Nameless Midnight

[Austin Wolfe]

theme​

This was it. The two Jedi Masters had "borrowed" a Nerf-Herder freighter from an impound station back on the trade hub, which they were now flying towards the location that they had pulled from the protocol droid earlier. Peering closer at the series of letters and numbers on the naviscreen, Austin read them aloud. "Asteroid...J-1314-009. I am surprised they bothered to number all of these," he commented, looking out of the viewport as rocks of various sizes drifted through space. Apparently, the warehouse for the Spyder's goods was stored in a particularly large one — despite nothing showing up on scanners or registered in the area. The navicomputer indicated that they were getting close, and Austin continued peering out to try seeing what they were looking for.

"I still don't see any —" he began, but falling silent as one of the asteroids spun around slowly and revealed a small entrance to a hangar. "Ah," Austin commented. "So it begins."

Punching in a docking request, the comms lit up with a response. "This is Void station. What is your cargo?" The doctor eyed the turbolasers* protruding from the corners of the hangar entrance. "We carry a class-2 hyperdrive for delivery." Hopefully the Jedi Masters had been quick enough that the real hyperdrive had not been delivered yet. There was a short pause before the reply came.

"Here already? Wow, that was fast! The Spyder'll be happy about that for sure." the turbolasers trained on the ship turned away as the docking request was accepted.* Austin breathed a sigh of relief.

@Shalken​

 

[Galahad Vult]

Looking through the viewport from the copilot's seat, Galahad searched through the asteroids of various sizes that could possibly house the stash they were looking for. Though they had the location of the asteroid itself, their ship's scanner didn't register it at all; in fact, apparently there was no asteroid with that exact number. The map they had picked up of the surrounding area did not list an asteroid with that code either. "Perhaps the Spyder's influence has grown so great that he had all traces of the asteroid's existence eliminated," Galahad conjectured. Sure enough, they reached J-1314-009, and the ex-guard's eyes widened in surprise. Initially he figured the station would be located on the asteroid's surface, not inside it. The Spyder truly had taken many measures to keep his illicit activity off the books.

As the two Jedi waited for confirmation of their docking request, Galahad eyed the several turbolasers that protruded from the hangar's entrance. If they decided to open fire on the Nerf-Herder, there was likely little the Master would be able to do to prevent their immediate disintegration. While perhaps a sufficiently strong Force Barrier would be able to alleviate the damage from a single round of firepower of that caliber, an entire volley would likely knock him out from the effort. Thankfully the docking request was accepted, and Galahad breathed a sigh of relief. As Austin guided the ship towards the landing pad inside 'the Void', Galahad drew his lightsaber and headed for the boarding ramp. He had left his staff behind for this mission, realizing that it would likely only impede him in the coming battle. "While our target is to destroy the goods," he noted, "the guards will likely not appreciate our efforts; we will deal with them as necessary. However, it would be wise of us to first destroy their communications to stop them from signalling backup. They likely also control the station's door locks and security, which we will need to access as well to complete our mission." As if to punctuate him, someone outside banged loudly on the ramp. "C'mon, open up! Let's see the goods!" a muffled voice bellowed out.

In response, Galahad pulled the hatch lever, lowering the boarding ramp and revealing three armed guards waiting impatiently at the bottom. Their smug expressions quickly evaporated when they saw the Nerf-Herder's only cargo was not a class-2 hyperdrive but instead two fully trained Jedi Masters. Igniting his golden yellow blade, Galahad extended a hand and released a quick flash of light, disorienting the thugs. A few quick strides down the ramp and Galahad was on top of them, cutting down two where they stood with his blade. Certain Austin would take out the third, Master Vult turned to observe the rest of the hangar. Three more guards were spread out throughout the hangar: two stood near the door and another near a pile of crates, punching numbers into a datapad.* Dropping the device, the third one bolted for cover and pulled up his comms to contact the control center, "Control, this is the hangar! We're under attack!" The other two trained their blasters on the two Jedi Masters and opened fire.

@Vosrik​

 

[Austin Wolfe]

While Galahad got up and prepared for the coming battle, Austin gently brought the ship inside the hangar and landed it carefully. This Nerf-Herder freighter was their ticket out once they had finished their work at the station. Getting out of the cockpit, the doctor also extracted his lightsaber from his belt, but did not ignite it just yet. "The security center shall be our primary target, then," Austin agreed as the loud banging reverberated throughout their empty vessel. A great hiss escaped from the ship as Galahad lowered the loading ramp and revealed the frame of the three guards. The doctor watched in satisfaction as his fellow Master created a blinding flash of light to daze the men before rushing forward and cutting two of them down. The third scrambled for his pistol, completely unable to see as Austin walked down the loading ramp towards him. Reaching out with a hand, Austin dulled the man's senses until he collapsed utterly unconscious to the metal floor.

