The emergency comm line’s sound woke Avery out of his slumber. He blindly answered, thinking the Hospital on the Citadel may have needed some extra help. To his surprise, that was different from what the call was about. He was briefed on a classified mission and was assigned two partners to meet at Giletta Spaceport. It was a good thing that was where he parked his precious Pearl, which seemed fitting for the assignment.
The Human let out a sigh. He glanced over to his partner, who seemed to stir at the slightest of his movements.
“Avery?” The Sephi croaked as though she sensed a disturbance in the Force. “What’s wrong?”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say anything is wrong.” At least not yet. “I just got an assignment from Brotherhood HQ. Classified, which means–”
“I’m on Liam duty,” she finished his sentence with ease in a sing-song voice, no complaint found in her tone. “Yes! I was hopin’ to take him to the aquarium in Celeste. Just be safe, okay?”
Avery inwardly lamented missing out on his son’s first trip to the aquarium. But time was always a constraint. He had to fight to spend time with Eevie and Liam. “Always am,” was his simple and confident reply.
The pair kissed affectionately before the man rose out of bed and prepared for his mission.
—
Selen’s sun beamed onto the Giletta Spaceport, species of all kinds filling the walkways, ships entering and leaving every few minutes. Since Avery was early, he could give his Nubian Yacht a look over since it had been some time since she traversed the skies. The space Avery parked her in was rented and included regular mechanical checks; he never trusted the spaceport’s staff to do the job as well as he could. He ran some diagnostics and found a few simple, fixable software errors, making him think, ‘What am I paying them for?’.
With the system checks completed, the doctor, clad in sunglasses and a navy suit fit for the fanciest of galas, stood in front of the rendezvous point to meet his two assigned partners.
“Look, I agreed to purchase a state-of-the-art language processing unit for you because it actually would help me in my duties to the clan and the people of Dajorra,” said Bril as he walked, looking back at the KX-Series security droid with an unamused expression. “Really, Kayto, I struggle to see how modifying you to have a turbolaser would aid me in that goal, or how your chassis would support it.”
Kayto, more formerly known as K-8T0, was an executor droid painted in silver and gold to distinguish itself from the standard metallic gray of its predecessors. It was even a bit taller at seven-and-a-half feet tall instead of just seven, and it carried itself with a dignified mien that, coupled with its striking appearance, tended to attract the attention of passersby.
“In fact, my lord, I believe equipping me to better dispatch your enemies would afford you more time to serve the fine people of this system,” countered Kayto.
“Do you forget that I prefer to defeat my enemies without killing them? And please stop calling me lord. It creeps me out.”
K-8T0 shook its head. “No can do, my lord. That would be a violation of my programming.”
Bril rolled his eyes, not interested in debating the issue with his droid companion. Once he noticed the first of his teammates for the evening, he folded his arms behind his back to appear a bit more formal. It was their first meeting, after all, and he knew the importance of first impressions. He greeted the Human man with a bow.
“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Watson,” he began, “So good to meet you in person. I’ve actually read some of your work. Fascinating stuff.”
“Kriff,” Lektra muttered as she tripped over herself once again, having to lean into a wall for support. Apparently, at least according to Lektra’s friend Luka, one had to wear high heels with dresses. If the Firrerreo had known this, she never would’ve agreed to the outfit. With a frustrated grumble, the short woman pushed herself off the wall and continued her journey through the spaceport.
The only benefit of the woman’s nightmare shoes was that they granted her a view over the heads of people of her previous height. The extra inches under her feet were only a small help, but they were just enough for Lektra to spot the men she was eager to meet. Hoping to make a good first impression, she adopted a confident stride as she approached.
The clicking of heels stopped just short of the group of three. Even with her extra verticality, the woman still had to crane her neck to look up at the rest of the group, something she was not excited to have to do for the foreseeable future. Her eyes drifted between the two individuals she had joined, along with the towering droid that seemed to be accompanying the scholar. Chills ran down her spine, and she spent a little too long eyeing the monstrosity before tearing her eyes away to address her new teammates.
“Sorry I’m late,” Lektra apologized, feeling slightly embarrassed. She flattened out the skirt of her dress, still uncomfortable with how exposed her legs were. She pointed to the Zabrak, “You must be Bril,” and then the human, “And you must be Avery. I’m Lektra.”
