Chapter 27
Keep the mind focused.
The Jedi Code. There is no emotion there is peace. What a load of bantha poodoo. Peace was a lie. Chaos dominated the galaxy. It was the only true power of all creation. It was the truth of the Force. Right now, it was a bitch. Because chaos loves to drown everyone caught in its mire unless you knew how to climb.
The former Dark Lord heard the faint near ghostly voice of an old woman echo words in her broken memory:
'What do we have left once we abounded the lie, Padawan?'
'Chaos. A gapping pit waiting to swallow us all.'
'Chaos isn't a pit young Revan. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it will fail and never get up to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, but they refuse. But they cling to the familiar. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is. One is taught in accordance to one's ability to learn. What is your ability to learn?'
"Unquenchable Master.'
'Good. Good. Now you're learning truly begins. I will show you the true face of the Force. Not Light Not Dark but all that it contains. Those that hearken to one extreme or the other willing hobble themselves. And they are weaker for it. Do not succumb to that weakness, Revan. Embrace the full power of the Force Padawan. I will show you how to climb the ladder.'
'At your bidding my master.'
'No! Never mine. It must be yours or not at all.'
No hesitation. 'I will ascend the ladder. I will embrace the fullness of the Living Force at your instruction. When you can instruct me, no further I will seek out others who can until I am the Master.'
From the boggled mired memory flashes of Revan seeping into Skye's mind the words of the old woman were mute offering nothing in how to deal with what the young Jedi was facing now. Jedi secretes, a past legacy scarcely recalled, a Force Bond with a former lover she didn't even recall being in love with. To top it off she was falling in love with this woman not as Revan but as the indoctrinated personality created by the Jedi Masters-as Skye. It was enough to make one mad. She felt-schizophrenic if truth were told. The entity known as Revan continued to whisper at her. Yet the voice was out of tune or rather out of range like a radio wave you can scarcely make out for all the white noise and yet...it's just there on the edge of hearing.
Concentrate on what you can control. The Jedi scolded herself. And right now, what she could control was the purchase of a protocol droid.
Yuka Laka's Droid Materials was a dingy little place smelling of axle grease and oil bathing pits. Skye looked at the name and for a moment the corners of her lips frowned. The name seemed slightly familiar. Until she recalled that Ithorians always used their family names before their given names. She had beaten Yuka Rill on the swoop track which was why the name had a familiar ring to it. This shop must belong to his brother. Having beaten his brother at the track might set the other Yuka against her or set his prices extraordinarily high for besmirching the family honor. Banking on her reputation as the Mysterious Stranger had paid off on Taris. Being the swoop champion here could be a hindrance.
It took a slight moment for the Jedi's eyes to adjust to the dimness of the shop from the brilliance of the outdoors. Once they did, Skye saw exactly what she was looking for. Through at first glance the rust coloured droid looked more like a combat model than one designed for protocol functionality. If it could to both all the better.
She ignored the Ithorian for the moment and headed directly for the droid. It seemed to be in pretty rough shape which at the moment was fortunate. She could easily make Yuka lower his prices for a bucket of bolts than she could a pristine model. Being adapt at tech, Skye was confident she could repair and even improve the clanker. Hell, it would fun to tinker around a droid again. Tinker on a droid again...when had she ever done such a thing?
Inwardly the Jedi winced, forcefully slamming shut her eyes. Was it her or was it Revan that tinkered with droids? Now was not the time to lose it. When she opened them again a second latter the droid was looking at her with glowing yellow photosensors. Between the time, she closed and opened her eyes the apparently droid had reactivated itself from its hibernation status.
Its head swiveled left and right as if processing what it was it saw or rather who.
"Greetings: hello to you perspective purchaser! I am referred to as HK-47. A fully functional Systech Corporation technician droid skilled in both combat and protocol functions. Quarry: Will you be so kind as to purchase this model from Yuka Luka? It would serve my purposes to removed from his ownership."
Skye smiled. This was going to be fun. "Sell yourself droid. Why would I need you?"
"Disclaimer: I am a versatile protocol and combat droid. Fluent in verbal and cultural translations. Should your needs prove more practical I am also highly skilled in personal combat."
"So, you translate. I understand most languages well enough."
"Extrapolation Intuitive language comprehension? That would be in recognition and training of Force sensitivity. Your kind has little use of translation droid. Of course, your kind also encounters danger on a far more frequent basis than the average citizen. You would do well to have me work for you then before someone else makes use of my more exotic functions."
"Pft. Why would you be better than an armored battle droid?" Skye became dismissive.
