Chapter 6 New Adventure
In the Cul-de-Sac
The next day the Eds had started to make some extra preparations for their future activities in the orbit with their ship, for them everything was seeming very normal for the trio and there was no reason to not be since they still got the jawbreakers from yesterday, which after lunch they were taking their time to enjoy them while taking some new supplies for their ships, like a cooler and some supplies for them.
"Boy if we haven't kept the jawbreakers from yesterday I would say we had been dreaming all along." Eddy commented while staying near the road.
"I would have considered a dream if I didn't kept some tech from our ship, which we should find a suitable name by the way." Double D commented before they saw Rolf who seems to be on edge especially if he seemed to be armed with a pitchfork and his pig.
"Hey Rolf why you seem more stretched then usual?" Eddy asked.
"Ed-boys! You were missing all day yesterday. Big chin Kevin also believed that you were up for some trickery and he still believes that."
"Not yesterday Rolf some of stuff to do." Eddy commented noticing his pitchfork. "And Rolf why are you having your pitchfork?"
"Ahh, no one believes what Rolf had saw yesterday, but I am sure that what I saw was true. The Living Skeletons are walking among us and they shall be here again." He said taking defensive position. "And they shall not come to Rolf."
"Living Skeletons?" Double D asked.
"Ed wants to see living skeletons." Ed said imagining from his horror movies while Double D thought about what they could have been.
"Ah, Rolf did those 'living skeletons' can you describe them a bit."
"Ah you believe Rolf Ed-boys. They appeared like this: They looked stiff and brown like rust and they also contained some long chins like Kevin big chin."
"Were they also carrying a bag?" Double D asked.
"Oh yes they did and immediately went to check everything back at Rolf's don't know what was in it but it shall not take anything from Rolf!" He declared going back to his house.
"Eddy it seems that some of our neighborhood had saw our droids when they went after the equipment I had requested." Double D said.
"That gives us some change of approach, we shall not allow droids to land unless we accompany them here. That and we also need some bodyguards to escape the Kankers and possibly Kevin." Eddy commented.
"Seems so, I shall do the debriefing once we are on the ship." Double D said.
"Let's go and call a shuttle." Eddy said moving forward trying to look normal until someone else came.
"Dorks!" It was Kevin on his bike for Eddy this was the last person he wanted to come across now.
"I know you are planning something I know."
"Yeah and we are busy at the moment shovel-chin." Eddy said.
"Busy with a scam I believe." Kevin said looking even more on edge and this time Eddy came with an idea to exploit it.
"Scam indeed one of the biggest that there had ever been. It will be so big one wouldn't be able to resist doing." Eddy said with a smirk driving Kevin even more on edge.
"You wish, you try that and you will regret it dorks, I mean it." He said starting to move away from them.
"What a fool he is." Eddy commented.
"Are you sure it was a good idea to scare him this way Eddy?" Double D asked.
"He will not even realize what is all about. Now let's go." Eddy ordered as all of them moved on towards the woods, once there Eddy immediately called the shuttle and once inside they immediately went to their frigate. Once there Double D made a full debriefing regarding each of the kids in cul-de-sac alongside the Kanker sisters who were labeled as most trouble and shouldn't be allowed under no circumstances on any of their ships along the fact that if they are around they should either flee or if necessary use non-lethal force. The debriefing didn't take over 15 minutes as they decided to try another expedition outside of the solar system in the other half of the galaxy. They decided to see at least another planet that was on the galactic map, the one they chose however didn't gave much especially when the planet chosen is a water planet.
"Well at least the landscape is quite nice, too bad we didn't bring a boat to sail around, quite fitting for a floating water ball." Eddy commented from the Sheathipede shuttle taking another picture for the future calendar with the twin moons.
"Well at least we saw how a water planet looks like in the form of Castilon." Double D added after checking the temperature of the water. "And I have to declare that the water here is very cold, no use in trying any who knows what endeavors in swimming in this ocean.