Avery looked between his mission companions, happy to meet new faces. “A pleasure to meet you both,” he said with a bright smile, reaching out to shake each of their hands. “Avery is fine, Dr. Arga. You also have some fine work yourself, young man.” The doctor did his own research in his free time, not desiring to grow dull in his pursuit of better treating his patients or discovering new technologies. He was able to read some of the young Zabrak’s works and he was impressed. Not many were willing to venture into the depths of research he did go. The art of pursuing knowledge seemed to be a rarity these days.
“A KX-Series droid.” The Human looked up at the familiar droid. His father often used them as security for their estate back on Coruscant. “That should be a great aid for the mission if things go… sideways.”
He set his hazel eyes on the mysterious Firrerreo. “Lektra, I must say; you have fine taste in style. I love the dress.”
A look of surprise appeared on Bril’s face upon hearing his answer.
“I hadn’t expected you to know of my work,” he admitted, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Thank you for the compliment, Dr. Wats—sorry, Avery.”
He figured since his academic counterpart had opened the door for more informal forms of address, he should return the favor. “You can call me Bril, as well.”
“You two look nice. Really dressed for the occasion,” he noted while looking between both Avery and Lektra. He was dressed in his standard Lotus robes, though in the dazzling white version rather than his typical black or brown. Although he could have worn something more formal, he decided against it, preferring to have as much protection as possible while also looking stylish for the occasion.
Bril took a moment to admire the size and design of Avery’s starship. It must have cost a fortune, far more than what he expected either of them to make on a researcher’s salary. Curious. While he was doing that, K-8T0 turned its head to address Avery.
“I am the KX-series security droid,” it corrected, “Far superior to my predecessors and all those that will inevitably follow.”
“Right, right. You’re the best of the best, Kayto,” interjected Bril with a roll of his eyes. “Shall we?” he asked while gesturing toward the ship.
Once they were on the ship’s bridge, Bril turned to face the two of them. “Does anyone mind if I take point on this one? I’ve worked with the Envoys before, so I’m familiar with how these kinds of missions tend to go.”
Lektra smiled right back at Avery, seeming rather happy that the man had gone out of his way to learn her name. It took an awkwardly long amount of time for the Firrerreo to realize that the human’s extended hand was an attempt at a handshake, which, when she realized, she eagerly grasped his mitt and shook it at an uncomfortably quick pace.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Avery,” the young warrior responded. Quickly, she realized she had walked in on the two discussing titles and how to address each other. From what information Lektra was able to glean from the brief dossiers she was provided of the two, they were both well-accomplished scholars with multiple published works. An uneasy feeling of inadequacy and alienation sparked inside her, feelings she quickly pushed out of her mind. She might not have been the first choice for this mission, but she was dead set on proving herself to not only the two men but also the Envoy Corps at large. As much as she loved being a server, the call to battle and action was too much to resist any longer.
The girl of the group was apprehensive when the eldest doctor brought attention to the security droid he kept in his company. If she had known it would be accompanying them, she would’ve declined the mission altogether. Thankfully, Avery brought the conversation quickly away from the droid and to her dress. It wasn’t her first pick; she wanted to wear a suit similar to the Human’s, but Luka had convinced her that a dress would be more appropriate for her cover story. The two had come to a compromise by finding a shorter dress with lapels that would both promote movement while also maintaining some elements from a suit, all tied together by a literal bow. To top it all off, the Zabrak went and agreed with Avery by complimenting her appearance, and finally, her resolve broke. She began to blush under their momentarily shared gaze, her bronze skin turning silver while her freckles maintained their color, acting as a soft speckling of color.
Someday, the woman would be comfortable with starships and the concept of space travel, but until then, she would always be amazed the moment she stepped into any and all space-traveling vessels. She followed Avery and Bril through the halls and onto the bridge where she stood waiting for someone to speak, relieved in a way when Bril spoke up not only to break the silence but also to offer to take the lead through the mission.
“I don’t mind. It’ll be good to have someone experienced in taking the lead.”
The small team boarded Avery’s pricey vessel. The ship was clean and was adorned with an excessive amount of amenities. It could have easily doubled over as a fancy apartment with the living spaces, rooms, and refreshers aboard.
When they were gathered on the bridge, Avery nodded in agreement with Lektra. “It does make the most sense. I’ll be happy to abide by any orders you give, Bril. I’m skilled at persuasion and I could lead any… diplomatic conversations if necessary.”
It was good knowing they were in experienced hands which meant he had higher odds of seeing his son and lady again.
In the meantime, the Human ventured over to the cockpit where his droid pilot, P3-T3 resided. “Alright, Pete, think you can get us to these coordinates alive?”
