Ask The Million Crowns of Tion - Part IV

[Trini Halrixien]

THE MOONS OF IEGO...

Trini Halrixien, graduate student and reluctant adventurer, watched as the mind-warping tunnel of hyperspace snapped back into the familiar points of starlight that was the backdrop of the normal universe. Reaching up, she keyed a readout from the navigation computer, confirming where they were.

Iego, planet of a thousand moons, was not an easy place to find. Nevertheless, Xim's astrogators had done so countless millennia before, and as members of Xim's empire often did, claimed it for their leader. Long ago, Iego and its many satellites had been a secluded retreat for the Imperial court, a place where normal citizens were not permitted...

That had all changed, of course. Iego had been added to some modern star-charts, although reaching the planet at the end of its tangle of hyperspace routes was still difficult at best. Trini clapped Laeonas on the shoulder.

"This is it!!" The Amaran declared excitedly. "Gods this makes perfect sense; in Xim's day, Iego and its moons were a royal retreat for Xim and his most trusted followers. On top of that, it's hard to reach now, let alone in Xim's time. And there are over a thousand moons and asteroids to hide things in! No wonder nobody's ever found the crowns!"

Trini pointed ahead. toward a cloud-wrapped moon that hung above the curve of Iego. Hundreds of others of varying size and shade were visible, but the one the archaeologist indicated was the closest.

"That one. There's only a small communications relay there now, but according to the data I found, there used to be a minor fleet repair facility there in Xim's time. The ruins are still there."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The Brentaalan's mood had been left on a remarkably positive upswing following their departure from Formos. Seething anger and deep insecurity had defined everything he'd said and done from the time that they'd left the library to their arrival at the ship. Yet since leaving Laeonas had been calm, self satisfied, and in a (relatively) good mood. The double boon of having successfully convinced Trini-- someone who was very obviously smarter than he was even without her book knowledge-- had reassured him of his own intelligence. That and the fact that he wouldn't have to see the professor's wrinkly mug again (for awhile, at least) had put the man in high spirits.

Rather than take the time to enjoy himself or relax, the Brentaalan instead spent the trip vigorously adhering to his routines. Even "alone" on his ship he took an hour in the morning to get dressed in something nice and make himself presentable, as well as maintaining his four hour workout regime-- and a whole hour after that admiring his own physique in the refresher. Trini and Zeezee would only ever see him eating in the mess, or in the cargo hold where he'd either be exercising or training with his saber.

If the Amaran paid enough attention to the human, she might have eventually picked up on some of his more subtle quirks habits. The fact that all of his outfits kept him almost completely covered from the neck down was the most obvious, as the Brentaalan had worn long sleeves even through hours of rigorous exercise. The abundance of mirrors in a relatively drab, outdated ship and Laeonas' tendency to stare at himself in them was yet another bizarre behavior. All in all the human had spent almost the entire journey on his own, focused entirely on himself, or how others would perceive him.

Ofcourse, he did spend time with them, and he was friendly-- even to Zeezee. In the few hours he didn't spend on himself he spent them talking to the two of them about a myriad of topics. With how long it took them to arrive in the system there was plenty of time for them to chat, the two organic lifeforms especially eager to arrive, Trini hoping for academic legitimacy and recognition, and Laeonas hoping to become rich beyond his wildest dreams. Though, after talking to her for so long, even he was starting to get excited for reasons beyond the wealth he could acquire; an especially rare occurrence.

By the time they dropped out of hyperspace, the human had been taking a break, watching the holo in the kitchen when the ship lurched, stopping all he was doing as he made his way to the cockpit. Laeo had only just head of Iego, and he'd naturally assumed the moniker of "world of a thousand moons" was just an exaggeration-- yet his jaw visibly slackened as the world and it's orbiting bodies came into view. "Deus almighty..." He muttered to himself. He'd remembered the first time he'd seen the stars, on a speeder flight out of Cormond in his youth. The desert offered no light pollution to obscure them, and the boy had tried to count them in vain-- not because there were to many, but because he didn't know any numbers past 100 at the time.

Trini's excitement was as bold as it was infectious, as Laeonas' expression broke into an eager grin. He didn't even care about her random smack to his shoulder, which on any other day would've been taken as a serious insult. Everything the Amaran said made sense; of all the places the despot could've hid his treasure, this system was easily the best candidate. "Somebody could spend a century searchin' this system and find nothin' but old bones and dust." He muttered. "Couldn't 'ave asked fer a better system if Manaa 'imself made it fer ya..." He whispered, a minor sacrilege against his people's Gods.

As Trini pointed out the moon they'd be landing on, Laeonas stared in wonder. They were about to find something that countless sentients had searched for over the past millennia. Had anyone ever come as far as they had? Should they succeed, Laeonas wouldn't just be achieving all his wildest dreams of wealth, he'd be carving his name into history as one of the two who found the crowns of tion. Even if he accomplished nothing else with his life from this day onward, somewhere, someone in a thousand years would know his name.

As they made their descent through the heavy weather of the moon's upper atmosphere, he turned his attention to Trini once again, leaving Zeezee to pilot. "So... if and when we find this, and ya present this ta yer friends at tha uni, whaddya gonna do afterwards?" He asked, genuinely curious.

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini grinned to herself, watching as the globe of the moon - it didn't have a name in the present day, only a long alphanumeric designation - loomed large in the cockpit canopy. Before long, Laeonas' YV-865 was descending into the thick atmosphere.

"Trini, I'm going to detach the Bolide and land on my own. I don't think the ship was meant to land with it docked."

Trini gave a call of acknowledgement as ZZ-4A4, her droid, stated his intentions over the ship's internal PA system. A moment later, there was a clunk as the sleek fighter detached from Laeonas' ship, moving to keep formation ahead of them as they descended. Wind and precipitation buffeted both craft. Trini, meanwhile, found herself slightly distracted, blinking when she realized Laeonas had asked her a question.

"I... guess I don't really know." She admitted after a moment of thought. "If I get real recognition for it, maybe I'll teach? Maybe do field expeditions the right way, for a change?"

She smiled wryly. Having spent the last few days getting to know Laeonas, she had developed an even larger soft-spot for the sometimes uncouth human.

"What about you? What are you going to do with your share of whatever's down there?"

Meanwhile, in the shadow of a nearby planetoid, the crew of an antique Cronese Battlebird watched as Laeonas' ship plunged into the atmosphere of the moon. The sensor operator looked up from his scope, toward the shadowed command chair where the ship's mercenary captain sat.

