Narzen

Space Thunk...thunk...thunk... Over and over again the dull sound of metal hitting glass sounded in the small cockpit of the jedi-starfighter. With each sudden slight energy surge in his system, Alem's joints froze and contracted like human muscles, forcing his entire body to suddenly twist and lean forward, smashing his head against the glass cockpit window. "Make a choice...make a choice...make a choice... Alem chanted outloud, unable to control his vocabulator anymore then he could control the stars. The Magnaguard's white photoreceptors flickered on and off, in vain attempts to manually shut himself down, but each time the command returned, rejecting his attempts at shutdown and forcing his vocabulator to chant that cursed saying. An eternity in the void alone. Thunk...thunk...thunk... The ship continued to drift in one direction, spinning slightly from the last time the engines were fired. A small radar on the side was propped out, both sending out a distress call as far as possible while in desperate hope that something might send a message back. The ship's fuel was nearing empty. In another 12 hours, Alem believed that the ship would die out, and all hope of being found at all would be lost. "Make a choice....make a choice... Still, maybe that would be better than to continue with this chant. Alem was able to think and process ideas thankfully, but unable to do much. So in a cruel sense, he was still sane. Why is this being done to me? Why did the master do this? Did he wish to make a point? Was it my ward's idea? Probability of...ERROR "MAKE A CHOICE!" Alem shouted as he violantly bashed his head into the glass once more. It figured. With this virus, he couldn't calculate the probability of solutions working, or why some actions had taken place in the past. Odd. Why would he do this? Or maybe its something else. Unable to calculate possibility so I have to randomly guess for now. The force? Space madness? Ancient organic deity? Maybe a combination of these options? Maybe Alem's owner knew something his droid did not. Perhaps Alem was part of something bigger like the force...but something more personal? The silence inside the ship was suddenly broken. Over the intercom of the ship, a transmission, perfectly clean and with no static, the long set of beeping and whistling of binary emerged. This language of droids was understood by the old Magnaguard, but the meaning befuddled him. Be...free? Coordinates...but...who...Is something calling for...me? Probability is... ERROR! "MAKE A CHOICE!" Alem shouted as loud as his vocabulator would allow him. His joints seized up again. But this time, as he banged his head against the glass, Alem's large metal hands seized hold of the ship's controls. The engines fired up and the ship shot forward, toward that twinkling star where the message came from. 12 hours later: Mechis III's orbit The Jedi starfighter began to flicker, cough, and choked out as the planet's mechanized, smoky, surface came into a larger view. Alem banged at the controls. He wanted to cry out. He wanted to scream in desperation. Here, he had the hope of being saved now, at the finish line, all he could do was shout "MAKE A CHOICE! MAKE A CHOICE!" Silently, the Jedi starfinder's momentum drove it towards the planet, increasing as gravity began to take hold. Alem looked on, and silently hoped that perhaps that the source of the message would notice him.

Make a choice Again, Alem ignored the command. He was surprised at himself really. It wasn't like he needed to at this point. Alem was at the moment, in no rush for anything. He was completely helpless among the bodies and scrap that floated around him. Even now, the corpse of the dead gang leader bumped against him. What could Alem do? Nothing. Perhaps I am feeling what has been described as fear? Alem pondered aloud, looking at the corpse as if it would react to him. Truth be told, he didn't experience loneliness, but he did find it helped him interact with others if he could talk about times when he should've felt it. Analyzing.... Fear: Feeling often induced by perception of danger. Alternative: A type of concern for self or others, whether it is for safety or improvement of situation or elements of situation. Effects: Irrational behavior. I do seem to fulfill the qualifications for effect of fear. But for the pure definition of fear, Alem was confused. As a purely mechanical being, which could be destroyed, repaired and rebuilt by the choice of those around him, danger wasn't new to him. Even as he was aware that he was most likely doomed to float for uncountable centuries in what the humans called the heavens, he didn't find that entirely bad. This was just an unfortunate situation with low chances for survival. I suppose there is hope that Armenia and Genesis, after they get to Borleias, could retrace their flight path and come back here. However we are drifting so that reduces our chances of being found before my power goes out. The chances of them getting close enough to visually see us are about .000- MAKE A CHOICE. Ignore Alem commanded. There it was again. Why did he choose to ignore it, even now? There was no danger in trying to understand this strange command. But he ignored it. Why? There was nothing that he could figure out about it. Ignoring it was stupid. It was illogical. It was fear. But of what? Next time I will try to understand it. Alem shook his head at his own delay. Still, he took a moment to appreciate the silence. Contrary to popular beliefs, droid could enjoy moments. Some had to be