> 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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Kado P.O.V. :
I adjusted my grip on my blaster as the group stood just inside the threshold of the vault. The atmosphere was heavy—more than just stale air. It was as if the place itself was watching them, waiting for something. I tapped the comm on my wrist, contacting Tarek and Shmi back at the ship.
“We’re in,” I said, my voice measured. “It’s a hallway for now, with doors branching off. Looks quiet, but we’re sticking to protocol. Droids are leading the way. No signs of trouble yet, but I’ll keep you updated.”
“Copy that,” Tarek replied immediately. “We’re monitoring from here. Let us know if you need a fast pickup.”
Shmi’s voice came next, warm but concerned. “Stay safe. And make sure Jake doesn’t start taking things apart unless it’s necessary.”
I smirked, though I kept my eyes forward. “He’s busy gawking at the walls for now. We’ll keep him in check.”
Ahead of me, Jake had indeed paused, his datapad in hand, studying the carvings etched into the walls. His voice echoed softly in the dim space as he mumbled about Old Republic design aesthetics.
“Jake,” I called out, my tone a mix of amusement and authority. “Save the history lesson for later. Right now, we’re making sure this place doesn’t have any nasty surprises waiting for us.”
Jake gave a quick nod, his face slightly sheepish, and fell back in line.
The scout droids rolled ahead, scanning every inch of the hallway for traps or active defenses. The Nick droids followed, their blasters swiveling in sync, while the heavier Skew droids brought up the rear, their reinforced frames carrying supplies.
I watched the formation closely, my wrist comm displaying the droids’ scan results in real time. No heat signatures, no motion, no active systems—but that didn’t mean we were in the clear. These old vaults had a way of hiding their teeth until you were too close to react.
The hallway stretched endlessly, the faint light from ancient sconces flickering unevenly. Each door they passed was marked with faded symbols—some familiar, some entirely alien.
“This writing,” Rina murmured, tracing a hand over one of the markings. “It looks like Old Republic standard. Maybe military? Or Jedi?”
“Could be anything,” Mira added, her eyes glued to her datapad. “Vaults like this usually aren’t straightforward. Whatever’s behind these doors might not even be what we’re looking for—or worse, it might not want to be found.”
“Let’s not find out the hard way,” I said, my tone firm. “We stick to the main path unless we absolutely have to check a side door. No splitting up, no experimenting.”
Rina gave a half-nod but kept studying the symbols as they moved. I felt a small twinge of unease as we pressed further into the vault. The faint hum that seemed to resonate through the air wasn’t coming from any one source—it was all around them, like the vault itself was alive.
When the scout droids reached the first major intersection, they paused, their scans reporting no immediate threats. I signaled for the Nick droids to fan out and secure the area before turning to the crew.
“All clear so far,” I said, lowering my voice as we regrouped. “But we keep our guard up. These places are built to make you feel safe right before they try to kill you.”
“Always the optimist,” Jake quipped from behind, though the tension in his voice betrayed his nerves.
“It’s not pessimism,” I replied, scanning the dim corridors ahead. “It’s survival. A little caution never killed anyone, but too little has killed plenty.”
The group shared a small chuckle, easing some of the tension, but my focus never wavered. My instincts hummed with the same energy as the vault.
“Let’s move,” I said, motioning toward the path ahead. “Droids first, then us. And remember—if something feels wrong, it probably is. Speak up before it’s too late.”
As we followed the droids into the next stretch of the hallway, the air grew colder, and the faint hum deepened, almost imperceptibly. I tightened my grip on my blaster and glanced at the crew.
“Whatever this place is hiding,” I muttered under his breath, “we’re going to find it—and we’re going to live to tell about it.”
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Arlos P.O.V. :
I hugged my arms tightly as the group moved deeper into the vault’s entrance hall, my steps slow and cautious. The air felt thick—heavy with something more than just dust and time. It was oppressive, like a slimy shadow pressing against his mind. I wanted to stop, to sit down, maybe even cry. But I kept walking. I had to.