"They entered the atmosphere, sir. Looks like they started breaking up!" Called the operator, before glancing back at the scope. "Er, correction! A small craft has detached and is keeping pace. I calculate their flight path will take them to the landing facilities at the comm station in the northern hemisphere."

The ship's captain nodded, then picked up a comlink.

"Yes, we just got word on their course. Tracking beacon is working perfectly. Shall we-"

The captain was interrupted by a voice from the other end of the line. He nodded quickly.

"Very good sir. Right away."

The captain hung up the comlink, then nodded to his crew.

"Helm, all ahead full. Follow them down."

The mercenary steepled his fingers pensively.

"Strange old bastard... but a job's a job, I suppose."

Further out in the system, there was a snap as another ship exited hyperspace. This one was an ancient Republic Longbeam, sleek and well cared for. Inside its cockpit, the helm officer called over his shoulder to the commander.

"Jump complete! We're in system, sir!"

Another officer, a sensor tech, peered down at his scope.

"Activity near a moon of the planet Iego, sir... might be what we came for."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The old ship shook a little as they made their way through the thickest patches of storm. As Zeezee decoupled, it lurched slightly, and Laeonas could hear a loose glass in the kitchen fall from the counter and shatter. "Gawdamnit, Ai fergot ta put tha dishes away." He snapped. His attention refocused on Trini as she explained what she'd do after this, mainly revolving around teaching. He wasn't exactly surprised by her answer, though he'd assumed that she wasn't being wholly honest. There'd be rooms for partying, expensive speeders and high rise Coruscanti penthouses in her future somewhere. At least, that's what he assumed.

Her grin seemed to confirm that she already had an idea of what he was going to do, and he couldn't help but grin back at her. "Well, fer starters, Ai'm gonna retrofit this ship. Refit tha hull with Chromium so it looks pretty, turn that big ole cargo area into a whole bunch'f rooms, get rid of tha bunks and make a nice, big master bedroom fer maeself-- and get new stabilizers so Ai don't gotta buy new dishes whenever Ai ferget ta put 'em away after droppin' outta hyperspace." He explained.

"After th'at? Ai'll go 'ome, and Ai'll build maeself a palace. Ai'll get mae Ma outta tha tenaments and make sure she spends that rest of 'er days with a legion of servants keepin' 'er pampered and 'appy. Whatever credits Ai've got left, Ai'll spend on 'ookers and spice." He declared, reclining in his seat. It was a crude, brutally honest explanation, but they both knew that most people would do the exact same thing with such money.

"Th'at, and Ai'll walk inta mae Da's palace and buy mae legitimacy. Ai won't be tha baseborn accident of a fling-- Ai'll be tha guy th'at 'elped find tha crowns of tion. Who wouldn't want a guy laike th'at fer a son?" He went on, his smile fading a little as he went on. His mind wandered a little as he sat in silence, thoughts dwelling on both his parents. His mother had told him the story of his conception several times; how she'd met him at a club, taking especially long to describe how young and handsome he'd been, and how nice his clothes looked compared to everyone else. She spent hours telling him all about how wonderful he was, how he'd lavished her in gifts, and promised to marry her when the time came.

All of it had been perfect until the morning sickness hit. She'd been excited to tell him, and he'd seemed just as happy... but than, out of the blue, he was gone. She'd alienated her father after refusing to get rid of the pregnancy. Her life had gone from as perfect as she could've ever imagined to a nightmare. She couldn't hope to find a job even in spite of her education. She'd spent the next few months going from homeless shelter to homeless shelter, pawning off her jewelry so she could eventually get a lease on an apartment in the slums. Bitterness had seeped from every one of her words as she'd told him the stories in the evenings, and that had filtered down to him over the years.

"...'e'll take me back." He muttered. "Ain't no way 'e won't. 'is other kids prolly 'aven't done 'alf tha shite Ai've done. None of 'em can lift shite with their minds, none of 'em survived stranded on their own fer four and a half karkin' years. 'E'll see our worth again." He went on, the last words he'd heard muttered by his own mother many a time over his life.

--------

Eventually, in spite of the turbulence, the two would land at the proper coordinates. The relay was old, and there weren't many clear signs of habitation. Whether or not it was abandoned was unclear from the outside, but it was obvious that there hadn't been many visitors as of late. Dropping on the landing pad, the two sentients would make their way out of his ship, Laeonas glancing around. "Ya tried 'ailin' 'em with the comm, right?" He asked. He'd almost suggested they used radio, as archaic as it might've been.

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini looked out at the mountainous landscape that surrounded the old comm station. The moon she and Laeonas found themselves on was volcanically dormant, for the most part, but past activity had thrown ranges of forbidding peaks that cut the horizon in all directions; climate and atmosphere were something approaching Coruscant normal, however, if slightly chilly due to the altitude.

At Laeonas' question, Trini shrugged.

"I mean, I tried to... honestly I don't think there's anyone home, I got a recording." She replied, gesturing around. "Can't really blame them; it's pretty enough but this isn't exactly a garden spot."

The comm station itself looked as old as anything that had been built in the time of Xim, and for all Trini knew, it might have been just that. Sitting on terraces that had been formed out of the slope by stone block retaining walls were permacrete domes, weathered and cracked with age. Equally archaic-looking communications masts rose up beside many of them, although looking closely the Amaran could see that at least most of them had been retrofitted with newer transmitting equipment some time in at least the last century. The main dome was obvious; a two-story structure with a ring of windows around the upper floor hinted at habitation more than any of the others, if not current occupancy. Abruptly, though, Trini was distracted by the snarl of an engine; looking up, Trini watched as the Silver Bolide sketched a lazy aerial circle around the facility as it set up its approach. Trini raised her comlink.

"Hey, Zeezee? Before you land, do you mind running a sweep of the surrounding range? The old base is supposed to be nearby, but I'd like a bird's-eye if you can manage it."

The sleek, silver craft waggled its wings and banked away.

"Understood. I'll let you know if I spot anything unusual."

As Trini and Laeonas reached the main dome, the Amaran keyed open the door. Inside was dusty reception desk, at which sat a droid which she at first took to be inert. As Trini approached, however, there was a click and a whine as the old protocol model raised its head, photoreceptors flicking on as it regarded the newcomers.

