Private The Robot and I (Athena)

[Valiens Nantaris]

Nar Shaddaa, one of the cesspits of the galaxy. Everything about it disgusted Valiens Nantaris, and yet he was drawn back here time and time again. Why? Because this was one of the centres of evil across the stars. This was not the overblown villainy of Sith Lords or the tyranny of the First Order, but a more personal evil. Drugs, slaves, weapons, protection money, all of it was less dramatic but caused just as much misery.



Allegedly the Silver Jedi Concord owned the moon and Hutta as well, but Nantaris had seen little evidence of the Jedi imposing their will on the planet, cleaning up its sickness. The only thing they’d be good for is, maybe, covering his back if a hasty withdrawal was needed.



One of the nameless sublevels of the rotting city had a large open area with two tunnels running into it. It was here that a transaction was going to occur. Nantaris had it on good authority that a meeting of Ralga the Hutt and Black Sun’s local Vigo – or at least their minion - was going to take place soon. In this meeting certain ‘merchandise’ would be traded.



The rogue Jedi was concealed in a good position with a good view of both groups as they would enter. He and his people could then move in to intercept the criminals whilst gates on the tunnels were primed to snap shut and trap them. All was prepared, and as the first sounds could be heard a couple of goons came from both sides, checking the coast was clear. It took all of Nantaris’ self-control not to start blazing away right now, but he held off.



Black Sun and the Hutt thugs established links and called their respective bosses to arrange to trade. From the Hutt side a speeder emerged with a large cage on the back. A half dozen unfortunates were trapped inside. From the Black Sun side a speeder brought several crates and cases.



“Alright, on my mark,” Nantaris whispered into his comm.

“Boss, movement to the south. One person.”

Nantaris paused. From below him he could see a figure walking towards the two gangs. “What the…? Hold, let’s see what this is,” he ordered.

Athena

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris​

Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Make a Deal

__________________________________
​

Ever since she’d departed from her ship there had been an artificial taste of something unpleasant lingering in the air that she couldn’t name. Her sensors picked up a significantly higher percentage of pollution, but somehow, that didn’t seem to be the culprit. It triggered in her memory banks in such a way that it reminded her of an oil slick. It was presented as something sickly. A film that coated everything that existed within Smugglers Moon, regardless, of any suggested opulence that the Hutt population desired. It bothered her, but, not for reasons some might think.

She couldn’t feel the desperation or the negative effects that long-standing depravity left behind—Nor could she feel the inherent suffering. Not the way an organic being could. She felt simulations of sadness, empathy, and disgust. That was enough. She had jacked into one too many mainframes within Hutta Town and the images that had been burned into her, literally, backed up into her save data were enough to make her want to shut down for the night. For a week. A month. A year. Athena wanted to retreat into standby where thinking ended and blissful dark swept in.

The automaton couldn’t see the wickedness from a dreamless slumber. Her synthetic heart didn’t feel like it was working overtime, passing liquids too fast, while simultaneously breaking down.


It was a passing fancy. An error, a flaw, in logic that she immediately dismissed. It was an impossibility. She was not programmed to watch organics endure in silence. She was programmed to learn.

Overly bright eyes lifted toward the tops of the skyslums that she passed beneath. Gravel and dirt crunched beneath booted feet while she could hear the distant hum of denizens talking in the distance. People were crowded so tightly together here that their heat signatures became an all-consuming blob that scarcely allowed any detection from one lifeform to the other. The constant gleam of garish neon lights caused her oculars to readjust so they could read the notifications surrounding them.

Athena had read on the Dark-Net that Nar Shaddaa was just like Coruscant. Only, without the bureaucrats.

They were wrong.

The synthetic female had seen people running spice, running guns, fencing stolen treasures and antiquities freely. In public. Laws in the traditional sense didn’t exist here. There were planets with dark and seedy districts. This was different. The entire moon was dark, seedy, and entirely unrepentant. She had dismissed most of the illegal commerce. Most of it. Until she found one thing that twisted her moral compass inside out. One thing, that should never be traded, as it should never be owned.

A light chorus of cat-calls from local dive pulled her focus downward while a mighty belch registered in her auditory systems. “Yo, girlie! You ain’t from around here are ya. Wanna join us for a drink?”, the voice carried through the street, obviously intoxicated, and unfortunately speaking to her. She noted bulbous eyes and a long tail sliding from beneath a tatty brown wrap. A half-breed Hutt? Was that even possible? Statistically…Perhaps?

Athena paused and turned to give the patron her full attention. Her smile was genuine and soft in the dim lighting while careful fingers reached up to brush auburn hair behind her ear. “Not tonight, friend. But many thanks for asking!”, she chimed in politely, before stepping back to allow someone else to walk ahead of her. He seemed like a nice enough fellow, but, she was going to be late if she dallied too long. A few voices groaned in disappointment but she was already whisking off before anything more could be done.

As she finally approached her destination, she tugged her hood up and tucked her hair inside. Occasionally, her eyes could be seen from within, glowing, while she accessed the data stream. The world in a virtual sense was at her fingertips. These people were cautious. They didn’t use the Dark-Web often. It made it hard to keep up-to-date of their plans, however, she was still able to keep track of them. Their travels, and more importantly, their finances. Following the credit transfers of the Black Sun…That led her here.

There was a familiar buzz. This one, she knew. Comms were in use in the vicinity. She couldn’t hear what was being said without slicing in, but, she knew that this was the place. Too many moving pieces on the ground floor.

