**The Final Descent**

It would end up being Kalen's last trip down the long lift ride through the umbilical that connected Zerek to the Citadel below. Though he had only been there roughly a dozen times in the past four and a half months, reporting to the Ventressian HQ had become a familiar part of his routine. He even had his own set of quarters there that he had rarely used and had never left any possession in.

“You'll do a great job heading up the Outreach Corps Kalen, TuQ hand picked you for the job.” Tahiri said as the lift began its approximately 3 minute descent down to the Citadel.

“I still can't  believe they're giving this guy a frigate.” Blackhawk, the new Ventress Aedile chimed in.

“I mean, he'll be in command of it, not actually flying it.” Tahiri replied genially.

“Hey! I'm standing right fracking here. And 3 of those crashes weren't my fault!” Kalen was a bit offended. The first crash, had actually been the result of him taking ground fire while circling a drug cartels base of operations while trying to save Blackhawk(who didn't need any saving at all at the time). Another crash had been the result of a docking tractor malfunctioning at the new Naga Sadow space station, and the most recent crash had been caused by the annoying and quasi-sentient Corvuns.

“We know, we're just having some fun at your expense.” Tahiri grinned and patted him on the arm.

“But no, seriously, a Pelta class Frigate is a serious piece of hardware, you should probably let your navigators handle the flying.” Blackhawk snuck in another barb.

“Yeah, yeah. Those RZ-2s, though, I'll be using my ‘Commander’s prerogative’ to take one of those bad boys for a test flight, mark my words.” Kalen smiled, having read the specs on the A-wings he would have as a part of his ‘Corps’.

“Just don't make yourself a mark on the side of an asteroid, hehe. For being 35 years old they're still some of the fastest production fighters in existence.” Blackhawk continued his chiding.

“Fair point.” Kalen relented.

“When are you heading out?” Tahiri asked, having only seen the orders herself the day before.

“Uh, later today. Apparently the team is assembling at Hellas Yards now. I'm going to have Karracca drop me off there and go and pick up that new Defender class Corvette I just bought.

Tahiri just rolled her eyes. She had unintentionally predicted Kalen trading in the Corra 5 for the Corra 6 a few days before in landing the landing bay above them.

“The Defender isn't a corvette dude, it's just a big, long range assault ship.” 

“You can just shut up Hawk, it is a corvette, it's literally in the name bruh.” Kalen said as he pulled up the ship specs on his datalink and showed him.

“See, right there, in the title line, Defender Class LIGHT CORVETTE” The jedi added.

“Gotta hand it to the advertising consultants for recommending that moniker.” Blackhawk laughed.

“Yeah, it's a cool name” Kalen agreed, totally missing the fact that Blackhawk was implying that Kalen had fallen for a classic marketing ploy.

Manually added by Lord Idris Adenn

That was so much fricking fun to right. Hope you all enjoy.

And yes, I am implying that CP has a strong Navy, and yes, we probably retrieve some high speed cool shit.

**2 Jedi's and 2 Senile Droids Walk into an Old Secret Imperial Base**

Bridge, Corra IV

Kalen looking at the half filled cargo crater. It appeared as though D had only packed the first page of the 3 page list of items that they needed for this mission. It was calamity in the making. None of the critical gear made the trip. The Jedi reminded himself that it was probably his fault for not explaining things better for the droid. Still, a hint of rage at the droid incompetence began to bubble up within him. It didnt help that Karracca new(but very old) R3 droid just chiped his binary giggles from the corner.

“I would never forget to read the second page of anything Master Joss.” Reece beep booped.

“Oh you mind your circuits you flea ridden tin can” D said to his robot counterpart.

Kalen was looking at his datalink with the first page if the ‘mission equipment’ list open, which read-

-Glowrod with a flickering charge

-Emperor Palpatine Hologram Projector, stuck on loop

-Imperial Datapad with a locked interface

-BlasTech DH-17 Blaster Pistol with a cracked power pack

-Stormtrooper Utility Belt, missing most pouches

-Destro-6 demolition charge trigger, but no charge

-F-187 fusioncutter

-Rusted Cybernetic Hand

-Clone Commando Helmet missing visor

Now, exactly why Kalen and Karracca had needed those specific items, well, that info will be lost to the sands of time. But what was important was that none of it was mission critical. This was the second mistake of its kind that the protocol droid had made this week.

“So if you read the second page D, where is the stuff from the second and third pages?”

“In the other cargo crater sir.” D said with a bow.

“And why would you forget to load the second crater then?” 

“I didn't forget to load it Master Joss. On my word, lest I be disassembled sir.” D rambled.

“Then who forgot to load it?” Kalen began pacing back and forth in the small 5 metre by 5 metre bridge of the Corra IV.

“I don't know sir. I saw it down in the hold just yesterday.”

“Wait yesterday…you saw it onboard yesterday? So you mean the other crate is onboard?” Kalen sounded relieved and engaged at the same time.

“Well yes, I assume so sir as we haven't landed anywhere or stopped for a few days.” the droid said matter-of-factly.

“I swear sometimes D, you're lucky sliced protocol droids are so expensive. Otherwise I might be half tempted to put your cranium through a bulkhead. Grrrr.” Kalen said as he stormed out, heading to the main cargo hold below them. Brushing past Corra with a grunt.

“Whats wrong babe, she called after him…you guys aren't still teasing him are you.” She said as she walked in and took a seat in Kalen pilots chair, something only she was allowed to do.

Karracca and Reece(R3-E5) as usual, began gossiping back and forth in Shryiwook and binary respectively. The two had actually been reunited by a twist of fate when Karracca was looking for an astromech and came across Reece in the classified ads of Interstellar bulletin board. Karracca had actually owned Reece for a few years three and a half decades before. Though, Reece had become somewhat more arrogant, depraved, and outright hallucinagenic since the last time they'd been together. The old wookie had learned a few days after buying him that the plucky little droid had avoided a memory wipe since Karracca had sold him. At random times throughout the week since he had taken possession of him again Reece would randomly mention to Karracca he had found out the answer. Each time Karra would brush off the astromech as just rambling due to his memory circuits being nearly full. But as they got closer to Wayland, the droid had become more and more urgent in his proclamations.

Finally, as they landed on Wayland the little R3 droid screaming out ‘the answer’ he had found.

“The answer to what Reece?” Kalen relented on behalf of Karracca just so he didn't have to hear the droid natter about it anymore.

“The answer to whether or not the Emperor had a child.”

“Really Reece? Yeah, we know he did, there was like, two direct-to-net holovids released about it just last week.” Kalen replied.

Reece, who thought he had found out a galaxy shaking secret and had diligently held that secret in for so long stoo stoically for a moment. He had planned to keep the secret until he met up with some trusted sidekicks(yes, Reece was so hallucinagenic, that he actually views humanoids as his sidekicks) who could help him solve the case. But instead, his hopes of ever lasting glory for himself and his kind faded yet again and he cooed and moaned, and spiralled into a deep state of droid depression for a few days.