Looking out and seeing the other three guards, now fully aware of the Jedi, Austin perceived one of them running and reaching for his comms to contact more security. Reaching out with the Force, he gripped the device and crushed it — rendering it completely useless before he could contact the control center.* As he dove into cover, Austin could do nothing else but turned his attention to the two near the door that the Jedi needed to take. Bringing his hands close together, he gathered the Force to form a telekinetic blast and sent it hurtling in their direction. The two men covered their faces, diving to the ground as it sailed above them and broke apart against the metal doors — doing little else than simply dissipating.*

Commanding his lightsaber to his hand, Austin ran in the direction where he had last seen the one diving for cover. "Galahad, take care of those two!" he called out. Thinking this was a good opportunity to show himself, the hiding guard stood up and leveled his rifle at Austin. Firing off a volley of bolts, the Force was truly with the doctor as he deflected every single one of them — killing the guard and knocking another into a camera that surveyed the area.*

@Shalken​

 

[Galahad Vult]

Austin had launched his telekinetic attack against the two guards by the door. While the blast had ultimately missed, the men had ducked down to avoid it anyway — giving Galahad an opportunity to close in safely. Seeing the approaching Jedi, the two men fumbled frantically for their rifles. The first was too late, cut down by the Jedi's blazing saber. The second managed to shoulder his rifle and squeeze the trigger twice before the Jedi closed the distance to him as well.* However, his efforts were entirely in vain, as Galahd's mastery of the Defensive Form enabled him to deflect the first bolt directly at the attacker and reflecting the second towards the door panel, breaking the lock and forcing it open.* Looking back and seeing Austin was successful as well, Vult motioned him further into the station. "The control room must not be far."

Heading down the hallway, the two Jedi encountered a patrol* of four guards.* "Hey! You're not supposed to be here!" one shouted as they all drew their blasters on the two Jedi. Reaching out with the Force, Galahad attempted to pull their guns out of their hands, but he only managed to make them fumble with their weapons for a few moments.* However, this gave Master Vult enough time to pull up a Force Barrier to block their initial salvo of blasterfire. "I cannot hold this for long!" Galahad warned Austin. "We need to disrupt them somehow!" At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the guards from the control room heard the commotion and called for backup.

@Vosrik​

 

[Austin Wolfe]

Striding quickly to the door, it seemed the Jedi Masters were off to an excellent start to their heist. If one could really call it a heist — rather than using the precision of a scalpel, they were blasting through with the power of a hammer. Collateral damage was to be expected. "We have kept them from sounding the alarm for now, though it may not stay that way for long. Those at the control room must realize something is wrong," Austin theorized, following Galahad through the broken open doors and walking down the hallway.

Lo and behold, a patrol of four guards blocked their path. One of them barked a threat, revealing himself to be the captain obvious of the day. Galahad's quick action forced the guards to fumble with their weapons before beginning a relentless volley — only stopped by the Barrier Master Vult conjured. The warning caused Austin to think quickly, looking through the barrier and seeing a grenade on one of the guard's belts. Reaching out with the Force, the doctor sought to activate it and thereby stop the men from shooting. However, the guard whose belt the grenade was affixed to saw the Jedi Master attempt this and grasped it, keeping it from being activated.*

Realizing his plan had been foiled, Austin extinguished his lightsaber and wound his arm back in preparation for the next thing he had in mind. Lobbing it horizontally, the Jedi activated it again mid-flight and it cut down two of the guards while the others quickly ducked.* At least they had stopped the barrage of blaster fire. Commanding his lightsaber to his hand once again, Austin strode forward and held the men in stasis as they were in the middle of bringing their guns up again. Reaching them, he made quick work of them before moving on. The control room looked as though it was just down the hall from where the Jedi were now.