“Hi there!”, she announced her presence, though, it might have been unnecessary. Athena passed through the gated area, seemingly, without a thought to her own personal safety. She stopped walking just between members of the Hutt Cartel and the Black Sun. The exchange had yet to pass. Her scanners zeroed in on those that were exhibiting any form of movement, especially, those she suspected might be going for their weapons. “I’d like to make a deal. Who do I speak with?”

“Who the frack are you!”

Athena paused. It was a legitimate question. Or, it would have been. If she was actually a who, a person, and not a replicant made to look like one. Her hands clasped together and she bowed her shoulders slightly. “Just a wanderer. Please understand—I don’t mean you any harm. I just want to make a deal.”

A sharp sound rang through the air. It was akin to the sound of a rock skipping over a frozen lake—The sound of a blaster going off. Followed by a howl of pain. Athena had moved, only slightly, but far faster than the eye could follow. Enough that the Black Sun member missed her entirely and shot one of the Hutt Cartel in the thigh.

“You idiot!”

“I was shooting at her!”

“This is what you get working with criminals. Give the Black Sun a kilometer and they’ll take a parsec…Or your leg. You really should offer to pay for his medical treatment.”, Athena scolded, lightly, though she seemed genuinely concerned about the member of the Hutt Cartel with the injury. Her words seemed to send both sides into a flurry and she sighed heavily when they began to whip out weapons, aiming at her, or each other, while forgetting the reason they were there. The arguing was devolving while the tension between the groups mounted and surged, threatening, to boil over.

Another shot whizzed by her frame, a little too close, and she shifted to the right. To the left. Each time moving just enough so that she could avoid taking any damage to her core. A shot nicked the cargo container holding the “goods”, translation, the slaves and Athena’s eyes lit up. “Hey! Stop shooting at—Well, me. Someone is going to get hurt. Didn’t anyone ever teach you to play nice?”

Apparently, they didn’t want to talk anymore either.

She danced backward when a fist came flying in her direction as the distance closed between the groups. “Grab her! We can add her to the pile. Yeah, she talks too much but get rid of her tongue and she’ll more than cover the damage. The deal is still on!”, the Black Sun leader that had shot first ordered. Rather than to keep swinging, or shooting, they began to come to their senses with the new arrangement. It was eerie when it began to sink in.

“Oh…I’m really not the droid you’re looking for…”, she muttered, but, raised a hand up in a defensive position. Her gloved hand would provide adequate defense but she was severely outnumbered. Athena could fight. She hated to do it. She didn’t want to hurt anyone.

She also wouldn’t leave real people, living, and breathing in cages and chains.

“The deal I’m offering is pretty simple. We don’t need to fight. I’m here for your cargo. Hand it over, kindly, and I won’t continue draining your bosses accounts that I’ve sliced. If you terminate me, they drain. If I don’t report back to my ship, they drain.”

Athena thought she was very forthwith and business-like. Her words were even punctuated with a smile. Everyone, loved a smile. It seemed to have the opposite effect. In less polite words… All hell broke loose.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

Nantaris watched in amazement tinged with something akin to pity as a young woman entered the arena, walked right on up to the gangs and started haggling.

“What the hell…?” Scindia muttered beside him.

“Someone with a death wish. Activate the gates. It’s go time. Myr, give us some cover.”

He cast a glance down as blasters started firing. The woman, whoever she was, was avoiding the bolts nicely. Force user? It didn’t matter.



As the gangsters were arguing and shooting their blasters the two gates behind them snapped shut, blocking access. Naturally they turned and started shouting at the other gang, blaming them. But then they saw that they were not alone.



Boldly Nantaris strode into sight. With a snap-hiss his green lightsabre ignited.

“Let’s go through the formalities, gentlemen. Drop your weapons, put your hands up and step away from the speeders. And Miss, I strongly suggest you get the hell down,” this last to the suicidal woman who had decided to start talking.



Needless to say the goons were not interested in surrendering. One of them moved forward to try and grab Athena as a hostage whilst the others took cover and begun shooting….

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris​

Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Make a Deal

__________________________________
​

“Time is money. The credit flow has an exponential percentage increase with every sixty-seconds that passes. The longer you take—The worse it gets.”

Scanners told her that biorhythms were flying off the charts. The baseline temperature of most of these creatures seemed to directly increase as their respirations and pulse started to peak. Everything she saw only enforced the notion that they were, perhaps, a little angry with her actions. The sharp lines of their faces and dilated eyes were apparent. As were the insults, threats, and blaster fire.

Truly, they held no couth.

“Listen up—”

The Black Sun leader was cut off as a loud slam echoed in the area. Green eyes flared with unnatural light while she reached through the data-stream to scan what the interruption may have been. In the span of a heartbeat, she knew that the exits had been blocked. The organics were slower on the uptake. It wasn’t entirely shocking, considering, they didn’t seem to be utilizing logic at all. She could hardly fault them. Silly, mouth-breathers.

One of the men made another attempt to grab her while shouting and accusations began to fly and she shifted backward, twisting, so that she could side-step the warm body behind her. Athena had no intention of letting anyone remove her tongue. It was very expensive to replace custom parts. The group that had burst into a flurry of movement and rage seemed to still when a new sound registered. Snap-hiss. Her systems recognized an active kyber crystal first.

Then—New life. Micro-seconds apart.

