> 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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The steady hum of the speeder bikes underscored the tense silence between Davik and the others. He gripped the handlebars firmly, flanked by Nick-01 and Nick-02, both droids sitting stiffly, their weapons secured but within reach. Behind him, Mira and Rina rode the second speeder. He could see them in his side mirror—Mira scanning their surroundings with practiced vigilance, while Rina leaned slightly back, her expression cool but alert.
The plan was straightforward enough: get to Kado’s shop, assess the situation, and act accordingly. If the coast was clear, they’d inform Kado of the looming threat, grab the Skew droids, and leave without incident. If trouble had already found him, they’d split up—Davik and the droids would handle the frontal assault, while Mira and Rina would find high ground to provide support.
Davik hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but experience had taught him to expect the worst.
As they approached the shop, Davik’s eyes darted to the surroundings. The streets seemed calm—no obvious signs of trouble. When they reached the location, Mira brought her speeder to a stop a safe distance away. She and Rina quickly dismounted and began scanning for vantage points, Mira unslinging her rifle while Rina kept her pistol drawn but at her side. Davik gave them a sharp nod before guiding his speeder to the back of the store.
Nick-01 and Nick-02 dismounted with practiced precision, their servo motors whirring softly as they moved into position behind him. The small alley between the storefront and storage area provided enough cover to keep them out of sight. Davik glanced at the droids, checking their status. The energy shields they wore hummed faintly, fully charged.
Satisfied, Davik entered the shop through the rear. The bell above the door jingled as he stepped inside, his hand brushing the grip of his blaster just in case. Kado was near the counter, wrapping up a deal with a tall, insectoid customer, while the Skew droids stood near the entrance, motionless but menacing in their bulky frames.
Kado looked up and greeted him with a casual wave. “Ah, Davik! What brings you here?”
Davik didn’t waste time. “Kado, we’ve got a situation,” he said briskly, lowering his voice. He quickly explained the news they’d learned from Mira and Rina—the discovery of the data tampering and the likelihood that Gardulla’s men were hunting anyone connected to the relic.
Kado froze mid-motion, his expression shifting from curiosity to alarm. “You’re serious?” he asked, his voice low. Before Davik could respond, Nick-01’s voice crackled to life.
“Alert: Multiple contacts approaching. Approximately four individuals, armed. Larger group detected holding position near the approach.”
Davik sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Here we go. The intimidators are on their way, with the executioners waiting in the wings,” he muttered. Kado made an annoyed grunt, clearly displeased with the turn of events.
“Nick-01, Nick-02,” Davik said, his voice sharp. “Position yourselves. Keep out of sight from the front.” The droids obeyed without hesitation, moving with surprising grace for their bulky frames. Davik double-checked the energy shields on his wrist, a soft blue glow indicating they were active.
Mira’s voice came through the comm in his ear. “Four individuals incoming. Two humans, one Rodian, and a Gamorrean. Armed. Front entrance.”
“Got it,” Davik replied. He shifted toward the front of the store, where he finally spotted the group. The Rodian was leading the way, his green skin glinting under the neon lights, while the two humans flanked him. The Gamorrean brought up the rear, lumbering with a brutish gait.
Kado, ever the salesman, plastered on a professional smile as they entered. “Welcome!” he greeted, his tone cheerful but wary. Nick-02 stood nearby, looking idle but ready to move at the first sign of trouble.
The Rodian wasted no time. “We’ve got questions,” he said sharply, his voice nasal. “And you’re gonna give us answers, or things get messy.”
Kado’s smile didn’t waver. “I’m always happy to help a customer, but I’m not sure I understand—”
“Don’t play games with me!” the Rodian snapped. “We know you handled the relic. Who hired you, huh? What did you do to it?”
Kado began to deflect, his voice calm but firm. “I’m afraid there’s some misunderstanding. I handle a lot of contracts, but I can assure you—”
The Rodian slammed a fist onto the counter, cutting him off. “Enough! Talk, or we’ll make you.”
Davik shifted slightly, his hand brushing his blaster. He caught Nick-02’s subtle movement, the droid inching closer to the counter. The tension in the room was palpable.
Finally, one of the humans lost patience, pulling out his blaster. Before he could aim, Nick-02 surged forward, positioning itself between Kado and the threat. The human fired instinctively, but the shot ricocheted harmlessly off the droid’s shield.
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“Wrong move,” Davik muttered, drawing his blaster.
The ensuing firefight was quick and brutal. Davik and Kado took cover, their shots precise and coordinated. The droids moved with calculated efficiency, their programming designed for combat scenarios. Nick-01 and Nick-02 quickly neutralized the Gamorrean and one of the humans, while Davik managed to take down the Rodian with a well-placed stun shot.
The remaining human panicked, attempting to flee, but Nick-01 caught him with a disabling shot to the leg. The fight was over as quickly as it had begun.
Kado let out a shaky breath, glaring at the unconscious thugs. “Well, that escalated fast,” he muttered.
Davik holstered his blaster, his expression grim. “This was just the first wave. We need to move. Now.”
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The tension in the store was thick enough to cut with a vibroblade. Davik paced behind the counter, eyes darting between the droids and the door. Kado stood near the terminal, typing furiously to finish prepping the automated defenses. Outside, the muffled hum of speeders and the distant clatter of boots on duracrete signaled the approach of Gardulla's thugs.
