> 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.
----------------------------------------
As the simulation ended, Tarek slowly lifted his head, eyes shifting between the faces of the crew. He scanned for any hint of approval—or disappointment. Inside, he was wracked with uncertainty. What if he hadn't done well enough? Or worse, what if he’d fallen short of the expectations of this tough, battle-worn group? His stomach churned, but he managed to keep his expression steady.
Kado had a look of intrigue and approval, his eyebrows slightly raised, and a nod in his stance that spoke volumes. Jake, however, seemed to be in his own world, his gaze unfocused as he mentally picked apart the simulator’s current configurations and considered what he could tweak or improve. And then there was Davik, watching Tarek with a knowing, almost amused smile.
After a few agonizingly silent seconds, Kado finally broke the silence. "Not bad, Tarek. You’re in." He paused, letting Tarek's relief sink in before adding, "But you’ll need to finish all of Jake's simulations first. Every single one."
Jake’s attention snapped to Kado, his train of thought interrupted. He looked at Tarek, then back to Kado, a slight grin forming on his lips before it turned into a mischievous, almost devilish smile that he aimed squarely at Tarek. The color drained from Tarek’s face. Just seeing the inventive spark in Jake’s eyes was enough to make him break into a nervous sweat. Beside him, Davik gave Tarek a simple nod, almost as if to say, Good luck.
Trying to recover his composure, Tarek gave a shaky nod and said, “Alright… I’m ready for whatever you throw at me.” But inside, he was already preparing himself for the worst that Jake’s ingenuity could come up with.
As Jake began configuring the next batch of scenarios, Kado gestured for Davik to follow him out of earshot. Once they’d found a quiet corner of the hangar, Kado cut to the chase.
"Anything we should be worried about with him?" he asked, crossing his arms.
Davik scratched the back of his neck. “Not really, no. He’s a bit green, sure, but he’s got good instincts. Quick, too. Ran into some trouble back in town—a couple of Rodians causing problems, trying to rough him up. Tarek held his own, but I stepped in before things could go too far.”
Kado raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “They just picked him out of nowhere?”
“Not quite,” Davik replied. “They thought he was digging for info, and when he asked a few questions, they didn’t like it. Things escalated fast.”
Kado nodded thoughtfully, his gaze shifting back toward Tarek, who was now trying to decipher Jake’s next challenge. “Seems like he’s got more guts than he lets on.”
Davik smirked. “Exactly. He’s got promise; we just need to knock off some of the rough edges.”
Kado’s eyes softened slightly as he glanced over at the young pilot. “Then let’s see what Jake’s simulations can teach him. If he can handle those... maybe he’s ready for the real thing.”
----------------------------------------
Later that day, Mira returned to the hangar with a spring in her step, clearly satisfied with the outcome of her recent mission.
“I found her,” she announced to the group, a glint of accomplishment in her eye. “My contact’s agreed to join up, at least for a trial period.”
Kado raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What exactly can she do?”
Mira leaned against a nearby crate, arms crossed. “Her specialty is intel gathering. She’s got a knack for uncovering information that most people can’t get near, and she’s a skilled slicer. She can get into systems, decrypt files, disable alarms—pretty much anything involving tech that needs... persuading.”
Jake’s interest piqued, and he focused on the conversation, musing that this was shaping up to feel a lot like an anime he’d watched in another life. “Isn’t this like assembling a crew in One Piece?” he thought, chuckling to himself. But inwardly, he cringed. Please don’t let me be Usopp or Franky... I don’t want that nose, and I’d rather not become a cyborg, thanks.
Noticing Jake’s attentiveness, Mira smirked and added, “Just a heads up, Jake—Rina’s got a bit of a quirky character. If she finds you interesting, she might, uh… keep things weird.”
Jake raised his eyebrows and gave a quick nod. “Got it.” But inside, he was having a minor inner monologue meltdown. Oh no... just like in an anime! The quirky character taking an interest!
The days passed quickly after that. For the next two weeks, Kado, Davik, and Mira went on scavenging runs, this time equipped with the new Quid droids. Jake, eager to see how his creations performed in real-world scenarios, encouraged them to take the models out in the field and really put them through their paces.
They started by testing the Nick models. Each one’s scanning and sensor range was measured, along with its speed at acquiring data on various objects and life forms. In situations where combat was unavoidable, the Nicks’ combat programming was put to the test. Their aim, reaction time, and decision-making abilities were all impressive, hitting targets quickly and analyzing each situation with precision.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Next, they tried out the Skew models. Unlike the Nick units, the Skews were bulkier and slower, but they made up for it with their ability to withstand damage and serve as moving cover. Their power was another standout feature, lifting heavier equipment and even reinforcing barricades when needed. They were invaluable in firefights, their sturdy frames shielding the crew as they moved forward.
Meanwhile, Jake poured himself into the YT-1300 repairs, working tirelessly on the ship. The armor plating was now securely in place, though he noted that it still needed a good upgrade before it was ready for more hostile territories. He had managed to install the main modules, though he was still tweaking their functions and wiring up modifications. And with each adjustment to the system panels, he coded the baseline settings for smooth operation, laying a foundation he could build on for future improvements.
“Thank the stars for the holonet,” he muttered to himself. The amount of information he’d crammed into his head over the last few weeks had been overwhelming, but it had paid off. It had given him the edge he needed to finish the repairs faster than he’d thought possible.
Satisfied with the progress, he gave the droids a series of commands to begin loading the custom modules and parts he’d need to modify the ship further. As they went about the task, Jake took a step back, hands on his hips, and surveyed his work. It was coming together piece by piece, just like their team.
