Private Machine

[Aren D'Shade]

Considering what had happened to her the last time she had been on Nar Shadda, one would think Aren would avoid going there again. Sometimes things were just too good though and she returned to the horrible, smelling planet. Covering her nose to avoid the most noxious of the fumes, she walked down the street.

Hearing the familiar sounds of hawkers, something told her to actually pay attention to them this time. Looking more like a native than her last visit was a good thing. Most of the ones looking for tourists left her alone and allowed her to pass unmolested.

Coming to a stall that was selling droids and droid parts, Aren stopped. A few caught her eyes as she looked around. Pointing out a couple of items, she asked where the things came from. Figuring out this man was likely a scavenger, she listened to the false answers he gave and tried to pick the truth out of them. Nodding when he finished, she paid for the devices she had asked about and left.

As she walked away, she couldn't help but notice some well-marked trunks next to the tent. Taking just a moment to get the image off of them, she continued with her walk. Running the picture through the holonet, she came up with a location. Setting off with a bit of a jaunty step, she had the feeling she might be picking up a new companion.

Her trip lead her to what appeared to be an old and abandoned home. At one time, it would have been considered grand. Now not so much. It was obvious the place had been robbed and ransacked quite a few times but the young woman had high hopes she would still find something of interest to her.

Carefully making her way, she stopped to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimmer light that was inside. Seeing a hole in the floor, she decided to go explore down that.

The fall wasn't as bad as she expected and she landed on her feet with only a light thump to the ground. Pulling a light out of her bag, she shined it around the room. Walking where the Force guided her now, she eventually found an exit to what could have been thought of as a workroom or even a place where junk had been stored.

Quite a lot of it had already been picked through yet...something told her there was more to be had. Reaching into a large pile of debris, she started sifting through it. Eventually, she found an eyeport that was still attached to the body of a droid. Moving with a great amount of care and deliberation, she slowly uncovered the droid in question.

Stormageddon

 

[Stormageddon]

Loading. Booting up. Matrix forming. Data retrieved.

The eye port started to glow blue as life hummed within the droid. Gears clacked and spun from the power source coming back to life. The wheel spun lightly like someone waking up from a dream. The two levers on the side of its body raised and fell in the same fashion. It then stretched, if that was the right word for the situation, and extended its arms as far as it could while it balanced on its wheel.

"I..AM...ALIVE!!!!"

From the droid's voicebox it cried out a powerful shout. The eye socket then looked back and forth until it settled on the person who'd woken it. Its eye rotated and spun while it came into focus. It scanned the human, taking in their appearance and threat level. Minimal threat. No hostile activity detected.

"Minion!" the droid spoke again. "You woke me up! How fantastic for you. I give you my thanks but know that I STORMAGEDDON, DARK PRINCE OF THE UNDERWORLD NEEDS NO HELP!"

The droid spun a little and raised its hand to the ceiling when it declared its designation. It then centered itself and turned back to the human, waiting to see how they would respond.

Aren D'Shade ​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Once Aren got the droid uncovered, she was just about to take one of her tools out of her bag. That was when she heard the familiar sounds of a machine booting up. Sitting back on her heels, she allowed it the time to finish. Blinking a couple of times, she winced when she noticed its wheel liked to squeak when it moved.

Reaching her hand into her bag, she pulled out a small tube and would attempt to grab the droid. Naming himself Stormageddon, he spun around a bit and came to a stop. Entirely missing she waited for him to finish.

"Well, I am Aren D'Shade. How do you plan to get out of here without my help? Also, your wheel needs some oil."

Holding the tube out for him to look at, she pointed to his wheel.

"Do you mind? Just the thought of traveling with you making that noise gives me a headache."

Stormageddon

 

[Stormageddon]

As Aren tried to hold him down and catch him, Stormageddon would struggle back. Thankfully it didn't have much strength going for it. Aren would easily be able to overpower the droid. For a moment he struggled before she explained what it was she wanted from him. Now it made sense.

"Minion! That's right! Tend to my needs. Worship me and obey my every whim."

Stormageddon would then wobble back some before falling completely over onto its backside so that Aren could reach the wheel joints that came from under his carriage. It wouldn't take long at all to fix, but he did have a strange sensation of someone working around his parts.

"Tell me about yourself, minion. What brings you before my mighty presence?"

It was clear this droid had a major screw loose somewhere in its system. No droid spoke like it was high and mighty. Sure droids possessed some form of enlightened spirits, but never to the point of one thinking it was royalty.

Aren D'Shade ​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

As the droid struggled, Aren kept her grip on him until she made it clear she was only trying to help. Realizing he probably had a few screws loose in his circuits, she wondered to herself if she should attempt to reprogram him. Probably not a great idea and she did not make the suggestion to him.

