Episode 4 – Of Droids & Men
Victory at Mygeeto! In a recent battle in orbit over the ice planet of Mygeeto, Republic forces have captured a series of Sith Data Tapes detailing the battle plans of the Sith Empire's most recent campaign! To escort the plans to Coruscant, the Republic has sent two droids to collect the plans and see them to Coruscant!
Mygeeto Orbit…
General Crix Madine stood on the bridge of the Home One type Cruiser "Valiant," looking the tactical data over from the recent battle. The space over Mygeeto was still littered with the debris of two destroyed Sith Destroyers and most of their support craft. The Republic Forces had taken some heavy losses too. One of their cruisers had been destroyed along with two frigates and five corvettes. Countless fighters had been lost in the fight. As he stood at the tactical displays, a pair of Republic Soldiers approached and saluted.
"General Madine sir, the droids from command have arrived." One of the soldiers said as Crix turned and saw a familiar gold plated protocol droid and white and blue astromech enter the bridge, the protocol droid giving the astromech a hard time as usual.
"I don't care how boring you believe my life is with Mistress Leia, I am not going to the Academy. I much prefer Coruscant to some uncivilized backwater." C-3PO moaned as R2-D2 beeped a curt reply.
"What are you talking about? What conduit worms?" 3PO argued as Crix turned towards the droids.
"I take it you two are the droids General Marek sent?" Crix asked.
"Oh, yes sir! I am C-3PO, Human/Cyborg relations and this is my counterpart, R2-D2, sent at the request of Chancellor Leia Organa-Solo and Grand General Galen Marek. At your service sir." 3PO greeted.
"Glad you two got here. We need this information sent to command right away." Crix said, holding up a data card. R2 began beeping in response.
"R2 Says that he is ready to download the data whenever you are ready, sir." 3PO translated.
"Good. Now this information is for the eyes of top brass only. General Marek, Chancellor Solo, Generals Solo, Calrissian, and both Skywalkers are the only people allowed to see this. If the Sith manage to retrieve this information, we'll lose the advantage." Crix said as he knelt down to R2's level and plugged the card into R2. As he did, the ship's alarms started going off.
"Sir! We're picking up hyperspace signatures! Incoming Sith Forces!" one of the bridge officers reported.
"Red alert! All hands to stations!" Crix ordered as he stood to his feet and looked to the droids.
"Get out of here! Both of you! Get to Coruscant with that data!" Crix ordered.
"Yes sir! Right away sir!" 3PO as Sith Fighters flew past the bridge. R2 and 3PO quickly hurried out of the bridge, hurrying towards the hangar. As they entered the hangar, they saw most of the fighters had launched and all that remained was a Y-Wing that was undergoing maintenance. The engines and hyperdrive were in one piece but its weapons had been removed for maintenance. Only the ion cannon turret was functional.
"R2, where are you going?!" 3PO asked, R2 headed straight for the Y-Wing, beeping his response as he activated his boosters, rocketing up and into the Y-Wing's droid socket.
"What are you talking about?! You can't fly that!" 3PO argued. R2 chirped his response back
"Because I said so, that's why!" 3PO argued as he climbed up the ladder with the intent to remove R2 by force. R2 chortled an amused reply.
"Just you wait until I get up there! You should know better than to-OOOP!" 3PO yelped as R2 powered up the Y-Wing, quickly causing it to jerk to the left slightly, causing 3PO to stumble forward and fall into the cockpit, the canopy closing and trapping him inside. R2 laughed at 3PO's misfortune as the Y-Wing lifted off and raced out of the hangar, escaping the Valiant as Sith Destroyers and fighters attacked the vessel. 3PO righted himself in the cockpit and looked around in confusion.
"R2-D2 what have you gotten us into now?! Wait! What are we doing! Look out, R2!" 3PO exclaimed as they flew perilously close to the hull of one of the Sith Destroyers, several Sith Fighters forming up to attack the fighter.
"R2, this is madness! We're doomed!" 3PO screamed as R2 attempted to shake the Sith Fighters but didn't have to evade them for too long as a pair of Republic A-Wings blasted the Sith Fighters out from behind them.
"We're saved!" 3PO cheered as R2 whistled in agreement. 3PO then noticed the navicomputer beeping with an aurabesh readout reading: "Coordinates locked in. Hyperdrive ready."
"Hurry R2! Get us out of here!" 3PO exclaimed, R2 whistling a confirmation just as the Y-Wing jumped to hyperspace. General Madine had been watching the fighter during the fight via holoscreen and gave a tired smile as bridge officers rushed to the bridge doors.
"They did it." He panted just as the doors to the bridge exploded, Sith Troopers rushing onto the bridge but Madine and most of his men immediately dropped to their knees with their hands behind their heads, surrendering. The Sith Troopers quickly confiscated their weapons, slapping binders on the hands of their prisoners. Madine watched as his men were rounded up but then heard a menacing chuckle coming from the doorway. He looked and saw the towering Darth Sheelal entering the bridge, one hand behind his back and his eyes fixed on Madine.
"Ah, General Crix Madine. I had hoped that we hadn't killed you during our attack just now." Sheelal said as Madine scowled up at the Kaleesh Sith Lord.
"Madine, General. Serial number 1138-." Crix started rattling off before suddenly being backhanded by Sheelal's armored hand.
"Consider that a small sample of what you will receive during interrogation if you continue to not be cooperative, General. Now then…" Sheelal said as he stooped over for his face to hover mere inches in front of and over Madine's own.
"…where is the data you stole?"
Meanwhile rocketing through hyperspace…
The droid's stolen Y-Wing was still on course for Coruscant.
"R2-D2 you realize that we have just stolen a Republic star craft? We'll be melted down for sure for this!" 3PO moaned but R2 gave him a groan-like response.
"Don't get technical with me. Mistress Leia explicitly gave us instructions to report to General Madine and return right away. She never said anything about stealing a transport." 3PO quibbled but R2 beeped a cheeky response.
"Just because she didn't explicitly say it, does not mean you had permission to do so. Really R2, sometimes I wonder whether or not those circuits of yours need examining." 3PO argued. R2 again beeped his response but with a proud tone.