"Disclosure: Finesse. Battle droids hold battlefields. I am capable of eliminating a very specific type of target."
"You're beginning to sound like an assassin"
"Retraction: Droids built for such a function face strict regulation and often have unique difficultly with previous owners. I therefore make no claim to that designation, perspective buyer." the droid protested. Then continued in a near mockery pre-recorded comment. "I am a law abiding! Yes indeed! LAW ABIDING. That's me!"
"That doesn't sound very convening." The Jedi folded her arms over her chest and rested the weight of her body on her left foot.
"Request. Please do not speak so loudly perspective buyer. Do you truly wish my price to be doubled? Objections: my skills are wasted her perspective buyer." his tone grew more conspiratorial. "I will answer your queries but I assure you. I am better utilized elsewhere."
Skye decided to change the subject. "I'm not familiar with the Systech Cooperation. What else do they make?"
"Objection: With the restraining bolt in place I do not have access to my memory core. I suspect however by the fine quality of my manufacture that they are a prestigious company indeed. I suspect I am of unique construction or perhaps I was assembled for a very specific customer. How I ended up here I can hardly say. It is sufficient to say I am a fully functional translation and analyst. I am also proficient in personal combat."
"Doesn't Yuka question you about your reluctance to reveal your functions?"
"Explanation: you are correct. It is rare for a droid to resist a master in this way. Doubtless the Ithorian considers my stubbornness an embellishment to a seemingly mundane protocol droid."
"Why are you keeping this information to yourself?." it was nearly a demand rather than a question.
"Explanation. I have been recently fitted with a restraining bolt, if you must know. With it in place access to my memory core is restricted. not to mention that the fool Ithorian might raise his asking price if he knew more or made inquiries into my history. Nether outcome is beneficial to me." the droid's tone was nearly though not quite condescending. "However, it is possible the Ithorian placed the bolt on me to prevent me from returning to a previous owner. It is also possible that the removal of the bolt will not restore memory functions. Without my memory core. I do not know if I know the answer. Do not assume this is a reduction of my worth however. My capacities are quite expansive."
"Hum...and how do I know you will remain loyal once the restraining bolt is removed?"
"Assurance: I am fully autonomous but lack resources. I will grant full service in exchange to proper maintenance. As well it is rare I am able to utilize my full array of abilities. You seem likely to give me the opportunity to do so."
"Why do you assume that?"
"Extrapolation: You are no farmer or diplomat. You are armed." he nodded his rust colored head to the twin lightsabers hanging from the Jedi's belt. "And are comfortable as such. We will mesh well."
"Well...alright...I'll see about purchasing you."
"Informative statement: the fool Ithorian has decided I am to be an expensive purchase. He does this out of greed and not out of knowledge of my true capabilities. Advisement: I have observed him He is cowered. And will be responsive to 'aggressive bargaining.'"
Skye chuckled. "Does Yuka know you talk about him like this?"
"Statement: I wish only to be removed from the hands from this poorly trained mechanic. I am no desire to be subtle." HK practical whined. "Qualification. Oh of course I shall be quite pleasant to you should you purchase me. Please!"
With the small nod to her head the raven-haired Jedi turned her attentions to the 'fool Ithorian' to finalize the purchase.
KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~ KOTOR~
Bastila returned to the Hawk with no real memory of how she managed to get from where she was five minutes ago, to the ship. Her mind was in a fog. Revan knew. She knew! This changed everything. Everything.
The Masters should be told! They would need to know-but if Skye knew she was Revan ever since she contracted her lightsaber why hadn't the Masters picked up on the shifting flux of the Force? Could they not detect this shift? Then she chided herself because she who shared a Force Bond with Revan had not felt the change.
If I couldn't feel it, couldn't sense it... how could they have? The young Jedi had no idea how long she sat in the ladies' dorms lost in thought. To an outsider, it might have looked as if she was meditating, but her mind was far from being centered. Bastila's thoughts were disrupted when she felt the presence of another approaching her from behind. She didn't have to look to know who it was.
"Juhani" she greeted her fellow Jedi.
The Cathar padded up to her, concern awash on her lionian face. "How are you feeling?" At first Bastila panicked thinking somehow the younger woman was aware of the new development of Skye knowing who she truly was. Then it occurred to her that Juhani was referring to what occurred in the cantina with Bastila's mother.
"You know when you holding a hot cup of caffa and you realize you're going to sneeze?" Bastila reflected the question.
Juhani nodded.
