Disclaimer: I don't own rights to Star Wars, nor do I intend to profit from this work of fiction.
Chapter 2:
The Tools of Shadows
"What is it you intend to do here, my Master?" the remote droid asked.
"T3 and 47 will go in first, if the assassin droids have security cameras or sensors of any kind; they won't issue any security alerts if the 47 unit walks in with T3 in tow," Blivion explained, "in other words, HK 47 is a precautionary tool in our little operation."
"What about the astromech droid?" G0-T0 asked.
"T3 will act as my eyes and ears, so to speak. I'll make my way into the factory after getting feed back on security systems at the entrance."
Blivion folded his arms as he watched T3 M4 working on the security terminal - he had figured - led to the HK droid factory.
"Everything outside of that will come down to resourcefulness," he added.
T3 bleeped signifying he was done with tunneling the security door.
"You know what needs to be done?" T3 sounded a positive.
"Then get to it and 47, remember that the self preservation programming is still in place, don't act out of the expected protocol."
The two droids stepped into a dark corridor, down whose aisle was a cylindrical camera attached seemingly to the ceiling. T3 relayed information of the entrance layout over to Blivion.
"Try and find a computer or a station that'll shut down the surveillance for the entrance," the Dark Lord advised.
The robotic tandem continued on, 47 activating the gate at the end of hallway by pressing a key pad adjacent to it.
Inside, the two droids walked down a corridor floor that was inclined downward toward what looked like a large room. Through the room they were greeted by a large hangar with several, uniformly parked capital class vessels. They looked around and found that the hangar control room could be seen overhanging the dock which – from what they could observe – seemed empty. They passed through the hangar and arrived in the factory proper. It was filled with crane-like machines, mechanical hands and large conveyor belts that resembled many assembly plants. T3 sped through looking for some kind of terminal he could log onto.
"Warning: I would advise that you traverse through cautiously short one, I don't want to have to tell the Master that your circuits got fried by an energy bolt from a turret." T3 whistled at the assassin unit.
"Explication: I don't care for your experience in "tough" situations. If we encounter one of those… impostors I wouldn't be able to destroy them. That… is the only reason I suggest caution."
They turned past a conveyor aisle and to their right they spotted a series of deactivated droids in containment capsules.
HK 47 stopped in his tracks, "Statement: there they are, the cheap copies!"
T3 rolled towards the capsules, and inspected the droids keenly with his sensory probes. It whistled at 47. "Deduction: So they are still operational, this explains a lot." T3 sounded a question.
"Explanation: It means that they are activated based on certain criteria. Their activations may be triggered by the deactivation of one unit or perhaps a timed automated program here in the factory, what matters is that we….," adopting a sonorous voice, "I mean you can do with them whatever you please." T3 communicated in another bleep before moving to a computer near the occupied capsules.
In the terminal, was information on the next expected activation, a large series of security commands and information on the security terminal, there was also something about large scale, space-worthy ship building platforms, in a facility a level below them. The underground complex spurned many kilometers and seemed to have been built several years ago.
T3 commed Blivion his report, "I assume you've also found where the HK droid control terminal is?" T3 beeped an affirmative.
"Good, stay put," Blivion responded, as he shut down the comm.
"What has the astromech unit found Master?" G0-T0 asked
"He said he's at the droid control terminal; he's cancelled the HK 50's assassination protocols, he couldn't tell which ones involved my termination and/or capture so he cancelled them all, this however doesn't affect the droids that are not in the factory at present" Blivion explained to G0T0.
"What bothers me Master, as I'm sure it bothers you equally, is the question of who created these HK droids?" G0-T0 confided, hesitating for moment before continuing, "as to the reason why, that is easy to deduce."
"Yes, the reason for their creation is simple enough to assume; they were built to disrupt the Republic's recovery efforts by sabotaging negotiations that would bring stability to the Republic: from peace talks, to trading disputes," he shook his head, "even the fact that they chased after me seems strange but sensible - in light of their primary protocols - but I'm surprised you haven't calculated the possible identities of their creators."