A new organic strode into the area with confidence. She sucked in unnecessary air through her teeth and let the cables of her synthetic muscles coil. Athena liked that he referred to their new friends as gentlemen, however, she did not understand what he wished for her to do. His accent was unfamiliar to her database but she immediately set to deducing what seemed to thicker than a permacrete wall. Get down? How would she get what she wanted from the ground? “Thank you for your concern kind sir, but—”

Athena paused when she felt a hand wrap around her upper arm and her head snapped to the side when one of the thugs tried to pull her with him. He yanked roughly, more than once, before his gaze shot to her face with distinct confusion. Why couldn’t he move her? She was barely a slip of a woman and couldn’t have weighed more than an empty cargo container. The frack? “What kinda game are you playin—What trick is this?”

The automaton sighed heavily before ripping her arm away. Her hood fell with the movement and she twisted to kick the left knee of the man out from the inside. She pushed off with her right foot and used his left knee as a springboard—While activating the personal shield pressed down at his face. Athena pushed off with her arm and flipped over the Hutt member while the disconcerting crunch of a broken nose registered. She landed on her feet, surprisingly light, and her hand flexed in the glove. “Don’t touch without asking. It’s not polite.”

The man that she’d kicked was down on the ground was injured. She frowned. It wasn’t fatal but the facsimile of morality that she was programmed to endure left her with remorse. Her frame jerked when another thug thew a punch with a gauntlet that crossed over her cheek without remorse. The sound was deafening. If she would have been human it would have caved her jaw in, but while she stumbled back, she assessed her distraction. She pulled her head back to the front with a snap and her eyes filled with tears while her hand came to her cheek. “W-What did you do that for?”

“That hurt!”

She wasn’t real. But, she felt some version of sensation as her creator had imagined it to be through a series of ones and zeros. Warmth. Cold. Pleasure. Pain. If they actually managed to damage her frame or hit her with a blaster it would fire to synthetic pain receptors. “Why are you so rude!”

The man with the gauntlet sneered at her and her expression seemed genuinely upset. Her eyes focused on his hand and disassembled the gauntlet shaped power glove into its base parts. It could increase his base strength tenfold. That explained it. “Just because you can hit someone doesn’t mean you should!”

“Krike—Don’t you ever shut your trap?!”

He swung again and she dodged, this time, not worried about the man with the shattered knee and the broken nose.

“Yes. Typically, many times in a full minute. Would you like me to count?”

“Argh, Shut up woman!”

“No thank you!”

She was curious about the newcomer but she couldn’t really focus on him without taking another unnecessary hit. Athena had a goal in mind and an objective that could not result in failure. Even if they were trapped inside…She wouldn’t give up. Perhaps, the nice new man would aid her. She hadn’t been able to look to allow facial recognition to take effect. His demeanor left her with a statistically backed hope that he was part of the solution.

Not a new problem.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

For the small amount of time and energy which Nantaris could devote to the woman she seemed to be both never stop talking whilst at the same time avoiding getting a blaster bolt in the face. She was either mad, a Jedi, or both.

Regardless, he had little time to think about it, since the battle was on. His green lightsabre moved into the defence and he started deflecting bolts as he advanced. Behind him he heard the blue lightsabre of Scindia ignite as he advanced to form a bastion for his comrade.
"They're Jedi, circle around!" a Black Sun trooper called.
At that moment though there came a hail of blaster fire from above and behind the Jedi, the bolts slicing down into the gangers. Rapidly they took cover, leaving several of their comrades down in the open.

Then began the game. Nantaris and Scindia would move to engage a group of hidden enemies, and those enemies could either choose to stay and fight or flee into the sights of his gunners. Either way there were few survivors. Nantaris' green lightsabre cut down a Houk and reflected the bolts of a Duros back at their shooter.

Suddenly, the Force screamed a warning. "Grenade!" He dived and rolled, getting behind a speeder before the thermal detonator lobbed at him could vaporise him. Scindia had also escaped but was in trouble as he'd been forced to dive down in the open and was being attacked by a pair of Weequay before he could rise.
Nantaris vaulted back over the speeder and struck one down from behind. The second turned but lost his legs as Scindia's blade cut his feet out from under him.

Hutt and Black Sun gangers fled to the gateways, but they were solidly sealed. Several threw down their weapons and began pleading for mercy.

A scream interrupted Nantaris' thoughts. One of the slaves had been dragged from the cage by her lekku, held at gunpoint by the leader of the Hutt delegation.
"Back off, Jedi, or the wormhead gets it!"
Nantaris held up one hand to signal his forces to hold their fire.
"You hurt her and I will tear you limb from limb. As it is, let her go and I might be merciful."
"No deal, I'll kill her unless you let me go!" He continued to back away, not realising that this would take him and his hostage very close to where Athena was operating.

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris​

Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Make a Deal

__________________________________
​

She knew that light.

Somewhere in her memory core lay distant data fragments of fighting among people that wielded weapons that were blazingly hot. Bright in the dark—Like fire-brands whirling in the dead of night. It was disconcerting to recognize the form, the function, but not the face that wielded the emerald lazer sword. She knew how it worked; by theory. A combination of parts, wires, and crystals. It was the same as she. Only—She had been given the will to choose. It hadn’t.

Or had it?

Azure light joined the fray and her momentary distraction was quelled by the chaos rolling through an impromptu warzone. Delicate lips were pressed into a thoughtful frown. They were locked in with one another, mice in a cage, and now there were more organic players to be mindful of. She couldn’t hit too hard. Couldn’t move too fast. “Jedi actually…Come here?”, she mused aloud to the Black Sun thug that proclaimed it. All viable information from the data stream claimed that not even the Silver Jedi seemed to venture this way often. It was too dangerous. Suicide.

She reached up to scratch her head in confusion while simultaneously weaving away from her opponent in measured steps. The auburn-haired automaton seemed to float, almost, but there was a focused precision that kept her grounded. For all of her chatter she was centered. The male and female “Jedi” warriors moved in on the Hutt Cartel and the Black Sun in the blink of an eye. Organized. It occurred to her then that she had waltzed through an elaborate design, a deception, of human intervention.

