Hi all, Author speaking. Before we start I'd like you to acknowledge following points to avoid any misunderstandings:
1. I don't own Genshin Impact or Star Wars franchises, nor any other franchise used in this story. My ownership is limited to the Fic itself in the range specified by FFN rules. (Plus eventual OC's unless specified otherwise.)
2. This Fic has no upload frequency, I write this for fun and on impulse.
3. Grammar and spelling won't be perfect, but I'll try not to make it atrocious for you.
4.1.1. Story starts with a state of Teyvat (GI world) as present in version 4.3., since it's the most actual story-wise one at the time of me beginning the writing. But since it's safe to assume that the story will actualize Liyue in 4.4, events of this update will be altered. Just letting you know in case I happen to do something wrong.
4.1.2. State of the Star Wars world at the beginning of the story is some time (But not too long.) after the shutdown order for all CIS Battle Droids has been issued.
4.2. I also will put my own stuff/ideas into the fic. So if you aren't certain of certain element/-s, go search it up.
5. I'll be using Aether as The Traveler in the story if he had to ever be brought up.
6. If you want to do a rewrite/adapt/anything related to this story, go for it! The more content around the merrier.
With this out of the way, enjoy the read!
"... Uuunnnggghhh…"
"Twooo-Three-Fiveee… Are you alright?" One B1 battle droid asked slowly, crouching down before his fellow and moving away a sheet of metal from his back.
"Yes, I'm… Eugh." The other droid responded, but suddenly stopped as he moved his left arm to knock the side of his head. "The crash must have reseted my programming. I feel really wonky right now."
"Might be so. I experienced a temporary shutdown when we flew into that black hole." First droid nodded, before finally helping his pal get up. "So, what should we do now?" He asked, sounding a bit confused which was further amplified by his electronic intonation.
"What were our last orders?" 235 asked, scratching the back of his head.
"Go to the cargo bay and inspect the damage." The first droid answered quickly. "Let's go."
"Roger, roger." 235 agreed as the two grabbed their blaster in a passively sideways hold on their front and began walking, on the way stepping aside loosely wires, holes of all sizes and about anything that can be found in a demolished hallway of a spaceship.
"Damn, we got blasted." First battle droid commented, stopping for a moment at what seemed to be an inward-pointing crater with sand slowly moving from it to inside the ship.
"What did you expect?" 235 asked. "Last time I saw at the battle station, there were seven ships tailing after us."
"They really wanted us to obey this shutdown order. Heh." First droid shaked his head in disbelief. "Good luck that our commander saw through this and declined the order."
"Whatever you say, Forty." 235 nodded as the two resumed their walk, only to stop almost immediately.
"Uuuhhh… Is it supposed to move like this?" 40 asked, pointing at the curved plate of metal slowly moving towards them across the floor.
"... No?" 235 responded, clearly unsure himself as they both took a step back.
"So how do we get to the cargo bay?" 40 asked, turning his head towards the companion.
"We turn around and find another way." 235 concluded. "I remember the way hallways are organized around here. Follow me."
"Roger, roger." 40 nodded, quickly following him into the opposite direction.
"I got you! Hnnngggh…" Forty groaned, pulling up his friend from below by the arm onto an elevated part of the corridor.
"How rude of them. Hallways all around the cargo compartment are damaged like this." 235 groaned, getting up to the upper level as the two stood back up on their thin legs. "Alright then, let's see what's the situation here." He added with satisfaction.
"Sure." 40 agreed, after which they both made their way to the gate-like doors that were closed at the end and obscured by displayed wires on their right.
"Remember, don't touch these or you'll get a short circuit." 235 instructed, walking ahead along the left side of the hallways up to the doors.
"You don't need to tell me." 40 shaked his head sideways while following him.
"But I do need to tell you that the doors don't work." 235 continued, crouching down before the small panel beside doors. "The controls don't have power connection."
"So how do we get in?" 40 asked, scratching his head.
"We can't." 235 responded, turning around to face him. "We must check the other three doors on this side."
"I hate this job…" 40 groaned.
"Me too."
… *Bang*
"Hey!"
"Someone's there?" 235 asked, turning around to look at the doors.