"Greetings, sir and madam. Welcome to Iego Central Data Authority comm station ICD-O/97422. There are no organic representatives available at this time. How may I assist you?"

Trini, blinking slightly, shrugged and strode up to the desk.

"Yes, hello there! Er, perhaps you would be able to help us." The Amaran said. "My friend and I came here to see the Xim-era repair yard ruins near here. Would you be able to tell us how to get there?"

The droid seemed to hesitate, racking its electronic memory before answering.

"I see! Well, madam, I am afraid there are no guided tour available at present, but I can describe the best way to reach the ruins from here, and provide a pamphlet of useful information!"

Abruptly, the droid looked past Trini and Laeonas.

"And you sir? What can I do for you?"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"I don't blame anyone fer not wantin' ta call this place 'ome; leavin' fer groceries 'as gotta be a pain in tha arse." He replied, walking up the path just behind the Amaran. Glancing over the building, Laeonas had a distinct feeling that they were on the right track-- mainly because the station looked like it had been built around the time men figured out how to throw sparks together. Architecturally speaking it was completely distinct, but besides a few metal ornaments it was built of stone, and in the Brentaalan's mind the only people who built with stone were either kings, or cavemen.

Granted, in the case of Xim, he wasn't exactly sure what category he fell into. He occupied a similar headspace in galactic mythology as the great conqueror's of his own world's history-- men like Ja'ael'ae, leading his Latins from the salt flats to conquer the civilized people of his world in the name of Sol, or Donn'al Ta'Neill, leading the Eireoi to topple the empire his descendants built. They were great, powerful men, but really they weren't much different the bosses of the gangs he worked for, competing and fighting over influence and power. They just happened to operate on a far greater scale-- and they claimed to have a divine mandate.

As they finally made it inside the building, Laeonas would take a breathe-- and let out a long, hacking cough as dust went up his nostrils. "'oly shite, 'ow long as this place been-- KACK-- empty?!" He hissed, waving the air with his hands. Not even the abandoned warehouses he and his friends used to loot had air this bad. Laeonas would promptly reach into one of his coat pockets and pull out a short scarf, wrapping it around his face just below the eyes. "Ai don't think we're gettin' any company." He declared, and as if on cue, the droid woke from it's slumber just to spite.

As the droid had it's dialogue with Trini, it turned it's photoreceptors to the Brentaalan, asking what it was he wanted. "Uhh... Ai'm with 'er, so nothin' really." He declared, turning before stopping in place. "...actually, know a place around 'ere th'at Ai can nab a drink?" He asked, just curious about how it would respond. "Oh, certainly! There happens to be a concessions machine just down the hall to your left." The droid repliled, pointing specifically. "...th'at uh, th'at wasn't what Ai meant, but okay, cool." He answered.

"That's a shame, sir. Now, here is your pamphlet madam! I certainly hope you two have a good trip!" It declared, staring at them both with vacant photoreceptors. Laeonas, in the meantime, had walkled down the hallway to the concessions machine. From the looks of it, it was out of order-- permanently. Looking inside, Laeonas would notice a couple different drinks, several snacks, all brands he didn't recognize, until--

"Th'at a karkin' 'ex bar?" He muttered, almost unconsciously. Aquamarines widened, and without a moment's hesitation, the man reached at his belt. Unclipping his saber, he pressed it to the glass, and ignited it for an instant, shattering the window. Grabbing as many of the hex bars as he could, he turned around, a stupid grin on his face. "Sir, my audioreceptors picked up some commotion. Was there trouble?"

"Nah, everythin's fine. 'Ave a good day." He answered, before extending his hand to Trini. "Ever 'ad one of these?" He asked, a hex bar in hand.

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini thanked the droid uncertainly as she was handed a dusty pamphlet, the logo of what was probably a long defunct tourism agency large on the faded cover. She then jogged after Laeonas, opening the pamphlet and reading as she walked; the information inside read like it had been written up by a droid, and the Amaran supposed it may well have been; there were maps, however, both of the site and of the route to reach it from the comm station.

"Looks like we're indeed not far from the ruins; some transport might be in order, though, this terrain looks pretty-"

Trini looked up at the sound of shattering transparisteel. Watching as the human reached into the broken machine, she chose not to comment as he withdrew a pair of foil-wrapped items from inside. Accepting the one he handed to her, she raised her eyebrows.

"I... can't say I ever have!" She replied. "Maybe they haven't made it to Rudrig yet?"

Meanwhile, high above, the sensor operator aboard the Battlebird turned back to his captain.

"Sir! The freighter appears to have landed at the old comm relay. The smaller craft appears to be flying a search pattern over the nearby mountains."

The captain leaned forward in his command chair, fingers still steepled.

"Very good... descend to the fighter's altitude and jam its communications. We shall deal with it first, then come around and land the troops."

He leaned back in his chair.

"I just hope things continue to go this smoothly."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"Don't mind much about tha distance; if it's to much, Ai'll carry ya." He joked, though not entirely. Endurance training was fairly hard to practice in the tight confines of his ship, and the modest weight of the Amaran over a distance would be a decent test. As she asked about the candy he'd given her, Laeonas could only grin. "They got discontinued decades ago, when Ai was a lad; but all tha shite they put in 'em keeps 'em tastin' good." He explained. "Just don't eat it to quick, and don't eat more than three. Mae friend Traiana went through 'alf a dozen in a crate of 'em we found. Still remember tha funeral."

In spite of the fact that a friend of his had apparently died after eating a modest amount of them, Laeonas casually took a bite out of the bar, and let out a satisfied sigh. "Gawwd, Ai thought it was just nostalgia, but it's still just as good!" He excitedly declared, taking another bite. The bar had a chocolate-esque outer shell which gave way to a gooey, sweet center, with a chewy wafer alongside it. With all the preservatives and artificial flavoring shoved into it, it truly was delicious. That he'd inevitably have to spend hours in the refresher for his choices didn't concern him in the slightest.

"Well, no point in stayin' 'ere. Let's go see what we can do about gettin' up there." He suggested, making his way outside. Cresting the slope the initial center was built around, Laeonas was able to get a half decent view of the repair yards. Contrasted against the central data authority, the ruins looked... impossibly old. Even from a distance he was able to make out the disrepair-- walls that obviously used to be covered in paint reduced to half rusted away ruin, ships still in the yard reduced to corroded slag.

