Before the Dawn (An Adventure Star Wars/System)

Another month had passed, and nothing had changed, but last night I had let slip the proposal the elder had made us a month ago while I was talking to Kyi.

As we pushed a container toward the unloading area, the murmurs were more constant than usual. They weren't talking about the weather, the food, or the supervisor, who always seemed more tired than all of us combined. They were talking about the job.

"That old man isn't asking for a bunch of loose bolts," Rusk said, not bothering to lower his voice. "He's asking to go into the belly of one of those Venator-class ships. Do you know how many levels you have to go down to get to the navigation core?"

"And do you know how much it would be worth if we got it?" Kyi replied, with an unusual sparkle in her eyes. "We could get out of here. Buy tickets, pay for fake IDs... Whatever!"

"If we don't die trying," Talla said quietly, reviewing the numbers etched into a circuit board. "No one has gone that deep in as long as I can remember. Some say those areas are sealed by toxic gases... or worse."

"We'll be lucky if we can distract Krann so we can search," Vekk growled. "It's not easy. I don't like it."

—Vekk is right, we have never tried anything like this and even if we are lucky enough to distract everyone so that someone manages to slip away and by a miracle can go down to the ship's navigation data —Talla seemed scared and worried since some rumors began to arrive and the idea seemed to terrify her thoughts even more — We are not sure if that piece will be there, it's too much of a risk to take right now.

Zaru seemed just to listen wordlessly, staring at the container in front of us. She waited until everyone fell silent, or at least stopped talking long enough.

"I'm not interested in risking everything for just one chance," she finally said. "But it's time to take big risks. We're still far from our goal, and this is falling apart."

Escape, the goal they all shared, had shared some of their plans with me after making sure I'd remain silent; nothing complicated, just saving enough to buy everyone's identity. Although I knew it wasn't as easy as it sounded, a fake identity could cost a few thousand credits, and that didn't solve the problem of leaving the system; there was barely any difference between what a slave and a free person earned.

Leaving the planet was the solution, but there were no travel routes that didn't belong to the guilds, and they didn't let anyone leave except their officers.

"Are you talking about Sector 8?" Kyi asked quietly.

Zaru didn't respond immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the container, as if he could see through its rusty walls.

"What happened in Sector 8?" I asked carefully. I hoped that was what had everyone so upset. It was annoying being the only one left out, but everyone else knew someone outside or spoke to the guards on occasion, so they found out about certain things much sooner. No one answered right away.

"There was an accident," Talla murmured, barely audible. "But it wasn't an accident."

"Imperials, apparently looking for smugglers," Rusk added with a sour grimace. "Someone resisted. There are fewer workers there now."

—Less is sugarcoating it, rumors say only half of a few thousand remain — Vekk said while unloading a piece of coolant.

"What does the empire want here? I thought they wouldn't care as long as the guild gave them their share." I asked out of genuine curiosity. I had never heard of Bracca, and everything I had learned.

The planet was about its unimportance, a planet that was practically a giant junkyard.

The silence that followed felt thick. No one seemed to know the reason.

"That's what we all thought. We don't think the Empire cared about this planet," Zaru finally said. "So far, they've been content to leave the security and operation to the Guild, just like you said."

He took a break while he finished dismantling a piece — But it's obvious that it's not the same as before. Imperial patrols have increased in recent months, according to what my contact has told me, and it's not only on this side of the planet where similar rumors are heard.

I looked at the others. No one seemed surprised. Just tired. Something else I'd noticed about the group was their hatred of the Empire. They all seemed to have been brought here as a result of a series of consequences caused by the Empire. Kyi played with a loose wire between her fingers. Vekk stood with his arms crossed, his jaw tense. Little Nyylo stood in the corner, attentive but trying to appear absent.

"If we get that piece, and the old man gives us access, we could advance our plans by a full year," Rusk said, looking at Zaru. "Maybe more."

