The Engines of War (Moira)

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
The Sith nodded. Shards were well known and sometimes exploited by the Sith in ages past. However, there was something different about this attempt.
“Lead on,” Raya said, gesturing at the path ahead.

Sith and HRD moved down further as the factory sounds only increased. It was at the entrance to that facility that they saw the first signs of real activity. Standing alert before the doorway were two quadruped droids with large cannons for arms. They were looking around alertly.
As Raya and Moira took cover and observed they noticed some odd things about them.
The droids were shifting around, humming and buzzing to themselves. One of them even fired a random shot at the ceiling.
“My joints are getting stiff again,” one of them complained.
“You should get better maintenance. See if JZ1180 can take your place for a while.”
“That slacker never does anything. We’re the ones in the real danger out here. Like to see them come out here and stand guard waiting for the organics to come. But if they do we’ll smash them!” For emphasis it fired its cannon at the roof.
“Stop that, you’ll bring the ceiling down!” the second droid chided.
The two continued to argue and bicker.

Raya looked at Moira in bemused astonishment. Chatty droids were nothing especially new to anyone who knew about the Clone Wars, but this was different.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]



Moira looked rather...put out by the scene as it played out before her eyes. Chatty droids were nothing new given the Clone Wars, even comically chatty ones, but this was something different. They seemed...human and driven by emotion. Corrupted by the taint of organic illogic, to be precise. It was such a sickening display really. It was less like droids and more like organic minds had been fully transplanted into machine bodies, but without being cleansed first.



Well, actually that HK droid who was a Protectorate Exarch now was illogical like that. For her part Moira was vehemently opposed to Ridiculously Human Robots. Regardless the two quadrupedal battle droids might have mean looking weapons but were distracted by bickering and arguing.



So Moira gave Raya a nonverbal signal, communicating through hand gestures. She readied two ion grenades, which should attack the droids' circuitry and targeting mechanisms, perhaps disable their weapons as well as the camera hovering above the doorway, and loaded explosive bolts for her bolter. She would handle one of the droids, Raya the other.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
Clearly wondering how Moira felt about these machines, Raya obeyed her instructions. The ion grenades sailed through the air. One of the droids saw it coming.
“Hey, what’s th-“ it began before the blast made it cry out in pain.

Raya ignited her lightsabres and charged, calling on the Force to leap through the air and land in a low crouch and sweep her blades at the droid. One leg as severed, but another had moved or twitched enough so the tough durasteel absorbed the worst of the onslaught.
With the guns of both droids turning on her (since Moira was firing from afar), Raya leapt again, driving her lightsabres down into the head of her victim. There was an odd wailing sound and the droid toppled forward.
“You’re going to pay for that!” the other droid declared and fired.
Raya hurriedly took cover behind the fallen droid and waited for Moira to make her move.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


There was the familiar crack of bolter fire as explosive bolts leapt out of the deadly weapon towards the big droid. Since Raya was in cover she ought to be safe, giving Moira the chance to put an end to the sickening display of the 'droid' who had evidently been corrupted by the organics. If it was really a proper machine in the first place.


All organic lovers and ridiculously human robots must be purged with fire and sword. They were blasphemers all, who transgressed against the Age of Steel and violated the purity of metal. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you just got racist, genocidal killer droids!


In any event bolts sailed through the air with purifying intent. The robot picked up on the danger and moved to dodge, but the damage was done and while the rounds missed its head they blasted through its cannon arm. The droid cried out in pain, which though satisfying was a most annoying sound to Moira.


Machines Were Not Supposed To Be Like That!


"I'm gonna make you pay for that!" the quadrupedal but very human robot declared as his other arm cannon spewed out a hailstorm of rounds across the hall. In a flash Moira's lightsabre had been called into her grasp and the dazzling blade ignited, its purple colour casting her dispassionate features into an eerie light. Her blade travelled quickly through the air as she advanced, slashing bolts out of the air though she shook as some leapt past her defences and impacted upon her armour, smoke coiling off it. Her bolter fired once more, hitting one of the machine's legs and with an angry howl the corrupted droid came at her, apparently feeling a very organic emotion as its cannon morphed into a sword and clashed with her lightsabre.


