Swallow Your Pride, Jedi

[Connor Harrison]

Connor said nothing as he listened to the ingenious Jedi Master and watched the experiment take shape - literally. Standing still, his blue eyes danced around, watching as the technology came to life and started to form the droid within the mould. After a while, it all seemed to have stopped, and the eerie silence resumed.

"So metal flesh covering the droid itself, which I assume from a distance and even at times close up would look human - and then it achieves it's goal."

He stepped forward to look at the droid.

"Do they relate to live command from a central point, or do they literally have one objective programmed and there is no way to stop it once that objective is set?"

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Oh this thing is nothing simplistic like that," Taeli said. "The droid brain that it has is programmed to simulate emotions, expected reactions to stimuli, everything you can think of that would allow it to pass itself off as humanoid being. They act as you would expect them to. They're given a mission to complete, usually some sort of spy mission or intelligence gathering, and then report back to command. They can be given increasingly complex missions, even assassinations if the case calls for it. But as you can see right now, it's not in disguise mode. Currently the droid is in its natural state."

Taeli gestured and the droid walked over to where the two Jedi Masters were standing. Upon reaching them, it would take Connor's hand to shake... and then it would morph into a near perfect copy of the Jedi Master. The only thing that might be noticeable is the skin was cold to the touch and the hair had a slight sheen to it. Taeli made a note to modify the model before going to Danger so that tell was gone.

"The droid is able to mimic the appearance of anyone it comes in contact with, storing that particular disguise within its memory matrix if it needs to use it again for a mission," Taeli explained while Connor would look at his copy. "It can even mimic your speech patterns once it hears you speak, and it is programmed with many of the galaxy's prolific languages such as basic, Huttese, and such."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Anyone else ordering a metallic droid to take his hand, Connor would have refused, but he trusted Taeli, and was fascinated by the show, and even more so when the droid became...Connor. His eyes went wide and his head pulled back.

"I never knew I was this handsome."

He did a slow 360, listening dutifully and noting the sheen on the hair, and the cold skin on the back of the neck and hand. It was a remarkable, if not scary, accomplishment. Duplicated his entire look in milliseconds over one touch. Completing the look, Connor stood beside Taeli looking at...himself. He crossed his arms and fingered his beard.

"This is groundbreaking. This is magnificent work." He nodded in enthusiasm. "Well done you. Who are these being worked on for...or is that top secret? Because I could think of a few uses myself"

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Trusted clients only, they won't be going on sale to the general public," Taeli said. "And of course for my company's private use. However, they aren't perfect... as much as we strove to create them that way." Turning to the address the copy of Connor, she ordered, "List off the weaknesses of your design for Master Harrison, please."

The copy nodded and turned to address the man who's disguise it was currently wearing. In a perfect recreation of Connor's voice, right down to individual inflections and cadence, it said, "This unit's weaknesses involve extreme heat and cold. Both are able to sufficiently disrupt this unit's camouflage matrix that the base form is revealed. Extreme cold caused by freezing agents such as liquid nitrogen will cause the unit's entire body to freeze into a solid mass and will impair function and movement until the unit is returned to a normal temperature. Furthermore, intense heat or molten material will cause the unit to lose cohesion and melt. Strong corrosive agents such as highly potent acids will also disrupt and damage this unit."

With that said, the copy of Connor fell silent.

"What uses do you see for this?" Taeli asked.

 

[Connor Harrison]

A wry smile crept over Connor's lips. Hearing his face from a near perfect replica of him was absorbing. The smile was there as the droid spoke to him, and to Taeli there would be an evident boyish glee to him, like seeing a new gift at Christmas.

"Oh, I have no idea. None at all."

He looked back to the droid.

"Not yet anyway, but." he span on his heel, arms folded, smiling, "I don't suppose you would be able to let me keep...me, would you?"

There was no harm in trying - and Taeli's gadgets and creations were too good to let go.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Not yet," Taeli said, laughing at Connor's eagerness. "The droid's are still being tested and worked on, ironing out the kinks in the design as best we can and getting their programming streamlined. You just witnessed the creation of the first actual prototype."

"Yes, and you should be honored," the gravelly tones of Doctor Votoc said, coming over to inspect the droid as it shifted back to it's base form. Other technicians were coming over, sensors and other instruments in hand so they could get a full reading on their first prototype. "Miss Raaf was very generous in allowing you down here. She must care for you a great deal to let you see out work and trust you with the details of the design."

"Ahem, yes well," Taeli said, her blush rising before she got it under control. "When we finally get everything worked out, I'll be sure to have one sent to Voss for you, Connor. I'm sure the Sanctum could find some use in this type of droid... or even on your own personal adventures. It might be a good idea to have something like this."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nodding in defeat, Connor stood back to watch the droid morph to it's faceless, placid self, and it was a little strange to remember it WAS a faceless, placid, lifeless object and not a person. He turned and nodded to the good doctor, and then to Taeli with that smile.