"It wouldn't be advisable sir there are large predatory creatures swimming underneath they are also very big." Reported a droid holding the information pod for Double D.
"It could also lead to cases of hypothermia as well only by entering the water. No reason to try such endeavors."
"Hey guys I think I see something below." Ed said looking at the water.
"It could be an alien fish lumpy." Eddy said.
"It could be something bigger then a fish captain Eddy; in any case it isn't a good idea to try to see below." Commented another droid from the shuttle.
"Don't even want to try." The shorted Ed said, not intending to try to swim in such an ocean with who knows what below, not to mention the fact that he kind of feels like been in the boots of the character that froze to death in the movie Titanic. He will not risk his neck for seeing what might be underwater, someone however would.
"Ed wants to see." Ed said slipping from the platform of the shuttle into the water.
"ED!" The 2 Eds shouted looking at the water below worried for their friend, luckily he came out very fast and very out of sudden jumping from the water.
"Cold!" Ed shouted before he landed back on the platform of the shuttle trembling.
"Well the water really is cold and it's not at all a good idea to swim in it." Double D said taking a blanket for their friend before turning to the pilots in the cockpit. "Back to the frigate gentleman."
"Roger-Roger." Said the pilots closing the trap door that lead outside, and started to slowly go upwards and just in the nick of time since a giant creature came out from below the ocean splashing with water everywhere and shaking the shuttle which was immediately noticed by the Eds.
"Wow what was that?" Eddy asked.
"Giant creature sir, it splashed our ship but we are fine." Reported the droid while the Eds looked through the window and saw one giant Rokkna passing by below them.
"I knew there was something, a giant Alien Nessy." Ed shouted with enthusiasm his cold temperature was now long gone.
"Good thing we took to the sky immediately after taking Ed." Eddy commented before something like a seagull with 4 eyes landed before them on the shuttle.
"And it also seems that we got an alien seagull now." Double D said.
"They are called speagulls here sir they are native to the planet, feeding on small fish and other aquatic animals."
"Is there any landmass here?"
"Only isolated islands scattered here and there."
"Please go to the one nearby." Double D ordered.
"Roger-Roger."
The Resolute
"The situation on Ryloth wouldn't go well for much long. According to the sources from senator Orn-Free-Ta the Twi'leks wouldn't manage for too long under the separatist blockade." Obi-Wan explained.
"We need to find a way to alleviate them soon for this matter." Anakin said.
"Problem is that Republic resources are spread thin. We wouldn't be able to send relief now, especially that we are barely managing to counter the separatists on several fronts, if there was only a way to get the necessary supplies to them without risking too much attention." Master Windu explained through hologram.
"In this situation we have to turn to some unlikely allies who might be able to help, I only hope that they would accept this mission." Anakin said which of course brought the attention of the senior Jedi master, he of course knew vaguely of a ship that had CIS insignia that was actually a rogue ship, he of course didn't knew that it was commanded by a trio of kids.
"If you know they could do it, your should find them as quickly as possible, and bring them to the nearest Republic station then Skywalker."
"It will be done as soon as possible." Skywalker replied ending the call.
"You know Anakin after the stunt they pulled with the station, I am wondering if they wouldn't go crazy with what they got." Obi-Wan commented.
"If so we shall make sure they will be placed on a leash."
"Still they had reprogrammed the crew of an entire frigate what makes you think they didn't do so to the astro-mech unit we gave them." Obi-Wan said.
"I took a precaution about this. Just like the short one had said with keeping 'an eye on them'." Anakin said as R2 had plugged himself in to contact through long range communications and the unit had appeared by hologram.
"RG-4 can I ask you where your new captains are?"
"Bee-bop-buup."
"The atmosphere of Castilon? They surely took their natural enthusiast ways very far." Obi-Wan said in irony, since they aren't too far from them and they surely try to stay out of trouble the best they could.
