I'll Pay

[Darth Veles]

One of the many problems plaguing the Order of the Black Rose was its lack of good, reliable defence forces ready to face any sort of threat. If the Galactic Alliance or the One Sith came knocking, there would be nothing to stop them – as of right now, the military of the Black Rose simply had no strength to protect the citizens, and any government unable to protect its citizens did not deserve the support of its people. Avreet realized that; he wasn’t one of the leaders for nothing – the Mon Cal’s good relationship with both the Jedi Order and the Republic had served to the faction’s benefit, and he did not turn a blind eye to the taxpayers’ needs either. It came as no surprise when he showed interest in the option of using an eternal help until the Black Rose grew capable of defending itself. Even the Grand Lady liked the idea, partially because she favoured the only man in the council; especially after sharing a few nights with him and learning more about the Sith Lord’s beliefs.

Darth Veles did not have to search for long when looking for a company able to satisfy his needs and demands – having done business with the Black Rose in the past, the Archangel became the most obvious of choices. Their products fit perfectly for the task he had in mind, and so the Mon Cal councillor set off to Denon right after scheduling a meeting with the company’s representative. All’s been done semi-officially; the council did not know about this yet, though Veles was certain they’d be satisfied with the result. Despite his independence, the amphibian did not dare to waste the Order’s funds needlessly.

Soon after his sleek stealth vessel dove into the night reigning over the city-like planet, Avreet found himself sitting in a comfortable and expensive seat within a spacious office belonging to the company in question, his cloak hanging on a peg. This would have revealed his elegant weapons marking him as a Force user if not for the security taking both curved hilts away for the duration of his stay. The absence of his tools – although the Sith Lord was never disarmed thanks to a concealed Sith blade hidden within his very wrist – and the sheer amount of comfort made the Sith assassin shift in the chair as if treachery and betrayal threatened to end this meeting before it even started. Large orange eyes glared at his own reflection in a clean glass silently holding guard on a table in front of him, albeit he did not really look at anything in particular, musing over particular decisions he had made in the past and Sith matters.

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


Discretion was something Archangel prided itself on. Every corporation had its secrets, after all. Archangel just might have more than most! As such it would take care to keep the visit of its amphibian guest low-profile, since this seemed to be in the interests of both the corporation and the prospective client.


Drinks and whateve snacks or refreshments the Sith Lord might desire had been served while he waited inside the spacious office. Because punctuality was a virtue, he did not have to wait long before the door opened and Nalia Alderana strode inside. The blonde businesswoman was immaculately dressed as usual, with not a hair out of place. A striking redhead named Ms Scarlett, who despite her looks carried herself with a stance that indicated she was less a secretary and more a trained soldier, followed alongside her. Presumably she was here to serve as a bodyguard of sorts.


Not that Nalia expected the Sith to randomly betray and try to kill her with a concealed weapon or something like that. She had studied the man's profile closely, as much as that was possible. He seemed to be a bit of enigma, both amongst the One Sith and now the Black Rose. As of late she had heard of some rather ghastly rumours related to that cult's obsession with bizarre Sithspawn. But business was business.


"Lord Veles, it is a pleasure to meet you," Nalia said politely when she approached him, stretching out her hand in greeting. "My name is Nalia Alderana, co-director of Archangel. My colleague Ms. Comnena could not make it, so I shall be handling negotiations. I trust your flight was pleasant."

 

[Darth Veles]

Avreet’s orbs swivelled towards the two women in the same moment the sound of door being opened announced their entrance. Both possessed enough beauty to charm any man and the Mon Calamari did not doubt they were not above using it to their advantage – and Veles knew women blessed with both beauty and intelligence proved to be the deadliest of adversaries. One of the beings in front of him definitely had the role of a bodyguard, yet it would be foolish to assume the other posed no threat. After all, Veles was a glaring example of a seemingly harmless, “kindly” Sith, but those who have seen through the mask and lived would never make the mistake of crossing him again. A pleasant smile curled the corners of the Mon Cal’s lips, gracing the two with a polite expression radiating warmth, but the big eyes remained cold, impassive, lacking the usual spark of passion dancing within. In one swift move, almost automatically, the Sith Lord stood up, taking the woman’s hand into his well-masked artificial replacement that offered a firm handshake before letting go.