"...Ai don't think Ai've ever seen anythin' th'at old lookin' before." He declared. Even the oldest of the palaces that were still in use on Brentaal were usually only one or two millennia old, having undergone renovations every few centuries to avoid looking archaic. "Well, we'll definitely be tha first down there in awhile-- don't see a sign of anyone 'avin' got 'ere before us."

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini had opened and was about half-way through the bar when Laeonas explained what it was she was eating. Her chewing slowed, then stopped as she regarded the uneaten portion of the bar.

She caught sight of the date of manufacture printed on the wrapper, and gave an involuntary shudder.

"You know, come to think of it, I have heard of these... I think they were cited as an example in an ethics class I had to take."

She considered for another moment, then finished off the bar; it was tasty, in a "better living through synthetics" kind of way. She shoved the wrapper in a pocket and jogged after the human, joining him on the crest of a rise overlooking the ruins.

"Gods..."

The architects of Xim the Despot, as much as those of any ambitious leader and perhaps even more than most, had built to last. Unfortunately, the ages tended to have the last word against even the most overbuilt structure, and thus it was that the shipyards of Xim were still majestic, but only in their desolation. A dozen or so vast rectangular pits - ancient dry-docks - had been dug into the mountain slopes, the broken, corroded remains of enormous landing cradles visible in their shadowed depths. Many of the stone and permacrete retaining walls had cracked and crumbled, spilling debris to partially fill many of the docks. The outlying buildings of the complex were mostly gone; scrub-choked piles of broken permacrete rubble sitting in low rings showed where domes similar to those at the comm relay had stood.

"And this was a small facility. There are places on Thanium that have thousands of these pits, over hundreds of square kilometers."

Abruptly, there was a muted squawk from Trini's belt. The Amaran looked startled, then withdrew her comlink.

"Zeezee! What's up??"

The comlink crackled with interference, the droid's voice coming in only intermittently.

"--ini!! I'm u---- ---ack! So-- ------ -- - --on--- -attlebird! I can't ----- --em!"

The comm signal dissolved into intense static then, but Trini was already looking skyward. The flash of the Silver Bolide's reflective skin was visible against the cloudy sky, and just behind it, a larger, duller shape. As the Amaran watched, horrified, blasts of turbolaser fire burst around the tiny Bolide, and a plume of black smoke began to trail from the tiny fighter; it spiraled away, down toward the ruins below.

"Kriff, kriff! Zeezee!!"

Trini was screaming into the comlink as the shape of the Bolide bellied in along the slope of one of the pits. There was no fireball of an explosion, but the crashed fighter skidded along the angled stone blocks for a ways, before eventually gravity took hold and it slid down into the shadowed depths.

"KaaaaARK!!"

Trini ran from the ledge overlooking the ruins, spotting a half-collapsed garage nearby. Inside was a row of ancient-looking GoTech VT/450s painted in institutional orange, spotted with rust. Most had settled on their landing skids, but one still seemed to be hovering, a cable trailing from it to a power coupling in the wall. With a frustrated snarl, the Amaran wrenched out the cable and jumped into the front seat of the small speeder; the turbine coughed at first, but then its pitch began to rise in an unsteady whine.

"C'mon! Get in!!" She called to Laeonas. "We have to get down there!!"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"Ethics class?" The Brentaalan asked. "What's th'at all about? 'Aven't 'eard th'at word before; got somethin' ta do with what they put in these?" He asked, genuinely curious. Despite his complete lack of knowledge, the Brentaalan's intuitive ability to read context clues had... sort of pointed him in the right direction about what he was talking about? "Ai just figure they're real old and whatever they put in there ta make it taste so karkin' good after so long's what fucks with yer guts." He suggested. Trini might recall that the bars had been discontinued within a week due to the hundreds of fatalities that had resulted in their overconsumption.

Candy lore aside, both sentients' attention was drawn down to the ruins within moments of getting a good view of it. Even Laeonas, with his historical knowledge being almost nonexistent, could appreciate the size and scope of this place. It was old, and in awful shape, and yet it was still a sight to behold. Trini's declaration that this facility was small was what kicked the Brentaalan's imagination into high gear. How many ships had come in and out of this place, out of all these places? To have such authority, such power... to stand at the apex of influence and achievement...

"And what tha kark does it matter after so long?" He thought to himself, cutting in on the fantasizing and marvel. "Tha guy th'at built all this was master ta a thousand worlds, and all th'at's left of 'im and 'is legacy's a couple empty drydocks, rusted 'ulks, and dust." It went on, a pessimistic outlook on the situation. History remembered the Despot as little more than a conquering warlord-- a man at the head of an army and the master of a fleet, whose realm collapsed shortly after his death. How could anything so brief even hope to have a lasting impact on the galaxy? "Unless ya blow up a planet." He thought, answering his own question.

His silent contemplation was interrupted by the frantic sounds coming from Trini's commlink. Before Laeonas could ask what was going on, the sound of shrieking engines and the sounds of turbolaser fire drew his attention to the sky. His expression twisted into a mixture of shock and horror as the Amaran's ship, pursued by another much larger vessel above it, was driven into the Earth. "Deus allbein', what tha KARK?!" He shouted, before his eyes turned up to the sky. He couldn't make out who the ship belonged to, but he knew that it was bad news.

As the Amaran ran down to a somehow still functioning hovercraft (evidently the last functioning piece of Xim's legacy) Laeonas would remain stunned for another few seconds. He was broken out of his shock by Trini's yells, and the Brentaalan finally made his way over to join her. Naturally, the two began speeding towards the ship at a speed that was only slightly below 20 km/h. With how quick his blood was pumping, the only thing stopping the Brentaalan from hopping out and running in an adrenaline and force fueled dash to the ship was the descent into the pit.

They hadn't even made their way to the bottom when he jumped, still a good 10-15 feet up. His descent was slowed by his saber, which he pulled out and shoved into the wall. His legs carried him to the ship at a speed that far outstripped what a baseline human should've been capable of, the force speeding up an already adrenaline enhanced dash. Once he reached the hull of the ship, he didn't even wait for the Amaran to arrive before he plunged the crimson blade forward, cutting a Laeonas-sized hole to get in.

"AYY, ZEEZ, THE KARK ARE YA?!" He shouted, frantically looking around.

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini, for a supposed grad student, had a deft hand at the controls of a speeder, it turned out. She took the winding dirt road that switch-backed down the mountainside like a professional rally driver, and within minutes the the vehicle was plunging down the sloped wall of the dry-dock, the landing skids and belly pan occasionally striking sparks off debris that jutted out.

