[K4 - Entralla - PA] The Mechanic

The shade provided by the nearby industrial megastructures did nothing to cool those standing on the steps to the entrance of one of Nexus City’s many Fuel Maintenance Processing Stations. The very same station where mechanic Teven Ardaun had worked every day for the last six years. He hadn’t grown up in Nexus City, but with the industrial revolution provided by the Galactic Empire’s monumental needs, the big city offered important and high-paying work for those with mechanical skills. However, the only thing the city gave to Ardaun was a low-level engineering gig maintaining fuel components for Galentro Heavy Works. Now, it seemed, he would also be given a blaster and a pep talk.

“The Seraphan Ultimatum shall go ignored by the mighty Heavy Works,” came a heavily ornamented and bearded man with a scoff, “Some of us in Galentro Security believe this to be a fine opportunity to secure our future and prevent further deceit and humiliation from our competitors.”

Ardaun noticed the satisfaction in the old officer’s voice as he continued to berate the likes of Seraphan Photonics and Dynamic Automata, getting more and more excited and losing focus on Ardaun. With this helpful distraction, Ardaun set the end of his new weapon on the stone beneath him and took a moment to look at the flurry of movement around him. 

Two soldiers a flight of stairs beneath Ardaun lifted a barricade from the ground, maneuvering the piece further from the stairs and towards a narrow alley. Neither of them seemed particularly well equipped, and wore nervous expressions as they carried their equipment. 

Behind them, a woman Ardaun recognized from work, possibly one of the radio workers who came in from time to time, carried a large communications array on her back and was speaking fervently into a small mouthpiece.

Above them all, a Galentro Security Soldier gazed down, analyzing the scene with increasing disdain.

Ardaun couldn't remember the entirety of the next few minutes, but he did recall a few key moments.

He remembered the Officer finishing his grand speech, clapping Ardaun on the back, and telling him something about showing the galaxy the strength of the Heavy Works. 

He remembered hearing a shot, a scream, and watching the body of one of the barricade soldiers fly from her post and crumple against a generator.

He watched her partner drop the other end of the barricade and start blindly firing his weapon, his eyes never leaving the body. 

Then he remembered the security soldier calmly crouching behind his own barricade, firing his own weapon and shouting at his superior officer to find cover.

Then there was the determined smirk on the face of the Officer as he muttered, “Finally those bastards worked up the nerve…”

As for Ardaun, he only remembered running. Jumping off the railing and into the street below, he ran for as long as he could down streets he no longer recognized. He may have fired his weapon, he dropped it somewhere, but the urge to get away from that first shot had fuelled the mechanic far more than any loyalty the officer had instilled in him. The fear of what was actually happening had kept him running for what could have been hours or merely minutes.

Finally, as he began to feel his breath leave him, he remembered the hulking black droid brandished with Dynamic Automata’s logo aiming its own weapon at him. He remembered falling before any of the pain of the bolt reached his head.

And as Teven Ardaun died, he only remembered wondering, “I am a mechanic! What am I doing here?”

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