“The pleasure’s all mine, lady Alderana! The journey was long, but I am certain it will be more than worth it – your company’s reputation speaks volumes, thanks to your excellent work as well, no doubt!” he said softly and finished with another smile that only grew larger. Surprisingly enough, he did not shower the woman with flattery like he usually did – all things had their time and more compliments would undoubtedly pass through his lips soon.

“This office is very nice – right to my taste, I’d say.” Clean, minimalistic, cold, impersonal – it strongly resembled the interior of Your Deathbed. Once again, the Sith Lord’s eyes travelled over the office, not forgetting to spare a glance towards the red-head beauty with the bionic orb of his. Upon returning to the co-director, the amber-coloured gaze locked with Nalia’s.

“Shall we get down to business, my lady?”

Elegantly moving back into the seat, the Mon Cal’s friendly expression vanished, mirroring the calculating look in his eyes, only underlining the meaning of the assassin’s words. This was a business trip of the utmost importance – and yet he did not know how to form the request, despite playing the game of words and diplomacy for years.

How does one ask for an army?

"As you may know, the Order of the Black Rose is a small group. If the need to defend itself and its citizens arises, I fear it won't be capable of facing the situation. My fellow councillors believe Sithspawn to be the solution, but I have my doubts about that sort of thing - if you understand me. I need disciplined, loyal soldiers, not wild beasts spreading their disease... As such, I'd very much like to discuss your reliable products with you."

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


In response Nalia gave the Mon Cal Sith Lord a pleasant smile. "Thank you, Lord Veles. You flatter me," she said cordially. "I'm glad you like the office. Unnecessary frivolity and needless displays of luxury have never been my cup of tea. But let us get down to business."


Getting down to business suited her fine. Pleasantries had been exchanged. So she settled down in one of the comfy leather chairs, crossing one long leg over the other. Her companion sat down as well after greeting Veles politely. A secretary brought refreshments and stuff.


Folding her hands, Nalia listened attentively while Veles outlined the issue that had brought him to Archangel's doorsteps. "I've heard rumours about the Black Rose's interest in...Sithspawn creatures. I confess I don't understand the science behind them, if it can be called that, but reliance on such animals seems very ill-advised to me. Not to mention unhygienic," she commented. How much she actually knew about these Sithspawn creatures was another question.


"But I digress, let's get to what Archangel can offer you. If you want an entire army to protect your nation, that is a tall order, but with sufficient funds I believe we can accomplish it. I should note that most of our droid designs are for ground combat, though we have shipyards and can provide light assault craft such as automated frigates, droid fighters etc. We can produce droid tanks, artillery, battle droids and can even deploy planetary turbolaser cannons that can shoot down capital ships and require minimal organic input, freeing up personnel for other tasks."


She put a glass of water to her lips and took a sip. "Our flagship product are HRDs. Humanoid Replica Droids. Sophisticated machines built in the likeness a variety of humanoid and near-human species. Far more intelligent than your average automaton, they can strategise and think creatively, blend in amongst organics. As such they can serve as officers, assassins, bodyguards, anything really. Our most advanced can be physical and mental copies of an existing organic being via a brain scan. In addition, we've got access to an arsenal of powerful anti-Forcer weapons, such as bolters and anti-Forcer grenades."


Veles might remember the Mark One Bolter since Siobhan had used it against him on Contruum! Undoubtedly such weapons would be useful for the Black Rose since Jedi or Sith came knocking. There were a number of other designs Archangel could offer, but for now Nalia waited to see the Sith's reaction since she'd talked a lot in this post so far! "All these droids will be completely loyal to you. They do not fear, they will not be swayed."

 

[Darth Veles]

Unhygienic. That was one way of putting it! For one reason or another, the word almost put a crack the Sith Lord’s emotionless mask, dangerously close to eliciting an amused grin and succeeding at producing a strange fiery flash within his eyes. Aside from that, the Sith Lord remained silent, listening intently and focusing his absent-minded stare into the table as if witnessing the future within its reflection. Only after the woman finished, the Mon Calamari Sith nodded, causing his whiskers to wriggle, and turned his head to the now silent Nalia. Just as she said, this would be a very expensive matter, yet it mattered little to the amphibious assassin – councillors and leaders like him did not have their position to enjoy the power, but to act. When his subjects found themselves threatened, be it by internal or external threat, he had to act. Even if the droids never found any use – which Veles sincerely doubted – they’d serve as an intimidation factor. Order, control, the aspects Darth Veles craved the most had to remain standing with solid foundations to support them.