"Yes. B-Two Unit Eight-Six on guard station." Strong, serious electronic tone presented himself.
"And OOM B-One Unit Nine-Four-Six-Nine, identify yourself!" Second voice joined, far more familiar to the two, because identical if account for being in the same room.
"Here are B-One Units Two-Three-Five and Forty." 235 responded standing directly on the other side of the gate. "Commander wanted us to report damage in the cargo bay. What's the situation?"
"Damage to the transport is minimal." B2 droid responded decisively.
"That's a relief." 40 commented happly.
"Damage to the ship construction is critical."
"On no…"
"Can you open any doors for easier movement?" 235 asked.
"Negative. Control panels on doors one, two and four are damaged; doors three, five and six are under a risk of flooding, doors seven to twenty are blocked and unclearable with our resources." OOM 9469 responded with a procedural explanation.
"Understood, we'll report it to the command right away." 235 agreed, turning around and walking away.
"Eughh… It's bad." 40 commented with a whine as he stepped aside for the co worker to pass.
"At least there are more droids active there." 235 said, trying to cheer him up as they resumed their walk in the opposite direction. "Still, we must get back to the bridge. We don't have communication."
"Roger, roger." 40 nodded.
Creek*
"What was that?" 40 stopped, grabbing his blaster on instinct and aiming it forward into the hallway.
"Probably some metal plate falling off the wall." 235 answered, walking ahead with ease. "There's nothing to worry AbouuUUAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
"Two-Three-Five!" 40 shouted, running up after the tripping companion, but making three mere steps before the prior disappeared under the floor curve.
Bang*
"Two-Three-Five?" 40 asked, running up to the edge and peeking down into the rectangular hole.
"Yeah, my system is intact!" 235 responded, standing up from the darkness and letting his bone-white construction shine in the light. "The floor must have collapsed when I jumped down onto it."
"Well, better get back up here. We still need to make a report." 40 commented, pointing ahead towards the other end of the gap.
"Sorry, no ladder in sight." 235 excused himself, looking around the place he fell in. "But the floor seems a bit… flowing."
"Wait a moment…" 40 said, slowly realizing something as he moved his head further down. "...This is sand."
"Yeah, it seems like it." 235 nodded, looking around himself to see himself.
"We are on the ground! We landed saaAAAA!" 40 exclaimed, waving his arms so frantically that he lost his balance and fell head-down into the sand right before 235.
"Ugh…" 235 slapped himself in the face.
"Owww…"
"Alright then, what now?"
"Erm…" 40 stuttered, standing up and cluelessly looking around. "Maybe I could get you up?"
"It won't work. The gap is too tall." 235 pointed out, directing his co-worker at the five lined up pilates of metal one after another from bottom to top.
"Well, uh…" 40 scratched his head, looking aside. "Maybe we get outside and then crawl up to the bridge?"
"I can't see the way out here." 235 shaked his head, then looked roughly in the same direction as 40 and noticed a small crevasse at the sand level in a far distance. "Ahh… Ah-ha!"
"Do you have a plan?" 40 asked, somewhat unconvinced.
"Yes, I do." 235 responded with an optimistic tone. "Now follow me."
"You told me the hole was wide enough!" 40 shouted, directing his head to the right side as his shoulders were jammed in between sand at the bottom and metal plating on the top.
"It's far enough for your head!" 235 shouted from the other side. "Now tell me what you see there!"
"Well, let me look…" 40 nodded, turning his head forward to take a look around the place. "Water to my left, sand and some short cliffs to the right…" He paused, looking forward at the riveted piece of metal bent into a tube that was stuck in the ground. "... Some pieces of our ship are lying around it too."
"All right then, I'll pull you back in." 235 responded with satisfaction.
"Nononono! Wait!" 40 shouted, before he felt a clunky grab on his legs and one sudden pull of his body backwards. "AU!"
"Gyaaaah!" A high-pitched scream came from behind him.
"Two-Three-Five?" 40 asked, turning his head behind.
"I just ripped your legs off. When was your last maintenance?" 235 responded casually.
"Eee… Never?" 40 responded with doubt, trying to pull any of his arms to scratch his head.
"Me neither." 235 added. "What should we do now?"
