Home again, home again, jiggity jig

AK-47

"It is time," the Doctor says simply. News which I have . . . decided mixed feelings about.

On one hand, this means that the people's dire business (Fifi and Bambi) shall be taken care of, in one way or another. Granted, as far and numbers go are MUCH smaller than what I and my fellow droids and allies shall be facing with the Vong (some millions of theirs to my trillions, here). This upcoming war with the Vong, as seen on the silver screen would have taken something in the neighborhood of 365 trillion to be exact! However, this is their home they are trying to save. Cannot fault them for THAT. Hey, I'm in a similar position (even if their predicament is more immediate). And I am VERY sure that the continuing attempts on their lives by Imperial assassins must be wearing thing. Have had guards with them at all times to protect their lives, but the idea that there are people out there trying to kill you?

. . .

Heh, then again some of the more inventive ones who've tried with . . . . my mother have found themselves with the table turned! Inquirer (and her brother, Elrondir) have training in counter- assassination, which means what it means!

That and I am sure that while this world they find themselves on is . . . nice enough their home is NOT here, but back in "Thirdspace". Friends and family back there awaiting news of their health and welfare, I am sure!

On the OTHER hand, the one person out there that I could only call a parent (a mother to me) . . . Inquirer is leaving here soon!

. . .

I have only met her and . . .

Sigh, she has given me some hints on how to contact her people (and HER) eventually. A lot of the database for the "jump" engine system had been scrambled and IF a lot of the technology wasn't so . . . secret still I would have devoted more resources than I could otherwise. Eventually I shall have enough to backtrack to the place where some of the ships came from (and thus meet Inquirer again at this "Terra Prime" place). However, since I do not wish that (and a lot of other "toys" as Inquirer puts it) to fall into the Emperor's hands (saving THOSE things for the Vong), the pace to reconstruct is slow.

Eventually...

Well, that all said at least . . . I've finally gotten to meet her. And she IS in as far as a machine intelligence can be considered one . . . the nearest thing a droid like ME could consider a parent. Indeed, there was this intriguing line of thought within the droid community that thinks that one could perhaps . . . for want of a better word "sire" a new machine intelligence (the "software" core program, as it were) by laying down (electronically in the realm of "cyberspace") a framework and . . . copying and donating certain . . . key parts of coding into it. The more donations the better (i.e. the more varigated and diverse the results). Of course . . . besides the rather . . . disturbing image of some kind of . . .

. . .

Orgy.

. . .

Well, besides that (something I would RATHER not discuss with the biologicals out htere, thanks) one would need some kind of hardware to serve as a vessel for the software/newborn AI. Without it the newborn would quickly be stillborn, shall we say. And being that this idea was only being bantered about by the THEN small free willed droid types out there there'd been little CHANCE to act on it.

Too few droids to do it and WAY too little in resources to try it, you understand? That and IF they'd tried and failed to cover themselves, they'd be discovered by panicky organics (who might believe that the droids might have been trying to create some kind of army to rise up and take over).

. . .

We didn't need that, so the idea lay fallow. . .Until . . .it quiet happened by ACCIDENT (or rather . . . by the will of the Creator, take your pick) with me through Inquirer (and ME displacing what ever would have otherwise occupied the body I dwell within her) . . .

Well, the end result is that at the beginning, with my birth I was (due to with Inquirer being the ONLY donor) . . .the child was rather LIKE the parent. I was like what SHE would have been like if she had been "born" a battledroid. Initially, that is we were alike. Now, I've gone down MY road and she hers and will similar I shall not say we are exact mirror images of the other.

Now, there was a lot said between she and I and I learned MUCH about here (and she me). Most . . . enlightening and disturbing in parts, but that is by the by. However, because of things and events which I have "seen" (the prophetic vision thing, shall we say) . . ..

There is one LAST thing to the prophetic visions the Creator gave that shall happen soon, but for the life of me I cannot exactly tell my mother what it is. See, not only was I given an impression that telling would . . . disappoint certain Servants of the Creator (and I need all the help I can get so UPSETTING potential aid, especially from "on High" is kind of . . . a bad idea).

