The docking approach was uneventful, as far as we could tell. Meaning, there weren't additional scans we could pick up on, nor were there other ships escorting us in or watching what we were doing. The Silverlight slid into her assigned vector without fuss, the onboard computer lining us up perfectly with one of the forward berths on Christophis's primary orbital station. After we touched down and lowered the boarding ramp, I was slightly surprised to find no welcome party of guards or customs officers waiting to give us the once-over. No curious onlookers either, as those who passed nearby were going on their own way anyway.
That was exactly what we wanted, and maybe I was becoming paranoid that I was finding the silence and calmness unnerving. Huh... Well, that didn't mean we weren't monitored, though. Just... not personally. We'd reported we were here to resupply, nothing more, and they'd granted us clearance without a flicker of suspicion in their voice... The question was, if we deviated from that, would we be closely examined when we tried to leave?
[Dry Statement: Now comes the part where we pretend to care about buying fruit, yes?] HK asked as he was getting down from the ramp.
"Pretending?" I asked, looking over my shoulders. "We will. Try to blend in, take a look around, and just... don't cause any trouble. We're just a small crew looking to stretch our legs and restock before heading out again."
[Statement: I don't cause trouble.] HK answered while he gave me a long, flat stare. [Further Clarification: My legs do not require stretching.]
"Then make sure you're still intimidating without looking like you're here to murder the first person who talks to you." Vila shrugged, waving a hand at him.
[Indignant Declaration: That is intimidating. Explanation: It is the meaning of the world.]
"I mean that this time around, don't shoot someone in the chest the moment something happens! We don't want to escalate things!" Vila snorted as she interrupted him, "Or else, I'll keep you on a leash."
While talking, we stepped out into a transfer corridor, heading from the bay, deeper into the station that had clearly seen better days. The walls and floor plating were clean enough but scuffed and dulled by constant heavy traffic, coming and going. As we passed the people around us, cargo movers rolled by us, automated lifters carrying sealed crates as droids drove them to the bigger hangars, where the other cargo ships waited. The handful of human dock workers nearby didn't give us more than a passing glance, more interested in their manifests and checklists than in two teenagers and their droid.
We didn't make straight for the exit, though, acting a bit lost. It was the perfect cover, so we wandered the docking concourse, giving the impression of people waiting for someone to greet us, like some amateurs or just youngsters, getting their bearings. Not that it was wrong... At least, looking at us from the outside...
"Kael?" Vila asked, slipping closer to me, whispering.
"They are nervous." I answered, looking around, taking a deep breath, "I can feel it in everybody we pass... They are trying not to think about it, but everybody feels... nervous."
"Can you tell why?"
"No, not really," I shrugged, "It is mixed in with... a bit of fear. But I can't pinpoint why... I just know that something is off."
"On the station or with the whole system?"
"Good question." I mused, looking around again, "For now, I can't say for sure."
"Then let's head in." She suggested, grabbing my arm, pulling me on, and we indeed looked like young lovers on some kind of trip.
When we finally made our way deeper into the station, I started to open up my senses even more. I wasn't reaching into anyone's mind per se, I was just letting the flow of thoughts and emotions drift past me. It was like I was walking around, sniffing at what people were cooking for dinner.
"Stinky?" Vila joked, seeing as I wrinkled my nose.
"Oh yeah," I answered thoughtfully, "Here, it is even more apparent... Everyone is afraid."
Even the smuggler-looking types were nervous, and not because the local security would be onto them. Buyers inside the shops that lined the main commercial ring weren't troubled by the prices, but by something else... While I was searching for more clues, we stepped into a general outfitter, browsed through power cells and ration packs, and made idle conversation with the shopkeeper. I mean, Vila did, and I was trying to discern his true thoughts on the side. Sometimes I also asked some off-hand questions as I probed gently while we talked. Once again... tension... Stretched to its limit.
It was everywhere.