Our plans had changed in the last few days. My skills not only included a pair of hands repairing parts, but a few days ago I'd also curious about whether I could acquire stealth-related skills. The experiment that resolved my doubts was stealing a few credits from some guards now and then; a simple stumble here and there could work wonders. Resulting in the skill I was most proud of acquiring, given the effort it had taken.

New Skill Acquired: Light Hand

Type: Passive

Description:

Constant practice and observation have honed your reflexes and control over your movements. You can now remove small objects from pockets, belts, or compartments without being easily detected.

Effects: Increases the chance of success when discreetly stealing items from other characters.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say it had allowed us to earn a few dozen credits quickly, but it was also one of the reasons I hadn't been able to form bonds with them. They still didn't suspect me, but only because they barely seemed to notice my existence.

"Or we might attract the wrong kind of attention," Vekk replied, his voice low. "You know how they get when something like that is missing from a ship."

"No one will care about something like that," Kyi chimed in. "It's an old ship, half-dismantled. It's on the edge of the lot. If we go in fast..."

"And we leave before anyone notices anything," Rusk finished, his eyes shining a little brighter than usual.

Zaru finally turned to me.

"What do you think?" she asked directly. "Could you be able to do it?"

It was a surprise. Not just for me, but for everyone. I saw it on their faces: raised eyebrows, parted mouths, a couple of glances between them. No one expected her to ask me.

"Zaru, he's not ready yet," Vekk said, his voice rising slightly. "I'll go."

"You're too big, you wouldn't fit through the ducts," she replied without hesitation. "Besides, you'd attract attention, and if something goes wrong, you'll be in greater danger."

"We could still send another one of us," Rusk chimed in, arms crossed. "Even though Scraps has been reliable, he's still one of the younger ones. We don't even know his age for sure."

Scraps. I'd almost forgotten that was my nickname.

I took a deep breath. It wasn't just the pressure. It was the feeling that this moment was important, not some pathetic adult receiving help from mere children. These poor souls needed me, and I couldn't let fear stop me from taking responsibility for them.

"I think if we don't take this opportunity, there might not be another one as good," I said finally. "If you trust me... I can do it."

There was a silence, as if everyone was internally aligning themselves with a difficult decision to accept. Talla looked at me for a second. Kyi looked down. Rusk snorted, but didn't say anything else.

And Zaru just nodded.

—Then let's get ready. Tonight, we'll review the route.h

__________________________________

Two weeks passed. Everyone was worried about me, some still offered to go in my place, but deep down, we all knew there was no turning back. We had prepared everything to make this opportunity possible. Every night, I returned to the barracks with numb feet, a stiff back, and my brain still racing over mental maps and escape routes. I slept little, and even with my photographic memory, it was difficult to digest all the information.

It would be impossible for anyone else to replace me, and things seemed to keep getting worse. Every day, more rumors were heard about what was happening outside, some even saying that the guards weren't being spared from the Imperial raids. Something that seemed to have reached their ears, as the concern could be seen on their faces, and their aggression had increased.

That only fueled even more panic the night before the plan; some had talked about postponing or abandoning it, but we were also pressured by rumors.

Zaru said nothing during dinner. She had a serious look on her face and hadn't spoken to anyone. The others weren't much better; Vekk was poring over an old sheet of metal with hand-etched schematics. Talla never left the small, makeshift lamp we used to mark routes. Even Rusk, always ready with a bitter joke, didn't speak a word. Only Kyi muttered, very softly, going over the security codes for the access points, like a mantra to keep from going crazy.

Moments like these reminded me that, after all, they were still children, whose nerves were getting the better of them. But I wasn't much better. I could feel my leg twitching, and I could almost tell everyone else noticed it too, but avoided talking about it.

I slept little that night. At times, I felt like I wasn't sleeping at all, just closing my eyes and rehearsing each step over and over again. The entrance duct. The corridor beneath the ship. The rusty hatch that shouldn't open all the way. How many seconds did I have to count between the rotations of the old sentry who passed by? Even the sounds the loose parts made when you stepped on them.

I had memorized everything, or that's what I believe

At dawn, the gray sky over Bracca was as it always was. But everything felt different. As if the planet itself was giving us clues about the danger we were facing.

