similar to her own. As sleep began to claim her, Ember's last conscious thought was a fervent hope that whatever training awaited her would provide answers to the questions that had been accumulating since she had boarded the ship.
*Few hours later*
Ember's eyes snapped open with a burst of energy and listened making sure not to move a muscle. The hyperspace engines continued their steady thrum, but something had changed. Her hand moved automatically to the nightstand, fingers finding her eyepatch and securing it over her empty socket in a practiced motion that required no conscious thought.
But as she sat up in the narrow bunk, a chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the ship's climate control systems. Every instinct she had developed during training told her that she was being observed. Her Force sight exploded outward with the intensity of a searchlight, penetrating every surface of her quarters in a desperate attempt to locate the source of her unease. The sensation was unmistakable, somewhere in the darkness, eyes were watching her with the patient focus of a hunter studying its target.
Ember rolled off the bed and onto the floor in a single fluid motion, her bare feet silent against the cold deck plating as she dropped into a defensive crouch. Her right hand found the combat knife secured to her belt even while sleeping, while her left hand retrieved the blaster pistol from beneath her pillow. Both weapons felt reassuring in her grasp as she began a systematic search of the small quarters.
The bathroom was her first target its compact space could potentially conceal surveillance equipment or even a human observer. She yanked open the door with enough force to slam it against the wall, weapon raised and ready to engage any threat that emerged. The small compartment was empty, but she methodically checked every surface for hidden cameras or listening devices.
Next came the storage locker, its contents scattered across the deck as she searched for anything that didn't belong. Her travel bag was turned inside out, every pocket examined for devices that might have been planted during her hasty packing. The walls received similar attention, her fingers probing along seams and joints where surveillance equipment might be concealed.
The sensation of being watched never faded, but her frantic search revealed nothing concrete, no cameras no listening devices, no hidden passages that might allow covert observation. Yet her body continued to insist that hostile attention remained focused on her position, creating a maddening contradiction.
She stood in the center of her ransacked quarters, weapons still ready, trying to reconcile the persistent feeling of being stalked with the apparent absence of any surveillance apparatus. Her breathing had become rapid and shallow, adrenaline flooding her system as fight-or-flight responses warred with rational analysis.
Taking several deep breaths to center herself, Ember gradually allowed her heartrate to slow while maintaining her grip on both weapons. The sensation of being observed began to fade slightly, though it never disappeared entirely. Whatever had triggered her defensive response seemed to be backing off, though whether due to her active countermeasures or simple loss of interest remained unclear.
She retrieved one of her metallic devices from the scattered contents of her travel bag, cracking it twice along its seam lines to activate a stronger dose than her usual single activation and inhaled. The hot shower that followed felt like a ritual cleansing, washing away both the physical tension of her search and the lingering psychological effects of her unknown observer. The recycled water was barely adequate, but the familiar routine of personal hygiene helped her relax slowly. She remained alert throughout, occasionally parting the shower curtain to check the main quarters, but the predatory sensation had faded to a barely perceptible background concern.
As she dried herself and pulled on fresh clothes, Ember began to rationalize what had occurred. Nightmare seemed the most logical explanation—her subconscious mind processing the stress of separation, unknown destinations, and the general uncertainty that had defined her life since escaping the laboratory. The feeling of being watched could easily have been a manifestation of anxiety rather than actual surveillance.
She finished the remainder of her metallic device while getting dressed, allowing the Clouzon-36 to complete its work of stabilizing her sight. By the time she was fully clothed and equipped, the incident had taken on the fuzzy quality of a dream rather than an immediate threat.
"Just a nightmare" she murmured to herself while securing her weapons and reorganizing her scattered belongings. "Stress reaction. Nothing more."
But even as she spoke the words, a small part of her mind remained unconvinced. Her Force sensitivity had never produced false alarms before, and the intensity of the predatory sensation had felt far too specific to be mere anxiety.
I stepped out of my quarters and nodded politely to the older Intelligence officer still stationed in the corridor. His weathered features remained professionally neutral as he returned the gesture, but I could sense his attention tracking my movements.
"Good morning, Miss Korrath" he said in that crisp Imperial accent that marked him as core world educated. "I trust you're feeling better after your rest?"
"Much better, thank you" I replied
"Would it be acceptable if I explored the common areas?" I asked, gesturing toward the forward sections of the transport. "The quarters are quite comfortable, but I'd appreciate a change of scenery."
