> 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 Stellar Envoy hummed faintly with the ambient noise of its systems as its crew settled into their respective roles during the station expedition. Tarek, sitting in the pilot’s seat, studied the star charts and the debris field with sharp focus. Every potential escape route was logged meticulously, his hands tapping out commands on the console. He’d been through his share of stressful maneuvers earlier and wasn’t about to let the ship get caught flat-footed again.
Next to him, Nick-03’s photoreceptors flickered rhythmically as it monitored the transmissions from the away team. Its voice broke the silence occasionally as it relayed updates from the station. “Creator Jake has confirmed partial access to a reinforced area. Rina is currently engaging in slicing protocols. The reinforced door is... opening. Progress is steady.”
In the common area, Shmi sat quietly, her expression thoughtful as she absently traced patterns on the holodeck’s surface. Despite the chaos of their recent days, she seemed at ease, perhaps soothed by the sound of Anakin’s laughter. The boy was busy playing with Zero, weaving around the droid’s legs and giggling as it spun in place, playfully keeping up with him.
Above them, in the topside turret, Arlos kept his eyes on the motionless stars and swirling debris field. His vigilance hadn’t wavered, even as the calmness of their surroundings tempted him to relax. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him, and he keyed into the ship’s comms to ask something that had been troubling him.
"Nick-03," he began, his voice polite but firm, "may I ask you a question?"
Nick-03’s head tilted slightly, as if curious. “Certainly, Sir Arlos. What is your inquiry?”
“Well,” Arlos continued, “I’ve been here for some time now, and while I’m grateful to be part of the crew, I can’t help but notice something... confusing. Who’s the captain of this ship? I mean—truly? Everyone seems to take charge in their own way, but no one has outright claimed the title. Is it Jake? Kado? Someone else?”
Tarek snorted from the cockpit, half-listening as he reviewed a hyperspace exit path. “Good luck getting a straight answer out of Nick-03 on that one.”
Nick-03’s photoreceptors blinked as it processed the question, clearly taking the matter seriously. “Ah, an excellent inquiry, Sir Arlos. The designation of 'captain' is... fluid, depending on context. While I refer to various individuals as 'captain,' this is largely a sign of respect or acknowledgment of situational authority rather than a formal rank.”
“So... no one’s officially the captain?” Arlos pressed.
Nick-03 hesitated, its voice taking on a tone that was almost amused. “Creator Jake holds a significant degree of influence in matters of technology and engineering. Kado’s seniority often places him in a leadership role. Rina’s slicing expertise commands respect during operations. And Tarek—”
“Don’t you dare,” Tarek interjected with mock exasperation. “I’m not getting dragged into this.”
“—is invaluable in piloting, even if he prefers humor over command,” Nick-03 finished smoothly. “In conclusion, the Stellar Envoy operates as a collective, with authority distributed based on the situation at hand. This approach has proven effective thus far.”
Arlos considered this, nodding slowly. “I see... but who would you personally choose as captain, Nick-03?”
Tarek glanced over at the droid with a smirk. “Careful, Nick-03. You’re about to start a mutiny.”
Nick-03’s response was immediate. “I choose... everyone.”
Tarek burst out laughing. “Nice dodge.”
In the common area, Shmi smiled at the exchange as she listened in. Anakin, oblivious to the conversation, continued his play with Zero, completely engrossed.
Arlos shook his head, chuckling softly. “That’s a diplomatic answer if I’ve ever heard one.”
"Indeed," Nick-03 replied with what could almost be described as pride. "It is one of my finer skills."
As the humor faded, Tarek’s voice took on a more serious edge. “All jokes aside, everyone stay sharp. If the away team runs into trouble, we’re their lifeline out of here. Let’s not forget that.”
Arlos gave a crisp acknowledgment, his watchful eyes returning to the debris field. Below, Shmi glanced at the holodeck display, her thoughts briefly drifting to the group on the station.
Nick-03’s voice filled the cockpit again. “Creator Jake reports further progress. The blast door is now fully open.”
“Let’s hope they’re ready for whatever’s behind it,” Tarek muttered, his hand resting on the ship’s controls. The waiting game was far from over.