“I’ll take it. A droid army. No matter how much credits it costs… I’ll take it.” Avreet stated dryly, nodding in confirmation of his own words. The BR funds were about to take a blow. “I need to be prepared to fight Force users. Non-Force users as well. Sithspawn. Vong.” Anyone, anywhere. Whoever opposed him had to be crushed. While he held no illusions about battling a superpower, conquering a planet should be perfectly achievable with an army that did not need to eat or rest. An army without needs or conscience, fully under his control.

“I do have a few questions though,” he finally moved, leaning back in the seat and clasping his hands, “How do the HRDs fare compared to average soldiers? Let’s say, One Sith and Republic troopers. I’d also like to know how they’re coordinated. If one is hacked, will it affect all? Is there a switch that can turn every single one off? How do they react to Force lightning?”

An idea crossed his mind, one that he disliked, yet found strangely intriguing.

“How does the brain scan work, lady Alderana?”

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


Nalia did not take offence at the questions. After all, they were legitimate and reasonable things to ask. "The HRDs are independent units, not synched together like the old TradeFed droids were. Moreover, they have sophisticated defences against hacking. If a capable slicer were able to hack one of the units and assume control, the rest would remain unaffected. We can provide you with a shutdown phrase that only you will possess, so that if a unit is turned against you, you can shut it down. Regarding their combat performance, HRDs are elite soldiers. We worked with veterans from various reputable militaries to establish their combat protocols. They can think tactically, work as a coordinated unit but also individually, have durable armour and lack organic weaknesses such as fear of death or pain. They possess a strength upwards of double of comparable humanoids, their chassis can take several blaster bolts to the head or chest and they will press on even if limbs are severed."


"Force Lightning, is obviously a vulnerability for them, like for every droid. But they've been able to successfully fight Force-Users even after being struck by a blast, though prolonged exposure will damage vital systems. However, we possess armour with integrated ionisation buffers that significantly increases their protection against electrical attacks," she explained.


"As for the brain scan, the actual methodology is fairly simple, though it's a complex procedure. To put it simply, we have a machine that can carry out a full scan of a subject's brain, including their memories, experiences and all their knowledge. Likewise it performs a complete physical scan of the subject, down to the slightest detail such as birthmarks, scars, tattoos and such. The process is non-invasive and takes up to an hour. Subsequently, an HRD clone of the subject is created. Thanks to our cloning capabilities, outwardly they will look exactly like the original template. The mapped data can then be deleted or preserved for our client's exclusive use, should they desire additional models. Our procedure ensures that our HRDs are apt at simulating organic emotion in any social setting and blending in."

 

[Darth Veles]

It all sounded too good to be true, almost like a deal with the devil; then again, the price would undoubtedly reflect that. Even the slightest doubt about the BR’s funds surviving for much longer has been crushed by now. Veles’ webbed claw tapped into the chair’s armrest, as the Mon Cal once again assumed the role of a listener. It was only after his contact’s words ended that he spoke up.

“The brain scan got me curious – how does the clone perceive itself? Does it think to be the original? And if made aware of being a copy, how does it react to that?” He questioned, ideas swirling in his mind, many of them quite exciting. Already quite a believer in cybernetic replacements that more often than not had the capability of overcoming the weaknesses of organic bodies, Avreet was fascinated by such technology. By now he had no doubt at least one of his associates was, in fact, a human replica droid. His gaze shifted to the red-headed beauty, eyeing her form as if trying to see through her innards and prove his little theory right.

“Hmm.” He muttered and gazed back at the blonde.

“If I understand the brain scan correctly, the clone is just like the original subject, yes? Same thoughts, fears, dreams? If so, can it serve as a replacement of the original? Will it hold a …,” he paused for a second, searching for the most appropriate word, “A grudge against the original?”

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


The Mon Cal was indeed a perceptive fellow! The red-headed beauty calmly met his gaze, giving him a slight smile, though she remained watchful. She was actually a rather expensive, experimental model. One that still possessed organic essence thanks to the wonders of entechment. This meant that to most Force-users, except very high level mentalists, she would 'feel' like an organic.


As for Nalia, well, that would be telling!


