The upgraded drone completes its local flight and projects a navigation trace across the instrument bay display. Beyond the cleared route, a half-powered derelict turns slowly, drawing intermittent energy from somewhere within.
Nikayo
No active weapons signature. The power pulses are irregular, but deliberate enough to suggest a surviving subsystem rather than a simple discharge.
Nikayo opens a quarantine pane and begins separating the drone’s findings from Amber Wing’s navigation, weapons, and return-burn controls. The trace remains visible, but cannot become a command.
Nikayo
The drone can keep observing from here. Any closer approach needs a fresh boundary, a manual abort point, and no automatic route transfer.
The derelict’s outline sharpens as another internal pulse crosses the sensor model. No beacon answers, no weapon system wakes, and the cleared route remains open behind Amber Wing.
Nahuli
The power source is intermittent, but the timing is not random.
Nikayo leaves the isolated trace waiting on the display while the ship holds its independent course. The derelict offers information without yet offering permission, and the next investigation method remains Nahuli’s to determine.