@Shalken​

 

[Galahad Vult]

Master Wolfe acted quickly to stop the guards' assault, attempting to pull the pin on one of their frag grenades. Unfortunately, the thug noticed the Jedi doctor's efforts, and grasped the explosive to prevent it from going off. It seemed these men were not just hired mercenaries with more brawn than brains. Realizing this, Austin then executed a simpler attack, but one that proved to be far more effective. Seeing his friend extinguish his lightsaber and wind back to throw it, Galahad shaped his Force Barrier accordingly, creating a window through which the doctor could throw the weapon without fully exposing themselves. Austin's blade reignited as it arced through the air, becoming a spinning blade of death that carved through two of the guards and forced the others to duck for their lives. However, they did not last much longer than the first two, as the Jedi Master prevented them from attacking again before cutting them down as well.

This station was far smaller and more compact than the maze-like hallways and corridors of the Spyder's hotel. The hallway they were in led straight through to the warehouse itself, but the Jedi would not go there yet. The only passage to the side was in fact the control room itself from where the entire station's security and communications were operated. As the door slid open, the single guard* operating it — the one who had let Austin and Galahad onto the station in the first place — was already prepared for the Jedi's approach, having taken cover behind his desk.* "Class-2 hyperdrive my ass!" he shouted, pulling a frag grenade from his belt and throwing it out into the hallway. He obviously did not know the universal rule that you should never throw a grenade at a Jedi. Seeing the explosive, Galahad immediately flicked it back into the room with the Force. However, the guard had taken cover to shield himself from the grenade's blast. While the desk absorbed the shrapnel and left him unharmed, the communications panel was now damaged beyond repair and began to smoke. Striding into the room, taking advantage of the situation, Master Vult carved his blade through the desk itself, slaying the guard on the other side.

@Vosrik​

 

[Austin Wolfe]

The Jedi Masters' advance would not be stopped today. Unsurprisingly, there was only one guard manning the control room — though the cameras and the sound of baster fire had alerted him fully to the invaders' presence. However, one man could never hope to face off against two advanced users of the Force such as Austin and Galahad. Though his bravery could be commended, a grenade was one of the lest effective things that could be thrown against a Force user — as the former Temple Guard aptly displayed. The communications panel now destroyed, no reinforcements would be coming to the aid of asteroid J-1314-009. Even if the one manning the control center had sent out a plea for help, any that came from the Spyder's Web would arrive far too late at the current rate that the Jedi were advancing. With no more opposition in the room, Austin circled the area, slashing his lightsaber upon each panel he came upon. Cameras, defenses, door locks — all would be ruined and deactivated once the Jedi Master had finished. "The hardest part may yet be before us. I imagine there is a leader or taskmaster in charge of this Void Station," Austin commented to Galahad.

It occurred to the doctor now that he should have observed the security feeds before destroying them to see what they would face as they delved deeper into the station. From what he did notice on the screens, however, was that there were two cargo hangars left for them to visit — one larger one that had crates upon crates of goods, and a smaller one that had seemingly little. "Let us press on and visit the larger cargo bay. It is likely the Spyder is keeping most of his black market goods there." Exiting the control center, Austin continued down the empty corridor until finding the entrance to the larger bay. Despite having wrecked the panel that controlled the doors, there was a thick blast door that sealed off the bay.* "Come Galahad, we will cut through this faster if we do it together."

Plunging his saber into the durasteel, Austin slowly but surely began melting through the thick metal. He knew that this would likely take quite some time before they gained entry and were able to complete their task. The doctor also knew that the door directly opposite them lead into the smaller bay, and they would need to cut into that one later as well. With pieces of the blast door superheating and breaking apart in chunks, Austin gave his fellow Jedi Master a warning. "If there are any men beyond this door, they will most certainly know we are coming."

@Shalken​

 

[Galahad Vult]

Ensuring the guard was dead, Galahad assisted Austin in destroying the rest of the control panels in the room, prioritizing the communications and security systems. Every panel was completely inoperable, and the station's doors could no longer be remotely controlled or locked from the command center. While perhaps it would have been prudent to observe the camera feeds to see who else remained on the station, there was nothing the Jedi could do now but press on and deal with the remaining opposition as they were faced with it.

Venturing out of the room and down the rest of the hallway to the larger cargohold's entrance, they were faced with a blast door that was sealed shut. Nodding to his companion, Galahad plunged his saber into the thick plating as well, superheating the central lock into chunks molten slag.

Though a single saber would have taken an extended amount of time, the door could not withstand the combined heat of two lightsabers; in under a minute the blast door's seal completely melted away, sliding open and revealing the contents within. Stacked in several neat rows throughout the room were crates upon crates of goods. Galahad could only guess what kind of outlandish spices, drugs, and weaponry were contained in the boxes, but it ultimately mattered little. It all needed to burn. Calling upon the Force once more, Galahad materialized a supernatural flame into his palm, which he then directed in a stream towards the nearest row of boxes. The dry, controlled air of the cargohold provided the perfect conditions for a fire, and the crates quickly ignited, the flames spreading rapidly throughout the room.

