A Droid for Every Purpose

[K0VA]

NUBIA
Rordis City
Industrial Automation

A droid for every purpose. The tagline of Industrial Automation that had been seen by billions in holonet advertisements the Galaxy over; a ubiquitous and straight to the point claim that was one of the largest catalysts for the military industrial complex to loosen it's collective credit account. Responsible for the second largest and longest lasting contract for several dozens of droid models to date, and most of them were still functional. Infamous for putting on the Galactic map the versatile R2 units to which held a special claim to fame for anyone with access to general data records. The long standing factory located on the Capital city of Rordis, the mega-complex had grown in size and strength since it's inception over sixteen hundred years ago. The facility rivaled most, save for the behemoths in both space and other terrain that housed the massive star ships that littered the hyperlanes. The manufacturing prowess here was second to none, as was the formidable security force keeping their trade secrets and their products from the sticky hands of mercenaries and crime lords that wanted additional discounts. Among these defenses, and most notable, were the Jedi Order and the Republic's military presence. Albeit resourceful, where there was a will, there was still a way.

Having cut across a good portion of the outer rim, the Vox Association prototype had found passage through use of various general transports to navigate the stars and end up on the fringe of the contested Republic territory. Interactions notwithstanding along the tendril arms of the Galaxies cosmic borders, K0VA was still searching for a solid foundation that would not only satisfy the Shard's curiosity, but see to the incomplete protocols that had gone without updates in the droid brain. A complicated relationship between the sentient and the programming had only evolved further into a chaotic blend of semi-compliance. Thirty-Thirty had yet to find any answers in the crystal caves and had instead turned to the missing packets of data that would have given the combat prone onboard systems a feeling of stability. Records indicated quickly that this particular facility was one of the modern birthplaces of a droid of every kind. Despite marketing executives attempts to sway others with a catchy slogan, the intention of that statement had K0VA on a course for Nubia to find a purpose for it's own vagabond ways.

Without clear direction neither the two embodied parts of this unit would be whole, and where one path had been more or less fruitless, there was hope for this facility. Undertaking the task of getting passed security however didn't register as problematic, or as involved as it would normally be. The security - a mix of man and machine hadn't taken kindly to the battle droid approaching from the southeast, be leaping directly over the fence and landing in the common courtyard where employees were known to congregate. Ten minutes into the insertion of itself into the complex's main outside gate, a trio of damaged attendant droids were lain in pieces, ripped apart and shredded at various lethal angles till that remained was sparks and scrap metal. A blaring alarm for lock-down procedure at the main entrance had already been activated through, and there was a current standoff in progress between K0VA and three armed security guards that were all holding a delta formation around the intruder, armed with repeaters and stun staves.

:: I seek purpose. :: K0VA repeated through the synthesized audio amplification. The orders to stand down weren't working, and the force was waiting on orders from inside on whether to scrap the wolf like droid, or wait for additional backup. The only issue with this was that the chainsaw attached to K0VA's poised tail was revving back and forth, as the threat level was assessed as climbing into a zone where it would have no choice but to attack again. Thirty-Thirty was doing whatever he could to ensure it didn't get motivated further. Communication however didn't seem to be the guard's strong point.

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"Stand down.", called a deep, firm voice belonging to a rather stout, tower of a man who approached the on edge guards from behind. When he did he laid a calm hand on one of their shoulders, pulling him lightly to suggest that he should take a few steps back. When the guards did as instructed, Varus calmly approached the metal beast, stopping just far enough out of reach so that he could react if he needed to before he called back over his shoulder to the guards. "This is why I was summoned for assistance from my assignment?", he asked them, not bothering to look back at them so that he could see which one said, "Yes, Sir."

Raising both off his thick arms, Varus crossed them both across his chest, tucking either hand beneath the opposite armpit as he studied the creature, realizing that this was no mere service or repair droid. Obviously this cold, metal creature was designed for killing, although Varus could distinctly sense a presence within this creature that he was unsure about. It felt as though he was mistaking this creature for a force gifted, living, breathing being, but how could it be? It didn't seem to draw breath, and the only beating he could sense was the pulsing of the force within the creature, as if it had a soul. As if it had feeling and emotion.

"You seek purpose?", Varus questioned the beast without hesitation or fear. "To what end?"