The others looked so composed, so steady. Sir Kado led with confidence, his sharp eyes scanning every corner for danger. Lady Mira was engrossed in her datapad, tracking the droids’ movements ahead. Even Sir Jake, who often seemed distracted by the details of everything they encountered, moved with a purpose that I envied.
They had all saved me. They had freed me. I couldn’t let them see how scared I was.
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No, scared wasn’t enough to describe it. I was terrified. The planet had been gnawing at my nerves since we landed. This wasn’t the normal fear of getting hurt or making a mistake. It felt wrong. Like something alive, dark, and hungry was wrapping itself around me.
My attention snapped back to the present when I heard Sir Kado’s voice echo softly in the vault.
“We stick together. No splitting up, no poking around unless necessary. This place is already bad news without us making dumb decisions.”
Sir Kado’s calm, commanding tone steadied him, but only a little. Then I caught a phrase that sent a chill down my spine.
“Dark side influence,” Sir Kado had said.
The words hung in my mind, heavy and cold. Dark side. I didn’t know what it meant exactly, but it sounded like it fit. It sounded like the name for what I was feeling.
I wanted to blurt out the question right then, but I bit my tongue. Sir Kado was busy making sure everyone was safe. I wouldn’t interrupt. I'd wait for the right moment.
That moment came soon enough. As the others started spreading out in the entrance area, cautiously examining the space and listening to reports from the droids, I saw my chance. I hesitated for a second, then stepped closer to Sir Kado.
“Sir Kado?” I said, my voice trembling but determined.
Sir Kado turned to me, his blaster resting loosely at his side. His expression softened when he saw me. “What’s on your mind, kid?”
I took a deep breath. “What… what did you mean by ‘dark side influence’? What is it?”
The others, hearing the question, turned their attention to Kado as well. Even Lady Mira lowered her datapad slightly, curious about his answer.
Kado scratched the back of his neck and gave a small chuckle. “You’re really asking me? I’m no Jedi or historian. Most of what I know is secondhand.” He sighed and leaned against a nearby wall. “Alright, here’s what I’ve picked up over the years—from customers, cantina gossip, and the like.”
He cleared his throat. “The ‘dark side’ is… well, it’s part of the Force, apparently. The bad part. Greedy, angry, hateful stuff. People say it can mess with your head—make you feel things you wouldn’t normally feel. Fear, rage, despair. Some places, especially ones tied to battles or tragedy, get soaked in it. Like the darkness sticks to the ground, the walls, the air. I’ve heard of folks going mad in places like that, or worse.”
I shivered at the description. “So… it’s real?”
Sir Kado nodded solemnly. “Seems like it. Not that I’ve ever seen it up close, but this planet—Malachor—it’s supposed to be one of those places. A battlefield from way back, full of death and pain. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is what you’re feeling.”
I hesitated, then spoke again. “Since we landed, I’ve felt… something. Like I’m being smothered. It’s dark and slimy and heavy, and I can’t stop feeling afraid.”
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
“I feel it too,” Lady Rina admitted, her voice quiet. “A sort of… dread. Like something’s watching us.”
Lady Mira nodded. “Same here. I’ve been trying to ignore it, but it’s there.”
Even Sir Jake spoke up. “It’s faint for me, but yeah. Like the air’s whispering things I don’t want to hear.”
Sir Kado crossed his arms, his face serious. “It’s the planet,” he said firmly. “And if it’s the dark side, it’s doing exactly what it’s meant to do—make us afraid, make us doubt. But we’ve made it this far because we don’t give in. Stick close. Watch each other’s backs. We’ll get through this.”
His words were steady and calm, but the tension in the group lingered. I felt a little better knowing I wasn’t alone in what I felt, but the fear didn’t go away. I looked at the others, drawing strength from their bravery, and silently promised myself that I wouldn’t let them down.