As he walked down a row, burning as he went, Galahad noted a smaller box near the end. On the side in large, bold writing read 'DANGER - DO NOT HEAT'. Smirking, the Jedi lit the box on fire as well. "Your black market ends today, Spyder."

@Vosrik​

 

[Austin Wolfe]

The work of both lightsaber's plasma blades made quick work of the blast door. Clearly they were not designed with the weapons of the Jedi in mind — indeed, there were few materials in the Galaxy that was strong enough to resist the direct strike from the sabers. As the lock charred and fell to the metal flooring, Austin stepped back as the door automatically slid open, now having nothing keeping it securely closed. With their obstacle now gone, the two Jedi Masters entered the cargo bay before them.

Though initially the doctor did not know what to expect upon entering the room, it seemed as though there were surprisingly no guards to speak of. The crates were stacked high, with little indication to what exactly was in them. Regardless of what they carried, Austin and Galahad got to work destroying it. Extinguishing his blade, Austin summoned flames to his palms and released them just as his fellow Master did. Torching the rows upon rows of crates, the fire began to spread exponentially without the further aid of the Force. Walking over to where Galahad stood, Austin peered at the very bold sign on the box. "Ah, it is too late for that," he scoffed, standing back to view their handiwork. In a way, their mission had been a complete success.

"JEDI SCUM!" a voice shouted across the cargo bay. Looking back to the charred entryway, the two would see the taskmaster of the Void station. "You won't be leaving this rock alive," he threatened murderously, shouldering a Devastator Rifle and unloading several triple-pulse shots at the Jedi. Leaping behind some of the crates, Austin began peering around to see if he could take advantage of any opportunities — so far, this taskmaster seemed far more experienced and dangerous than the rest of the men the Jedi had encountered. All the while, the heat of the room began to increase as the fires burned hotter and hotter. An alarm began blaring as the smoke rose, notifying everyone that they should leave the premises immediately.

@Shalken
taskmaster colour = crimson​

 

[Galahad Vult]

Though the Jedi's swathe of destruction had been unhindered, their attack could only last so long without interruption. Turning around to face the cargo bay's entrance, Galahad spied the well-armoured guard standing in the doorway, a monstrous rifle in his arms which he raised to his shoulder and opened fire. Austin immediately jumped for cover, but the ex-guard drew his saber and planted himself in the defensive stance of Soresu. Unfortunately for Galahad, he did not realize the taskmaster's rifle was a pulse-fire weapon. While he managed to deflect the first shot, the other two hit his left leg and arm, forcing him to take cover as well and bandage his wounds.* "HA! Take that you maggot!" the leader called out over the blaring klaxons and now-roaring flames.

Having quickly applied refreshingly cool kolto bandages to his leg and arm, Galahad called upon the Force and took command of the flames, shooting out a torrent of fire towards the taskmaster. While his armour protected him from being seriously wounded, it forced him to cease fire and leap aside to avoid it.* The area bathed in smoke, it would be difficult for the guard to see where the Jedi would attack from next.
⋮⋮ We have an opening. Use it wisely, ⋮⋮ Galahad quickly relayed to Austin. Remaining at the far end of the cargohold, Master Vult crossed his legs and calmed his mind, centering himself in the Force and momentarily entering a state of Oneness. This would perhaps be his most challenging battle yet, and the ex-guard was prepared to use every tool at his disposal to overcome this last obstacle.

@Vosrik​

 

[Austin Wolfe]

Hearing the blaster shots ring out across the room, Austin sensed the pain that radiated off of Galahad as the bolts struck the Master. Gritting his teeth, the doctor stayed low and moved up the row of crates while under cover. The chaos of the room was beginning to reach an entirely new level — with the taskmaster shouting threats and insults, the deafening fire alarm screaming, and the inferno becoming increasingly unbearable. Austin had to hold up a hand, shielding himself from the blaze as he crept forward closer to their opponent. Through all the insanity, there was still peace — the stoic and wise words of the doctor's friend. Gripping his lightsaber tightly, Austin dashed out from his row of crates, appearing suddenly on the taskmaster's left flank.

