> 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. :
The rumbling beneath us continued, a deep, ominous vibration that seemed to reverberate through my chest. My pulse quickened, and I couldn’t help but dread what kind of trap might have been triggered.
What now? Collapsing ceiling? Poison darts? A rancor pit? I tightened my grip on Skew-01, bracing for the worst.
But the deadly trap I was expecting didn’t come. Instead, the floor beneath us began to shift, lowering slowly and steadily. My first thought was Oh, great. The whole room is a lift. It was a small relief that we weren’t about to be crushed or skewered, but the dread lingered. If this was the prelude, what lay below?
As the lift descended deeper into the unknown, I glanced around at the others. Skew-01 let out a warbled beep, clearly displeased with the instability. I clung to the droid for support, my knees bending slightly to try and keep my balance on the moving floor.
Rina wasn’t doing much better. She was hugging the pedestal where she activated the mechanism, her face a mix of panic and determination, as if it were the only stable thing in the room.
Kado, on the other hand, had given up entirely. He was sprawled out flat on the floor, muttering something I couldn’t make out. Probably cursing the architects who designed this deathtrap, I thought wryly.
Davik and Mira, unsurprisingly, were handling it better than the rest of us. Mira’s stance was steady, one hand gripping a support beam while the other hovered near her blaster, her eyes scanning for any threats. Davik just had this look of focused calm, his boots firmly planted on the uneven surface as if this was just another day for him.
Arlos, though… Arlos was not doing great. He had apparently decided that Kado’s “just lay flat” strategy was the best course of action and mimicked him, splayed out on the floor with an expression somewhere between resignation and annoyance.
The lift kept descending, and with every second, the tension in the room seemed to grow thicker. My mind raced with possibilities of what might be waiting for us below.
Is this a vault entrance? A prison? Or something worse?
Skew-01 beeped again, this time more insistently, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked down at the droid, giving it a reassuring pat on the dome. “I know, buddy,” I muttered under my breath. “I don’t like this either.”
We all held our collective breaths as the rumbling slowed, the lift finally nearing its destination. Whatever was waiting for us below, I had a feeling we weren’t going to like it.
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The lift finally stopped with a jarring lurch, leaving my knees feeling like jelly from the descent. The grinding sound of the mechanism ceased, replaced by an unsettling silence. I stepped cautiously off the lift platform, taking in the surroundings.
This better be the bottom, I thought, glancing around the dimly lit cavern. Or at least, I hope it is. I don’t want to find out this thing has another level.
Mira wasted no time, proving once again that she was the definition of composed and efficient. She immediately directed her scout droids—those sleek, fast little machines—to do their thing. They buzzed off into the darkness, their faint lights illuminating small patches of the cavern as they zipped around, gathering data.
Not to be outdone, I ordered Nick-01 and Nick-02 to assist with scans. Their upgraded optics made them excellent for jobs like this. The droids clicked affirmatively, their lenses glowing faintly as they began surveying the area.
Meanwhile, Davik took the lead, as he always did when danger loomed. He moved with purpose, eyes sharp as he assessed the terrain. I’d noticed this pattern before—when there was a chance of a firefight, Davik was the one to step forward, taking charge of our tactical positioning. Conversely, Kado would hang back, usually near me, waiting for my input when things fell into my area of expertise—mechanical and electrical systems.
Davik’s focus was intense as he scanned for potential threats. He identified places where we could take cover, pointing out natural formations in the cavern that could serve as makeshift barricades. Just as quickly, he flagged spots where ambushes might occur, positioning us in a way that minimized our vulnerability. By the time he was done, we were spread out in a strategic formation that gave us decent cover while keeping us within shouting—or shooting—distance of one another.
The results of the scans came in moments later. Nick-01 and Nick-02 beeped to signal their findings as I glanced at the holographic display Skew-01 projected. Mira’s scout droids confirmed what we were now piecing together—the lift had brought us to the edge of the massive cavern her initial scans had detected.
No wonder we couldn’t figure out how this place was connected to the vault, I thought, marveling at the cleverness of its design. The lift’s placement at the edge of the cavern completely hid it from any standard scans.
