Mind Tricks, or just that good? [HK-36]

[Matsu Xiangu]

Matsu often dreamt.

When she slept she saw things she wasn’t sure were past lives, the future of the one she lived in, or just products of her rather strange imagination. As she padded along Abregado-Rae’s spaceport she pondered the one that had drawn her to the very smuggler’s paradise she found herself on now.

It had been more a feeling than concrete thought and mixed between images that should not see the light of day outside her head. Teeth bared in angry precision, looking for throats eyes noses wrists blood she bore down on them with a rage unmatched. The ground spoiled underneath her, rotting and wrecking and she floated above them all, clawed hands curling with the husk of their shrieks. She was a little thing, slim and lithe but what boiled inside her grew inside of her dreams and threatened to come to the surface.

So far it was nothing. Like a serpent in the sun, she was unhurried.

But the dream despite its imagery had led her, for whatever reason, to the planet she now found herself moving along. She had never visited before though it seemed a bit silly that it had taken so long. Despite its relative beauty she had heard more sinister things – and perhaps of those with the power of persuasion touring its system.

She was still pondering her dreams, moving along the mouth of the spaceport, when she saw a droid. She had never seen the like but his sheer build was intimidating. She liked it. Her direction was taking her right past him and as she breezed by she slowed, giving him a curious look. “Do droids dream?” she asked simply, curious, speaking as if the droid who looked like he could easily rip her head from her shoulders was an old friend.

[member="HK-36"]

 

[HK-36]

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]

The droid turned about to watch who approached it, it was little unassuming Matsu. The assassin droid scanned over her, it wasn't an HK droid, it was an old model just as well, but an Uulshos Justice Droid, and one of the workers in nearby spaceport, at least so it seemed from the apron and a crate of goods the droid was holding as Matsu approached him.
"We did not always."
The droid answered the little girl at first, he would look up somewhere, at a nearby wall, there would be a screen there. The screen showed HK's image, a news broadcast, from the brief flickers and flashes on his vocal-grill it seemed that he was speaking something, his words drawn out in the bustle of Capital City's streets, scrolling text on the bottom of the screen read "Abregado's Iron Knights Lend Hand At Pushing Back the Horde Threat, Come Back Victorious," HK's image would disappear before some footage of the battle would replace it, an image of a warship, a frigate to be exact, with Protectorate and Abregado-Rae's symbols painted on it, firing with other ships at a Star Destroyer with Sith emblems, the crippled Star Destroyer exploding shortly after.
"But we do now."
The Justice droid would continue, looking back down to the girl,
"Because there is now a place where we can live equal to organics. And if he has made it as Baron and an Observer,"
The droid would look back up to the screen where HK was shown, indicating who he was referring to,
"Then I can lead a life of peace as a fruit salesdroid."
The Justice droid would nod to Matsu before the machine would turn about to place down the crate he was holding next to a nearby stand, going back to work as he opened the container to take out the produce from inside, awaiting for Matsu to either ask another question or stroll along and let the machine work.

At least she could see what HK was trying to built on the planet all this time, a little peace of his own paradise, where droids do not have to worry about prosecution and can live in equality with their organic counterparts. After all, discrimination against them plummeted once HK and Sarge have publicly killed a squad of Deathwatch Dreadpirates who conducted terrorist attack on planet's spaceport, threatening the population, event which ended with HK punching their Dread Lord RC-212's mask clean off and blowing his kneecaps with a shatter-pistol before dragging him onto a dropship and sending him on his way to Fondor. HK was made an Observer shortly after and placed military patrols on the Abregado's streets, running an efficient and successful campaign to eradicate violent crime from the planet's surface.
Abregado-Rae was a dictatorship. Matsu could see that clearly from the numbers of guard patrols in the Capital City, indeed anywhere on the planet, there could be seen groups of soldiers trotting about or talking to the locals, usually fully armed, carrying light repeaters, vibroswords, or the iconic Protectorate Bolters, either MK 1's or lighter MK 2's, baring markings of the Iron Company and the Protectorate. But it was a benevolent dictatorship, HK really did care about the planet and its citizens well-being. The sight of soldiers on their streets did unnerve the natives at first, but they got used to it over time, and as the soldiers did their job, kept in line by HK's strict hand, their presence became accepted, appreciated even, and the natives enjoyed peace and safety that came along with them.

"Good morning, Lord Baron."
Matsu would hear a greeting nearby from between a crowd of passer-by's
"Good morning, young mister Aku-Mate."
An electronic drawl would reply.

From between the people Matsu would be able to see the tall, slender, but armored figure of the HK droid exchanging few words with a Gados trader, the fuzzy lanky being behind one of the stalls on the Capital City's streets. HK had his usual additional armor on over his metal body, depicting his medals and commendations, a pistol and a hilt hanging off of his belt, grey cloak cascading off of his shoulders behind him. He was accompanied by two equally tall and slender armored figures in grey cloaks, their faces were hidden behind their helmets.