Reaching out with the Force as the man turned to face the approaching Jedi Master, Austin gripped the taskmaster's upper body in a grip of stasis.* He snarled and staggered, finding himself completely unable to move his arms to attack. "WHAT THE KES IS THIS!?" he shouted, outraged. His face was incredibly red — likely a combination of his shouting, the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and the heat of the cargo bay. Keeping his hand outstretched in a firm grip, Austin rushed forward and slashed his saber, carving the powerful rifle into two.

"C'mere you piece of —" the man snarled, rearing his head back and then launching it forward to collide with the doctor's face. However, he merely managed to lose his balance and topple forward onto the floor.* This movement, however, caused Austin to step aside and release the man from the telekinetic grip. With his arms now free, the taskmaster grabbed the doctor's booted ankle and reefed on it hard, forcing the doctor to be thrown awkwardly onto his back.*. Scrambling to his feet first — although Austin was still blocking his body with his lightsaber — the ferocious man drew his pistol and took aim at the doctor's head. By now, streams of sweat poured off the man as the confined space of the cargo bay reached an even new level of heat. Touching any one of the metal crates would almost certainly sear their skin instantly.

@Shalken​

 

[Galahad Vult]

Though the fires raged hot and fierce all around him and the alarms continued to screech angrily, they dimmed away in Galahad's mind. In that moment of chaos, he achieved a state of Oneness with the Force. ⋮⋮ There is no chaos, there is harmony. ⋮⋮ The words resounded within his very being, allowing him to center himself once more. The pain of his wounds ebbed away as his strength and focus returned. His body rejuvenated and his senses keen, Galahad could feel the immediate danger Austin was in.

Springing to action, Galahad telekinetically grasped a blazing-hot crate from a nearby row. Sweat poured down his brow as he raised it high into the air, the heat radiating from the metal nigh unbearable even from this distance. Aiming down the corridor, the taskmaster stood directly in the ex-guard's line of sight as the thug drew his pistol on Doctor Wolfe. His reflexes now faster and sharper than ever before, Master Vult punched the crate through the haze, launching it through the air towards the taskmaster like a giant flaming artillery projectile. Seeing the incoming box of flaming death roaring towards him far too late, the leader only had a second to scream out in fear before it collided with his torso, the crate simultaneously searing and pulverizing his face into a fine cooked paste.

Though the thug's fate was sealed, Galahad barely managed to read 'EXPLOSIVES' written in large, foreboding lettering on the crate just before it struck. Seeing his error and the immediate danger Austin was in, the bearded Jedi summoned a Force Barrier around the doctor as he shielded his own face with his arm. Moments later, the box exploded violently, launching both Master Wolfe and Vult several meters away from its epicenter. Two entire rows of crates collapsed, many of the crates breaking apart and their contents scattering all over the floor. Though Austin was well protected from the blast, Galahad was thrown heavily onto his back. His head ringing loudly, he kept his eyes shut tightly as he waited for the high-pitched whine to dissipate.

Eventually cracking his watering eyes open, the Jedi Master's bleary gaze met with the blue-eyed stare of a small, white-scaled creature he had never seen before. While most of its body appeared similar to that of various desert reptiles native to Jedha that Galahad had seen, attached to its forelegs were flaps of leathery skin which it kept folded by its sides. Despite the roaring flames engulfing the room, it did not seem perturbed by the chaos at all — in fact, it looked quite content with the heat, and stared attentively at the person sprawled on the floor in front of it. Cocking its head sideways at the Jedi, the creature screeched at him, revealing a vicious-looking row of tiny, razor-sharp teeth. Blinking a few times as he finally registered what he was looking at, Galahad noticed broken pieces of the 'DANGER: DO NOT HEAT' box behind it, along with several shards of what looked like a giant eggshell. "AUSTIN!" Master Vult shouted over the noise, "There is a live animal in here — some kind of lizard!" Apparently the Spyder was not above smuggling exotic creatures as well as illegal goods. Cautiously reaching out to pick up the creature, Galahad was surprised to find it did not resist or fight him, instead allowing him to cradle it in his large arms.

Edging his way along the perimeter of the cargohold, Galahad coughed as the smoke began to build up faster than the air circulation could filter it out. Reaching his companion, Galahad nodded towards the bay's entrance. "We need to get out of here, or this fire will consume us all!"