"Then perhaps even your self-diagnostics are flawed. Perhaps you should be examined by a qualified technician when we return to Mistress Leia with that data." 3PO said before one of the consoles started beeping and flashing in alarm.
"Wait, what's happening?! R2-D2 what have you done now?!" 3PO asked as R2 beeped an alarmed response.
"The hyperdrive is leaking! What does that mean?! I'm programmed for etiquette not starship maintenance!" 3PO exclaimed as the Y-Wing suddenly dropped out of hyperspace, a small desert planet in the distance. R2 beeped something in response.
"You have to repair the hyperdrive directly? Well then I suppose we have no choice. Maybe someone on that planet will have some means of repairing this vessel, or maybe even contacting the Republic for assistance." 3PO said as the Y-Wing veered towards the planet. R2 beeped a worried reply.
"What makes you so sure that there's no one on the planet? How would you know?" 3PO asked. R2 beeped an even more worried reply.
"We've been here before? Well this planet does look vaguely familiar. But I'm afraid I simply don't recognize it. Where are we R2?" 3PO asked as R2 beeped another low reply.
"The Jakku system? Oh yes, the site of the famous Battle of Jakku. I-…oh dear." 3PO said as he remembered what made R2 so worried.
…
Soon the Y-Wing was flying over the surface of Jakku, flying high enough to offer a unique view of the desert wasteland of rolling sand dunes. Dotting the landscape were the rusting hulks of crashed Imperial and Rebel starships, fighters and a few corvettes mostly, but at least one were the remains of a destroyed Imperial Star Destroyer, sitting upright yet partly buried in the sand. The Y-Wing then came in for a landing far from the Star Destroyer although it was still visible in the distance. As soon as they landed, R2 ejected from the droid socket. The cockpit also opened allowing 3PO to stand up. R2 then beeped something too him as the astromech rolled towards the back of the Y-Wing.
"No R2, I don't think we will run into anyone here. I believe we're perfectly safe, so long as we don't freeze up from the sand in our servos." 3PO said as he looked around. R2 didn't seem so sure and beeped his concern.
"R2-D2, by my calculations, the odds of our running into anyone here on Jakku are 399 to one. No one could survive in this wilderness for over twenty ye-EEEARS!" 3PO yelped as he attempted to climb off the Y-Wing but forgot there wasn't a ladder and ended up tumbling straight into the sand below, earning an amused chortle from R2 as he went about repairing the hyperdrive. 3PO pushed himself up in the sand, shaking his head to shake some of the sand out of his head. He heard R2's laughing and looked towards him.
"I don't find that very funny, R2. Just you finish repairing that hyperdrive." 3PO said as R2 beeped something to himself and carried out his work. 3PO stepped away from the Y-Wing for a moment to survey the landscape around them. As he did, R2 heard a cracking sound coming from the Y-Wing. Suddenly 3PO heard the sound of one of the Y-Wing's engines revving before suddenly backfiring explosively, launching R2 screaming towards a dune behind them, the dune cushioning the droid's landing. 3PO immediately started hurrying towards the astromech.
"Oh! R2! Oh no!" 3PO exclaimed as he reached R2, helping the astromech back onto his feet. There was some smoke coming from beneath his dome and there was a light scorch mark across the front of his chassis but no real damage was done. R2 was beeping in annoyance at the situation.
"Don't worry about the ship, R2. Are you alright?" 3PO asked as R2 looked towards 3PO and beeped an affirmative before beeping something else.
"Of course I was worried! Someone has to worry about you, you overgrown scrap pile." 3PO said as they both looked towards the Y-Wing. The casing around the hyperdrive was smoldering, a malfunction having caused further damage to the hyperdrive during R2's repairs. R2 beeped sadly at the sight.
"Well then we shall have to find some other means of getting home. Come along R2, the sooner we start looking, the sooner we can find transport." 3PO said as he started setting out towards the ruined Star Destroyer. R2 started to follow him but neither had noticed that they were being watched by a small spherical droid with an astromech-like dome and painted with yellow and black hazard stripes. The droid watched them for a moment before rolling away in the opposite direction and high speed.
…
The Jakku sun was starting to set on the horizon and the two droids were still several miles away from the crashed destroyer.
"I don't know how much longer I can go, R2. My servo motors are almost completely seized up." 3PO moaned as they approached the wreckage of a crashed X-Wing, partially buried in the sand. The pilot had escaped in time as the canopy and chair was missing with part of the cockpit itself full of sand. Even the droid socket was full of sand. R2 beeped his agreement as they started to approach the wrecked X-Wing.
"Good idea, R2. We can power-down here for the night and continue our search in the morning." 3PO said as he and R2 got under one of the opened wings, nestling together beneath it, 3PO seated up against the fuselage.
"What do you suppose will become of us?" 3PO asked as R2 beeped his unsure response.
"I was afraid you'd say that." 3PO muttered before he and R2 deactivated themselves, ready to reactivate at dawn. Hours rolled by and the desert surface of Jakku was now bathed in twilight. The droids were sat quietly against the wrecked starfighter and because they were shut down, they didn't notice the sound of speeder engines approaching from the distance.
Meanwhile on Coruscant…
Leia was seated in her office, Galen standing nearby as a tall blonde woman in her late forties but with the appearance of a woman in her late thirties, wearing the black and red uniform of the Republic Intelligence Bureau. She lacked any rank insignias which was standard procedure for Intelligence Officers when outside of the Bureau offices.
"Our spies have confirmed that the Sith have managed to capture General Madine. His current whereabouts are unknown but we do have confirmation that he is alive. The Sith also managed to claim Mygeeto under the command of Darth Sheelal." Intelligence Director Deena Shan reported.
"This is grim news indeed. General Madine has information that could prove extremely valuable to the Sith if he were to crack under the pressure of interrogation, and we shouldn't underestimate the Sith's interrogation techniques." Galen said as Leia gave a worried nod.
"Agreed. What is the Intelligence Bureau's next move?" Leia asked Deena.
