First Steps on a "New" World

[Spetaddik]

Planet: Coruscant
Location: Uscru District, a random bar

Spetaddik stepped off of the transport and looked around. It was nighttime on Coruscant and the Uscru District was bustling with people. The Wookiee walked through the crowds, looking for somewhere to rest. He'd never traveled through space before, so the journey here left him feeling a little sick. It became clear to Spetaddik that few of the people here had ever seen a Wookiee--or at least not one so tall. He could feel the eyes on him as he weaved through groups and slipped past couples. After a great deal of walking, Spetaddik came into a bar. The patrons didn't seem to care too much about a giant Wookiee walking in; one or two looked up from their drink and conversation. There was an empty table near the back of the bar which Spetaddik went to and sat. His bowcaster was held on his back by a strap attached to the butt of it. He lifted the strap over his head and pulled his right arm through it before setting the bowcaster on the table. Now he could settle back comfortably. "Rrrar huurr rawr" he said when a Twi'lek waitress came over and asked what he wanted to drink. While he waited for her to return, Spetaddik looked around at everyone. He needed to find someone who would direct him to a place to sleep for the night.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],


One of the patrons who did notice the large Wookiee was HK, in a disguise of course as few bars allowed presence of droids as the machines did not drink or eat anything, instead just taking up space for the most part. HK would usually pay the bar keeps off with sizeable bribes if that was an issue, although often it could have been avoided just by hiding his droid nature. The machine was wrapped in thick linen bandages covering the entirety of his thin skeletal body, further hidden underneath a layer of robes and a cloak, along with a pair of dark goggles hiding the glow of his photoreceptors and a hat with a thick brim, just for a good measure. In his costume HK would look like either a Tusken, or a leper, especially with how stained and filthy the bandages wrapped around him were, either way it was enough to get most people off of his back.

While he didn't made his home on Coruscant but Denon in the Droid Space instead, HK would often venture out to get a bit of a break from the tasks of governing various holdings along with his associate, frequently falling back on his past career of bounty hunting to track down a contract here and there and keep his skills sharp, sometimes just hanging around a bit more seedy bars like that one and see what happens. Luckily enough Fate brought before the droid a visage of the giant Wookiee, and considering that to be a curious thing enough the machine would push himself off of his stool, leaving behind a full glass of Corellian whiskey he was sitting by on the bar.

In long strides he would make his way over in front of the table Spetaddik sat by, standing in front of it. He would be silent at first, tall and thin, somewhat frail looking although the body underneath the bandages would be padded to appear thicker, effect caused by the fact that the droid was wearing armor under his costume, however he would not be as tall as Spetaddik, of course.

"You are not from around here, are you?"

He would finally spoke up with an electronically filtered voice from behind the bandages that wrapped over his head, motioning to the bowcaster on the table,

"Locals do not bring weapons so large to the Uscru District, the Underworld perhaps, but over here in the upper levels it is mostly businessman and politicians, a hold-out pistol and charisma would be more useful."

The being quipped, explaining to Speta how he could tell he wasn't from around here before the Wookiee had a chance to ask.

 

[Spetaddik]

Spetaddik had just been served his drink and was about to enjoy it when he was approached by... something. Was that a Tusken? It didn't smell like one, nor sound like one, for that matter. But the Wookiee didn't really care. He was more concerned about the fact he'd been asked a question then not given a chance to respond. He glanced at his bowcaster as the cloth bound being explained that a pistol would be better than a big blaster. His mind drifted back to fifty years ago, to Lowwarr, the true owner of the bowcaster sitting on the table. Had it really been that long? It still seemed like only yesterday for Spetaddik. With a slight shake of his head he returned his attention to his visitor. "Gggrrrr raarr huurr rrar grawr. (Well, as you've pointed out, I am not a local.) Rrr raaar grraarrr hruur. (And a pistol is not as accurate as my bowcaster.) Rrraawwrr hhrrggr, aarrr raaa rrawr? (I am Spetaddik, what is your name?)" The Wookiee finished speaking and finally downed the cup of whiskey he'd ordered.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],

"Depends on the pistol and the person behind it, a hold-out scatters too much, like any blasters, but shatterguns are precise. Either way in tight quarters like alleys and bars accuracy does not matter as much as how quickly you can navigate your weapon and pull the trigger."

HK pointed out before introducing himself,

"You can call me Sammo."

With either a deep nod or a shallow bow. The name was Mandalorian, and fake, a name of a companion he once had long time ago in the time of the Ancient Republic, since then it became his go to alias when he was not certain if revealing his original designation or one of the more well known titles he went by was the best choice.

