Hunter, Alona, and Echo were in a bad mood, and it brought down everyone else in the bar. The air was tense, or maybe it was just because Phee was here. She had been telling the same story over and over, but slightly altering it every time.
Alona banged her head on the bartop, hard enough to make her vision blur with each hit. Hunter quietly scolded her and placed a hand on her thigh, squeezing it comfortingly. It didn't do much to help, however. Sleep would help.
Unfortunately she was unable to rest because of the nightmares that had become increasingly worse. Just about every time she closed her eyes she was further disturbed by the horrible images in her head.
This had been happening since Serenno. Yet again Dooku was the source of all of Alona's problems.
"-Suddenly, I felt its tentacles wrap around my legs, pulling me down into the depths." Phee exclaims, making both sentients gasp in awe. "I had no choice but to fend off the Octomorph," She paused to build up intensity. "Bare-handed." Again, Bolo and Ketch gasp.
"This story changes every time she tells it." Tech mutters from the other side of Hunter.
Alona scoffs, rolling her forehead roughly on the bar. "Wow. We had no kriffing idea."
"Vanquishing the creature, I swam to the coral cave. And do you know what I found?" Phee asks the sentients. Alona rolls her eyes, bringing her arms up to the bartop and resting her head in them.
"What? What'd you find?" Bolo asks excitedly.
"What? Spit it out!" Ketch exclaims.
"Only the Grand Pearl of Novak."
"She's going to find my fist in her face." Alona muttered.
"Not if I beat you to it." Echo chimes from the other side of her. Alona raises her metal hand and Echo clanks his scomp against it.
"Those two will believe anything." Hunter says quietly, gesturing to Bolo and Ketch.
Wrecker and Omega darted down the steps into the parlor, the former with the part Tech had sent them out to find, while the latter just had her arms full of a bunch of random useless objects.
"Mission accomplished! One compressor, as requested." Wrecker exclaims, setting the large part down on one of the tables.
Tech stood from his barstool, placing a hand on the compressor to access it. "Ah. Nicely done, Wrecker."
Omega grinned, placing the objects in her hand onto the table. "That's not all we got."
Tech blinked. "This assortment, however, could have been left at the junkyard."
Alona would have gotten up to smack the back of Tech's head, but she didn't want to move. "I think I'll sit at this bar forever. No more Force, no more mercenary journeys, no more Alona. Just bar woman."
"Is there anything I can do, cyare?" Hunter asked quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear to see the part of her face peeking out of her arm-pillow.
"Knock me over the head with my lightsaber hilt. It'll keep me asleep." She replied miserably.
Hunter knew of her nightmares. Any change in her breathing, any squirming or whimpers, they all woke him and his poor heightened senses up. He always said he didn't mind, doing his best to comfort her after every terror. But the grouchy mood and baggy eyes were something he was currently sharing with her.
"Let the expert take a look at these." Phee barged, walking over to the table covered in clutter. She stood awfully close to Tech, something Alona had looked up to watch.
Alona saw the way Tech's eyes changed at the close contact, quite close to the way Hunter looks at her. Did Tech...like Phee?
Phee lifted up a smashed part, examining it like it was an encrypted artifact. Tech placed both of his hands on the table, his eyes never leaving Phee's face. "It is a manifold regulator, a broken one at that." His voice even softened. Alona grew suspicious.
Apparently Hunter and Echo were, too, because the three of them exchanged the same look to each other.
"Thanks, Clone Obvious." Phee scoffed, placing the broken manifold regulator down on the table and picking up a round object, similar to a compass. "Hang on." She muttered, sliding a part of the object to reveal something that Alona didn't care enough about to keep her head up.
"These look like coordinate markings." Phee finally blurted.
Omega gasped. "Coordinate markings?!" She said excitedly.
"Mel, take a look at this." Phee called for her droid, which beeped a few times and wobbled over.
Alona sighed, already knowing where this was heading. Her eyebags grew three shades darker at the mere thought.
