Some Things Are Best Left Forgotten

[Lord Nexus]

The Newbie​

It was cold in space...

No matter how many layers she put on, nor how warm she made her environmental control setting, Ashyyn always felt the cold. Her crew mates told her it was normal for those who spent their lives planet side- she would adjust. There was little comfort in their words however, as this cold seemed to be one that came from within.

Stationed aboard Scavenging Vessel SR-793- affectionately named 'The Grub', Ashyyn was the newest addition to a team of deep space explorers assigned to a scavenge and recovery mission near the Maw. It was a dangerous expedition for the most seasoned of scavengers, and Ashyyn was far from that. Born on the hellscape that was Tatooine, she took her first opportunity to leave that Sith cursed rock to make a name for herself- to her misfortune, this was that opportunity.

It had been three weeks since they set off, making their way through the lesser traveled Hyperspace lanes to avoid any encounters with the law (This was not a legal operation after all). As such, it took them longer to make their way into the treacherous heart of the galaxy. They reached the fringe three days ago, and since then things only became slower. They were in the Deep Core now, where hyperspace travel was treacherous at best- this meant the crew had to navigate around increasingly unstable collapsing lanes. Whoever set this operation up must have known the stakes as the ships Captain, Hakkon, slipped in and out of these lanes without any hesitation.

"Good" She thought to herself. "At least one of us knows what they are doing."

The rest of the crew was a rag-tag posse of mercenaries, scavengers and desperate denizens. Ashlyyn kept to herself, though she knew a few by name- Ajax was the heavy lifter and demolition expert, Banius was a seasoned war vet who was dishonorably discharged when they found him smuggling discarded battlefield equipment, and then finally there was Hakkon himself, who was a stoic, yet strong leader. He made her feel welcomed right away. As she was lost in her thoughts, Ajax lumbered up next to her. He was a large zabrak with filed high horns- while he was terrifying to look at, he was probably the nicest person on the crew besides the captain – and he was her bunk mate. She felt him before she saw him, leaning against the post next to her.

“So kid, what do you think we are going to find out here? Is it treasure? I hope it is treasure!” He let out a booming laugh that seemed to make the hull rumble. It was strange for someone so lighthearted to be wanted in multiple sectors of the galaxy for acts of terror- she couldn't quite figure him out, but she made sure to stay on his good side.

“If it is, I say we split it, steal the ship and ditch the rest of the crew.” Giving him a wry smirk before lifting herself off of the bench that she had claimed for the last two hours. “I am sure Hakkon won't mind- he seems right at home here.”

“Mmm, you say that now – wait until we hit the circuit near Byss- then you will get to see him as scared as the rest of us.” Ajax pulled out a small flask from his belt, taking a sip from its contents before offering it to her.

“Why? Is it even crazier there?” She shook her head, declining the offer. She knew better than to drink the swill that Ajax seemed to love.

“Yeah, but its also because he is superstitious. He says he gets a bad feeling when he is in this part- they say the old emperor had a base up here or something like that. It was ages ago, but he still gets the chills.” Ajax shrugged at her decline and took another sip from the flask. Ashlyyn stroked her chin for a moment – was that the same chill that she felt?

As the thought crossed her mind, the ship's intercom boomed with Hakkon's deep voice.
::We just entered the Byss sector, everyone strap in – it's going to be a bumpy ride from here on out.::

Ashlyyn's heart sank – maybe it was the same feeling...

It was cold in space...

 

[Lord Nexus]

The Captain​

Days Later...

The ship jarred and shuddered violently, akin to a Rancor being broken in. The metal cried in resistance, as the wormhole put its strength to the test. Hakkon couldn't remember the last time he inhaled- focusing on his display system, occasionally slamming a frantic command onto the console. It felt like years had passed since they entered the regional space of Byss- years filled with violent tumultuous flying. This crew was his responsibility- and their lives depended on his skill as a pilot. The violent shuddering intensified, reaching a fever pitch. Suddenly there was a loud groan, and the ship made a hard buckle. Then there was silence and darkness.

Several seconds passed before the lights reactivated, bathing the ship in a calming blue hue. Hakkon heard the crew let out a collective sigh in relief. His hands were still locked tightly around the control yolk. After a moment, he managed to let it go, trying to make sure his crew didn't notice the tremors that wracked his body. He took a deep breath, then a moment to compose himself before finally making his way into the main galley to address the crew.

Upon entering the galley, he noticed that no one had left the embrace of their safety harnesses- this didn't surprise him. The journey to the Maw was one of, if not the most harrowing trips you could make in the galaxy, and even after 40 years of flying, it still took a heavy toll on him. He scanned the room, noting everyone's condition.

Ajax was the first one he saw- the zabrak sat calmly, or at least that was what he wanted people to believe. Hakkon knew better; he had been working with him for decades now, and the Zabrak was just better at hiding his expressions, though Hakkon saw the thin veil of sweat on the top of his head. Then there was the rookie, who was pale and shivering violently. Poor kid, Hakkon heard this was her first trip into space- she probably won't step foot on a star ship after this. Then his eyes shifted to Banius, who was still relatively new to the crew. The war vet was calm- but unlike Ajax, it was not a facade. Hakkon had a hard time reading the veteran and that unsettled him. He sat casually, locking eyes with the captain, but remained silent. Hakkon gave the man a nod, then continued his inspection.

Satisfied that no one was going to pass out after such a violent journey, he addressed the crew.

“Alright, we have made it to the region of the Maw, and you look none the worse for wear. Good, I want you all to your stations, prepping for the salvage op. Anya and I will navigate the fields until we come up to something worth investigating.”

He paused, looking at the crew, who had not moved. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get moving!”

With that, the captain turned around and made his way to his personal quarters, entering the refresher. He finally had a chance to look in a mirror and clean himself up. The captain seemed to be a husk of his former self- all color had left his face and his eyes seemed manic. He splashed some cold water onto his face, before gaining his composure and making his way back to the cockpit.

Anya, a custom protocal droid was busy punching commands on the console behind the pilot seat - the droid did not acknowledge the captain, but focused on its primary task - to find any and all signs of salvage. The captain took his seat, scanning the vast abyss through the view port, before turning his attention to his command console. With a few clicks, he deployed several scanning probes out, grasping in the abyss for a hopeful payday.