Was this a kill box? Did Jedi kill now? Had she missed a software update?

Athena wove and dodged from the man with the power glove, often, trying to talk him out of his foolish endeavors. “You caught me off guard the first time. You won’t connect again. Please, surrender.”, she implored kindly, hoping, that he would listen. She had him pegged as a member of the Hutt Cartel. Didn’t he have better things to do than to waste his life here? Didn’t he know that life was a precious gift? The replicant stepped forward into his space and one slender hand snapped around his throat while the other caught his wrist to keep him from smashing it into her head.

“Let me go you fethin’ e chu ta—Stoopa!”

Green orbs flared with inner light that bespoke of something beautiful and twice haunted. A ghost in the machine. His eyes widened and her grip tightened immeasurably. Not enough to crush his windpipe but enough for him to feel the strength behind it. His comrade hadn’t been able to move her before. This was why. “Enough. You’re going to hurt someone—”

That was when a grenade went off a little too close.

Holo-vids would have most people think that grenades were just a step beneath a bomb, but, the reality was almost exactly like a holo-date. Her first thought had often been, “That’s it?”, followed by a faux sigh of relief. Her replacement parts were hard to find. It wasn’t some huge, kark-off fireball. It was a poof of smoke and shrapnel. They weren’t rockets or missiles. It was still best to stay away from it though.

Both the grenades—And the date.

Athena could have moved. But, then, her “date” from the Hutt Cartel would have been left to the mercy of the explosion. Instead she remained where she was. It would annoy her. Kill him. She tensed when metal hit her back and dug into her synthetic epidermis and her teeth ground together. It hurt. Simulated pain or not, it was designed, in the most literal sense to be agonizing. She had been created to seem human in every way possible.

“Woman—”

“I swear if you don’t hush right now, I’ll make you eat that glove.”

So—Pain made her a little testy. For the first time since the debacle began the thug stopped trying to fight and insult her. Athena, assuming he’d finally learned the error of his ways, would be sorely disappointed to realize that he’d just passed out from a lack of air. She shook him a little and his head rolled around like a doll. Shaking her head, slowly, and with a wince, she set him on the ground.

“Sleep tight big fella.”

Her head snapped up when a scream registered. It was feminine and the registers read as frightened. More than frightened—Terrified. Athena remained still as stone while watching a thug pull a young Twi’lek by her lekku. The insult of ‘wormhead’ left her with a bit of anger starting to burn. How could he be so dismissive and rude? How could he pull on her like that? Didn’t he know he was hurting her?

Athena did not understand why organic beings devolved in this way.

She bent down and unhooked a blaster from the waist of Mr. Sleepy. While the jerk with the gun kept back peddling the automaton brought up the blaster to the back of his head. Athena said nothing for a long moment before she began to press harder. “I think you know what this is…”

“I’ll kill her I swear I will—”

“I believe you. But, I believe in me too. I don’t miss.”

It was a strange dialogue while he shook, unstable, and unwilling to let go of what he perceived to be a bargaining chip. The HRD unit leaned forward and whispered something that would go unheard. Whatever it was seemed to cause his face to pale. His resolve crumbled, bit by bit, and when his posture finally slipped Athena snapped his firearm from his hand by the barrel. Her fingers left indents while the metal warped beneath her hand. With her own weapon, she drew back and hit the man with the butt of the blaster in the side of the head.

He dropped like a sack of rocks—Releasing the Twi’lek.

Green eyes shimmered while she looked down. Regardless, her avoidance of killing…Logic dictated that she ought to shoot him. Point blank. He was the bad guy. Only—She couldn’t.

Not even after what he and his friends had done.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

Nantaris had said nothing as the slaver had been disarmed and then knocked unconscious by the mysterious woman. His own green eyes fixed on her, then down at the ground where she had dropped a blaster.



The Jedi deactivated his lightsabre and gestured around. “Get the prisoners secured, check the loot, get the hostages out. Scindia, bring in our transport. Myr, see if you can comfort the prisoners.” The last he said into his commlink.



His eyes returned to the woman and he approached closer, holding out a hand as he did. The bent blaster pistol flew to his grip. A quick study, a frown.

“What in the nine hells were you playing at. Do you have a death wish or something?” he demanded irritably.

His own skills with the Force were quite limited in the realms of mentalism, but even he could see something was off about the person in front of him. Natural suspicions combined with the evidence of the blaster, her combat moves and her feeling in the Force gave only one possible option. This was no hippie Jedi. It was much worse.



“I should have know it, a damn bot. Don’t you have any sort of self-preservation protocols, or have you just recently wandered out from a bordello?” Not that Nantaris knew anything about them, definitely not.



He looked down at the unconscious slaver. He wouldn’t kill them when they were like that…but they’d make a good source of information.

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris​

Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Set them free; All of them

__________________________________
​

Athena blinked when thin arms wrapped around her neck and a face full of pale lekku caused her to pause. The replicant glanced down at the young woman with a sense of pity. Her features were pleasing and all similarly aligned; it was no small wonder why she’d caught the eye of someone unsavory. Those with fair facial features at the optimal age fetched a much higher price than those past their prime. She shifted to wrap her arms around the Twi’lek in kind. She was scared, even still, and sobbing hot wet tears that were soaking right through the front of her cloak. “It is okay to cry. Get all of your sadness out and you will feel much better. It will be all right now.”

“You will be safe, now.”

