The Holocron Job/Story

The Holocron Job

Naastau looks out the window of his motel room aboard the StellarTech Station, remembering his last artifact hunt. Slamming his now-empty cup of vodka down on the desk, he stumbles up and out of his room and walks down the hall to Hangar 6B-10, where his ship, the Faithful Iron, is undergoing extensive modification. As he approaches the technicians working on his vessel, he's interrupted by his holocommunicator. A silhouette of a gruff Twi'lek appears, it's Yimadaro, or Doctor Cron as he's known in the Coruscant underworld.

"Naastau, I know it's been some time since your last hunt, but I've got a lead that'll make you rich." Doctor Cron says.

"It's been ages since you've contacted me, and now you suddenly bring this up? What, all your other hunters died?" Naastau replies in a slur.

"Not necessarily," Cron says, "but I know they will if I send them on this mission. You're the only person I know who's capable of it."

"Last time I almost became a statistic trying to get that talisman for you, had it not been for my droids. If I'm not getting paid every last ingot for these types of jobs, I won't do them for you anymore." says Naastau.

"When have I ever cut you short on payment? Look, are you going to do it or not?" Cron says with agitation in his tone.

"Considering I just spent damn near all of my money on my ship, I don't have a choice. Where do you want to meet? That cantina on Level 1313 again?"

"That won't be necessary," Cron's signal cuts short for a second. "I've got a new encryptor program on my transmitter, the Judicial agents can't track my calls anymore. You have the coordinates to Cularin, right?"

"No, but I'm sure one of my droids do."

"Great," Cron says in monotone "you'll be going there to infiltrate a Jedi temple. This one isn't anything like the abandoned enclaves and chronicle ships you've hit before. There's live Jedi in this one."

"You said nothing about me taking on Jedi!" Naastau says loud enough for the nearby technicians to turn their heads. "Find someone else to do it."

Naastau has seen it all, but even the thought of potentially taking on a Jedi in his past missions sent him into an anxiety-driven drinking frenzy everytime.

"The holocrons in those vaults can make you five million credits richer, and that's just the stock price. Plus, Jedi aren't what they're always chalked up to be. You've killed the galaxy's most frightening Mandalorians and pirates alike," Cron says. "You can take on a few Jedi, and like you said yourself, you need the money."

"What good are five million credits when I wouldn't even be alive to use them?"

"It's one of those things where it's worth the risk," Cron begins to grow impatient. "If you make it out of that temple in one piece, then there's nothing you wouldn't be able to buy. You can finally afford to stop living in that ship."

"I like my ship, Cron. I like it more than I like you or anyone else I've worked for, and I'm not willing to risk losing it because of your addiction with holocrons. But like you said, it's worth a chance."

"Good. I'll send you the temple's blueprints; don't ask how I acquired them."

"I don't want to," Naastau said. "and I don't want to do the job either, but I'll do it. One last time."

"That's the spirit!"

Naastau pays his last fees aboard the station and boards his ship. As he walks to the cargo bay to check on his Mandalorian armor, he's greeted by his droids: an astromech named R2-T741, or "Artie", and a composite assassin droid named Tekker. After months aboard the station, the droids are as bored as pieces of automated, murderous equipment can be.

"We've got ourselves a mission." Naastau says to his two droids. "Artie, tell the others in the cockpit to set course to the Cularin system." Artie replies in a jumble of droidspeak that Naastau was never able to understand.

"I was starting to think we'd be sitting here taking inventory for the rest of our existences, Master. Do you know how hard it is to scrape the dust and rust out of Artie's gears?" Tekker says. "I'm not a protocol droid, you know."

Naastau grunts and stumbles to his chambers, where he plops on his sofa to sleep off his intoxication, forgetting the mess he's left in his motel. As Naastau sleeps, the Faithful Iron exits the station's hangar and jumps into hyperspace.