"No idea. We tried everything." 40 said, before landing his face on the sand and groaning in his electronic voice.
"Alright, I'll try to find another way out."
"Ey! Don't just leave me here!" 40 shouted after his companion, not receiving any answer besides suppressed steps of metallic feet. "Eegghhh… When will something good happen for once?"
"Excuse me?"
"Huh?" 40 gasped, having a programmed reaction urging him to raise his head upon hearing another voice a bit away. "Who's there?"
"I am the Yuheng of The Liyue Qixing, Keqing." The voice presented itself, before from behind the rolled up metal came a fair-skinned, presumably female, human in a mostly purple dress, black stockings and purple hair. "And you would be?"
"B-One Unit Forty. Honor to meet you, Yuheng." The droid presented himself.
"... May I ask what are you doing here?" She asked him while looking around him, mainly at the crashed ship he was under.
"Me? I got stuck while trying to report back to my Commander." 40 answered with a note of sadness. "And now I am stuck here, at your mercy."
"Alright then, I will be able to help you under… One condition." Keqing nodded before making a suggestive comment.
"A-And that would be?" 40 asked, suddenly having a bad feeling as he looked at her approaching him.
"You will stay with me until my stay at this place is done." She responded, suddenly taking out a piece of paper and a pencil into her hands. "What would you want in exchange?"
"Erm, umm…" 40 hesitated. "I am not allowed to make such agreements. Only my Commander has the right to make such decisions for me."
"Oh well then…" Keqing scratched her chin in understanding. "Well then, if I free you, then could you lead me to your Commander?" She asked again.
"I… I guess I can." 40 nodded with understanding.
"Great!" Keqing smiled, crouching down before him and beginning to write something on the paper. "One moment and I'll free your hand to sign it."
"That's a relief." 40 sighed, now somewhat happy he was about to get himself out. "I hope my lack of legs won't be a struggle."
"Your what?" Keqing asked, suddenly moving her head to look at him with disbelief.
"Well, Two-Three-Five ripped off my legs while trying to get me out of here. He left right before you came in to find another way out." 40 explained casually. "He's on the other side of this wall." He added, nodding backwards as if he tried to point at the ship's hull.
"Alright then, thank you for telling me." Keqing nodded, beginning to move sand from under the droid's right side. "Still, I will need to somehow carry you around by myself."
"... Or you could bring me to the service station." 40 responded.
"Really?" Keqing asked him, slightly amused. "You have it here?"
"Well, the cargo space is in fact partially flooded." 40 answered, slowly feeling his right shoulder being able to move. "But I was told the transported goods weren't broken. If we get my legs from behind this, they may be able to fix me."
"Fix? Alright then." Keqing smiled, standing up and suddenly taking out a whole sword from behind.
"You're not gonna cut me down, are you?" 40 asked, his voice cracking into a meek tone.
"Of course not! I need you." Keqing smiled, before she aimed the blade directly at the metal sheath above him. "Now, stay calm and don't move."
"Roger, roger." 40 said slowly, buying his head into the sand to not look at it as sounds of sparks invaded his hearing.
Stiiinggg*
...
…
"... It's finished."
"Uhh…" 40 groaned, looking up to see purple lightning in place where Keqing stood before form a 5D geometric pattern while gentle steps of heeled boots over then sand followed across his left side. "What did you do?"
"Just used my talent to help my potential contractor." Keqing explained, in the meanwhile picking up the whole set of legs from behind him. "I must say, I have never seen anything remotely close to you before."
"Can't say that I think differently." 40 commented, as he noticed something written over the paper before him. "... Huh."
"Now then, where is the service station of yours?" Keqing asked him, suddenly picking the paper up from his nose.
"It should be adjacent to the cargo compartment, over there." 40 answered, pointing to his left at the sea water pouring into the rounded rectangular break with bright and deep blue lining.
"Great, it's still open for us to get in." Keqing said, grabbing him by the back with her gloved hands, then getting him alongside the legs on the left and grabbing the sword to the right as she lined the latter and herself at a sharp angle.
"Wait, what are you doing?" 40 asked, low-key terrified of whatever she would do.
"Three, two…"
"Wait, wait, wait…"
One!"
"Wa-!"
