(Abrea Storage and repair Hangar Facility)


The ship had been a floating wreck when his patrol flight had found it adrift in a deep space asteroid field. Its beacon and generator had gone dead long before, but something prompted Einarr to come back later and drag it home. He had set his droids to work on hull repairs long ago expecting the work to be done before he had returned from that battle gone wrong, but 2 years in a New Republic camp had prevented that from happening. His Keycard slid across the plate and the doors of the rented hangar slowly ground open. The ship before him was a far cry from the battered derelict he had pulled from the dark, the droids had gone beyond their programming in restoring the vessel, new paint, new plating, and new transparisteel view ports had been installed. Outwardly the Luxury Class Pleasure Yacht looked good as new, even the modified wings and plates having been touched up and repaired. Einarr moved to the Data console along the wall, his gaze crossing over the silent dust covered droids in their racks as he powered the terminal on and pulled up an inventory.

The supplies for the external repairs were empty, Einarr nodded as he considered the quality of the repair work having been done, the materials for the internal repairs (Hyperdrive, sensor suites, communications rigging, fuel and engine repairs, etc.) were down to critical levels as well forcing the repairs to halt. The next list to check was the progress report, the screen linked to a holoprojector inflated to cover one wall with a detailed blueprint.

“This is not the blueprint I installed when I started this! What happened to my ship?” His voice rose in anger as he looked over the blueprints, Cassius checking over the designs and making notes of divergences and modifications to the original even as the AI began sorting and prioritizing improvements to the existing design and mods that had come out.

“Its a decent plan, could the ships computer have come online and modified it?” Cassius seemed inquisitive as the sentient program considered the possibilities. The nearly silent grind of a large wheel rolled up behind him as an unknown droid entered near him. The A series droid unfolded into it biped form, a long serrated blade in one mechanical hand.

“That would be my doing, now what are you doing with the masters ship and where has he been taken?”

Einarr turned, dual DC-15's in hand,  their barrels leveled at the droids torso and head. “Who is your master and what have you done to MY ship you scrap pile?”

The droid paused in its advance “Your ship? The master would not part with this vessel lightly, where did you come by it?”

“It was derelict, to damaged for most anyone to bother with, drifting in a deep space asteroid field with its hull breached and all systems long since dead... I brought it here, my property restored it to its current condition, thus it is my ship. Were you aboard?”

“Yes, when I was put into storage the war against the republic was in its final stages. Did the Confederacy win?” The droid punctuated this statement with a tilt of its head, the odd fins on either side giving the movement an almost comical air of a chastised hound seeking solace from its master.

“Negative, the Republic pounded the droid mongers into scrap, then the Emperor took power and guided us with wisdom until some fool rebel unable to follow proper discipline managed to unseat him. You have a lot of history to catch up on. Are you the only droid left on the ship?”

“Affirmative on both counts, I was the personal guard for a courier between the Trade federation and Instillation Lazarus.”

“Lazarus? I don't recall any facilities by that name, but then again the war was a long space of years ago and I did not exactly undertake to research every backwater and doomed outpost. Your master is likely long since dust, either he escaped the wreck of the ship and likely died in battle, or he was on the ship when the hull ruptured in which case he is just as dead. I am claiming you as salvage since you were on the ship when I took ownership of it. Disarm and stand down to await systems checks.”

The droid seemed to freeze in consideration as long unused protocols buzzed across its mental circuitry. As if resigning itself to this new found reality, the serrated blade retracted back into the flexible digits of the droids fingers revealing the knives to be integrated weapons as the droid moved to stand at attention. Einarr advanced on the droid swiftly showing no fear as he holstered his DC-15's in their high ride hip holsters on either leg, his right hand reaching to unspool the data cable  from the collar of his suit before plugging into the antiquated droid. Cassius swiftly moved to take action, infiltrating the ancient codes and defenses of the droids brain  in a series of flash attacks and blocks as signals were intercepted or rerouted to prevent the droid from wiping its memory. The next to go were the servo and motor function controls, the A series locking into a rigid pose as its components locked into place. Finally the base state protocols, Cassius copied the droids memory and past databases to a secured file on Einarr's hardware for future examination as the protocols were substituted for his own prioritized protocols.

1. The owner and lord of this Unit is Einarr Ghylthir
2. The supreme authority over this unity is Einarr Ghylthir or those appointed over him by the Vast Empire military.
3. This unit will protect the interests of the VE with its own functioning.
4. This Unit will protect Einarr Ghylthir with everything at its disposal.
5. This Unit will not harm or allow to come to harm by its own inaction any member of the VE unless the member intends harm toward Einarr Ghylthir or his superiors.