Raising an eyebrow when he showed some genuine interest in learning about her, she was quiet for just a moment before speaking. In the time, she would apply the oil as she had wanted to earlier.

"My name is Aren D'Shade. I suppose you could say it was my intuition that brought me before you. You see I went shopping not too far from here and there were some crates with a symbol on them. Let me show you."

Taking her datapad out of her bag, she pulled up the image she had seen that lead her to the rundown house they were sitting in.

"Your master is no longer here. What's your name?"

Giving the droid all the time he needed to look at the image when he was done, she put it away. Pointing to the door she had found, she stood up and motioned for him to follow.

"The way out is this way. Do your arms extend or anything? If not, I'll have to lift you up to get you on the floor to get out."

Stormageddon

 

[Stormageddon]

"Aren. Right! I'll try to remember that for your tombstone. Not that you'll need one with me around."

Well that went dark right out of the gate. The droid was a tad morbid. But that was to be expected with all the weird software running about in his little mind. Aren would explain how she found him and then pull out a datapad for him to read. Stormageddon would reach out with his clamps and take the pad from her with surprising accuracy. Good to know those joints were working appropriately. His eye would move in and out as he scanned the symbol. He'd never seen it before. Or at least had no memory of seeing it.

Before he could explain that, his savior would ask him of his name. Stormageddon made a gasping sound and backed up a few inches. "Minion! You have forgotten your master's name? Well paste it into your memory port you silly human for I am STORMAGEDDON. DARK LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD!" As he spoke she stretched out on his wheel and raised both of his arm joints as high as they would go as if screaming to the heavens.

The subject was then changed entirely as Aren seemed not to even care about his little declaration. He would descend slightly and spin to face her as she started to make her way out of the basement they were in. "Oh I'm no good at stairs. Can you believe it? All the amazing upgrades I have built in and I can't even climb a set of stairs. I know! You'll have to carry me!"

Stomageddon had done that one thing were someone suggests something and then takes credit for it. Yep. He sure did. Rolling around her, he would make his way as far toward the hole as he could and then detracted his arms and wheel so he was just an oddly shaped box.

"Whenever you are ready, minion. I'll trust you to handle my delicate body carefully. One false move and I could EXPLODE! No not really. BUT MAYBE!"

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Narrowing her eyes slightly when he said he would try to remember her name for her tombstone, she kept silent. There was a reason she held the datapad out. It would test to see if his grips worked along with his eye. Both worked perfectly and she took the datapad back. Her question was also a test which he passed with a great deal of muster.

Putting the datapad back into her bag, she listened to him and it indicated he felt he was her master. Mentally groaning, she wondered if she had made a great mistake in digging him up. Well, it was already done and she wasn't the kind of person to just discard a droid...even if it was crazy.

As they walked out of the room, she pointed to the hold she had climbed down.

"No stairs involved but I'll lift you out."

Moving to pick him up, unless she pulled away, she shoved him up as far she could reach and finished the job with a slightly Force push. Waiting until he was away from the hole, Aren used the Force to enhance her jumping and cleared the hole easily. Coming to a land, she turned back to Stormageddon.

"So what are your plans now?"

Stormageddon

 

[Stormageddon]

Compacted in his little shell, Stormageddon was still quite heavy. Thankfully Aren had the Force to finish the task. Once he was up and out of the hole, he would extend his wheel and arms only to realize she'd layed him on his back. Much like a Zygerrian turtle, there was no way for it to get back on its feet. He started struggling, waving his arms back and forth with no avail. She'd have to help him a second time now.

Aren would then ask the droid -now that he was upright- what his plans were. Stormageddon didn't even need to think about it. "What am I going to do? Well that's simple, minion! I'm going to find more minions, a base to call my own, and then build up my army until there is no one left in the galaxy to challenge me! Bwahhahahahaa!"[color]" Once again his voice got louder and more dramatic as he spoke, acting truly like some holovid evil villain.

"Tell me, minion. Where is the best place I can start grooming my terrible and formidable army. I need grunts. Lots of pawns! The more the merrier. All will bow to me and my great and undeniable power!"

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

After setting him back onto his wheel, she crossed her arms as Stormageddon stated his plans. They were certainly grand but Aren felt like maybe she could help him. Looking back down the hole, she reached out her hand and pulled her bag into it.

"I swear I would forget my head if it wasn't attached sometimes."

Placing the bag on her shoulder, she started to leave the building and motioned for the droid to follow her. It would take them a few minutes to exit it entirely and she would probably have to help him over the rubble a few times. Once they were outside, she stopped and looked up at the sky.

