Wrecked ships drifted as far as the eye could see. The carcasses came in all shapes and sizes, though few of them were military. Most were merchant vessels... How they had ended up here was anyone’s guess.

Colonel Adam Bregg had some thoughts about that.

“Are you sure this is the location?” he asked dubiously, though his eyes remained locked on the screen.

“The energy leak is fading, but it’s still strong enough that we can pick up on it, Colonel. It’s not far. Straight ahead. We should reach it within two minutes.”

Bregg frowned. All he could see here were the massive hunks and thousands of floating debris.

It made no sense.

His eyes scanned the surrounding wrecks. He spotted an Imperial vessel and pointed toward it.

“Lt. Ferris! See if you can connect us to that ship.”

The officer glanced at him.

“It’s been dead for a long time, Colonel. I—”

“Just try.”

The other nodded and turned to his console.

Bregg’s eyes went back to the screen.

When they finally reached their destination, they found nothing there of any interest.

Except, maybe...

There was a glint, a fading light—it wavered for only a second before it petered out.

“The signal’s gone, Colonel.”

He grunted.

“Colonel!” There was amazement in Ferris’ voice. “This is incredible... there is still juice in that ship!”

Bregg was not surprised. Those older models had been built to last. Unless they were completely torn apart, or their thilium core stripped out, their systems could hold and function for thousands of years.

He walked up to his officer’s post and looked over his shoulder.

“Bring up the sensors’ feed and play it backward from now. I want to see what happened here.”

The man worked on his console for a moment, until a picture appeared on the display.

“Send it to the front screen,” commanded Bregg as he returned to his earlier position.

The ship graveyard remained, but the shift in lighting and angle told him he was now watching a recording. A timer at the bottom was rolling back fast.

The light he had seen reappeared and grew. And grew. Then a new ship popped out of the light.

“Pause it!” he cried out.

The image froze.

He walked closer to the screen and squinted.

“Not merchant,” he muttered, “not military, not diplomatic... Definitely human, though.” He scratched his beard, thoughtful. “Ferris, can you look it up?”

“Already on it, Colonel.” There was a brief pause as the man read the data on his display. “According to records, the ship’s called Starrider. It was built two hundred years ago and was decommissioned shortly after.”

Bregg quirked a brow as his eyes went from the image to his officer.

“Then what’s it doing here?”

The lieutenant looked at him with a puzzled expression. “I don’t know, Colonel. The most recent information I have dates from a hundred and seventy years ago.”

“Why was it decommissioned?”

Ferris shook his head. “That information has been classified.”

Bregg frowned. He had not expected that.

“Send the data to my wristpad,” he ordered.

The lieutenant complied.

A few minutes later, the Colonel stared at the red blinking text on his display.

He looked back up at the frozen ship on the screen. Then at his officer.

“Can you track where that rift took them?”

“There’s not enough residual energy left, Colonel...”

Bregg pointed toward the ship that had provided the recording.

“I’ll bet you anything that our friend here has all the data we need.”

The lieutenant seemed hesitant. He stood and approached his superior.

“Colonel, if I may?”

“You may.”

He had lowered his voice, to make sure only Bregg could hear him.

“I fear you could get into trouble if you pursue this any further.”

“How so?”

“First, it does not fall within the scope of our mission. Second, the locks on that ship’s file tell me powerful people wouldn’t like someone else poking their noses into—”

The Colonel cut him off.

“And do you think those powerful people would want a thief to be going around with their precious ship?”

“For all we know, it might be on a mission for them.”

Bregg shook his head and pointed at the screen.

“Do you know what this is, Richard?”

“A graveyard.”

“Yes. But no battle was held here. These ships did not get here on their own. They were brought here.”

“Who would do that?”

“Who indeed, and why?” The Colonel smiled. “You know what I think? I think pirates are behind this. They attack and sack ships, then bring them here to die, hoping others will dismiss this as a battle scene—like so many others out there.”

“Even so...”

“Who would come here, Richard? Pirates or scavengers, that’s who. All criminals who deserve to be caught and punished for their crimes. And we will catch them. Now, please find me our next destination, would you?”

The lieutenant nodded and returned to his post.

Bregg watched him for a moment, then looked back to the screen.

Yes, he would catch the thief.

And then that ship would be his.