Mira’s voice crackled over the comms. “They’re getting close. Three dozen, minimum, and they’re loaded for bear. Heavy blasters, possibly more rockets. No visuals on anything heavier like walkers—yet.”
“Thanks for the reassurance,” Davik muttered sarcastically, glancing at Kado. “How’s that turret coming?”
“It’s online,” Kado replied, sweat beading on his forehead. “But don’t expect miracles—it wasn’t built for sustained combat. The barricades are in place, but they’ll only hold so long.”
“Long enough,” Davik said firmly. “Everyone knows their roles. Skew-01 and -02, you’re our frontline. Nick-01 and Nick-02, focus on maximizing your fire coverage. Mira, keep those snipers in check. Rina, you’re our insurance. If they breach, we fall back to your explosives.”
The comm crackled again as Rina chimed in. “Explosives are set. I’m ready back here if they try a flank.”
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The sound of blaster fire shattered the uneasy silence, red bolts slamming into the barricades. The turret whirred to life, spitting precise bursts of return fire. Mira’s rifle cracked in the distance, taking down a thug who had popped out of cover to fire a grenade launcher.
“Nice shot,” Davik muttered over the comms, firing his own blaster through a narrow gap in the barricades.
The Skew droids moved forward, their shields glowing bright as they absorbed the brunt of the attack. Skew-01 returned fire with its shoulder-mounted cannon, the recoil rocking its bulky frame. The first wave of attackers—half a dozen thugs—was shredded in the initial exchange, but more were already moving to take their place.
Nick-01 and Nick-02 adjusted their positions, their targeting systems working overtime to identify new threats. Their blasters fired in synchronized bursts, cutting down attackers who tried to rush the store.
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The attackers fanned out, firing in coordinated bursts to try and overwhelm the store’s defenses. The turret took down two more thugs before a well-placed rocket tore through it, sending sparks and shrapnel flying.
“They’ve got rockets!” Davik shouted, ducking behind cover as another blast rocked the storefront.
Skew-01 staggered forward, its shield absorbing the full force of the explosion. Its left arm hung limp, sparking and useless, but the droid kept firing.
“Shields holding,” Kado reported, though his voice wavered.
Mira’s voice came over the comms, calm and steady. “Rocket launcher is down. Repeat, launcher is down. Keep them busy—I’ll look for the next one.”
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A second rocket slammed into the barricades, blowing a jagged hole through the front of the store. Blaster fire poured in through the breach, forcing Davik and Kado to retreat further into the shop.
“Nick droids, cover the breach!” Davik ordered.
Nick-02 moved into position, firing controlled bursts through the opening. Nick-01 joined in, cutting down several attackers as they tried to rush inside.
Skew-02 pushed forward to block the breach, its energy shield flaring as it absorbed a barrage of blaster fire. The droid returned fire with its cannon, the booming shots tearing through the advancing thugs.
“Skew-01, fall back!” Davik called, noticing the droid’s sparking arm.
The droid complied, retreating just as another rocket streaked toward the store. The explosion knocked it off balance, tearing through its shield generator and leaving its left side a smoking ruin.
“Skew-01 is critical!” Kado shouted.
“Keep it fighting!” Davik snapped back.
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The sheer volume of attackers began to overwhelm the droids’ targeting systems. Nick-01 and Nick-02 struggled to lock onto targets as more thugs swarmed into the area. Their fire became less precise, forcing Davik and Kado to pick up the slack.
Mira, however, was a constant force of precision. From her rooftop perch, she eliminated threats with cold efficiency. One by one, thugs with heavy weapons dropped under her deadly aim.
“Another group moving in from the right,” Mira reported. “Looks like they’re trying to flank.”
“I’ve got it,” Rina replied. Seconds later, an explosion rocked the back alley, sending debris and bodies flying.
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Despite the chaos, the crew began to gain the upper hand. With Mira suppressing the thugs from above and Rina’s traps preventing flanking maneuvers, the attackers’ advance slowed.
Davik and Kado picked their shots carefully, each bolt finding its mark. The Nick droids, though overwhelmed, continued to fire in controlled bursts, thinning the remaining numbers.
Skew-02, battered but unbroken, charged forward, forcing the attackers to retreat further into the open. Mira took advantage of the opening, dropping two more thugs with precise headshots.
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The last of Gardulla’s men broke and ran, their morale shattered. The street outside the store was littered with bodies and smoldering debris.
Inside, the team surveyed the damage. The barricades were completely destroyed, and the store was a smoking wreck. Skew-01 stood motionless, its left side mangled beyond repair. Skew-02 was scorched and dented, but operational.
Nick-01 and Nick-02 powered down momentarily, their systems resetting from the overload.
Davik exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. “Everyone still breathing?”
“Alive and kicking,” Mira replied over the comms.
“Barely,” Kado muttered, looking around at the ruined shop. “You owe me a new store.”
“You owe us a clean getaway,” Davik shot back. “Let’s move before reinforcements show up.”
The team gathered their gear, loading up the damaged droids as best they could. The fight was over, but Davik knew Gardulla wouldn’t stop. This was just the opening salvo.
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