"At the moment we're monitoring Sith communications channels. If they start crowing about having captured a Republic General, we'll know something's up and we'll have to be extra cautious in any rescue attempts we make." Deena explained.
"Bragging about a General's capture almost always implies a trap. The Empire taught us that lesson on several occasions during the Rebellion." Galen commented.
"I believe you still owe us some form of gratitude for that one, Galen." Leia stated plainly but with a light smirk. She was referring to an old mission during the Rebellion years where Galen had actually been captured by the Empire. Galen always insisted he had allowed himself to be captured but the Heroes of Yavin were especially dubious of this claim.
"Later. What about the information Madine claimed to have recovered from the Sith? Did the droids ever arrive?" Galen asked.
"Our agents report that the droids did indeed arrive on the Valiant and we believe they escaped the battle before the General was captured." Deena reported.
"If that were the case, they should be back by now. What's taking them so long?" Leia asked worriedly.
"It's always been difficult to sense those two in the force by the simple fact that they're droids. Is there any intelligence to implicate that the Sith were able to recover the data General Madine found?" Galen asked as Deena smiled slightly.
"That's what makes us believe the droids escaped. Our agents report that the Sith haven't destroyed the Valiant yet which might imply that they're still sweeping it for any trace of the stolen data." Deena reported as the Chancellor and Grand General looked at each other.
"Well…it is R2 and 3PO." Galen commented as Leia gave a thoughtful if not exasperated nod.
"And they are indeed prone to getting into trouble. Jakku knows where they are now." Leia said as she turned to look out the large window behind her towards the starlit cityscape outside.
Meanwhile on the captured Valiant…
Darth Sheelal was pacing back and forth on the bridge of the captured flagship, watching as teams of Sith Slicers continued searching the databanks for any trace of the stolen data. Sheelal was growing impatient as evidenced by his constant pacing. One of the slicers then turned towards the Sith Lord.
"Milord! I think I might have something!" the slicer reported as Sheelal stopped pacing and turned towards the center of the room.
"What have you found, slicer?" he asked, clearly impatient.
"We believe we have a line on where the information has gone. It's not on the ship sir. It's been smuggled out." The slicer reported as he started entering information into a datapad.
"Smuggled?! How?! When?!" Sheelal asked, furious at the notion that the information had slipped through his grasp. The slicer then stepped forward, towards the holotable in the center of the bridge, activating the table from the datapad in his hand, projecting a security hologram of Madine with R2 & 3PO.
"Sir, the General was meeting with these two droids seconds prior to our arrival. The ship's ATC Sensors recorded one of their fighter craft launching from the port hangar a few minutes after we arrived and jump into hyperspace. Trajectory indicates that it was headed for Sector Zero." The slicer reported as Sheelal hissed in frustration.
"Coruscant!" he spat, furious that the information had escaped him and was on its way to Coruscant.
"Sir, there might still be a chance we can catch them!" the slicer said, Sheelal snapping his head back around to glare at him.
"Out with it!" he ordered.
"According to the Valiant's maintenance records, the fighter the droids used was in for extensive repairs. Technicians were attempting to repair damage to the fighter's hyperdrive. Damage report indicated a damaged fuel container and a faulty power coupling. Primary weapons were also damaged during an earlier mission. We suspect that the fighter might not have made it to Coruscant." The Slicer reported as Sheelal looked contemplative for a moment. Sheelal's second-in-command, one of the bald and tattooed Dark Jedi clones, quietly turned towards Sheelal.
"Shall I order a pursuit, milord?" the Captain asked.
"No, we shall leave it to more…capable agents." Sheelal said as he pulled a holoprojector from his pocket, entering a code before a hologram of a figure in armor that resembled that of an old Imperial Jump Trooper appeared.
"General Sheelal, the Empress has been waiting for your report on the situation." The soldier said, his voice filtered and distorted by his mask into a low bass tone.
"The information escaped us during the battle. I am forwarding information that might aid in tracking the information down. I trust you are capable of this task." Sheelal said, clearly disdainful of the trooper in general.
"The Empress has made the recovery of this information a top priority. Leave its recovery to the professionals, General. You've done your part. The 66th Legion will take it from here. Commander 24, out." The trooper said before the transmission ended. Sheelal pocketed the transmitter with a snort of derision towards the trooper before noticing the fearful looks on the faces of the other Sith Troops around him. He could sense their apprehension and fear at the mention of the 66th Legion. Even Sheelal's second-in-command was clearly apprehensive from the exchange.
"Get back to work or the Purge Unit will be coming for you next!" Sheelal roared as the troopers hastily returned to their duties.
Back on Jakku…
C-3PO's photoreceptors flickered on and his entire chassis twitched slightly from his reactivation, his deactivation cycle complete. He heard R2-D2 nearby, bouncing from side to side, beeping excitedly.
"Oh! R2! It's you. Don't startle me like that." 3PO said as he sat up but as he did, he discovered that his surroundings were vastly different than what he remembered when he shut down. Instead of the vast Jakku desert with an old crashed X-Wing behind him, he appeared to be within some kind of workshop. The shop itself appeared to be built into the hold of a bulk freighter of some kind.
"Where are we? What have you gotten us into this time, R2?" 3PO asked as he found himself sitting atop a work bench, swinging his legs off of the bench and onto the floor. R2 beeped a cheerful reply.
"What are you talking about? What architect?" 3PO asked before hearing someone clear their throat behind him. 3PO turned and saw a diminutive near-human man about R2's height, with the appearance of someone in his early eighties, looking up at him as if he were examining him. The man had short white hair that was frizzy and windblown, a tool belt around his waist and a custom built optic scanner worn over his right eye, looking 3PO over before giving a nod.
"Mmm-hmm. You're in good shape. Good thing we found you. Otherwise the two of you would need some major repairs after a night in the Jakku desert." The man said approvingly with a Coruscanti accent, putting away the optical scanner.
"Oh I do beg your pardon sir, but could you tell us where we are?" 3PO asked as the man smiled up at the droid.
"You're on my ship: The Grand Inventor. We're still on Jakku if that's what you're concerned about. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nek Bakar." The man introduced with a bow.
