Chap. 25 - A New Hope.
And so, the Kestrel Nova left the arid sands of Tatooine and entered the void of outer space.
[It's the most similar model I could generate. (Although they don't look alike at all XD)]
In the cockpit, Icarus was sitting on the captain's seat, planning his next move. On the other hand, with the exception of Doom and the B1 droids, who were in the cockpit piloting the ship, the rest were in the cargo hold, ready to test their new acquisition.
Wag Too: - Diverting power... Calibrating modules... Plasma intensity... Steady... Very good... Igniting plasma shields in three... two... one... -
And after pressing a button, the beautiful blue light created a rectangular barrier over the fuselage inside the hold. The floodgates remained closed, and it was time to test whether their investment paid off.
Wag Too: - Crunch time. -
The lurmen approached a terminal, and after pressing a button, the cargo hold doors slowly began to open, revealing the beauty of outer space. Hundreds of thousands of stars stood out majestically against the black of the void, and the now-distant sandy planet of Tatooine receding in the distance.
At such a sight, there were some of those present who could not contain their excitement. Little Tova was taking in the view in a way she had never seen before, and the two Vulture starfighters began to beep with delight.
Wag Too: - Do you want to take a fly? - He asked the Vulture complacently.
Without a second thought, the Vulture droids gave a small hop and retracted to their flight form inside the cargo hold, and in less than the blink of an eye, they engaged their thrusters to full blast and flew across the shield at high speed of energy that seemed to do its job perfectly. No one could blame them, the droids hadn't flown since their stay on Agamar several rotations ago. For those who were created to conquer the skies, the interior of the cargo hold was like a birdcage.
Tova: - Whoa! - She screamed excitedly when she saw the dancing trails left by the fighters. - Tell me! Tell me! I can fly one day!? - He asked the lurmen excitedly.
Wag Too: - Sure. With enough practice, you will surely be a great pilot. - The girl could not contain her excitement. - Meanwhile... why don't you finish your common language lessons and then learn binary? -
Tova: - Yes. That do. Come on Fifi. Soon to be able to understand what you say. - She told the droideka as they both withdrew to the medical bay.
Wag Too: - Children - He said something complacent with himself. - Icarus. The shield tests were successful. There are a few tweaks to be done, but nothing I can't take care of. - He said through the communicator.
Icarus: - Excellent. The Vulture will return in six minutes. -
Wag Too: - Understood. Do you already know our next destination? -
Icarus: - Affirmative. We will go to planet Gwori. -
Wag Too: - Very good. Then you give me the details. For now, I will finish calibrating the shield. -
After the agreed time had elapsed, the Vulture starfighters returned to the interior of the Kestrel Nova's cargo hold and Wag Too closed the hatches so the ship could safely jump into hyperspace. The lurmen left the area, leaving the droids to chat among themselves about how exciting it was to once again soar through the void of space.
Wag Too: - All set. - He said as he entered the cockpit.
Icarus: - Very good. Doom unit, jump in. -
Doom: - Understood. -
And after pressing a few buttons, the ship entered hyperspace on a journey that would last approximately 30 hours.
Wag Too: - And this planet... Gwori? What is it? I never heard of him. -
Icarus: - Gwori is a rocky planet.Site of the Gwori Revolutionary Industries, and the site of the construction of a major shipyard for the separatist navy. -
Wag Too: - So do you plan to get a new ship? A combat one perhaps? -
Icarus: - That's hardly possible. The shipyards were destroyed by a Republic invasion during the Clone Wars. -
Wag Too: - And why are we going to that place? -
Icarus: - I wish we could go to planets where we could get more support like Geonosis or Mustafar, but the former separatist worlds are now under the control of the Galactic Empire. But apparently, this planet was forgotten after the war. With any luck, we might find something of use to us, although I don't know the current state of the planet or its inhabitants. -
Wag Too: - If the planet is so far from the middle edge, surely we can set up a temporary base. Know? If we really want to overthrow the Empire, we need a place to hide. -
Icarus: - Not a bad idea, Wag Too. Not a bad idea. - He said while resting his hand on his chin, seriously considering the lurmen's proposal.
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. Icarus remained seated in the captain's seat, computing plans for the future, and trying to analyze possible ways of operating depending on the problems that might be encountered on Gwori. A planet that was once so rich in resources should not pass unnoticed by the eyes of many. While the Empire had no interest in a war-torn world, criminal groups would surely see a chance in the remains of the Separatist shipyards. Scavengers were another possible problem, as well as a possible militarized civilian population guarding the planet. Or in the worst case, they would find a completely empty and war-torn world, leaving them no choice but to look for another target simply.
Tova spent the time studying the different languages and playing with her droideka, which she considered her best friend after being together for so long. Although unit B2, Titan, did not leave her side on Icarus's orders, its cold and serene programming prevented it from being able to approach the little girl without causing her some discomfort. Still, he would be willing to sacrifice every screw in his body to ensure her safety.