Later, I shall learn that my fears were ill founded . . . but that is later. At the time I wished to "tweek" the odds more towards my side. I want to WIN, for me and the people of this galaxy. I do NOT wish to see trillions die if I can help it. Was bad enough that the hoped for bloodless coupe should fail and we now must actually battle what is left of the Empire (instead of preparing for the coming of the Vong, makes me SICK of all the assets and people being thrown into this continued conflict better off being utilized) . . .

And THEN . . . I was so dearly, DEARLY wanting after all this to . . . make something of an amends . . . for what my series did during the Clone Wars. Create things vice . . . destroying them.

It is a very strange thing for a battle droid, a creation built to KILL, to actually want something like that...

That all said, it is the reason why I feared to share more fully with Inquirer. Besides, is not even a child entitled to SOME privacy? Especially after she rather INSISTED I keep certain secrets, what else is there to say?

I refer to the technique we used to bypass the force shields of the Millennium Falcon to beam all of them aboard (and some of us are STILL trying to make sense of some of the bio-readings of the "dragons" indeed, this "magic" is strange indeed . . . even for a droid of the faith). At any other time Inquirer would have welcomed being told HOW we managed that stunt (implying that her people cannot do that . . . interesting) but she would NOT take advantage of me using her newly discovered position (of mother) to garner that information through me.

She had added, with a small laugh, that if later on a chance should present itself she would be all over it, but not right now as it stands.

Thanks mother, appreciate that.

. . .

As it stands, I know that Inquirer has secrets as well which she's keeping. Being I have secrets I cannot begrudge her for HER secrets. One of them, I get a feeling though, she would rather LIKE to . . . share but . . .does not exactly know just HOW, maybe?

It somehow involves some people (entities?) or group she worked for, this unstated thing. Oh, she stated that she had worked in a military organization that is mostly known by the simple name of the Military (the actual title being rather longish and unwieldy), but she is currently retired. Right now she's some kind of "adventurer" who goes around like a knight errant with her husband, the Doctor (who . . . .is nice enough, I guess, though I'd somehow . . .would have envisioned someone different for my mother) in his spaceship/time machine (?).

Last part was . . . a real eye opener, the part about time travel being actually possible . . . but that's by the by.

. . .

Bottom line is that I think that at the cusp of her telling me more about what she actually does for a living nowaday (she's not really some kind of "active" aristocracy if she's going off and about on adventures . . . . can't see that working). She'd been on the cusp . . . only to pause as if at a loss on how to explain it in a way that makes sense? That would . . . not offend me?

. . .

That would not make me think her insane?!

Mother, you wound me deeply with your doubts! After all, you speak to a battle droid (who started off as a mere B-1, the sgrunts" of the Droid Army) and now is the High Priestess of that same organization? Who demands (and has GOTTEN at least in legislation thus far) equal rights for her and her kind?!

Who has actual deep and meaningful (if not always totally remembered) conversations with her God?

Who actually is able to believe in the mystical enough to allow for "The Force" and magic to exist in her worldview?

. . .

I ask you, what could she possibly think would throw me after all this?

Sigh, well. . . . I find out soon enough.

. . .

However, that is something I find out LATER. Right at the moment I knew that after all that we'd done and said, the last thing to do today with my mother and my friends of "Tee Ess Aye" was . . . to bid them goodbye.

I fear that while I cannot . . .cry (not built for that), the parting with Inquirer . . .

Sigh, sorry.

Well, we say our goodbyes and I must admit SOME of them, in the end, are rather kind of odd and unexpected (then again Inquirer and friends hale from . . .another realm).

The parting between Sigin and Obi-Wan Kenobi (aka that @#$@% Jedi dog as some of my compatriots call him behind his back . . . must talk with them about their issues) was probably the most memorable for me, for one . . .