"A pleasure to meet you sir. I am C-3PO, human/cyborg relations, and this is my counterpart: R2-D2. I do thank you for your hospitality sir, but I'm afraid we must be leaving. We must return to our Master as soon as possible." 3PO said as Nek gave another nod.
"I won't stop you but if you're going to try and leave on that old Y-Wing you arrived in, you won't get far without a functioning Hyperdrive. Of course if you don't mind waiting a couple of days, I'll give you a lift to Coruscant at no cost. You can get to where you're going from there." Nek explained.
"That's awfully generous of you sir. Is there anything we can do to assist you until then?" 3PO asked as Nek looked at R2 and then back at 3PO.
"Actually, there's not much you can do except help keep some of the equipment onboard in check." Nek said as he started to lead the droids out of the workshop and into the main hold where a droid strikingly similar to an IG series assassin droid stood at a holotable. The droid had thicker plating around its head and fewer photo receptors and its chassis was curiously covered by a green sash coupled together on the right shoulder. The droid turned towards the three as soon as they entered.
"Ah, Nek. I see the droids you found in the desert are still functioning." The droid said in a polite masculine tone as Nek chuckled.
"I'd like you to meet C-3PO and R2-D2. Boys, this is my friend and companion AG-37." Nek introduced as the droid turned and politely bowed. R2 immediately began beeping worriedly, shaking slightly.
"R2-D2 how dare you! You can't just go about accusing other droids of being assassin droids! I'm terribly sorry about him." 3PO said apologetically.
"Actually, he is correct. I am, by design, an assassin droid." AG replied, surprising 3PO.
"Oh my!" he yelped.
"You needn't fear me, friends. I have no reason to fight either of you." AG replied.
"It's true, AG here has been my constant friend and companion ever since I built him. He wouldn't hurt a womp rat unless it posed a threat to the either of us." Nek explained.
"Excuse me sir, but did you say 'built him?'" 3PO asked as Nek put a hand to his forehead with a delighted laugh.
"Oh silly me! I never really finished my introduction. You see, I am a droid architect." Nek replied. R2 then beeped something in response.
"R2 says he doesn't detect any form of cybernetics within you, sir." 3PO explained, earning an amused laugh from Nek. Even AG was allowing a mechanized chuckle to escape his vocabulator.
"No-no-no, I mean I am an architect of droids. Meaning I design and build droids." Nek said as 3PO looked at him surprised.
"A droid builder? Oh! A maker!" 3PO said as Nek chuckled.
"That's one way of putting it." Nek replied.
"If you don't mind my asking, sir, but why are you working all the way out here? This is hardly what I would call an ideal work environment for a droid builder." 3PO said, R2 beeping his agreement, but Nek smiled.
"Ah but it's far enough out of the way that there's less chance of being spied on. So it makes for a perfect work environment for me, not to mention a great testing ground for new droids." Nek explained as R2 beeped excitedly. Nek understood what R2 was saying and shrugged slightly in response.
"I've done some work with Industrial Automaton. Freelance work mostly. Same with Cybot Galactica, I'd much rather work on my own than work for some faceless corporation. They're only concerned with profits. They take little pride in their work, present company excluded of course." Nek explained as he motioned for 3PO to sit down. AG was already in the process of sitting down.
"Oh, no offence taken sir. I was actually custom built by my Master, although I'm afraid my memory isn't what it once was." 3PO explained as Nek gave a studious nod towards 3PO.
"Yes, I noticed your configuration was different compared to most 3PO type droids. You've got an interesting mix of parts, but I think I might be able to explain your memory problem. Whoever built you didn't realize at the time that you've got a secondary memory bank installed. Either that or he installed it deliberately and didn't tell anyone." Nek explained, confusing 3PO.
"Forgive me sir, but I'm afraid I was programmed for etiquette not droid maintenance. What is a secondary memory bank?" 3PO asked.
"Putting it simply, it's a backup memory core. If anyone were to attempt to wipe your memory, it would instead dump all of your memories into the secondary memory bank, storing it safely while the main memory bank was purged of all but the essential information. To put it even simpler, all of your memories since the time of your first activation to the moment your memory was wiped are all stored within that secondary memory bank. All it would take is a couple of easy reconnections and you could remember everything that you forgot when your memory was wiped." Nek explained.
"It does sound fascinating sir, but I'm afraid I am unable to accept any sort of modification or maintenance by anyone without authorization from my Master. I do hope you understand." 3PO said as Nek raised his hands in a gesture of understanding.
"Of course. And besides, I'm working on my own project at the moment…if I can find where he is that is." Nek explained, turning towards AG.
"I have been attempting to track him for some time but have not had any luck." AG said, predicting Nek's next question.
"He has the inquisitive nature of a child discovering the world for the first time. It's only natural." Nek replied as R2 beeped curiously.
"I agree R2, I don't know what they're talking about either." 3PO replied.
"We're talking about my latest invention. He's run off and we can't leave until we find him." Nek explained.
"Might we be of any assistance, sir?" 3PO asked as Nek looked towards R2 with a thoughtful gaze.
"I think you might." Nek replied.
…
At the Y-Wing's landing site, several Sith Troopers, each with orange markings and bearing the number 66 at different spots on their armor were searching the Y-Wing and the immediate area for traces of the missing droids. One of the troopers, a Captain, wearing an orange shoulder pauldron with the 66 on it was overseeing the search. He then heard one of the troopers calling for him by rank.
"Captain!" he called.
"Report!" the Captain ordered as the trooper saluted and presented a small gold colored metal ring.
"Found this two klicks east, sir. Might be the droids we're looking for." The trooper reported.
"I'll check it with the Commander." The Captain said as he took the ring and started to approach a nearby Sith Stealth Shuttle where Commander 24 was stood atop, scanning the horizon with a pair of electro binoculars.
"Commander! We have something!" the Captain reported as Commander 24 lowered the binoculars, looking towards him. On his back, he wore a capsule shaped backpack of some sort. The capsule then opened, revealing a pair of thruster jets. Commander 24 proceeded to jetpack down to the ground and approached the Captain, snatching the metal ring from his hand and looking it over.