programed to, some developed it naturally and accidentally. Alem was one that was programmed to. His owner had given him the ability to enjoy peace, though specifically with others. If his ward was in a secure location, and she was happy, that would give Alem a feeling similar to certain chemicals in an organic brain, though not to the point of distraction. Now these parameters had accidentally extended towards including himself as a ward in the situations, so if he was secure and content, he could feel good. As a droid, he was technically always secure except in a firefight. And he was content. He knew he had to try to scan himself about the command soon, so he had an immediate goal coming up. This was enough for him. He could watch the scenery. The distant stars of billions of galaxies shined eternally everywhere. The bodies of the gangsters floated lifelessly around him, all of the objects drifting in a direction thanks to the inertia of being sucked out of the ship. The gang leader, who nearly destroyed him with a stab earlier, was within arm's reach. Alem buzzed a chuckle. It was funny. He, a robot dedicated to protect the life of a Twilek, people known for dancing, was now in an eternal dance with a person who attempted to kill him. The two would spin and drift, going further and further into a lifeless void, where nothing lived. If he were a poet, he would have plenty of inspiration here. Two bodies, drifting among corpses and a star fighter.... Make a choice Alem, in an effort equal to a blind panic, chose to ignore again. Before him and past the corpse, drifting slowly past was the Jedi star fighter from the other ship. Alem's programming tried to calculate how this was possible. In the fight Alem had damaged the holders when he was trying to take out the gang leader. It must have been enough damage to come loose after a few moments in the vacuum. The ship came loose, and tumbled out moments after Alem. Alem had to work fast. He needed to get to the ship before it drifted too far away from him. He calculated that if he didn't act soon, he would have less then a percent chance of getting to it later. Reaching out, he pulled the gang leader's body close, while placing one end of the staff against his chest. With computer calculations, he timed the moment carefully, and when the ship was in the right position, he pushed. The two separated, the gang leader's body off to the void. Alem drifted toward the ship and in moments, his free hand gripped the edge of the ship. Alem, now sitting in the safe confines of the ship, reviewed his recourses. The ship had no hyperdrive, at least not one he could identify. The power supply would last much longer then Alem's personal supply. He could last for years. A few switches and pushing of buttons, and now the ship began to broadcast an SOS message. It wouldn't go far, but perhaps, by some stroke of luck, someone would pick it up. Genesis or Armenia might be able to if they retraced his steps. All that was needed now was to wait. He could wait. He had the one advantage of all droids after all. Initializing Sleep mode. Automatic Wake up when proximity alerts set off. Going to sleep in 3... 2... 1... ... ... ...Error. Unable to go to Sleep. Systems compromised. MAKE A CHOICE No! No no no no.... how can system be compromised? Scan Scan scan! Even as Alem verbally said the commands, the scan was finished instantly. The system was compromised by the command given by his boss, though at this point it was more like a virus. This was a problem. Unable to go into a sleep mode would mean that his life power survival out here, even with the ship's power source, was significantly reduced and with that his survival chances. He had to fix this. The first and easiest answer was to search his entire system, find everything corrupted by this "Choice Program" and delete it, if anything to make sure he could perform his duties to the best of his ability. However, a moment of searching revealed the unfortunate situation that it had nearly gotten into all of his primary systems. Worse, it originated with his goal program. To delete would be to end. So the next option was to fulfill the command. But there was a problem there. The same problem when it first came up and had to request for help where he got no answer. He was a droid. He had no idea how to choose. Droids, by nature, made choices like a Nemodian denied credits going into their pockets. They rarely did it. A Droid's very thoughts were programs; lists of commands and orders that gave life. Some droids could disregard them and give themselves orders, but Alem was not one of them. Originally built in an era where droids were the backbone of a movement, where they acted as soldiers and not servants. Programming measures were expertly made back then. Disobedience was an impossible action, and thus, choice was impossible. Make a choice I know, I know! Ignore, I'm thinking! Alem shouted loudly. He had to think this through. And he did so out loud. Choice. What was choice? Alem's first definition stated it was an act of making a decision. But Alem had done that many times. When he was with Genesis and Armenia, he made the decision to leave their side to pilot the ship. He made the decision to take down the gangsters. So why didn't that count as a choice? No, his owner was too clever for that. Those decisions were along the same lines of his programming. Why would they be regarded as something different? Perhaps he needed to do something not ordinary. Alem looked over his ship and calculated what was no necessary to the ship that if was compromised, wouldn't influence his survival. With his programming becoming more and more compromised, it was taking longer to do so. Finally he came to settle on the ship's appearance. Crawling out onto the hull, all limbs staying very close and keeping a tight grip of the ship, Alem began his work. His 'fingers' were practically thick metal barrels. With one, he began to carve into the hull. Binary was easy to carve. 