G0-T0 circled Blivion for a short while and then replied, "You think this has something to do with the Sith?" Blivion nodded showing a slight grin, "Yes."
Blivion walked deliberately through the entrance hallway of the factory. Making small mental notes on any discarded equipment or perhaps hidden features T3 hadn't identified.
"It seems plausible Master, but it isn't congruent with what I know of them, it seems too subtle a methodology for their kind: at least for Malak's Sith," G0-T0 said.
"Maybe, when you consider Malak's brutish attacks on Telos and Taris, but there's something…."
Blivion clutched his chin, receding into his thoughts.This has something to do with the Sith of that civil war, perhaps a faction working independently of Malak and his short sighted approach. "Master?" G0-T0 called, affecting a gentler tone than was usual to his voice. Lord Blivion returned his attention to the droid, regarding him with a scrutinizing look. You! A droid! Machine that you are, show concern for me! Ha ha ha: he laughed in his mind, Your concern is nothing more than an illusion, mere behavioral algorithms..
"Whoever they are, I believe the answers await us inside the factory," Blivion finally said to his droid, as he made his way through the droid factory.
It was a relief for G0-T0 that he didn't have to fight his way through a series of battle droids or security placements.
"This factory… I'm surprised that the HK's didn't see the reason for installing any sort of effective security,' G0-T0 pointed out.
"Don't be too certain, there is still a lot of ground to cover before we secure the entire facility," Darth Blivion said.
They moved into the assembly room to find HK 47 and T3 by a computer terminal. T3 whined, while he operated the computer.
"Question: Strange energy readings? Where's their source?" T3 spun his interface probe in the terminal slot before replying.
"Frustrated remark: this is what you're useful for and you can't find it."
"What is it?" Blivion asked.
"Explanation: Master, the astromech unit found some energy anomalies as he attempted to make a sensory sweep of the factory through the terminal.
"And?" Blivion asked a little impatiently.
"Conclusion: He says he can'tidentifythe precise location of the source, Master."
The former Jedi walked over to T3, "Which sectors?"
The astromech beamed a vague holo projection of the underground lay out and whistled a description of the areas with the energy fluctuations.
"I'm certain we'll find something of interest in these places. T3, you stay at the terminal and comm. us, if you detect anything significant, you two," looking at 47 and G0-T0, "are coming with me."
The three travelled past a door in the north east of the terminal. They walked into a room that was illuminated by flickering light-blue bulbs. In the room, there was a transparent wall through which a store room could be seen; deactivated droids littered on its floor.
Further on they entered an office that had broken terminals and altar-shaped work stations that looked to have been forcibly ripped apart. Past the office they came to a corridor that had window panes on one side that provided a view to the rest of the factory. Whether it was upwards or down wards, the two floors above them or the several below them: all the levels had the same architectural structure. Following the rectangular perimeter - of what they assumed were the office departments - they came upon one of the building's turbo lifts.
"Suggestion: I wonder Master, if we shouldn't just take the stairs?" 47 said.
"Nonsense, this is much quicker and I'm sure it'll be perfectly safe," Blivion encouraged.
"Considering what we've seen so far I don't disagree with the assassin," G0-T0 remarked.
"The assassin doesn't have the benefit of knowing the force," Blivion replied.
The dark lord touched the descending turbo lift button and a few seconds later the lift door opened for the three explorers. Blivion entered the lift without hesitating; the droids however, seemed a little less willing.
"You know you'll enter this lift one way or another: it is better that you do it willingly."
The two looked at each other and moved through the open doors, without another complaint.
The factory sub level was dusty, cold and most evident of all, dark; what little light was there, consisted of small light bulbs that illuminated the floor. A man and a mechanical assassin walked down the giant hallway followed closely by a hovering spherical droid. HK47 was turning this way and that, his rifle armed and ready to fire at any perceived threat.