The automaton did her best to sound reassuring. The firm words were backed by a certainty that only inevitability could bring. The Jedi were here, strange, as these organics were. They would do good things. Which included helping this young Twi’lek and all those that held been hostage with her. Someone came to collect her new, very watery, friend and Athena was hesitant to let go. She seemed so small. Fragile. “Treat her with care! Delicate!”, the android warned, very seriously, before glancing back down at the thug she’d knocked out. He seemed at peace now too.

At least—He would until he woke up.

Jade optics lifted toward a mature organic male that had seen fit to deliver concise orders. As he willed it—His people began to move. Efficient, in a recognizable pattern. Everything had a pattern. She liked that. Twinges in her back, spasms, told her that bits of shrapnel had found purchase a little deeper than she would have liked. Reaching toward her back she could feel sharp bits having gone straight through the fabric of her clothing. She tried to pull it out, but, a wince told no—Not right now. Later.

The grumpy one with the green lazer sword stormed toward her and lifted the weapon that she’d near crushed with a pretty interesting trick. She had an idea of what it was after spending too much time on Coruscant, but, it was still wasn’t something she saw every day. The automaton found herself staring at the gruff man for a long moment while he crabbed at her. Goodness. Someone, it seemed, needed a hug. He inquired as to whether or not she had a death wish and her expression became confused. Perplexed. “…No? Do you?”

He seemed to be trying to pick her apart with beady green eyes and her head tilted while he did so. What was it that he found so interesting? Then? He did it. He said it. Athena felt her lips curl into a definitively pouting frown. Her chest rose a little bit while she drew an unnecessary breath that caused minute changes in her facial structure to mimic righteous indignation. “You are very rude, Jedi. I am not a bot!”

“I am a replicant.”

She was no astro-mech, no auto-chef, nor, was she a protocol droid of any kind. There were times when she questioned her existence but that day, was not this day, and her programming didn’t allow for that kind of judgment from a walking bad mood. “I have not come from a bordello as it would not facilitate my duties here. Your general tone suggests that you may wish to consider taking a little time off to visit one. Would you like directions?”, Athena responded, as always, seeking to be helpful. Even if he was a little cross. When his gaze fell down toward the man at her feet her expression seemed to still into something that mimicked distant sadness very well.

“…What will you do to them?”

The question was strange. Coming from an HRD unit or not, she was aware, of more than just her own needs and metallic frame. The vague sense of guilt she had for putting more than one of them on the ground made her feel responsible. This Jedi had threatened to rip him, “limb from limb” end quote. Would he still do it? “…And their cargo? Will you set them free?”

The innocent question was also met with distinct sadness.

Athena reached out through the data-steam and the lure of ephemeral information pulled her mind away. The job was done. She had no need to siphon the accounts of the Hutt Cartel and the Black Sun any longer. What she had gleaned was untraceable, routed through so many wires, so many different shell companies and accounts that would disappear the moment the funds passed through—It would never be found. The only link would be her attempt at a deal that she had made with the criminals themselves. Perhaps, they could be used for their victims?

The quiet android blinked before unnerving eyes that were touched with artificial life returned to the Jedi.

“There are more.”

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

Nantaris let out a sighing whistle as the bot yabbered on.

“Right, fine, your replicant-ness, I’m sure the difference is great and noticeable to someone who cares,” he added brusquely. “Bot, replicant, droid, mech, all the same, some of them just look more alive even if they’re all just metal underneath.”



At that moment Scindia came back and overheard her comments about the bordello. “Oh yes, he’ll take the directions for recreational studies later!”

“None of that, boy!” Nantaris groused as his XO laughed. “The ones on this planet are all sleazy slave joints. I make it a habit of raiding them rather than patronising them.”



A glance to the deck. “Interrogated for information then taken to prison off-world. Ain’t no one here who’d keep them locked up. The crims are in charge here.”



“The slaves are all being set free, we’re moving them offworld to a safe place where the scum can’t get to them.”



Seemingly done with the droid he turned to bark some more orders. However, her quiet words drew him back around.

“More? Where?”



A large covered speeder had by this time appeared and the slaves and prisoners were led aboard, the latter blindfolded and cuffed.

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris​

Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Set them free; All of them

__________________________________
​

“You care, Jedi. Else you would not seek to rescue the unfortunate.”

Athena responded with the same even tone that she had used throughout the conversation, deliberately choosing to misinterpret his words. Humans liked that. Especially, when they disdained technology as the ill-mannered male clearly seemed to. A dumb robot made them feel better. Some part of her programming bristled at being referred to as a clever little toaster. She would have pointed out his rampant generalization but several personality matrices warned her that contradicting the elder human would not end well. At least, not deliberately.

Instead—The replicant turned her focus on his companion. He seemed much more aggregable and a faint smile lightened the shadows that the fight had left on delicate features. Her heart-shaped face left an unassuming impression that seemed innocent of all things. “I can transmit the fastest route to your data-pad to an establishment in which the working class are regularly tested. Perhaps, you would like to go with him? There are discounts for friends whom bring friends.”

Athena would have introduced herself to the kinder of the two, however, the gruff voice of the grump interrupted. She didn’t know what that entailed. Interrogation. She had seen very advanced techniques on the data-stream of the Dark Net and it drew a deep frown across her features. Would the Jedi hurt them in these prisons? Would he torture them for the information he wanted?

She couldn’t fathom that any of the thugs would give up intel easily. Or at all. The people they worked for were far scarier than Mr. Grumpy and his band of raving glow rods. “Don’t hurt them.”, the automaton responded, though, it was a statement more than a request. He could lock them up like rats in a cage but where would that leave them? Could they not be rehabilitated in some humane fashion?