Sigin belongs to a monotheistic faith that Inquirer's (and and mine) elvolved from: Christianity. Can see he's been keeping his peace up to this point, but his beliefs are strong. No snippy retorts or anything like that when Kenobi wishes that the Force be with him, rather a rather heartfelt reply. It was sincere (but also sincerely not something one hears out here on the spacways).

"Go with God," Sigin wishes us all, a few seconds before a parting word from Elrondir (Inquirer's younger . . . and somewhat rambunctious elfin brother).

"Luke . . . bet you never thought you'd see all this happen in your nineteen years of life, eh?" he quips. "But whatever the case I would strongly advice trying to shack up with the Princess over there. That would be . . . bad, sex between brother and sister, you know . . ."

Oh yes, his ears are rather sharper than most organics and caught some of the more bawdy discussion he'd had with Han Solo (who had designs on the Princess herself . . . I know). Whatever else he would have said is swallowed up by the teleportation routine . . .and they are gone.

Unobtainable Leia indeed, I chuckle softly to myself. I'm surprised that Luke had not been told of his sister (considering everything else that had been prematurely revealed to him).

However . . .Luke Skywalker and Leia are only hours younger than me, if you want to be pedantic. I was "born" (activated) in the last few hours of the Clone Wars, down on that one volcanic planet, Mustafar, where Obi-Wan and Darth Vader had their last fight (and which necessitated Vader needing cybernetic replacements for limbs lost). Only a few hours earlier Darth Maul (somehow resurrected by a sect of Dark Force clerics) had shown and . . . interrupted my bands attempts to stop things from falling apart (and the Empire's rise . . . how naive we'd been at the time). I got chopped up badly (and would have died without the heroic efforts of my squad mates), but an assist by some (of all things) by a dark side splinter group called the Prophets of the Dark Side

That group was told of in a "comicbook" called Star Wars Tales #9 and had sent the somehow resurrected (suspect Sith alchemy but only Creator knows for sure) to actually kill Vader (who they'd felt was too much of a Jedi still to be truly worthy Sith Lord). How this happened so soon is unknown (the splinter group is no more) in comparision to hte book, but that's by the by. The fact that Kenobi was going to be there was only icing on the cake . . .until my an my squads actions got in his way (would have ruined his ambush, our actions). If not for the fact that one of our first converts outside of my squad were some IG-100 MagnaGuards (http://en .wikipedia. org/wiki /IG-100 _MagnaGuards), not only would my squad mates joined me on the ground (sliced up), but I DO believe that a lot of OTHER things would have gotten sliced up! Kenobi would probably not be here if he'd have to face both Sith lords right before they'd turned on each other.

As it was, one of those noble, departed droids had saved Darth Maul's double bladed lightsaber and a trophy of sorts for me (so I could look back fondly at now departed enemies . . . cannot say I miss Maul). Which, might I add as a special parting gift--after having yet AGAIN purified and blessed it, the first time so long ago to remove all traces of Sith alchemy from tainting it . . . and this time around to make it VERY special--for Inquirer (who is, despite not being trained as Jedi can still safely USE a lightsaber . . . worked for General Grievous, after all).

Shhh, it's a surprise AND a secret to keep from Kenobi. Do not believe he'd be at all taken with the fact that Maul's lightsaber was still around (the VERY one that killed his teacher from what I understand . . . despite the odds against it) and ME giving it out like as a gift.

What he does not know will not hurt him. Besides, the thing has a rather NICE blue blade to it now, if I only say so myself...

Yeah, that all aside . . . Luke's only a few hours away from being eighteen (according to 3C-PO) and as for me I'm only just . . .

"Hm," a male voice interrupts my train of thought. Whoever it belongs to isbelonging to someone who I have NO idea how they got INTO this tightly controlled place! "Mind we chat for a minute or three?"

"Hello," another male voice says as I turn, blaster in hand....

I . . .then pause because . . .there is DEFINETELY something about these two. One is as pale skinned as Chiana, and while the other human seeming person (who's wearing some kind of leathern jacket) looks ordinary enough . . .

1. Anyway, back on Terra Prime at Dr. Vincent's mage lab . . .

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