Swallow Your Pride, Jedi

[Connor Harrison]

He granted her the respect of watching her through her explanation, and didn't interrupt or try to speak, not until she had finished. She had gone through a great deal but was still here, now, as a servant of the Light. Not falling back to the Dark. Granted, Arcanix was still Taeli, and vice versa, so Connor would still see them the same, but he didn't want her to suffer more than she had.

And then she brought over the small holocron, gold and silver with intricate markings. Of the Imperial Knight. Connor smiled softly at her as she presented it, touched she had remembered his wavering to the ways of the Knights. Was the flame still smouldering inside him? With the way the Sanctum was going, it sure was. This could be a huge step forward.

Sitting forward, arms on his knees, he inspected every angle and looked at the display with wonder, and then flicked his eyes to Taeli.

”Thank you. Greatly. I appreciate this, so much.”

With that, he stood and placed his hands on her arms.

”All I will say, is that I trust in the Force like Corvus once told me to, and I have a feeling, one day, she will return, along with your sister. Maybe not today, or next week or next year, but one day. They are out there. Somewhere. Ok? Keep doing what you are doing; keeping the Raaf name alive and making your sisters proud.”

With that he pulled her in for a hug, and wrapped both arms around her and closed his eyes. It felt good to hold her again and feel he could protect her, and it was nice to re-build the bridge between them.

”Anytime you need me, I'm here. I always will be, one way or another.”

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"That's all I can do," Taeli said accepting the hug. It felt good to be held by him again, it really truly did. "And thank you, Connor. I know I haven't been very here or there, but I'm recovering... and I know they are out there somewhere. I will find them someday... or Corvus will come stumbling in one day, wondering where her stash of blue milk went."

Smiling at her little joke, she pulled out of the hug once it had run its course. Looking over at the samples again, another thought crossed her mind about this Sith.

"Connor, you said this Sith had a weird ancient looking helmet... give me a sec here," she said, quickly going back to her desk and shifting through different files she had retained during her tenure as a Sith Lady. Historical files so no one had cared that they were copied. A second later, she sent up an image of an ancient Inquisitor that had served under the Empire of Darth Sidious. She had the weird helmet and mask that would appear so similar to Connor, even down to the way a probe droid would float to sit on the sister's shoulder.

"This is an image of the Seventh Sister," Taeli said. "She was an Inquisitor during the time of Vader, known for her concealing armor and her probe droids. If your Inquisitor looked anything like this, then I suspect you are also dealing with a student of at least Sith history... which explain how she found where the rakghoul virus was still existing."

Taeli shifted the image again so it would show the highlighted virus recordings.

"One area has the hallmarks of the virus on Taris," she continued saying. "We encountered a rakghoul subspecies in the tunnels my company was exploring for a project we were developing and they were blind and used motion to hunt. The other signature here is from a species that was developed on Ord Mantell and was used in an ancient outbreak in the Tion Sector. That particular strain was known for its aggressiveness and ability to hop species barriers."

For a second, she gave a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, I ruined out little moment," she apologized.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor smiled and waved his hand, as he always did; dismissing things that weren’t important. "Don’t be silly," he said.

He turned back to the display she had brought up regarding these “Iquisitors”. Leaning forward to look at the helmet, the overall design and the probe droids, he nodded and tapped his fingers together before pointing at the display.

"That looks like her, especially when I first saw her in a confrontation on Toola. The style of dress and helmet, and those probe droids, are they some personal defence these Inquisitors have to do their investigations? I think that’s how she always seemed one step ahead."

Standing up, he crossed his arms and ran his fingers around his small beard in thought.

"Did anything come from Taris or Ord Mantell? Any repercussions or successful defences against the virus? I just feel this girl, this…Inquisitor, isn’t going to simply slink away in the night again and I need to be ready if this happens again."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Some Inquisitors use probe droids to gather intel," Taeli said, nodding. "I would bet her mask actually has a connection to her probe droids, a sort of live feed that she can switch between for each droids. That would certainly give her a great reach and she can see her enemies from multiple angles. Observe them covertly, look for those openings... build a psych profile and such. I was planning on developing a line of probe droids like for my company to sell come to think of it."

His second series of questions... oh how to answer that where he didn't cringe? Well, the truth was better than lies or omissions.