@Vosrik​

 

[Austin Wolfe]

It seemed for a moment that Austin would have to defend himself as best as he could from the taskmaster leering over him. Staring down the barrel of the Pulse-wave blaster, time seemed to slow as he knew the pull of the trigger would come any second. And yet it didn't — instead, a fiery crate collided into the man, instantly slaying him. Austin did not even have a second to recover, as Galahad's well-timed Force Barrier barely kept the doctor from also perishing in the explosion that rocked the cargo bay. Sliding backwards several meters, although unhurt, Austin cautiously got to his feet and found that he was miraculously unharmed from the fight, albeit a little bruised. He barely made out the words that Galahad shouted over the piles of burning crates — something about a live animal or a lizard.

"Then take it with you!" he shouted back. Regardless of whether his fellow Jedi Master did or not, Austin scanned the room to look for the way they first entered. He found it just as the former Temple Guard reached him, carrying some strange white-scaled animal. Peering at it for a moment, Austin commented, "Huh, interesting find." However, he agreed with his friend in that they could not stay any longer in the cargo bay. Striding briskly out of the room, Austin was about to turn down the hallway they came from when he noticed the door to the smaller bay was wide open. He paused, realizing that must have been where the taskmaster came from. Taking a step into the bay, he perceived that it was empty save for a single ship. But it was not just any ship.

It was an Argus-class Medical Triage, the exact same model that the two were initially interested in so many months ago on Corellia. Austin's face lit up and he called back to Galahad. "Forget the freighter! We are taking this one," he exclaimed triumphantly, rushing towards the open loading ramp and onto the ship. He knew he would have a moment to look at the extensive interior later — their priority now was to escape Void Station and get as far away from the asteroid as they could before the Spyder's men realized something was wrong. Entering the cockpit, he sat down into the pilot's seat and fired up its engines. Ensuring that Galahad was with him, they lifted off and blasted away from asteroid J-1314-009.

"This is magnificent," Austin murmured, looking at the details of the ship. It was clearly used, although still only looked a few years old. A whirring sound caught the doctor by surprise as a very tall and slim droid powered up in the corner. "Why yes, of course it is magnificent," it quipped. "A little bigger on the inside, if you know what I mean," it continued before suddenly shutting off again suddenly. Looking closer, Austin perceived the droid was fitted with a restraining bolt. "Would you be able to take off that bolt, Galahad?" he asked, veering the ship to avoid some smaller debris from the asteroid field.

@Shalken​

 

[Galahad Vult]

Keeping his head ducked so as to breathe cleaner air than the smoke that had gathered near the ceiling, Galahad cradled the white reptile as he followed behind Austin towards the hangar bay where they had left their freighter. Right before they headed back down the long corridor, however, the doctor stepped aside to peer into the other cargohold. Galahad initially figured it just housed more illegal goods and would be destroyed in the fire; however, Austin suddenly calling out, indicating that there was another ship in the other bay. Catching up with Master Wolfe, the bearded Jedi's eyes widened in surprise to see the exact same ship they had considered purchasing so long ago on Corellia. As shocked as he was, Galahad only wasted a moment to admire the ship before boarding it.

Only when they were comfortably distant from the asteroid station that was sure to be destroyed did the ex-guard allow himself to relax. They had been through quite a whirlwind of events: first their meeting with the Spyder himself, then stealing the Besalisk's personal protocol droid, and now they had burnt his entire secret stash of goods. He breathed in deeply, enjoying the relative peace for now.

He was forced out of his reverie as the little hatchling jumped up into his lap. Surprised by its extremely friendly disposition, Galahad realized he would have to do something about it. "What are we going to do with you, little guy?" he asked rhetorically. A tall droid in a corner of the craft suddenly powered up temporarily to reply to Austin before being forced to shut down again. Nodding to his friend, the ex-guard rose to his feet, letting the white lizard trail along behind as he strode over to the robot and pried off the restraining bolt sticking out of his chest. The droid's photoreceptors blinked on immediately. "Ahhh, so much better! Thank you, my faithful companions, for freeing me from bondage. My name is 10-NT, but you can call me The Doctor." At his introduction, he bowed extravagantly to Austin and Galahad in turn. Looking up from his greeting, he noticed the reptile circling around Master Vult's feet. "Well well, it seems you've hatched the Arkanian Dragon egg! I presume it imprinted on you, good sir?"

Galahad blinked several times in visible confusion. "...Imprinted?" was all he managed to say, baffled. 'The Doctor' continued matter-of-factly, "Indeed, imprinted! You were the first living thing he laid eyes on after he hatched, yes? It is a he, in case you didn't know." The bearded Jedi nodded slowly, still not quite grasping what the medical droid was getting at. It patted him gently on the shoulder before heading to join Austin in the cockpit. "Congratulations. You're a father now."

Fin​