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The reinforced blast doors groaned open, revealing a chamber untouched by time but heavy with the weight of its purpose. The droids moved in first, their photoreceptors glowing faintly as they scanned the dimly lit room. The air was stale but not toxic, and though there was no immediate danger, their sensors registered an eerie stillness that made even their mechanical minds cautious.
Nick-01’s voice crackled over the comms. “Area secured. No hostiles detected. However... there is a corpse in the far corner holding an unidentified box.”
At this report, Jake, Mira, Rina, Davik, and Kado left their posts in the control center and made their way to the newly accessible room. The path was straightforward, and though tension lingered in the air, the group moved with purpose. When they arrived, they paused for a moment, taking in the scene.
The chamber was stark and utilitarian, its walls lined with panels that flickered faintly with residual power. In the center lay a cylindrical object, its metallic surface reflecting the ambient light, its size almost as long as an adult human and wide enough to contain something significant. To the side, a motionless droid stood upright, clutching a blaster in a lifeless grip. Its design was foreign, its wear and tear hinting at long abandonment.
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In the far corner, the corpse sat slumped, its skeletal fingers clutching a small box, the fabric of its clothing long degraded but still hinting at some form of uniform. The room also held a computer terminal, its screen blank but humming faintly, waiting for activation.
The group instinctively divided, each drawn to one of the room's mysteries. Jake, his curiosity piqued, made a beeline for the cylindrical object, beckoning Skew-02 to assist him. Rina headed straight for the computer terminal, tools already in hand, eager to slice into whatever secrets it held. Mira approached the unfamiliar droid, her eyes narrowing as she studied its design, while Kado and Davik moved cautiously toward the corpse.
Just as Davik reached for the box, Kado raised a hand, stopping him mid-motion. “Wait,” Kado said, his tone firm but measured. “Let’s not rush this.”
Davik frowned but stepped back, deferring to Kado’s judgment. “What is it?” he asked.
Kado glanced at the corpse, then back at the box in its grasp. “I’ve seen traps like this before. Could be rigged. If it’s survived this long, who knows what kind of fail-safes it might have?”
Davik nodded, his hand dropping to rest on the hilt of his blaster. “So what do we do?”
Kado turned to the Nick droids, pointing to Nick-02. “Nick-02. Approach the body. Carefully. Let’s see if it’s safe to move or touch anything.”
Nick-02’s photoreceptors flickered in acknowledgment, and it stepped forward, its movements precise and deliberate. “Acknowledged, Captain-For-Now Kado,” it quipped, earning a quiet chuckle from Rina across the room.
The droid began a systematic scan of the corpse and its surroundings, its sensors analyzing for any signs of traps, motion sensors, or residual energy signatures.
Meanwhile, Jake knelt by the cylinder, running his hands over its smooth surface, searching for any seams or interfaces. “Skew-02, give me a readout. Any power sources or mechanisms still active?”
Skew-02 extended an appendage, its sensors whirring. “Initial scan indicates faint internal energy signatures. Structure suggests it could be a containment device or storage unit. No immediate external access points detected.”
Jake’s brow furrowed. “A vault within a vault,” he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
On the other side of the room, Rina had booted up the computer terminal, her fingers flying over the keyboard as lines of code scrolled across the screen. “Terminal’s intact,” she reported. “Looks like there’s a lot of encrypted data. Give me a few minutes to crack it.”
“Take your time,” Kado replied, his attention still on Nick-02 and the corpse.
Mira, meanwhile, circled the mysterious droid. “This design... I’ve never seen anything like it,” she muttered, reaching out to gently touch its arm. “Definitely Old Republic-era, but... it’s almost pristine compared to everything else in here. Why is it just standing there? Waiting for orders? Or broken?”
As the group worked, the air in the chamber grew thick with unspoken anticipation. Each mystery seemed interconnected, and the sense that they were on the brink of uncovering something monumental hung heavily over them.
Nick-02 paused in its examination of the corpse, turning back to the group. “No traps detected on the body or the box. However, there are faint energy readings from within the box itself. Recommend caution in handling.”
Kado nodded, his expression grim. “Noted. Let’s move carefully. Whatever’s in there... it was important enough for someone to die holding it.”
Everyone exchanged a glance, the weight of the moment settling in. They were deep in the unknown now, and whatever lay ahead would undoubtedly test them all.