[member="K0VA"]

 

[K0VA]

Metallic claws dug into the ground, shifting direction momentarily as the formation of guards dispersed from the delta pattern to let a newcomer enter the quad, and break their ranks with a firm voice and a calm gaze. The droid shifted it's form, as the chainsaw still wavered in the air in a poised and deadly stance. K0VA's tail lightly swaying in serpentine patterns biding it's time in self defense of the weapons still trained on him. Sensors indicated continued hostility throughout the formation that still surrounded him. Debris from the previous security protocol droids laid to waste on either side had given the guards ample reason to congregate and assess K0VA's presence as a true threat to the facility and the employees. Anyone who was familiar enough with animals that resembled the machined out structure of the droid's build could understand the posture of a threatened beast, who was defending itself with signs of aggression to ward off predatory advances. Still the evidence was clear, this beast's bark was not nearly as bad as it's bite - even from a metaphoric standpoint.

Varus Shatterstar sunk into K0VA's sights, scanned in the matter of a fraction of a second. Indicating human traits and an age within his middle to late twenties, the records on this particular figure were not within the database he could pull from. The Jedi records were still a private source of information, and only available to the clearance levels that could access their holo-bank of records. What he could notice however was nothing that the droid could ascertain. A distinction between himself and the guards, moreso than simple posture, but of resonance. Something familiar radiated from the far less hostile human, and rang in accordance to thirty-thirty's core being. The Force wasn't a known facet to the Shard, at least not by mere name. He'd felt it, and used it to some slim degree - but hadn't understood that was the connection he could literally feel pairing with his own signature.

:: Industrial Automation facilities broadcast a purpose for every droid. Assessment of the facility will facilitate that need. :: K0VA's neuro-linguistic programming had understood the question, and replied in a very straightforward manner. The blades of the chainsaw paused for the moment, powering down, but still poised in the air. :: I...:: The droid started to say once more, as the crimson light flashed upon the snout with every synthetic syllable uttered. :: we are without purpose. :: It was an odd correction, for K0VA seemed to be bereft of company, and yet he spoke as if there was some sort of partnership that had led him to this place, to infiltrate the facility itself - much to a very poor welcoming committee. :: Identify yourself. :: Apparently the droid brain wanted more information from the stranger who seemed to be in command of the guards that kept their pistols raised, and their forms at the ready for more combat.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Glancing over his shoulder as the machine asked him to identify himself, Varus almost glared bullets at the others. "When I say stand down, that means holster and deactivate.", he said firmly, the others reluctantly looking over to the Jedi and realizing that he was suggesting they stop holding such an aggressive presence. Each one of them one at a time, holstered their blasters and deactivated their blades before Varus turned around to look into the beast before them. His eyes took on a bit of a glow as he delved into the force aura he felt there in the mech, wondering what it was that gave it a soul-like presence in the force.

"I am Varus Shatterstar, Jedi Master of the Republic. I'm here by request of the Jedi Council, though I was not sent specifically for you.", he admitted, realizing that there was no reason to lie to a machine this advanced that would possibly even be able to pick up on heightened blood pressure, twitching and flinching and even blinking in the eyes that might discredit what he was saying. "I was here in the city and called on by the local law enforcement to help keep the peace. I do not work for them, of course, but I am a Jedi. Helping others is my purpose."

[member="K0VA"]

 

[K0VA]

Surveillance protocols of both the terrain and animate objects (whether organic or otherwise) kept track of the threat assessment levels that would feed directly into the weapon system and combat programming of the droid. K0VA was built to be an assassination droid, one that would rival that of the ID-88 units of an older era. While the droid was impressive in it's efficiency and lethality abilities, it wasn't equipped with any projectile firing capabilities, save for the knives that could be hurled at opponents. Devoid of blasters, lasers, or missile launchers, the droid was meant to be a melee specialist specifically. Thus the chainsaw the hovered above the droid itself while it remained in the position ready to pounce at the first sign of increased hostility. Luckily, the guards responded to the Jedi Master in reluctant but obedient fashion, holstering their weapons and standing down - which translated to a more relaxed pose and less threatening nature for the droid.

Movement of K0VA's tail slid the large chainsaw blade onto the mount atop it's back, and locked it into place. Front legs flexed, giving an equal level to the metallic frame, and looking far less menacing and dangerous than he did a second ago. Focus shifted to the primary target before him, having already studied the human for all he was worth in data alone. Thirty Thirty began to wrestle more control away from the droid brain that was no longer poised for action in defense of it's own well being. A resonating calm from the Jedi Master before him waking further the Force signature within the frame, causing a more passive approach. Listening in silence to Varus as he explained his position, his reason for attending this confrontation, and his own personal mission, the Shard contemplated all the answers. K0VA's droid brain however went to work on that singular phrase. 'Jedi' quickly scanning the holonet for the keyword, and then a flood of information swept through the cognitive processes, giving various angles for both the droid and the Shard to examine within seconds. From what quickly moving information Thirty-Thirty could clean from the findings, the Jedi's were something of the guardians, protecting and serving those who couldn't keep evil at bay on their own. Peaceful, and yet renowned for their faith in the Force. They were warriors of light, virtue and honor above all else.