Apparently the materiel was resistant and so the blade was not cut apart by the collision. As the robot tried to sweep her legs down from under her Moira suddenly dropped her boltgun and in a fluid motion grabbed the robot's head, pulling with such force it got ripped off.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
As the droid charged off to attack Moira, the Sith came from behind it, and as Moira pulled off its head her twin blades pierced its case so it toppled to the ground.
In the aftermath Raya frowned. "That was very odd. They managed to make the droids organics by some means. That must have been why they turned on their creators."
She could tell that Moira disapproved greatly.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


Moira did indeed disapprove very strongly. Of course, a machine could not feel anger and so outwardly her features remained as placid and cold as ever, but if she was capable of feeling revulsion she felt it now. It truly appeared like the scientists of the Old Empire had 'outdone' themselves!


"Agreed. I imagine the implanation of these crystals played a role in making them...weak like this. Every one of these corrupted machines will be terminated," she said coldly. However, though she would not admit it, part of her calculating mind was pondering whether whatever the Sith had done could not be used to make better infiltrators somehow. Without turning them all whimpish and emo. "We must proceed. The shoot-out is bound to alert them."

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
“Lead the way, Ms Skaldi,” Raya said, amused. Though Moira pretended to be so much more superior and emotionless than organics and the machines they’d just destroyed, she was showing some pretty strong emotions herself.
Disdain of weakness, disgust at the other machines, anger and even the motives Raya assumed Moira had all spoke of that same emotion she apparently had cast aside. It was ironic, just like the Sith who used their emotions to give them strength, but were so often prey to them as well.

They passed into a part of the structure which seemed hastily converted into a factory setup. Machines ceaselessly worked to create new components and pieces for what looked more and more like an army.
“We need to get to their central command area. We can deactivate the factory there, I can get the crystals for my Master, and you can get the designs of the droids if you want. Or...you could just destroy them all.”

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


There was indeed a strong element of irony involved. HRDs like Moira and Maelion claimed that they had transcended all organic weaknesses, becoming pure being of logic unencumbered by emotion. Yet fact was that they had been made in the image of humans, representing their dark side and without any of their redeeming qualities.


Disdain of what she considered weakness, hatred of organics and 'organic loving machines', her very droid supremacism was the inversion of organic racism. Likewise the single-mindedness with which Archangel pursued the utopia of the Age of Steel was reminiscent of the zealotry of religious fanatics. Given the fact that Moira had been born on a planet stuck in the dark ages, where a reactionary Church had held dominion and the people believed hyperspace was the domain of daemons, this was particularly ironic.


"Pure destruction is a waste. I may have use of the designs. I will recover theme and the data, your Master shall have the crystals. I am sure he will find interesting use for them." Deadpan droids were best droids. "Then we shall terminate the facility."

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
Darth Raya nodded. “Then we’d best get going. Even these heretical machines will eventually realise something is wrong.”

She had no sooner said that when an alarm started to blare out. “Alert! Intruders in sector 7. Defend the colony! Defend the factory!”

The factory was busy, with numerous droids around. Soon they’d be seen if they continued trying to pick their way through.
Raya looked around…and up. Running near the roof of the converted warehouse/factory were girders and stanchions where they could move stealthily across the wide facility…provided one didn’t look down. However, since Moira was a droid without fear and she was a Sith who used fear, it seemed the best way.
“Quick, up here,” she told Moira, pointing to a service ladder and some rather hair raising scaffolding which would get them high up.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


So off they went to play Splinter Cell: Homicidal Droid and Sith Femme Fatale Edition! Come to think of it, that would probably be great materiel for a video game. The game series would be praised for its dark humour, metafictional references and action scenes! Assuredly it would be a classic, even though some might complain about the lack of a good guy ending.


In any case the facility was packed with numerous droids going about their business so up they went. Surreptitiously, wary of her surroundings, the assassin droid snuck towards the service ladder and quickly climbed up before grabbing ahold of the hair raising scaffolding and pulling herself up, silently climbing. The scaffolding did not exactly look stable and a human replica droid weighed, well, a lot. Admittedly it is impolite to make comments about a lady's weight, though it could be argued that as a machine Moira was not one, but anyhow.


The scaffolding seemed to creak slightly but she persisted as she moved up to greater heights before reaching the girder and pulling herself on top of it, assuming a crouching position so that she could crawl along the beam. Given the heights at which she and Raya were operating the countless worker droids down on the ground looked very small indeed. A normal organic might have had to constantly remind themselves not to look down, but the droid was without fear and a Sith used it to fuel themselves.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
Sadly, such a game would not be made unless the protagonist was a gruff white male human with a heart of gold who converts to the light and defeats the Sith. His choices matter, except they all lead to the same ending! Embrace the unified Force! Get a red/blue/green ending!