"T3, we are in the hallway right in front of the turbo lift. What direction is the disturbance from our position?" Lord Blivion spoke through his comm. unit. T3 gave a reply beeping and hooting at length.
"Understood, over and out. He says the energy radiations are to the right of the hallway, but there's a maze of corridors and access ways to get by before we reach our point of interest."
With that they continued their search, cautiously moving towards the nearest opening on the hallway.
"He said to turn right, this is it," Blivion said.
The corridor to the right of the hallway was narrower by half but no less dark. Walking through it required that Blivion and 47 passed through one after the other as the width of the corridor was only about adequate for two average men to stand shoulder to shoulder across it. At the end of the corridor they came upon a junction with three doors. One at the centre, two leading to opposite ends of each other.
"Observation: I think it would be advisable if we split up master, each of us to explore one access way."
"That's a perfectly sensible suggestion except…," G0T0 began to say.
Blivion, not even looking at G0T0 added, "You don't trust your bodies' functionality as concerns self defense maneuvers?" G0-T0 made no reply.
"47, you and G0-T0 will secure the left side, while I secure the right. We'll go around and secure the floor from both sides."
The path to the right opened into near absolute darkness, Blivion removed his plasma torch to improve the poor visibility. Observing the area with the scant light from the plasma torch, he recognized the room as some sought of med lab. There were metallic counters littered with test tubes, the contents of some, long since spilled over. Many glass containers were broken, giving the impression that they were broken deliberately. Deeper into the factory and the conditions were the same: dust, grime and broken equipment.
As the Former Jedi Exile walked into another technologically equipped room, he was arrested by the site of a corpse, nearly fully decomposed except for its bones. Blivion knelt by the body and found that it had clothes that looked like what might have once passed for staff uniforms. He searched the tattered remains of the clothes and found a data pad.
The Data pad read: The experiments went out of control; we had no choice but to launch full military counter measures. What will the masters do to us?
Blivion dropped the pad after reading it, and continued his search.
47 wasn't accustomed to exploring for the sake of exploring, because without specific instructions from his master to track down any specific threat, this is what walking through the factory was. Entering the umpteenth dark room, 47 didn't expect to meet any resistance let alone anything of interest.
"Greetings human sentient," A mechanized voice spoke.
47spun around to fire but was impeded by a minor ionic beam from inside G0-T0's body. 47 turned his rifle to the remote droid,
"Don't shoot me until you look at what you were about to destroy," G0-T0 said in his usual cool monotone.
47 looked in the direction of the strange voice. It was a protocol droid with it'sobservation sockets burned by what looked like blaster fire (that's why it thought 47 was a human sentient) and it's mechanical body looking as rusty as 47's once was.
"Slight correction: We are not human sentients protocol unit."
"Oh!" the protocol droid exclaimed, "excuse me then for my error. I am P2 P1." "Introduction: I'm HK 47, assassination unit."
"Much as I would like to indulge in these… rituals of etiquette, there is the pressing question about why you're the only functioning piece of equipment in this place?" G0-T0 chimed in at length.
"My memory unit has taken a bit of damage, but I'll relay to you the events that led to the demise of this factory as best as I can," the protocol droid paused, before continuing,
"7 years ago a group of scientist from parts unknown gathered here at the behest of a group of powerful men, known (to me) only as: The Masters."
"Do you know who these masters were?" G0-T0 interrupted impatiently.
The droid doing something strangely human shook its head to mean, no.
"I was only privy to what was said amongst the lower level employees. All I know is that they were powerful enough to have high ranking military officials answerable to them."
"What military officials?" G0-T0 asked.
"I don't know who the military personnel worked for, all I know is that the director of the project was a general of some sought…"
"Some sought? I want information, not uncalculated guesses," G0-T0 interrupted again.
"He was referred to as a general, and the people he represented were only addressed as 'The Masters'."
"That is a satisfactory explanation… for now," G0T0 informed.
"As I was telling you," P2 P1 continued, "the soldiers under his command made up the facilities security force."