"Taris... has been plagued by rakghouls for thousands of years," Taeli said. "Once they got unleashed in the Undercity, they were there for good. Even when Taris was devastated in the past, the rakghouls survived and continued to be a menace. To clear out the area we were exploring and making into a facility, we deployed our Harbinger droids and armored security forces. We burned and killed them, as that was the only way to make it safe. We have so many layers of defense in that area. Ord Mantell on the other hand, has never actually reported rakghoul outbreaks. That makes me think any surviving rakghouls are quarantined somewhere isolated."

Here was the cringe part though.

"However, the outbreak that occurred in the Tion Sector several thousand years ago wiped out the populations of six different planets if I remember right. It took orbital bombardment and a specialized task force to wipe them out, at least according to surviving records on Obroa-Skai."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor held his fingers to his chin as she spoke, and it didn’t sound too bad. However, when she dropped the fact about the Tion Sector, his fingers crawled up to his brow, to cover his face and muffle his sigh.

So now he had brought about a possible multi-planet outbreak that would require the fleet to bombard their own planets to reduce the greater loss.

Great.

"Hm. Ok."

He lowered his hand, and exhaled, giving Taeli a deflated smile.

"Now, THAT is something that can ruin a moment. I’m going to have to dispatch a task force out to Sanctum space and sweep the area. As if our resources weren’t taking on more now as it is, this isn’t something we need right now."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I wouldn't think your resources would be all that stretched," Taeli said thoughtfully. "The Sanctum hasn't really been in the thick of fighting or losing resources in an endless war like the Republic. Besides that excursion by the Primeval into Ziost, the Sanctum hasn't fought a true war yet... unless..."

She trailed off, her mind running through different scenarios about why Sanctum supplies would be stretched thin. Of course, it made sense now. There was a new Sith faction on the rise, using Ruusan and the surrounding space as their territory. A new Sith faction, that dangerously close to Sanctum space, would spark a reaction... which could only mean one thing...

"The Sanctum is about to attack the Sith that took control of Ruusan, aren't you?" she asked. She didn't really need a response, the truth was obvious. The Sanctum would be moving assets to deploy, leaving other areas thin since not being at war meant they were just now beginning to ramp up their production of ships, weapons, and the like.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor turned his head slightly, watching her eyes, those wonderful orbs of violet busy at work, piecing together the clues dripped from Connor's words and the intelligence she no doubt had access too, as she seemed to have access to everything.

"Let's just say it's time for the Sanctum to show it's not just a collection of pretty faces and troubled minds."

He nodded once and turned his attention to the virus for a few silent seconds, before looking back to her again.

"It'll be good for me to get back out there again, show them who I really am. I've even created a new suit I hope to debut. Armour, I should say, and pretty tough. In my head at least. On the field, I don't know."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I'll be shipping out myself soon," Taeli admitted, glancing at him. "We had reports of a large Sith fleet in Fondor's sector. I'm going to be joining the Alliance task force that is going to be hunting down this force. Well myself and several other members of the New Jedi Order. I suspect it's going to be a long slog, but we just might make some headway against the Sith finally."

She walked over to the holographic image of the virus, looking it over with a critical eye.

"Needless to say, you look after yourself when you deploy," she said. "While we're both out in the field, I let Jaxson know to start work on UV equipment for Sanctum use against the rakghouls. Might be a good idea to also equip the Alliance with this tech too, for you are right that this Inquisitor is probably not done yet."

Shaking her head, she gave a little smile.

"So, putting more serious matters to the side for a moment, would you like a tour of the facilities here?" she asked.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Duty never seemed to stop, but it never seemed to get easier, always pulling people from one place to another.

"Sure." He indicated to the sample. "I’ll leave this in your capable hands. I know the Alliance have their hands full across the East, so if anything can be taken for their gain, do it."

He rubbed his hands together, and ambled across to the expansive windows stretching across the floor they were on which gave great views across the waters surrounding them and the complex below.

"Nice set-up. You’ve certainly got your retirement plan sorted I think with what this place must bring in."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I suppose I will be set, but retirement isn't in the cards anytime soon," Taeli laughed. "Most of what I make from the company goes towards my personal research projects. I squirrel some away, but for the most part, I spend my wealth on trying to find artifacts and other lost pieces of history. Anywho, you don't want to just stand around in my office. Come on."