:: Jedi. You speak without deception queues. :: K0VA answered back, keeping his distance for now thanks to the distrust he had found from every other interaction he'd had in previous months. Even the programmers who had saw fit to put him into this shell were evil men, with malicious and deceptive intent. :: There is something enigmatic in your presence, it resonates and is not calculable. What is this energy, and why does it feel familiar? :: Thirty-Thirty often traded places in the speech processing factors of the droid, going back and forth in dialogue. A discerning individual might pick out the queues where logic and order were replaced with curiosity - something droids were certainly not known for.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus stood there, still in his nonthreatening stance with his hands still crossed above his chest as he listened to the creature as it tried to calculate and decode him. It seemed not to be working, however, and there were questions left unanswered. Answers that the creature did not have, though if it were anything like any other sentient being with a mechanical mind that relied on logic and fact, he just knew that it wouldn't be able to continue without getting the answers to the questions it posed.

"How about I show you?", Varus said as he unfolded one of his arms, dropping the other to the side. He held it up, hand opening to show his empty palm, which might worry the mechanical beast, though it was clear that he was still unarmed and he was not advancing on him. The only thing that could have been assumed was that Varus meant him no harm, and in truth he did not.

Soon a wave of understanding and peacefulness washed over everyone in the area, and anything with a connection to the force would be able to feel the reverberations of the light side warming and soothing them. It was pulsing from Varus himself, wave after wave soaking them all in that blinding white that choked out the darkness. That light that had never gone out since the dawn of time, always linger in hearts, peering through smiles and becoming infectious by way of laughter and joy. It culminated in love, acceptance and understanding, and only grew with every waking second.

"It's called the force... and apparently it answers to you and I both."

[member="K0VA"]

 

[K0VA]

Distrust wasn't an innate trait within that of Thirty-Thirty. A Shard that had once been in communal harmony with its own kind, resting in peace among the collective crystalline growth, untouched by time, and unmarred by the human condition. It had been humans, or at least near-humans who had stolen that life from him, plucked him out of the earthen soil, robbing it of both memory and understanding - tearing it's own conscious thoughts from that of the hive mind, and forever fracturing the crystal's soul, only for the cruel and heartless act of using sentience so defenseless to be merged into a far different housing. This thing he inhabited, at first was such a foreign entity that he didn't quite know how to grasp the concept of what his purpose was. It had taken a while to craft the distrust he felt for the living bipeds that roamed the Galaxy, as well to come to terms with a fate that he certainly hadn't ever dreamed possible. Without purpose, without a road to travel or a goal that was attainable, Thirty-thirty was as lost as K0VA was, and neither had seemed to find an adequate solution to this dilemma on their own.

Initially Varus was just another in a short list of people neither droid nor Shard were entirely sure of. Despite his lack of subterfuge, or harmful intent - previous experience had taught Thirty-Thirty to be wary of strangers. K0VA was less inclined on a reaction, but more on responses given, and data that could be collected and analyzed. The droid was a machine at heart, and while it had a truly canine manner to its movements, the conclusions drawn on this Jedi were lacking in finality. Once movement started to shift, and Shatterstar's open palm was extended, a tentative side step was offered, assuming the worst - but only slightly averting itself for what may come out of the action. Still, there was no threat here, no perceived action that would lead K0VA's programming to automate a response of fight or flight. A simple question posed, and though mostly rhetoric, that wasn't a trait he knew well enough.

:: Proceed :: came the synthesized reply, watching with intent both to understand and to quantify as the first wave of the Force's calming aura spread out like a shockwave, penetrating metal, protective coatings and the circuitry inside. K0VA felt nothing, understood no change in the atmosphere, the temperature or even energy readings. The only understanding it did have was that it's host, the Shard was being affected. Thirty-Thirty hadn't felt such peace since he'd been back home on Orax, communing with the collective. The Force spoke to him, cleared the crystal's thoughts and washed a peaceable calm over his personality. The matrix with which he communicated with K0VA caused the entire shift of posture to come over the droid, as it shifted into a more obedient and placid position. K0VA's rear legs slid down, allowing a seated position, with both front legs extended, and a curious tilt of the droid's head. :: This Force...it is energy, and yet it reflects emotions, memories. :: The synthetic tones of K0VA's speaker system demonstrating no greatly varied tone, but still the point was coming across.

