Enter the Crucible [ CIS Dominion of Shimia ]

[BX-22222]

Post 9

As the emotions that Splinter shared were incorporated into Duece's processing of external input, when he heard the offer of jacking with her port, there was an internal heating issue which caused the Droid to pause several seconds while attempting to compute what was just said. As the system began rebooting several components in an attempt to regulate the overheating issue Duece replied.

"BX-22222 will comply."

Raising an arm he attempted to activate the projecting socket interface built into the forearm. Several muted clicks were heard as nothing happened. The glow in the droid's chest expanded as the laughter nearly shaking the shard within echoed along the neural pathways within the droid's metal cranium.

Bwahahahahaha! Performance issues! Bwahahahahaha! Happens to the best of us!

Lowering his arm, almost dejectedly ... if a droid could feel dejected, Duece ran several self diagnostics and finally found his sub routines had shunted power usage from many 'non combative' software and hardware. Turning his phone receptors to Morgan Duece gave a simulation of an organic shrug, failing to realize this was a mannerism that Splinter had used in his former body and spoke volumes to the integration process and progress of the symbiotic relationship.

"I must return to the ship for repair."

Turning away Duece almost questioned the Maker's reasonings behind incorporating the shard with machine. But to do so would be sacrilege. His external speakers echoed his feeling.

"Deus Volt "

[member="Morgan Redeaux"]

 

[Katrine Van-Derveld]

Objective: Liberation
Location: Shimia, Red Keep
Post: 4
Tag: [member="Ket Van-Derveld"]

Blue gaze had been plastered to the two, listening to their interaction from where she remained hidden. The man, at least she assumed he was a man, with the breathing spoke about being the same, children of the Black, Warriors of the Darkness. She could still hear him talking as a voice reached out into her mind, muffling the sound as her head turned. Katrine knew the voice that had entered her mind, a welcomed a voice unlike the one she had rid herself of not too long ago. Nothing faded away, Father had told her, her attention focused on him in that moment.

Even if he wasn't near, Katrine could still feel him, he was definitely nearer than she had expected, it called to her, louder than it had before Avarisa had dragged her into the abandoned planet and began her education, her mold into what the woman had wished her to be, before she would completely take her and destroy her very essence from within her body. Now that she had freed herself, overcome the true darkness that didn't even belong to herself, the pull to family was even stronger than it had been after Avarisa's corrupting nature haunting her for so long.

'Father?' Her mind reached out before she had even thought herself to do so, taking in the words that followed. Go? Now? Run? Her head titled slightly to the words. 'Go where? Why run?' The girl pushed back with her question without moving. Her eyes diverted back to the scene ahead of her though she wasn't completely paying attention due to the conversation currently holding inside her head. For so long, she had been mindless and obedient to someone so long dead when it had never been her nature now Katrine couldn't get herself to bend her will without knowing why. Father would know this, Father knew everything.

 

[Morgan Redeaux]

Objective: Guard the city of Ixam and help the Pacithhip
Allies: [member="BX-22222"]
Post: 4

Droids were Morgan’s passion and that might be a weird thought coming from a droid herself. But most of the time she felt so organic, that it was as though she had more in common with a craigmaloid than an actual mechanical being.

Perhaps this was why she sought to study them so intently.

“Repairs? I can repair you, silly.” The blonde HRD watched him shrug, the mannerism nonchalant. “You BX’s really are built with a devil may care attitude. Or maybe it’s low self-esteem. If the former I have an ego boost script installer that could really help with that.”

“Whhooaooooooooo!” A crash followed the loud cry of dismay, and Morgan turned around to see Pau on the floor, the prosthetic legs askew, and he on his back like an insect trapped on its shell.

“Oh dear.”

The droid ran over and helped the stunted alien up off the ground, positioning his legs back on the floor again. She held onto his four-fingered hand until he was able to regain his balance.

“Crisis averted. Now Deuce, tell me about your shard component,” she ordered in a firm voice. Sometimes you just had to show them who was boss, yet Morgan wasn’t going to push the BX Commando unit into letting her run the diagnostics. Shame was a highly organic concept. Leave it for the humans, I say.

But at the same time… dignity? Well that's for all creatures, even synthetic ones.

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

"I said RUN! Do it. NOW."