Even so, the Amaran gave a startled yelp as Laeonas leapt from the passenger seat, watching as the human vaulted into the air and ignited his crimson lightsaber, plunging it into the wall and throwing up a curtain of sparks as he used it to brake. He reached the wreck of the Silver Bolide, and Trini watched as he cut into the crumpled hull as she pulled up beside him.

"Over here! Help me out, I'm stuck!!"

The cockpit of the Bolide was thick with acrid smoke, a thousand small electrical fires brewing up as the well made but still ancient power systems failed. ZZ-4A4 was located in his normal spot, plugged into the bottom-loading droid socket just in front of the pilot seat. The droid's normal means of egress was blocked; having made a gear-up belly landing, the hatch which normally allowed Zeezee to come and go was blocked shut, and the socket only left room for his cranial turret to protrude into the cockpit. He would need to be cut out.

Meanwhile, outside, Trini had jumped out of the speeder and was dashing toward the Bolide to help rescue her friend, when a noise made her look up. Something had cast its shadow on the wreck of the Bolide, a vaguely U-shaped silhouette, and as the Amaran watched, small flares of light began to drift down from it...

It took Trini a moment to realize what she was seeing.

"Laeonas!!" She called, fumbling for the blaster she had taken to carrying as she spoke. "Rocket jumpers!!"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The droid's vocabulator carried over the sounds of the guts of the ship dying, the groaning of the hull and tiny, popping explosions sounding off in the man's ears. The deeper he went into the ship, the thicker the smoke got, causing him to crouch lower and lower until he was crawling on hands and knees to the cockpit. Frantically, Laeonas looked around, shouting, "WHERE ARE YA?!" In exasperation, before the droid called back, "I'm right in front of you!"

The human's eyes darted in the direction of the voice, and his eyes widened as he saw where the droid was. Like many fighters, there was a socket for an assistant pilot droid to climb into. In this case, the droid was... well, stuck in it. Laeonas' eyes widened as he looked the droid over, the only thing sticking out being the very top of it's head. "Uh... oh kark." He cursed, looking down at the hilt of his saber again. "Okay, uh, stay calm! Ai'm gonna try and cut'cha outta there!" He declared, igniting the blade and driving it downward.

"Cut me out? But I'm wired into all the ship's systems, if you cut me out--" Zeezee began babbling, to which Laeonas simply ignored--

--and that was when the sparks went flying.

The human was thrown back across the cockpit, back cracking against the control panel. Dazed, it took awhile for him to finally reorient himself. Looking over at his handiwork, he'd left a long gash along the top of the socket, through which he could see Zeezee's frame. "Okay, th'at... th'at didn't work..." He muttered, shaking his head a little to make the stars clouding his vision go away. "Uhh... okay, so um, Ai think Ai'm gonna try and cut around ya with mae saber, and than Ai'm gonna use tha force ta yank ya ou-"

"LAEONAS!!" A shrieking voice called-- Trini's. "ROCKET JUMPERS!!"

"Fuck." He hissed. "HOLD ON, AI'M COMIN!'" He yelled, turning around. "HEY, don't leave me here!" The droid shouted. Turning back, Laeonas, frantic, replied, "It's gonna take to long ta cut'cha out! Ai gotta leave ya fer a se-" He was once again cut off as the control panel behind him exploded, sparks flying everywhere. "DEUS, EIRE AND-- FUCK!" He screeched. "Everything's going red! HELP!" Zeezee shouted.

"Okay, okay, where's yer 'ead?!" He shouted back.

"...what?!"

"THA PART OF YA TH'AT DOES THA THINKIN', WHERE'S IT AT?!"

"I-- my CPU is around the top of my chasis, near my photorec- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The droid vocabulated, as the human drove the blade into it's frame. The droid protested as Laeonas hacked at his frame, shouting for help and calling the human all sorts of synonyms for crazy and deranged. After a few seconds of screaming, the droid powered off, photoreceptors going dark. "...oh fuck." Laeonas whispered. Scrambling, the man reached inside, slipping his hands through the narrow space in the socket and pulling. A few wires snapped, and the narrow head of the droid was stashed under Laeo's arm.

Within seconds of scrambling out of the ship, the cockpit was set alight, an electrical fire going off that consumed everything inside. Looking around, the human would set Zeezee's "head" down on the ground. He couldn't believe that he was actually concerned for this automata, when only a few days ago he'd regarded most with either chauvinistic apathy or open disdain. He didn't care enough to not "decapitate" it without a second thought when the situation became slightly more dangerous, but that he'd even bothered trying to save the droid was odd for him.

What wasn't odd was his reaction as he saw the men, still specks in the sky, making their descent. They'd followed them-- that was the only way they could've gotten here. They'd attacked them, attacked them so that they could take Xim's hoard for themselves-- take what was rightfully his. There was only one course of action that a young Brentaalan man could take, and still be allowed to call himself a man afterwards.

"YA ROTTEN PIECES OF SHITE!" He screeched. Reaching into his coat, he drew out his blaster rifle, pressing the buck against his shoulder and beginning to fire wildly. "YER NEVER LEAVIN' THIS PIT! YER BONES ARE GONNA KEEP THESE WRECKS COMPANY FEREVER! YA 'EAR ME?!!!"

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini stared in mingled fear and fascination at the figures descending on plumes of jet exhaust from the ship hovering above, barely remembering the RK-3 blaster pistol she had taken to wearing in a shoulder holster under her jacket. She fumbled it out, still shaking her head at the scene above her.

Academically, Trini was aware that Yutuski Strato-Hoplite armor was still used by the soldiers of certain royal houses in the Tion Cluster; as a kit, she had seen holonet broadcasts of coronations of the sector's many monarchs with the garishly attired ceremonial guards in attendance. They were almost comical in that context, outdated pieces of ceremonial flare, there to uphold tradition rather than serve any real purpose.

They were far less amusing after the Amaran recognized the modern composites in their body armor, and the very up-to-date blaster pistols they were aiming down at her.

"What in the kriff is going on here?!"

Suddenly, Trini heard a stream of roared curses, and turned to see Laeonas - having unslung a blaster rifle from somewhere - firing up at the rocket jumpers. Uttering her own curse, she began to do the same, her small pistol bucking.

