> Disclaimer: I am adding this here now too, best to be safe they said. 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 lingering smell of scorched metal and ozone clung to the air as Kado staggered out of his ruined shop, his legs shaky but his mind racing. The Skew droids trundled behind him, each moving with a mechanical limp, their battered frames testament to the chaos that had just unfolded. The Nick droids followed silently, though the faint whine of overloaded circuits from Nick-01 reminded him of their fried targeting systems.
Kado glanced back at the shop, or what was left of it. The barricades were gone, the turret a mangled heap of scrap, and scorch marks covered every surface. What used to be his livelihood was now a hollowed-out shell.
“Explosives set,” Rina called from the doorway, emerging with a remote detonator in her hand. Her expression was cool, but her eyes flicked around nervously. “It’ll blow the interior to hell but leave the structure intact. Should cover our tracks.”
“Good,” Davik said briskly, hoisting himself onto Speeder 01. “No time to waste. Kado, you’re with me. Mira, take Rina and the second speeder. Let’s move.”
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Kado hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on the store. It wasn’t just a business—it was a piece of him, a symbol of the years he’d spent carving out a life for himself in this unforgiving sector. The thought of abandoning it, even temporarily, tightened his chest.
“Hey,” Davik called, snapping him out of it. “I know it hurts, but we’ve gotta go. Now.”
Reluctantly, Kado climbed into the speeder’s passenger seat. Nick-01 settled into the rear, its servos whining as it adjusted its damaged arm. Skew-01 was hoisted into place, its mangled left side slumping awkwardly against the speeder’s side rail.
On the second speeder, Mira slid into the driver’s seat with her usual ease. Rina hopped in beside her, one hand gripping the detonator, the other resting near her blaster. Nick-02 and Skew-02 were secured in the back, the latter looking like it had gone toe-to-toe with a thermal detonator.
The speeders roared to life, engines sputtering briefly before stabilizing into a steady hum.
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Kado couldn’t help but look back one last time as they pulled away. The street was eerily silent now, the bodies of Gardulla’s thugs still sprawled in the open. Windows and doors of nearby buildings remained tightly shut—no one dared venture out.
His thumb idly brushed the edge of his wrist-mounted datapad. Inside were the last records he’d managed to save before the firefight. It wasn’t much—inventory logs, client orders, and a few personal notes—but it was all he had left of his shop.
“You did everything you could,” Davik said, his voice unusually soft.
“Did I?” Kado muttered, his grip tightening on the edge of the seat. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
“Your shop’s not gone,” Davik replied. “Just... on hiatus. Let’s get through this first. Then you can rebuild.”
Kado didn’t respond, his jaw tightening as he turned his gaze forward.
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The two speeders cruised through the dusty streets, keeping a low profile as they navigated the winding alleys away from the main thoroughfare. Mira’s voice came over the commlink.
“Any sign of reinforcements?”
“Not yet,” Davik replied. “But we can’t count on that lasting.”
Kado stole a glance at the droids in the back. Nick-01 sat slumped, its targeting sensors dark. Beside it, Skew-01’s remaining arm twitched faintly, its systems clearly struggling.
“We’re running on borrowed time,” Kado muttered.
“You’ve got some good hardware here,” Davik said. “Jake’ll get them patched up. We’ve handled worse.”
Kado raised an eyebrow. “Worse than losing half a droid and frying the brains of two others?”
Davik smirked faintly. “You’d be surprised.”
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As they reached the edge of the district, Rina activated the detonator. A low rumble echoed behind them, followed by a muffled series of pops and cracks as the charges went off. Kado winced, imagining the interior of his shop being torn apart.
“Looks like it worked,” Mira reported, glancing in her rearview mirror. “No fire, no collapsing walls. Just a wrecked interior.”
“Good,” Davik said. “If they come looking, they’ll find nothing but slagged circuits and scorch marks.”
“Still doesn’t mean Gardulla’s letting this go,” Kado said bitterly.
“She won’t,” Davik agreed. “But for now, we’re out of her immediate reach. Let’s focus on getting back to the hangar.”
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The hum of the Stellar Envoy's systems was the only sound in the cockpit as Jake leaned over the medical droid he had salvaged from a forgotten corner of the ship. It was a clunky, outdated model with an ungainly frame, but he had spent weeks tweaking its software and repairing its joints. It was now operational, though far from pristine.