"What brings you to Coruscant? I doubt you are just a tourist."

The disguised machine asked, at least it appeared that he understood Shyriwook pretty well.

 

[Spetaddik]

The Wookiee was a little surprised this stranger could understand him. For the past fifty years, he had been to places where hardly anyone understood Shyriiwook. Either the one person who understood wasn't fluent or Spetaddik had to use a translator. He once helped a group of miners who ended up trapped because they didn't understand a word he was saying about the particular mining shaft being unstable. So it was refreshing to be in a place where people were much more likely to know his language, to have a conversation with someone other than another Wookiee. On the comment of blasters and shatterguns, speed over accuracy, Spetaddik retorted, "Huurrawr aarrr raaa grrrar. (A good marksmen faces no such dilemma with any gun.)" The Wookiee got the attention of the Twi'lek waitress and gave her his cup, not wanting anything more to drink. When she left, Spetaddik addressed his reason for coming to Coruscant. After fifty years of wandering the galaxy, helping those in need at times, doing a few questionable things at others, the Wookiee was ready to do something meaningful. He was Force sensitive but lacked knowledge of the Force; he had a lightsaber, but not the skill of a Jedi. He was a Wookiee far from home and in search of a new one. He was a lonely soul in search of a friend. "Rrraawrr raar raarr hurrgrr. (I come for a purpose.) Grraar raaa hrrur. (And I seek a Jedi.)"

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],

"There are definitely moments when that dilemma arises."

The droid argued, well remembering a moment during the recent Incursion event when he had to lend a shattergun pistol to a sniper on their impromptu team of heroes trying to save a galaxy when they had to face hordes of corrupted droids in a maze of tight corridors and all the sniper had was a long barreled rifle.

The machine did not linger on the topic that much however as Speta mentioned looking for purpose, which the droid understood, and then seeking a Jedi, to which the being would gave out what could only be described as a mechanical "Hrah!" noise, what a computer would sound like if it tried to imitate a snort on its own.

"A Jedi? Well I suppose you are on the right planet for that, the Temple has been rebuilt and the Jedi occupy it once more. You will find no Jedi in a place like this however, only businessmen, politicians, and other vipers."

HK pointed out, leaning slightly to have a closer look at Speta,

"Are you looking for a Jedi to learn their philosophies and how to use the Force? You seem a bit old for that."

 

[Spetaddik]

The Wookiee was tempted to tell Sammo of the countless times he had used his bowcaster in close quarters without any problem at all. But Sammo seemed the sort not to be led astray from his opinions. When Spetaddik mentioned seeking a Jedi, Sammo made an odd sound, a... mechanical sound. He had met a cyborg once with a filtered, decidedly mechanical voice. But Sammo's voice, the Wookiee realized only now at hearing this sound, sounded more droid in origin than simple machinery. Could it be that Sammo was actually a droid? It didn't really matter if he was, Spetaddik decided. Well... it might matter to bar owner. So the Wookiee decided not to bring up his theory for now. Besides, he had a question to answer. "Grrr grraar hrrr grawaar. (I want to develope my Force powers.) Rrrr raa raaa hrrgrrawr. Hhuummph rrraar grrr raa. (I wouldn't know. But 150 isn't terribly old for a Wookiee.)" After a bit of silence, Spetaddik asked, "Hhuurrawar grraar raaa raawr? (Do you know where the Temple is?)"

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],


"Usually Jedi start training as younglings, 4, 5, 6 years old, maybe 10 or 15 for a Wookiee, it is not unheard of for children less than a year old to be taken from their parents and raised with the Order."

HK pointed out, looking over Speta again,

"But I suppose if you are already aware of your Force powers you can tap into and manifest them in some way already, some telekinesis, telepathy, and maybe a bit of accidental mind reading or a Force push when someone pushes you too far I assume?"

The being asked, showing that he had enough knowledge about first signs of Force presence in someone to know how it can manifest, and in the process guessing how Speta learned of his powers. Again, before Speta could answer, the machine waved his question away, not wanting to prod too much just yet, instead answering the Wookiee's previous question,

"Yes I know how to get to the Temple, and more than that, I know plenty of Jedi from various orders. I used to teach up there, you know, I used to train the Jedi long time ago, and I can take you to them so that you can learn as well, however for a price."