"Clarification: So the facility was run by the military and not the scientist?" HK 47 queried.
"Yes, but not initially and evenso, their role mostly constituted maintaining security, everything else was done by scientist and other civilian employees…, to the best of my knowledge," P2 P1 replied.
"The Generalas the director,was said to be the only one who spoke directly to the employers…."
"Impatient request: can we skip to the part where the facility gets deserted," 47 informed.
"Certainly, it was one of the experiments, it killed a large number of the scientists and the director was forced to exercise…." The protocol unit stopped talking.
"Irritated Extrapolation: Are you broken? You're motivators are damaged aren't they or perhaps your memory core?"
G0-T0 circled the protocol droid, "Worse, it's completely shut down."
"Smug statement: A common facet of these primitive protocol models, it's hardly surprising."
G0-T0 seemed very intent on examining the deactivated droid.
"The machines motivator's and power unit have been tampered with. The punctures and burns are all deliberate," G0-T0 commented on his observations, "this unit was deactivated remotely."
"Statement: All the more reason to find the source of the astromech unit's energy readings." HK 47 said.
47 returned to the task of exploring the facility, leaving the broken down protocol droid behind, with G0-T0 flying after him. As G0-T0 began to go through a check list of observations in his memory log he was compounded with the frustration of being unable to use his logic to predict the scenarios they'd encounter in the factory, he was however able to calculate that his master was probably at home in this factory, with its many avenues for the unpredictable.
The medical bay, and the offices surrounding it were nothing more than the derelict left over of a long since abandoned project, what that project was, was difficult to guess but Darth Blivion, with every store room and office he passed was beginning to formulate a frightening picture. For the last hour he had been following a detailed but incomplete map of the area that he had found in an abandoned data pad. He was looking for the records office but the diminished map, inadequate lighting and maze like building structure was making it a slower process than he would have liked.
Glancing at his map once again, the records office was supposed to be a few metres ahead and sure enough an automated access way with the name "Records Hall" written in galactic basic materialized in front of the former Jedi. At last, he thought. Walking into the room Blivion was greeted by rows of largely empty shelves. A feeling of disappointment coloured his mind but was quickly dissolved when he discovered that many a file, data pad, holo log and archive disc was scattered on the floor, a few even having been left on the shelves.
Whether the mess of a clean-out was inadvertent on the part of the former residents wasn't obvious, unless the files left behind were unimportant. Blivion secretly hoped they were in too much of a hurry to have done a thorough job. The first data pad Blivion picked up was nothing but a summary of job rotations, the next an invoice on common medical equipment and the next and the next, until Blivion felt resigned to the idea that the former occupants had cleared out any information worth a look.
Blivion decided to ferret through the small containers and cupboards and his search turned unsuccessful save for one: a medical holo recording by a disgruntled worker over an incident related to 'the project'. Blivion played the recording and the image of a 30-something-year old human male with average looks, appeared over the small holo disc.
"The arrogance of some of the security stuff is driving me up the wall. Yesterday they thought to keep me out of lab07, sighting they had to take responsibility for some of us naïve civilians." Pause "Naïve! As if having them around hasn't brought its own problems." Pause
"When the director relinquished his position to this General Annar, I was skeptical. Why give the project over to the military? I asked. All I got from the old man was a half audible explanation about our benefactor's decision, and that the project must go on." The man begins to look around suspiciously.
"Soon after we are experimenting on humans, and then the other day…." The man looks around again, "we have this accident…, the thing is it wasn't an accident." the man finishes whispering. "Any way, I'm always wondering when the project will become ours again, and then I remember the former directors demeanor before he left, and it's my belief that the project will never become what it was."
The man clears his throat before continuing "I'm making this holo recording in case someone…helpful comes along and finds my little compartment." "They are probably already investigating me; this might just be my last recording." Pause "The latest rumour is that some of the subjects are Jee…" The man switches off the recorder.
Blivion looked at the date of the recording; it was about 9 years ago.