She led him out of her office and towards a turbolift, stepping aside from the control panel.

"Pick any floor you want, most of them are various development labs for the company, all working on new prototype technologies," she explained. "Some of the facilities can only be accessed, mind you, if we go to the basement and use one of the submersible pods we keep in the bottom hanger. Erilnar is very much like Naboo in that regard. All of the lakes are connected by underwater channels, and we keep more sensitive stuff down there."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Following Taeli out and to the turbolift, Connor looked at the buttons and listened to her pitch; already he was sold. He nodded and flexed his fingers, and pressed the lower most button he could.

The door closed before them.

"You sold me on sensitive stuff."

The door closed, and they began their smooth descent.

"So you make weapons and armour here? Or is there something for the whole family to enjoy?"

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"We make a lot of stuff," she replied. "Weapons, experimental exoskeletons, droids, various technologies, ships. Just about anything my engineers come up with really. We've even started to branch out into bioengineering. Small stuff really, a regeneration serum that can allow someone to heal from most superficial wounds in a matter of seconds. One of our crazier ideas."

The turbolift quickly descended to the bottom floor, the doors opening with a small ding and hissing open. The temperature down here was a little cooler... mainly because of what else was worked on down in these depths.

"Apologies for the cold," she said, gesturing at Connor to start walking along the glass corridor. All around them, schools of fish could be seen. They were at the bottom of the nearby lake, several small lighted areas could be seen in the distance. Entrances to the tunnels that led to other parts of the Aurora Industries campus. "We have to keep these areas cold because of our work with anti-matter and Sianium down here."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Walking out into the gorgeous corridor, surrounded by the waters above, Connor glanced around, a full 180 left to right and lingered at a few paces to look into the depths and the various fish and vegetation. The air was cold, but very refreshing and welcome.

"Lovely. So this stretches all across the surrounding area? Do you not worry about tremors or plate shifting? Not that I know of any, but I’d hate for cracks to appear."

He moved forward, but veered from right to left to see what he could at various points and noted each black door leading into more tunnels under the water.

"What’s the biggest thing you’re working on? Do I get a sneak peak?" He turned to her and narrowed an eye. "Or would you have to kill me afterwards."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"The hallways are designed of a shock resistant polymer glass," Taeli explained. "Ground quake activity in the area is incredibly tiny, helps that the core of the planet is almost like Naboo's. Means not a lot of tectonic plate shifting in a given time, and even if cracks appeared, there are repair drones on constant standby to reseal the glass AND these have individual failsafes to stop anyone from entering them if they have some sort of structural challenges."

She gave a small smile after her explanation as he asked his next question.

"We're working on a new type of droid currently," Taeli said. "Completely state of the art infiltration droid. We've been having to develop brand new technologies for it, pushing the boundaries of microelectronics to create a smaller and vastly more efficient droid brain. If you want to get a sneak peek, the development lab is just ahead... however... I think it goes without saying you cannot speak about anything you see here today... or I'll have to perform a memory rub on you. Got it?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor looked impressed and nodded in part-thought and part-appreciation. He wasn’t technically minded that was clear, but maybe he could source some times and knowledge from someone as brilliant in the field as Taeli.

At her little statement, which he knew was partly true as much as it was a joke, he smiled and shook his head.

"There’s nobody I’d want to talk to about this even if I wanted. And I rather like my memories, so please don’t touch them."

Memory rub. That would be an interesting technique to learn. His eyes wandered to the glass walls as they walked, thinking about what he could do with that little trick.

"I’d love to see what you’re making, really. And if you can show me that memory rub ability, I’d like that too."

He looked at her, that little “pretty please” in his eyes.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I promised someone I wouldn't reveal their techniques," Taeli said, giving him an apologetic look. "But, I can show you what we are working on here."

She keyed in her access code to the lab's door, the keypad also would only respond to authorized fingerprints. Was she being security conscious? Just a bit... well maybe more since hidden cameras around the corridor also were scanning them for any such items as listening devices, unauthorized electronics or materials, etc.

