Discovery of Skara Nal

|prev=Safa Toma Classic
|conc=
|next=Mission to Kashyyk
|image=
|name=Discovery of Skara Nal
|conflict=
|date=August 2nd, 1985
|place=Skara Nal, Kaldar Trinary system
|outcome=Skara Nal is briefly reactivated, and then destroyed
|keyparties=Clone Force 99
|participants=*Echo
*Phee Genoa
*Hunter
*MEL-221
*Omega
*Tech
*Wrecker}}
In 1985, Clone Force 99 and the pirate Phee Genoa discovered the ancient superweapon Skara Nal. The subject of legend, Skara Nal had long been believed to be a city built by the Ancients containing a valuable crystal called the Heart of the Mountain. Bad Batch member Omega found a compass with the coordinates of the Kaldar Trinary system, and Genoa persuaded the team to accompany her on a treasure hunt. Upon reaching Skara Nal in the system, the compass led them inside of a mountain. Contending with various booby traps, the group eventually made its way to a chamber containing the Heart of the Mountain. When Genoa removed the crystal, however, the truth of Skara Nal's nature was revealed as being a massive walker with a superlaser which began to destroy the surrounding environment. Hunter persuaded Genoa to put the crystal back as the Batch's starship, which they had used to travel there, would be destroyed if she did not. The crystal melted when it was returned to its slot inside Skara Nal, and the war machine itself shorted out and collapsed, destroyed for good. All of the humans survived, but Genoa's droid MEL-221 was destroyed, although the pirate was not perturbed as she had backed up Mel's memory on her own ship.
==Prelude==
Phee Genoa was a pirate and self-described treasure hunter active during the early Imperial Era, in 1985. She was an associate of the information broker Ciddarin Scaleback, who considered Genoa to be the most trustworthy pirate she knew. In that year, Genoa hired Scaleback to retrieve a crate from Aynaboni. To carry out the mission, Scaleback sent her "top team": the Bad Batch, a group of former Galactic Republic clone commandos who had deserted the Galactic Empire shortly after its formation. The squad had met Scaleback after coming to her for help identifying a bounty hunter who had attempted to abduct the Batch's newest member, Omega, a unique female clone who had been created as a special project of Chief Medical Scientist Nala Se. Afterwards, the Batch had begun working for Scaleback as mercenaries.
Scaleback entrusted Genoa with the knowledge of the Batch's identities and history with the Empire. The team first met the pirate when they returned late to Cid's Parlor on Ord Mantell after retrieving the crate, and Batch leader Hunter was perturbed when he found out Genoa knew who they were, as the Batch had successfully kept out of the Empire's notice since being presumed dead during the Attack on Kamino several months earlier. Scaleback insisted that Genoa was trustworthy. After Genoa's departure with her crate, Scaleback gave the Bad Batch their next mission, based on intel from the pirate: a heist at Castle Serenno to steal part of the war chest belonging to the late Saruman the White, leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. All of the adult members of the team were persuaded to go due to the usefulness of having some secure wealth in case they had to flee if the Empire arrived on Ord Mantell, so they could secure a future for themselves. Ultimately, the job was unsuccessful due to stiff Imperial resistance, and the Bad Batch escaped Serenno empty-handed.
Genoa became a familiar face at Cid's Parlor, becoming acquainted with the Bad Batch. Despite her habit of telling constantly-changing tales of her exploits, which irritated Hunter, Echo, and Tech, Omega grew fascinated with Genoa and the idea of securing treasure and riches. The girl began collecting items of potential value to show Genoa whenever she had a chance. Eventually, Omega and Wrecker went on an errand to a junkyard to acquire a new compressor, Wrecker collecting the part while Omega scooped up several knick-knacks to show Genoa. When they returned to Cid's, Tech identified one of Omega's trinkets as worthless, but Genoa took note of another. Inspecting the device, she saw coordinates engraved on it and identified it as a compass. Genoa's droid, MEL-221, scanned the compass and revealed coordinates Genoa recognized as being in the Kaldar Trinary system. Tech had no record of the system, but Genoa countered that the best treasures were not normally located on maps.
Omega was intrigued by the possibility of treasure, and Genoa was confident that was what the compass led to. She invited the Bad Batch to come with her.
==The discovery==
The Marauder followed the coordinates on the compass to Skara Nal in the system.
==Aftermath==
As the Bad Batch and Genoa returned to the Marauder, Hunter said it was a good thing that at least Skara Nal could no longer be activated. Omega sympathized to Genoa over Mel's destruction, but the pirate was unconcerned, stating that she kept the droid's memory backed up on her own starship because she was destroyed frequently. Genoa said she would have Mel rebuilt before their journey to Vadnay. Omega asked what was located there, and Genoa explained she had a lead on an ancient chalice that had once belonged to the Kingdom of Elweys, explaining more to a fascinated Omega. Hunter was skeptical about another trip with the pirate, but was open to it given Omega's excitement at the prospect.
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Events
Category:Missions of Clone Force 99