"Of course" the officer replied with what appeared to be genuine accommodation. "Most of the ship is restricted for security reasons, but the observation lounge should provide adequate space for relaxation. Two levels up, forward section."
I thanked him and began making my way through the ship's corridors, noting how the architecture suggested a vessel designed for Intelligence operations rather than passenger comfort. The walls were lined with panels that could conceal surveillance equipment, the lighting was positioned to eliminate shadows where conversations might occur unobserved, and the layout forced anyone moving through the ship to pass through chokepoints where their activities could be monitored.
Following the officer's directions, I climbed two levels via a maintenance ladder that connected the ship's different sections. The forward area he'd mentioned turned out to be a small compartment that could generously be called an observation lounge, though it was clearly designed more for utility than comfort. A few basic chairs faced a large viewport that offered an unobstructed view of hyperspace, while a simple desk suggested the room occasionally served as an impromptu office for crew members.
But it was the viewport that drew my attention completely. The swirling blue-white maelstrom of hyperspace stretched beyond the reinforced transparisteel, an endless tunnel of energy that connected distant points across the galaxy, I'd never had the opportunity to simply observe hyperspace before and it was beautiful.
I settled into one of the chairs facing the viewport and allowed myself to truly relax for the first time since leaving the apartment. The constant motion of hyperspace was oddly hypnotic, its flowing patterns creating an almost meditative state that helped ease the tension I'd been carrying since departure. My Force sight remained active but unfocused, creating a gentle awareness of my surroundings without the sharp intensity I'd maintained during my room search.
Time seemed to flow differently while watching hyperspace, minutes stretching into what felt like hours as I let my mind wander. I found myself thinking about Cherry, probably sitting in the apartment right now wondering when I'd return. The separation felt like a physical ache, though I tried to convince myself it was necessary for both our futures. Whatever training awaited me at our destination would hopefully provide skills and opportunities that could benefit us both.
The gentle thrum of the ship's engines provided a constant backdrop to my contemplation, occasionally punctuated by the subtle vibrations that indicated course corrections or system adjustments. Through my Force sight, I could sense the other passengers maintaining their various positions throughout the vessel, but none seemed particularly interested in my current location.
The hyperspace tunnel continued its endless flow beyond the viewport, creating patterns of light and energy that seemed almost alive in their complexity. I found myself studying the way different currents of energy interacted with each other, creating eddies and streams that reminded me of water flowing around obstacles. There was something almost beautiful about it.
That's when I saw them.
Eyes. Human-sized eyes staring directly at me outside through hyperspace, their gaze carrying an intelligence that was both ancient and utterly alien. They weren't positioned where eyes should be on a human face they seemed to float independently in the swirling energy currents, unblinking and focused with predatory intensity directly on my position. They existed where nothing should be able to exist, suspended in the chaotic flow of hyperspace energy like they belonged there. The irises were a color I couldn't quite identify—something between deep violet and black that seemed to shift depending on how the hyperspace currents moved around them.
I pressed closer to the viewport, my breath fogging the window as I tried to understand what I was seeing. The eyes tracked my movement with deliberate precision, following me as I leaned left and right to test whether they were actually observing me or simply floating debris that resembled human features.
They were definitely watching me. Then the eyes blinked.
I jolted awake in my narrow bunk, my body drenched in cold sweat and my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape my chest. The familiar confines of my quarters surrounded me, dimly lit by the ship's night cycle illumination. My eyepatch lay on the nightstand exactly where I'd placed it before sleep.
"Just a nightmare" I mumbled, rolling over and pressing my face into the thin pillow. The lingering terror from the dream clung to my consciousness, but I forced myself to focus on the rational explanation. Stress, separation anxiety, unfamiliar environment all perfectly reasonable causes for disturbed sleep and vivid nightmares.
I lay there for several minutes, waiting for my heart rate to return to normal and the cold sweat to dry on my skin. The hyperspace engines continued their steady thrum, unchanged and reassuring in their mechanical consistency. Through my Force sight, I could sense the same dozen Intelligence operatives maintaining their positions throughout the vessel, none showing signs of alarm or unusual activity.
Eventually, I forced myself to sit up and begin the process of preparing for another day. My hands moved automatically through the familiar routine—securing my eyepatch, checking my weapons, retrieving clean clothes from my travel bag. The repetitive motions helped ground me in physical reality and push the lingering images of those floating eyes further into the background of my consciousness.
When I finally felt composed enough to face whatever waited outside my quarters, I opened the door and stepped into the transport's main corridor. A older Intelligence officer stood in approximately outside my room, his weathered features carrying professional courtesy as he acknowledged my emergence.