"Iron Knight, sir!"
She could hear a higher pitched voice as a group of boys would come up to the droid, they were smiling and looking up at him,
"Can we see it?"
They extended his arms up to the droid, closing and opening their hands as if to grab at something.
HK looked about quickly, scanning the crowds to make sure any of the boys mothers weren't watching.
"Alright, but just a second."
He responded softly, kneeling down before the group of kids as he took his hilt off of his belt, giving it to one of the boys.
"Here, point this upwards like that, hold it with both of your hands. Yes, like this, feet shoulder-length apart, keep your hands at your waist-height."
HK would adjust the boy's hands and elbows in a proper Jedi-Ready stance before reaching to push the button on the hilt. In the boy's hands a white blade of light would erupt from the hilt, extending up to the height, much bigger than the boy himself, it was a lightsaber of proper length, after all, even though it was only a training lightsaber. Aura of the Light Side emanated from the energy blade, the crystal imbued long time ago.
"Whooooah."
The boys said, their mouths agape as they looked up at the blade, watching its brilliant light.
"There we go."
HK said, leaning back slightly to look at the boy holding his saber.
"Like a proper Jedi."
He quipped, the boy would look to him and grin,
"You really think I could be a Jedi, sir?"
HK would look to the boy from a glance at the saber, making sure the boy won't bring the blade down at any of the other kids by accident. The droid paused a bit, he knew the Republic was in a tough situation right now, it may as well not survive the impending war with Mandos and meddling of the raising Sith. He also suspected the boy wasn't a Force sensitive.
"Work hard enough and there is little you would not be able to achieve. Not everyone can be a Jedi, but everyone can behave like a Jedi, or even better. Do onto others as you would wish for them to do onto you, and you may just be yet far greater than any Jedi."
The droid nodded as other boys piped up, asking if they could hold the saber as well.

So, what Matsu would just witness, was more or less just a typical day on Abregado-Rae, and it would allow her to get closer to HK and speak with him.

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

“We did not always. But we do now.”

She felt something deep inside her mind stir when the droid responded. It sounded like prophecy, like reverence and she nearly shivered with it. When the droid pointed to the screen, indicating another droid that somehow looked even more intimidating despite what appeared to be benevolent acts she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Baron and Observer? Matsu had always had a hard time with the attitudes that many held towards droids. With how often she traveled she’d come across countless venomous opinions on their mechanized counterparts. It all seemed a bit silly to her – their Galaxy was so large and so varied in species that what did it matter if they added droids as equals and competitors?

She knew the debate was a bit more philosophical than that, but she also didn’t care. She’d met droids with more personality than a lot of the humans she’d known.

Matsu had to stifle a laugh when the droid expressed a desire to be a fruit salesman. She couldn’t help it – he looked far too intimidating to be bargaining the price of a bushel of fruit with her.

“Perhaps one day I’ll buy some apples from you,” she said, not even a hint of sarcasm in her voice before she moved to leave him to his work. She truly hoped to perhaps visit one day and find him doing what he wished.

She walked out on the main street outside the spaceport only to find a stampede of children hurtling by her, excitedly seeking something of apparently great importance. She followed their path with her eyes only to see the HK droid she’d been introduced to through the screen within the spaceport, a bit taken aback. Her impression that he cut a dangerous figure wasn’t wrong, but surrounded by children and looked upon by adults in the street who seemed to like and respect him judging by their behavior and expressions…Matsu wondered.

The day was shaping up to be more interesting than she would have imagined.

She made her way slowly over, watching @HK-36’s interactions with the group, her eyes widening at the bright blade of light he allowed one of the boys to brandish. Now that was weaponry she hadn't expected. She listened to how deftly he spoke and she was mesmerized. She began to understand the looks on the faces of those around him.

She hung back until the children began to disperse – she wasn’t really a fan of younglings of any species. When it seemed the opportune time she made her way forward, winding through the crowd and hoping to get a word in with decorated Baron. When she was close enough she spoke, her voice a honey-coated rasp, one hand on her chest revealing long, pointed nails. “What about me, sir? Do you really think I could be a Jedi?” she questioned, bright-red lips half curling.

No – Matsu would never be a Jedi.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]
//Sorry for the break in posting I was dealing with the Coruscant Invasion, staff stuff, and I'll be skipping continents soon for summer vacation :3//

The droid watched the children disperse in time, going back to their own things, he would look up to Matsu as he heard her words, standing up in his full stature, holstering his lightsaber on his belt, with a quick movement of his cloak it disappeared from view beneath the grey material.
"To be a Jedi is in the act, not the weapon nor power they hold. If you will not stray from the path of good-will into shadowlands of evil then you will be greater than any Jedi, for true power comes in pure heart, virtue, and conscience."
HK shifted slightly, his hands unseen under the folds of cloth that moved over them,
"Especially do not stray from the path in lands under my protection. These are peaceful lands for I keep close watch over them. I have fought the Deathwatch to protect the people of this planet, and I showed them little mercy. Looking back on it, I should have spared more of them than I did, but I was much more violent being back then. The lightsaber I was given is an old relic, a relic of peace, it cannot be wielded by a creature of Dark Side, nor can it be used to cut through a being and take their life."
The droid would slightly tilt his head as he scanned over the woman, he hoped at least that she was not there to cause trouble, he tried to walk a path of a pacifist, although so far it wasn't working out too well, he kept getting himself pulled into battles.
"What brings you to this planet, miss?"
He would ask Matsu, confronting her about her presence on Abregado.