Pain only made more pain.

He also claimed they would move the victims, the slaves, but he never mentioned taking them home. Never mentioned allowing them freedom to travel where their hearts desired. Surely, this man knew how to create fool-proof identichips when the situation called for it. Her frown deepened. She didn’t want to see the people she had traveled to far to see wind up being moved from one cage to another.

For their own good—Of course. Throughout history, it seemed that Jedi always thought they knew best.

The older male seemed to dismiss her entirely. Though, why shouldn’t he? A lamp required no proper farewell and neither did an audiobulb. Why should she? Her head tilted to the side when her words captured his focus. Her expression seemed to fail. Emptying. How could he ask that?

“Everywhere.”

She reached behind her back and tucked the blaster into her waistband beneath her cloak before holding her hands in front of her. They were spread about a foot apart, before widening, and a spark of light appeared before her. The tips of her fingers began to glow while a map of Hutta Town etched itself into a detailed hologram before them. “But, if you mean specifically within reach—There are no less than three other drops tonight within a several kilometer radii featuring different criminal organizations. There is some overlap. Smaller groups. But, the pings are confirmed.”

“Different times. Different forms of monetary compensation—Same cargo.”

Athena had indeed followed the money. Places like Nar Shaddaa were easier to navigate, understand, and manipulate once the concept of the ecosystem was grasped. It was symbiotic. The criminals were all connected to each other, one way or the other, and the only thing it took was one half mangled sound-byte to appear on her radar. She watched. Waited. The idea of going to the groups that didn’t converse much had spawned from the thought of staying under the radar as long as possible.

It was the Smugglers Moon. If the Jedi thought that this was the only illegal activity that involved the trade and sale of flesh in the area—He was very much so misinformed.

“I am going to the next location to prepare. You may come...If you are not too busy at the bordello.”

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

Scindia smirked slightly at the reply to him.

“I’m only joking. We don’t want to reward exploitation,” he explained. “Raloph Scindia, a pleasure to meet you,” he said, extending a hand to her.

“You can flirt on your own time,” Nantaris growled.

“Don’t mind him, he’s very action focussed,” Scindia commented.



“I’m not going to torture them, though they probably deserve it. I’ve got friends who’ll put them to productive use,” Nantaris added. He snorted, the droid was clearly too kind hearted, didn’t understand what suffering had been endured.



Her last words though again checked him and for the first time Nantaris seemed to look at Athena as something more than a malfunctioning machine.



“Hmm, we won’t have time to prepare much,” he commented in a softer tone, studying the data. “Plus we have to handle these ones. However, should be doable.” He pointed at one particular location.

“Sector 83. There’s an old factory they’ll meet in I’m pretty sure. Should be able to cut them off. Hmm.” He stroked his short beard, then looked up at her.



“But what are you going to do? They’ll be on alert after this tonight, and you can’t dodge them forever. If you want to free them you’ll need to fight. Appealing to their better nature isn’t going to help a whole lot. I’ll work with you, but you’re going to have to work with us.”



He was already producing a datapad and tapping some commands into it.

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris​

Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Set them free; All of them

__________________________________​

Her nose scrunched cutely when she smiled. It would happen time and time again. Someone had spent a very long time, and a disgusting amount of credits, ensuring that her autonomic responses were able to fool an untrained eye. Duping a practitioner of the Force was different. One way or the other they always seemed to figure her out before the jig was up. She reached out to shake the hand of Raloph Scindia and took great pains to ensure that her grasp was delicate.

He was too kind to suffer a broken hand.

“…Athena.”

She offered her designation, though, the growl from Mr. Grumpy caused her to pull back from Raloph. Mostly out of his proximity to the mean one. The auburn haired replicant offered a cheerful smile to the more humorous human to smooth it over and cast the older Jedi a sidelong glance that was both curious and concerned. Had Raloph been damaged in the last fight? Athena, was action focused. This creature was ill-mannered. Rude, and cantankerous. She could see that it was his natural disposition from the lines that ran along his face. People got different lines, if they smiled.

“I will remember that. Thank you, Raloph Scindia.”

She had only ever had one name. There were no letters or numbers attached to it. No serial numbers. It made her odd even among her own kind. That, was impressive. The woman-shaped replicant fell silent while it was explained to her what would happen with Cartel & Friends. She still didn’t appreciate his wording, careful as it was, but it mollified to know they would be harmed no further. They—SHE had done enough. Athena could not feel suffering in the exact sense that an organic would. The understanding she had of the emotive elements of her framework were still rudimentary. She was programmed to learn. The intent, was for her to learn.

Athena was learning.

Mr. Grumpy seemed more amenable after viewing the data she had neatly compiled. Her hands closed and the light disappeared, leaving the area dim, while the neon lights in the distance made their skin almost seem to be a hue of blue, green, or pink. Athena slid her glove back on and watched while the two males processed the information provided. “The factory has many entrances, exits, and windows. Including roof and basement access. Statistically, I agree on the likelihood that this location is the place for the exchange. I planned to disable all of the portals by slicing into the power grid remotely. Once inside I deliver a kill code that will cause the maglocks to freeze. The doors will not reopen until I want them to. It is the easiest method of securing the building.”

Athena paused when the elder human asked about her plans. She shook her head and as auburn locks tumbled, they changed colors, to a soft rose-quartz. She could change her appearance just enough to make it seem as if she were someone else. Anyone, else. It was true that perhaps she could not avoid getting caught forever, but, it was a small price. She had no life to lose. The people in cages lost a little bit of it every day they were kept in bondage. “I do not want to cause harm to anyone, Mr. Grumpy. I will never understand why you humans insist on causing each other such pain. There is no logic in it. Just a pattern. And because the pattern exists…I may not want to…”

“But your people have left me no other choice.”