0's and 1's. Soon, the translation was written out on the hull. I Protect my Wards. Make a choice Alem buzzed in frustration. Maybe it wasn't enough. He carved again, this time slightly different and began to expound until it was confirmed if he succeeded or not. I am a droid who choose to protect his ward. My choice is my own. I am a droid who is making a choice. I choose to protect my wards. I am- MAKE A CHOICE! Alem shouted out, his entire body suddenly locking up. He nearly lost his grip on the ship, but fortunately control came back quickly. He had to crawl back into the cockpit and secure himself. He didn't want to lose all hope and let go of the ship to return to a lonely drift. Alem returned to thinking, where each moment was more difficult. He was missing something. What was he missing. He couldn't approach this like a droid, he had to approach it like his owner, an organic. Organics tended to think more then just the denotation of the word. They had meanings behind words. Honor to one was vastly different to another. What was choice to his owner? Alem went through his files. Alem's owner was a rich noble, proud heritage. He valued his traditions and what his family did, ever since his great great grandfather who broke from slavery. He loved those stories especially, telling them to his child often. MAKE A CHOICE! Alem shouted again, his body locking up again, causing him to bang his head against the glass. He had to focus. And he had to hurry. The command was occurring more often. Soon, his thoughts would only be that command. Focus! His master valued his family’s freedom. With that freedom he could do whatever he want. With his money, he could do anything. No one told him what to do. He did what he chose. He made choices that didn't depend on- MAKE A CHOICE! Stop it! Fine! I choose this! I choose this! Alem, in his state, turned the engine of the ship on and plunged forward into the depths. Leaving behind the most likely place anyone could find him, he flew as far and fast as he could. No hyper drive be damned, he would just fly till out of fuel, then drift until he crashed into some planetary body like an asteroid or a planet or a star, or space station perhaps. Anything would be better then stuck here saying the same thing over and MAKE A CHOICE! The ship swerved as Alem locked up again. He didn't stop. He kept going. Maybe he had to run out of fuel to be considered a choice. Maybe he had to doom himself to MAKE A CHOICE! an eternity in space with no chance of survival. Alem stopped after he locked up again. This wasn't right. Alem's owner was smarter then that. He wouldn't do a complicated suicide program. All programs he did were for a reason. So what was this one? Alem focused again on why his master loved freedom. It was to be MAKE A CHOICE! independent he supposed. He didn't need anyone's opinion. He didn't rely on the empire or grand alliance or anything. His choices didn't care what people told him to do. Making choices to him was to be free and MAKE A CHOICE! unchained to anyone. He made choices against people. He chose to disobey. He chose to... MAKE A CHOICE! Alem buzzed in agonizing annoyance as he smashed his head into the glass again. But in his buzzing the answer came to MAKE A CHOICE! the old droid. He hated the answer. He hated everyMAKE A CHOICE!thing about it. What's more, it MAKE A CHOICE! frightened him, like a droid never MAKE A CHOICE! knew he could be MAKE A CHOICE!frightened. Mostly because MAKE A CHOICE! he needed to find MAKE A CHOICE! someone. Anyone. MAKE A CHOICE!. He needed MAKE A CHOICE! to find MAKE A CHOICE! someone before he MAKE A CHOICE! lost his MAKE A CHOICE! very self MAKE A CHOICE! MAKEACHOICE! MAKEACHOICE! Between his sporadic banging the interior of the starship, Alem turned the communication array to full power. All he could do was wait. He knew what he had to do to make a choice and he was doomed to wait for someone to help him, all the while chanting to the void the command. MAKEACHOICEMAKEACHOICEMAKEACHOICEMAKEACHOICEMAKEACHOICEMAKEACHOICE

Make a Choice Alem paused at the controls, stars whirling by. He looked at the data the astromech had put in and began to calculate where they would land. The astromech did a good job. While it would be a short jump. The ending location didn't have much data, so thus it was likely devoid of anything. From there, the group could make more jumps, taking a longer but safe and undetected route to Borleias. "Good job little astromech" Alem commented, not really listening for an answer. He was too used to the fact that droids didn't require compliments, but he calculated that a compliment to this one would eventually find its way to his ward, which would reproduce a pleasant feeling of pride. Now if you will allow me, I will calculate what the next jump shall be and- "What in the world have you done?" a voice spoke up. Alem stood and turned to find himself facing the officer from earlier, bearing a look of deep loathing. Sir, shouldn't you be making sure the civilians are taken care of... "Never mind that, what in the name of the galaxy have you done? There