The others didn’t know he had it yet. It had been one of his quiet side projects, a way to feel useful beyond engineering and droid repairs. A capable medic droid could save lives—and not just organic ones. With Skew and Nick droids in the crew, he knew it was only a matter of time before something catastrophic happened, and today might just be that time.
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Satisfied with the droid’s readiness, Jake activated its standby mode and secured it near the cargo bay, close enough to access in case it was needed but out of the way for now. He wiped his hands on a cloth and headed back to the cockpit, his thoughts racing.
Tarek sat in the pilot’s seat, his posture rigid, his hands resting on the controls. The ship was powered up and prepped for a quick takeoff, engines warm and thrusters on standby. Nick-03 was in the co-pilot’s chair, its sleek metallic frame perfectly still, save for the occasional flicker of its ocular sensors. The droid’s calm presence did nothing to ease Jake’s nerves.
Tarek stared at the silent commlink like it might spring to life at any moment. His jaw was tight, his usual cocky demeanor replaced by a grim focus that unnerved Jake even more.
Jake hovered near the console, his fingers itching to grab the commlink and call the others, to demand an update. He stopped himself, knowing it would only complicate things. The team was out there risking everything, and all he could do was wait.
Minutes crawled by, stretching into nearly an hour. The silence in the cockpit became unbearable, every faint noise in the ship’s systems amplifying Jake’s anxiety. His mind conjured worst-case scenarios: blasterfire ripping through their friends, Gardulla’s thugs overwhelming them, or the team never coming back at all.
Finally, the commlink crackled.
“Stellar Envoy, open the hangar. We’re coming in hot,” Mira’s voice came through, firm but weary.
Jake bolted to the console and unlocked the hangar bay doors, his heart pounding as the sound of approaching speeders filled the space. The others rolled in, their vehicles kicking up dust as they screeched to a stop.
Jake’s breath caught in his throat when he saw them.
Kado and Davik climbed out of the lead speeder, looking surprisingly unscathed. Their energy shields had done their job. Mira and Rina followed from the second speeder, equally unharmed but clearly exhausted.
Then Jake’s eyes fell on the droids.
Nick-01’s frame was intact but sluggish, its targeting sensors completely dark. Nick-02 limped slightly, scorch marks marring its surface. Skew-02 was dented and blackened from blaster fire, its shield generator visibly fried. Worst of all was Skew-01, whose entire left side was a twisted mess of shattered metal and exposed circuitry.
“Stars above…” Jake muttered, rushing to inspect the damage. Relief and distress warred in his chest; the people were okay, but the droids—his droids—had taken a beating that made his heart ache.
The hangar doors slammed shut behind them as the group hurried to secure the space. Kado and Davik moved quickly, locking down all entrances while Mira checked their perimeter. Rina stood nearby, her eyes darting nervously as she clutched her blaster.
“What happened out there?” Jake finally asked, his voice tight.
“Gardulla’s people didn’t take no for an answer,” Davik replied, his tone grim. “Four at the shop at first. We handled them, but then the rest showed up. Close to forty. Rockets, heavy firepower... They didn’t hold back.”
“It was a slaughter,” Kado added, his voice carrying a mixture of bitterness and gratitude. “If it weren’t for the droids… your droids, Jake… we wouldn’t be standing here.”
Jake’s chest swelled with pride despite the grim circumstances. He looked at Kado, then at Davik, giving them a firm nod and a determined smile. He didn’t need to say anything—the look in his eyes said it all.
Whatever came next, Jake would make sure they were ready for it. No more last-minute patch jobs. No more near misses. Whether it was fixing up the droids or fortifying the ship, Jake silently vowed to do everything in his power to keep them alive.
As the others began to debrief, Jake turned back to the droids, already mentally cataloging the repairs they would need. He reached out and gently touched Skew-01’s damaged frame, a quiet promise forming in his mind.
“I’ll make this right,” he whispered.
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Jake leaned against the cold durasteel wall of the Stellar Envoy’s makeshift medbay, watching as the damaged droids trudged inside. The sight of Skew-01’s battered frame made his chest tighten. He moved quickly, guiding the hulking unit onto the repair table.
