> 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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Jake's P.O.V. :
As the vault door creaked open and revealed its first storage chamber, a single thought blazed through my mind like a supernova: Jackpot.
I stepped in, my boots echoing faintly against the smooth metallic floor. The chamber was enormous, with rows upon rows of neatly organized shelves and racks, all brimming with technology. I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face. It was a treasure trove—a nerd's dream come true.
My eyes darted from one incredible find to another. Blasters of all shapes and sizes lined one wall, their sleek designs ranging from standard issue to experimental prototypes. Another section was dedicated to vehicle spare parts—some civilian, others clearly military-grade. Nearby, a row of dormant droids stood silent and still: astromech droids, protocol droids, medics, and workers.
I couldn’t stop myself from taking a step closer to inspect a starship engine module. It looked pristine, as if it had just rolled off the assembly line. My gaze wandered to the corner where schematic storage units gleamed under the dim light. The schematics! Oh, the potential in those compact little vaults of data.
I might have said something out loud—honestly, I wasn’t paying attention to my own voice. I was in my element, utterly absorbed, like a kid let loose in a candy store.
“Uh… is Jake okay?” I heard Arlos ask cautiously from somewhere behind me.
“He’s fine,” Kado replied with a bemused chuckle. “This is him nerding out. Just give him a minute.”
I turned and saw the entire team watching me with varying degrees of amusement. Rina looked like she was stifling a laugh, while Davik was shaking his head, muttering something like, “Of course this is his reaction.”
Kado called my attention with a short whistle. “Hey, Jake. Focus. Is there anything specific here we should prioritize?”
I blinked, forcing myself to snap out of my technological reverie. I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, realizing I’d probably been staring a little too long at everything.
“Well,” I started, clearing my throat. “If I had my way, we’d grab the schematics first. That’s where the real gold is—blueprints for whatever tech they were developing or storing here. As for everything else…” I gestured vaguely at the droids and modules. “They’re not to die for, but the ship modules might come close.”
Davik snorted. “Not to die for, he says, while practically drooling over this stuff.”
I shot him a mock glare but didn’t bother denying it. He wasn’t wrong.
Kado nodded thoughtfully, already organizing the team. “Alright, schematics first. Mira, you and Rina start pulling what we can from the storage units. Arlos, keep scanning the area for anything unusual—doors, traps, or hidden compartments. Jake, you figure out which of these modules are worth hauling back. And everyone,” his voice grew more serious, “stay sharp. We don’t know how long we have before someone—or something—shows up.”
The mood shifted slightly at his reminder, and I felt the weight of it settle in. Even surrounded by all this incredible tech, we couldn’t forget where we were—or what dangers might be lurking.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a spark of excitement. This wasn’t just survival or exploration anymore. It was discovery—something I’d dreamed about long before ending up in this galaxy.
Time to get to work.
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Continuation - Jake's P.O.V. :
While Mira and Rina worked together to extract what they could from the storage units holding schematics, I updated the droid command hierarchy temporarily to include Arlos. He had been standing nearby, looking a little unsure of what to do. With the droids assisting him in scanning the area, he seemed more at ease, his usual polite demeanor returning as he directed the machines with quiet "Yes, sir," or "Thank you, sir," as needed.
I was already neck-deep in excitement as I sorted through the vault’s contents. My mind raced with possibilities while I marked items for hauling back to the ship. Many of the prototypes were either the ancestors of technology we used today or entirely new concepts that might just inspire future projects. Some were rough—clearly stepping stones to better designs—but others showed innovative directions that could be modernized with the right tools.
Then there were the ones that were simply jaw-dropping. Like this ship camouflage tech I’d stumbled across—it wasn’t just passive; it actively worked while making the ship invisible to all kinds of scanners. That one made me freeze, the implications already running wild in my mind. If I could get this up and running, it’d be a game-changer for us.
Another piece caught my eye—a partially assembled droid. I tilted my head, squinting a bit. Its structure vaguely reminded me of something from the second Avengers movie I saw back on Earth—an Ultron sentry drone, maybe? But that was wishful thinking. This was far more detailed and technical, with none of the sleek menace of a Marvel villain. Still, its design was unique, and my brain itched to figure out how it worked.
“Jake, you doing okay over there?” Kado called out, snapping me out of my reverie.
“Yeah, yeah, fine!” I replied quickly, realizing I’d been standing there staring at the droid like it was going to tell me its secrets.
“He’s fine,” Kado said, though I heard the smirk in his voice. “Kid’s just lost in tech-land again. Focus, Jake—anything we really need to prioritize?”
