Crystal Liberation: Pirating Pirates

[Chip]

Somewhere in the asteroid fields surrounding Aeten II, Chip drifted through old, rusted metal corridors with a tiny black hat and what was supposed to be an eye patch. His disguise was, without a doubt, perfect.

"Arrg matie!" Chip called out in greeting at a dirty-looking rodan as they passed one another. The Rodan simply stared at Chip with a confused expression, turning his head to keep Chip in his gaze as he passed. Eventually, the dirty spacer shook his head and continued on down the corridor as Chip happily bobbed along, absolutely sure that his disguise was working.

Rickety pipes shook as some fluid or gas moved through them, knocking loose a fresh coating of dirt and dust to drift towards the floor in the low gravity and thin atmosphere that filled the barely habitable facility. Chip whistled what he was sure was a 'dandy sea shanty' still used by pirates and privateers in this day and age, ignoring the light dusting of brown that was settling onto his crisp black pirate hat.

 

[Chip]

"Yoho, yoho, a pirate's life for me!" Chip sang to himself as he drifted down the hallways, dipping and bobbing in the slights drafts that split the corridor near the occasional ventilation shafts. Pausing near one, Chip turned left and right as he checked to make sure the corridor was clear of other beings. Once sure he was alone, Chip pulsed an active scan down an air shaft.

The results told Chip that he was getting closer to the captured crystals. He'd love to slip through the vent and just take the direct route... But Chip had no way to remove the vent cover. He had tried to shock one off earlier... To no avail. Oh if only Chip had hands!

Resigned to his fate, Chip returned to wandering the hallways of the old, rusted tunnels of the pirate base and hoped that he would end up in the right place. Likewise, Chip resumed alternating between whistling and singing various sea shanties. "Now we're ready to sail for the horn! Weigh, hey, roll and go!"

 

[Chip]

Chip's s voice quieted to a soft hum as he turned back and forth in the hallway. At the extreme edge of his perception, Chip's sensors told him that there was a great deal of movement happening at either end of the corridor he traveled. <Curious.> Chip thought to himself as several pirates filled the hallway at either end, most holding trash bags, pillow cases, or some form of butterfly net.

"Easy there." One of the pirates said to Chip as the two gangs of criminal organics began approaching from either side.

<Kark!> Chip thought to himself. <How did they see through my brilliant disguise?> He wondered as he turned left and right, searching for a way out. Sensors scanned each pipe and duct near him, but none seemed capable of serving as a safe escape route. The only such option, was the vented air duct next to him with a rusted metal grating covering it.

As the pirates closed in, Chip grew desperate. With no other choice available to Chip but to be captured like the other Crystals, Chip rammed his phrik-encased droid chassis into the metal grating as hard as his little repulsors could manage.

And promptly thudded off the vent, ricocheted off the far wall, and bounced to a stop on the dirt-encrusted floor.

"Sheb." Chip said aloud as a pillow casing scooped him up.

 

[Chip]

Even from within the dark confines of the pillow case, most of Chip's worked just fine. Only a pair of the pirates we're taking Chip wherever they were taking him. Hallways and stairs passed by as Chip was taken deeper and deeper into the complex. Eventually, the pair of organics brought Chip into a large room. A fleshy hand reached into the bag, grasping for Chip. He tried to dodge the hand and shock it, but his valiant effort we're in vain.

"Let me go!" Chip protested as the hand plucked him from the bag and into the light. "I'm a pirate just like you, unhand me!" Chip tried to bluff. The Rodan pirate's other hand began pawing at the edges of Chip's frame, fleshy fingers probing for some form of switch or access. "I beg your pardon!" Chip protested again. Feeling an odd twisting sensation at the back of his chassis and feeling light against his crystaline​ body, Chip yelled out once more "Hey, don't touch me there!" Before falling out of his chassis and into the Rodan's waiting palm.

<Kark.> Chip thought to himself as he awaited his fate.

 

[Chip]

Instead of being crushed between fleshy fingers or hurled towards the flood to shatter into a thousand shards, Chip found himself casually tossed through the air before rattling to a rest among hundreds- thousands of crystals not entirely dissimilar to himself. <Stygium Crystals!> Chip thought excitedly. <I found them!>

"Do not fear, friends, I am here to rescue you!" Chip said aloud in a manner that only force sensitives and other crystals could understand.

The poor Stygium Crystals though, where too terrified of their predicament to speak to Chip. "I know it looks bad." Chip said, trying to reassure his new crystaline friends. "But I'll have us out of here in no time!"

Without his chassis though, or the eyes that organics had, Chip had a very limited awareness of his surroundings. All he knew for sure was that the pair of organics had left and he was resting on top of a pile of crystals of various sizes. Vaguely though, he felt the familiar sensation of his chassis not too far away. Or, more precisely, he felt the shard of Soul-Steel that powered the chassis.