With the immediate area secured and no sign of hostile activity, Davik finally relaxed—though not entirely. His hand remained near his blaster as his eyes continued to sweep the cavern, his posture a mix of calm and vigilance.
“Alright,” Davik said, his tone serious. “We’ve got a decision to make. Do we keep exploring, or do we head back now while we still can?”
The question hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. It wasn’t just about curiosity—it was about weighing the risks against the potential rewards.
We huddled up, forming a loose circle. “Let’s vote,” Mira said, her tone brisk but fair. “One by one. Stay or go?”
I glanced around at the others, my heart racing slightly. This could be it, I thought. The moment we find something big—or get ourselves into something we can’t handle.
I just hoped we’d make the right call.
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The vote to decide our next move was quick but carried an air of tension. Surprisingly—or maybe not, given our track record—almost everyone voted to go forward. The real shocker was Davik being the one to vote against.
“Look,” Davik said, his voice steady and his tone professional, “I get it. We’re here for the vault, and we’ve come this far. But sending the droids to scout ahead while we stay back isn’t cowardice—it’s just common sense. If this place is booby-trapped or something worse, they’ll trip it before we do.”
His reasoning was sound, and for a moment, I wavered. But Rina countered almost immediately. “Droids are great for recon, sure, but they lack spontaneity and flexible thinking. If we run into something unexpected, we can adapt in ways they just can’t. It’s risky, yeah, but calculated risk is part of this job.”
The others murmured their agreement. Davik frowned but didn’t push back further. “Fine,” he said. “But we’re not going in blind. Five minutes' distance between us and the scout droids, and I want formation discipline. No wandering off, no distractions.”
We nodded, and the plan was set. Mira directed the scout droids ahead, their small frames disappearing into the dimly lit cavern. I gave Nick-01 and Nick-02 their orders to form a perimeter with the Skew droids around us. They responded with their usual efficiency, moving into position with a precision I couldn’t help but be proud of.
Davik took point, his blaster drawn and his movements sharp and deliberate. Rina walked just behind him, her sharp eyes scanning for anything he might miss.
Mira and I held the center of the group. She monitored the live feed from the scout droids, while I kept an eye on the readings from the Nick and Skew units. Despite the tension, I found myself quietly marveling at the tech I’d modified and how well it was working under these conditions.
Kado and Arlos brought up the rear. Kado, true to form, was slightly hunched, his weapon clutched tightly as he muttered about how this place gave him “bad vibes.” Arlos, on the other hand, seemed more concerned with keeping an eye on our flanks, his movements precise but uneasy.
As we moved deeper into the cavern, the silence pressed in around us, broken only by the occasional beep from the droids or the crunch of our boots on the rocky floor. The dim glow from our lights cast eerie shadows on the walls, making it hard not to feel like something—or someone—was watching.
Five minutes ahead, I thought, glancing at the timer I’d set. That’s not a lot of warning if something goes wrong.
Still, we were committed now, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever lay ahead was going to change everything. I just hoped we were ready for it.
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As we moved deeper into the cavern, the tension in the air began to shift. The oppressive dread that had gripped me earlier was still there, lingering in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t at the forefront anymore. Maybe it was the others’ reactions that helped ground me. Everyone seemed to be engaging with the environment in their own way, making the situation feel more real and less like a scene from a nightmare.
Davik, of course, was focused on the tactical side of things. His sharp gaze darted between potential ambush spots and makeshift covers, as though he was mentally mapping out the cavern as a battlefield. Rina, on the other hand, was in full “information gathering” mode. She kept up a steady stream of observations—sometimes genuinely enthusiastic, sometimes with a tone that made me wonder if she was masking her nerves with cheerfulness.
Kado, ever the practical thinker, seemed absorbed in his own thoughts. From the occasional muttered comments, I guessed he was puzzling over the logistics of the place. “Who built this? How long did it take? How did they get all this material down here?” he murmured under his breath, sounding more like an architect than a mercenary.
Mira was still glued to her scanner feed, occasionally glancing up to take in the surroundings. She didn’t say much, but I could tell from her furrowed brow that she was cataloging every detail for later.