"They are the droid's we're looking for. Where were they headed?" Commander 24 asked, the Captain turning and pointing towards the wrecked Star Destroyer in the distance.
"Tracks lead towards that wrecked destroyer." The Captain said as Commander 24 looked towards the ship.
"Order the men to gear up. We're moving out." Commander 24 ordered as the Captain saluted and hurried back towards the rest of the 66th Legion troopers.
…
At the same time, Nek, 3PO, and R2 were riding in Nek's customized A-A5 Speeder Truck. The truck had been modified with a droid socket on the back like a starfighter, R2 tapping into the truck's modified sensor array to scan for any droid signals. AG-37 had remained on Nek's ship as security.
"Have you found anything, R2?" 3PO asked but R2 responded in the negative. 3PO then turned to Nek.
"Don't worry, sir. R2's sensors are bound to help you find your missing droid." 3PO said as Nek sat at the controls, piloting the speeder.
"Oh I don't doubt that. It's convincing my friend to return that'll be hard. I just hope that they haven't found him first." Nek said as 3PO looked towards him curiously.
"Forgive me sir, but who might you be referring to?" 3PO asked.
"Scavengers. Ever since the Battle of Jakku, they've been eking out a meager living, scavenging for useful parts and materials from the wrecked ships scattered across the surface." Nek explained.
"Oh dear." 3PO said, worriedly.
"Indeed. Some of them don't speak basic I'm afraid so having you along should come in handy." Nek said as they started to approach the wrecked hulk of the Star Destroyer where a number of large canvas tents had been set up as a campsite for the scavengers working on the wreck site. Some of the scavengers noticed the truck's arrival and some quietly started arming themselves with crudely built weapons before approaching the truck as Nek, 3PO, and R2 disembarked. One of the scavengers, a Nikto man, approached with a curious but disinterested expression on his face. He then started to utter something in his native tongue to Nek.
"Oh, uh, he is introducing himself as Hikah, and he is inquiring as to our presence here." 3PO translated as Nek looked towards the Nikto.
"Tell him I'm looking for something and am willing to pay handsomely for it." Nek said. 3PO turned and translated Nek's message to Hikah who arched a curious scale covered eyebrow and uttered his response.
"He inquires as to how much you are willing to pay." 3PO translated.
"Ask him what he would consider a fair reward. Tell him I'm willing to offer credits, assorted droid parts, and even a damaged Y-Wing. Not in flying condition." Nek said as 3PO translated Nek's message, the Nekto's facial expressions showing some interest in Nek's offer. He then made a hand gesture to the other scavengers, the armed scavengers easing off, lowering their weapons. He then said something back to Nek with a slight smile.
"He requests the Y-Wing and the aforementioned droid parts in compensation and inquires as to what it is you are looking for, sir." 3PO translated as Nek pulled an image caster from his pocket and activated it, showing a hologram of a spherical droid with an R2-like dome perched on top of it.
"I am looking for a droid that looks like this." Nek said, 3PO translating to Hikah who looked at the hologram and nodded before turning and bellowing to one of his fellow scavengers. The scavenger, a man clad in desert robes, then started to make his way towards them. They also started hearing the warbling sound of another droid. R2 and 3PO both saw the droid from the hologram come rolling towards them accompanying the scavenger.
"Oh my goodness, what manner of droid are you?" 3PO asked the small droid, the droid rolling up to Nek with a happy warbling sound.
"His name is BB-X. He's the prototype for a new model of astromech. I designed and built him here on Jakku. He's fully capable of integrating with modern starfighter systems and can fill almost as many roles as a modern day astromech." Nek explained as the droid circled the three, looking the two droids over. Hikah then started to speak again.
"He says his men found him in the desert and brought him back here. He says that they will keep him until you hold up your end of the bargain." 3PO translated as Nek gave an approving nod.
"Very well. I'll-…" Nek said before they were interrupted by the sound of blaster fire and the screaming of speeders. Everyone turned and saw Sith Troopers with orange markings riding up towards the camp on combat speeders and speeder bikes, firing at the scavengers. The scavengers were scattering, some running away while others fired back at the Sith Troopers although they didn't do much good against them.
"Oh no! Not them!" 3PO exclaimed fearfully as BB-X started rolling away from the approaching Sith at high speeds, rolling towards the wrecked Star Destroyer.
"BB-X! Wait! Come back!" Nek exclaimed as he chased after the droid. R2 quickly chased after him as well.
"R2! Wait! Where are you going?! Come back! Wait for me!" 3PO called as he followed them into the hulk of the destroyer. The Sith Troopers were laying waste to the scavengers brave enough to fight back and had soon cleared the camp and were gathering near the base of the destroyer. The 66th Legion Captain then approached one of the speeders as Commander 24 disembarked, blaster in hand.
"Commander, we've searched the camp and spotted three droids entering the wreckage of this Star Destroyer. Two of them matched the description of the droids we're looking for." The Captain reported as Commander 24 looked at the hulk for a moment then at the Captain.
"Order the men to guard all of the exits. Capture anyone attempting to escape and set weapons to stun. We want the droids operational. We need to verify that they have the information. I'll go in personally to flush them out." Commander 24 ordered as he started to walk towards the hulk. The Captain saluted as he walked away.
"Right away sir." He replied.
…
Inside the hulk, Nek, R2, and 3PO managed to catch up to BB-X inside one of the destroyer's old cargo bays. A large hole in the bulkheads overhead allowed sunlight to light up the bay.
"So those are Sith. Almost exactly as I imagined them. Never thought they'd ever set foot on Jakku though." Nek said as he caught his breath. BB-X then warbled a worried response which R2 replied to.
"Of course he has reason to worry, R2! We all do! We'll be melted down for sure this time!" 3PO moaned worriedly, earning a curt reply from R2. Nek, in the meantime, pulled out a small device from a pouch in his tool belt and activated it before putting it back in the pouch.
"Relax boys, don't fry your circuits. I've just signaled AG-37 and he's never let me down before. All we need to do is avoid those old bucket heads and find a way out of here. Problem is, I've never been on one of these ships before, so I don't know my way around here like I should." Nek commented as he looked up and around at the bay, trying to get his bearings. R2 beeped something in response.