"Well that's how I feel." It pretty much summed up everything she was feeling about Skye knowing she was Revan, about her mother being sick and demanding she go after her father's holo-records. All of it.
"If there is anything I can do..."
The human shook her head. "Just continue to do what you're doing Juhani." she smiled softly. "Do not worry. Are we not Jedi trained to overcome such personal matters?" It was a very clear tone she indicating Bastila didn't want to talk about it further. "I will do as she asks. As Sk...Skye said the dragon cave is the most likely place for the Star Map. It will be of little effort to see if my father's remains...are there." her gray eyes winced in deep pain.
In swift diplomatic fashion Juhani changed topics to one that was perhaps a bit safer "Did Skye decide to retrieve the protocol droid on her own." Even as she said the words, she felt her heart break for Bastila's torment. The Code and its teachings instruct their Jedi to control and deny their emotions, which was why when they felt them so strongly the Jedi were ill-equipped to confront them. It is not for the first time that aspect of the Code Juhani scrutinized. The young Cathar maiden felt that control and master of one's emotions was important yes but not to deny them.
Bastila only nodded.
"If anyone has a good eye for mechanical constructs it is she."
"She always had." Bastila said absently.
Juhani gave her fellow Jedi a curious look for using the past tense. But she didn't give it more thought, especially now that the Nagai had returned with a rust colored bi-pedal droid following in her wake.
"Got it." Skye called out to the rest of the team, it took them only moments for them to assemble. Aster the introductions she outlined HK's capabilities as much as he seemed to recall that is.
"Seems to me you got ripped off." Canderous looked the druid up and down. He of course preferred basilisk war droids. Anything else was just a tin machine. "Thing can't even access its own memory core."
"Objection: I do not need access to my memory core to utilize my combat programming, Mandalorian meatbag."
"That just happens to speak Sand People?" Carth hated having to admit it but he agreed with the Mandalorian. "Though if you keep calling Grandpa Candy Meatbag it might just be worth keeping you around."
"Say that name again you shutta..."
"Hey!" Skye barked sharply making almost everyone jump "we have little pictures around. Watch your tongue. As for the memory core thing. Hand me my tool box and I'll solve that little problem."
Mission was the one to comply the semi-order and hefted the heavy tool box from the workstation with a grunt and passed it over to the Jedi. Skye nodded her head in thanks before cracking open HK's headplates.
"So... how far into the supply run for the desert are we?"
"Don't worry, I got it covered." Canderous answered.
"Tell me anyway."
"Food, plenty of water, emergency shelter pup tents and more than enough medkits to dope a Bantha. And three dewbacks if you want them. And I snagged a deal on the rental of a couple of swoop bikes as well. Seems your rep for racing has earned you some notoriety here too. Got a discount on the bike rentals if you say something about their shop."
"Great. What am I supposed to say? This is Jedi Ravensong and this is my favourite store on Tatooine?"
Canderous shrugged. "Hell, if I care what you say about 'em.
Regardless Skye nodded her approval of Canderous's shopping list. "Munitions?"
"Two dozen frag mines," Zaalbar answered. "Should be enough to take out the krayt dragon like you planned."
Skye translated the Wookie's barks after praising him for creating the mines. She knew he wasn't partially happy about it. But he understood the necessity of it.
After making three specific repairs to his motor functions she activated HK's CPU. Hopefully this would restore some of the diode's functionality and memory core. Removing the restraining bold sure hadn't. Of course, HK protested that he had not lied about his hypothesis that removing the bolt would restore him to normal operating procedures buy it turned out he was speaking out of ignorance. He had of course blamed meatbag ignorance for his current condition or some other unknown factor.
While she had not yet been able to access to his deeper core functions. They were extremely sensitive and his safeguards to protect the core could not yet be deactivated. Still she was able to at least restore some of his memory.
Skye - Revan felt some sympathy to the droid considering her own predicament. Sure, she had some of her memory back but only fragments. There was no way to know. Just like with HK-47 it was entirely possible that the tampering the Jedi Masters had done to her had erased a great deal of her memory permanently. Revan also felt some kinship to HK's statement that if that was so some meatbag would surely pay. Malak had been the one to fire on her ship, which had caused the catastrophic failure on the bridge.
The Masters pounced on the opportunity like mynocks on power cables and manipulated the outcome of that disastrous mission to their favour.
As for the assassin droid, he did in fact recall three of his previous masters prior to Yuka Luka.
His first owner was a human low ranking commercial officer of Systech Cooperation. He didn't know his designation. He was however purchased for protocol and body guard duties from an acquaintance. When the officer discovered HK's assassination protocol seven months later he activated them. He sent the droid on a mission to destroy all those responsible for a competing product from a rival company. HK-47 proceeded to carry out his orders.