"I shall set course with only one Venator to grab them." Anakin said.
"Sometimes I can't believe we are relying on some crazy kids again." Obi-Wan commented.
"General I personally hope it will be the last time." Admiral Yularan said, despite having to give appreciation for the fact that they had managed to take over a separatist ship and helped them he wasn't too keen on calling them wreck havoc somewhere with a separatist frigate. For him it was for the good of both sides to keep themselves away from the war to their 'gardening' and animal enthusiasm. The far away they were, the better for all.
Island on Castilon
"Well it might be an ocean world but at least we had found some solid ground." Double D said taking notes and pictures of the landscape, the island itself was totally treeless and rocky and it wasn't very big. Of course according to the droids this was the smallest island they were currently on since there were other islands as well in some parts that might be bigger, however it does serve it's purpose for a small base quite well in their view, the only thing that was to notice however was the breeze of the ocean against the small peak that was the only significant landmark of the island alongside the alien seagulls that were coming and going.
"Yeah great thing about that, I am glad that at least on this place we could feel solid ground and we wouldn't lose Ed." Eddy commented taking another picture of the place before an alien seagull pooped on the shuttle which the shorter one noticed.
"Boy I really hate birds. If even alien ones are annoying I would rather stay in the shuttle or on our ships."
"I personally am really amazed by the fact that even in outer space we could found counterparts of species that could behave just like on our own planet."
"And probably annoy in the same way or worst."
"LOOK GUYS!" Ed called from the top of the peak tracking their attention.
"Hey lumpy what do you see from there?" Eddy asked.
"LARGE WHALES AHOY!"
"Whales?" Double D called looking in the distance.
"They aren't whales sirs, they are a school of Sharvo Fish." Reported a droid with a binoculars.
"Sharvo Fish?" Double D asked taking the binoculars.
"Native to this world and bioluminescent during the night." Explained the droid.
"Amazing creatures they are for sure."
"They are also carnivorous. It is not a good sign to be around them." Said the droid.
"At least we know what to avoid on this world." Eddy said before he heard Ed coming down after planting a flag with Ed written on it.
"This island will now be known as Ed."
"Nice one lumpy, really nice." Eddy commented.
"I wonder if this island had other name before us." Double D said.
"I don't think it even mattered the natives of this world are usually mechanics and engineers on refit and resupply platforms and stations. The originated from the island and according to the data they can tolerate the cold water." Reported a droid showing the pad to Double D.
"They look like tortoises wonder where they are."
"They are usually solitary sir, and I believe we had missed them for the moment."
"Miss them or not I rather prefer to be away from natives at the moment, like we said no tracking attention. I really hope we wouldn't have to meet up with the Jedi now for who knows what job." Eddy commented walking to the shuttle.
"It's doubtful for them to know that we are here sir. Castilon is outside of Republic and CIS space, not to mention the fact that this planet is considered only a way point in the middle of nowhere. Between the Core and the Outer Rim of the Galaxy."
"At least there will not be any warzone here." Double D said with a sense of calm.
"Peace good for Ed." Ed commented very happy while looking in the distance admiring the view.
"Well this place doesn't give much aside from a time of peace and a good view." Eddy commented taking another picture.
The bridge of the frigate stationed in the atmosphere
"It is weird, just 2 days ago we were in the service of the CIS doing battle and now we are declared as neutral no more having the fear of been sliced by Jedi or destroyed in the battle field." Said a droid pilot.
"I personally know how it is I took part in 3 battles including already including Geonosis and to tell you the truth, I am rather please with this new turn of events." Answered a guard on the bridge before the console made contact.
"What is going on?" Asked the commander before a republic Venator came into the system.
"We spoke too soon regarding a good time." Commented one of the droid pilots.
"Roger-Roger." Replied another not too happy about this.
On the Island
"Well it might have not been much but it was quite well here on this island and on Castilon in general." Double D commented after taking some samples of soil and rock as well as water in some jars.