:: How? :: A very profound and simple question at the same juncture - something that the Shard certainly wanted an answer to.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"The Force...", Varus said as he flicked his hand to the right and stole one of the men's blasters from his holster. "...is everything, and nothing.", he told K0VA as he raised both hands to the weapon that now hovered in front of him. In one motion he threw his hands out to either side, the blaster exploding into a hundred separate pieces with a blue crystal hovering amidst them all. He thn dropped his hands, and those many pieces fell, clattering all around him as he took a step and rechargeable up to take the crystal that remained.

"The Force lives in us all. In every parent and every child. I'm every heart and every soul. In every animal and every insect. In the waters that flow through the streams and the wind that carries the leaves of each and every tree. Even in you, it seems. , he said as he raised the crystal up and looked it over, feeling the intricacies of the force pulsing from within it. He then looked past that crystal at K0VA and revealed that he was beginning to understand.

"And I belive that your connection to it has something to do with this...", he whispered as he illustrated the crystal in his hand.

[member="K0VA"]

 

[K0VA]

Esoteric thinking and philosophy could only be classified as both foreign and illogical to a droid brain. K0VA's onboard intelligence had very little to offer to the subject at hand. Thirty-Thirty however could grasp these concepts, and mull them over. Normally for a Shard, this kind of thinking would take centuries - the collective hive mind rarely if ever made decisions on anything within a time frame that could be graphed out in a single lifetime. One of the reasons that the Jedi had used them for centuries in droids was because of their longevity, which was not based so much on organic structure, but based on actual mentality, and energy itself. Shard's did live, but they existed in a state of being that wasn't directly linked to anything biological. They had no blood to pump, no tissue to renew, and no sustenance to sustain them. Exactly how they had sentient thought, or understanding of the Force was still a mystery - like a good portion of the alien life in the Galaxy itself.

Thanks to the integration; which had counted for a number of blessings, as well as several apparent faults - the Shard inside K0VA had learned to process information far more quickly, and thus interaction with sentient life was far easier, if not at times violent. Having to reconcile his own thoughts with that of the programmed responses and artificial intelligence limitations was a juggling act he was still on unsure footing with. Still, this was a vessel he was merged with, and while the two sides of this unique creature were not always in perfect balance, they did benefit from the symbiotic relationship.

:: Life. The Force gives it, and it needs it. :: Communicated in statement form, it was still a brand new thought occurring to the Shard that he was giving voice to. :: I have felt this, and used this. :: The droid's receptors for visual understanding latched on immediately once the weapon was brought through invisible methods to the forefront of the debate. The guards themselves seemed to be far more relaxed, and even somewhat disinterested now that Varus had calmed the entire plot of land. Once the exterior broke apart in a single concentrated explosion; Thirty-Thirty looked absorbed that point of interest, while his own abilities resonated with the debris around him. Pieces of broken droids, slashed apart by K0VA's own form began to rustle and levitate, sinking and rising with the pulsing affects of his own Force aura.

However, once the crystal was plucked from the center of the blaster, all of the use of the Force on his side dropped the debris back into a concentrated spread around his frame, as the droid body rose back up onto all fours. In what seemed to be a blur to most, a trained Master of the Force could easily watch the movements of the wolf life robot whip around, letting his flexible tail angle through the air, and grasp the crystal with extreme precision before completing the three hundred sixty degree rotation. Sensors lit up the crystal itself as it now hovered just before the beast's ruby snout. Three specific smaller appendages from the tip of the tail (normally meant to interlock with the chainsaw or throw his knives) turned the object around for his study.

:: Synthetic amplification crystal, standard charge capacity, low density yield. :: K0VA's estimation of it quickly surmised before a flick of the tail tossed it right back towards Varus as he'd finished the need to study and ascertain information from it. :: That does not live, but it is reminiscent of my family. In your tongue we are called Shards - and by name, I am called Thirty-Thirty. :: The Shard finally introduced himself, to the first person in his lifetime. :: We are called K0VA. Kabal One, Vox Association - prototype design. ::

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

"It's a pleasure, K0VA.", Varus said simply, smirking as he nodded his head, allowing his confident air to shine through as he reached up and snatched the blue, synth crystal out of the air when it was tossed back to him. When he did, he glanced it over once or twice before he reached out and opened his hand, dropping the unimpressive thing to the floor as if it were trash. He then plucked one of his sabers from his belt and held it up in front of him with one hand while the other was raised up above the metal hilt.