It was also a sad fact that violent droids were the reason people feared many of them. Athena did not want to encourage that kind of thinking by acting rashly. Not, when there could be a better way. Athena considered the potential outcomes of the offer. She ran a dozen different simulations in the blink of an eye, but, softly nodded her head. “Your terms are acceptable. However—”

“You should smile more! No one has died, yet.”

As for preparation? She needed to get the shrapnel out of her back before it pressed deeper, or, her synth skin started to heal around it. Awkwardly, she reached behind her and hissed when she pulled a chunk free. Ouch. It was covered in a dark fluid that suspiciously looked like blood. “We can move when you and your people are ready. There isn’t much time, but, enough.”, she spoke, squinting at nothing, while she tried to reach the piece that was closest to her metallic spine.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

"Athena is it? I will be sure to remember that," Scindia said with a polite smile. He seemed perhaps to realise that his boss had not actually been introduced. "Oh, and this is Valiens Nantaris, Commander of the Freespace Rangers."
Nantaris gave her a brusque nod. "Charmed, I'm sure," he grunted.

"You'd understood if you'd ever lived," he replied after a moment, listening to her. "Organics, people, are not a perfect hive mind. Some people want things others do not have, and others want to keep what they have from others. From this comes all war and suffering in the universe. It is unavoidable; trying to get people to all be happy and nice is a vain, naive hope. And since some have strength and take life, liberty or possessions from others, there must be some who use strength to rectify it. That is what we do, droid, it's easier to take than to give, so our job is harder, but yet we persist."

He glanced at the floor of the factory where a fair few of the gangers were indeed dead. "I'll smile when the mission is over. Let's get moving."

Raloph saw her attempts. "Would you like some assistance removing the fragments?" he asked politely.

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris
Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Set them free; All of them
__________________________________

​

Between the two, Raloph Scindia, was far more to her liking than his elder counterpart. Jedi in her estimation always seemed to have some sort of chip on their shoulder. Some sort of issue with her kind. They seemed to like astro-mechs well enough, but, there was something about an HRD that always left them unsettled. Athena left them feeling more threatened than most. At first blush, she appeared too human. Too close to the facsimile of life they seemed so hard-pressed to protect.

She filed away the name of Mr. Scindia’s superior with a bare nod. His notion of being charming caused her head to tilt in confusion. “No, I am not.”, the sarcasm flew over her head in a plain fashion, though, her expression almost folded to something kind. Athena felt bad for disputing his claims when she had only just learned his name. It was rude. “I am not charmed because you are not charming.”

“You should take lessons from Raloph Scindia.”

Athena paused, before nodding her head, so that she could pass a small smile in the direction of the one she indirectly complimented. It was well deserved. He was very charming. Jedi Nantaris went on to shatter the soft impression that he had initially presented her with. Reminding her that she had never lived, and never would caused the light in her eyes to dim. Brilliant green orbs flared in acceptance as they recognized and accepted that one truth.

Denying it would change nothing.

“Did I not just state all of that?”

There was a pattern to his people. Simply because it could be explained by presenting cause and effect did not mean that causing harm to one another made sense. Only people, seemed predisposed to kill for joy. They did not, generally, consume one another. Such bloodshed was for not. “You are what you are—Therefore, I am as I am.”

“Fear not, Jedi Nantaris. I will do what must be done.”

She just didn’t have to like it.

Did he not know that as a replicant she had been created in his image?

In their image, truly, but without the desires he spoke of. Athena supposed that it could be programmed in, but that was utter nonsense. What would be the point of that? How would she serve her purpose if she was consistently attempting to murder the organic species that she was trying to preserve and protect? The dark-haired automaton let the topic die. She had not come this far to bandy words about with an aging human that clearly suffered from droidism. She did wonder, though, what technological wonder had hurt him in the past. Had his auto chef burned him?

Had his navigation systems failed?

The few dead on the ground seemed to have been pressed from her memory core. None of the hostages had died thus far, and, they had done their best to resolve things peacefully. Athena could mourn what was lost on her own time. Hearing Jedi Nantaris claim that he would smile when the mission was over caused her to straighten up a little. Challenge, accepted.

As they began to move out the words of Raloph Scindia caused her to pause and stop trying to detach her arm to get better leverage. Briefly, she debated on declining. A quick calculation lowered the odds of mission success if her synth-skin closed over the fragments and sealed them deeper. Nodding slowly, she reached up, and tugged her cloak off. “Remove on the go, please. I do not want to fail because I was unwilling to accept assistance. It does not feel pleasant.”

“But pull quickly. I will endure.”

The way to the Factory District was mostly clear. Athena kept mostly quiet whilst they traveled in order to monitor their surroundings. The criminal element had no idea that the other deal had gone awry yet. There was still time to keep the plan in effect. Her eyes shifted from one shade to the next while she sliced remotely into the mainframe. Setting security cameras to loop footage. Closing the way behind them with a variety of gates and cargo carriers. Monitoring heat signatures within the main building. It was the one that they had designated as a likely target.

The pool of orange in her vision was too large.

"They are present as suspected. But, there are more."

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

Nantaris let out a little snort. "He should be taking lessons from me! If his swordsmanship was half as good as his attempts at civility he'd be a master."
"As you say, Master," Scindia retorted.

