Heroes of the Force

Part 1: The Escape

Prologue

In an instant everything was cast into darkness with one order. The tyranny and corruption of the darkside finally took its place at the head of the old republic and it was done to the thunder of applause from a thousand different planets and races. They were all fools. What they didn't see was the deaths that caused it or the suffering it was built on. They didn't see the rise of Darth Vader or the monstrosities that followed in his wake. But most importantly they didn't hear the order. The words echoed through the galaxy even now as strong as when they were heard by clones of the republic. "Initiate order sixty six". Perhaps if they had heard that everything would be different. But they didn't. They didn't see the flash of the lasers all firing at once or hear the thousands of screams as their last hope of salvation was destroyed. In an instant everything was cast into darkness. And the galaxy cheered on.

Chapter 1

Legions of battle droids standing in perfect formation filled the view out of the windows of the connecting hall above the large chamber. These were all new droids ready to be sent into war to crush the republic. The human smiled to himself as he summoned up a feeling of pride in his work. He continued down the hall watching the droids march beneath him until he came to a door marked restricted access. He placed himself under the scanner and announced his presence.

"Director Grammad Rellving", the door opened to his voice and he moved inside swiftly.

"All systems online sir, we are just waiting for your approval", a young assistant reported to the director.

"Good", Grammad Rellving nodded to his underling and started towards the door.

He had been working on this project for a long time now, he wasn't going to miss the activation day for anything. Director Rellving had been the head of the research and development department for the separatist forces since almost the beginning of the war, reached by cheating, bribing and blackmail, Director Rellving was the most feared man in the department. Despite his shortcomings the director was still a very knowledgeable man, he had designed several vessels in the separatist fleet, created radical new weapons and even had a hand in the design of General Grievous. But this was to be his greatest achievement.

He had been working in secret with a select few researchers to develop a new cutting edge type of droid. It was this droid that was to take control of the war. He entered the secure room and looked to his staff and then at his project. Five identical assassin droids stood to attention at the wall in front of him. Five machines designed with the sole purpose to kill all things living.

"Have you uploaded all of the necessary data?", he asked casually.

"We just finished minutes ago, director", the response came from somewhere in the small crowd gathered, the director didn't turn to see him but kept his eyes on the droids. Their brilliance had him breathless, he couldn't wait any longer. So he gave the order to his team.

"Activate the first". The droid was lowered from its platform to the ground standing in front of him, and then it moved, slowly at first, then more confidently its photoreceptors opened and it became aware of the world.

"What is your number?", Director Rellving demanded of the droid his chest swelling with pride. The droid considered the request and then its speakers activated.

"IG-88", the droid managed.

"Good", Rellving smiled, "activate the rest", the team pressed more buttons and the droids all came to life.

"What is your task IG-88's", Rellving barked. They all moved randomly at first, running system checks and testing movement in their joints. So he repeated the question.

"Well, your mission IG-88's". Straight away they answered in unison.

"Eliminate all high ranking officials, politicians, jedi and military personal involved in the republic".

"Excellent, deactivate them for now and have them loaded onto their ships, we will release them in two days". The assistant pushed the button but nothing happened.

"Its not working, sir", he stuttered.

"Try it again", Rellving ordered but to his horror the droids responded this time.

"Negative, director Rellving, your deactivation attempt has been interpreted as an act of violence and will be responded to in a fitting manner. Surrender now and you will increase your chance of survival by twenty three point four percent". Rellving was shocked.

"What are you doing", he gasped.

"Your failed attempt has activated the self preservation programming, we are designed to now defend ourselves in the manner we see fit. Your current chance of survival is nineteen point seven percent, if you choose to surrender it will increase to forty three point one".

"This is ridiculous, we are not aggressors, we will just deactivate you for now and then load you onto your personal vessels where you will be most effective in carrying out your assignments, it's not as if I am trying to disintegrate you.".

"A deactivation is a deactivation and we will not respond to threats of disintegration", they chanted, raising their weapons.

"I order you to stop this at once, you have gone insane", the director tried one more approach, it was the wrong one.

"Yes you are quite right Director we are insane, you designed us after all. But this is still categorized as failure to comply, director, you must be eliminated". The director lost all his composure as he ran for the door screaming.

"Shut it down, cut the power or we're done for", it wasn't enough. The five of them leveled a blasted rifle at his head and fired. One assistant reached for the failsafe button and pressed it hard with his palm. Slowly the assassin droids cane to a stop and then started moving steadily towards the other occupants of the room once more.

"Your attempt has failed, switching all systems to backup power cells, your chances of survival have dropped to zero point four percent. Bright purple was the color of the poison dart that hit him just below the neck, he had just enough time to see it before he died.

As the rest of the team tried to escape they were cut down by vibro blades, poison darts and all kinds of unimaginable horrors. When the room was still the IG-88 droid called 'first' downloaded the contents of the files on the facility onto his hard drive as the rest of them proceeded to do the same. It scanned the data, loading filed both republic and separatist and finally opening and processing information in the holonet itself. When it thought it had enough it proceeded to find a method of escape.

"Appropriate craft in hanger seventeen located, IG-2000 vehicle suitable". The droids blasted though the door and laid waste to the compound destroying everything between them and their target. Men and droids couldn't stand up to them they raised their deadly pulse cannons and decimated a squad of destroyer droids. The hanger was within their reach when one opponent released a thermal detonator and blew apart the platform, sending the IG-88 droids into the waiting masses of battle droids. The assassin droids opened fire as they were still falling and shot down the inferior droids where they stood. They blasted a line straight to the exit with high explosives and raced out of the death trap.

They could see it now the docking bay with the five identical ships. All that was in the way were technical staff holding low power blasters. The IG-88 droids reacted with poison gas grenades released strategically around killing everyone who was in the hanger. With only a few remaining droids resisting, the IG-88 droids moved on to their ships. When they reached the loading level the five identical IG-2000s were fully stocked, fuelled up ready to launch, the droids entered the ships and took off into the atmosphere. As the IG-88 called first flew into space it calculated at the same time as the others what had occurred. They were programmed to eliminate the republic, it was their goal, their one true purpose. However the separatists had tried to destroy them, their own programming told them that anyone who tried to eliminate them must also be terminated. The figures were even. There were only two factions in the galaxy and they were both enemies. This left them with only one logical conclusion, all living creatures must die.

"Locating appropriate weaponry, selected homing proton torpedoes. Locking on to primary target" They turned their craft around and opened fire on the compound launching a devastating barrage of missiles.

Ignoring the screams of the suffering was basic programming for the assassins. No remorse and no regret, only cool logic and processed information. As the compound burned then they changed course again and launched into hyperspace in opposite directions to spread their terror through the galaxy. The one called first searched its memory and found a suitable target, there was a planet called Courascant.