"Good morning, Miss Korrath" he said in that familiar crisp accent. "I trust you slept well?"
"Well enough" I replied, taking another careful drag from my device before securing it in my pocket the metallic taste lingered pleasantly in my mouth.
"Would it be acceptable if I explored the common areas?" I asked, gesturing toward the forward sections of the transport. "The quarters are quite comfortable, but I'd appreciate a change of scenery."
"Of course" the officer replied with the same accommodating tone. "Two levels up, forward section. I'm sure you remember the way."
I thanked him and began making my way through the ship's corridors, following the same route I'd taken during my previous exploration. But as I moved away from the officer's position, something new caught my attention a soft humming that seemed to be coming from his direction.
"Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh. Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh'
The melody was barely audible over the ambient noise of the ship's systems, but it was hauntingly beautiful. The notes seemed to flow together in patterns that were almost familiar, as if I'd heard the song before but couldn't quite place where or when.
I paused at the base of the maintenance ladder, turning slightly to see if I could identify the source of the music. The Intelligence officer remained in his position, apparently unaware that his unconscious humming was carrying through the ship's corridors. His expression remained professionally neutral, showing no indication that he was even aware of producing the sound.
The melody continued as I climbed the ladder, growing fainter with distance but still clearly audible. There was something about the tune that tugged at memories I couldn't quite access it was frustratingly just on the tip of my tongue. By the time I reached the observation lounge, the humming had faded to the point where I could no longer distinguish it from the ship's ambient noise. But the melody continued to echo in my thoughts, creating a strange sense of nostalgia for something I was certain I'd never experienced.
I settled into a chair facing the large viewport that offered an unobstructed view of hyperspace. But before focusing on the swirling energy beyond, I extended my Force sight throughout the entire vessel, conducting a more thorough scan than I'd attempted before.
The results were both reassuring and oddly disappointing. Every life signature aboard the ship showed normal patterns of activity—crew members monitoring systems, passengers resting in their quarters, the Intelligence officer maintaining his position in the corridor. Nothing unusual, nothing threatening, nothing that might explain the predatory sensations that had been plaguing me since I woke up.
Everything appeared completely normal, which somehow made the situation feel even more unsettling. If my instincts had been correct about being observed and hunted, where was the source of that attention? And if they'd been wrong, why had the sensations felt so specific and immediate?
I turned my attention back to the viewport, where the hyperspace tunnel continued its endless flow of blue-white energy. The patterns looked like smooth, flowing currents without the dark anomalies I'd seen in my nightmare. No floating eyes, no alien presence, no indication that anything existed in the chaotic medium beyond the ship's hull.
The humming melody continued to echo in my thoughts as I watched the hypnotic display, its notes creating a strange counterpoint to the mechanical sounds of the ship's systems. I found myself trying to place where I might have heard the tune before, but the memory remained tantalizingly out of reach..
The hyperspace tunnel stretched endlessly before me, its swirling patterns of blue-white energy creating a hypnotic display that was beautiful to watch. I settled deeper into the chair, allowing the familiar rhythm of the ship's engines to help calm my nerves while I tried to push the lingering melody from my thoughts.
I found myself leaning forward unconsciously, drawn by the mesmerizing flow of energy beyond the viewport. The patterns seemed almost alive in their complexity, creating currents and eddies that reminded me of water flowing around unseen obstacles. There was something deeply peaceful about watching the endless movement, a sense of being connected to the vast machinery of galactic civilization that made hyperspace travel possible. But as my attention focused more intently on the energy flows, I began to notice something that shouldn't have been there. Far in the distance, barely visible against the chaotic backdrop of hyperspace, was a shape that didn't belong to the natural patterns
I struggled to make out details, but the object appeared to be roughly human-sized and moving with deliberate purpose through the energy currents. It wasn't debris or some random particle caught in the hyperspace stream—its movements were too controlled, too purposeful for anything that wasn't actively navigating hyperspace.
As I watched, the shape seemed to turn in my direction, and suddenly I could make out features that sent ice through my veins. Eyes just normal human eyes stared directly at me across the impossible distance. But this time I could see more than just the eyes. The entity possessed what appeared to be a human form, complete with arms, legs, and a torso that moved with fluid grace through the hyperspace energy.
I blinked hard, certain that fatigue or residual dream imagery was playing tricks with my perception. But when my eyes opened, the entity had moved closer significantly closer. What had been a distant figure was now perhaps half the original distance away, its human features clearly visible as it continued its approach through the swirling energy.