“I do believe my programming was made for such, Master Watson.”
“Good. Let’s get this bird in the air.”
—
In a matter of hours, the Nubian Yacht was piercing through the atmosphere of Kyasis. The ship descended into a designated landing zone, the small party inside safe and sound. One by one, each of them disembarked from Pearl.
After establishing a fine plan and cover story, Avery, Lektra, Bril, and K-8T0 ventured to the fundraising venue, none of them underdressed for the occasion. The group of four, naturally, were stopped by security. They dryly pointed to the sign indicating no droids were allowed on the premises.
Upon seeing the sign, Bril frowned.
“I’m security for these fine folks,” he paused to gesture to Avery and Lektra, “Going to be a bit harder to do my job without my trusty droid.” The security duo, a dowutin and human, exchanged glances with one another before looking back at him with stale expressions. Neither of them said a word. Suspecting that nothing he could say would persuade them to make an exception for him, Bril turned to face the Enforcer droid standing behind them.
“Looks like you’re going to have to sit this one out, Kayto.”
If K8T0 was capable of making facial expressions, it would have been rolling its eyes.
“What an utter waste of my talents,” It responded, before departing toward the ship with heavy, clanking steps.
Once the guards stepped aside to let them through, he was the first to enter the building. A vision of extravagant wealth awaited the three of them when they entered: dozens of people all dressed in the best clothes credits could buy gathered within a ballroom whose size alone was enough to give him a moment’s pause. Curious sculptures and artifacts of well-known and obscure cultures alike were housed within transparisteel cases, attracting the attention of passersby. Bril’s eyes followed a winding staircase leading up to a balcony overlooking the gathering of Kyasin socialites, and settled on an Imroosian man whose skin, reminiscent of chalk, contrasted with the dark suit he wore.
“That’s him, alright,” noted Bril, making sure not to stare too long. “Alec Koraba. Founder of the Almara Corporation.”
He scanned the room again, clicking his teeth.
“And it looks like the way he plans to raise money is via auction. These artifacts should be returned to the people whose cultures they belong to. Not sold to a bunch of rich ba–”
Bril cut himself short, and responded to the heat he felt building within him by taking a breath.
While Bril was made upset by the non-allowance of droids, Lektra couldn’t be happier. The less time she had to spend around the doctor’s automaton, the better. However, once they entered the ballroom, the Firrerreo was unsure whether or not she’d prefer the droid to the ample, crowded space. She rarely had to deal with large crowds, and her discomfort was difficult to hide.
The woman was grateful for Bril’s direction towards their target. Though she had been taught how to watch out for specific things, she was too overwhelmed to do it on her own. At least for now. Quickly, she was acclimating to the setting they had found themselves in and would soon be back in tip-top shape.
She noticed the Zabrak’s sudden outburst over the artifacts and wished there was a way to console him since it seemed he was very passionate about it, but he calmed himself before she could even comment.
Avery placed a consoling hand on the Zabrak’s shoulder. One of understanding. Despite his affluent upbringing, he understood the damage people of his kind could cause. He never understood what it was like to be hurting financially and with his investments and inheritance piled sky-high, he likely never would know.
“I’ll tell you what, Bril,” Avery said sympathetically, meeting the young doctor’s gaze. “Pick out three of your favorite artifacts, and I’ll outbid them back and have them delivered to their rightful places.” The rich making a spectacle of unique items was nothing new and would continue to be a thing until the end of the ages. That never made it right so this was the least the doctor could do.
After the words were said, he watched their target move about the crowd. Maybe he could talk up the for intel on where the governor has gone. “I think I can get past his security detail… My father would like a guy like this and chances are, he might know his name.” The family name ‘Watson’ had made its way to the corners of the galaxy. His father sat on generations of wealth and it was an uncomfortable reality. To be made so rich and powerful is usually stepping on the backs and bodies of those considered less worthy. Despite this, Avery kept the name precisely for moments like these.
One corner of Bril’s mouth pulled into a scowl as he scanned the various artifacts in the room. Choosing only three would be difficult, and he would have preferred to simply compel Alex to return all of the items he had on display to their respective cultures, but he knew that his Masters wouldn’t approve of such an action. Then again, he had the power and the willingness to hold people like him accountable — something the mogul likely didn’t have much experience with.
Bril shifted his attention back to Avery and shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but it’s fine,” he said. “Let’s just focus on the mission. If you can get us past his security detail, one of us can have a look around the rest of the estate. See what we can find. I’ll follow your lead.”