"Easy, buddy," Jake murmured as Skew-01 lowered itself with a groan of stressed servos. Skew-02 followed, its movements jerky but stable enough to avoid collapsing. Nick-01 and Nick-02 moved in tandem, their systems sluggish but obedient. The targeting software in both was fried, rendering them combat-inept for now.
“MED-44,” Jake called, turning to the medical droid he had secretly refurbished. “Diagnostics and stabilization. Prioritize critical systems.”
The droid came to life with a polite chirp. “Acknowledged. Beginning assessment.” Its spindly arms extended, sensors flickering as it moved to inspect Skew-01. Jake exhaled and grabbed his tools, already working alongside it.
While the medbay hummed with quiet activity, the rest of the team scoured the perimeter. Through the ship's comm system, Jake could hear fragments of their updates.
"Clear on the south side," Mira reported.
"No signs of movement from the east," Davik added.
"Same here," Rina chimed in, her voice steady but tinged with fatigue.
After several tense minutes, Mira’s voice came through again. “Perimeter secure. Let’s head back.”
Jake glanced at the open ramp, tension easing slightly as he heard the others re-enter the ship. Soon after, the soft clang of the ramp sealing shut echoed through the hull.
In the common area, the crew gathered around the central holotable. The air was heavy with exhaustion and uncertainty, but no one was ready to rest just yet. Kado stood apart from the group, meticulously going through the crates he had salvaged from his shop, muttering to himself as he inventoried the contents.
“All right,” Davik started, his voice breaking the silence. “We need a plan. Gardulla’s not going to let this slide, and we’re sitting in her backyard. We’ve got to figure out our next move.”
“I’ll start,” Mira said. “We lay low. Stay on-world, keep our heads down. Gardulla’s attention will eventually shift to other suspects. Meanwhile, we gather intel. We can’t move blind. Running into space without knowing what’s waiting for us is just asking for trouble.”
Davik nodded in agreement. “Makes sense. We don’t want to draw attention by taking off. Staying here means we can monitor the situation and act when the heat dies down.”
Rina crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. “You’re assuming Gardulla won’t tighten her grip. What if she brings in reinforcements, locks down the starports? Staying here could trap us. I say we leave. Go to a neutral system, restock on supplies, and plan for the long haul. Malachor V’s remote enough that we can regroup without worrying about Gardulla breathing down our necks.”
Kado paused his work to chime in. “Rina’s got a point. Staying here keeps us in the danger zone. If we’re going to keep the Stellar Envoy safe, it might be better to cut our losses and move.”
The room fell into a tense silence, the weight of the decision pressing down on everyone. Finally, Tarek spoke up from where he leaned against the bulkhead.
“Is it possible to do both?” he asked. “We could make it seem like we’ve gone underground while actually preparing to leave. Let them think we’re too scared to make a move, and when they relax, we slip away unnoticed.”
Jake, who had remained silent up until now, nodded thoughtfully. “That’s not a bad idea. Gardulla’s people are expecting us to act desperate. If we let them think we’re cowed, they might lower their guard. Gives us time to get supplies and plot a course to Malachor V.”
“That would mean splitting the focus,” Mira said, frowning. “Laying low while also prepping for departure. It’s a risk.”
“But it’s the smartest play,” Davik countered. “It’s not about staying or leaving—it’s about making sure we stay in control of the situation. Tarek’s idea does that.”
After more back-and-forth, the group reluctantly reached a consensus. Davik and Mira agreed to the compromise, though Mira looked less than thrilled. Rina gave a firm nod, satisfied that her suggestion wasn’t dismissed outright. Kado, still shaken but resolute, voiced his approval.
“All right,” Jake said, standing straighter. “We’ll lay low while we get the Envoy ready to leave. I’ll keep working on the droids and check the ship systems. We’ll need to be at peak efficiency if this is going to work.”
“Then it’s settled,” Davik concluded. “We stick to the plan, keep our heads down, and stay ready for anything.”
The meeting ended, but the tension lingered. Each member of the crew drifted off to their respective tasks, the weight of their predicament hanging heavy in the air. Jake lingered in the common area for a moment, staring at the holotable.
He had given them his nod and his smile earlier, a show of confidence. Now, he silently vowed to himself that he’d make good on that promise. Whatever repairs, modifications, or miracles the Stellar Envoy and her crew needed, he’d find a way to make it happen.
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