Naastau awakes to Tekker's voice on his gauntlet's communicator. "Master, we've got four more jumps to go before we reach Cularin. I hope they fixed up your Internet router." Naastau opens his laptop, but before he can begin surfing the web, he falls back asleep. He awakes hours later to Tekker's voice once again. "Master, we're here."

Naastau is paranoid about the ensuing encounter with Jedi, but he calms himself knowing that he's survived all of the other crazy things he's done for Doctor Cron. The Faithful Iron jets through Cularin's atmosphere, heading straight for the Jedi temple. With little time to even fix himself breakfast, Naastau throws his armor and makes sure that all of his gadgets are running up to speed. He hasn't used them in months. "Tekker, Artie, you guys ready?"

"We've been ready forever," Tekker says. "I'd say the odds are in our favor."

Naastau meets with his two droids in the cargo bay and prepares to deploy while his two other droids, a pilot droid and another astromech, remain in the cockpit to navigate the Iron. "Our jammers should still be functional, but I guess that won't matter considering the Jedi don't need to see us to know we're here." Naastau says.

"The Jedi may be wizards," Tekker says. "But you're a Supercommando. Or were."

"I think we're right above the temple," Naastau says, rethinking his decision to accept Cron's request. "Tell the pilots to open the hatch."

A platform lowers from the ship's underside carrying the three; the Jedi have yet to detect them. Naastau quickly analyzes the blueprints, forgetting that he had not devised a strategy for the infiltration. The three drop from the platform less than two dozen meters from the temple's secondary entrance, and quickly bolt for their target. Artie connects his scomp link to the entrance's emergency interface as Naastau and Tekker check their weapons. It was time to roll. The entrance opens, but before Naastau can acknowledge that, several security personnel are already alerted to the clinking of their weapons. Not a single word is spoken before a violent firefight breaks out, but there are no Jedi in sight to Naastau's surprise. As what remain of the security guards flee, Naastau breathes a sigh of relief; it seemed like just another job. He and his droids bolt for the vault, which was in clear sight, but Tekker pauses the trio.

"Master, I am detecting several lifeforms approaching us at a fast pace. Many more than we initially encountered."

Naastau looks around the atrium, but sees nobody but the slain security guards. As he prepares the charges to breach the vault, however, several cloaked individuals leap from the overhanging mezzanine. Naastau's suspicions are confirmed when many of the individuals ignite what seem to be lightsabers. These are the Jedi he was warned about. Naastau takes no time to react as he and Tekker immediately open fire on the Jedi, but the Jedi stand completely still as they deflect their blasts. The surviving security guards of the initial encounter soon join in.

"Artie, activate those charges!"

One of the Jedi lunges towards Naastau, but is flung back as the charges detonate. Artie activates his squad shield just in time to protect the three from the blast. Before their opponents can come to, Naastau rushes into the destroyed vault and begins gathering whatever holocrons and ancient lightsabers were not blown to char in the explosion. Artie's shield is depleted and they are left to fend for themselves. The security guards are quickly taken out by the three, but the Jedi stand brazen in their defense, but not for long. One Jedi falls to the barrage of laser fire, then another. Either these weren't the best Jedi, or Naastau should be really proud of his droids.

"Artie, we got what we want, call in the Iron!"

Only seconds pass and another Jedi falls. As the remaining Jedi notice their fallen brethren and make their charge towards the three infiltrators, a shadow looms over them. It's the Faithful Iron. Proton torpedos fly in through the hole in the temple's side, knocking many of the Jedi off their feet once more. Before they can return to the fray, however, the three have already made it onto the ship.

"Get the Iron out of here, now!" Naastau yells to Artie over his commlink.

Naastau returns to his chambers and immediately grabs his holocommunicator, punching in several digits. Doctor Cron immediately answers his transmission.

"Do you have what I want?" An anticipated Cron asks.

"Well, am I still in one piece? Of course I do. Clear your schedule, I'm on my way to Coruscant."