HK said ominously before explaining what the price would be,

"First I want you to hear of the other Jedi Orders than the one on this planet, and why you should come to learn from me instead of them. Afterwards you will be able to make your decision and I will respect it, I may be one of the few beings still around that remember and follow the old codes of chivalry and honor, so my promise is more binding than for some others."

 

[Spetaddik]

The Wookiee listened to Sammo's response. For a long moment he remained silent, considering his options. Did he want to sit through a story before being taken to the Temple? Or did he want to go find someone who would just take him there without wanting something in return? Well, it wasn't Sammo had asked him to blow up the bar or anything like that, just listen to his account of the other Jedi Orders. Spetaddik did like a good story. "Hhuurrrawr rraaawr grruhh. (I will hear of the other Orders.)"

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],

At the Wookiee's response the disguised droid would slid into the seat in front of him, taking it as enough of an invitation to join him.

"Alright, so first of all the Jedi Order is fractured, but the one thing all of their chapters have in common is that they are all pricks."

The machine begun explaining, just from the get-go showing his opinion of the Order,

"Do not get me wrong, they are still much better than those Sith-Heads, but the Order has been stagnant and full of themselves for a long time, they focus too much on the idea of paragon they are supposed to be that from their ivory towers they do not realize what they really are. The temple on Coruscant is held by the New Jedi Order, which works closely with the Galactic Alliance, you could consider them just another branch of their military. There is also the Jedi Order, its current incarnation came after the formation of the New Jedi Order to make things even more confusing, I do not much about them but rumors has it they wish to reform the Jedi and fix the issues within their orders, try to bring back some of their old glory, however I cannot tell you where their holdings are located. Finally there is the Order of the Silver Jedi, they are even more militant than the New Jedi Order, some would say a bunch of extremists, others call them crusaders in fight against the Dark Side. Whatever your view is from time to time we keep getting reports about some new cleansing-slash-mass-murder they commit, bombarding a Sith citadel from orbit, which others claim to have been a neutral city, sinking Sith capital ships, which devastate a planet as they are sucked into their gravity fields, summoning a beam of Force Light to vaporize Dark Siders, but Sith claimed it took out civilians too. The fact that the Sith are very much prone to using human shields or surrounding their military structures with civilian buildings often leads to a lot of collateral damage, which they are all too happy to point out, and the small folk love to feast on cases of hypocrisy, especially when Jedi are involved."

The droid explained the current history of the Order within a somewhat lengthy speech,

"Outside of few wandering Grey Jedi here and there who refuse to follow any one specific Order or Council, there are is also the Je'daii order, Force users who managed to recover old artifacts and tomes from the predecessors of the Jedi Order and begun to follow their ancient teachings of balance once more. I have worked with them closely from time to time but the Je'daii Order is still much smaller than their more contemporary counterparts. Then there are many other smaller miscellaneous orders of Force users, for example the Order of Fire, first formed by the Space Elves, the Wardens of the Sky, the Witches of Dathomiri, Khazund Runesmiths, Alderaan Coalition often employs many of them. The order I currently represent are known as the Technomancers, we work with many smaller orders of Force users but most of are do not have the power over the Force, instead we tap into other similar energy sources. Our focus is to replicate the powers of the Force without connecting to it, study ways of protection against the Force, and teach how technology and Force can be used together, augmenting each other."

HK would lean in closer to Speta then from over the table,

"I am a very old being and I never forget. If you would come to learn from me I will teach you everything the Jedi could, I would give you an ability to learn from other orders as well, and I could make you one of the finest lightsaber duelists around. Moreover, you would not be sitting only in a stuffy temple but join me on various adventures to actively make this Galaxy a better place, you would not be only my student but a companion as well. I could show you how to use the Force to become an even better marksman, something the Jedi do not study, and I could teach you how to tap into other sources of power as well to have an advantage over any enemies you would face."

 

[Spetaddik]

Sammo did a great deal of talking; Spetaddik did a great deal of listening. He took in every word but found it a lot to process all at once. It was indeed confusing, all the branches of Jedi there were, what each did. In the end, of course, it meant little to Spetaddik, because he had no knowledge of any of it. And all he want was for someone to teach him how to use this power he was born with. If Sammo knew enough about the Jedi's ways, as he claimed, to teach the Wookiee, why not let him? It would be better than sifting through archives to find out everything he could about each Order and pick one that he would best fit. "Rrrrraaawr grraawrrr raaa raa. Ggrrr hhurr huuaar grruumph, rrawr aarrr grrr grrummph. (I didn't know there were so many branches. If you can teach me just as well as any Jedi, I would be honored to learn under your tutelage.)"