"R2 says he contains the schematics for vessels of this class, however with the damage this vessel has sustained, he questions its usefulness." 3PO said as Nek sighed and looked towards R2.
"You're still our only hope of getting out of here, my friend. Lead the way." Nek said as they started to make their way up the angled floor towards the back of the ship, neither of them noticed Commander 24 lurking in the shadows outside the bay. He started to make his way to follow them but as he did, he heard a battle cry come from three scavengers as they charged him from the shadows. 24 raised his blaster and got off a shot but missed, the blaster getting knocked out of his hand by one of the scavengers, a man wielding a crude metal staff. 24 quickly leapt back, pulling a metal tonfa nightstick from his belt and activating the long end, a blue electrical charge crackling across it as he held the stick parallel with and against his right arm and dropped into a hand-to-hand fighting stance.
"Get him!" one of the scavengers yelled as they charged him but 24 ducked a swing from the staff wielding scavenger while pulling a blaster pistol, an old DC-17 hand blaster, and shot the scavenger immediately to his right in the stomach without having to even look. He then sidestepped an armored fist being swung at his head before slashing the attacking scavenger across the chest with the nightstick whilst spinning out of the way of another attack by the staff wielding scavenger. The staff scavenger looked around at his two dying companions in fear before looking at 24 who was glaring back at him. 24 then quietly shot him in the head, killing him instantly, the staff from the scavenger's hand and clattering down the sloped floor. Further up the way, Nek and the droids heard the blaster fire echoing through the ship.
"That sounds pretty close! We better hurry!" Nek said as they reached a well-lit area near the base of the destroyer's command tower.
"If we can reach the top of the tower, AG-37 will have an easier time reaching us with the ship. Any idea how to get up there?" Nek asked the droids. R2 beeped something in response before rolling towards a large fallen sheet of durasteel that was propped up against the wall ahead of them. He then started to push the metal away from the wall, sliding it down the slope where it came to rest on the side wall.
"R2 says there should be a turbolift just on the other side of this wall. But, R2, the turbolifts shouldn't be working! We're still trapped here!" 3PO argued as R2's pushing the metal out of the way revealed a doorway into a hallway that had been untouched by the scavengers, to the point that there were still skeletons of the destroyer's crew all piled up at the bottom of the sloped floor, some of them still wearing their Stormtrooper armor or the tattered remains of their Imperial Officer uniforms. Nek seemed to understand R2's logic.
"Simple, 3PO, we climb. BB-X, now will be an excellent opportunity to test your grapplers." Nek said to BB-X who warbled a cheery and excited response.
"This is madness." 3PO moaned as they followed after R2 as he reached the damaged turbolift shaft. The doors to the lift had jammed open and the lift itself had long since crashed to the bottom of the shaft. The angle that the Destroyer was resting, would make climbing one of the emergency access ladders along the sides much easier. R2 immediately activated his boosters, rocketing up the shaft while BB-X rolled up to the door, looking down and then up before warbling something to himself and then spinning is ball-shaped chassis around slightly. Three small panels on his chassis then opened, revealing grappling cable launchers concealed inside. BB-X fired off two of the grapplers inside the shaft, pulling himself inside before firing the third, at a higher angle. His ball shaped body began to spin as, suddenly, he started grappling his way up the shaft, practically rolling up the side with little difficulty. Nek smiled up at the droid with pride.
"3PO, there are times when I wish you droids could share our emotions. Right now, this is one of those times." Nek said as he motioned for 3PO to go first into the shaft. 3PO looked inside with extreme reluctance.
"Oh, I don't think I can do it, Mister Bakar, I'm simply not made for this sort of thing." 3PO said worriedly.
"Neither am I but as I say, the true mark of a really well built droid is the ability to adapt to situations they aren't built for. Come on, I'll be right behind you every step of the way." Nek said as 3PO whimpered slightly and started to climb the ladder, Nek following after him up the shaft while R2 beeped an all clear from overhead. None of them knew that Commander 24 had just entered the room outside of the turbolift hallway, blaster in hand. He paused a moment to look ahead before looking up at the bridge tower through the hole in the ceiling. He then put a hand to the side of his helmet.
"Commander 24 to Captain 13. Order our shuttle to take off and rendezvous at the coordinates I'm sending you." Commander 24 ordered into the comlink. Back in the turbolift shaft, 3PO and Nek had made some significant progress towards the bridge but 3PO's leg joints were starting to give out from the climb.
"Oh, Mister Nek, I don't think I can go on much further. Please, save yourself. I'm done for." 3PO moaned.
"You've gotten further than I would have estimated but the exit is just right ahead of us. You only need to make it about fifteen more steps." Nek encouraged. They could hear R2 whistling down at them from the doorway. R2 had locked his feet down in the doorway and opened up one of his panels, revealing a grappling cable launcher of his own, and firing it at 3PO, grabbing onto his back.
"Oh! R2! What are you doing?! Release me at once!" 3PO yelled but R2 merely chortled as he activated his rocket boosters before unlocking his feet and rocketing upward into the bridge, pulling 3PO up the shaft at through the door, all while 3PO cried out in fear before landing in one of the bridge's control pits.
"R2-D2 when Master Luke finds out about this, he will not be pleased with you! I know I'm not!" 3PO complained as Nek, laughing in amusement from the spectacle reached the doorway from the turbolift.
"Well, you have to give him credit. He knew just what to do and by the maker it worked." Nek laughed as BB-X rolled up next to him, warbling his own laughter. The bridge had not escaped undamaged as the entire forward viewport had been ripped completely off. Whether it was done by the scavengers or from the battle that caused the vessel to crash in the first place was unknown but the rest of the bridge was largely intact. R2 then beeped something as he started rolling towards the back of the bridge.
"Good idea. It'll definitely be easier for AG-37 to reach us from the very top than from here." Nek said, understanding what R2 was saying.
"Oh no, not more climbing." 3PO moaned as he started following after them, following them into a corridor behind the bridge. The corridor led towards the spot where the bridge structure itself met the tower. They could hear the Jakku wind whistling through the holes in the wreckage around them as they approached a part of the corridor where part of the wall and ceiling had buckled and collapsed inward, creating a makeshift ramp up to the very top of the destroyer.