We moved on to a supply kiosk selling droid lubricants and basic consumables, as I bought a few for HK. While paying, it was the same thing. The woman behind the counter was polite enough, but her thoughts were elsewhere; they were more focused inward, like she was bracing for something, waiting for the warning sirens that could go off at any time.
Vila, oblivious to the details of what I was doing, still played along nicely. She haggled idly over the price of a navigation update chip she didn't actually want, testing if the merchant was too lost in outside issues, but no... She proved to be capable enough. This was a good sign, indicating the problem wasn't so significant that it would completely dominate everyone's thoughts.
After about an hour of idle browsing, we finally ducked into a tapcaf tucked between a gear shop and a crew barracks for the station's security group. It was moderately busy at this hour. There was a scattering of locals in work coveralls, a few spacers in worn jackets, drinking and playing sabacc, and a pair of station security officers nursing cups of something hot.
Vila found us a booth near the back where we could keep an eye on the room and talk in relative privacy. Luckily, they weren't telling us off to leave the droid outside, and although the officers gazed at HK, they assumed it was a bodyguard droid. It made sense, and I was sure to exude the same feeling from deep within me. I didn't know if that type of... large, area-wide mindtrick was working or not, but... I'd like to believe it did.
After browsing a little, we ordered something light, a pair of hot drinks, with small plates of local delicacies. I don't know what kind of meat it was; I'd never heard of it before, but I wasn't going to say no to trying something new. While ordering, the waiter was brisk but courteous, still, I caught how his eyes darted toward the door three times before he even took our order... No. Not the doors... He was looking at the officers. He was checking if they had been alerted or not. I was sure of it... Apparently, as long as they looked calm, our waiter felt safe, too.
"Hmm..." When he walked away, Vila leaned toward me, "Alright, you've been watching everyone like a probe droid. What's the final verdict?"
"War." I kept my voice low. "Or rebellion. Everyone we have spoken to, everyone who's come close enough for me to feel it, they're afraid. I say war first, because I didn't feel that they were afraid of each other. Of course, that doesn't rule out the fact that some kind of rebellion may have been going on in the system... or terrorist attacks. But the thing that is hanging over all of them makes me think about war."
"Great..." Her brow furrowed. "Can you narrow it down? Because if it is some internal politics, some governor being assassinated, and tensions being high... We will need someone more versed in diplomacy. Or maybe someone from the New Republic–"
"No... I don't think so..." I cut in, shaking my head, still letting the feelings around me come into my mind, "I don't think that's it because I feel no terror that usually goes with something like that. It's... more like… living under a constant shadow of war."
"That still sounds like terror to me."
"Maybe." I shrugged, "But when I relieved that Rakatan memory, I felt what true terror is. This is not it."
"Sorry..." She muttered, lowering her eyes while our orders arrived and we began munching on them, "Oh, this is good!" Her expression brightened again, making me smile the same, feeling much calmer watching her.
"Yeah, it is!" I agreed, placing the small, bite-sized pieces of meat on a bread-like dish and popping them into my mouth one by one. "They're waiting for something to happen." I continued, "Something they know is coming, but they don't know when."
"Great!" She moaned, "So it is a surprise issue?"
"Heh!" I chuckled, nodding my head, because as far as I could tell, it was.
"Hm..." Vila sat back, her lekku twitching in thought, her mouth moving as she was chewing on her own portion. "So it explains the stations around the orbit. They are expecting an attack against the planet. I don't know which pirate gang would have the firepower to do so... Although I did not really read up on them either."
[Statement: None.] HK joined in on the discourse, [Statement: I scanned the data, and the largest local group, the Red Skulls, was destroyed two months ago.]
"Destroyed?" We asked, looking at him.
[Statement: I have accessed the local news. Inquisitive Assessment: The description of the event is too vague. Convinced Statement: Events as such should be occasions for celebration, but it is only mentioned in passing.]