He opened his fingers and exposed his palm down towards the outer casing of the metal saber, one of the plats beginning to move a bit as he tugged it free and unlatched a specific panel of the saber. When he did, the curved plate raised up and hovered in place as he reached down and slipped his index finger and thumb inside, a violet hue causing his fair skin to glow as he gently pulled out the crystal within.

It was naturally grown, alive with the force, which pulsed through it every moment as if it actually had a heartbeat. Something rather profound and perplexing that Varus himself had been astounded by when he first came across a pair of incredibly rare, violet color crystals, brothers by bond, having grown connected and out of the same rock node.

"Try this instead.", he said, raised up the purple crystal, on which his blue eyes focused so that he could actually see the metaphysical essence that made up that perfectly crafted mineral. Like a soul, constantly flowing over and again like a running stream within it, the intensity of the color changing as dark, almost black flecks drifted, living a life of restless slow motion, like blood flowing through open veins, the heart unwilling to give in to fatigue.

[member="K0VA"]

 

[K0VA]

In the hive mind of the Shard collective they did not move, nor did they see or interact with anything but their own kind. Crystal physiology was not something they knew by instinct, save for their own biological makeup. The non-organic state of matter still was sentient, and had a personality and a life within the crystalline biology - even to the point of touching the Force for Thirty-Thirty. In contrast, the other crystals he had witnessed already in his travels gave no such pulse of life, or attachment to the Force itself. Understanding the difference was one of the main driving factors behind why he had arrived here at this location. After searching for the hive that he had lost, and not getting the hyperspace coordinates he needed to Orax to find them; Thirty-Thirty had resigned himself to letting the droid choose their destination, and it had brought them into contact with this Jedi Master.

Attention continued to rest solely upon the human male as he traded out the gemstone crystal that had been used as a focusing point in the blaster rifle now torn to shreds. The next motions were more enigmatic in reference to his own knowledge of weapons in the Galaxy. Blasters were easily to catalog, but the lightsaber was a new weapon he'd not done any research on. Without the adequate data samples, the droid made no motion to act while they both watched in silence as a similar feat pulled apart the metallic cylinder in a far more delicate operation. From within the housing, another crystal came into view and was immediately scanned from their distance. This was not synthetic, it was a natural growth and was recognized as being such, in so much that it made K0VA tilt his head in curiosity.

The Shard focused it's collective gaze on the crystal, feeling the pulsating rhythm in which the energy collected flowed. Soon the inaudible cadence became more pronounced until a frequency was analyzed, and then resonated with his own innate abilities. Shards would resonate any frequency they found, matching it in a song of wavelengths that would often give clear understanding in the hive mind to their own thoughts. Despite Varus' crystal not being a Shard itself, Thirty-Thirty could feel the connection in the Force flowing through it, and matching his own resonating signature. It was of some benefit though to the droid that since it wasn't actually alive, the idea of keeping it locked away in that device was not seen as criminal or unjust.

:: I have seen many crystals in my travels. None of which exhibit those traits, but it is still not of my kind. :: K0VA responded, before breaking his gaze and looking at the wreckage and at the guards. :: I do not believe the answers I seek will be found in this facility, though it was the most logical of choices. Where does one go when the path is unclear? :: He asked in a philosophical manner, giving more credence to his species that actual life was behind that metallic exterior.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus watched K0VA for a while before he heard the creature speak again, claiming that his crystal wasn't of his kind. Of course it wasn't, for Varus had never encountered anything like this metal beast before, though he'd held the attention of some form of sentience in a crystal before. A crystal he'd been tempted to take, but hadn't, not wanting to disturb it from it's place of rest. It would have felt wrong, and he'd thought better of it in the end.

"Simple...", Varus said in immediate response to K0VA's question. He then turned away from him and face towards the others, blue eyes shifting between each and every one of them, fully expecting them not to tag along. "You follow the light.", he said as he raised his hand above his shoulder, still clutching the crystal, and as he let his force flow through it the pretty, dark shade began to glow a beautiful violet hue that cascaded down over his shoulders and back and the floor around his feet.

When he began to walk, he didn't know that he would be followed, but he had business to attend to. If K0VA chose not to follow, he'd be fine now and simply leave the facility in search of solace or purpose elsewhere, but if he did he would find a whole new life waiting for him, and that new life would begin aboard the Jedi's ship.

[member="K0VA"]