is no way we are making a good jump." Do not worry yourself sir, we will make it to Borielas Alem stood up at this point, not wanting to make an intimidation with this man again. "Have you gone mad droid? I know space flights and I know that this space lane is taking us in the opposite direction." The officer banged his finger against Alem's chest chassis in defiance. "You are dooming us all." Alem made the buzzing sigh. Even as a mechanical being, his annoyance was clear. Sir, we had to make an early jump out of Coruscant in order to get to safety. While our trip will be longer, we will be able to arrive safely and will meet with MAKE A CHOICE Everyone in the cockpit stopped and looked at Alem. He himself, despite being a droid, had a look of surprise as his own voice box had activated on its own. Even as the officer looked confused and a little concerned, glancing to the astromech and anyone else there for any ideas what was going on, Alem ignored him, instead initiating a self-scan. Analyzing....Scan complete. No dangerous malfunctions detected. Seeking cause of voice box activation. Cause located: Command interference. Make a Choice. Issue should resolve when command is followed. WARNING: Command is spreading rapidly throughout programming at an increased rate. Identified as potential virus. Solve issue as soon as possible. Locating Backups...Backup programming located. Backups loading....Error. Alem stopped. Error? That was impossible. But before he could make a further scan, his attention was brought to the communicator carried by the security officer. The shouting of basic and blaster fire indicated that there was trouble. "Dassus, repeat! What's going on? Dassus come in!" What followed did not bode well for anyone. Over the blaster fire, "Sir the gangsters! They are in the hanger, against our orders! They have hostages. We nee- " A scream cut off the officer as the sound of him getting shot blasted over the intercom. Alem wasted no time. He gave a direct order to keep the ship moving, giving controls to the officer, though only because he lacked a better candidate. The astromech could make the calculations for the jump". He instead rushed towards the hanger and once the door was opened, bore witness. The hanger had become a battle zone. In the center hung the Jedi Star fighter Armenia had mentioned earlier, the clamps, worn with age, keeping it held. All around were crates, fuel supplies, and items civilians had brought with them. Most of the civilians had cleared out, but the head gangster was holding one captive and used as a shield. He stood on top of the ship, giving the men orders on how to defeat the forces, while the petite figure of a Quarren female struggled in his arms. There were about 8 more gangsters surrounding the ship, using their strategic position to force the security forces backs to the walls. The other officers were at the edges of the room, once again taking cover with whatever they could use, but struggling to keep control of the situation. Alem buzzed in annoyance. It was as if Corescant had never happened for these people. Course he should have expected this. The Jedi was the reason the gangsters had submitted. Now that Armenia wasn't here, they were free to do as they pleased. And a ship like Shippy McShipface would provide them with a wonderful new start on some distant planet in the outer rim. Make a Choice Not Now. Alem voiced to himself. "Combat programming activated". Alem took in the situation and knew that it needed to stop before the gangsters established a strong foothold and forced the security officers to a retreat. They were having a hard time, not wanting to hurt the hostage, but going into melee was a risky move for them. And in such close quarters, grenades were too deadly for themselves. Alem needed something to provide a big enough surprise so he could rush in and take down some of the gangsters and free the hostages... Officer, order your men to retreat back towards the cockpit. Prepare to open the cargo doors. We are going to terminate the criminals Alem watched as the officers began to move towards his position. Once they were safe, he popped out from his cover and tossed a grenade over the heads of the criminals to the far side of the hanger. They instantly recognized the object and began to run away from the sphere...right into Alem's area of expertise. The robot had charged forward, his staff buzzing to life. The first two went down easily. They were sloppy and did not pay attention to the robot that had charged forward. With expertise he whacked one over in the head, grabbed the second and held him in front, imitating what the head gangster was doing with the hostage. There was no reason to fight honorably here. The man screamed as his fellows blasted him over and over. The grenade went off suddenly, causing everyone to stop for a brief moment. Alem moved forward, closer to the leader. He had to get the hostage. That meant getting onto the ship, as the leader had somehow managed to stay on the fighter. He needed to get up there. Three of the gangsters were starting to recover from the grenade. Thankfully, the last of the security forces that were still fleeing were now acting as well, and their shots quickly stunned them. Alem was clear to get in closer. The body tossed aside, he weaved his way past the bodies and struck two at once, spinning his staff across their exposed faces. The last member continued to fire at the forces, too far to help his leader. He had his moment and leapt upwards onto the fighter. The leader growled