Sadly, it was several meters away.

 

[Chip]

Chip couldn't huff or puff or grunt or strain to move himself. Chip was, more or less, just a pretty silicone rock. But by gosh, Chip had the Force on his side! Or... He should anyway. He had never really tried to 'use the force' and had never needed to. And he had most certainly never had any formal training from any organic or in-organic 'master'. All the same though, Chip had to try!

Pushing, pulling, lifting, dropping, rolling, blowing, shocking... Nothing worked. Chip tried again and again. But nothing worked. He just sat there on the pile of crystals.

He tried lifting the chassis. Nothing.
He tried lifting himself. Nothing.
He tried pushing himself. Nothing.
He tried rolling. Nothing.

Chip wished he could sigh. If only for dramatic effect.

"Anyone here know how to use the force?" Chip asked.

Nothing.

Chip really wanted to sigh.

 

[Chip]

Chip gave up for a good long while and just... Laid there on top of the other crystals. He didn't have senses in the traditional sense... But he was vaguely aware of his surroundings. Wood and metal crates were everywhere. Metal, ore, crystals, machine parts, and explosives filled the various crates. The room was big... and there were larger machines here and there... And a droid!

Chip focused on the droid. It was moving. Cleaning? Chip tried to reach out to the droid. Chip tried to will it towards him. And much to his amazement, the droid turned and walked towards him. <Yes!> Chip thought as he willed the droid forward. The droid came to a stop in front of the crate Chip rested within. "Yes! Pick me up!" Chip nearly shouted at the droid.

The droid placed a lid on Chip's box.

Chip really wished he could sigh.

 

[Chip]

"Don't worry friends." Chip said aloud, trying to reassure the Stygium Crystals that were still too terrified to speak. "I can still do this!"

Determined, Chip focused harder than he had ever focused before. Chip focused on his droid chassis... Focused... He could feel his body shaking and vibrating slightly with the strain of his focus. But he pulled upon his chassis with the force. And to his amazement, the ball of metal yanked itself through the air and onto the lid of the box he rested within.

"That was amazing!" Chip said aloud, wishing that the Stygium Crystals would complement him for his accomplishments.

Now... If only he could do something about the wooden lid between himself and his chassis.

Focusing again... Chip tried... Tried oh so hard... To move the lid. The wooden planks. The nails. Chip pushed and pulled and yanked at the lid. He felt himself shake, vibrate, and rattle about atop the Stygium Crystals. But he also felt the lid vibrating between himself and his chassis. He felt the nails slide loose and the planks break away and vibrated with excitement as his chassis fell through the broken lid and onto his small, crystaline body.

<Success!> Chip thought to himself as he willed the entry port closed behind him and wiggled himself into position.

 

[Chip]

Now within the chassis that Chip thought of as his body more so than his crystaline one, Chip hovered high in the air and spoke aloud to his crystal friends. Really aloud this time, using his droid body to make audible noises. "I told you not to be afraid friends. I will save you!" He said as he spun about and got a better look at his surroundings.

Not too far away, a very confused looking droid stared at Chip as he swept a broom across the floor.

"Jerk." Chip called the droid, projecting a hologram of a child sticking his tongue out at the droid.

Vindicated, Chip spun about in search of an escape route for himself and his new friends. What he found was... Most promising.

Chip floating up to the large vehicle that he had found and began running active scans on it with all his sensors. It was some form of... Droid Starfighter. Intrigued, Chip began to use his laser S-comp Link to explore the programming of the droid.

"Interesting." Chip said aloud when he found no droid brain within the vehicle. Instead, he found a port not entirely unlike the port built into his chassis. A port designed for crystal/computer interfacing.

On a whim, Chip lowered his chassis into the port. It was a snug fit, but it fit! And it closed behind him! And now it moved when he wanted it to move! And HOLY CRAP IT HAS HANDS!

Very, very excited, Chip began to play with his new body. Moving every which way, bending each joint as far as it would bend, Chip played with his new toy as the janitor droid continued to sweep the floor and stare.

 

[Chip]

And then things exploded.

Sorta.

Something exploded though.

<Did I do that?> Chip wondered, then issued the command again. A blast of energy shot forth from the wrist of his new robot body and blew a large hole in what had apparently been a hangar door. <I did, I did! I did do that!> Chip remarked happily to himself as he shot the door a few more times for the fun of it.

And then the crates started flying past Chip towards the door.

<Oh yeah. Vacuum.> Chip thought as he turned his new toy and tried to grab one of the boxes. He missed. Tried again. Missed again.

Hands were hard.

Chip tried again and somehow managed to grab one of the boxes of Stygium Crystals. "Don't worry, I will save you!" Chip said aloud as he began fetching crates of Stygium Crystals from the void and holding them to his robot chest like a child on Easter without a basket.

Having collected them all, Chip took his new body and his arm full of crystal friends and flew out into the void.