"No, no, no" I whispered, stumbling backward from the viewport so quickly that my chair overturned with a metallic clatter. The sound echoed through the small observation lounge, but I barely noticed as primitive terror flooded my system.
My hands shook as I fumbled for one of my metallic devices, cracking it twice along the seam lines with desperate urgency. The stronger dose of Clouzon-36 vapor filled my lungs as I inhaled deeply, trying to use the chemical stability to override whatever hallucinatory episode I was experiencing.
I closed my eyes tightly, forcing myself to take slow, controlled breaths while the vapor worked through my system. "You're just seeing things" I said aloud, my voice barely steady enough to form coherent words. "Stress hallucination. Nightmare residue. Nothing more." As I repeated the words over and over I could feel my heart rate beginning to slow and my hands steadying.
When I finally felt composed enough to open my eyes, I turned slowly back toward the viewport with careful deliberation. The hyperspace tunnel stretched before me exactly as it should smooth flowing energy patterns without anomalies, without impossible entities, without any trace of the figure I'd been observing.
The entity was gone.
I let out a long, shaky breath l as relief flooded through my system. Whatever I'd been seeing had been nothing more than stress-induced hallucination, probably triggered by the combination of separation anxiety, unfamiliar environment, and the residual effects of my earlier nightmare.
I remained at the viewport for several more minutes, carefully scanning the hyperspace for any sign that the encounter had been real. My Force sight penetrated as deeply into the energy flows as I could manage, searching for life signatures or anomalous patterns that might indicate the presence of something that shouldn't exist.
Nothing. The hyperspace tunnel showed only the natural chaos of faster-than-light travel, exactly as it should appear to anyone observing from the relative safety of a properly shielded transport vessel.
"Just stress" I muttered, taking another drag from my device to reinforce the chemical stability that kept my perceptions functioning correctly. "Too much change, too much uncertainty. Perfectly normal psychological response."
The explanation felt reasonable, even reassuring. I'd been through enormous changes over the past months escape from the laboratory, adjustment to life with Vex and Sera, the Academy tournament, and now separation from everything familiar for unknown training. Any normal person would be experiencing stress reactions under similar circumstances.
I finished my device and secured it in my pocket, then began the process of returning the observation lounge to its previous condition. The overturned chair needed to be righted, and I wanted to eliminate any evidence of my panic episode before other passengers or crew members discovered signs of disturbance.
"Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh. Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh'
I took one final look through the viewport, confirming that the hyperspace tunnel showed no anomalies or impossible entities. The flowing patterns of energy continued their eternal dance, beautiful in their chaotic complexity but entirely normal in their behavior. Nothing watched me from the swirling medium, nothing approached through the impossible distances of faster-than-light travel.
Satisfied that my hallucination had been nothing more than stress-induced misperception, I turned toward the observation lounge's exit.
I jolted awake in my narrow bunk again, the same cold sweat coating my skin, the same racing heartbeat hammering against my ribs. But this time, instead of confusion, a sharp clarity cut through the disorientation.
"What the hell?" I whispered, sitting up slowly and staring at the familiar confines of my quarters. The eyepatch lay in exactly the same position on the nightstand. My weapons were secured in precisely the same locations. Even the way the dim lighting fell across my travel bag seemed identical to my previous awakening.
I reached over and pinched my arm hard, the sharp pain confirming that I was definitely awake and not trapped in some dream. The sensation was real, immediate, and thoroughly unpleasant exactly what I needed to anchor myself.
I moved quickly this time, abandoning the slow preparation routine I'd followed previously. My hands moved efficiently through the process of getting dressed, selecting practical clothes that would allow for rapid movement if the situation demanded it. The familiar weight of my weapons felt reassuring as I secured them in their proper positions.
In the bathroom, I retrieved my satchel from its concealed position behind the waste recycling unit in it held my remaining supply of metallic devices and the emergency medical injections that Sera had insisted I carry. As I organized my equipment, I looked throughout the transport vessel, conducting a more careful scan than I'd attempted during previously.
The ship's life signature patterns had changed. Instead of the passengers and crew being scatters before,all of them had repositioned themselves into groups throughout the vessel. Most significantly, two individuals now stood directly outside my quarters positioned like guards or observers rather than crew members going about routine duties.