I gave it a second of thought, snapping out of my tech-trance. “Schematics are the big win here,” I said, still grinning. “The rest is good, but it’s not life-changing. Well… maybe the ship modules are close.”
“Got it, focus on those then,” Kado said with a chuckle, his tone just a little amused but supportive.
Mira and Rina, already engrossed in their work, nodded without looking up. Arlos gave a polite “Understood, sir,” as he continued scanning nearby.
I got back to it, this time resisting the urge to geek out too much. But I made a mental note—once this vault was cleared, I was going to have a lot of fun figuring this stuff out.
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Kado's P.O.V. :
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
While the others were busy cataloging and deciding which treasures to prioritize for the ship, I decided it was time to keep the momentum going. We couldn’t afford to linger in just one room. Turning to Jake and Davik, I motioned for them to join me.
“Jake, can we borrow one or two droids for scouting the next room?” I asked.
Jake, still distracted by whatever high-tech marvel he was studying, nodded. “Nick-02 and one of the scout droids should work,” he said, issuing the command with a wave of his hand. The droids immediately perked up, following us as Davik and I got into position.
Davik, ever cautious, adjusted his weapon and nodded at me. “Ready when you are.”
The walk to the next room was uneventful but tense. We didn’t know what might be waiting for us behind each sealed door, and I could see Davik scanning every shadow as if expecting trouble. The droids moved efficiently, the scout taking point while Nick-02 followed, its sensor module blinking steadily.
When the door hissed open, the scout droid rolled in first, its scanners humming softly. Nick-02 followed, then Davik and I stepped in, weapons raised, just in case.
The room was vast and orderly, illuminated by faint, long-lasting light fixtures embedded in the walls. Nick-02 was already moving along the rows of neatly stacked crates and containers, scanning their contents. The scout droid zipped along the opposite side, doing the same.
Satisfied that there were no immediate threats, I lowered my blaster and pulled out my datapad to start scanning. Davik didn’t relax, though. He moved slowly through the room, his rifle at the ready, checking for anything suspicious.
As I began reading through the preliminary scan results, my pulse quickened. This wasn’t just another storage room. It was filled with raw materials—some in their natural state, others already refined and ready for use. I scrolled further, and my breath caught.
Phrik.
My grin spread before I could stop it. Phrik was one of the rarest and most valuable metals in the galaxy, renowned for its durability and near-immunity to blaster fire and lightsabers. To find it here, among so many other treasures, was nothing short of a miracle.
“Hey, Davik,” I called out, barely able to keep my excitement contained.
He turned, his rifle lowering slightly as he caught my expression. “What’s with the grin, Kado? Did you find something good?”
“Good?” I echoed, shaking my head and laughing. “This room is a treasure trove. Refined metals, raw materials, and—get this—phrik. Enough phrik to make anyone giddy.”
Davik raised an eyebrow, his stance finally relaxing a bit. “Phrik, huh? Guess that explains why you’re grinning like a kid at Life Day.”
“Damn right,” I said, still laughing softly as I continued scanning. This find wasn’t just useful—it was extraordinary. With phrik, we could enhance our equipment in ways I hadn’t even dared to dream.
Davik nodded, his gaze sweeping the room. “Let’s make sure it’s safe first, though. No sense getting excited if there’s something nasty hidden in here.”
“Agreed,” I said, sobering slightly. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the excitement. This was a find that could change everything for us.
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Continuation - Kado's P.O.V. :
I tapped my commlink with a smile, eager to share the discovery of the phrik and other materials. “Hey, everyone, we just hit the jackpot in here,” I began, but instead of hearing their voices, static hissed in response.
I frowned and turned to Davik. “You try. My comm’s acting up.”
Davik adjusted his own commlink and attempted to hail the others. His expression darkened as he shook his head. “Same here. Just static.”
That didn’t make sense. The data from the scout droids and Nick-02 was still coming through to our datapads without any issues. Why would the comms fail while data transfer remained operational?
“Strange,” I muttered, trying to think it through.
Davik tapped his chin before suggesting, “Maybe it’s interference on the standard channels. Let’s try shortwave frequency. It’s an older method, but it might cut through whatever’s causing this.”
Walking back wasn’t exactly appealing, so I nodded. “Do it.”
Davik adjusted his commlink, and after a moment, the static cleared, replaced by the faint hum of a successful connection.
I quickly hailed the others. “We’ve got some good news,” I said, relieved. “The second storage room is full of raw and refined materials—lots of high-value metals, including phrik. But there’s a weird issue: standard comms aren’t working, only shortwave is getting through. Be ready for that in case we lose contact again.”