Naastau sits on his couch as he examines his captured goods, proud of his first Jedi kills.Naastau looks out the window of his motel room aboard the StellarTech Station, remembering his last artifact hunt. Slamming his now-empty cup of vodka down on the desk, he stumbles up and out of his room and walks down the hall to Hangar 6B-10, where his ship, the Faithful Iron, is undergoing extensive modification. As he approaches the technicians working on his vessel, he's interrupted by his holocommunicator. A silhouette of a gruff Twi'lek appears, it's Yimadaro, or Doctor Cron as he's known in the Coruscant underworld.

"Naastau, I know it's been some time since your last hunt, but I've got a lead that'll make you rich." Doctor Cron says.

"It's been ages since you've contacted me, and now you suddenly bring this up? What, all your other hunters died?" Naastau replies in a slur.

"Not necessarily," Cron says, "but I know they will if I send them on this mission. You're the only person I know who's capable of it."

"Last time I almost became a statistic trying to get that talisman for you, had it not been for my droids. If I'm not getting paid every last ingot for these types of jobs, I won't do them for you anymore." says Naastau.

"When have I ever cut you short on payment? Look, are you going to do it or not?" Cron says with agitation in his tone.

"Considering I just spent damn near all of my money on my ship, I don't have a choice. Where do you want to meet? That smoky cantina on Level 1313 again?"

"That won't be necessary," Cron's signal cuts short for a second. "I've got a new encryptor program on my transmitter, the Judicial agents can't track my calls anymore. You have the coordinates to Cularin, right?"

"No, but I'm sure one of my droids do."

"Great," Cron says in monotone "you'll be going there to infiltrate a Jedi temple. This one isn't anything like the abandoned enclaves and chronicle ships you've hit before. There's live Jedi in this one."

"You said nothing about me taking on Jedi!" Naastau says loud enough for the nearby technicians to turn their heads. "Find someone else to do it."

Naastau has seen it all, but even the thought of potentially taking on a Jedi in his past missions sent him into an anxiety-driven drinking frenzy everytime.

"The holocrons in those vaults can make you five million credits richer, and that's just the stock price. Plus, Jedi aren't what they're always chalked up to be. You've killed the galaxy's most frightening Mandalorians and pirates alike," Cron says. "You can take on a few Jedi, and like you said yourself, you need the money."

"What good are five million credits when I wouldn't even be alive to use them?"

"It's one of those things where it's worth the risk," Cron begins to grow impatient. "If you make it out of that temple in one piece, then there's nothing you wouldn't be able to buy. You can finally afford to stop living in that ship."

"I like my ship, Cron. I like it more than I like you or anyone else I've worked for, and I'm not willing to risk losing it because of your addiction with holocrons. But like you said, it's worth a chance."

"Good. I'll send you the temple's blueprints; don't ask how I acquired them."

"I don't want to," Naastau said. "and I don't want to do the job either, but I'll do it. One last time."

"That's the spirit!"

Naastau pays his last fees aboard the station and boards his ship. As he walks to the cargo bay to check on his Mandalorian armor, he's greeted by his droids: an astromech named R2-T741, or "Artie", and a composite assassin droid named Tekker. After months aboard the station, the droids are as bored as pieces of automated, murderous equipment can be.

"We've got ourselves a mission." Naastau says to his two droids. "Artie, tell the others in the cockpit to set course to the Cularin system." Artie replies in a jumble of droidspeak that Naastau was never able to understand.

"I was starting to think we'd be sitting here taking inventory for the rest of our existences, Master. Do you know how hard it is to scrape the dust and rust out of Artie's gears?" Tekker says. "I'm not a maintenance droid, you know."

Naastau grunts and stumbles to his chambers, where he plops on his sofa to sleep off his intoxication, forgetting the mess he's left in his motel. As Naastau sleeps, the Faithful Iron exits the station's hangar and jumps into hyperspace.