Even if the darkness was real, we would face it together.
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Shmi P.O.V. :
I sat in the common area of the Stellar Envoy, my hands resting uneasily in my lap as the minutes stretched on. The crew’s comm chatter crackled faintly in the background, giving me a thread of connection to the team out at the vault site. I tried to focus on that, my mind replaying Jake’s instructions before they left.
“Keep an eye on things. You’re our anchor back here,” he’d said with a reassuring smile.
I sighed, glancing across the seat where Anakin sat. He had been fidgety all day, more than usual, his tiny frame shifting and wriggling as though he couldn’t find a comfortable position. Now, though, he sat very still—too still. His small hands were clenched in his lap, his face pale and tense.
“Anakin?” I called softly, my voice filled with motherly concern.
He didn’t answer right away. His bright blue eyes darted nervously around the room, and then he began to shake.
My heart dropped. I crossed the small space and crouched down in front of him, placing my hands gently on his shoulders. “Ani, what’s wrong?”
He finally turned his gaze to me, his lip quivering. “I’m scared, Mom,” he whispered. “There’s… something scary.”
I frowned and pulled him into a hug, trying to soothe him. “It’s alright, my love. You’re safe here with me. What’s scary? Can you tell me?”
Anakin hesitated, clinging tightly to me. Then he raised a trembling hand and pointed toward the viewport behind the hologram.
“There,” he said, his voice shaking.
I turned to look, expecting nothing more than the eerie landscape we’d seen since landing. But as my eyes followed the line of his finger, a cold dread sank into my chest.
My gaze landed on the direction of the vault—the same place the others had entered. Suddenly, the air in the room felt thinner, my skin prickling with an unnatural chill.
A shiver ran down my spine, and my blood seemed to freeze. An overwhelming sense of wrongness settled over me like a heavy, suffocating blanket.
“Anakin…” I whispered, barely able to speak.
He buried his face in her shoulder, his small voice muffled. “It feels bad, Mom. Really, really bad.”
I swallowed hard, my mind racing. I knew children often picked up on things that adults missed—an instinctive, unfiltered sense of the world. But this? This was something more.
I shot to my feet, pulling Anakin close to my side. My voice was panicked as I called out, “Tarek!”
The sound of my shout startled the young pilot, who was seated at the cockpit monitoring the group’s progress. “Shmi? What’s going on?”
I struggled to calm my breathing enough to answer. “I need you to contact the others. Tell them to come back now! Something’s wrong!”
Tarek frowned, swiveling his chair to look at me, clearly startled by my tone. “Why? What happened?”
I glanced at Anakin, who was now trembling even more, clutching my hand tightly. I didn’t want to scare Tarek unnecessarily, but I couldn’t hide the urgency in my voice. “I have a bad feeling,” I said. “And so does Anakin.”
Tarek hesitated, his brow furrowed. “Shmi, no offense, but it’s not unusual for a three-year-old to be scared. I mean, look at this place—it’s enough to give me goosebumps.”
“Please, Tarek,” I interrupted, my voice sharper than I intended. “I’m not imagining this. Neither is Ani. Just try.”
Tarek studied me for a moment, then nodded reluctantly. “Alright. I’ll reach out to them.”
He turned back to the controls and began working to hail the crew. I watched him, my heart pounding, silently praying that he would get through.
But after a few minutes, he shook his head. “No luck,” he said grimly. “The vault or whatever they’re inside must be blocking the signal.”
I felt her knees weaken, and I sat back down, pulling Anakin into my lap. My hand shook as I smoothed his hair, murmuring soothing words more for myself than for him.
Tarek stood from his seat and walked over to me. “Hey,” he said softly, his usual politeness laced with concern. “They’re tough, Shmi. They know what they’re doing.”
I nodded mechanically, but the icy feeling in my chest wouldn’t fade.
Deep down, I knew. Something was terribly, horribly wrong.
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