Return fire was almost immediate, and Trini found herself sprinting for cover as a bolt glassed the sand at her feet. Thankfully, shooting downward at a moving target was difficult; the Amaran nevertheless only grazed one of the descending figures herself, and yelped as a bolt singed her tail as she ducked into the frame of a huge doorway.

"Laeonas! There's dozens of them! Over here!!"

Already, several of the rocket jumpers had landed. They had taken up positions on top of some of the rusting support frames which had once cradled giant warships in for repairs. With a steady vantage point, their fire was now much more accurate. Trini cursed as stone chips stung her cheek from a near miss, before leaning around the door-frame to snap off a few shots; her eyes fell on Laeonas as she did, and they widened in recognition as she saw something he was carrying besides his rifle.

"Wait... is that Zeezee's head?!"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

In spite of the seething anger that boiled in the human's heart, his aim was shockingly steady. There were many a target to choose from, and ofcourse he picked those foolish enough to try and land close by. Few of his shots actually landed, but most missed by a margin of a foot or two-- that wouldn't be impressive at a standard range, but with the rocket jumpers hundreds of feet away, it wasn't anything to sneeze at. The troopers hadn't expected such precision, and it kept them at a distance-- most of them, at least. Those Laeonas wasn't immediately firing upon would begin to make their way closer to the ground. That only left the two he shot and killed immediately.

He only had the wreck of the ship for cover, but with many of the troopers more focused on avoiding his shots and many others focused on Trini, barely any managed to get anywhere close to him. However, his attention had shifted to those who had landed-- those who had, in a display of ignorance, surrendered their only advantage and jumped into the proverbial Krayt Dragon's den. Dropping his blaster, Laeonas leapt up and over the wreck of the Silver Bollide, and began to run-- faster than any human being should've been able to manage. He moved in a zigzag motion, half crouched. The closest trooper to him started to fire rapidly, bolt after bolt soaring past him.

When the distance closed from 15, to 10, to 3 yards, and the man fired point blank, the Brentaalan, in a terrifying display, leapt. He'd launched himself at a 45 degree angle, and midair, the crimson blade of his saber ignited-- and tore the man in half from his collarbone to his hip. For a moment, the firing stopped, the sight before them stunning the troops positioned on the hulk of the ship. Standing on the edge was a man, his hair as black as his skin was pale, eyes a mixture of radiant aquamarine and rings of burning amber, a crimson blade in his hand.

Laeonas didn't even catch a breathe as he ran towards the next closest, shutting off his saber, tucking and rolling as a number of shots flew his way, and coming up to drive his saber into the man's chest.

"OPEN FIRE ON THE SITH!" One of the troopers audibly shouted, and Laeonas, out in the open, was suddenly met with blasterfire from all sides. Thinking quickly, the man lifted the dead guard's body over him, his own strength as well as the force allowing him to keep moving. Even self trained and not much of a threat to a well trained Knight or Marauder, Laeonas was on another league when compared to these guards, both his natural abilities and years of experience making him a deadly foe for such men.

The next closest trooper was merely a meter or two away, struggling to aim at the Brentaalan with the body of his dead comrade being used as a shield. With a push of the force, the corpse was flung forward, the trooper infront of him diving to the side-- and, as it so happened, tumbling down and hitting the stone with a crack, screaming. The man behind him was in a similar position, and the body hit him head on. Naturally Laeonas pressed the advantage, even as the remaining five or so men kept firing at him, rushing forward another meter and swinging his blade down in an arc, decapitating both men, and in another gruesome display, tossing both of their heads forward with the force, slamming into another trooper.

But he'd hardly considered just how much attention he'd drawn to himself-- and as he rushed forward to press the advantage, a blasterbolt from one of the men behind the one he'd just knocked down whizzed past his comrade and narrowly grazed the Brentaalan's right thigh-- and it hurt like hell. Screaming, the Brentaalan's weight would crash down upon him in an instant, and he fell-- hard. Landing on his side, the man could feel his elbow crunch as it hit the stone. He didn't waste any time however, as he scrambled under the hull of the ship as quick as he could.

A hail of blasterfire would descend around his position, as the majority of the troopers left were focused on gunning down who they considered the most evident threat. Trini would be left with three, maybe four blasters still trained on her position-- leaving a fairly open route to where Zeezee's discarded head had been left.

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini alternated curses and squeals as blaster fire peppered her position; her tiny pistol wasn't effective at the ranges the rocket jumpers kept, and she was reduced to cowering behind cover, something that was admittedly easier for her to do given her small size.

It was then that she heard the ignition of a lightsaber, and a cry of unholy rage. This was cut by panicked instructions from the rocket jumpers' apparent commander, who ordered his troops to "Open fire on the Sith!" From what Trini could hear, though, it wasn't going very well for the attackers.

The fire on the little Amaran's position slackened, and she risked a glance around the door-frame. She saw dead rocket jumpers and pieces of the same fairly littering the ground. Laeonas, however, seemed to have retreated to the shelter of one of the Silver Bolide's crumpled wings; blaster fire peppered the wreck as the attackers tried to keep the human pinned down.

Abruptly, however, one of them went spinning to the ground with a scream, smoke and sparks sputtering from his jet pack. The remaining jumpers looked up in shock as a number of figures in what looked like Old Republic rocket jumper gear crested the lip of the dry-dock. They fired down at the attackers, who scattered, the newcomers giving chase.

Trini blinked in utter confusion as the two groups traded fire for a moment. Steeling herself, she hesitated a moment before dashing out from cover, scooping up Zeezee's head as she ran to Laeonas. She grabbed the human by the arm, pointing toward the dark doorway that led into the mountain.

"C'mon, this way! While they're distracted!!"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The pain that coursed up the man's elbow was, to put it bluntly, intense. His arm audibly cracked when he tried moving it, but more than cripple his arm, the pain drove the seething rage that had overwhelmed the human's pysch, and the reality of his situation fell down upon him like a house of cards. He was pinned down, injured, and almost all their attackers were focused on him. It had been a year, maybe more, since he'd genuinely feared for his life, and he did not welcome the feeling back. Grabbing the hilt of his saber, he brought it close, igniting the blade, prepared to come out swinging if any of them were foolish enough to descend.