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Jake ran his fingers over the surface of the cylinder, searching for any imperfection or access point. When his hand brushed against a barely perceptible bump, his heart raced. "This might be it," he muttered under his breath. Hesitating for just a moment, he took a deep breath and pressed it.
The room filled with the sound of mechanical movement as the cylinder sprang to life. Panels slid apart, gears whirred, and various parts pushed out from the core in a synchronized display. Jake froze for a moment, utterly transfixed. The machine’s intricate unfolding resembled the design and complexity of Tony Stark’s forge machine from The MCU Franchise—a bunch of movies he fondly remembered from Earth. The parallel was so uncanny that Jake couldn’t help but think of it, but he quickly reminded himself this wasn’t a Marvel film. This machine had its own purpose, one that he needed to uncover.
Mira, who had been scrutinizing the ancient droid, glanced back when she heard the noise. Seeing Jake’s stunned expression, she abandoned her inspection and approached him. “What did you find?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Jake didn’t take his eyes off the unfolding device. “It’s not a container... it’s a machine. Some kind of automated system, but what it does exactly? I have no clue. It’s beautiful though. Look at the precision—ancient but way ahead of its time. It could be a forge, a tool, or even... I don’t know. It reminds me of something I’ve seen before, but I can’t put my finger on it.” was Jake's deflective answer.
Mira raised an eyebrow. “Seen where?”
“Uh... long story. Not from around here,” Jake replied with a sheepish grin. “But if this thing is active, it’s definitely important.”
While Jake and Mira speculated about the machine, Kado and Davik stood over the corpse and its mysterious box. Nick-02 had stepped back after confirming the area was safe, its scanners still active and alert. Kado carefully lifted the box, his eyes scanning its surface. The object was heavier than it looked and surprisingly intricate. Small holes dotted the corners, but there were no visible hinges, clasps, or mechanisms to indicate how to open it.
“Looks like a puzzle,” Davik said, inspecting the box from over Kado’s shoulder. “But those holes… they could be vents, or they could be something else.”
“Let’s not guess,” Kado replied, his tone cautious. “Let’s take it slow.”
Their examination was interrupted by Rina’s triumphant shout from across the room. “Got it!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. The others turned their heads as she pressed a button on the terminal, causing a panel to slide open nearby. From the opening, a square-shaped mount rose, its dimensions perfectly matching the box Kado was holding.
“Looks like we’ve got a spot for your mystery box,” Rina said with a smirk, gesturing toward Kado with an expectant hand. “Hand it over.”
Kado hesitated for a moment, then placed the box into her outstretched hand. Rina stepped to the mount, carefully setting the box into place. The group watched with bated breath as thin robotic arms emerged from the mount, each one ending in a delicate tool. The arms extended toward the box, their ends sliding precisely into the small holes on its surface.
The room was filled with the soft hum of servos as the tools rotated in various directions. Some turned clockwise, others counterclockwise, each movement deliberate and exact. As the arms worked, parts of the box began to shift and slide, altering its shape in ways that seemed both complex and purposeful. It wasn’t until the process stopped that the group realized what was happening—the box wasn’t transforming; it was unlocking.
With a final whir, the robotic arms retracted, pulling open the last segments of the box. Inside, resting on a padded compartment, was an object shaped like a key. Its design was strange, a metallic piece with a shaft that ended in a cross-like protrusion. It was both simple and enigmatic, its shape suggesting it fit into something highly specific.
“That’s it,” Mira said softly, her voice tinged with awe. “That’s the Vault key.”
Jake stepped forward, his attention momentarily drawn away from the machine. “It’s not just a key,” he said, inspecting it from a distance. “Look at the craftsmanship. It’s more than just functional—it’s a work of art. Whatever this opens… it’s not just a simple vault. It’s something big.”
Kado crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. “We’ve got the key, but now what? Does the terminal say where it’s used?”
Rina quickly turned back to the computer, her fingers flying over the interface. “I’ll check,” she replied. “But if this thing was hidden like this… whatever it unlocks isn’t going to be easy to find or access.”
As the group pondered their next steps, the air grew heavy with anticipation. The Vault key was in their possession, but its purpose and the secrets it guarded remained as elusive as ever.
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