KORRIBAN SYSTEM
THE MACHINATOR
The ancient Lucrehulk, dubbed the Machinator by its former owner, had long since ceased playing an active role in the Empire's navy. Instead it was shuffled to Korriban's defensive fleet where it would gather dust or be destroyed when the Republic finally got around to attacking. TD-18 had alternate plans. Although he was a loyal servant of the Empire, that loyalty only extended as far as his owner necessitated it. TD-18 had figured he would go down fighting the good fight for the Empire, but evidently the ex-Death Watch had alternative plans.
The paltry artifacts that remained on Korriban, piddly little holocrons no one had heard of and potentially useless scrolls, were loaded onto the Machinator in large crates. Likewise, another backup of the electronically preserved Rudrig archives had been jammed into the Machinator's mainframe. His owner demanded it all be preserved. TD-18 briefly recalled the occurrence over Rudrig wherein a intrepid Whiphid and a turncoat librarian made off with all the physical items. Dreadful business, that. Emperor Ardik had been unapproachable for the better part of that day. At the very least, however, those were safe. Safe in the hands of people who had snatched them up at auctions, but nevertheless. Someone knew where they were and that they were safe.
And now that his owner was mostly done with this business, that was all he could appreciate.
With the Republic drawing precariously closer, it was clear TD-18's master did not want to risk Korriban being destroyed. The antiquated ruins were mostly picked dry by now, but that was besides the point. It was the principle of the matter and that whatever knowledge therein would be destroyed. TD-18 could not save the temples, tombs, and training facilities, but he could have the records saved. When the Sith made their return, the Machinator would return as well. Maybe it would be redundant by then, but backing things up was seldom meant as anything else.
On the off chance it was all destroyed, on the off chance everything was lost, the Machinator would have the remnants. And that was all that mattered.
"The last of the containers have been loaded, captain." A OOM-droid deckhand announced. The Machinator's crew was entirely droid-based. The Sun Guard that lived here had long since left after Emperor Ardik broke along with his throne.
TD-18 turned to look at the hologram of a derisive looking humanoid, hidden behind several filters both of the visual and audio variety. The Super Tactical Droid knew exactly who it was, of course, and it ought to have been obvious by that point to anyone reading.
"Then go. I'll contact you when its safe to return. You know where to go."
"As you say." TD-18 said, silently deploring this assignment. How dreadfully boring this would be.
TD-18 gave the order, and the Machinator's engines fired up with a new ferocity. The droid deactivated the ship's transponders as he did so, keeping it from being tracked. Before long the ship vaulted itself into hyperspace, vanishing from the Korriban system entirely. It would be quite some time before the ship was seen again.
THE MACHINATOR
The ancient Lucrehulk, dubbed the Machinator by its former owner, had long since ceased playing an active role in the Empire's navy. Instead it was shuffled to Korriban's defensive fleet where it would gather dust or be destroyed when the Republic finally got around to attacking. TD-18 had alternate plans. Although he was a loyal servant of the Empire, that loyalty only extended as far as his owner necessitated it. TD-18 had figured he would go down fighting the good fight for the Empire, but evidently the ex-Death Watch had alternative plans.
The paltry artifacts that remained on Korriban, piddly little holocrons no one had heard of and potentially useless scrolls, were loaded onto the Machinator in large crates. Likewise, another backup of the electronically preserved Rudrig archives had been jammed into the Machinator's mainframe. His owner demanded it all be preserved. TD-18 briefly recalled the occurrence over Rudrig wherein a intrepid Whiphid and a turncoat librarian made off with all the physical items. Dreadful business, that. Emperor Ardik had been unapproachable for the better part of that day. At the very least, however, those were safe. Safe in the hands of people who had snatched them up at auctions, but nevertheless. Someone knew where they were and that they were safe.
And now that his owner was mostly done with this business, that was all he could appreciate.
With the Republic drawing precariously closer, it was clear TD-18's master did not want to risk Korriban being destroyed. The antiquated ruins were mostly picked dry by now, but that was besides the point. It was the principle of the matter and that whatever knowledge therein would be destroyed. TD-18 could not save the temples, tombs, and training facilities, but he could have the records saved. When the Sith made their return, the Machinator would return as well. Maybe it would be redundant by then, but backing things up was seldom meant as anything else.
On the off chance it was all destroyed, on the off chance everything was lost, the Machinator would have the remnants. And that was all that mattered.
"The last of the containers have been loaded, captain." A OOM-droid deckhand announced. The Machinator's crew was entirely droid-based. The Sun Guard that lived here had long since left after Emperor Ardik broke along with his throne.
TD-18 turned to look at the hologram of a derisive looking humanoid, hidden behind several filters both of the visual and audio variety. The Super Tactical Droid knew exactly who it was, of course, and it ought to have been obvious by that point to anyone reading.
"Then go. I'll contact you when its safe to return. You know where to go."
"As you say." TD-18 said, silently deploring this assignment. How dreadfully boring this would be.
TD-18 gave the order, and the Machinator's engines fired up with a new ferocity. The droid deactivated the ship's transponders as he did so, keeping it from being tracked. Before long the ship vaulted itself into hyperspace, vanishing from the Korriban system entirely. It would be quite some time before the ship was seen again.