But none did, and in spite of that fact, the blasterfire only intensified. Taking the opportunity, Laeonas charge out of his hiding spot, only slightly hampered and carrying his saber in a block, expecting that he'd need to defend himself. Nobody did however, and as the man looked up to see why, aquamarines widened in shock. As if the previous troupe of troopers didn't look ridiculous enough, another squad of even more absurd looking soldiers had showed up-- and started firing on them. Eyelids would flutter as the Brentaalan blinked rapidly, momentarily stunned.

As he processed the situation, the man began to consider his options, and a voice, his own, he thought, whispered, "They're distracted-- prolly fergot ya were 'ere. Show these deceitful pricks what 'appens when they try and take what's yers." It advised, and for a moment, amber flickered across his eyes again, fingers clenching around the hilt of his saber. He'd been about to leap up and finish the job when he was literally pulled away... well, "pulled away" would be inaccurate. His sleeve had been tugged a bit, but Laeonas remained where he stood all the same.

Nevertheless, the Amaran had gone out of her way to run across the pit to reach him, and her words were more than enough to (temporarily) calm Laeo's bloodlust. Both ran back across together, with Laeonas holding his saber up to guard from any blasterfire, though there was none. The two would quickly find themselves past the threshold of the doorway into the mountain, panting slightly.

"...what in Deus' name is goin' on out there?!!" the man exclaimed, the shock and confusion on his face genuine. "Ai'd thought those pricks 'ad just followed us from Formos, but now there's another group of dick'ead's shows up and starts cappin' them?!" He summarized, just as he began walking deeper down the hallway, his rant persisting. "What kinda twisted sense of humor's tha force got ta pull this magarlach?!" He finally finished, just slightly calmer than he had been.

"Ai... are we even goin' tha right way?" The human asked, turning down to look at her-- and spotting Zeezee's "head" under her arm. "...Oh." He muttered. "Good... th'at you picked th'at up?"

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini was panting for breath alongside the larger human as they reached the shelter of the tunnel that bore into the mountain. Looking around briefly, Trini saw flickering neon lamps along the ceiling, illuminating bare rock walls braced with corroded metal girders; outlines of ancient, peeling paint showed where location indicators and warning signs had once been. Incongruously, there was what looked to be a tourist map kiosk near the entrance. It was old, the flimsiplast pamphlets it held crumbling with age.

"I have no Sith-blasted idea who they were!!" She replied as they hurried deeper into the mountain. "I mean, it's not the first time I've been shot at out of nowhere, but it's the first time I've been saved by... by a bigger fish!"

At Laeonas' question, she glanced down at Zeezee's cranial turret. At a cursory look, all the important, irreplaceable parts - cognitive matrix, memory banks, etc - still seemed to be in place. Nevertheless, she shot a glower back up at the human.

"Yes... I should be able to rebuild him from this. You had to-!"

Trini cut herself off. Laeonas had done more than could probably have been expected of most people in that situation; at least she had this much left of ZZ-4A4, and the droid hadn't been left to burn in the wreck of the Silver Bolide. Most people Trini knew would have abandoned a droid rather than try to rescue it.

"Thank you." She said, after a moment of hesitation. "Zeezee is a good friend... I'm grateful you could save this much."

The sound of blaster fire echoed through the tunnel from outside, but so for none of the combatants had followed them inside. They rounded a corner, and Trini fished a datapad out of a pocket of her vest.

"Actually, we're pretty much on track. We needed to go underground once we reached the site anyway; if my theory is right, we'll find a junction up ahead, and we'll need to look for something that doesn't belong."

The scrap of information Trini had recovered on Formos had not told her much, in truth. It had given the Amaran a general location; orbital vectors to a specific moon of Iego, and a specific facility. There had been no mention of where in the facility the Crowns of Tion might have been hidden, but given the nature of the plan to hide Xim's legacy after his death, and the way other treasures of Xim's time had been discovered over the millennia, the archaeologist was able to make certain assumptions.

She just hoped she was right.

After a little while longer, Trini and Laeonas came out into a vast open space. It was indeed a junction; tunnels branched off in all directions, large Tionese numerals written in peeling paint above each. Trini looked around; most of the tunnels were blocked by wire mesh gates, additions made long after the facility was originally constructed, with warning signs advising tourists that the tunnels beyond were unstable. Another moldering tourist kiosk sat in the center of the space.

"It's here somewhere..."

Trini jogged out into the middle of the space and turned in a circle. The tunnels all branched off into darkness, their ends invisible, except for...

"There!"

Pointing excitedly, Trini ran over to a tunnel that no one had bothered to block off. The reason quickly became clear; it was shallow, extending only a few meters into the rock before terminating in what looked like a dead end. Stone bore the marks of some ancient boring machine, or perhaps even picks wielded by droids or organic slaves, but the work had evidently been abandoned.

Trini ran her hand along the uneven surface, grinning with excitement. She turned back toward Laeonas.

"Can you use your saber on this??"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"It just... it just don't make any sense!" He exclaimed. "Ai've been caught in shootouts before, but th'at?! I couldn't tell 'o they worked fer! Ai thought it might've been that fat, slimy fuck from Formos, but than those other pricks showed up and started shootin' at 'em!" He went on. "Usually Ai could tell 'o was 'o cause we were all wearin' bright bandanas and shite, but never nothin' as ridiculous as all... TH'AT!" He shouted, smacking his hand against the wall. Slowly, his panic subsided as adrenaline dissipated, but the questions still lingered.

Trini was as distressed as the human was, and she seemed like she was about to snap at him at the mention of her droid. Laeonas was ready to go on a tirade about how the hunk of scrap metal was lucky that he'd even wasted a breathe on trying to scoop out it's head... but rather than chastise him, the Amaran just thanked him. The man would blink a few times, a bit surprised by such a cordial reply, what with her being as freaked out as he was and all. So the Brentaalan did what he usually did when complimented... at least, he almost did.

"Ah, it wasn't nothin' ta worry about. Ai mean..." He started, before trailing off. "Ai mean... Ai would've done, but there was just so much smoke, and fire... Ai didn't know what else Ai could do, so Ai tried savin' tha part of 'im th'at matters." He said. "Ai'll pay off whatever it takes ta get 'im fixed-- Ai owe ya th'at." He said. He might not have been very fond of droids and he wasn't a particularly honest person, but he was a Brentaalan, and Brentaalans were not so foolish-- or rude-- to leave debts unpaid.

With their nerves calmed, the two would make their way further down the mountain hall, Trini assuring him that they were going in the right direction. The neon lamps kept things visible, but the Brentaalan still kept his saber alight, keeping even the most worn of signs easily visible as they made their way deeper into the tunnels. When they finally made their way into an open space, paths branching in all directions, Laeonas wasn't sure if they had reached a dead end, what with most every branch being blocked off but for one or two.