Taking a deep breath to center myself, I opened my quarters' door and stepped into the corridor. The same older Intelligence officer stood in his familiar position, but now a second figure a younger woman in similar gray uniform flanked him approximately three meters to his left. Both turned toward me with identical expressions of professional courtesy.
"Good morning, Miss Korrath" the older man said in his familiar crisp accent. "I trust you slept well?"
"Well enough" I replied, forcing my voice to remain steady despite my growing certainty that something was very very wrong. The woman beside him nodded politely but said nothing.
"Would it be acceptable if I visited the observation lounge again?" I asked, trying my best to stick to what I said last time.
"Of course" the officer replied with exactly the same tone and phrasing as before. "Two levels up, forward section. I'm sure you remember the way."
I thanked them and began walking toward the maintenance ladder, but this time I paid careful attention to every detail of their behavior.
"Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh. Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh'
"Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh. Hhmmm mmmm hm hmmm mmmm... mmmm mm mmmh'
The humming sent ice through my veins, I stopped at the base of the ladder turning slowly to observe the two as they continued their musical performance. They weren't looking at each other, weren't responding to any cues, yet their timing was absolutely perfect.
"Excuse me" I said, my right hand moving to rest casually on my blaster's grip. "That's a beautiful melody. Where did you learn it?"
Both figures stopped humming instantly, turning toward me with identical head tilts that looked more mechanical than human. "I'm sorry, Miss Korrath" the older man said, his voice carrying the same professional courtesy as before. "I wasn't aware I was making any sound."
The woman beside him nodded in agreement, her expression blank and unreadable. "Perhaps you're experiencing auditory hallucinations" she suggested in a voice that carried no genuine concern. "Extended hyperspace travel can affect perception in unexpected ways."
I drew my stun blaster in one smooth motion and squeezed the trigger twice in rapid succession, the blaster spitting blue energy bolts that struck both figures center mass. The stunning effect was immediate both of them collapsed to the deck plating with identical mechanical thuds, their bodies going rigid as the neural disruptor field overwhelmed their nervous systems.
"What the hell is happening?" I muttered
I hurredly turned and walked down the hallway before climbing the maintenance ladder with desperate urgency the sound of my own rapid breathing echoing in the narrow shaft.
As I reached the upper level and began making my way toward the observation lounge, I detected another figure moving through the corridor ahead of me. The individual was humming that same haunting melody, the notes drifting through the ship's recycled air with an almost hypnotic quality that made my skin crawl and decided I needed to quicken my pace, not wanting another confrontation
The observation lounge's door hissed open at my approach, revealing the same small compartment with its chairs facing the large viewport. I stepped inside and sealed the door behind me, grateful for the temporary isolation from whatever was happening to the ship's crew.
My hands shook slightly as I retrieved my satchel and extracted one of my smokes. This time I cracked it three times along all its seam lines, activating the maximum dose available in a single cylinder, after everything happening I deserved a treat.
Settling into the chair facing the viewport, I allowed myself to focus on the hypnotic display of hyperspace energy flowing beyond the transparisteel. The swirling patterns of blue-white light created their familiar dance, beautiful and chaotic in the way that characterized faster-than-light travel throughout the galaxy.
I blinked once, trying to clear any residual effects from the smoke rising from the device, and when my eyes reopened, my heart stopped.
The creature was there, floating directly outside the viewport. Its skeletal humanoid form was perfectly visible through the transparisteel, suspended impossibly as if the deadly energies outside were no more threatening than ordinary atmosphere.
(Image)
The beings limbs elongated beyond natural proportions and ending in clawed appendages that were scary just to look at. What should have been skin appeared desiccated and stretched tight over prominent bone structure, while wild hair flowed around its head like it was underwater.
But it was the eyes that truly terrified me the same I'd seen in my previous encounters, staring at me with intelligence and hunger that spoke to what was to come.
"No, no, no" I whispered, stumbling backward from the viewport so violently that my chair overturned with a metallic crash. The creature's gaze followed my movement with predatory focus, its skeletal features never changing expression but somehow conveying malevolent intent.
I blinked again, desperately hoping whatever hallucination was affecting my perception would disappear. But when my eyes reopened, the situation had become exponentially worse.
The creature was no longer outside the viewport it was standing directly in front of me, inside the observation lounge, its impossible presence filling the small compartment with the stench of something that had been dead for centuries.
I screamed.
The sound tore from my throat without thought. In my panic, I hurled my smoking device directly at the creature's torso, the metallic cylinder passing right through its chest and shattering on the wall behind it.