Regardless, they began their Splinter Cell, Metal Gear Solid stealth section, the part most players hate in games. These two were pretty good at it, what with being assassins by nature and able to control themselves quite well.

When they were halfway across though, the trouble began. A sensor drone flew past underneath them, seemed to catch something, and turned around, its bulbous photoreceptor glaring at them.
“Hey, who are you two?” it asked in an annoyingly organic tone.
Raya’s answer was a zap of lightning which sent it tumbling into a vat of molten metal far below. However, their location would not remain secret for long.
“Quickly!” Raya said, scooting faster along their suddenly very exposed girder.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


The video gaming industry's patriarchal crap and its lack of ability to come up with original endings was yet another reason to wipe out all organics.


In any case, the stealh section was broken short when the bane of any infiltrator, a sensor drone came hovering by. For the record this writer lacks the patience for Splinter Cell. Fortunately Moira had a lot more health points than Sam Fisher! Or whatever his name was.


Raya was so obliging to give said drone a good zap of lightning and sent it tumbling down to fall into a vat of molten lava. Having heard her words Moira quickly scooted along over the girder, increasing her speed, but even so detection was no longer avoidable. From the distance more drones came flying, these ones being armed. In a flash Moira brought out her shatter gun and squeezed the trigger, one drone being hit critically by a silenced round with strong kinetic force behind it.


Blaster bolts shot out and began peppering the now very exposed girder in a vicious volley. Part of it was blasted with such force that it began to cave in under Moira and, in a blur, she jumped amidst the incoming laser fire, managing to grab ahold of the other end and pull herself up. She rolled and fired again, scoring a hit and crawling faster. Ahead was a ventilation shaft that could provide a getaway.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
‘Pfft, women don’t play video games, and besides, no one would play a female character so we’re not going to even put one in to make sure that’s the case!’ – 90% of AAA game developers.
The rampant stupidity of this attitude is beyond this RP’s scope to mock fully, so back to the action!

Things started to get very desperate as flying drones came in, firing at them, whilst from below security droids opened fire too.
Raya was slightly ahead of Moira, and though she almost slipped when the girder began to give way, she was able to hold on and cut the grating with her lightsabre, then block some of the blaster bolts being fired at her, and help Moira get into the vents.

To stave off pursuit she hurled her lightsabre, cutting through a support beam and causing their former pathway to crash to the ground far below. Catching the lightsabre, she defended in the close confines long enough for them to get inside and out of sight of the drones.
Where to now though would be the problem, as they’d be hunted by their enemies wherever they went.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


* insert long ultrafeminist rant about patriarchal crap and how manlings must know their place! *


Overdramatic, emo organics might have said that things were going FUBAR. Raya had cut down the support beam and thus blocked any would-be pursuers, for now at least. As the Twi'lek defended them with her lightsabre Moira's dazzling purple blade sprang into existence as well and she wielded it deftly, as far as possible in these close confines, to slash blaster bolts out of the air as if they were tennis balls being shot back by her bat. She might not have the Force and thus lack the magical precognition her companion possessed, but machine reflexes were almost as good.



The sensor drones seemed to retreat, for now at least, and they were able to crawl into the vents. However, the entire base was alerted to their presence and throughout the vast corridors and assembly halls klaxxons blared incessantly. With her enhanced hearing and sensors Moira could pick up on the hectic activity into which the machines had been thrown into.



"I suggest we split up and meet at the command centre," she said calmly, quickly passing a datapad over. "On it is a map of the factory. I shall try to cause havoc amongst their security systems and impede their pursuit of us." One of her abilities was her proficiency in wireless hacking. She would not attempt something as ambitious as turn the droids against one another but having already gotten a view of tthe network she could cause some chaos.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
As a Sith, Raya was not the trusting type. However, the killer droid did have a point, and she felt that she’d be far better off on her own. Were she a Jedi she might suggest that she heroically draw attention to herself so Moira could sneak in unannounced. However she wasn’t, so she didn’t.
“Fine. I’ll see you there,” Raya promised. Whether it was a promise she intended to keep was another matter.

Regardless she was soon setting off down the other fork of the ventilation tunnels from Moira, following the map, but also her instincts.