The voice in her head was not a manifestation. No, this was real. real that no one else would ever understand. The bonds of a Father to his daughter were great, but between Lupines? Even moreso. Ket could see all Kat saw, yet so much more. And He would not let his kin fall. That she was part of the Confederacy, He left alone. Her path was not His to choose. But He would make sure that she survived this. Such was His way. She was his heir. His firstborn. His LEGACY.

"Little Wolf, I can show you so much, but for now, do as I say. Your mother is but a ghost. But I will NOT let you become a footnote. So long as I draw breath. NOW RUN."

 

[Chalim Vern]

Location: Shimia, blown up factory
Objective: Liberation
Post: 4
Allies: R3-F8, Ooda Uhenn, Oes Sarria, Arridrrl, Sala Mohansai, Charal Killdarn, Sara Janrand
Arridrrl threw the last of the droids off the side. Great timing, Chalim thought, "Okay, activating them!" All around the factory, in a semi-circle, H1s burst from their boxes, rushing towards the factory, where the enforcers were totally unprepared. Arridrrl, Chalim, and Oes parked the speeder and ran with the few droids they were with. Chalim contacted the Celestial, "Hope you guys are out of the space dock, we're going to need you at the factory!"
"On our way," Charal responded. It took a few minutes, but soon they were in an alleyway near the square. There were tonnes of enforcers there, dozens in the factory, and over 50 out of it trying to secure the entrance. One of the droids told Chalim, "We are waiting for the rest of us to get into position in the alleyways around the square, once they are all in position, We will attack on your command."
"Good, Oes, get up in the building next to us, sniping position."
"Got it," Was all she said, Chalim knew whichever position she chose, it would be the best, "Charal, stay above the square cloaked until I say so,"
"This does not seem like a good plan, there are tones of them,"
"Which is why you are here, just be ready," as he finished the last of the H1's checked in, "Okay everyone, on my mark, shields up and encircle them... Three, two, one, mark!"
From dark alleyways, blue shields appeared from previously invisible droids. Before any enforcer could react, they had created a perfect semi-circle around the enforcers. Guns out and ready, the H1's were prepared to fire, and rightly so, before Chalim could say anything, the enforcers fired upon them, but to no effect, simply absorbed by the shield wall, "Open fire!" Chalim said, and suddenly the enforcers were massacred, it was like fish in a barrel. 50 enforcers lay on the ground, and when more came from inside the factory, they froze at the sight, "I will give you one chance," Chalim said to them, "Lay down your weapons and surrender or die. There were a few moments of hesitation, so Chalim started to count down, "5, 4, 3..."
"OKAY, okay, we surrender," one of them said, laying down his weapon and raising his hands high. The rest followed suit, and Chalim ordered the H1's to tie them up and called the Celestial down. He looked at the group of about 60 tied up enforcers and ordered 15 H1's to stay with them along with Arridrrl, to make sure they didn't get away. The rest boarded the ship and headed to the Red Keep. Chalim then called out, "Is there any CIS in need of assistance, the enforcers have been dealt with, I repeat, the enforcers have been dealt with!"

Spoiler

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"]
[member="Morgan Redeaux"]
[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]
[member="BX-22222"]
[member="Natasha Darkstar"]
[member="Darth Kentarch"]
[member="Gath"]
[member="Kurenai Yumi"]
[member="Valjan Hon'rey"]
[member="Muad Dib"]
[member="Shango"]
[member="Kal Kandossii"]
[member="Aedan Miles"]
[member="Cady"]

 

[Ak'lya]

If the mounting victories of CIS forces were a surprise to Victoria, it didn't seem to show. She simply studied the debris field around the factory. The blast was too small for a bombing run, and too large to be a pinpoint sabotage. No, this looked like a simple malfunction. But the Crucible wouldn't need to know that. "This is Ustati to all points. Factory is destroyed and overrun by confederate droids. Suggest we cut our losses and regroup."

The Crucible's might was strong indeed, and it would take time to break it. But the Confederacy had proven it could be broken. The first crack in their armor, the first spark in the spreading fire. Shimia would soon be free, and with that came a message. This kind of slavery, this subjugation would not stand. Not anymore. The woman known as Victoria Ustati walked away from the scene, staring for a moment at the bodies in the alleyway. They had shot him dead when he tried to surrender. Droids. They apparently hadn't put that code into their memory banks yet. She frowned, shaking her head. It may be her fault, but she couldn't dwell on it. She had to get out before she suffered a similar fate.