"Good thing we didn't have any troubles here. Especially that we didn't entered a battle before coming here like yesterday." Eddy commented.
"And good thing that our ship was officially declared lost with all hands. Don't know if the Trade Federation will be happy about this." Explained a droid.
"They have hundreds of ships like ours, there is no possibility for them to be angry for losing one ship." Eddy commented.
"Yet we still need to do something regarding camouflaging our ship and our trail. We are really lucky that we now have a smaller ship to use." Double D said before he heard a calling on his communicator.
"What is going on?"
"Ahh sirs, we got a new message from the Republic and they require your services again." Reported the droid commander.
"Again?" Eddy asked.
"Yes and they kind of want a response quick."
"We shall go back to the ship and then leave the system as soon as possible to another system to hide ourselves."
"Unadvisable sir they are already in the system."
"Ah Eddy." Double D pointed upwards to see their ship and the Republic Venator near it by the position it was pretty much some meters above their own.
"Well this will now be a problem." Commented a droid.
"Urgh, let's hear what they want now." Eddy ordered and the hologram image had change from their commander battle droid to the form of General Skywalker.
"So boys did you got some new collections?" He asked with a smirk.
"Hello Chief." Ed came o greet him.
"Well can't say it isn't adding more and more." Double D said with a nervous smile. "But I don't think you are here only for plants sir."
"Sadly not." Anakin started calmly.
"So what is the new you got for us: find another station, blow up an enemy fleet or something like this?" Eddy started.
"I am not a maniac to put you in such situations, plus you didn't have to blow that station."
"Oh yeah because you would have surely done it anyways." Eddy stated.
"Yeah anyways I wonder if you are interested in a delivery job. We can pay you another 3000 credits."
"A delivery job? That depends on what is the items we have to deliver." Double D said.
"Several crates containing various supplies: rations alongside medicine and some others." Anakin explained.
"Why aren't you able to deliver them?" Eddy asked.
"Kind of hard with supply lines stretch thin especially with raids in other systems, alongside the fact that you might be the only ones with the possibility of delivery." Anakin explained.
"We aren't risking our frigate in such a giant endeavor to sneak behind front lines."
"Who said you would need the whole frigate, you got a smaller one just perfect." Anakin explained showing the image of the Gozanti.
"Yeah another adventure guys." Ed exclaimed.
"Ahh, allow us to return to the frigate sir to prepare the Gozanti and then we shall come." Double D said.
"Be quick you got 30 minutes to decide." Anakin commented as the hologram was disappeared and the Eds went to the shuttle with the droids before they took off.
"A supply run wouldn't be a problem this time." Said the droids while their shuttle was going towards
"How in the whole Galaxy did they know where we were." Commented Eddy.
"We don't know but we have to figure it out soon." A droid said.
"Well let's only be glad that it is only a supply delivery with our smaller ship. However we need to figure out where to send our frigate while we deal with this delivery." Double D said adjusting himself while the shuttle entered the hangar where the commander and the astro-mech were present.
"Well gentleman it seems we got another job that needs to be fulfilled."
"Meaning a supply run with the Gozanti, we intercepted the transmission." The commander said.
"Yeah indeed and now we need to figure out a system where you can hide till we manage to return."
"There is system nearby sir, also neutral that is also in a frequented space lane nearby, declared the border between the core and the Outer-Rim, it is called Takodana, this one is a forest world."
"How much distance is it from here to there?" Eddy asked.
"Barely a minute, yet for more possibilities to remain more inconspicuous we could still go back to Hoth, that will of course take 3-4 minutes." The commander said showing the map with the 2 systems the commercial lane isn't quite comforting to say the least.
"Eh Takodana is a bit of a risk, better go to Hoth and remain in orbit till we finish this job." Double D said.
"Should we also power down the reactors to conserve energy? It is very effective to conserve the fuel."
