Private Trust Nobody but the Droid

[SID-10S "Sid"]

This thread is running tandem to the GA/SO Convergence Junction

Naboo - Aureus Estate
Ariadne​

The Estate was silent save for the handful of meatbags that had been employed to care for the property in his master's extended family.

An organic that had perhaps grown a little less deserving of the meatbag title, but no less was a particular hot bed of activity that found the Droid wishing it could properly emulate the organic sigh as his master was prone to using. His long arms holding his charge for the time being given Zeriana's mother was currently away.

No doubt getting into another troubling situation that only those with an attunement to the Force could get up to.

The sharp click and clack of his vision covers earning a sound of joy from the small organic. Tilting his head enough to spy the Pink being once again gnawing on her closed fist, even after having already irritated the skin across her knuckles.

"That action is ill advised little one. Please refrain from that activity." Studies across the holonet had shown that speaking to young organics in full, clear words aided in their mental development.

And Sid had no patience for the babble some organics allowed themselves to engage with in the presence of such a young being.

Their visit to Briana Sal-Soren earlier in the day had been a pleasant one. A few changes between the noon hour, and several bottles with some minor activities to keep his charge entertained had brought the evening to a close. Filing away the report of the young organics fascination with the star port and the vessels entering and exiting the airspace.

Settling the babe into her bed with a few scans of both her physiology, and the surrounding area to check off of his list of final checks as heavy lidded eyes finally shut.

The Droid watched in absolute silence, himself fascinated by the strange peace that settled over the child.

A certain pleasure in knowing his presence was a comforting one as he righted himself and commenced his final check of the nursery space. Pressing against the window to check the latch. Testing the lock on the door once more to make sure it held fast. Messing with the closed circuit camera hidden away on the shelf between toys to keep it just so.

Content with his findings, Sid left the room for his ten minute check on the surrounding rooms, activating the sound based sensor in case Zeriana woke while he was away.

His first stop to the tradesman that had been working on the updates to the building.

 

[Ariadne]

The New Way was a relic of the past, eclipsed by something far more sinister. The new regime had no use for her services. Her connections had withered, her resources were depleted, and while money was abundant, it came with a price—unwanted scrutiny. Purpose and meaning, however, were scarce and elusive.

For seven weeks, she had maintained a low profile, accepting a seemingly innocuous job in personal security. She performed her duties with flawless precision, careful not to attract undue attention or seek promotions, but just enough to maintain her position and gain trust.

Every move had to be calculated. Though her existence was deemed terminated in the records after a rogue Jedi's rampage, Ariadne had meticulously manipulated the scans to avoid detection. It didn't hurt that the recently divorced head of security had taken an interest in her.

Tonight was the culmination of months of meticulous planning. The other security droid was patrolling its usual route, and Ariadne had excused herself under the guise of her alter ego, 'Deana.' Now, she stood outside the door of her target.

This was no ordinary mission. On the other side of the door lay the child of a Jedi—a being whose blood was infused with the very essence of the Force. This child was a prize, one that the new regime coveted beyond measure.

Ariadne extinguished the hallway lights, plunging the corridor into darkness. Her fingers moved with precision as she swiped her access card.

"Deana, Sector 17. Door access…you're near. Can you check it out?" came her would-be suitor's voice through the comms.

"Stupid droid locked itself out. The codes cycled and it didn't update," she replied, her tone laced with feigned irritation.

"Odd…alright. Give him hell, won't you?"

"Of course."

The door slid open with barely a whisper.

With a quiet hiss, Ariadne pressed down on her arm, revealing a concealed compartment. She extracted a small aerosol canister and a micro-droid, which buzzed into the air. It hovered and scanned the area, moving deliberately towards a shelf. Attaching itself to a camera, it waited for the door to close behind Ariadne, then looped the camera feed with a recorded image.

Ariadne's steps were deliberate, measured, as she approached the sleeping child. Her heart—if it could be called that—pounded with icy intensity. She held the aerosol canister just inches from the child's face and released a fine mist. The child stirred momentarily, but then sank back into an even deeper slumber.

Ariadne gathered the child into her arms with calculated tenderness, her movements smooth and deliberate. She approached the window, her breath steady, and began to unlatch it.

SID-10S "Sid"
fyi, Briana Sal-Soren Aaaine​

 

[SID-10S "Sid"]

This thread is running tandem to the GA/SO Convergence Junction

Naboo - Aureus Estate
Ariadne​

The worker had been helpful, even offering to examine the child's room first given the next update to security Sid had in mind.