The remaining vapor erupted from the broken device in a dense cloud that immediately filled the confined space. The creature's advance stopped abruptly as the processed hyperdrive fuel enveloped its form, its skeletal features contorting as if the vapor caused physical pain.
I continued backing away, pressing myself against the observation lounge's wall while the chemical cloud swirled between us. But as I stared at the impossible entity, my mind began to fragment under the strain of processing what I was experiencing.
Reality seemed to shift and blur around me. The walls of the observation lounge faded away, replaced by something vast and dark that existed on a scale beyond comprehension. I found myself standing at the edge of what appeared to be a massive black hole.
(Image)
Before me stretched a cosmic maelstrom of swirling energy and matter, with multiple event horizons creating layered rings of brilliant light against the absolute darkness of the central void. The structure pulsed with its own rhythm, like the breathing of some universal entity that existed beyond normal space-time.
And from somewhere in that terrible cosmic maw came a voice.
It was ancient beyond measure, female in timbre but that spoke to intelligence older than galactic civilizations. The single word it spoke resonated through my bones and into my soul with the weight of absolute command.
"Come."
The voice pulled at something fundamental in my consciousness, trying to drag me toward the swirling void despite every instinct I possessed screaming warnings about the nature of what waited in those depths. I felt my feet beginning to move without conscious direction, carrying me closer to the edge of whatever cosmic phenomenon stretched before me.
But the feeling of a liquid pulsing provided just enough mental stability to resist the compulsion. I bit down hard on my tongue, using physical pain to anchor myself in my own identity and break free from whatever force was trying to control my actions.
Reality snapped back into focus with jarring suddenness. I was once again in the observation lounge, the creature standing perhaps two meters away with multiple appendages extended toward me. Its organic matter had become more solid again as the vapor dissipated.
Desperation drove me to action. I reached into my satchel and extracted one of my vials, without conscious thought I hurled it at the creature's feet where it struck the deck plating and shattered in a spray of pressurized liquid. The concentrated liquid spread across the floor in an expanding pool, its vapors immediately filling the observation lounge with chemical density far beyond what my broken smoking device had produced. The creature's organic form wavered dramatically as the cloud enveloped it, its multiple appendages pulling back as if the vapor caused genuine distress. The scattered eyes across its body blinked rapidly in what appeared to be pain or confusion, while its translucent matter became even less solid.
I pressed myself against the wall, using the momentary respite to extend my Force sight throughout the transport vessel. What I discovered made my blood run cold with a new kind of terror.
The ship was in chaos. Through the walls and corridors, I could sense two distinct groups engaged in what appeared to be a battle. Six figures moved with coordinated tactics through the lower levels, while another four had barricaded themselves in what seemed to be the communications section. Energy weapons discharged repeatedly and as I watched I saw a body fall and stop moving. But most disturbing was the cluster of three life signatures positioned directly outside the observation lounge's door. They weren't moving, weren't fighting...they were simply waiting.
Before I could process this information further, reality began to fracture around me again.
I found myself once more standing at the edge of that terribly massive structure of swirling energy and matter that pulsed with malevolent life. The multiple event horizons created brilliant rings against the absolute void, while streams of tortured matter spiraled inward toward something.
The ancient voice returned, but this time it was louder, more insistent, carrying harmonics that seemed to tear at the fabric of space-time itself.
"COME."
The command hit me like a physical blow, driving me to my knees as the cosmic entity's will pressed against my consciousness with overwhelming force. I could feel my identity beginning to dissolve, my individual thoughts being pulled toward that terrible maw like matter crossing an event horizon.
"COME TO US."
I came to on my knees in the observation lounge, blood dripping from my nose onto the deck plating. The creature stood closer now, perhaps only a meter away, its organic matter more solid and defined than before. The vapor from my broken injection was dissipating, losing its ability to keep the entity at bay.
My hands shook as I reached into my satchel, extracting another smoke with desperate urgency. I cracked it three times along all seam lines, activating the maximum dose available, and brought it to my lips. It filled my lungs with sharp intensity as I inhaled deeply, holding the vapor as long as possible before exhaling.
I repeated the process again and again, drawing on the device until the metallic cylinder grew hot against my fingers from overuse. When I could feel the heat becoming uncomfortable, I smashed it against the deck plating with enough force to shatter the housing completely.
The remaining vapor erupted in a dense cloud that immediately filled the enclosed space. The creature stumbled backward as the chemical fog enveloped it once more, its form becoming translucent and unstable as the concentrated hyperdrive fuel interfered with its existence.
