The signal came buried in static — too old, too subtle to trigger normal sweeps. But Cortana noticed it.
It started as a faint power ping on a long-dead frequency, one that hadn't been used in galactic comm arrays for over three thousand years. She'd been combing forgotten Jedi archives when she spotted the pulse repeating every twelve minutes.
Cortana flickered into Kael's room mid-cycle.
"I've found something," she said. "And it's very old."
Kael sat up from his bunk, still running on post-training adrenaline. "How old?"
Cortana's avatar pulled open a holomap. A glowing dot pulsed above a backwater system — a lonely speck in the black, closer to Sullust than anywhere civilized.
"Defender-class Light Corvette," she said. "Last seen 3,643 BBY. Old Republic origin. Likely a Jedi vessel. Drifted into a minor system and stayed dormant until now."
The ship slowly rotated in the projection: sleek, narrow, with broad fins along the engine block and a distinct hammerhead-style nose. Kael leaned in.
"Operational?"
"Partially," she said. "Power is minimal but present. Life support is dead. The signal is repeating from the navigation core. Something inside still functions."
"And competition?"
"Maybe. A freelance Zygerrian salvage pinged a nearby relay about ten hours ago. They're either dead or close."
Kael stood. "We're going."
Vox had a personal ship — an old, retrofitted Mandalorian fighter with two seats, basic shielding, and barely enough space for Kael and Voro in the cargo bay. The jump to the uncharted system took them two hours in hyperspace.
As they dropped back into realspace, the Specter of Light came into view.
It was breathtaking.
The Defender-class Corvette drifted in slow rotation, just above a cold asteroid belt orbiting a dying red dwarf. Its hull was blackened and scarred, but structurally intact. The golden crest of the Old Republic still gleamed faintly on the command fin.
Vox whistled. "That thing's older than half the galactic map."
Kael stared in silence, his eyes tracing every curve of the ancient hull.
"Can't dock to it," Voro said, tapping her scanner. "No compatible ports. We'll have to spacewalk."
Kael nodded. "Prep suits. I'm going in first."
The walk was harder than expected.
Kael floated through vacuum, stars spinning silently in his visor. The corvette loomed ahead — a sleeping beast in the dark. He aimed for a thin maintenance groove along the port-side fin.
Cortana guided him through his helmet.
"There's a pressure access panel 6 meters to your right. It'll be tough to bypass — Old Republic encryption's nearly ceremonial — but I can piggyback the sequence through your wrist console."
The panel clicked open. Kael gripped the handholds and pulled himself inside.
The interior airlock hissed as pressure equalized with a groan. Dust hung like fog.
He stepped into the dark.
Inside, the Specter of Light was quiet. Not dead — quiet. Lights flickered faintly from wall panels. The corridors were clean, lined with sealed compartments and meditation rooms.
Kael removed his helmet and exhaled.
"The air's thin," Cortana said. "But breathable for a short time. Emergency systems are trying to come online."
He made his way toward the central core. The doors opened slowly, revealing the ship's main command nexus. A crystalline pedestal shimmered in the center — the Force-bound heart of the vessel.
"This is it," Kael whispered.
Cortana appeared beside him, scanning the ancient circuitry. "The Jedi who owned this ship was powerful. His presence is still here — a light echo. I'm syncing now."
A low hum pulsed through the floor.
[ Ship Detected: Specter of Light – Defender-class Light Corvette ]Status: 51% Core Integrity | Shields Offline | Weapons: 1 Turret (Low Power)Power: 12% | Hangar: 1 small ship capacityAI Sync: Cortana Integration – PendingForce Signature Detected: Unknown Jedi – DeceasedAccess Rights Available – Claim with Force Imprint
Kael stepped forward and placed his hand on the crystalline pedestal.
Heat rushed up his arm.
A flash of memory — starlight, sabers, a Jedi master standing firm in the middle of battle. Then peace. A final command: Protect what comes after me.
Kael opened his eyes.
[ Ship Claimed: Kael Solaris ]Force Imprint AcceptedJedi Bond Nullified | Successor RegisteredCortana Sync Level: 63%Defensive Systems ReactivatingCommand Subsystem: Online
Cortana smiled.
"She's yours."
By the time Kael finished restoring auxiliary systems, Voro and Vox had completed their own spacewalks and boarded via the same maintenance shaft. The three of them stood in the main deck, light pouring softly from reactivated panels.
Vox walked through the hallway. "Everything's modular. You've got room for quarters, a tactical console, even a little hangar bay."
Voro tapped a bulkhead. "Hull's strong, and the ship wants to move. All we need is a working power source."
Cortana responded instantly. "I'm already rerouting the tertiary capacitor. Shields will hold for a short jump."
Kael walked to the bridge, staring through the slanted viewport.
"I'm flying her home."
The launch was smooth.
The Specter of Light came alive with the roar of repurposed repulsorlifts and ancient sublight engines. Kael eased her into motion, guiding the ship away from the asteroid field and into open space.
Cortana shimmered next to him. "She's old, but responsive. You made a good call."
"We didn't just get a ship," Kael said. "We got a symbol."
[ Specter of Light Acquired – Mobile Base Class: Light Corvette ]Crew Capacity: 6–8Facilities: Command Deck | Personal Quarters | Hangar (1 small ship) | Meditation Core (Inactive) | Armory (Offline)Offensive Systems: 1 Topside Turret (Manual/AI-Controlled)Defensive Systems: Low Shields (Upgradeable)Travel: Hyperdrive Class 2.5 (Operational)AI Sync Bonus: +8% Navigation EfficiencyOptional Quest Unlocked: Echoes of the Light – Trace history of former Jedi CaptainSystem Tip: First Long-Distance Mission Now Possible
Back at Outrider Station, Kael docked the Specter manually. The airlock hissed open to the astonished gazes of Aris and Ghost.
Aris's eyes widened.
"You stole a Jedi ship?"
Kael grinned. "I claimed a Jedi ship."
Ghost tilted his head. "Tactical viability high. Appearance rating: nine of ten."
Cortana pulsed in the overhead systems. "And she's only just waking up."
Kael stood at the entrance to his new bridge, the first rays of Tatooine's twin suns glinting off the hull.
"This changes everything," he murmured.