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],

"Well they are not exactly branches, it is pretty complicated, they usually work without really consulting each other."

The droid elaborated at Speta's response,

"You see, what happens is that from time to time one Jedi starts to believe that the current Jedi Order does things incorrectly, so they try to start their own Order so that they may spread the 'right Jedi philosophy', many fail in the process, the three we have around now managed to make it through, for how long I do not know. Either way, the Jedi Order has not been unified since before the Gulag Plague, or since the Republic was still around at least."

HK explained with a wave of his hand,

"But do not worry about it too much, throughout our journeys and quests you will probably meet members of all three major Orders around right now and many more, once your tutelage is done if you would choose to pick a different path you will probably know with which one you agree the most."

Afterwards the machine would lean in once more towards Spetaddik,

"So what is your opinion on droids and how much do you know about Mandalorians and bounty hunters?"

 

[Spetaddik]

"Rrrraaawrrr rrruuhhrr grr grrrawr grraaawr. Uurrrhhrrr rraaawr raaar raarr, grrrr ggrrawr hhuururr rrawr. Rrrraaawrr grrruur huurawrr ggrrruumph. Hhhuurrraawr aarrr rrrr rraawr. Grrrr rrr... aaarrr hrruuurr rraawr. Hhrrruur uurrr graawr ggrrr rrraawr grruumph. Uuhhrrr grraaar rrrr uuumph grrrawr. (I don't claim to know much about any people but my own. What I know of anyone else, I base on my experiences with individuals. I have learned that bounty hunters come in all forms and each with their own reason for becoming one. I know that the Mandalorians are a proud and fierce people. As for Droids... I feel they aren't always given the respect they deserve. I have known a Droid or two I would trust with my life as much as I would any living being. I think the only real difference between a Droid and everyone else is how they come to be.)" The Wookiee then tilted his head slightly, his mouth parted a little as if he meant to say more. But he remained silent and instead thought about what Sammo had said before asking his question.

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],

"Well you will learn soon enough, I suppose. I am a Mandalorian you see, although some people would be willing to argue against that, and I used to be quite a well known bounty hunter around these parts back in my day. Retired since then but I do hunt an occasional monster or space horror plaguing some smallfolk to keep my skills sharp, I would expect you to join me on such hunts whenever an occasion arises."

The disguised droid explained to Speta,

"And as part of your training I will teach you the old codes of Mandalorians, including codex of honor and chivalry, and how they fight, the style of fighting while clad in heavy armor, brute but efficient. As to the droids, they age differently too, the bodies hardly grow old, especially when they can be switched out and repaired, but the minds became a bit, well loopy, the more time passes."

HK would explain before pushing himself to stand,

"Either way, no reason to sit around here any longer, come I will show you my ship and we can start your training."

He would propose, motioning for Speta to follow him,

"Have you ever actually fought with a lightsaber or used the Force on purpose?"

 

[Spetaddik]

Spetaddik listened as Sammo explained that he himself was Mandalorian and retired bounty hunter. He went on to say that he intended to teach his new pupil the old code of his people, as well as how they fight. The Wookiee had his own way, of course, but he liked learning new things. Who knows, he could maybe incorporate the Mandalorian fighting style into his own. And then Sammo brought up the difference in aging between Droids and others. He knew this already, but listened regardless. Finally, the former bounty hunter invited Spetaddik to his ship to begin training. Spetaddik grabbed his bowcaster as he stood, putting his right arm through the strap and letting it rest at his side. As they walked, Sammo inquired about his history with the Force and lightsabers. "Rrruuurrr raaawr uurrrr grrrr. Grraawr rrrr raaa huurrur. (I sparred once with the Master who taught me. I've never used the Force on purpose.)"

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],

"Well congratulations then."

HK quipped to Speta in response to the answer the Wookiee provided, slightly turning to glance back at the furry man as they left the bar,

"If we are going to travel together I need you to be able to defend yourself properly, whether at range of in melee, before we will leave this planet I will teach you the basics in accordance with Jedi teachings- meditation, Shii-Cho form of lightsaber arts, and sensing other beings with the Force. Meditation and lightsaber will be easy enough, but I will be honest, starting to use the Force might be pretty difficult for you."