"Still, I'm glad you're willing to put in the hard yards. The next ones likely won't be easy. If I might suggest not having a chat next time?"
"I'm sure she understands that," Scindia said a little sharply.

As they headed off Scindia produced a set of micro-forceps and a small precision electro-magnet. It was used for retrieving small fragments within a metal casing, but in this case would also prove useful.
"Now this might 'tickle' a little," Scindia warned. Using the forceps to gently peel back the skin he activated the magnet. It'd certainly be an interesting experience for Athena having a magnet pulling out the shards, but not damaging. Soon enough though it was done and they could be on their way.

The setting for the meeting was the floor of a long factory, abandoned from its former purpose. Neon hues penetrated the often broken skylights, clashing with the dim glow within the factory from old lamps. The large central hall was the setting for the main meeting, with members of both groups also on a skywalk above them. Remnants of the factory's former creations; a speeder of some sort, were scattered around.

From an overlook above and long-on, Nantaris and the rest of his group, along with Athena watched.
"We'll need to block each exit," Nantaris considered. "Enough to stop them getting away. Then we can come in on the catwalk and then drop down. Athena, do you know what this group is trading?" he asked. He'd started using her name, that was something!

 

[Athena]

Valiens Nantaris
Location: Smugglers Moon [Hutta Town]
Objective: Set them free; All of them
__________________________________​

“Violence is not always the answer Jedi Nantaris.”

Worst. Jedi. Ever. Was this how they were taught now in their temples and shanty shacks on back-water worlds? To shoot first—Ask questions later? Athena had a wealth of knowledge about the various Jedi Order groups, splinters, and affiliates from the Dark Net. Some of them were a little more radical than others but most still seemed to favor peaceful resolutions. “But, Mr. Scindia is correct. I do follow your meaning.”

Athena was wary of the small device that was produced to remove the metal from her back. Green eyes lit up for a moment while she analyzed it and slowly nodded her head. “That is a much more effective method. My arm only bends so far before it requires adjustment.”

She closed her eyes for a moment to let Mr. Scindia work. It was far less bothersome than digging around in her skin on her own. Far less painful. She couldn’t dampen her own pain receptors unless someone accessed her core. There was no one present whom she knew well enough, or, knew enough about her systems that she could trust to do that. It wouldn’t do to end up without any feeling at all. How would she fight or walk? Pick up a glass without shattering it? “Eeep!”, she made a small noise, squeaking here and there, when it felt strange. Odd—But not too painful.

“Thank you…”, she spoke sincerely, relieved, and gladdened that she wouldn’t have to deal with it later. Even then, with the aid of the equipment on her ship, it was less than ideal. She shimmied her clothing back where it belonged and beamed up at Mr. Scindia. Not for the first time, he proved to be the more empathic human of the two. He didn’t treat her like a replicant.

It scored more than a few brownie points in her book.

The auburn-haired automaton was able to keep up with her humanoid companions fairly easily. The location wasn’t far, but they would need to act sooner than later. The bright lights that rolled through the area left a haze of color that was hard to adjust to until she filtered it out. She began to count and map the locations of the aggressors while also documenting the weaponry they held. “I can close some egress points electronically. There is a terminal not far that I can access remotely. Security, minimal.”

Not even a firewall.

Hearing her name from Jedi Nantaris caused her to perk up and pay attention. Did she know what they were trading? “Aside from human beings?”, she paused, briefly, and jade eyes began to glow softly. When she glanced back toward the accented man her lips pressed thin. “Weapons. There are crates of particle-beam guns and blaster-rifles. If we can secure them, remove them from the streets, that would be most agreeable.”

But the victims being held and traded for slave labor were a priority for her. It was her singular goal, the only reason, she’d spent the last few months in this system. They had managed to save some—But she wouldn’t be leaving until she’d exhausted every piece of intel she could find. Conditions were filthy and slaves were often beaten into submission. Athena couldn’t tolerate it. Her programming didn’t allow for it—And none of her learned experiences made it acceptable.

“There are also a surplus of advanced gas cartridges in the boxes in the back on the left. They would afford the user at least four to five-hundred shots per cartridge. There may also be a few disruptors, though, they may have been left out of the deal.”

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Athena

Nantaris waved a hand broadly. "Violence is not always the answer, but in this case it is, or at least the threat of it. I give them a chance to surrender, an opportunity to give up once the battle is won. Maybe I'm just a bloody idiot who believes this scum has a decent spirit. Some of them take the offer, usually the ones with something to lose or not deep into the mindset."
He was not a paragon Jedi, he knew that. This was why he was no longer in an order. Having seen the state of the orders and groups in the galaxy this was not exactly a bad thing. All of them had ultimately failed, either through incompetence, betrayal or rank hypocrisy.

Nantaris looked at the map as each of the points cleared. "Good. Those doors look pretty old so I doubt they'll hold long, but maybe enough. Keeping the trap closed will be the main job."
The weapons indeed sounded dangerous. Removing them from the streets would be a good goal However...they might do some good work with his group. Something to consider for sure. He did not raise it in case the droid decided to be noble.

"We'll neutralise the weapons so they can't be used against us, then the slaves. It's vital that they don't try and hold them hostage or get a chance to activate any sort of bomb collars or the like."

Down below they could see several speeders pull up and then enter into the opened factory doors, one group to either side.
"It's about time," Nantaris said. He looked at the gap. The Jedi could jump it, though it'd not be quiet. Grappling hooks would work best then most likely.
Scindia seemed to pick up on this. "Did you want to join us in the first push?" he asked.
Never ask a lady bot her weight, but it was kind of implied whether she could be handled by the rappelling gear.