"Thank you, Doctor. And yes, Taeli, thank you for showing me. I assure you this project will not leave this room."

And then he shook his head.

""If you could keep this between us, too, I'd be grateful. I don't want the Sanctum getting wind of this. At the minute all I foresee for us in invasions into Sith territory, and I don't want something like this out there for them to abuse. I would like to know when you have one set, however, I would find many uses for this. Personally, of course. For protection against bounty hunters and Sith with a grudge, you know the sort."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"You want me to keep this a secret from your Sanctum?" Taeli asked, a little surprised by his words. She had expected him to say he would want it for personal use, she had truly expected that because Connor could appreciate a revolutionary invention that could help in his mission... but to not tell the Silvers... something really must be going on behind the scenes for him. He didn't seem... as gung-ho about the Silvers invading into Sith controlled space as she would have expected either. He had always believed in taking the fight to the Sith after all.

"Is there something going about the Sanctum that you aren't telling me, Connor? she asked, curiosity on her face. For their part, her technicians and Doctor Votoc were ignoring the conversation as professionals would when they can work on the new droid. They were taking turns having it morph into each other, testing reactions and responses from the droid. "I know war isn't t be taken lightly, but you have always said you wanted to take the fight and pressure to the Sith."

 

[Connor Harrison]

At her question, Connor folded his arms and rested one hand on his chin, toying with his beard. He looked at the good doctor and his technicians, and then back to the droid that had been, and then back to Taeli at her question as he walked over to her out of general earshot.

"I guess I did. I do. But, it doesn't feel like the Silver Jedi I know leading the charge. I feel like I'm more and more out of what's happening there. I haven't seen Thurion for months, nor Coci, and they are the Grandmaster and wife."

Expelling some air from his mouth, he tapped his fingers gently on his chin.

"There are people within the Sanctum now whom I feel are leading us into war. Not the preservation of the East and our territory, as the Alliance seems to have the West, but more and more into the heart of the galaxy. And I know that's all well and good, but it's not the faction I knew. I don't trust them. I don't feel comfortable there anymore. And then how many lives are lost before the Sanctum gets what it whats? I don't even know what the Sanctum IS anymore."

Connor sighed and let his fingers slink up to his brow and rub it gently. There were lots going on behind the scenes, and it was steadily brewing. His lack of allies and confidants was now in great number, and those who deemed close had all but left him and he felt truly alone within those walls on Voss.

"I'm sorry. It makes no sense, I know. But something is rotten, and it's only going to lead to disaster."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

Taeli listened to Connor explain why he was uneasy about the Sanctum and revealing her project to them. From what he was saying, it sounded like some hidden influences were making themselves known, subtly, and she knew how that went. As a student of history, she didn't need to explain what happens when hidden forces start to push a faction to war. At least the Alliance wasn't shy about it's mission; to eliminate the Sith and liberate the Core Worlds from their decade long occupation by the One Sith.

"Perhaps... you would probably have a place in the Alliance if you decided to join it," Taeli said. "Or, you could rally some of your allies in the Sanctum and investigate what forces are pushing the Sanctum into something else. It could very well be the natural evolution for the Silver Jedi, but it would seem odd since that Order was about protecting the people and saving lives of those that couldn't survive on the Rim or were oppressed."

She looked over to where two Doctor Votocs stood, exchanging conversation. The good doctor seemed to be testing the droid's shifting abilities further, proving that it was still beyond the droid to actually copy complex pieces of machinery such as a vocabulator.

"Corvus saw the good in the Alliance when she brought the Jedi to Lothal, and I've been following the mandate she essentially left behind that it was the place where the Jedi should truly be," Taeli continued saying. "Odds are good that if we win at Dulvoyinn... the Core is next."

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor swayed gently on his feet as he listened. Could he ever leave the Silvers? Really? The only home he’d known and the only allies he had really. There were more reasons to leave than stay, but the ones that kept him there were important in making Connor the man he was.

"Corvus spoke of the Alliance to me a little. I’ve never crossed paths with him. Maybe one day I should. See how they operate, their values and whatnot."

He glanced back to where her eye line was and watched the doctor carrying out his research on the droid, which Connor smiled at marginally as he remembered what he had seen moments before. Then, he turned back.

"What would the Alliance do if they took the Core? Would they seek alliances with others to form one great Order of Light, or divide the galaxy up? What do they want, long term, and how long would it take for cracks to appear in their ranks?"

Ever the optimist.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I'm not a member of their government, so I couldn't say what they have planned if they can reach into the Core and start liberating worlds that have been under Sith control for years now," Taeli said, a hidden rebuke in her voice towards his pessimism. "I could guess that they will want to work with the Republic or the Silvers, but combining into a larger spanning government... I couldn't say. Somehow, I doubt the Republic would be open to such a proposal..."

She watched the Masquerade droid continue to be tested for a moment, thinking and postulating what might happen if the GA could cut into the Core Worlds. The power paradigm shift would be extreme, and the One Sith would not be happy if they actually started to lose battles. Things could get worse before they got better.