The blonde removed a stray lock of hair from her face before she responded to his questions. She didn't take offence at them. After all, it was important for a client to be in the know about their products. It reduced the number of cases the Complaints Department or Customer Service had to deal with.


"It depends on the level of control we exert and the degree of reprogramming, Lord. While the clone shares the same memories and so on as the original, it is guided by a droid brain. Where necessary, we can make mental adjustments, even modify memories to ensure functionality, if say the original suffered significant mental trauma. Generally, our units are programmed to be aware of their true nature, which makes them more stable, though we cannot rule out that someone who knew the original very well might notice subtle differences, especially during prolonged exposure," she replied smoothly.


"So, yes, it is a viable replacement. Our droid brain is very sophisticated, so nine times out of ten we can rule out the clone flying off the handle if it encounters the original, though I must stress that this is very new technology. We can't assume responsibility for complications resulting from copying a living person. However. Due to our confidentiality clause, I cannot name names, but Archangel's built HRD copies for several prominent politicians and business leaders in the past, who serve their owners as body doubles without issue. And, of course, if desired, the original template, say a minion, can always be painlessly disposed of via lethal injection after the procedure to remove any risk of identity issues. Archangel, as a rule was not cruel. It was cold, dispassionate and efficient.


"Conversely, we can programme a unit to be unaware of the fact that it's a machine. This improves its ability as an infiltrator since it can act more naturally. Through a code, you can then 'activate' the sleeper agent any time you want. But at the same time it's more of a risk because discovering its true nature outside of controlled circumstances, such as if it gets injured and realises it has metal beneath its skin or if it encounters the original template, can make the unit unstable."

 

[Darth Veles]

Like sweet and enthralling music, once again, Nalia’s words worked their magic on the Mon Calamari Sith, who found his mind occupied by numerous plots involving the technology described by the blonde lady. One in particular, albeit incredibly selfish, lured Veles into a beautiful thought, trapping him in. He could not resist this opportunity, this answer to everything. Offering Nalia the same disarming smile he had used thousands of times before, the amphibious Sith Lord leaned closer, his reflection perfectly mirrored in the exhaustively polished table. With a barely audible whirr, the cybernetic eye failed to resist the urge to glance at the red-haired bodyguard once more.

“Truly impressive!” The Sith’s praise escaped his lips as a whisper, leaving one to wonder whether he meant the beauty or the droids in question. His growing smile did not help the matter. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to see a demonstration of HRD’s combat capabilities – their reaction time and how well they handle weaponry… even exotic tools such as lightsabers.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Avreet leaned back into the seat, narrowing his eyes and observing the blonde suspiciously with a finger of his right hand tapping his lips as he fell silent for a moment. The motion soon stopped and Veles offered a sly smile.

“Technically speaking, a clone with memories and experience of a Force user should be vastly more effective with lightsabers than the original being, yes? Machines do not have to worry about cutting themselves - the possibility simply isn't there, correct? Every move, each motion, it is a combination of the utmost precision with terrifying speed.”

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


"We can easily arrange for a combat demonstration on site so that you can see them in action," Nalia replied with a smile. While most of the manufacturing was not done on Denon, they always kept a few units on site for demonstrative purposes, tests and such.


"As for question, you are correct. If a clone had memories and experiences of wielding a lightsabre, they'd do so with the utmost precision and on average be more fluid, speed and precise than as an organic being. Obviously they'd lack the Force and this could be a drawback when it comes to lightsabre forms that are very reliant on its use. Based on our estimates, the forms you call Shii-Cho, Makashi and Djem So would be the best to employ. But they'd have superior reflexes compared to an organic and thus would also be able to for instance block blaster bolts, lightning and so on. Moreover, they obviously wouldn't suffer fatigue and their judgement won't be affected by emotion."


The Force did not only grant space wizards enhanced reflexes, but also precognition, which enabled them to do things like see a blaster bolt coming and block it before it hit them. However, while HRDs could not see the future, they had super reflexes, could calculate at an amazing speed and react accordingly. "And you obviously wouldn't have to teach them to keep the pointy end of a lightsabre away from their face," she joked, chuckling a bit. In the poor farmboy's defence, he'd probably been a bit excited when he saw his first lightsabre!

