I'm in the empty cargo bay making some small modifications to my armor, adding among other things a place on the power pack between the wings where I can attach a weapon when I don't use it.
Something keeps bugging me and I can't quite put a claw on what it is as I glance around the empty hold before going back to adjusting the hardpoint. Finishing it I get up and stretch before it hits me and I close my eyes.
"Mekak, if you would please get in here?" I ask and he pokes his head out of his small office next to the cargo bay before answering.
"Yes, Captain?" and I turn to him.
Asking "Where are the cargo droids?"
He "uhhhs They were destroyed back on Natsumi..." he answers and I nod and ruffle my feathers before asking.
"Yes they were. Where are the NEW cargo droids?" and he blinks.
"New cargo droids?" he says nervously.
I nod with a sigh "The ones it was your responsibility to purchase during our refit?"
Mekak swallows "Oh...those cargo droids. It...slipped my mind, Captain."
I shake my head and start to gather my armor up "I expect there to be a pair of cargo droids in my hold by the time I get back from the Jedi's little excursion. If there is not, 'you' will be moving the cargo by hand until there is. Do I make myself clear?" I ask with a frown and give him a look as he quickly nods in agreement.
"Y-yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
I give him a nod "Coordinate with Commander Swan to authorize payment." Then finishing picking up the armor and storing it in my quarters.
Now that was annoying. Not only that he missed it, even if that's a big part of it, but also that 'I' missed it too.
A day later we go in for a landing on Telos and not in the polar regions as I expected, but instead, the coordinates for the landing site are close to the equator.
Clear Skies comes in low over the trees as we bleed of speed before we reach the landing site, a clearing in the forest.
After getting my armor and the rest of my equipment on I head down to the cargo bay to meet with the Jedi "Well, we have arrived." I say as I hit the button to lower the ramp, revealing the clearing and tree line.
Yoda nod and ask "Ready, you are?" and I nod before following the four Jedi down the ramp. I really hope Mekak manages to dig some droids out somewhere or he is going to have a hell of a time getting the cargo loaded.
We move along the path, letting Yoda set the pace. Then after walking about half a kilometer at a slow pace the dig site comes in view.
The dig site looks like a quarry, some minor buildings around a hole in the ground with a path spiraling down the wall of the large hole. I frown and ask "What where they doing here?" and one of the Jedi, Kal looks up at me.
"The company that did the discovery located the ruins while mining for a rare mineral. They got a scan result in this area and started digging. Fifty meters down they found the ruins and called in archeologists. They managed to get one chamber in before they were attacked by droids. Most managed to escape but several didn't make it."
I nod in understanding before Yoda continues for him "Identify ancient Jedi architecture, they did. Seven thousand years old, it is. Called us in, they did."
Frowning I follow them as they walk over to talk with the supervisor of the facility. He didn't have much to say. It basically summed up to "Thank everything you are here.".
I shake my head and follow the Jedi along the path down into the big hole until we reach the bottom to reveal a large doorway with thick blast doors. A big hole has been cut in the left one to reveal what looks like an empty hangar space inside.
Yoda slowly nods parental "Ready, you need to get. Know not what's inside, we don't." he tells us while readying his lightsaber without igniting it while the other Jedi do the same. I detach my weapon from the holder between my wings and key my helmet to unfold? around my head, putting me on internal life support.
I do a quick check of my suit readings and confirm that my power cell is at 100%, linking the lasers targeting system to my HUD before flipping off the safety on the weapon, which results in it making a soft whining noise as it powers up "Let's rock."
With those words I follow the small green Jedi into the dark, barely fitting through the hole in the hangar blast door, my HUD going into the low light mode as we enter the dark.
Time to make sure they don't get themselves killed.