"I was right. This is a compass, long before our time." Phee then said after Mel scanned the ancient artifact. "These coordinates are in the Kaldar Trinary system."
Tech's data pad beeps while he looks up the system, letting out a confused sound at the results. "I have no record of that system." He chirped, lowering his data pad to meet Phee's eyes.
"Because the best treasures usually aren't found on maps." Phee explained.
Omega gasped again, her eyes lighting up. "There's treasure there?" She sounded so excited. Alona exhaled, lifting her head back up and spinning around to rest her back against the counter to be more attentive to the conversation.
"Without a doubt. This compass is a rare find...You've got a good eye." Phee hums, looking down at the blonde with a surprised expression.
Omega jumped up and down excitedly. She turned to face Hunter and Alona. "Let's go check it out! You heard Phee." She exclaimed.
Hunter turned with his back against the bartop, crossing his arms over his chest. "Phee says a lot of things."
"A lot of things." Alona expressed, eyeing Phee suspiciously.
The pirate shrugged. "I can go alone and take the spoils for myself. Or...we go together and split it 50-50." She offered, placing a hand on Omega's shoulder.
"Please, Hunter. What if there really is treasure there?" Omega urged. She almost looked like she was about to explode with excitement. Alona knew she couldn't say no to her.
Wrecker shrugged. "Yeah. We're not on a mission." Another thing that was becoming worrisome. Cid was absent a lot more recently, leaving them on Ord Mantell without an explanation, and without a mission assignment. Many days recently were spent sitting around, part of the reason why Alona's nightmares were worse. She had time to sit and let her thoughts return.
"It could be fun." Omega grinned, exclaiming in a high pitch, strained voice.
Echo finally turned in his seat. "The last time we went after treasure, it didn't go as planned." He said sternly, giving a disapproving look to Alona and Hunter.
Alona sighed, nodding slowly. "Tech did break his femur. Not to mention a few of us falling out of the sky." She chimed, picking at her fingers which were resting in her lap.
Phee placed her hands on her hips. "You weren't working with a professional then." She quipped. "What do you say?"
Hunter, Echo, and Alona all exchanged looks, having a silent conversation. Hunter sighed in exhaustion, his entire posture lowering as he nodded his head, forcing an unconvincing smile onto his face.
"Yes!" Omega exclaimed, jumping up and down in exhilaration.
So they loaded onto the Marauder with Phee and Mel, setting course for an uncharted planet to follow a compass that led to who knows what.
Omega and Phee sat in the middle of the ship together. Phee had propped her feet up on Mel and rested her hands behind her head. Omega had copied the pirate, something Hunter had caught onto instantly because he was once the one the blonde copied.
And in hopes to get a single ounce of her attention again, he had pulled out his knife and started twirling it around. That was something he had always caught Omega watching him do, and then attempting it herself. But she was too engulfed in her fascination with Phee to notice her brother and his worsened mood.
"How many uncharted planets have you been to?" Omega asked the pirate.
"Too many to count. That's why I need Mel to keep track of all the legends I've chased down over the years. That's the life of a treasure hunter." Phee replied coolly.
Hunter threw his knife in the air, allowing it to flip twice before catching its handle. "Don't you mean 'pirate'?" He chimed from the cockpit, leaning against the side of Alona's chair. She was cleaning her metal hand, trying to get the small amount of dirt that had gotten stuck in the knuckles.
"I prefer 'Liberator of Ancient Wonders.'"She replied, turning back to Omega with a glimmer in her eyes. "Wanna hear about the time I found the Blade of Zakata Par?"
Omega grinned. "Yes, I do!"
Hunter sighed sadly and slid his knife back into its holding place, turning away from Phee and Omega.
Alona finished cleaning her metal hand, slipping the black glove back over it and taking a deep breath, leaning her head against Hunter's side. Her eyes blinked heavily, begging for sleep. She refused to give into it, though. As long as she stayed awake, she would be safe from the things her mind tried to show her.
