> Disclaimer: Star Wars and all of it's Intellectual Properties is owned by George Lucas and Walt Disney, This fictional work and all of it's original characters are however mine.
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Jake stood in the dim engine bay of the YT-1300, sweat beading on his forehead as he tinkered with various components while holos floated around him, displaying ship schematics and step-by-step repair tutorials. His focus was razor-sharp, only broken when a voice interrupted him.
"Excuse me, sir, we may have encountered a problem," came a monotone but oddly polite voice from behind.
Jake turned to see NQ-03—Nick Three, as he called him, one of the nimble quids he'd designed—standing there with an arm conspicuously missing from the elbow down. Stifling an exasperated sigh, he gave Nick Three a scrutinizing look.
"Nick Three, where is your arm?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow.
The droid gestured at the ground, an expressionless tilt to its head. "While attempting to lift ship components, sir, the arm disconnected," it replied in its flat voice.
Jake crouched down, examining the joint where the arm had come off. The casing was visibly deformed, dented around the connection point. He frowned, realizing he might have underestimated how thin the bodywork needed to be for the nimble quids.
He glanced over at the other nimble quids to check on their condition. NQ-01 seemed fine, but NQ-02 had similar deformations, though the arm was, fortunately, still intact. As Jake's gaze drifted toward the heavy object the two nimble quids had apparently been trying to lift, his eyes widened—a shield generator.
"Are you kidding me?" he muttered to himself, baffled at how two B1-droid-thin constructs had attempted to haul such a massive component. The realization hit him that it wasn't just the droid casing that was flawed; their logic processors, or at least the decision-making subroutines he'd coded, might need an overhaul.
With a weary sigh, he decided it was best to check on the stockier quids—the "Skews" as he called them. Fortunately, both Skews seemed to be performing as expected, moving efficiently and without any damage. Still, Jake made a mental note to inspect their processors too, just in case.
Frustrated but determined, he knew this would set him back on the ship's repairs. He'd have to tweak the logic processors to prevent any more… creative thinking when it came to weight-bearing tasks and then revisit the OS to ensure it was up to standard. Grumbling, he resigned himself to the extra work ahead.
"Alright, boys," he called to the quids. "Looks like we're going back to the basics. No more fancy ideas until we can handle the fundamentals."
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For three days, Mira had scoured the city, following a breadcrumb trail of faint clues left by her elusive contact. She knew well enough to expect this type of radio silence—her contact had a notorious habit of going dark during jobs, especially high-stakes ones. But Mira was adept at reading the subtle signs her contact left in her wake, tiny hints that might look like nothing to anyone else but were unmistakable to her.
As she tracked her contact, Mira pieced together enough details to understand the situation: her contact was in the middle of a heist, targeting the savings of a smuggler who had apparently insulted her in some way. Mira wasn't sure what offense had been committed, but she wasn't about to interrupt the job. It was a principle of respect among professionals.
Finally, her pursuit led her to a narrow alley where she spotted a figure draped in desert attire, the garments dark and concealing every inch of skin. Mira watched from the shadows, allowing her contact to complete her task. She observed as the petite figure slipped out of a dimly lit building, moving with the silent precision of someone who had long since mastered her craft.
After nine minutes, by Mira's careful count, her contact darted out of the building, leaving no trace behind, and crept along the alleyway, slipping seamlessly into the maze of streets. Mira anticipated her route perfectly and positioned herself so her contact would naturally encounter her at a safe distance from the heist site.
As the figure drew near, Mira stepped into her path. "Another burglary job, Rina?" she greeted, a wry smile in her voice. "I thought you'd retired from this and were only doing information trades now."
The contact started slightly, her surprise masked under her veil of desert wraps. "Mira?" She blinked, glancing around as if expecting to see others lurking. "This is a surprise. You don't usually meet with your contacts in person. What's changed?"
Mira held her gaze, letting a moment of suspense settle. "I have a job offer for you," she replied. "But we should find somewhere secure to talk first."
Rina's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then she nodded. "Lead the way."
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Mira led Rina to a quiet, secluded corner in a nearby, run-down building, where they could talk without worrying about eavesdroppers. The dim, flickering light that filtered through the cracked windows cast long shadows on the walls, creating a perfect spot for a private conversation.
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"It's been a hectic few months," Mira began, her voice low but steady as she sat down across from Rina on a stack of crates. "A lot's happened since Jake came into the picture. He's an odd one—kind of strange, but damn smart. He doesn't look like much, but when it comes to tech, the kid's got a gift."
Rina raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A newbie, huh? And you're trusting him already? He must be more than just some bright-eyed kid."