His test of the latch warranted an update for when she became old enough to move without assistance from others. And a more secure system was something that the Droid had seen moved down the schedule much to his dislike.

"I understand that there is some time until-" Static filling the air as the Droid tried to process the scene before it. The hallway was dark instead of lit up as it should be. He had barely left, and something was already troubling about the scene before him.

"Peculiar. I was not informed of an outage." Words spewed as he tapped into the comms while the organic beside him moved to examine the light fixture.

<Cheif Pikt, why was I not informed of a power outage in the nursery wing?> Confusion laced the other end of the line.

<I was told you locked yourself out.> The Droid righted itself as the workman turned and spoke.

"These lights aren't broken, just, out?" Internal alarms were firing. Programs engaging as the Droid acted on programing Briana had buried beneath updates and other programs meant to bury the severe violence the unit had been made to act on.

<We have an intruder. Alert the authorities and contact the main family.> Sid spoke with calculated cold, arms at a low ready as his steps became purposely heavy. Arms extended and ripping open the door to the nursery to find what had happened.

He could quiet a crying baby, if she was still present. Every possibility now running through his calculations processor as his programming demanded action.

The window in Zeriana's room led out to the central gathering hall, which led to the main entrance of the estate on the west side. The most plausible escape route for an unknown to access with speed and surprise. The alternatives were something Sid didn't want to process, but escape by keeping to the east wall and heading into the city was a possibility.

Escaping to the north through the garden led to the city as well, but possibly easier given the semi-paved area.

The room was silent aside from the creaking of broken hinges. The door dropped as he strode inside to find the bed empty. His scan revealing his camera tampered with.

"Speak with Cheif Pikt and get a roster of staff. Take statements." Sid spoke to the workman that entered behind him, tucking himself into a ball as he leapt from the room through the open window. Scanning the ground for recent activity before picking up a slight trail to follow.

 

[Ariadne]

A door hissed open opposite the entrance to the nursery. 'Deana' emerged with lethal efficiency, her arm arcing in a brutal right hook. The punch landed with a sickening snap, and the worker crumpled to the floor, lifeless. It was a testament to her extraordinary strength—no human could deliver such a blow.

Without hesitation, she advanced towards the security office. Draped over her shoulder was a makeshift hammock, cradling the sleeping child. Her uniform was torn and bloodied, her face marred by scratches that hinted at a recent violent encounter. Blood dripped from her nose, and her left eye was beginning to swell.

Footsteps approached. In a swift, practiced motion, she stashed the child in a nearby storage closet. As the guards rounded the corner, she propped herself against the wall, feigning exhaustion and injury.

"Deana!" the guards shouted, one rushing to her side.

"The droid… malfunctioning… it took the child!" Her voice trembled with fake distress, her bloodied cheeks glistening with fabricated tears.

"Get her to the medbay…"

"No… you all need to go… before it's too late…"

The guards exchanged worried glances. "Are you sure you're OK?"

"No… but Fedric is close by," she said, using the Chief of Security's first name to lend weight to her plea.

The guards shared a knowing look and sprinted off towards the nursery, leaving her behind. Once they were out of sight, Ariadne straightened up, her demeanor cool and composed. She retrieved the child and continued her advance towards the Security office.

The door slid open. Fedric's initial shock at her appearance quickly turned to confusion as he noticed the child slung over her shoulder. "Deana…"

CRACK

Her strike was a blur. Fedric's head snapped back, and he collapsed, dead. Ariadne kicked his legs aside, causing the door to close behind her. She then opened the slot in her arm and pressed a hidden trigger. The security office's screens flickered and went dark, as the primary power failed due to a charge she had planted days earlier.

She moved to the comms desk, leaned over the microphone, and adopted Fedric's voice. "The Estate is under attack… secondary power will be online shortly… the droid designated SID-10S is armed and extremely hostile. It has taken the child. Approach with caution. If the child is not present, eliminate the droid on sight."

Having to listen to Fedric drone on about his hobbies into the wee small hours of each night recently had certainly paid off. He had been so blinded by being able to attract a woman of her calibre that he had never thought it odd.

She grabbed his keycard, and slid it into the access port for the speeder garage. Freedom was only moments away.