But my breathing was becoming rapid and shallow, not from fear alone but from the massive dose I'd just absorbed.
"Stay back" I gasped, my voice distorted. "Just stay the hell away from me."
The creature's multiple eyes tracked my movements as I reached into my satchel again, this time grabbing one of the spare vials along with the autoinjector. My fingers trembled as I connected the vial to the injection mechanism, the click of proper engagement barely audible over my labored breathing.
"If you're so scared of this stuff" I said, holding up the loaded injector while staring at the wavering entity, "then let's see what you do when I'm full of it."
The needle hissed as it pierced my skin, the cold of the vial flooding through my veins like fire laced with ice. I clenched my jaw to keep from crying out, though the sensation felt like molten metal racing along my arteries. My hands trembled around the injector, slick with sweat.
Across the chamber, the thing stepped closer.
Its shape was skeletal and wrong, a body stretched beyond natural limits, movements both slow and inevitable like gravity given flesh. Its eyes those countless, impossible eyes scattered across its form drank me in as if my fear was nourishment. The closer it came, the heavier the air became, as if hyperspace itself pressed inward through the viewport.
"No" I whispered, panic tightening around my throat.
My hand darted into the satchel again. The first vial clattered to the floor, rolling uselessly away, empty. I grabbed another and jammed it into the injector. My vision blurred as I slammed the plunger down. Another surge, this one worse—pain blooming beneath my ribs, my heartbeat thrashing against my sternum like it was trying to break free.
Still, the creature came.
I fumbled for another. Then another. My panic drowned out every rational thought, leaving only the raw instinct to survive. Each injection sent another convulsion through my body, my skin stretching as if it were only barely containing what boiled underneath. The hiss of the last vial echoed in my ears as I emptied it into myself, the sharp sting eclipsed by the tidal wave of sickness that followed.
The creature… stopped.
It lingered at the edge of the vapor cloud, head tilting, lips or what passed for lips pulling into the faintest curve. A smile.
Then my stomach turned inside out.
I dropped to my knees, bile and blood rising violently. My hands hit the deck plating to steady myself, but even my fingers no longer felt like my own. I convulsed, retching crimson that steamed as it hit the metal floor. My body shook with spasms so violent I thought my spine might snap.
Heat crawled beneath my skin, then burst outward. A thousand invisible knives sliced open muscle and tendon, yet instead of tearing me apart, something new began stitching itself together. I felt it in the marrow of my bones: cracks spiderwebbing outward, reshaping, reinforcing.
I screamed as my hands clawed against the deck. The joints of my fingers bulged before settling back, bones groaning as new veins and cords of muscle forced themselves into existence. Skin split in thin lines, glowing faint blue before knitting closed again.
My back arched as a searing pain erupted down my spine. It wasn't just pain—it was growth. Vertebrae separated, space forcing itself between them as sinew and tissue erupted in writhing clusters, weaving themselves into something stronger, something more. Every pulse of my heart slammed new blood through those channels, and I saw it—literally saw it—pressing against the skin of my arms and hands, shifting from red to a luminous blue, like veins filled with lightning.
"Ghhhhh" My voice cracked into a guttural sound I didn't recognize. My throat burned. My tongue felt heavy, too thick for my mouth. I clutched my chest, feeling my heart hammering so hard I thought it would burst through bone. Each beat felt like a vibrohammer strike against my sternum, my entire frame rattling with the force.
And still, the creature watched.
The creature took another step closer, its skeletal form cutting through the dissipating vapor cloud like death itself given shape. I pressed my shoulder against the cold durasteel wall, using it to lever myself upright despite the liquid fire racing through my veins. A thin line of blood escaped the corner of my mouth, warm and metallic against my lips.
My legs trembled as I forced them to support my weight, each step sending shockwaves of pain up my spine where I could feel new vertebrae forcing themselves into existence. The creature'seyes tracked my movement with predatory patience, its frown deepening as I began to limp sideways along the wall, trying to put the table between us.
"Stay back" I gasped, my voice distorted by the changes wracking my throat. The words came out wrong, too deep, too guttural, as if my vocal cords were reshaping themselves. "Just... stay the hell away from me."
I reached the table's edge and used it for support, my wrapped hand leaving bloody prints on its surface. The creature was perhaps three meters away now, close enough that I could see the way its translucent flesh rippled like water over the prominent bone structure beneath
That's when I felt it begin.