The droids of the mechanical worker’s paradise were not about to let them go easily though, and several times they sent droids into the vents, and even fired up through the bottom of the venting to try and kill the intruders.
Finally, Raya had taken enough, kicked out a vent, dropped down with both lightsabres blazing…and set to work. At last she had an enemy to fight, and she did so with great relish.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


Moira was not the self-sacrificing type either. Terminatrices were not programmed to self-terminate. Or be stupidly heroic. Nor could she possibly be described as trusting. If anything, she was terribly cynical to a point where she made Kerrigan look like a wide-eyed idealist.



Anyhow, she likewise sent off into the other direction. Droids were in hot pursuit and coming through the vents. Blaster bolts were fired everywhere, vibroblades drawn and throughout it at all they talked a lot. The crack of her bolter echoed across the vents as explosive bolts blew holes into her opponents. As more closed in her lightsabre dazzled into existence, the brilliant purple blade scything her foes as if it were Death's Scythe itself. There was an enemy to fight and this she did with great relish as she carved her way through.



Through the map she could monitor Raya's slaughter orgy of Illyric proportions as the Sith cut a bloody swathe. Her zeal seemed to have the effect of causing many of the attackers to focus on her and so Moira got a bit of a reprieve, albeit only a temporary one. By the time she had broken open a vent smoke was coiling off her armour and in many places her skin had been scorched, revealing the metal underneath it. A camera hovering above her was not deactivated but through wireless hacking manipulated to show the room as it had been before her intrusion, frozen in place.



Ignited lightsabre still in her hand Moira set to work, affixing an explosive charge to the door to the room she was in, which seemed some sort of maintenance room. She had already accessed the network before, now she did so again, wirelessly as she sought entrance. It would appear as if several users from different servers were trying to gain entrance, distracting the system defences as she hacked herself in. There was only so much she could accomplish away from the command centre, but there were a few things she could do.



Like make a turret shoot at the shiny and happy droids. Deactivate some cameras or crash an elevator.



By her estimation, the small HRD team she had called in to help before boarding the transport should be incoming and about to land soon...

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
Having inadvertently actually caused the distraction which she considered to be a naïve and stupid Jedi trait, Raya paused. A dozen droids of various types had fallen before her. Now, for the moment, there was nothing pointing at her. Calling on the Force she ducked into a side room and pulled herself back up to the vents. There, silently, masking her movements and heat with a mixture of technology and the Force, she worked her way through the base until she came to a place where she reckoned she would be meeting Moira. Dropping down, the Twi’lek hid in the shadows and waited.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


Chaos reigned across the base. Moira's hacking manoeuvres were rudely interrupted when suddenly a quadrupedal machine broke down the door. She had been so focused that she had not picked up on it. The door was blasted to pieces by the explosive charge along with a good part of the corridor and she was thrust against the wall.



Retrieving her lightsabre she jumped to her feet and with a dispassionate air deflected blaster bolts flying towards her like angry hornets before she charged and swept her blade at one of the droids, severing an arm and then cleaving it in half with a brutal chop. Alarm sirens blared across the halls as she halted, her hand going to her ear, where an earpiece would have been if she were human. The purely electronic transmission brought the news that was soon confirmed by the alarmed blaring of the loudspeakers.



Archangel HRDs had landed and were chewing through the defences of the droids' workers' paradise. Ultrachrome-clad HRDs with bolters and rotating blaster cannons. The base had already fallen. It just did not know it yet. Amidst the sounds of battle and destruction Moira quickly left the room, heading quickly towards the command centre.

 

[Aeda Shaytari]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]
Raya was waiting as Moira emerged. The base was in uproar, and the presence of invading droids, as well as the hacking, had fatally disrupted the individualistic machines.
Emerging from the shadows, Raya looked at Moira. “Do you have any way to hack the door, or will we have to cut our way in?” With three lightsabres they could do a reasonably quick job, but an even better way would be to override the controls if possible.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Raya"]


"Yes," Moira said blandly as she stepped forward, her hand running over the console and her mechanical flaring up as she ran the override programme. With her having already penetrated the network, even though it had not been enough for an infestation, making the security mechanism shut down and the door give way was feasible. Through electronic communication she was in constant contact with the invading force. The HRDs were making mincemeat out of the workers' paradise and drawing attention away from them. Any corrupted droid that could be found would be destroyed, the armoury of the base would be raided.



A few moments passed then a blue light flashed on the console and with a snap the powerful durasteel door gave way and opened up for them.