"What's that noise?" B2 battle droid asked, turning around to see a halved body of B1 battle droid in one hand of an unknown, yet weirdly familiar target with a sword in the other and lines of purple energy around them.
"Unknown intruder in the restricted area." B2 droid said, raising both his arms towards them.
"No! Wait!" B1 droid shouted, waving his arms widely in a gesture of 'Don't shoot'.
"B-One Forty. You are a t-"
"Calm down, Eighty-Six." B1 battle droid with a yellow half circle at the top of his head asked, walking up to his side. "He wanted to get in to make the report and so he is. Now head back and help dump the water out."
"Understood, Vice-Commander." B2 droid responded, turning his bulky torso gray body around and walking away.
"Oh, the water is indeed inside." B1 droid in the hands of a newcomer said, looking down at the thin water line that definitely soaked the toes of the other droid.
"Unit Forty, who did you bring in here?" Commander droid asked, turning to the two.
"A person that helped me come here." 40 explained. "In exchange, she brought me back in for repair."
"Well, too bad." Commander shaked his head before pointing aside at several bags and crates piled in a short wall. "The lower passage is blocked by water and the upper is filled with debris. You can't pass."
"Oooh…" 40 gasped in a tone that imitated shutting down.
"Well, maybe I could help?" The other person, a human, asked, putting 40 and his legs down on the ground.
"Not sure, you aren't registered in our database as an ally…" Commander droid said, turning around at the sound of metal clanging at the water.
"Commander! We are getting close to a critical low on energy to keep the suction machine going." Another B1 battle droid said, running up to him in a hurry."
"Too bad for us to handle, we must retreat from the cargo compartment." B1 Commander said, waving his hand as they both slowly started to walk away from the other two.
"Roger, roger."
"What do we do now?" 40 asked, looking up at his companion.
"Where is the machine?" Human asked, making Commander droid briefly turn around.
"Right here." Droid responded, pointing at the large grill in the shape of a cylindrical wheel with two tubes in and out full of flowing water. "Not like it matters at this point."
"Save it for me." Human said, quickly taking out a sword and aiming it in a defensive pose towards the machine.
"Wait a moment…" Commander droid and 40 said at the same time, both backing away in a shock as purple energy began to surround the person. "You're…"
"A JEDI!" They both shouted, just as the streak of purple soared across the empty space up to the machine, momentarily making the water move faster in the tubes.
"... I'm not going to question it right now." Human spoke, observing the machine keep pumping the water at a stable rate with no drops after the purple surge. "Just so you know for now, I am not."
"Commander, the energy suddenly replenished itself." Another B1 battle droid said, running up to the Commander. "The restoration of the barrier will clean this area in a few minutes."
"That's a relief." Commander droid sighed then turned around and saw the human put the sword away into the void. "Wait, you're not an enemy."
"That's what I tried to tell you!" Forty shouted from the floor further away.
"Ugh… Alright, I see it now." Commander droid sighed, then facing the newcomer front to front. "May I ask you to identify yourself?"
I am the Yuheng of The Liyue Qixing, Keqing." Human presented herself, giving away a gentle, but decisive tone. "And who are you?"
"I am OOM B-One battle droid, number Nine-Four-Six-Nine." Other one presented himself, even giving a salute in the process. "Ey, Forty. Do we have any procedures to respond to help from the locals?"
"Erm… No?" Forty responded, earning a smile from Keqing. Unknown to OOM 9469 as she turned her head away. "I tried a help for a help maneuver and it worked."
"Hmm, that's a relief!" B1 Commander nodded happily. "Say, Yuheng. What do you intend in exchange for the help you gave us?"
"I would like to meet your ship's overarching Commander." Keqing responded with a decisive tone.
"Oh well, I guess you can." OOM 9469 nodded, before noticing the machine stopped pumping water. "Oh, looks like the passage is cleared of water. You can proceed."
"Thank you, let's go." Keqing thanked him before returning to pick Forty up into her arms. "I didn't forget about our agreement."
"Thanks!" Forty said with genuine happiness. "I never thought I'd have a day where someone bothers me."
"Well, someone eventually had to." Keqing shaked her head as they went onward, while OOM 9469 set off ahead of them, stopping every now and then to tell something other B1's and B2's. "Now then, where was this station, again?"