 

[Darth Veles]

Just as Veles had expected – machines were simply more efficient than organics most of the times, as he had discovered after losing his right eye in a duel and receiving the bulbous bionic wonder filling his right eye socket. The same went for his cybernetic hand; the phrik frame concealed under layers of synthflesh hid many surprises. Again, a vast improvement over the “inferior” hand, yet despite all the advantages cybernetics offered, Avreet wasn’t one of those who voluntarily raped their own humanity, hiding into thick metal shells. In a way, he saw this possibility of making a copy of himself as a way of witnessing a full transformation into a perfect weapon while retaining his old self.

It carried no risk, right? And if it allowed him to shift the responsibility over to the copy while the “real” Veles finally left the worries about the galaxy and future of the Sith behind, free to do indescribable things to lady Zarrah’s amazing body… spending the rest of his life with the one he loved was an incredibly selfish option, and yet, in a way, he’d continue to do what he’s been doing. With Nalia’s information regarding preferred lightsaber forms proving to be a perfect match with his mastery over Makashi, Veles decided to grasp the chance.

First things first, there was still the matter of witnessing the proof of the HRDs’ abilities.

“Interesting, but not unexpected,” the Sith muttered with stoically calm expression, doing an excellent job at hiding his inner excitement, “Then let us move to the demonstration.”

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


"Of course, Lord. Please follow me." And so Nalia arose along with Ms Scarlett and led Avreet out of the spacious office. They would head down a corridor and then enter a turbolift, which took them a few floors down until they reached the level that was reserved for demonstration purposes.


In this particular case, they would enter a rather large hall that resembled a training area. Scarlett left the two for a moment to presumably make a call, and then returned, accompanied by a striking, statuesque woman with Atrisian features. She was dressed in what passed for a military-esque outfit and gave both Veles a curt bow when she saw him.


"Greetings, Lord Veles. My name is Wai Lin. It is a pleasure to meet you," she spoke politely. Tone was professional, but not dispassionate and cold like with a common droid. Rather there was actual inflection and 'humane' emotion. There was even a slight Atrisian accent in to her words in her otherwise flawless Basic. She stood at attention until Nalia indicated that she could stand at ease, whereupon she relaxed like an organic would.


"Thank you, Ms. Lin. Begin the combat programme," Nalia pressed a button on some sort of console and suddenly common battle droids entered the room after two doors opened on either side of the chamber. Each droid carried a blaster rifle and they wasted no time with unloading. However, even before they levelled their blasters at the HRD, Ms Lin had sprung into action and ignited a scarlet lightsabre with a snap-hiss, deploying the weapon Jedi and Sith were so famed for.


"We control a phrik mine and thus have the means to manufacture phrik endo-skeletons for our HRDs, making them more durable when fighting Force-users. Wider production is just prohibitively costly, alas," Nalia said conversationally while Lin blocked incoming blaster rounds with uncanny precision through use of her sabre. No time was wasted, every step was measured, every swipe to slash an incoming bolt out of the air was precise, no moment was wasted. Using her sensors and high speed trackers, she seemed capable of anticipating her enemies' movements and, to a degree, the trajectory of blaster bolts coming her way.


Of course, here and there a bolt penetrated her defence and impacted upon the droid. Smoke coiled off her clothes as parts of them were burnt through, here and there the metal beneath her synthflesh had revealed. Presumably it had been a deliberate decision to not equip her with armour beyond the natural protection her metal chassis provided. However, the HRD did not maintain a static defence but rather became a blur of movement, which had the side-effect that in some cases a droid or two ended up being taken out by friendly fire! The scarlet lightsabre sliced through a droid's blaster and then cut the machine down. Grabbing the broken machine, the HRD tossed it at one of its brethren through use of its superior strength, bringing it down.


The process of elimination seemed to come to a halt when one of the combat droids produced a heavy ion blaster and the energy beam struck the HRD while she was distracted. Sparks flew as circuits were damaged by the impact, but then the HRD pulled herself together and advanced, implacably. Leaping over the droid just when it was readying another blast, she disarmed the automaton by slicing its hand off in an elegant swipe, then rid the automaton of its head by chopping it off! Within a few moments, the HRD, though slightly damaged, was standing atop a smouldering pile of broken droids.


"We can arrange for further demonstrations, if you like."