"You ok?" Hunter whispered, placing his hand on her head, looking down at her with a worried expression.
"I'm fine." Alona replied, staring blankly at the back of Echo's seat.
"I don't think I believe you." Hunter shook his head, watching Tech take control of the Marauder, pulling out of hyperspace. They were approaching a very gray planet. "You don't have to come along, it would probably be better if you stayed back and rested."
Alona laughed weakly. "I could say the same for you, ya grump." She teased. The ghost of a smile appeared on Hunter's face.
They land on the surface of the gray planet, the group walking down the ramp one after another. Alona scanned her surroundings, her brows slightly furrowed. The trees were bare, the sky was a murky gray, the rocks were dusty. It was apparent that this planet was nearly dead, that nobody lived here.
"I'm not picking up any signs of civilization whatsoever. Which makes sense, considering this land appears to have been razed and left uninhabitable." Tech chimes, waving his data pad around to scan the empty planet.
"Who'd wanna hide treasure here?" Echo frowned, looking around aimlessly.
Alona crossed her arms behind her back, straying towards the back of the group to keep as much attention off of her as possible.
A weird beeping startled the group and they looked to where the sound was coming from, Echo's pocket. He pulled the compass out and stared at the noisy thing with a confused expression. "The compass just activated." He hums, waving it around. Pointing it in one direction, the beeping died down, but when he pointed it another, it grew more intense and loud. "It's telling us to go south."
"Let's go!" Omega exclaimed, ripping the compass out of Echo's hand and beginning to walk south at a quick pace.
"Now she's got the right attitude." Phee hummed, following behind the blonde. "Wait up, kid!"
They walked for about an hour, the adults having a hard time keeping up with Omega's fast pace. There was a mountain to their right, and a vast forest of leafless trees to their left.
Alona wasn't entirely in touch with the Force due to her exhaustion, but there was a small fluttery feeling in her stomach that told her they were definitely getting close to something.
The compass' beeping died out and Omega stopped in her steps, looking around quizzically. She groans in frustration. "It's a dead end...maybe we go around the mountain?" She questioned, looking at the mountain that the trail ended with.
Alona examined the placement of the rocks, the way they were almost perfectly placed...as if it were hiding something. "Nope. It wants us to go inside." She sighs, cutting to the front of the group and walking over to the mountain wall. She placed her sleeve close to a small hole between rocks, watching it blow around slightly.
Phee pulled out her knife and walked over, digging the weapon in between two of the larger rocks and parting them, causing them to fall at her and Alona's feet. "Big guy, come help with this."
Alona could have used the Force, but Phee didn't know of her special abilities. She saw the lightsaber hilts on Alona and Omega's belts, and was told by every member of the squad that it was scrap metal. So Alona took a few steps back, standing with the rest of the group while Wrecker and Phee removed the stones to reveal a shiny gold door.
Omega gasped. "Look! It's a secret entrance." She exclaimed, climbing over the rocks with Phee.
"Oh! It is a secret entrance." Wrecker muttered.
The group walked inside of the mountain, being engulfed by darkness. Phee lit her lantern and began to examine the small room they now stood inside.
Tech scanned the walls, their etchings, and read the information given on his data pad. "Hunter, these etchings are easily a thousand years old." He said in amazement.
Phee shook her head. "Older, much older. If I'm right, which is always, we are standing in the entranceway to Skara Nal."
Echo glanced over at the pirate in confusion. "To what?"
Phee turned to face the others. "Every pirate out there's heard the legend of Skara Nal. It traces back to the ancients." She replies.
"You mean the Jedi?" Echo questioned. He turned to Alona to see what her reaction to this place was.
Alona shook her head, running her hand along the wall. She didn't know what this place was, but it didn't connect to the Jedi. "This had to have been before the Galactic Republic, even. Probably older than the Jedi."
"What would you know about the Jedi?" Phee chuckled, eyeing Alona.
"Absolutely nothing." Alona grinned.