Deep in my chest, my heart gave a normal beat. Then another. A third, slightly stronger. But the fourth beat hit like a hammer blow against my sternum, so powerful that I could feel it reverberating through my bones. The force of it made me stumble, one hand flying to my chest as I tried to understand what was happening to me.
Thump. Thump. Thump. THUMP.
The pattern repeated and slowly increased, from the tips of my fingers, starting at my nails and spreading inward, a luminous blue pulse began to flow beneath my skin. It wasn't painful if anything, it felt like liquid lightning racing through my arteries, following the pathways of my circulatory system as it surged toward my heart. With each surge, the blue pulses grew brighter and faster matching pace with my heart.
Through the haze I saw the creature lunged forward, its clawed appendages reaching for me.
"STAY AWAY!" I screamed, throwing both hands out toward the advancing entity in a gesture that was equal parts defense and desperation.
The moment my palms extended toward the creature, everything changed.
Reality didn't fade or transition it simply ceased to exist around me. One instant I was in the observation lounge, the next I was floating in the infinite blue-white maelstrom of hyperspace itself, no longer contained within the protective hull of the transport vessel.
I tumbled end over end my body spinning wildly as I tried to orient myself. Before I slammed into the vessel's hull with bone-jarring force, my shoulder striking the durasteel plating hard enough to leave me stunned. But instead of being crushed or vaporized by the impact, I bounced off the surface like a ball, spinning away
The realization hit me with dawning horror: I was outside the ship. In hyperspace. Without a suit, without protection, without anything... I tried to scream, but no sound emerged. My lungs seized as I attempted to draw breath, finding nothing before Blood erupted from my mouth, but not the bright red I was used to instead this was darker, almost purple.
And then, impossibly, I drew breath. Before I could process this or anything else I bounced off the transport vessel one more time, this impact gentler, before my momentum carried me clear of the hull. Now I was floating freely in the hyperspace tunnel, moving at tremendous velocity but somehow stopping the spin and able to be in a stable position and look around.
I turned slowly enjoying the beauty of hyperspace for a moment before turning my head more and there it was. The creature floated directly in front of me, perhaps three meters away.
Without warning, it moved.
The creature's impossibly long arms extended toward me with fluid grace, its clawed appendages reaching across the space between us faster than I could react. I tried to pull back, to use whatever limited mobility I had in this impossible environment, but there was nowhere to go. Its fingers if they could be called that wrapped around my torso with surprising gentleness, the touch cold but not painful.
For a moment, we floated there together in the hyperspace tunnel, predator and prey finally united. I could feel the alien nature of its flesh through my clothing, like touching something that existed in too many dimensions at once. The sensation made my stomach lurch, though whether from the contact itself or from whatever was about to happen next, I couldn't tell.
Then it took a step.
When the disorientation faded and my vision cleared, I found myself somewhere that defied every law of physics I thought I understood.
We stood if standing was the right word at the edge of a cosmic structure so massive that my mind struggled to process its scale. Before us stretched what could only be described as a galactic maelstrom, a swirling vortex of matter and energy that seemed to consume entire star systems in its gravitational embrace. Multiple event horizons created brilliant rings of light against the absolute darkness of the central void, while streams of tortured matter spiraled inward toward something that my Force sight couldn't penetrate.
The Maw. The name came to me unbidden, as if whispered by the cosmic winds that shouldn't exist in this place.
Around us, the Maw breathed.
That was the only way to describe it the entire structure pulsed with a rhythm that suggested something alive, something aware, something vast beyond comprehension. The event horizons expanded and contracted like the pupils of cosmic eyes, while the streams of matter flowing inward followed patterns that seemed almost intentional, as if they were being guided rather than simply following the laws of gravity.
I stared into those swirling depths, transfixed by the terrible beauty of destruction on such an unimaginable scale. Entire civilizations could disappear into those depths without leaving so much as a ripple in the cosmic order. Planets, stars, whole systems everything.
That's when I saw them.
Shadowy tendrils began emerging from the deepest parts of the Maw's central void, reaching outward through the layers of twisted space-time like the tentacles of some cosmic cephalopod.
One of the tendrils oriented itself toward me, its dark substance rippling with energy of something that absorbed light so completely that it seemed to create holes in reality itself, spaces where existence simply ceased to be.
As the shadowy appendage drew closer, that familiar voice returned—the same ancient, female presence that had been calling to me throughout this nightmare journey. But this time, instead of the commanding imperatives I'd heard before, the voice carried a different quality. It sounded almost... conversational.
"What if, child?"