"In there." 40 said, pointing further behind the pumping machine onto a large gate-doors mounted into the wall. " Turn right and the second door to the left."
"Thank you for directions." Keqing nodded, quickly walking ahead without being bothered by anyone.
"Phew! That was a close one." B1 battle droid sighed with relief as he walked around a metallic sphere and through the gate mounting into a large room, full of ripped off chairs, parking electronics and generally an eerie sight had it not been for several others of his kind being around.
"Oy, Two-Three-Five! How's the situation?" One of them asked, walking up the central staircase to meet him before round, but impaled in the middle by a pipe table.
"Cargo compartment is completely blocked and flooding." 235 reported with straight posture. "And Unit B-One Forty got stuck in the outer hull beyond saving."
"So as usual." First droid shaked his head with disapproval. "Sometimes I wonder if he isn't from the Six-Thirty-One series."
"Come on now, I saw him in the factory where we were made." 235 waved him off. "He's a standard."
"Well, whatever."
"Also, any news of our Commanders?" 235 asked to change the topic.
"Commander Lom Tsik was annihilated due to the error during the hyperspace jump." First battle droid responded, turning around to face the pipe impaled into the table. "Commander TX-Four-Three-Eight is locked in a backup communication room. He didn't tell us why though."
"Oh well, at least he's still with us." 235 commented.
"Affirmative, Unit Two-Three-Five." Stronger, less pitched than their but still electronic, voice joined them as both B1's turned around again to see a droid with slightly bulkier at the torso construction, two-layered square head and brown-red horizontal lines paint job along with a pair of yellow eyes. "However, with the current situation our destination of Minntooine is mathematically impossible to achieve."
"Uh-oh." Both B1 droids gulped. "What should we do now, Commander?"
"As the highest in rank surviving Commander of this ship, I am in charge of all proceedings and operations." The droid said firmly. "B-One Unit One-Six-Seven-Three, report on the bridge systems."
"Most of the panels are beyond repair without extensive repair work at a shipyard." Second B1 droid responded. "But we did restore inner communication within the bridge."
"Just as I calculated inside the backup communication room." Commander commented, proceeding across them up to another three B1 droids formed into a triangle, with the leading one holding a round plate of metal with blue tiles on the upper surface.
"Commander! Incoming transmission from the cargo compartment." He said in ordery fashion.
"Bring it in." Commander said, as the device suddenly emitted a small, Light blue figure of a B1 battle droid. "OOM Nine-Four-Six-Nine, report."
"We have managed to prevent the flooding of the compartment, Commander." Droid from the device said.
"Excellent display, OOM." Commander droid responded. "But my calculations say that the probability of such a result is eighteen thousand and seventy one to one. And thus your group couldn't do it alone. Explain."
"Well, uhh…" OOM droid hesiated, earning a leaning glare from the TX droid. "We received help from a local human that happened to help Unit Forty and bring him back for repairs."
"That explains it." TX droid said, while 235 took a step back with a clear lack of confidence. "Any information about intruding human?"
"She demands that after Unit Forty is repaired, she will come with him to meet you in person." The OOM droid answered clearly. "She also claims to not be a Jedi despite possessing abilities like one."
"The Jedi are known for their deceptive maneuvers and treacherous tricks." TX droid said. "However, the probability one has come after us into this unknown area and survived the accident intact is eight billion, twenty two thousand and six hundred eight to one."
"So, uhh… What should we do?" OOM droid asked, confused.
"Allow her to come to me for a meeting. Unit Forty is also allowed to participate."
"Yes, Commander!" OOM droid answered quickly before the transmission ended.
"I must say, despite the current state, this place is unlike anything I ever imagined." Keqing said, walking through a messed up hallway with now repaired Forty by her side.
"Well… Actually, I won't comment on that." Forty said, excusing himself after a while of thinking.
"How come?" Keqing asked, turning her head towards him. "Do you think lowly of us?"
"What? No!" Forty waved his hand in a gesture of ignorance. "Not every place had to hear about us. Besides, we definitely left the space known to us during the accident that directed us here."