"Can you get more on that?" I asked, lowering my voice, looking around, but nobody was paying us much attention, if any.
[Declaration: Of course. Correction: Just get me close to a proper access point.]
"Well..." I looked at him, forming a small smile, "Why not visit a droid shop? You can chat with some of your peers while we browse some new legs for you."
[Prideful Statement: No droid is a peer of mine.]
"Yeah, yeah." Vila nodded, finishing the food and the drinks, "But you do need new legs, no? You were complaining about them being of a protocol droid."
This time... he remained silent, which was the greatest agreement he could provide. Well... at least we had our next target.
After leaving, the droid shop was easy enough to find. Most orbital stations this size had at least one decent place to pick up replacement parts and diagnostics for any and all types of droids. This one was tucked into a side corridor off the main commercial ring, its broad transparisteel storefront displaying everything from refurbished astromechs to battered labor units with mismatched plating. The sign over the entrance read Tanno's Droidworks in faded Aurebesh, with the obligatory flickering 'Best Prices!' holo-tag trying its best to look convincing. It wasn't.
"Lovely," Vila said as we stepped inside. "Smells like hot oil and burnt circuit."
"Perfect for HK, then," I said under my breath.
[Flat Statement: My olfactory sensors detect high-grade industrial lubricant, electrical ozone, and scorched insulation. This is… promising.] His tone almost sounded... expectant.
Inside, rows of shelves were stacked with servo joints, motivator coils, power converters, and racks of assorted limbs in various states of disassembly. A few droids were lined up against one wall, waiting for diagnostics or pickup. Two shop attendants, who were both human, one young, one middle-aged, worked behind a long counter cluttered with open datapads, hydrospanners, and loose bolts. Of course, we'd already decided on the plan before we came in: Vila and I would keep the staff busy while HK did what he had to, gaining access to a computer from where he could hack into the station's systems. Or at least, get us more news.
I approached the counter with what I hoped was the expression of a slightly overwhelmed young traveler, pretending to know what he was looking for, but also that I was way over my head. Vila leaned against the display case beside me, smiling faintly in that way that made people instinctively think she was pretty but not that smart.
"Hm?" The older attendant looked up first. "Ah, Customers! Welcome! Need something specific, or just browsing?"
"Couple of things," I said, pulling up the Silverlight's supposed maintenance list, which was a deliberately bloated, nonspecific report we'd put together before entering. "We are... Um..." I hesitated, looking over it, "Looking for a replacement joint for a Mark IV manipulator arm. Also, might be interested in a better motivator for our… uh… bodyguard."
"What model?" the younger man asked, nodding toward HK, who was currently eyeing a crate of restraining bolts like they'd personally offended him. "Never seen one like that!"
"More or less a modified BX droid," I lied, "He's… old. Complaints about his legs, but he is cheap to maintain."
[Indignant Statement: They are substandard models. I will not apologize for stating facts.]
"Heh," The older man chuckled. "Well, we can take a look, see if we've got something compatible with old BX connections... Might take a few minutes."
"That's fine," Vila said brightly. "We're not in a rush."
"Also," I continued, getting into more details about what we might be interested in.
While I kept the conversation going, asking about actuator calibration times, feigning interest in a particularly ugly V-3 model astromech chassis, HK drifted toward the back corner of the shop, near an unattended terminal. To my surprise, he was especially silent and doing it without drawing any attention to himself. Nice...
Even if one of them would look up, he moved like he was inspecting an R4 unit with a missing dome, prodding its interface port with a diagnostic cable he'd picked up from a nearby shelf. To anyone watching, it looked like a standard compatibility check... as inside my and Vila's ears, the little communicator buzzed and his voice began whispering.
[Private Channel to Meatbag-1: Statement: Access acquired. Security protocols are minimal. Local network uplink… established.]
"..." I shrugged once, nodding at something the attendant had just shown me.