"Since when have you been so pessimistic, hmm?" she asked.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor nodded, like a mock bow, and folded his arms, rocking on his heels.

"Because that’s what I see in most things now. The things people don’t always want to see, or the things we don’t want to think about. I find I live longer that way."

He glanced at the doctor, taking that moment to compose himself, then looked back to Taeli.

"And I’m not THAT bad. Just a little over cautious. It happens in all major powers, and even the good ones spawn bad, and the cycle continues. However I feel the One Sith are losing momentum; take the head from the body and the rest will perish, so to speak."

There was a strange mood in the air between these two passionate Jedi, both close to their own cause at heart.

"I’ll do what I have to in order for the Silvers to remain strong at their core."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"I know you'll try," Taeli responded, smiling slightly. "Just remember if that strong core ever gets worn down... again, you can always come with me on another expedition to unwind. Can't guarantee it would be all fun and games though. I've been scouring the galaxy for... artifacts that really shouldn't see the light of day. I've recovered three of them so far."

He knew, from when they had been searching for the Fallanassi, that she had been transporting a Sith holocron on her ship at the time. Since that trip, and her subsequent lessons in the White Current, she had retrieved two more rather infamous holocrons and stored them away safely.

"And you need to do a little more research on Sith before you start saying cut off the head and the body dies," Taeli said, mirth in her eyes. A slightly morbid mirth considering what she would say next. "They always like to disappear, hide among the people... waiting to rise again or strike at their enemies. We can destroy their empire, but the real challenge is getting the ones who are smart enough to know to leave a sinking ship. They always creep up on you, and they can even turn out to be people you trusted or helped in the past."

She gave a slight cough and gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, that came out darker than I thought it would," she said. "I suppose you don't have much time left before you have to leave hmm?"

 

[Connor Harrison]

Part of Connor missed this. The ones who would talk with brutal honesty. Who would challenge his stance, and let their inner darkness shine. He was a tainted Jedi, and always would be. And he would always thrive on challenge and confrontation. Taeli, also, had lived a life like that and while she had manged to quell her former position with the Sith, that Arcanix ember was still burning inside her.

"I’ve got plenty of time, don’t worry."

He walked slowly towards her, arms in that defensive cross over his chest.

"The One Sith will one day wither and die. That’s what I meant. The Sith themselves will never die, nor will the Jedi. We are pawns in one big eternal game going back and forward, each making steps of progress and falling backwards in regression at various times."

Connor matched the hint of mirth she bled into her voice, regardless of what the conversation was about.

"Nobody will get close to me who will then stab me in the back, that much I’m sure of, and I will cut down anybody who tries it in a heartbeat. My position in this game is clear, and you know me well enough to know I will do what I must to prevent them rising again in greater numbers, at least while I still can."

After a second, he calmed the situation with a smile.

"So no creeping up on me please."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Seeing as how I have actual training in Force stealth techniques, I could creep up on you all day long Mister Armored-Suit-Blow-Stuff-Up," Taeli laughed. "I distinctly remember when we first met I was able to creep up on you, all seductive like, and you didn't have a clue until I turned my lightsaber on."

By now, their first meeting was almost an old joke from a lifetime ago... back when she had first met her sister and was still Sith. At least she had helped him after that, even helping with the scarring on his back from her Force Lightning. She had dealt with the darkness now though, wrangled it so to speak. Connor, while he had touched it once or twice, had never fully embraced the dark side to the extant Taeli had.

"For someone who is so cautious, you can be unbelievably gullible sometimes," she continued, still smiling.

 

[Connor Harrison]

Here was the old Taeli, the one who pushed his buttons easily. Toying with his ego and his pride, and the fact he bore the mangled scar of rushing into a situation with a former Sith on the other end who was far more powerful and adept than he had been.

A warm flush ran up his sensitive back and he felt hot under the tunic, not liking being put in his place and…mocked?

"Well not anymore, that I can guarantee."

He had borne the brunt of his so-called gullibility, and it wouldn’t happen again. This was the very reason he found it easy to close himself off to the worlds he tried to help. No residing damage to his conscious or even a sentimental, warped sense of allegiance to anything or anyone except those he knew were on his side to do the job in hand.

"And I guess all my bad habits were picked up from you along the way at some time or another."

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Connor Harrison"]

"Your bad habits?" Taeli asked, pretending to feign incredulity at the accusations he was leveling at her. "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and the insinuations you are making are not appreciated. Not one bit sir! Although, to be fair, I did have a distinct advantage over you."

She of course knew what he was talking about, but it wasn't her fault that he felt the need to use Force Lightning or anything like that. She had even shown him the light side version of Lightning after all.

"I would hope you would have picked up some of my rather more useful habits too," she said, the fake incredulous look disappearing to be replaced by another smile. "I would like to think I've taught you a few things and broadened those horizons of yours, Master Harrison."

It was not so subtle pointing at that the life of a Force user in general meant one was constantly learning for the rest of their lives, something that she admittedly had a thrill for.