----------------------------------------
A fully repaired but yet-to-be-modified YT-1300 freighter sat in Hangar Bay 7-10, gleaming under the stark white lights, its armored panels and compact design exuding a sense of sturdy elegance. Jake and the crew stood in a loose circle around it, each quietly appreciating their work in seeing the ship brought back from its battered state. The low hum of hangar activity seemed distant as they admired the freighter.
Tarek was especially captivated, eyes glued to the ship with an almost childlike fascination. “I cannot wait to pilot that for real,” he finally said, his grin broadening as he imagined himself in the cockpit.
At his words, everyone froze, heads turning in unison to look at him with varying expressions of amusement, surprise, and caution. Kado cleared his throat, crossing his arms with a raised brow. “Test flight, kid, not joyride. That’s why I asked Jake to upload the piloting subroutines into one of the Nick models,” he said, gesturing toward Nick-03, the droid standing a few feet away.
Mira let out a soft chuckle and leaned in, arms crossed. “I might know the perfect place for this little ‘test,’” she offered, eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief. “There’s a raider camp not far from here. There’s been a bounty on them for a while—about twenty-one raiders in total. They’re equipped with blasters, but they’re unarmored. They’ve also got five speeders and…well, there’s a rumor that they’ve acquired explosives from Hutt channels. Seems like the Hutts wanted to offload some leftover stock.”
The crew exchanged glances, interest sparking as the idea took root. Kado tilted his head, considering the proposal, while Davik gave an approving nod. Jake’s eyes darted between them, excitement building at the prospect of testing the ship’s resilience—and his own handiwork. The crew nodded in agreement, and without another word, they began preparing for the mission.
As they geared up, Jake caught sight of his gauntlets, still sitting on his workbench. He hesitated, his mind running through the long list of modifications he now wanted to make after diving deeper into Star Wars tech. Now that he actually understood the principles behind the galaxy’s mechanics, he could see all the ways he’d overlooked improvements in his tech-savant haze. But after a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed them anyway. Better to have them on hand if things went south.
He returned to the others, who were busy securing their own gear. In his hands was a piece of new tech he’d crafted from the relic they’d salvaged: wrist-worn energy shields for each of them. “Here, put these on,” he instructed, handing out the devices. “They’re built with scrap-grade materials and can’t withstand sustained fire, but they’ll give you a window to find cover if you’re taking hits.”
They activated the shields, and each one flickered to life in a shimmering blue circle, large enough to protect an adult torso. Davik examined his with curiosity, tapping its edge with his knuckles. “Is that because of the power supply or the materials you used?”
“A bit of both,” Jake admitted. “If I had high-grade materials and a stronger power source, these things could run for hours instead of minutes.”
Satisfied with the shields, they finished their preparations and finally boarded the freighter. Tarek nearly bolted to the pilot’s seat, his face lit up with barely contained enthusiasm. He settled into the chair, his fingers hovering over the controls as the rest of the crew found their places. Mira secured herself and glanced around, eyeing the ship’s interior with an appraising look.
“By the way,” she asked, her voice carrying over the low hum of the ship’s systems powering up, “does this ship even have a name?”
All eyes turned to Jake, who’d pulled up the ship’s registration records earlier. “The registry says it’s the Stellar Envoy,” he replied thoughtfully. After a pause, he added, “But if I had my way, I’d call it the Millennium Falcon.”
Kado raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. “Does that name mean something to you?”
Jake gave a casual shrug, hoping his answer sounded neutral. “Not really,” he said, deflecting.
Davik gave a knowing smirk, sensing there was more to it but letting it slide. “Alright, let’s keep it the Stellar Envoy for now. It’ll do for a test run,” he suggested, and the crew murmured their agreement.
Feeling emboldened by the crew’s enthusiasm, Tarek gripped the control stick and received an approving nod from everyone. He took a deep breath, ready to lift off. With practiced movements, he engaged the engines, and the ship began to vibrate, thrumming with the power of its startup sequence. It felt as though the freighter itself was preparing to take flight with them—until suddenly, everything fell silent. The engines died down, the lights dimmed, and all systems powered down into standby mode.
The crew looked at each other, bewildered, before turning their gazes to Tarek, who appeared equally confused and a little sheepish. A voice, calm and mechanical, broke the silence from the co-pilot seat where Nick-03 had stationed itself.
“Navicomputer not updated. Sync lock prevents liftoff until the system is calibrated.”
An awkward silence fell. Tarek let out an embarrassed chuckle, scratching the back of his head. “I, uh…knew that,” he mumbled, hurriedly typing to update the navicomputer’s settings. A few tense seconds later, he flashed them a thumbs-up and reengaged the engines.
This time, the Stellar Envoy hummed to life, the engines revving up smoothly as the ship lifted off. The freighter rose, steady and graceful, filling the crew with a sense of weightlessness as they looked out the viewport. Smiles broke out around the cabin, and they gave Jake appreciative pats on the shoulder, impressed with his repairs.
Kado leaned forward, an approving grin on his face as he looked to Tarek. “Alright, kid—show us what this ship can do.”
Tarek’s eyes sparkled with determination, gripping the controls as he prepared to take the ship to its limits.
----------------------------------------
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
58 Chapters are available on my patreon
you can support me and become a patron
P A T R E O N . C O M / TofferPlays
(but only if you want to, okay?)
This fanfic is also on:
SpaceBattles
SufficientVelocity
RoyalRoad
ArchiveOfOurOwn