the starborn legacy

The stolen shuttle hummed with barely-contained energy as it hurtled through the vast expanse of space. Liora gripped the controls tightly, her heart racing. The blinking lights on the dashboard might as well have been written in an alien language, but she knew one thing for sure: the ship was on borrowed time. The fuel gauge hovered dangerously close to empty.

"Any idea where we're headed?" Kade asked, his voice tense. He leaned back in the co-pilot's seat, his fingers drumming nervously against the console.

Liora didn't answer immediately. She was too focused on the sensor display, a chaotic jumble of blips indicating nearby ships. One of them was an Imperial cruiser, its trajectory too close for comfort.

"Anywhere that's not here," she replied, trying to steady her breathing. She nudged the controls to veer the shuttle toward a distant nebula. "If we can make it to the edges of that gas cloud, it might disrupt their sensors."

Kade frowned. "And if it doesn't?"

"We improvise," Liora said grimly.

The ship shuddered violently, and a flashing alert lit up the console. Kade leaned forward, squinting at the display. "What now?"

"They're locking onto us," Liora muttered, her stomach sinking. A high-pitched tone confirmed her fears—an incoming missile.

"Brace yourself!" she shouted, yanking the controls into a steep dive. The shuttle plummeted toward the nebula, the missile closing in fast.

"Do something!" Kade yelled, gripping the armrests.

"I'm trying!" Liora's fingers danced across the controls. With a desperate lunge, she flipped a lever labeled Evasive Override. The shuttle's thrusters roared, propelling them into a spiraling maneuver.

The missile detonated just behind them, the shockwave slamming into the ship. Sparks flew from the dashboard, and an alarm blared.

"We're hit!" Kade exclaimed.

"Thanks, I noticed," Liora snapped, struggling to keep the shuttle steady. Smoke filled the cabin, and she coughed as she scanned the readouts. "Life support's holding. Barely. We just need to make it a little farther—"

Before she could finish, the nebula enveloped them. Swirling clouds of pink and blue obscured their view, and the ship's sensors went dark. For a moment, the chaos subsided, replaced by an eerie calm.

"We lost them," Kade said, his voice almost disbelieving.

Liora didn't share his relief. The nebula was beautiful, but it was also unpredictable. Electrical storms flickered in the distance, and the ship's systems groaned under the strain.

"We're not out of this yet," she said.

As if to prove her point, a new alert flashed on the console: Proximity Warning.

"What now?" Kade groaned.

A massive shadow loomed ahead, emerging from the nebula like a ghost. It was a derelict starship, its hull pockmarked with battle scars. The lights flickered weakly, suggesting it was still partially functional.

"Is that… a Starborn ship?" Liora whispered.

Kade squinted at the markings on the hull. "I think so. But it's ancient. Must've been here for decades, maybe centuries."

The shuttle's engines sputtered, and Liora realized they had no choice. "We're docking," she said.

"Are you insane?" Kade exclaimed. "That thing could fall apart any second!"

"Do you see any other options?" Liora shot back.

Reluctantly, Kade nodded. "Fine. But if we die, I'm blaming you."

The docking procedure was rough, but the shuttle managed to latch onto the derelict ship's airlock. Liora and Kade grabbed emergency masks and cautiously stepped inside.

The interior was dark and silent, the air stale but breathable. The corridors were lined with intricate carvings that seemed to glow faintly, depicting constellations and ancient Starborn symbols.

"This place gives me the creeps," Kade muttered.

Liora ignored him, her gaze drawn to a central chamber. At its heart stood a pedestal, atop which rested a crystalline sphere. It pulsed with the same light as the symbol on her hand.

"This is it," she whispered, approaching the sphere.

"Don't touch it," Kade warned, but she was already reaching out.

The moment her fingers brushed the surface, a wave of energy surged through her. The room lit up with holographic projections—star maps, battle plans, and faces of long-dead Starborn warriors.

"You have come," a voice echoed, deep and resonant.

Liora froze. "Who's there?"

The holograms coalesced into the image of a tall figure clad in radiant armor. His eyes burned with an otherworldly light.

"I am Kyren Jhal," the figure said. "Last of the Starborn Guardians. And you, Liora Veylan, are the galaxy's only hope.