Mira’s voice came through first. “Noted, Kado. I’ll let the others know. Phrik, huh? That’s... something else.”
Jake’s excited voice piped up in the background, almost drowned out by Mira’s calm acknowledgment. I could imagine him already planning a dozen upgrades for the ship and our equipment with what we’d found.
With that settled, Davik and I double-checked the room to ensure there were no overlooked threats, then made our way back to the others. As we approached the first storage room, I spotted Mira standing just outside. Beside her were a couple of repulsorlift cargo sleds, loaded with what looked like some of the best finds from the room.
“Efficient as ever,” I said with a grin as I approached.
Mira glanced over at us. “You find any threats in the second room?”
“Nope,” I said. “Just treasure. Where’s Jake and Rina?”
“Jake’s still doing his thing,” Mira replied with a smirk. “You know, geeking out over every little gadget in there. Rina’s just about finished with the data transfers—she’s at the far end of the collection.”
Davik nodded, staying by Mira to monitor the area while I headed inside.
The first thing I heard was Jake’s familiar mumbling as I entered. He was crouched beside an inactive droid, gesturing animatedly at its components as if the machine might respond. Nearby, Rina was working diligently, her focus unbroken as she accessed the final terminals in the row.
I shook my head with a small chuckle. This crew, for all our quirks, was damn good at making the most out of every opportunity.
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Jake’s P.O.V. :
The sound of Kado clearing his throat pulled me out of my hyperfocus on the droid in front of me. I turned to find him standing there, arms crossed, a look of amused patience on his face.
“You about done?” he asked with a raised brow. “Mira’s already filled the repulsorlift sleds, and there are only three of those things here.”
I straightened up, brushing off some nonexistent dust from my gloves. “Honestly, I was expecting to grab things the Skew droids could carry.” I gestured vaguely at the sleds. “Turns out I was thinking way too small.”
Kado chuckled. “Lesson learned, huh?”
He paused before adding, “Speaking of lessons, what’s your take on the materials we found in the second storage room? Particularly the phrik?”
I grinned at that. “Definitely don’t sell the phrik.”
Kado laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, figured as much.”
With growing enthusiasm, I continued, “I could finally upgrade all of our gear—the droids, maybe build some more droids, and even add upgrades for the Stellar Envoy. With phrik, the possibilities are insane.”
Kado nodded approvingly before giving me a pointed look. “Good. But for now, I think we should head back to the ship and secure what we’ve found so far. There’s no sense getting greedy or careless.”
I hesitated, glancing toward Rina at the far end of the room, still finishing her data transfers. “You guys go ahead. Rina’s not done yet, and we’ve got the Skew droids for backup and the scout droids for early warnings. We’ll be fine.”
Kado frowned but relented. “Fine. But don’t go exploring the rest of the storage rooms without us. That’s an order, kid.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I replied with a casual wave.
Satisfied, Kado turned and started organizing the retreat. Mira, Davik, Arlos, and the two Nick droids—acting as bodyguards—began escorting the repulsorlift sleds toward the exit. I made sure Mira kept control of one scout droid so their journey back to the ship would have some extra safety.
Once they left, it was just Rina, the Skew droids, and me in the first storage room. I returned to my technological treasure hunt, taking mental notes as ideas popped into my head. Every time I glanced at the Skew droids standing guard, I couldn’t help but imagine how I could upgrade them now that we had phrik to work with. Reinforced plating, better energy shields, integrated weapons... the possibilities swirled in my mind.
“Jake.”
Rina’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I nearly jumped. Okay, fine, I might have let out a tiny squeal.
Rina smirked. “Did you just squeal?”
“No,” I said firmly, pretending her words didn’t faze me. “What do you need?”
She motioned to the terminal she’d been working on. “I’m done with the transfers. Are you ready to go, or do you want to keep hugging droids all day?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “First off, I’m not hugging the droids. Second, I promised Kado we wouldn’t explore without the rest of the group.”
Rina sighed, rolling her eyes. “It’s been safe so far. What could possibly go wrong? And we have the Skew droids with us. We’ll be fine.”
Her insistence made me hesitate, but she wasn’t wrong about things being uneventful so far. Plus, the Skew droids were solid backup. Still, I had a bad feeling about this.
“Fine,” I said reluctantly. “But just a quick peek.”
Rina grinned, clearly pleased with herself. “Let’s go, then.”
I shook my head, muttering under my breath as we set off deeper into the vault. This better not bite us in the ass.
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