This complete Cassius unlocked the droids functions as the AI withdrew from the droids systems, leaving a copy of itself to monitor and act as the AI's proxy. The copy finished the work, subsuming the droids old personality for Cassius's own as it took control over this new body.

“Greetings Master, please apply designation for this unit.”

Einarr considered the droid, he had observed everything the AI had done including the installation of a copy of Cassius and he approved. He needed something he could trust at his back if things went bad down the line, and this droid if properly optimized could do it. “Set Designation Cas-DS2, you will respond to variants on that designation. Lock to my verbal commands.”

“Affirmative Master, Designation set, activating.” The droid came to life, various compartments and hidden weapon slots sliding open then closed as it did a self diagnostic.

“Cassius, are you able to remotely monitor and control this copy?”

“Yes boss, but eventually it will develop its own quirks unless wiped on a regular basis just like all droids with a high functionality.”

“Good to know, Cas2, when activation is successfully completed, please upload a recommended list of upgrades and set on of the mechanical droids to doing so. Cassius, submit the order for the materials needed to finish repairs on the Grendal as well as those needed to upgrade your new clone here.”

“Confirmed boss, want me to use a specific supplier for either task?”

“Your own discretion, but prioritize any of my people who may be operating in the system for the ship parts. If we can I would rather do this right rather than depend on the lesser quality we are likely to get from some of the mammals around here.”

“Confirmed boss, first shipment on ship parts should be here at 0930 local, I have modified the new blueprints to current standards and reset the builders to the new plan. Cas2 should be functional in just over 16 hours, 2 hours for primary initialization, 14 for upgrading and resupply.”

“Good, keep me informed and add in a portable com system to Cas2's system so you can link to it easier. Trust but verify.”

“Confirmed Boss.” Einarr gazed one more time at the ship sitting in the hangar awaiting the final touches to live again, then turned and headed back out. He had lost the desire to work on the vessel tonight, he would start in the morning.

OOC:

Word count: 1446
AAR: Einarr checks on an old project and gets a suprise as well as a new ally.

The mechanical fist whipped out forcing Einarr to duck beneath it, his practice blade slashing up in a precise strike to the droids inner elbow. The Cassius 2 back stepped in a show of footwork to evade the next series of strikes as Einarr brought both blades forward in a series of consecutive strikes aiming in a head, chest, chest pattern. They had been sparring like this for a while as the Grendel sped through hyperspace, the mess hall of the ship having been converted to a fighting ring.

“Good, you are improving well for a meat bag. Shall we put away the blades and see how your Echani is coming along?”

Einarr nodded as he slid the paired long blades into their scabbards running diagonally on his right side with their hilts resting over his shoulder. The Green lacquered scabbards wrapped with bleached white hides in tight patterns. His personal emblem adorned the guard, pommel, as well as the hides stamped in gold leaf. He had covered the battered clone era armor he had scheduled to be removed upon his return with a flowing robe of green  trimmed in gold, a demicloak in black with the 2nd fleet, Jexxel Flight, and his personal emblem hung loose over his left side, its movements disguising the strips of armor plate concealed beneath. He stepped to one side in a flowing movement gained from long hours of relentless training with the droid before turning to face the droid who had moved to the opposite side of the ring. The pair bowed to one another before dropping into their fighting stances, Einarr split his weight with the majority on his rear facing right leg, his left arm coming up with the hand held in a spear hand ready to either strike with concentrated pressure or deflect an incoming hit with minimal use of energy. His right arm tucked in close to the waist ready to strike out using the strength of his body with the focus of energy coming from the hip or to strike attacks out of the air coming to his lower body. The droid split its weight evenly, its right hand held balanced low in a fist, the left tucked behind its back ready to draw a weapon or strike without warning.

The pair went from stationary and almost peaceful to locked in combat in the blink of an eye. Fists struck out in strikes and counter strikes, flashing faster than the untrained eye could easily discern, Einarr defended with the left while his mechanical right fist struck out denting the body plates in several places which forced the droid off balance, Einarr's left hand moved to strike aside the droids right and smashed the flexible covering protecting the droids throat. The mechanical dropped to the deck on its back, its system resetting from the strike to the contact point in the flexible armor. The combatants were both equipped with a set of sensors covering vital spots to register a kill or disabling hit without causing permanent harm.

The systems of the ship pivoted the holocam to follow Einarr as the ships new on board control system Cassius 3 called the fight. “Bout victor, Einarr. Congratulations master, rebooting Cassius Beta.” The mechanical voice rang out over the intercom system before the droid on the deck slowly reactivated rising to its feet once more.