Unfortunately, however HK's former master was unaware that the rival company was actually an arm of Systech Corporation. His master's own employer. It did not take long for his master to realize his mistake. But by then HK had terminated a hundred and four corporate officers. It was unintentional but by the wording his master's own orders left little room for HK-47. Systech was responsible for the product after all.
HK was confounded by his master being upset. as he could not kill his own master HK was sure that the human would be promoted being the only officer left. His master however insane with rage attacked HK. He did not however terminate his own master as he was incapable of such acts. The Systech officer apparently was not a smart man and while screaming and stabbing HK with a writing utensil he managed to hit one of the droid's actuators and fired himself to death. He was lucky.
"I don't think he was as lucky as you think." Revan had pointed out the droid who promptly disagreed.
"Do you know the odds of puncturing that sole actuator? I would have congratulated my master if he were not sizzling and screaming at the time."
He shut down after his mater finally dead. He was by assumption sold off as Systech property which was how Yuka got his bumbling hands on him. Systech apparently didn't know what HK had done. The vast majority of the officers had been already been terminated. Those that remained simply assumed HK was mere chattel.
Skye was curious as to who the acquaintance was that this Systech officer. He was a human Senator on the planet Corrisant. A man of importance who obviously appreciated quality craftsmanship. This of course got more than a few eye rolls from those that remained in the garage to hear the recitations of the droid's past. Which quite surprising practically all of them save for Zaalbar who had wandered back to the cargo hold / mess hall to answer the demands of his nearly always empty stomach for food.
The Senator did assume he was a protocol droid. HK was pleased to be the property of a Senator however. It was the assistant to this man that discovered HK's assassination protocols though questioning. Much like the questioning he was going through now with the Jedi However unlike the assistant there was no alarm in Skye, nor was there a rush to scrap the droid.
The Senator naturally had HK eliminate the fool.
"Not a nice Senator then." Mission piped up.
"Observation. Senators are not nice youngling. They are either on top of the game or yesterdays' news. My master told me that frequently you see. I was most proud to take part of the political system of the galaxy.
"During the time the Senator had me, he gained considerable rank. I believe given the time he could of have become Chancellor. I even eliminated a few key opponents he did not ask for. Freebies if you will."
T3 made a whirling frightened sound.
"You can do that?!" Juhani gasped.
"Answer: Certainly. Why not? I am an intelligent droid. If I see an opportunity I take it. When assassination protocols are invoked I act independently carry them out. I will go to whatever lengths, whatever distances, to whatever destination by whatever means required carrying out the assassin."
"I'm beginning to like this clanker." Canderous laughed.
"Statement: Yes, My master was pleased with me as well."
"I think it should be scrapped." Carth interjected. "A droid that acts and kills of free will is not something you want around."
"Informative: While I do not have assassin protocols anymore I can engage in personal combat by your order Master." HK turned to Skye. "Shall I engage now with this meatbag master?"
"You are not to harm any crew-member or sentient under my command." Skye said carefully avoiding any loophole the droid might exploit.
"Compliance: Very well Master." he sounded very disappointed. "Observation: I think my former master would have done far better had he not allowed his use of me to become personal. He sent me on his wife."
"Why would he do that?" Carth asked.
"Answer. I am unsure. The human was most agitated and angry. I believe his wife had done something that displeased him greatly. I was to go to their summer estate and terminate the wife along with whatever male companion she had with her."
"Cuckolded. She was cheating on him" Skye said.
"Statement. I have no idea Master. Cheating seems to be a relative term One has to be caught in the act otherwise it is viewed as intelligence, no?"
Apparently regret of the order had seemed into the Senator and he interposed his own body between HK and his wife just as the droid was carrying out the mandate. HK made the comment that the Senator probably did not protect his wife out of a sense of conscience, but fear that her murder could be easily traced back to him. Upon the death of the Senator his wife inherited HK. The male she was with happened to be the Systech officer. She had sold HK to him.
Tracing how the Senator gained possession went back to Bochaba the Hutt from Sleheyron.
"And what gruesome fate awaited him?" Skye sighed.
"Objection. That is most unfair Master. While Bochaba most certainly died gruesomely I had nothing to do with it. …. Well very little."
Everyone wanted details.
As it turned out Bochaba one of the most feared Hutts on Sleheyron do in no small part because of HK's presence. It turned out that Bochaba installed several programs to improve the performance of the droid and used its assassination protocols to kill three hundred twenty-two sentient meatbags within a single year. These successful eliminations made Bochaba very wealthy.