 

[Darth Veles]

Without any hesitation, the Sith Lord followed Nalia. It did not take long at all – the journey through pristine and sterile corridors with not a single lifeform to cross their path passed quickly and once their footsteps stopped resonating between the cold walls of a large chamber, Veles scanned their surroundings with growing anticipation of something to come dancing in his big orange eyes. The bodyguard had vanished, and for a moment Veles thought she was the one to demonstrate the efficiency of the HRDs. Her return proved the Mon Calamari wrong, as instead of carrying weapons and other tools necessary to showcase the qualities of her model, the redhead had brought another droid to do just that.

“Greetings, lady Lin.” The Sith Lord replied, sparing no thought on whether or not he should address a droid in this manner; seeing a being that appeared and behaved like a woman generated the words leaving his lips automatically, just as he had been taught, completely indifferent to the fact the woman would not appreciate flattery.

Clasping his webbed hands behind his back, the Mon Cal Sith impassively observed the fearsome display of cold efficiency while hearing out the additional information offered by Nalia. Neither of the amber eyes spared a look at the blonde – both focused on the demonstrations, a small part of him wishing for a possibility of taking one of the droids as his apprentice. Machines would have made excellent Sith if not for the lack of emotions and the obvious absence of the Force running within their metallic shells – and yet many Sith Lords would be jealous of the sheer pragmatism and ruthless calculation. Actual Sith Lords, of course; those above pointless cruelty and counter-productive bloodlust.

If only his apprentice turned to be like this…

With the deadly fun over as the last artificial opponent became scrap metal, Veles remained motionless, still facing Wai Lin.

“No,” he denied the wish to see the beautiful dance again, “I have seen enough. And I am pleased.”

Slowly pivoting his body on the spot and turning to the blonde, the amphibian finally offered a smile and a nod of satisfaction.

“Very nice. Now – if you don’t mind – I’d like to witness the brain scan procedure before making purchase. And... I'll think of buying one phrik endo-skeleton in case I decide to make a copy of myself.”

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


"Excellent. We mine our phrik on Seltos. If you decide you want a phrik endo-skeleton for a copy of yourself, call us and we can make the necessary arrangements." That way this writer would get another misc thread for their tier upgrade and it could serve as a dev thread for phrik!HRD!Veles!


Archangel judged all organic species equally and thus did not limit its HRDs to just humans. Wookiees, Mon Cals, Twi'leks and even Ewoks were welcome to be upgraded! And so Veles would be led out of the hall. . They passed through a few corridors, which had more minions going about their business like good cogs in a machine, before they reached a special chamber that was well-guarded by both actuality HRDs, and Legionnaire-class combat droids. After all, in times such as these quantum tunnelling villains was a thing and so it was important that your clients were protected.


Moira attached her eye to a retinal scanner and within a few moments the machine had received confirmation and granted her entrance, the heavy blast doors opening with a hiss. Inside they would find a white, very clean room that was dominated by a series of rather complex looking machinery, the most important of which was a scanning device that resembled a high-tech MRI tube into which the subject, would be wheeled into. Likewise there was a device that would enable their client to pass the time by selecting a holonet channel to watch while her brain was scanned. After all, just lying inside a weird machine with nothing to do was rather boring.


An organic subject, a blue Twi'lek male - yes, those actually existed, though not in the world of [member="Valiens Nantaris"]! - was being wheeled inside the machine. The perceptive would notice that the subject was sedated. "Criminal individual from the Cartel. Proficient in violence, guilty of homicide in several cases. Crime rates on Denon are high, alas. So is corruption. His mechanical copy will have those skills, but none of his antisocial, homicidal temperament," Nalia elaborated. Clearly Archangel took corporate social responsibility very seriously. "Once the process is complete, we can create a body in his likeness. The original will be painlessly disposed of via lethal injection." Totally a normal thing to talk about.


"For our real clients, we can offer the service of letting them watch a holonet channel of their choice while the scanning takes place to make it less tedious for them." After all, lying in an MRI-tube for an hour was kind of dull. As soon as the captive had entered the tube, Ms. Scarlett pressed a few buttons on a console and the machine hummed to life, beginning the scanning procedure. Various details would be mapped, both physical and mental.