"So you really are not from here, huh." Keqing nodded, looking forward as they approached the corridor cross-section. "Thanks for confirming this to me."
"No problem." Forty shrugged his arms politely as he turned left. "Still, why do you not question everything about us?"
"I don't think I could comprehend everything at the go." Keqing responded as she followed after him and caught up to walk evenly beside him. "Besides, I don't have time to wonder about such things while I'm in the middle of something."
"... Fair enough." Forty nodded, slowly looking to the right at a rectangular gap in the wall. "This is the place."
"Great." Keqing commented, speeding up to enter the room first. Needless to say, she instantly stopped in the door frame at the sight of several B1 battle droids in a firing line behind one different droid she didn't see earlier.
"Your arrival is precise at local time One-Two-Zero-Zero, just, as, I, calculated." Forward droid spoke with a superior accent. "State your objective for this arrival."
"I want to investigate the situation your arrival caused here and resolve any potential issues." Keqing stated while Forty came to her side in passive posture.
"There is nothing to investigate." Square-headed droid responded firmly, crossing his arms behind his back and looking up above her eyeline. "Our arrival is of origins beyond your comprehension."
"I already know as much." Keqing nodded, keeping calm in the situation. "Still, I need to know the potential repercussions if I decide to help you."
"The possibility of anyone following us here and surviving are six octillion, four million, thirty-three thousand and seven to one." The droid stated. "Your worries are unreasonable. But If you insist…"
"... I will." Keqing nodded, crossing her arms unconvinced.
"Our ship was chased by our enemies, resulting in our original Commander performing a hyperspace jump into a black hole." Droid spoke, turning left and beginning to walk alongside his lined droids while delivering a speech. "However, contrary to all our known calculations and science, our travel into it resulted with us arriving here at high speed and falling into this land, although our Commander's organic body was erased during the incident, thus putting me in charge."
"Huh, at least you did explain it." Keqing responded with mild acceptance. "Still, you are on Liyue territory in mass as military force. And we need to resolve this issue."
"Not, so, fast." The droid said, coming to the middle of the area from the left side. "I am programmed to resist intimidation. Pressuring me on your time won't work."
"In that case, what do you propose?"
"... Excuse me?" Droid asked her, looking down onto her with confusion all over his geometrical, angular head.
"If I am not in a position to put forward my ideas, then what do you propose?" Keqing asked him, raising one eyebrow look on the face.
"As a Tactical Droid TX-Four-Three-Eight, I am programmed to serve the Space Fleet operating for the Confederacy of Independent Systems." Droid stated, finally presenting himself. "However, at the moment of our escape from space, our chances of victory were set at two point forty-six percent with the shutdown order being enforced by Republican saboteurs."
"So there is no way to convince you that you should change your loyalty?" Keqing asked him, growing more curious by the moment.
"My calculations and estimations state clearly that Separatist Alliance has lost the conflict by now." TX-438 said firmly. "As a result, me and my unit are now a remaining fugitive force beyond reach of our enemy and allies alike. We have no one in reliable range to keep our allegiance valid."
"Hmm…" Keqing thought loudly, placing a hand on her chin and exchanging looks with Forty, who until now just stayed passively by her right side. "Forty, any opinion on that matter?"
"Me? Well, uhhh…" The B1 battle droid stuttered as everyone looked at him. "I, I guess you are a nice person?" He said with a nervous tone. Not that it changed much.
"Unit Forty, what do you report?" TX-438 asked, looking at him with a sort of electronic menacing glare.
"I sug-! Report that…"
"..."
"..."
"... That we will join her."
"... Huh."
"State your reasons for it." Tactical droid spoke.
"I mean, she's nice to us." Forty said, slightly backing away from the others, who in turn gave him expression ranged from amusement to doubt. "Like not being torn apart by locals at first sight is a big plus."
"Your point at my former higher-up orders is correct. Impressive even by my standards." Tactical droid nodded, then looked at Keqing. "What can you offer to us beyond good words and lack of initial hostility?"
"Legal protection, care and work opportunity." Keqing stated with a no-nonsense look on her face. "What do you think about that?
"The calculations provide me with a satisfactory ratio." TX-438 said, keeping his flat stare at her face. "I am ready to discuss details of our treaty."