And then there was Arlos. He wasn’t doing much more than looking around, his expression a mix of awe and unease. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to take everything in or just waiting for something to jump out at us.
I took the opportunity to throw a question into the mix, partly out of curiosity and partly to break the silence. “Hey, so… what do you guys think? Could this cavern be part of the vault?” My voice echoed faintly in the vast space, making me feel a little self-conscious.
Rina didn’t miss a beat. She shot down my idea with a wave of her hand, her tone somewhere between amused and serious. “Not likely,” she said. “If anything, the cavern is the vault, and those rooms we saw upstairs were just storage areas. Probably meant to throw people off or hold less important stuff.”
I blinked, considering her theory. It made sense, especially given how well-hidden the lift had been. “Huh,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “I guess that tracks. Still, this place feels… different. Like there’s something more to it.”
Rina smirked. “There’s always something more, Jake. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”
I couldn’t argue with that. The faint hum of the droids working ahead reached my ears, a reminder that we were still walking into the unknown. Here’s hoping whatever ‘more’ we find doesn’t try to kill us, I thought grimly.
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The sheer size of the cavern was staggering. Even with the illumination from our lights and the droids’ optics, the darkness seemed endless, making the space feel even more massive. The thought running through my head wasn’t about danger or treasure, though—it was about engineering.
Should I redesign the Skew droids? Maybe I could combine the Nick and Skew models into something new. A hybrid design sounds more efficient.
I was lost in my daydream, already picturing blueprints in my head, when Mira’s sharp gasp snapped me out of it.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately on edge.
She didn’t answer right away, her eyes glued to her scanner. Finally, she looked up, her face pale. “One of the scout droids just went offline.”
The tension in the group spiked instantly. Davik’s voice was calm but firm. “What’s the most recent reading?”
Mira quickly sent the data to all our devices. I pulled it up, scanning the last moments of the downed droid. As I did, another thought crossed my mind. We’re still using shortwave frequency? Why haven’t we switched to something more robust?
I tried testing other methods of communication but got nothing but static in return. Great. Guess it’s shortwave or nothing down here.
After a quick analysis of the scout droid’s final recording and determining there wasn’t an immediate threat, we decided to move quickly to its last known location. The air felt heavier with every step, and I couldn’t help but notice how quiet everyone had become.
When we arrived, I immediately ordered the droids to sweep the perimeter. Nick-01 and Nick-02 took point, their sensors scanning for any movement. Meanwhile, I crouched down by the fallen scout droid, examining its exterior while Rina knelt beside me to assist. Mira stood nearby, her weapon at the ready, her sharp gaze darting between the darkness and the glowing screen of her scanner.
Davik, Kado, and Arlos spread out to help the droids secure the area. They moved with precision, their weapons drawn and their eyes scanning every shadow.
The scout droid’s casing was intact, but when I pried open its access panel, the circuitry told a different story. Something had shorted out the systems, and I was still trying to figure out how when Rina’s voice cut through my focus.
“Jake, look at this.”
I turned to where she was pointing. A scorch mark marred the side of the droid’s casing, dark and unmistakable.
“Blaster fire,” she said, her voice grim.
The implications hit me like a ton of bricks. “Blaster fire?” I echoed, as if saying it out loud would make it less real.
She nodded, her expression serious. “No doubt about it. Someone—or something—took this droid down.”
We shared this discovery with the others, and the unease in the group became palpable. If someone else was down here, that changed everything.
Before we could decide on our next move, Mira’s device let out a sharp alert. “Another scout droid just went offline,” she said, her voice tight.
We all froze for a moment, exchanging tense looks, before moving swiftly into action. Davik barked out quick instructions, and we shifted into a defensive formation.
Our group positioned itself to avoid likely ambush points while keeping to cover as much as possible. Weapons were drawn, and even the droids adjusted their routines, their movements more deliberate and focused.
The cavern that had seemed vast and empty moments ago now felt suffocatingly close, every shadow a potential threat. Whatever had taken out the droids wasn’t far, and we knew we had to be ready for whatever came next.
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