SID-10S "Sid"
fyi, Briana Sal-Soren Aaaine​

 

[SID-10S "Sid"]

This thread is running tandem to the GA/SO Convergence Junction

Naboo - Aureus Estate
Ariadne​

The trail led back inside.

And the evidence of an intruder only grew with the commotion that came from the open window. His urgency had misled him, each digit digging into the building as he scaled back into the room he'd just left.

A crafty being. Odds were beginning to shift in favor towards a non-organic however given the strategic play of doubling back.

Or perhaps a very well trained organic. But from which group? All thoughts being back up as his cognitive systems has begun recording each second of action since the strange light incident in the hall.

It didn't take more than a few heaving pulls until he had returned to the room, barely inside as a Blaster was leveled and fired at him.

"Hold-" Words barely filling the air as the first shot caught a photoreceptor. Frying the systems behind it. The jolt scrambling a few protocols in his processor as the friendly destination was removed from the security guards present.

Manipulators digging in as his form rocked in the window sill before pulling himself inside at inhuman speed.

"You are complicit with endangering my charge." His static filled voice dropping in tone as the words found a hard and unforgiving finality.

One hand encompassing the throat of the guard who had advanced to continue shooting. Thinking the Droid would fall outside rather than catch itself and advance. A violent whip of the droids arm produced a resounding crack from the guards body. Limbs dangling as he hung in the air and stared, mouth caught in a silent scream while his eyes moved side to side.

"Live, until I find her." Sid hissed, a Blaster shot scorching his chassis as the second guard tried to step outside of the room.

The first tossed aside and onto the lifeless workman that had followed Sid as his steps carried him in the same trajectory to the door. Leg readied as his form overshadowed the second guard and exploded outward. Another sharp crack and the guard was sent out into the hall screaming. Pelvis and right leg shattered as the Blaster released another bolt into the ceiling, a bevy of guard approaching from either side of the hall as Sid emerged.

"Where's the baby, Droid?"

Blaster's readied as Sid looked between the two groups surrounding him.

"Unknown. Missing upon arrival. Searching. Step aside-" His first step towards the security office found a volley of bolts striking him from both sides.

"Take him down!" The voice called out, as more shots sizzled through the air. A slow death of a thousand cuts as Sid maneuvered himself in the cramped space. A hydraulic system being taken out in a second set of shots as his chassis began to superheat.

"You are complicit with endangering my charge. Your lives are forfeit." He repeated, adding to his earlier words as he grabbed another guard by the leg and swung him around as a makeshift club. His body going slack as his form slammed into a few of the guards blocking the hall leading to the security room.

"Stop him!"

The Blaster fire continued as his legs began to fail. Actuators failing as his hand slapped the entrance to the security booth. The faceless form of the security chief there as Sid spat at the dead body.

"Incompetent... meat... bags. All-" A final volley sent into the back of his cranial housing before he powered down. Several guards staring at the lifeless body of the Chief in wonder.

"Wait. Didn't-" The situation becoming more convoluted as they rushed beyond the Droid's destroyed form to search the Cheif.

"The Droid didn't do this." Another announced, trying to get systems back online.

"Then who?"

"Wasn't Deana headed this way?"

"I don't remember"

"Round up everyone and-"

"His keycard is gone."

Stunned silence followed before a few of the remaining guards tore off down the hallway to check different areas. Two headed for the garage as a few others went to different entrances.

 

[Ariadne]

The child was sleeping. Ariadne had bundled her into the back of the speeder, tucked into a basket, that was closed over her like a cocoon. Enough air would get in. Why humans cared so much for their progeny was beyond her. Surely, an over abundance of care and attention would program them to be demanding and needy. Better to introduce them to the harsh realities of life early, so they could develop a tougher hide, and more useful skillset.

Her fingers were tapping away at a nearby console, opening the doors to the garage, when she heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the bulkhead. It was faint, but she could pick up frequencies - in this case disturbances in frequencies - from a much higher range than fleshlings.

“Time to go, little one,” she said, practicing a maternal voice.

She was good at it. Perhaps she could play the role of a mother at some point, for another mission. She could practice with this child.

Slipping into the seat of the speeder, she fired up the engines, lifted off the ground and shot forth from the still opening doors.

She heard voices behind her, yelling for Deana.

Deana wasn’t gone.

She had never been there.

SID-10S "Sid"
fyi, Briana Sal-Soren Aaaine​