"Yes you do that." Double D said.
"And for now prepare 18 droids for the Gozanti and we also take the astro-mech this time." Eddy said pointing to the droid with the conical dome.
"Bee-boop."
"If you ask why is because you were with them, so we need you around." Eddy commented although it was also with the purpose for him to keep an eye on it.
"Bee-boop."
"Droid friend come with us in the mission." Ed said taking him up going for their side-ship while Eddy and Double D hand-picked the crew needed for it when they were in the Gozanti they give the instructions on what the frigate must do when they leave.
"Well this will do for now." Double D said taking a seat on the bridge of the Gozanti ship.
"Double D I believe you will have to reprogram several more droids after this mission as well, and by the way I guess the commander was right, we do need a base of operations for part of the galaxy." Eddy commented.
"We will figure everything out in time, but for now let's only finish this new task that we got at hand." Double D said as they detached from the docking bay of the frigate to go towards the Venator, once attached the Republic ship they immediately jumped to hyperspace while the Eds' frigate left for Hoth to await for the return of their commanders. But while on rout to hyperspace the boys were thinking on how this could be possible that they had been found.
"It just doesn't add up we weren't in any war zone and we were at the fingers of nearly everything." Eddy commented while sitting in the main chair.
"Well the only thing that could have happened to lead to this is only if we have been….spied upon." Double D said turning his sight on the astro mech that was hold in Ed's arms.
"Ed, please hold him still." Double D asked coming closer trying to close the droid which he figured out.
"Beep-boop-bop."
"We don't want any trouble droid friend only a small check." Double D said garbing his dome and turning him off.
"OM-1 the tablet please." Double D ordered the first droid they reprogrammed.
"Here it is." He said giving him the tablet who the boy immediately plugged the cable in to see what happened, by all accounts everything seemed fine.
"Well how did they figured it out where we were?" Eddy asked.
"Well everything seems fine, there is no problem with the new programming I gave him." Double D said looking through the tablet. "Can't figure out what's the problem." He said till he reached something off a small bug he didn't noticed.
"Wait I think I found something." Double D said looking at it more closely in which time Eddy and Ed came as well.
"Well what's the problem how did they figured out?"
"It seems this droid had been rigged, there is a bug program in it. The programming I gave him is operational without a problem it follows our orders and is on our side and the side of the governments of our planet and isn't allowed to transmit any information regarding Earth, however this program that I found is a very complex one I have to admit."
"Go to the subject Double D." Eddy demanded.
"Well excuse my curiosity." He said a bit offended "But in any case this program is activated by a special Republic signal given from a remote location almost anywhere in the galaxy if they are close to us. Once the signal is kicked in it could make him transmit the location of where we are to a nearby system, the range luckily is very limited, we need to be 5 systems away from where the signal could come from established communication network. And it is limited in usage, it will expire after some time."
"I would rather prefer to be expired soon I don't want myself to go in another battle." Eddy commented.
"Can you remove the bug Double D?" Edd asked feeling sorry for their new droid comrade.
"This one is very complex and it will take a lot of time to do it."
"We don't have much time sir we will exit hyperspace in 3 minutes and 30 seconds." Reported a droid pilot.
"How come?"
"This is a traveled and established hyperspace rout, like a highway, it is traveled a lot and it takes a lot less time to reach a destination like where we are heading."
"Urgh, first time I wish to be in this void for longer and we can't."
"Well there is a bit of good news, I can try to block this bug so that it wouldn't receive the signal so easily but I can only reduce the frequency only by 2 systems."
"It doesn't matter as long as they wouldn't find us that easy."
"Well that settles." Double D said starting to tap some commands on the tablet till he managed to include some new commands. "There, this should be enough." He said before restarting the astro-mech.
"Beep-boop?"
"Confused of what happened? Don't worry now you are fully safe." Double D said with a reassuring smile to the droid.
"Yet I will be watching you from now on." Eddy said.
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