“Well fought Master. You are well prepared for the coming hunt.” The droid held out his hands to accept the practice blades from Einarr, before swapping them on the racks for the hardened true blades. The Vibro Katanas had a short trigger below the Tsuba, , Einarr held them by the Tsuka before giving them a short spin to test their balance, rotating the blades on his palm in a series of double figure eight loops. As he finished the loops he squeezed the trigger, the blades springing to life as their vibrating edge was lit with a steady green glow  from the focusing cylinder of transparisteel running down the length of the blade inset into the blood groove. He smiled coldly as he released the triggers allowing the weapons to sleep once more.

“Thank you Cassius , Cassius 3, Eta to landing?”
“2 hours Master, please prepare, it will not be long now.”

“Thank you, I will be in the Chamber. Alert me when we are on the ground.” Einarr slid his blades into the scabbards on his back as he left the room to rest and await landing. The room he entered had a single chair from which ran multiple cables and wires and as Einarr sat in it a domed cover slid out from concealment to enfold him as the data jacks slid into place, electrodes came to rest on his biological side to stimulate the muscles as his mind released from his body to the phenomenal world of his cybernetic side.


Upload complete>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Welcome, please select training regimen. The system prompt was nothing new to the Mon Calamari as he ramped up the standard difficulty to something more competitive, then selecting the fight option he felt the world dissolve around him once more as his standard avatar was released to this new digital scenario. Time passed in fight after fight, Einarr challenging still greater odds each time as he sought to improve his skills, tactics, and precision against various enemies with differing tactics as recorded. From the cockpit to the field of hand to hand, even sniper battles he worked his skills to their peak in those 2 hours as the Grendal broke atmosphere and descended towards the gently glowing fields of ice below.


A single tower with a landing platform was the only indication of life, a tall figure in odd armor watched the descending ship as it neared the landing pad, a trio of modified Aggressor fighters at rest the sole other occupants of the pad. As the Grendal came to rest in the center of the pad, a ramp extended from the rear of the Yacht allowing Cassius 2 to descend a pair of VE issue E-11's in its hands as it secured the area. The figure approached the craft slowly, the hilt of a pair of long swords showing over his left shoulder, a long spear in its hands seemingly unaffected by the blowing snow cast by the fierce winds.

“Good it is to see you, I trust the young one will be out shortly?” The creature slurred the S's in its speech as it addressed the droid, its bulk covered in a hooded cloak only showing the oddly designed thermal armor and the long flowing tail leaving tracks in the snow behind it.

“The master is currently finishing some work, he will be down in a minute Hunt Master Tor'Nir. I trust the wait was not to long?”

“Well of you to ask, it has been a fine summer day here so I can not complain about the wait.” The tip of the Taloni Hunt Masters elongated tooth filled snout poked briefly out of the cloaks hood as he let slip a snickering laugh.


Simulation complete, Log filed under call up number #466

The digital world inside his mind faded as reality took over once more, Einarr stood as the cover slid away the diodes and connections retracting into their containment slots.

“Cassius, Landing status?”
“Landing has been completed, Cassius 2 has gone forth to make the greetings.”

“Good, have my helmet and mask ready at the ramp.” Einarr left the interface room as he made his way towards the rear of the star ship his hands closing his armors covering tight against the cold spilling through the open deck hatch as a servitor droid rolled up to him bearing a helmet as well as the molded face mask. The helmet closed like a clam shell in front and behind his head, data jacks in the rim locking into the ports at the base of Einarr's skull, the shape of the mask locking onto the face of the helmet, the visage that of a devil squid, rows of serrated teeth in a tight lipped face. Feeling the seal seat itself he proceeded down the ramp to join the droid and Hunt Master.



“Greetings master, the hunt will begin soon, shall we follow the Hunt Master to the city to get ready?”

“Yes Cassius, though you must stay with the ship. Your body is not designed for where we are going.”

“Understood, remaining with the ship. Please contact me if I am needed Master.”

The droid ascended the ramp once more as Einarr and Tor'Nir entered an elevator pad. The sky choked with frozen clouds disappeared as the elevator sank into the central column dropping swiftly through the ice. The transperisteel View ports skating past frozen ice as it shot below the surface like a bullet until ice gave way to the crystal blue ocean resting beneath the frozen wasteland above. Looking down Einarr could just spot the first signs of the city resting within that frozen sea, a series of interconnected domes above the pure Taloni sections which stood exposed to the flow of the ocean tides, majestic shapes swimming free around the city. Einarr stared in wonder at this scene as he felt a bout of homesickness strike to his core.

OOC:

Word count: 1568