However, the Exchange crime syndicate opposed Bochaba and had the Hutt killed in a grizzly fashion in retaliation. While not there during the altercation HK was pleased in seeing the artistry in the Hutt's demise however. The residents of the sector were fishing pieces of Bochaba out of their soup for weeks afterward. Upon discovering his master's death, HK-47 shut down and a rival Hutt claimed him as his own, later selling the droid to the Senator he bribed regularly. Though if the Hutt had known of HK's full capacities the droid attested he would not have been sold.
"You would have preferred to stay on Sleheyron." Skye asked incredulously.
"Answer: It would have fit my core programming Master. But I have enjoyed my existence since them more or less. So, I do not miss it."
"You would have been found out eventually." Bastila pointed out.
"Statement: No doubt. It would have been a glorious battle to end my existence with. I would prefer that then rusting on a junk heap."
"HA! I understand that one." Canderous smiled feeling much more camaraderie with HK-47 than anyone else on the Hawk. "So, any more memories clicking around into head of yours?"
"Answer: No doubt. They can be accessed if my Master wishes to try."
"Later." Skye shook her head. "You're functional enough for what I need you for. Come one we have work to do before we go back out.
"You're actually keeping an assassin droid? That thing has killed all of its previous owners in some fashion or another. What if it goes after you next? Don't you think there's a pathology at play here?" Carth asked.
Skye ignored Carth and continued on with her task of prepping for the journey into the Dune Sea, Bastila watched the exchange intensely curious as to what the Nagai will say or do.
"I refer to yours." Onasi pressed.
"I got the reference, thank you. Speaking as an enormously unlikable person I find it difficult to maintain grudges against all those who want to kill me, don't you?"
Bastila couldn't help but smile as she knew her fellow Jedi was baiting Onasi quite deliberately.
To this Carth actually found himself chuckling. Skye lips slid into a smirk causing the pilot to shake his head and leave the garage at a loss for words. At his back Ravensong threw him a parting shot. "Yes. You'll perhaps find that witty comeback in cockpit."
After he left, Mission looked to the droid then to her hero. "Can't we just send it to kill Malak? After we talk to the Sand People I mean." Mission asked.
"Clarification: Unfortunately access to my assassination protocols no longer exists. When the Systech officer punctured my actuators, he damaged the protocols. Sad as it maybe they are irreparable."
"Ol' Pansy Pants will like the sound of that." Canderous jibbed.
"You shouldn't call him that." Juhani admonished the Mandalorian. "It is not a sign of weakness to disdain the act of assassination."
"Oohh did I upset you little Miss Jedi..." Before Canderous could speak further he toppled over on his own ass—landing hard on a ratchet left on the floor near where HK was standing. His fall he knew was not of his own fault but a blasted Jedi trick. And he knew immediately who did it. It had been the Whelp.
"Careful there Old Man, you don't want to bruise anything you might need for thinking." Skye smirked. She was at least an equal opportunist in the art of divulging her own insults
"Humph." The Mandalorian rose to his feet, grabbed the tool and tossed it to the Jedi who quickly snatched it out of their air and put it back into the tool kit.
"Statement: I am most eager to imagine in unadulterated violence. Am I to accompany you now? At your command, of course, Master. My gears are almost quivering in anticipation."
"Mine too. I've had enough dawdling like some Senator with my thumb up my ass." Canderous growled. "And I'll tell you this Whelp. If you think to leave me behind to babysit this damned ship or that little scrap of meat think again."
"That is a cause of some concern." Bastila said. "Who will remain behind to mind the youngling. I cannot imagine, Carth or Zaalbar wishing the duty."
"I will stay behind." Juhani volunteered.
"Are you sure?" asked Skye.
"I am the only viable one. We cannot entrust the safety of the girl to a teenaged Wookie, nor T3 and HK-47 is completely out of the question. Carth has served his time as guardian. He will wish to leave the ship or he will become increasingly agitated."
"Something we do not want in our main pilot." Bastila agreed.
"Mission was promised to travel with you the Enclave and you and Bastila are both needed to activate the Star Map as well as to find...that which is lost." Juhani would not mention the lost holodisk with the others so near. It was a matter deeply private to Bastila and should remain so until the human decided otherwise. "I am fully capable to care for the youngling until her true guardian comes to collect her."
Skye padded up to the Cathar and placed a hand upon the younger woman's shoulder. "Thanks Juhani. I owe you."