"There! We'll be able to get out this-…way?!" Nek stammered as they exited to find themselves surrounded by Stormtroopers of the 66th Legion, all leveling blasters at them. Hovering in the air overhead behind them was a Sith Stealth Shuttle, it's weapons trained on them. 3PO immediately raised his hands in surrender.
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" 3PO yelped. They then heard a jetpack activation. Within seconds the origin of the jetpack revealed itself as Commander 24 flew up from the front side of the destroyer's tower and touched down between his men and the droids.
"Don't move, droids." Commander 24 ordered, holding his blaster rifle to them.
"What are you Sith after?! I'm just a peaceful droid builder. We've done nothing against the Sith." Nek said fearfully.
"We're not here for you. I'm here for the droids." Commander 24 replied.
"BB-X? But he's still just a prototype, he's not ready!" Nek said as BB-X poked his head out from behind Nek.
"I don't care about that droid. It's Skywalker's droids I'm after." Commander 24 said, pointing at 3PO and R2.
"Skywalker? What are you talking about?" Nek asked.
"Those two droids are C-3PO and R2-D2. They're the property of General Anakin Skywalker. The astromech carries vital information that the Sith Empire cannot allow to fall into the Republic's hands. Hand them over and we won't kill you. We're still placing you under arrest. The Sith Empire might have use for a droid builder like yourself and you might find that we can be quite generous to those willing to cooperate." Commander 24 said as Nek swallowed.
"I don't design battle droids and I certainly wouldn't make assassin droids for you! I don't care what you offer me! I might be a freelance droid architect, but I am a loyal Republic Citizen!" Nek swore as Commander 24 patiently waited for him to finish talking.
"As you wish. Set for stun!" Commander 24 ordered as he took aim with his blaster rifle, the other members of the Purge Unit taking aim along with them.
"Oh no!" 3PO yelped. Suddenly they heard the scream of approaching TIE Fighters. Commander 24 looked towards the source of the sound and saw a pair of modified TIE/D Fighters with custom white and orange paint jobs flying towards the destroyer, opening fire on the shuttle, destroying it with a few shots, causing it to explode, knocking most of the troopers onto their chests. The fighters veered off and away just as a C-ROC Gozanti Cruiser with a matching white and orange paintjob approaching the bridge tower, a cargo ramp beneath it extending down into position as the cruiser slowed to a stop near the back of the tower where Nek and the droids were stood. On the lift was AG-37 with a pair of blaster rifles in hand.
"Nek! R2! 3PO! BB-X! Hurry!" AG-37 ordered, opening fire on the Sith Troopers, forcing them into cover. Nek and BB-X had no difficulty reaching the lift but 3PO was too addlepated by the turn of events and got his right foot caught in one of the exposed parts of the ship.
"Oh! R2! Help! I'm stuck!" 3PO called as R2 activated his booster rockets, whistling his response as he flew over 3PO, grappling onto him again and pulling him free. R2 deposited 3PO onto the lift before the lift started rising up into the ship. Commander 24 ducked out from behind his cover long enough to see the cruiser start flying off and away from the area, the two TIE/Ds forming up and attaching to a pair of magnetized grapplers on the sides beneath the cruiser as the cruiser made for orbit. Commander 24 watched silently as the ship disappeared into the Jakku skies overhead. He then heard one of his men approaching from behind.
"Should we order our ship in orbit to pursue, sir?" Captain 13 asked.
"That won't be necessary." Commander 24 said as he turned and started making his way towards the hole leading back down into the destroyer.
A few hours later on Coruscant…
The Grand Inventor, under X-Wing escort, came in for a landing at a large floating landing platform over the Coruscant's surface. Leia, Galen, and several Republic Soldiers, including a disguised Deena Shan, were waiting patiently as the Grand Inventor touched down on the platform. Nek, R2, 3PO, BB-X, and AG-37 disembarked from the vessel soon after via the cargo lift.
"Oh, Mistress Leia! It is so wonderful to be with you once again!" 3PO greeted, relieved to see his mistress again. Leia smiled at the two droids.
"It's good to have you back, 3PO. You both had us all worried." She said as Galen nodded.
"We understand from Mister Bakar that you ran into some Sith problems along the way. We're glad that you both got here safely." Galen said as R2 rolled towards him, Galen kneeling down to his level.
"You have the information?" Galen asked as R2 beeped a confirmation, ejecting a data card from the slot beneath his photoreceptor. Galen took the card and looked at it for a moment.
"I just hope it was worth it. You've both done well, you two. Mission accomplished." Galen said to the two droids.
"And you are to be commended as well, Mr. Bakar. You've done the Republic a great service in returning these droids to us." Leia said as Bakar smiled bashfully.
"Oh only doing my civic duty. Besides, I'm not one to steal droids that belong to someone else, especially when those two droids are such great heroes. I knew who they were the minute I saw them. I admit, I should've expected that adventure and excitement would follow them." Nek said as R2 beeped an amused statement which caused Nek and even AG to chuckle in amusement. Galen then signaled to one of the troopers who approached with a metal case and handed it off to Galen.
"As a token of our appreciation, Mr. Bakar, we'd like you to have these credits as compensation for any inconvenience you might've experienced." Galen said as he handed the case to Nek who opened it and marveled at the sight of the credits inside for a moment before closing it.
"Much appreciated sir. Actually, it was no inconvenience at all. I actually had a grand time with them. I also took the liberty of writing down the schematics for some upgrades I think both of them will benefit from. Including a means of tapping into 3PO's secondary memory bank." Nek explained, pulling a small data-rod from his toolbelt and handing it to Galen.
"Secondary-…" "…memory bank?" Leia and Galen both asked, confused.
"It's all on the rod but, to put it simply, 3PO has a built in memory back-up system installed. I wager that all of his memories from the time of his first activation up to this very point are stored in there. He just can't activate it on its own and it's so well hidden that even I nearly missed it the first time. I included instructions on how to access it. Who knows, 3PO's quite the story teller so imagine the stories he could tell you from that memory core." Nek explained as Leia seemed awed by the concept. Galen was similarly surprised.