"Mhm." Vila, catching the shift in my stance, leaned in closer to the display case, pretending to be deeply invested in comparing two nearly identical servo units. "Need me to keep them busier?" she murmured.
"Yeah," I whispered back.
"Excuse me!" She smiled sweetly at the attendants. "Do you mind if I try this one? Just to get the feel for it?"
"What... feel?" The two looked at each other, bewildered, as they felt a headache coming on due to someone who had no idea what they were doing yet insisted on doing it.
While they busied themselves fetching a power source and a demo rig, HK continued his 'inspection.' I could hear him in the background through our private link, crawling through the station's local databases like some professional hacker.
[Statement: Cross-referencing public ship traffic records… private security logs… planetary defense network status reports… Proud Statement: The security of this station is compromised. There are backdoors left open for outside interference. Conclusion: Someone had already sabotaged them.]
Well... that's not good... Thankfully, Vila was in full distraction mode now, asking the older man about maintenance schedules and warranty terms like she was genuinely considering replacing our entire droid complement, so they missed my grimace. Then, shaking it away, I threw in the occasional nod and question for realism.
Finally, about three minutes later, HK's tone shifted slightly.
[Observation: Non-public reports located. Weird... They are encrypted. Attempting decryption…]
"Download them, we can do the encryption later." I kept my voice low to a whisper.
[Reply: Already done. Statement: It is called The Red Skulls incident.]
Incident? That... is an interesting title.
[Continuing: Internal, non-public reports confirm the Red Skulls pirate organization was destroyed in the Karriven system, not that far from here. Clarification: It is an uninhabited one, eight standard days of hyperspace travel from Christophis. Statement: Their known asteroid base was raided and annihilated. The whole asteroid structure collapsed, and every internal hangar bay was shattered. Addendum: Multiple wrecks identified as pirate vessels adrift in the debris field were identified later on.]
"I see," I said, pretending to adjust the display screen on the counter, and whispered again, "Any survivors?"
[Answer: None reported. By the time Christophis' system patrol craft arrived, receiving news about the incident, nothing remained but the wreckage. No enemy signatures recorded. Conclusion: Attackers unknown.]
"Unknown?" I asked quietly.
[Statement: Correct. No transponder records exist, and no surviving witnesses are available. The report omits speculation on identity, but includes unusual phrasing, said to be the only message left behind: 'Vencuyan.']
Never heard of it... That didn't sound like pirate-hunter language either. But I am also not a linguist. Before I could push further, HK straightened up from the terminal and strolled back toward us, his hands empty, signaling that it was all he could do for now.
[Aloud Statement: That R4 unit is beyond repair. It should be scrapped.]
"We like a challenge," The older attendant smiled faintly. "So, find anything you like?"
"Maybe," I said, glancing at Vila. "We'll think on it."
"Yep!" She gave the man one of her easy grins, while I could feel how the two men were about to blow and shout at us, but... they managed to hold back. Professionals are professionals... "We'll be back later, I'm sure." She added, but even that didn't make the old man blow his top... but he had to press his hand against the arm of the young one who already opened his mouth to speak.
Sorry... I wanted to say, but we left the shop at an unhurried pace, HK falling in step beside me. I waited until we were halfway down the corridor before speaking quietly.
"Vencuyan..." I muttered. "Ever heard of the word?"
"Nope." Vila shrugged as we looked at HK.
[Statement: I may. Clarification: My internal memories are jumbled. I am working on cross-references. Addendum: But I do have a feeling I am familiar with the word... or the language.]
"Well, for now, try looking for it." I muttered, scratching my cheek, "We will wait a little more back on the ship. Perhaps the person who sent for us will get in touch with us. If not, we will go check the asteroid field for ourselves."
"Maybe it was the pirates?" Vila offered, but it felt a bit... outrageous.
"We will know more–" I was about to say... but then the alarms went off all around the station.
"Well!" She shrugged, looking at me, "It seems we will know more right now!"