Zaru approached me as I checked one last time the small package of tools and rags that would help me camouflage some pieces if I managed to find them.

"If something goes wrong," she said bluntly, close to my ear, making sure the others couldn't hear, "don't return to the extraction point. There's a second duct marked on the back of the map. No one will follow you through there. But we won't be able to help you if you use it, either."

I didn't respond immediately. I looked at her, nodding firmly. I understood. This could mean the last time we'd ever see each other; returning alone could endanger everyone.

"Thank you for trusting me," I said.

Zaru held my gaze for a second longer, then handed me a small, rusty circuit board.

—Take it with you. It's useless, but if they catch you, have them look at it first. It has the seal of an Imperial ship. With luck, they'll think you're just another ignorant kid who stumbled across something valuable.

It was the closest thing to a "take care" I would ever hear from her.

The group escorted me to the entry point. It was early, before the usual rotation, but that gave us some leeway. Talla checked for any new sensors. Kyi helped me secure the pack straps. Rusk handed me a small, old flashlight with almost no battery. Vekk just patted me on the shoulder.

"You'll have twelve hours before the end of your shift; you must return no matter the outcome," Nyylo said. "You're more valuable than a piece of trash like that, Scraps."

I crouched down in front of him, close enough to see the slight tremble in his fingers.

"Then I'd better get back," I said with a calm smile. "I don't want you to lose your favorite roommate."

Nyylo didn't respond, but looked away, his face red. Perhaps from embarrassment. Perhaps from fear.

I turned to the duct. Rust decorated its edges as if it had been there for decades, forgotten by everyone until one day, Talla seemed to have found it. It smelled of old oil and dampness.

trapped. I knelt, placing my hands on the cold edge.

I took one last look back and tried to give my best smile.

Zaru stood with her arms crossed and said nothing, but the bite on her lip spoke volumes. Talla had already disappeared, probably surveying the surroundings. Kyi held the damaged chronometer we used to measure the patrol cycle in her hands, and Vekk simply held his gaze.

I turned my gaze toward my target and moved forward, arms first, then chest. My back brushed against the edges as I pushed with my feet and arms to make my way through the narrow passage. Only to be quickly swallowed up by darkness.

The metal creaked beneath me, and the heat it gave off was worse than the surface. Every meter I advanced felt cramped and more uncomfortable. But it was still enough space to move. And then there was total silence. The duct curved, lowered, and dropped me into a forgotten compartment. I landed with a thud, the air escaping from my lungs for a second.

"Shit, I knew I shouldn't trust such ambiguous plans." My voice reverberated throughout the place, as I watched rat-like creatures run all over the place.

The fall wasn't hard, but it was humiliating. I slowly sat up, brushing the remnants of dirt off my pants and looking around.

I took out the flashlight Rusk had given me. I turned it on. It flickered three times before settling into a flickering, yellowish light that barely cut through the darkness. Just enough.

The compartment was cramped, with metal walls covered in layers of dust and mechanical cobwebs, the kind of small cleaning droids leave behind after years of absence. There were rusted remains of what appeared to have been an auxiliary control station: cracked screens, dangling cables, a half-melted chair.

I remembered Zaru's instructions and looked for the exit point. According to the mental map I'd memorized, there should be a semi-collapsed hatch in the lower corner.

left. I crawled over there, resting the flashlight on my shoulder as I moved loose pieces aside.

It was a constant vibration… machinery still running. Very faint, but present. It meant this section seemed to still be connected to some auxiliary power system.

"Perfect," I thought, with a mixture of relief.

The hatch appeared behind a fallen column. I recognized it by the half-erased Imperial numbering marks. I checked the edges carefully. I had enough room to get through if I could move the fallen structure blocking it. I took a deep breath. I braced myself.

"Not strength, technique," ​​I remembered what Vekk told me.

I fitted a rusty service lever I found along the way, inserted it into the gap between the hatch and the bracket, and applied pressure. Not too slowly, but not too hard either. The metal protested with a squeal that made me grit my teeth.