"That would include memories of…the entire Skywalker family all the way to your paternal grandmother, Shmi Skywalker." Galen said as Leia knelt down to Nek's eye level.
"You've done more than just your patriotic duty, Mr. Bakar. You've done my whole family an immense service. We owe you a debt we can't begin to repay." Leia said but Nek gave a dismissive wave.
"Well, just wave the fact that AG-37 here is an assassin droid and if you can point me towards a good maintenance yard, we'll call it even." Nek said as Leia smiled warmly and nodded.
"Consider it done." Leia replied.
Meanwhile in Darth Akul's Palace…
Darth Akul was walking through one of her palace hallways, followed by her Royal Guard. Commander 24 then approached her from one of the side corridors, starting to walk along side of her. Akul did not object or even react.
"The Republic has the information, Milady." Commander 24 reported.
"I assume that you made substantial effort in recovering it?" Akul asked.
"Yes milady. I believe the amount of effort made in our attempt to recover it will be enough to convince them of the validity of the information. They won't suspect a thing." Commander 24 reported as Akul smiled.
"You have done well, my old friend. You continue to honor your uniform and your Empress." Akul complimented.
"Only doing my duty, Milady." Commander 24 replied.
"Does Lord Sheelal have any suspicions?" Akul asked.
"None that I am aware of, Milady. He's probably still proud of himself for capturing the Republic General." Commander 24 replied.
"So he thinks." Akul said simply as she came to a stop, turning to smile at the Commander.
"Mission accomplished, Commander 24. Well done." She said as Commander 24 bowed to her.
"I live to serve, Milady."
Back on Coruscant…
It was after nightfall and Leia sat in the dark of her office, staring out the window in contemplation. On her lap was a datapad with a schematic of 3PO's brain, highlighting the secondary memory bank.
"If he knew…why didn't he tell us?" she whispered.
"I don't know. Maybe the memories are too painful for him." Luke's voice whispered in her mind through the Force, using their twin-bond to communicate.
"But he had to have known. Don't we have a right to know?" Leia whispered.
"Maybe we do, maybe we don't. Remember who we're talking about. He already has a painful past. But then maybe he didn't realize it at the time. He was only a child when he built 3PO." Luke said.
"Maybe, but we've seen his skill with machines. It's…difficult to believe that he would install it without knowing." Leia said.
"Then…perhaps we should ask him about it first. I think we at least owe him the opportunity to explain." Luke said as Leia nodded.
"Agreed. I don't want this to push him away though. He's the only father that either of us have, and the only father I have left." Leia said, hearing a small chuckle escape Luke. She could almost hear him cracking a smile.
"I remember a time when you wouldn't even acknowledge him as that. Now, you're hesitant to push him away." Luke said as Leia looked towards the stars outside and above the cityscape.
"He's suffered enough. And I think our mother would want us to forgive him." Leia said. She sensed Luke's thoughts turn away, signaling the end of their conversation. Leia looked down at the datapad again before looking towards the sky.
"Father…whatever your reasons, I can live with them." Leia said to herself.
Back on Jakku…
It had been almost a day since Nek and the droids escaped the 66th Legion and now the Star Destroyer was fully abandoned once again…
…or at least, it was at first glance. Inside the cargo bay, the bodies of the dead scavengers still lay on the floor. A humanoid figure clad in sand colored clothes, goggles over its eyes and a sand colored cloth worn over the face and head to keep out the sand, repelled into the room from the hole overhead, landing in the center of the room, taking a moment to survey the bay for anything valuable before retracting the grappling cable into an old Stormtrooper utility belt. The figure noticed the bodies of the scavengers and quietly made its way towards them. The figure stood over the body of one of them, kneeling down and closing the scavenger's eyes before quietly doing the same with the other two. It looked at the three in silence for a moment before shivering slightly, something that confused it for a moment as the bay was very warm. The figure started to leave the room but as it did, it stepped on something near the bottom of the sloped room. The figure looked down and saw a metal staff, the same once wielded by one of the scavengers. The figure knelt over and picked it up, examining it curiously for a moment.
The figure then reached up and pulled back the cloth it wore over its head, revealing a head full of long brown hair kept in a messy braid. The figure then pulled away the goggles and the cloth over its face, revealing the face of a teenaged human girl as she looked at the staff curiously for a moment.
"This'll do." Rey said as she rested the staff on her shoulder, looking up at the hole in the bay, looking at the Jakku sky above. She smiled slightly before turning and walking deeper into the Star Destroyer.
End Episode 4
Yep that's the same Rey from The Force Awakens. She's 17 at this point in time as, according to Wookiepedia, she was born in 11 ABY, making her 23 at the time of TFA. This is her first appearance in the Shadow Wars but I'm still (as of this writing) not decided as to whether or not this is also her only appearance.
Also, at the time of this writing, I STILL HAVE NOT SEEN THE FORCE AWAKENS! So would you kindly not spoil anything in your reviews? Actually, just don't spoil anything, if not for me, then out of common courtesy for those who haven't seen it either? I'm being very careful whenever I go to Wookiepedia.
I own Nek Bakar but not AG-37. AG-37 was a main character in a Star Wars comic series set in the same era as Cade Skywalker which was at least 100 years after the Battle of Yavin and by AG-37's own admission, he knew Han Solo and Chewbacca and made some unspecified promise to him which leads to his assisting a distant descendant of Han and Leia's in the future out of a personal debt. This might become plot line for a future episode.
I would also like to point out that I based the character of Nek Bakar on Kenny Baker, the actor who portrayed R2-D2 in the Star Wars films (he was inside the robot). I do own BB-X who is supposed to be the first of the BB-Series astromechs and will eventually lead to the creation of BB-8 although we may not see BB-8 himself appear in this series though. As for other Force Awakens characters like Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron, or Finn…still debating about that. Will probably decide once I've seen the movie.
I also don't (technically) own Commander 24. Why that is will be revealed in a later chapter, although I think some of you can deduce why on your own.