"You have a few options open to you. There is one place I know of with many free droids like yourself that could be interested in what you suggest. Are you looking for free droids or the kind that are manufactured and will follow you unquestionably?"

His answer would determine hers and before leading him to her ship, she needed that.

Stormageddon

 

[Stormageddon]

"My head is my body," he said in retort to her nearly forgetting her bag behind. "Makes traveling simple. I could fit in small forgotten places most people wouldn't look. Great for sneaking."

Stormageddon would roll after the girl at her side until they reached the next obstacle. Much like the hole from before, he would need help being lifted over the rocks. He did give it a valiant effort and tried to do so himself. But his body was just too awkward and bulky to support its own weight. He was at least less demanding the next few times around. He sort of expected her to carry him, but didn't demand it. A win was a win.

Now outside, Aren D'Shade would give Stormageddon a few options. She knew of a few places he could get some droids. Though she did ask him to clarify what sort of robots he was looking for. Did he was other sentient/liberated droids or did he want pre-programmed ones that would follow his every order.

Stormageddon thought about this for a moment before answering. He put his claw under his eye socket where his chin would be -giving her the impression that he was pondering. "Free droids would be preferred. They will be more willing to follow if they have a leader. And their ideas could be useful to dominating particular systems. It would be nice to have an army of mindless ones. I fear that would be expensive. And I'm not made of money. Actually, I have no money. I'm flat broke. By the way, do you have a blaster? I need one small enough to fit in my storage compartment."

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Glancing at Stormageddon as he spoke, she wondered just how many of his screws were loose in his programming.

"My head doesn't work that way. I'm sure you noticed that since I'm an organic and not a droid like you. Then again, not all droids are made like you. In fact, I don't recall having met another one like you. What is your make?"

All droids had those even if he might not know it. Aren wouldn't carry him, even if he asked unless he couldn't move on his own. That wasn't the case so she would help him when he needed it and that was all.

Once they were outside, she waited for him to consider his answer and stared up at the skies. When he answered, she nodded and started heading back in the direction of the market and spaceport.

"Are you coming? I know of the perfect place. It's above the world of Denon and there's a platform there just full of free droids."

Stormageddon

 

[Stormageddon]

"There are no others like me? Well...of course not. I'm magical." the droid would bob his body like he was nodding his head. "As for my make. Obviously I'm meant for destruction and world conquest. Only....I'm stuck in this cleaning droid host. That's what we should do, minion! Get me a body. Maybe an H-K model. Oh oh oh! Or an I-G!"

She would then ask him if he were coming. The droid wheeled his way over to her and pointed forwards. "To Denon then! I assume you have transport. I...uh....don't."

Aren D'Shade

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Luckily when Stormageddon said he was magical that she was looking up at the sky. He wouldn't be able to see the look on her face. Lowering her eyebrows slightly, she did listen to what he said and regained control of her features by the time he finished.

Starting to walk away, Aren did make sure he was following her. When he asked if she had transport, she nodded.

"Yes, I have a ship that will work well for us. Between now and then, you at least need an oil bath and maybe even good polishing. If you're going to take over the galaxy, it won't do to be dirty!"

Once the two of them were out of the rubble and heading back into the town, his ability to move would be much easier. Aren moved slower than she would have normally but it allowed him the ability to keep up with her. Having just woken him up after who knows how many years...she gave him time to fully wake up.

Heading directly to the spaceport and her waiting ship, she didn't stick around in the market again, and hopefully, he had not drawn any attention.

"Get on board and I'll get you taken care of!"

Soon enough they were both onboard and he was most likely mingling with her own droid companions. Requesting permission to leave, the ship was soon flying away from this cesspool that was Nar Shadda.

Stormageddon

 

[Alexis Solis]

His newest minion would infer that she did in fact have a ship. Stormageddon clasped his hands together with a chuckle. She then suggested he have an oil bath which was another delight to hear. She was absolutely right in her thinking. Stormageddon could not take over the galaxy looking like he'd just been found in a scrap pile. Which is exactly where he'd come from, but that was beside the point. He needed to look shiny.

"Yes I dod agree. An oil bath sounds divine. And then we can polish my chassis and be ready for galactic conquest. Yes this is looking to be a wonderful plan, minion!"

The two would roll their way into the spaceport and avoid the marketplace. Aren's ship awaited them and Stormageddon wheeled his way up the ramp and over to the cockpit. There were plenty of chairs, but no space for him. He didn't exactly possess the ability to sit in chairs. This would need to be changed. There were other droids in the ship which Stormageddon was quick to incite into his army. Ever growing, he was one step closer to his plan of domination.

END THREAD​