Naastau awakes to Tekker's voice on his gauntlet's communicator. "Master, we've got four more jumps to go before we reach Cularin. I hope they fixed up your Internet router." Naastau opens his laptop, but before he can begin surfing the web, he falls back asleep. He awakes hours later to Tekker's voice once again. "Master, we're here."

Naastau is paranoid about the ensuing encounter with Jedi, but he calms himself knowing that he's survived all of the other crazy things he's done for Doctor Cron. The Faithful Iron jets through Cularin's atmosphere, heading straight for the Jedi temple. With little time to even fix himself breakfast, Naastau throws his armor and makes sure that all of his gadgets are running up to speed. He hasn't used them in months. "Tekker, Artie, you guys ready?"

"We've been ready forever," Tekker says. "I'd say the odds are in our favor."

Naastau meets with his two droids in the cargo bay and prepares to deploy while his two other droids, a pilot droid and another astromech, remain in the cockpit to navigate the Iron. "Our jammers should still be functional, but I guess that won't matter considering the Jedi don't need to see us to know we're here." Naastau says.

"The Jedi may be mystical," Tekker says. "But you're a Supercommando. Or were."

"I think we're right above the temple," Naastau says, rethinking his decision to accept Cron's request. "Tell the pilots to open the hatch."

A platform lowers from the ship's underside carrying the three; the Jedi have yet to detect them. Naastau quickly analyzes the blueprints, forgetting that he had not devised a strategy for the infiltration. The three drop from the platform less than two dozen meters from the temple's secondary entrance, and quickly bolt for their target. Artie connects his scomp link to the entrance's emergency interface as Naastau and Tekker check their weapons. It was time to roll. The entrance opens, but before Naastau can acknowledge that, several security personnel are already alerted to the clinking of their weapons. Not a single word is spoken before a violent firefight breaks out, but there are no Jedi in sight to Naastau's surprise. As what remain of the security guards flee, Naastau breathes a sigh of relief; it seemed like just another job. He and his droids bolt for the vault, which was in clear sight, but Tekker pauses the trio.

"Master, I am detecting several lifeforms approaching us at a fast pace. Many more than we initially encountered."

Naastau looks around the atrium, but sees nobody but the slain security guards. As he prepares the charges to breach the vault, however, several cloaked individuals leap from the overhanging mezzanine. Naastau's suspicions are confirmed when many of the individuals ignite what seem to be lightsabers. These are the Jedi he was warned about. Naastau takes no time to react as he and Tekker immediately open fire on the Jedi, but the Jedi stand completely still as they deflect their blasts. The surviving security guards of the initial encounter soon join in.

"Artie, activate those charges!"

One of the Jedi lunges towards Naastau, but is flung back as the charges detonate. Artie activates his squad shield just in time to protect the three from the blast. Before their opponents can come to, Naastau rushes into the destroyed vault and begins gathering whatever holocrons and ancient lightsabers were not blown to char in the explosion. Artie's shield is depleted and they are left to fend for themselves. The security guards are quickly taken out by the three, but the Jedi stand brazen in their defense, but not for long. One Jedi falls to the barrage of laser fire, then another. Either these weren't the best Jedi, or Naastau should be really proud of his droids.

"Artie, we got what we want, call in the Iron!"

Only seconds pass and another Jedi falls. As the remaining Jedi notice their fallen brethren and make their charge towards the three infiltrators, a shadow looms over them. It's the Faithful Iron. Proton torpedos fly in through the hole in the temple's side, knocking many of the Jedi off their feet once more. Before they can return to the fray, however, the three have already made it onto the ship.

"Get the Iron out of here, now!" Naastau yells to Artie over his commlink.

Naastau returns to his chambers and immediately grabs his holocommunicator, punching in several digits. Doctor Cron immediately answers his transmission.

"Do you have what I want?" An anticipated Cron asks.

"Well, am I still in one piece? Of course I do. Clear your schedule, I'm on my way to Coruscant."

Naastau sits on his couch as he examines his captured goods, proud of his first Jedi kills.