The Crucible's fall was beginning. And she would be there to see it to completion.

 

[Muad Dib]

Post 10

With the final few enemy ships being targeted and pursued Muad leaned back in his chair to smoke a celebratory deathstick. Looking at the data scrolling on the touchscreen built into the armrest of his chair he began to view the causalities. Thank the gods that between superior tactics, superior training, and superior dual fleets the kids off life was low for the Confederate forces.

On the other side of the planet several ships began breaking from the gravity hold of the planet to escape. They were quite a distance away and for a moment Muad almost ordered the quick dread fighters to pursue. But they would be alone without support and he didn't like sending the men and women under his command into a situation that could cost them their lives for a few meager ships.

Watching the viewport he nodded slowly as he smoked. The troops were landing, reinforcing the militia and the Confederacy soldiers and agents in the planet's surface. Things had gone quite well today, despite the death of the scholars. People died, others lived, life went on. And with the actions today life would continue on Shimia, a life free from oppression.

 

[Darth Metus]

On baited breath did I wait.

Yet silence ruled the assailant. His crimson blade did not move...but there was no answer. Was he contemplating the truth of my words? Or was he considering them my last?

I never had the chance to learn which.

At once, the communications began to blare. The command console nearby...the device within my ear...all screamed with troubling reports. Above, the Confederate forces battled back my blockade. Below, the inferno was coupled with a fresh wave of boots on the ground. It was only a matter of time...my grip was crumbling.

I saw red.

I wanted nothing more than to tear the assailant's arm clean off. I wanted him to scream. To beg. To perish under my boot. But there was no time. I had to regroup...I had to strike back. What mattered now was survival. Snap. Hiss. My saber roared to life with a flick of the ignition, its crimson blade soaring to its full length. I made no move against [member="Darth Kentarch"], nor his accomplice [member="Kurenai Yumi"]. Rather, I hurled my weapon into the command console.

KZZZZZRRRRK!!!

Sparks. Fire. An electrical explosion rattled the room...and with the light came my window. I turned and...

Fled.

To the Balcony did I Sprint. Leaping over the rail and towards the teeming masses below. This was not my end. The Force was my tool, no fall would see my demise. My men would find me belpw. We would find a way off this rock.

The Crucible would fight again.

 

[Muad Dib]

Post 11
Character/ALT: BX-22222

Another site arrived delivering more droids to assist in the retrofits occurring. Duece was conflicted. A part of him just wanted to return to the ship and get evaluated. However a large part also wanted to accept Morgan's offer, that part being heavily influenced by Splinter. Lights twitched and fumes began leaking from the seams of his body as he overheated at the quandary he was in.

"Reboot imminent. Assistance required. Problem f f f f f f f f ..."

The lights flickered a single time and then the photo receptors went dead. Inside Splinter was yelling, Soooooooooooo close!!! , but to no avail. Not surprised to see BX-22222 shut down again several of the B1 droids loaded him into the shuttle to return to space while the work to assist the native population continued as a free people.

Meanwhile Splinter sat inert and stationary contemplating his luck to get paired with the one droid who couldn't handle a little excitement.

 

[Morgan Redeaux]

Objective: Ready for testing
Allies: [member="BX-22222"]
Posts: 5

While she was worried that the supply chain would be broken somehow or worse, the Confederacy representatives would be robbed or even executed, the first batch of test legs had been delivered to the Pacithip. During the coming days, a small focus group would wear the prosthetics, record and monitor their progress. The results would be taken back to Geonosis and the designs tweaked and finessed.

Now onto Deuce. Or Splinter. Or whoever he was.

Like a nurse, Morgan sidled up to the droid as he was carried by the B1 units. "Look at that. Now what could have caused such a malfunction." She had always heard that shards were more intelligent than even the average HRD. Some in the galaxy even thought a group of them called the Contingency could eventually rule the Galaxy.

But this one? He seemed to have some kind of manufacturing flaw.

"Load him up and next time we are back at Headquarters I'll take a good long look at him."

The droid was a mystery but she couldn't tell if it was a genius or an idiot savant and a thorough diagnostic check in the droid foundry would at least help start the process to understanding what made it tick.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

Ignore this I'm literally so stupid ))