As the door hissed open, disarming the concealed ray shield trap and shock tiles on the threshold, it revealed Aurora Industries Advanced Droid Development lab.

​

"Welcome to Sub-Level 8," Taeli said with a smile, gesturing for Connor to join her. Around the lab, several technicians of various races were feverishly working on the project, pools of a metallic liquid were arrayed in a ring around the lab. Every so often, a computer controlled gathering system would hover over a pool to analyze the contents within to make sure they were at the right chemical and elemental composition.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor was a little wide-eyed as they made their way into the development room, and it looked years ahead of what he expected. A slow whistle signified he was impressed.

"So, what are you cooking up down here, and may I ask who for?"

He placed his hands beind his back to show he wasn't going to go touching anything, and kept out of the way of those working near him. He occasionally peered over a shoulder or under an arm to see what was going on.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"We're developing a next generation infiltration droid," Taeli explained, leading Connor around one of the pools of liquid metal to let him observe the process. "The idea came to me one day... what would the next step be in Human Replica Droid technology? They use synthetic skin or natural skin around a mechanical core, but they are still simply droids at their hearts. I wanted to develop something that would twist the dynamic of droid infiltration of enemy forces on its head."

Gesturing down at the pool near them, she would draw his attention to a second automated arm coming down and activating its attachment. A small sample of the metal flew into a vial, before the vial came up to her hand so he could examine the liquid metal more closely.

"A proprietary liquid metal alloy needed to be developed," she continued to explain. "What you are holding is an alloy made from denantium, gallium, indium, and artificially created and infused keratin protein fibers. It was tricky to make, but Doctor Votoc, Aurora Industries's Head of Experimental Droid development, figured out a method to develop this in greater quantities. What you're holding is what the droid's 'body', so to speak, is made of. A highly advanced droid brain, about the size of a cred coin is inserted into a mass of the liquid and the droid brain is able to control and shape its body into various shapes."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor squinted a little at the item in her hand, that moved to his. Listening intently, he slowly rotated the liquid metal alloy in his hand. It was clear by his face he was thinking far ahead of what Taeli was saying. He looked up at her.

"Hang on, so you're saying this will be a droid, human height, but covered in living human tissue?"

He returned to the metal and shook his head gently.

"So rather than a drone, or protocol unit or something very droid like - you send in a machine that looks like a human, and before you know it, you're already dead. Good god."

He looked at the prototype a little longer.

"Do they actually look human? Talk? Emit odour? You must have an idea - what would they look like?"

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Not covered in living flesh," Taeli said, smiling as she took the vial back. "It can simulate the look and feel of flesh, but it's still mostly metal. The keratin is artificial and is mostly there to get the feeling right. Otherwise the droid won't be as effective. But, perhaps I should let the droid speak for itself. I'll show you the process we have on how to make one and you can understand just what we are making here. Doctor Votoc, are we ready?"

The Anomid scientist nodded, gesturing with his clawed hand for the technicians around the chamber to move to their assigned work stations. They had all been running simulations and been doing small scale tests on the droid and its various components and programmings, but now it was time to put everything into one package now. The Anomid nodded to Taeli, and she moved herself and Connor to a position to observe the process and she could narrate.

"So," she said, beginning the walkthrough, "the liquid alloy is drawn out of its pool into a frame that is roughly humanoid in shape. Enough liquid is drawn into this frame so the droid can simulate a 100kg humanoid being. Watch." With a gesture of her hand, the experiment began and whirring sound came from the pool in front of the two Jedi Masters. In the center of the room, a frame similar to a mold that would be used in forging something rose out of the center, a rush of liquid erupting from the bottom of the frame and filling it up quickly.

"We have to use this mold to make sure the droid brain recognizes the base shape it needs to keep," she said. "While it is programmed to be in this shape, we want to be doubly sure. Once the mold is filled, the new droid brain is inserted into center mass and begins to move around within the mass of liquid." There was a whir as a small robot arm came up and inserted a coin sized chip set into the torso of the mold before it was retracted. "With that done, the droid brain gains the necessary power it needs to be functioning based on the kinetic energy of moving through the liquid. Once active, it can now control the liquid metal through carefully released and precise electrical currents the droid brain releases at a set interval."

The mold retracted, but the liquid metal stayed in the humanoid shape, not moving.