 

[Darth Veles]

Upon the mention of phrik, Veles absent-mindedly looked at his right hand, clenching it into a fist. An artificial replacement that did not feel a thing – the prospect of creating a whole new body like that was beyond tempting, and yet reason tugged at the back of his mind, cold logic informing him the result, no matter how advanced, would still be inferior to his current form. It was the Force, the lack of it that bothered the Mon Cal! As he gave the matter more thought, looking at it from different perspectives and considering the vast number of options, he clearly saw the advantages of a marriage between flesh and steel. He had become a child of this union – reinforced bones, augmented muscles, enhanced senses, cybernetic replacement of his right arm and eye – combining advantages of both machines and organics. Most of them, anyway. Despite how much Veles craved perfection, he knew he’d never reach it, even if he hated the fact and often refused to admit it. Darth Zarrah had come close, almost touching the ultimate goal of any Sith…

Avreet’s cybernetic eye darted from one technological wonder to another once a chamber vastly different from the last one opened to reveal its secrets. It was fascinating to say the least, seeing all these incredibly advanced machines work on the unfortunate bastard. Without giving much consideration to the Twi’lek’s background, the amphibious Sith found stark beauty in this entire process – transforming the useless and unproductive being into something useful; perhaps transformed was not the right word – “replaced” suited the operation much better. Veles would have shot him in the back of the head after sending him to another room, but a lethal injection was a fine choice, too! And, as Nalia would undoubtedly point out, vastly more hygienic.

“That is very ethical!” the Sith Lord praised the company’s way of disposing of the needless originals, “Hmm, yes, I believe I will get a brain scan.”

His eyes finally tore their gaze away from the man who would not be among the living in an hour, finding Nalia and offering a court nod.

“One last question before I buy an army, lady Alderana; how are the units powered? Is there any danger of them running out of power during lengthy campaigns?”

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


((I'm ok with handwaving the exact sum since it would probably be very difficult to calculate and just saying Archangel gets lots of fake money, Veles gets killer droids))


Alas, the criminal would probably never appreciate the good his replicant would do. Within an hour, he would've been disposed of. "No, you don't have to be worried on that front. The HRDs have an internal power source which can be replaced, but it lasts for decades fully functional or even centuries in low power mode. We give them a one hour period to recharge, but beyond that the units can be active all day," Nalia responded smoothly.



"I am glad we could do business, Lord. And this is our estimate of the costs," at that she passed a datapad over to the Mon Cal Sith Lord. Suffice to say it was a hell of a lot of credits, but at the same time it would be money well-invested, since Veles would get an entire mechanical army. "In the light of the magnitude of the order, I must ask for half upfront since we have resources to allocate. We can grant you a twenty per cent discount on our products."

 

[Darth Veles]

“I understand, my lady.” The Sith commented stoically as if he wished to buy an ordinary item commonly found in stores and not an entire droid army at his command. Despite the incredible cost, deep in his heart Avreet knew it to be the right thing to do. Citizens of the Black Rose would thank him for saving them – those who survived, that is. The population wasn’t exactly what it used to be.

Avreet’s webbed hand accepted the datapad and his eyes impassively read the number displayed on the screen. Needless to say, this star-reaching sum would allow Darth Veles to buy the biggest ship in the One Sith’s navy and use it as his personal taxi; unlike those pompous Sith Lords compensating for something though, Darth Veles was more than happy with his little stealth vessel. Tapping a few commands into the datapad, a code, and half of the total price has been transferred over to the company. Done and done. With that complete, the Sith Lord’s large head turned back to the procedure of brain scanning and observed the scene, while his hand sharply handed the datapad back to Nalia.

“It is a true pleasure making business with you, lady Alderana,” Avreet said without sparing a glance at the blonde, “This kind of technology is the future of the galaxy, I am sure.”

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Darth Veles"]


Assuredly the citizens of the Black Rose would now be able to sleep safely, now that their mechanical guardians would protect them from threats both internal and external. After all there were many dangerous forces that could harm them. Such as the cruel acolytes of the unseen Sith Dark Lord, militant Jedi jihadists or repulsive, unhygienic Sithspawn!


Fortunately a dispassionate droid was immune to such contagion. Nalia checked the datapad and found that the sum had been transferred. "Likewise, Lord Veles. If you are in need of further products, please contact us. I estimate that the first shipments will be at your disposal in a month. We can arrange for delivery to a location of your choice. They will come fully equipped and ready for duty." Archangel would get lots of fake money, Veles would get a fully deployable droid army, the citizens of the Black Rose would be protected. Win-win for all. And to think that people said capitalism could not give you a Fair Deal.