Mira nodded, leaning back slightly. "You could say that. He's got his quirks, but when it comes down to it, Jake's quick and he thinks on his feet. Not that I expected much when we first brought him along. But after our first scavenger hunt, Kado brought him to a meeting with some of Gardulla's men who were looking for good slicers and mechanics. That's when I started to really see what he could do."
Rina waited expectantly. "Go on. What happened?"
Mira smirked, recalling the moment. "We were sent to retrieve data from a relic owned by Gardulla. Gardulla through her men hired us to slice into it, figure out what it was, and see if it had any value. But it wasn't just some old tech lying around—it was a piece of Old Republic tech, and it was locked down tight."
Rina's interest peaked. "And Jake... he figured it out?"
Mira nodded. "That's just it—he didn't just figure it out. The relic was in worse shape than we thought, missing parts, its systems all but fried. But Jake, he jury-rigged some tech right on the spot and got it functioning again. I'm talking about fixing stuff as we scavenged. You could barely tell we were dealing with a relic at all."
Rina's grin widened. "That's impressive. Sounds like your new recruit's got a knack for the tech side of things."
"More than a knack," Mira replied. "Jake's fast. And that's what's so damn surprising. He didn't just get it working; he unlocked the data in less than half the time they gave him. Gardulla's men gave him seven days to crack it, and Jake finished in two. The rest of the time, he was going over the data with a fine-tooth comb, making sure we didn't miss anything important."
Rina raised an eyebrow. "Seven days and he did it in two? That's gotta be some kind of record. What was on this relic? Some kind of treasure?"
Mira shook her head. "Not exactly. It was a key to something bigger—a hidden cache, Gardulla's stash. Credits, weapons, who knows what else. But it wasn't just about the relic itself. It was about what it could unlock. And that's where Jake really came through. He didn't just hand over the data. He edited it, just enough to throw anyone who might trace it off track. He made sure there'd be no way for Gardulla's people to follow us."
Rina's lips curled into a grin. "Sounds like someone's playing Gardulla at his own game. But you don't think Gardulla's men will catch on?"
Mira's smile faltered, a touch of worry creeping into her voice. "That's the problem. Jake didn't just delete the data. He might've edited it, but he did erase the records of the changes. I'm not sure how long the cover will hold."
Rina frowned, her gaze sharp. "You're right to worry. There's slicers out there who can dig into corrupted data, no matter how well it's hidden. They'll trace it back if they have to."
Mira bit her lip, considering the possibility. "Jake's good, but I don't think he's invincible. And Gardulla's men won't take too kindly to getting played."
Rina leaned back, mulling it over. "Not bad. Really not bad. If he was able to unlock something that secure, and that quickly, Gardulla's men are going to be really disappointed when they figure out what he did."
Mira smiled, a mixture of amusement and apprehension. "Yeah. They'll find out soon enough. I just hope it doesn't blow up in our faces."
Rina's grin widened into a full smile, mischief dancing in her eyes. "I'm starting to think I need to meet this Jake. If he's that good, I'd like to see it for myself. Besides," she added with a playful wink, "I could always use a little challenge."
Mira raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
Rina's tone was teasing, but her eyes were sharp with interest. "Why not? You said he's good with tech, right? Maybe I can learn a thing or two."
Mira gave her a knowing look. "Careful, Rina. You don't want to get distracted by a rookie."
Rina chuckled softly. "Who, me? I'm just curious. I like a good puzzle, that's all. And if Jake's got the skills you say, I'm sure we could have a lot of fun with him."
Mira couldn't help but laugh. "Just don't make things too complicated. We've got enough going on without you adding to the drama."
Rina shrugged, grinning. "I make no promises."
Mira shook her head, though the smile didn't leave her face. "We need someone with your skill set. I'll need you on this job, Rina. Things are about to get messy, and we can't afford to miss any details."
Rina's grin grew wider. "Oh, I'm in. You know I'm always ready for a job. Just tell me when and where."
Mira leaned back, the weight of their situation settling in. "We'll need to move quickly. Gardulla won't wait long before trying to find out what happened to his relic. I'm counting on you to stay ahead of him."
Rina nodded, her expression turning serious. "You got it. I'll keep my ears open, and if Gardulla's men come sniffing around, I'll make sure they don't get too close."
Mira stood up, nodding in approval. "Good. Stay sharp, and we'll get through this."
Rina followed suit, her grin still present but her eyes sharp with the thrill of the challenge. "Always do."
As they parted ways, Mira couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get even more complicated—but with Rina on board and Jake's skills to back them up, she was confident they could handle whatever Gardulla threw their way.
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