The transmission arrived in fragments.
The bodycam data from Lt. Daren Voss — compressed, partially corrupted, and distorted by interference — was routed through three encrypted relays before arriving in the analysis vaults of the Imperial Science Division on Eriadu.
What it showed was unclear.
A skirmish in the dunes. A Rebel pilot. Blaster fire. Movement.
Then… a pause.
And something else.
A floating, orb-like structure. Silent. Smooth. Perfectly symmetrical. No exhaust. No visible propulsion.
And watching.
---
The holotable replayed the footage again and again. Frame by frame. Magnification filters, contrast modifiers, algorithmic signature scans — none of it produced a match.
No known droid type.
No known atmospheric craft.
No Separatist remnant, no Hutt tech, no Sith-related artifact.
It simply existed, and then vanished.
---
"Play it again," Director Torren said. His voice was dry, sharp, impatient.
The technician obeyed, lips pressed tight.
"The timestamp?" the Director asked.
"Seventeen seconds after Rebel contact," the tech replied. "The anomaly appears at 12:44:21, local time."
"Energy analysis?"
The room was silent for a moment longer.
Then another officer spoke, reluctantly.
"Unknown. Not electromagnetic. Not particle-based. Not optical scatter or projection. Just... a presence. A disruption in the recording pattern itself."
Director Torren frowned. His gloved fingers tapped the side of the holotable.
"Have you seen anything like it before?"
"No, sir."
"Have you ruled out deception?"
"We've ruled out everything."
---
The report made its way upward.
From Eriadu to Coruscant. From Science Division to Imperial Intelligence. From data analysts to naval command.
Each branch handed it off with notes filled with qualifiers: Unknown origin. Unmatched pattern. Recommend surveillance escalation.
One file contained only a single line:
> "This is not Rebel tech. This is not Imperial. This is not ours."
---
In a tall tower far above Coruscant's lower levels, Grand General Feren Kael received the final version.
He watched the footage once.
Then twice.
Then leaned back in his chair.
"Wake the Inquisitors," he said quietly. "And send a scouting fleet to Tatooine."
He stared at the frozen frame on the screen — the hovering drone, unblinking and alien.
"If there's something out there we don't control..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...we will."