The disguised droid informed Speta before looking away again to watch where he was going as they started to shuffle with the crowds of passerbys on Coruscant walkways and suspended alleys,

"It has been a part of you in years, but in the back of your mind, somewhere in the distance, you may have used it more times than you realize or even heard its whispers without realizing that it was the Force. Problem is that after having subconscious contact with it for so long, it takes traumatic event to call upon it willingly because you do not have knowledge of summoning it. There is an exercise that will help you identify your link with the Force, I will strip away your senses slowly until nothing but the Force flowing through you remains. Once it will be revealed to you, it will be much easier to empower and call upon it once more."

Sammo/HK would explain to Speta, although what he said may have sounded a bit sinister, especially the part about stripping away his senses, it was weird enough at least to cause few passerbys to turn their heads at the seemingly leper being wrapped in bandages and cloaks, although he paid them no mind,

"Have you ever been to Denon or heard about it, Spetaddik?"

He would turn again slightly to look at the Wookiee as he asked him.

 

[Spetaddik]

As they left the bar and moved through the crowds, Sammo explained what the Wookiee would be learning first. Spetaddik was excited to begin training--and before they even left Coruscant! He noticed a few people eyeing Sammo when he mentioned how he would help Spetaddik get in touch with the Force. He had to admit it did sound a little odd. The Wookie tended not to have anything to say when someone was explaining things to him--he didn't want it to seem as though he weren't paying attention. But he was more than happy to speak up when one had a question, and eventually Sammo had another for him. "Hhuuurrurrr? Rrraaar grrr. (Denon? No, I can't say that I have.)"

 

[HK-36]

[member="Spetaddik"],

"Well Denon is where I live, or very close it at least, so you will be spending plenty of time in that area as long as you study with me."

The disguised machine would inform Speta, glancing back to the Wookiee over his shoulder,

"Recently it became the capital of what some call the Droid Space. You see a bunch of machines called the Metal Lords arrived there with a fleet of merchant ships, just filled to the brim with credits, artifacts, rare metals- bought out the whole sector with one giant bribe and promises of building new shipyards over every major planet. Not everyone likes the idea of being governed by a free droid, but they pay well and so far delivered on their promises."

He let Speta know, filling him in a bit on the current state of galactic politics, at least for now leaving out the fact that HK was one of these Metal Lords, in fact he was the Metal Lord ruling over Denon's system, the one who organized the push for the machines to claim their own territory in the first place.

"If you do not want to swear allegiance to them, you do not have to, loyalties for Technomancers are a bit fickle, just how we freely pick from which teachings and philosophies to draw from at any moment, so we freely pick which side to back and who to claim as a friend. Many Force orders have a central idea behind them,"

The being would muse, glancing at Speta again,

"For the Jedi it is discipline, for the Sith it is untamed power, for the Je'daii, the idea of perfect balance, and for Technomancers- adaptability."


Although they caught some stares, at least at first, their walk through the various alleys and walkways would be pretty much uneventful. Speta's guide seemed to be somewhat at peace moving through the crowds and being out in the open, he carried himself with enough air of arrogance and self-privilege that it seemed he lived on Coruscant his whole life. The path he would took his Wookiee companion on would lead them towards one of the commercial hangar bays, a spaceport one had to pay a more handsome sum of credits to rent out a space in, even if it was just for a few hours. However, this docking structure was in a much more rougher part of their immediate sector.

As they strolled and HK kept on talking, discussing various philosophies, state of Galactic politics, and his own musings about pretty much everything, Speta would be able to see, or hear, in a nearby alley a sign of struggling, some sort of a fight. Although it was far enough that Sammo did not seemed to have noticed it, or just ignored it, it would have been pretty clear to the Wookiee someone was being attacked or robbed.

The question was, would he do anything to intervene in the situation?

 

[Spetaddik]

Sammo went on to tell him about Denon, the Metal Lords. Spetaddik found it quite interesting, until he heard sounds of a struggle nearby. While the Wookiee had stopped, Sammo seemed not to notice, or perhaps he didn't care. Spetaddik went down the alley toward the scuffling pair. He could see the one being attacked was human, and the one doing the attacking was an Aqualish. The latter's back was to the towering hair-covered biped. Spetaddik grabbed the Aqualish by the back of his jacket and pulled him away from the human--whom he could now see was female. The Wookiee roared angrily at the Aqualish then dropped him and watched as he ran off. He turned to look at the lady that had been thrown on the ground when he intervened. As he helped her up, he asked, "Awwruurgh rrrrr urrgh? (Are you okay?)"

Not surpringly, the woman didn't seem to understand what he was saying. She did, however, thank him before running off to a couple people who appeared to know her. Spetaddik returned to Sammo.

[member=HK-36]