He was surprised when Trini pointed to a narrow, shallow tunnel as if they had just found a way to continue on their journey. When she asked him to cut at it with his saber, the Brentaalan gave her an incredulous look. "When tha Sith Ai took this from made it, Ai don't think she imagined me usin' it ta go minin'." He declared, glancing down at the blade before glancing back over to the rock. It didn't make sense... but Trini had gotten them this far. It might've been an act of desperation, but he wanted to get the crowns as badly as she did.

"...'hokay, let's do this." He sighed, walking over, and plunging his saber into the wall, beginning to cut. He'd expected stiff resistance, but surprisingly, the blade was cutting through the stone as easily as he had cut through the hull of the Silver Bollide. He watched as he completed the ring of burning plasma, before gripping the slab of stone with the force, pulling it back with all his strength.

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini stood back as Laeonas approached the wall, watching as the crimson blade ignited, and giving a little chuckle at the Brentaalan's remark. The energy sword carved smoothly into the stone, molten material flowing as Laeonas carved a large circle. She yipped in surprise when the human seized the plug with the Force and pulled it out, both at the sudden eruption and at the sensation that the channeling sent through her; Trini was no adept, but she could feel the Force when it was being used.

Apprehensively, she peered around the glowing lip of the hole Laeonas had made.

"I thought so..."

Beyond the hole carved in what proved to be a fairly thin layer of stone, backed by what looked like some sort of sound-deadening material that would have disguised the telltale hollow sound if anyone had cared to knock on the outer surface, was an utterly black space. As Trini fumbled at her belt for a glowrod, she spoke excitedly.

"It's just like the treasure vaults on Dellalt!" She exclaimed, eventually managing to unhook the glowrod. "Xim built a massive complex of subterranean vaults on the planet Dellalt at the start of his war against the Hutts. He intended to fill them with plunder and tribute from his new conquests, as well as treasures from his own empire, but it apparently never happened; the vaults were never filled. Or at least, that's what everyone thought!"

The glowrod clicked on, its beam sweeping along the dusty floor just inside the hole.

"Turns out, the vaults that everyone thought were the real thing were just a dummy layer! S.V. Skynx and some humans uncovered the real treasure vaults, hidden underneath! Come to think of it, I think one of the humans was Han SoaaAAAAAAAAGH!!"

Trini yelped in brief terror as the beam of her glowrod unexpectedly fell on a hulking, armored figure, nearly three meters of metallic plating gleaming in the light. The Amaran stumbled backward a pace and fell on her rump as she stared wide-eyed at the figure.

The figure did not move.

"Son of Xer! Is that...!"

Collecting herself, Trini clambered back to her feet, and before Laeonas could stop her, had hopped through the hole the human had cut. The beam of her glowrod played over the apparently inert figure, the tiny Amaran dwarfed by it as she leaned close to peer at joints and seams.

"This is a genuine Guardian-class war-robot!" She exclaimed. "And it's intact! This machine by itself is almost priceless!"

She beamed back at Laeonas, inadvertently shining her ultra-bright glowrod on him as she did.

"It must have been set to stand guard here when they sealed the entrance! Don't worry, after all this time I'm sure its fuel slugs have run dry... otherwise it would have tried to blast us as soon as we cut a hole in the wall!"

She beckoned the human forward with a hand gesture.

"C'mon! I think it's safe in here if this brute isn't working."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Laeonas hadn't been sure of the Amaran's decision to plunge his saber into the cavern wall. Part of him thought that the girl was getting desperate, trying to find any way to keep going in spite of what seemed to be another failure over millennia of trying to find the crowns. Nevertheless, he'd had enough faith in her to push those doubts aside and do as she asked-- and both of them were rewarded for their perseverance as the wall fell away to reveal a hollow space behind it. "Ai'll be..." he muttered, taking a few steps forward.

Trini began to prattle on about the history of Xim and his vaults, and for the first time Laeonas was actually invested. "Maybe if this gobshite decided ta focus on 'is succession instead of 'idin' 'is treasure 'e-- OLY SHITE!" The Brentaalan exclaimed, stumbling back, his saber falling out of his hand and rolling somewhere in the dark. His fight or flight response had kicked in, but thankfully his weapon wasn't in his hand, otherwise the ancient warrobot would've been torn to slag in a matter of seconds. Reaching out into the darkness, the human would eventually find his weapon, though he never once broke eye contact with the lifeless automata.

"...this is..." he muttered, "We... we saw these, didn't we?" The man asked, turning down to the Amaran. "In tha 'olo vid with that chick dressed up in th'at ridiculous costume, she 'ad one or two of these things just... standin' there with 'er." He muttered, circling the droid once or twice. Of all he'd seen on this world so far-- the drydocks, ancient architecture and all it's wonders... this was what reminded him of how real all that Trini had said was. Every world Xim had conquered, every people subjugated, all the men and women who'd served him-- they were all as living as he was.

But they were gone. They had been gone for thousands of years, dead and buried, their bones scattered to dust. "But this thing's still 'ere." He muttered to himself, fingers hovering inches from it's chassis. Aquamarines shown bright in the dim lighting, reflecting off his irises and shimmering in the dark. Her mention of the fuel slugs and the possible danger it could've posed were they not empty snapped him out of the moment of existential contemplation, and he immediately considered dismembering the machine just to make sure there was no risk of it turning back on.

But, the woman had called it priceless. He couldn't understand why-- old droids were useless, to be discarded and replaced once a superior machine could be found. "Why would anyone pay more than a few creds fer this thing?" He asked. "Ai could prolly find a droid better at killin' folk t'morrow and mae purse'd only be a few 'undred chips lighter." He said, eyeing the machine up once again. "Ai mean, it's big... but it ain't much else." He said, acting as if the machine hadn't scared him worse than the time he'd thought he'd seen a Draoi standing in the corner of his bedroom one night.

Promptly, he followed her deeper into the cavern. He still didn't plunge his saber into the machine's chest-- he didn't know why the machine was so valuable, but if it was... well, Trini could keep the glory of finding the crowns. He'd keep the profits from selling such an apparently valuable piece of hardware to the highest bidder.

Granted, he'd need to find out how to haul it out of there first.

​

@AutoFox