Chapter 5: Awakening the Beast

The dreadnought hung in the void like a slumbering titan. A vessel built for war, forgotten by time.

And now, it was mine to claim.

The realization sent a shiver down my spine.

I stood at the forward viewport of my newly acquired ship, staring at the behemoth before me. Even with battle scars lining its hull, it was magnificent; a warship from a bygone era, waiting to be reborn.

“Initiating docking procedures,” G’Lan announced.

My smaller vessel, a Narn attack cruiser that had become my lifeline, slowly approached the dreadnought’s side, heading for what looked like a docking port near its midsection.

The closer we got, the more I could see the details of the ship’s design. Massive plasma turrets, long since deactivated. Missile silos that could probably launch weapons the size of fighter craft. Armor plating thick enough to withstand a full-scale bombardment.

This was more than just a ship.

It was a fortress among the stars.

A tremor passed through the deck as the docking clamps latched onto the dreadnought’s hull with a dull clunk. A deep, reverberating hiss filled the air as the pressurization process began.

I exhaled. No turning back now.

The airlock hissed open.

Cold, stale air greeted me as I stepped through the threshold, my boots echoing against metal grates. The ship’s interior was dark, lifeless. No hum of active systems, no glowing control panels. Just silence.

I switched on my wrist-mounted light, the beam cutting through the shadows.

The corridors were massive, designed for a crew of hundreds, maybe thousands. But now, they were empty. A tomb of steel, waiting to be revived.

“Alright, G’Lan,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. “Where do we start?”

The AI’s voice crackled through my earpiece. “Main power is offline. We must reach the central control chamber and initiate a full reboot of the ship’s core systems.”

I nodded and pressed forward, deeper into the belly of the beast.

Navigating the ship was surreal.

Every step I took sent up small clouds of dust from the decks, untouched for centuries. The walls bore signs of battle—scorch marks, impact craters, remnants of old conflicts.

But it wasn’t just a relic. It was waiting.

After what felt like an eternity, I reached the ship’s control center, a massive command bridge lined with darkened monitors and control panels. The captain’s chair sat at the heart of the room, towering over the consoles like a throne long abandoned.

I stepped forward, running my fingers over the metal. This was where a Narn commander once ruled this ship.

Now, it was mine.

G’Lan’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “You must initiate the power cycle. Look to your right—there should be a central command console.”

I turned and spotted it. A massive panel lined with strange, alien symbols, covered in dust. I wiped the surface clean and hesitated.

One press. One command. And the ship would awaken.

I took a deep breath and placed my palm against the console.

“Reboot the system.”

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a deep, resonating hum vibrated through the deck.

One by one, lights flickered to life, casting a crimson glow over the bridge. Control panels lit up, screens flashing streams of alien data. The ship groaned as ancient systems whirred back into motion, power coursing through circuits untouched for centuries.

I felt the air change, as if the ship itself was taking its first breath in three hundred years.

Then a voice.

“SYSTEMS REACTIVATED. BIN’TAK-CLASS DREADNOUGHT ONLINE.”

A shiver ran down my spine.

Monitors came alive, displaying the ship’s status. Power levels rising. Reactor stabilizing. Weapons dormant but intact. Engines cold, but operational.

It was working.

It was actually working.

I turned to face the viewport. The vastness of space stretched before me, and for the first time, I truly understood what I had now.

This ship wasn’t just a relic.

It was my future.

I clenched my fists and exhaled slowly.

I had a ship.

I had a purpose.

And the stars were waiting.