And as was the custom, Wag Too spent his time in the cargo hold with the rest of the droids. So long in that place had developed a strange relationship between the lurmen and the different auto-mechanics, to the point of treating them as equals. The lurmen knew binary, so communicating with each other was not a problem, and he discovered that each droid had a different programmed personality than the rest. Perhaps over time, the droids developed habits depending on the environment they were in, or it was simply a side effect of the reprogramming Icarus did to them. Whatever the case, both the Lurmen and the little Nelvaana rarely felt lonely despite being the only two organics on the ship.
Doom: - Two minutes to get out of hyperspace. -
Icarus: - Understood. Wag Too, come to the cockpit. - He said through the communicator.
A few seconds later, the lurmen appeared in the cabin, covered in oil as usual, but with a big smile on his face.
Icarus: - Is something wrong? - He asked, seeing him so arrogant.
Wag Too: - No. I was just working on a project. Don't listen to me. And good? How will we explore the planet? -
Icarus: - First we will do a scanner and try to find signs of civilization. It depends on how we will operate. But in any case, you must go with us. We need that, if we find something, you can identify if it can be useful or not. So wash up a bit, and prepare for at least a 48 hour exploration. -
Wag Too: -Roger. Roger. - He said, standing up in a military pose and making fun of the droids' programming.
Doom: - Hey - He complained at the joke.
The Kestrel Nova came out of hyperspace, revealing a strange brown planet that did not appear to be protected by any Imperial ships. It doesn't have to be on the surface to see the deplorable conditions of the planet. The rocky ground showed large patches of ash color, surely remnants of a battlefield that could never be recovered, as well as a thick layer of contamination that lingered deep within Gwori's atmosphere.
Doom: - Sir. The scanner shows very few signs of life on the planet's surface. Most are grouped in sectors 11 and 26. -
Icarus: - Understood. It is near to the remains of the old shipyards. Surely pirates or scrap dealers. Doom unit, land on sector 18. We don't want to attract attention. -
Doom: - Roger. Roger. -
The Kestrel Nova broke through the dense layer of brown clouds that surrounded the planet. Pollution clouds that were never treated. Icarus wondered who could live in such a polluted environment, but what worried him the most was Wag Too's own safety, who would eventually have to leave the ship to offer his knowledge as a mechanic. Finally, the Kestrel Nova landed on a rocky expanse, near a mountain system, several kilometers away from the points where life forms were concentrated.
Icarus: - Alpha Unit. Go to sector 11 and find out everything you can about those who are there find. Delta Unit, to sector 26. Do a recognition and come back in 18 hours. Avoid any confrontation. We don't want to draw anyone's attention. -
Alpha and Delta: - Roger. Roger. -
The Kestrel Nova's ramp opened for a few seconds to allow the two commando droids to leave the ship and disappear into the thick curtain of pollution that barely allowed them to see a hundred yards around. Once the droids descended, the ramp was closed again to prevent contamination from entering the ship.
Doom: - Sir. We have a stable connection with the commando units. The signal will remain stable within a radius of two hundred kilometers around. -
Icarus: - Very good. Keep me informed of the status of reconnaissance operations. And don't take your eyes off the scanner. It is possible that with so much pollution the sensors do not work 100% and we do not want unexpected visitors. -
Doom: - Understood. -
The super tactical droid then retreated to the cargo hold, where Wag Too was preparing things for the "excursion."
Wag Too: - All set. I just need to refill the droidekas. -
Icarus: - Very good. Do we have coal in reserves? -
Wag Too: - Coal? - He asked surprised. - We have several tablets for emergency water filters. What do you have in mind? -
Icarus: - The analyzes show that the surface of the planet has too high levels of contamination. By my calculations, inhaling a large amount of that air could be deadly. That is why it is necessary for you to make an improvised mask so that you can come with us. -
Wag Too: - But... I have no idea how to make a filter mask. -
Icarus: - Here are the plans. - He gave him a datapad. - I think that with the materials we have you can make one. -
Wag Too: - Very good. I'll take a look and see what I can do. -
Hours passed inside the Kestrel Nova without much news. The signal from the commando droids remained stable, and at the appointed time, both Alpha and Delta returned to the ship covered in a thick layer of pollution covering their outer plates.
Icarus: - Report. -
Delta: - Sector 26 is an old mining camp. Right now it appears to be a collection center. I recorded about forty life forms on the surface. Only half carried weapons. They all wore protective masks. -
Icarus: - They must be junk dealers. It's not a serious problem, but we'll have to take care of them eventually. -
Alpha: - Sector 11 is an abandoned Munificent-class star frigate. -The commando droid uses a holoprojector to show those present the details of the place. - About fifty forms of life on the outside. The number of life forms inside is unknown. All wore masks and were heavily armed. -
The supertactic droid approached slowly and watched the projection carefully. The silhouettes weren't fully displayed, but he had an idea that he had seen them somewhere. Then, Wag Too entered the cockpit.
Wag Too: - Is that... what I think it is? - He said when he saw the projection.
Icarus: - Yes. A base of bandits or smugglers. Surely it will be a problem. -
Wag Too: - No. I don't mean that. I mean the ship. -
Icarus: - What happens with the frigate? - He asked surprised.
Wag Too: - We can repair it. - He sentenced, taking everyone by surprise.
If you like this type of stories, I recommend you read my other two Star Wars fanfics. They will surely be to your liking.
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