at the droid and held his hostage in front, gun firing at Alem. However his aim was off and went past Alem's head, the sound of it ricocheting against the metal in the background. The Quarren screamed in desperation. The Magnaguard swung his staff high, only for the gangster to let go of the hostage and duck, slipping as his feet lost their balance. Alem's staff was stuck for a moment in the gear that helped hold the fighter. It began to fail. The entire ship shook, risking falling to the ground. Alem looked at the hostage at his feet and the gang leader who was just standing up. He had to act quickly. Releasing his grip on his staff, Alem used one hand to grab the hostage, and in one fluid motion threw her as strong as he could towards where the other forcers were. They caught her and pulled her into the doors. Alem turned back to the leader, who now held a vibroknife in one hand. He lunged expertly at the droid, years of practice in the underground world of Corescant. Surprised, Alem had to step back to dodge the strike. The fighter shook with his step, forcing both dualists to stop and regain their balance. Suddenly the ship dropped out of hyperspace. the entire hanger shook as the ship came to a sudden halt. Alem saw his opportunity and took a step forward, reaching up and pulling the electro staff loose. One strike would be enough to send his opponent off the ship, into the boxes below. He would rend the gang leader unconscious, with no need to- Error, Combat Programming compromised. Alem stopped, his entire frame frozen as his programming completely froze and began to battle itself. In that one moment, Alem suddenly understood the extent of how far this rogue command from his owner went. It had grown too much, to the point that his entire system was compromised. He had miscalculated. No! Ignore! Take down the target before voiced out before the vibrodagger sliced into his side. MAKE A CHOICE Alem’s voice box boomed in a monotone voice as he fell off the ship from the strike. The leader laughed in triumph as he jumped down, placing a foot on the robot's chassis. Dagger in one hand, pistol in the other, he gazed down at this enemy. Alem looked up, trying to calculate a way to get out of this. But instead, all he got was the same internal message over and over again: Error. Make a choice. The blaster was raised, aiming for a killing blow. A sudden hiss came from somewhere. Both the gang leader and Alem looked over at the doors to the hanger, where the hissing had originated. Alem suddenly understood what was about to happen. The officer, under the commands of Alem, his desire to rid himself of these gangsters and more so, to get rid of a malfunctioning droid, had made the decision to open the doors. No one else was in the room. The innocents would live on, and the astromech, most likely unaware what would happen to Alem, would make an immediate jump to their final destination of Borielas. Alem and the gangsters would be dropped off like trash and the officer would be praised as a hero. Alem only regretted that he wouldn't be able to fulfill his promise to see Genesis and Armenia again. The doors slammed open. A whooshing of the air being sucked into the vacuum consumed all noise. The gangster silently screamed as his and Alem's bodies were violently ripped out of the hanger, as well as the loose crates, barrels, and bodies of the other gang members. Alem spun in space over and over, with no gravity or anything to stabilize himself. He had become a leaf in the eternal winds of the heavens, where nothing existed. As he spun, he had the briefest sight of seeing the protection of the ship disappear into the cosmos. Alem was completely alone, with nothing but corpses as company. Make a choice (Will be continued in another post)

As the two meditated and concentrated, Alem observed, studying how the two focused and tried to bring themselves at ease. However, he quickly lost interest in the endeaver, since it gave him no useful information, no purposeful ideas, nothing. He did record Draygo's words, just in case, but beyond that, he simply didn't mind what happened. He did figure he could have been a distraction so as the two practiced breathing, he took a step out of the room, allowing them privacy. His own programming decided to look at this 'hidden' program inside of him, and was surprised to find a video and audio recording. He began to replay it over in his brain, and was surprised. It was of his master repairing him for the second time, after the death of his wife and loss of child. It was the old workshop in his owners home, a place filled to the brim with junk parts, tools, half-destroyed droids and machines, a mechanics dream house. The Twilek, showing burn marks on his face and grease and oil on his hands, was moving quite well given his age, but his face did not hide the depression that had set in over the past few years. When he had once been joyful and full of energy, this being in his memory was hollow and broken. Alem tried to understand why he wasn't responding to his owner's actions, and figured that his master had accidentally turned him on prematurely. Alem's sensors were working, but beyond that, his body and voicebox were still disconnected from his computer 'brain'. Indeed, in the background Alem could see his own body, damaged and riddled with blaster fire. So all he could do was watch and record. There was over an hour of footage, and Alem knew it would be impossible to review it all right away, but he couldn't help but just watch the entire thing from the beginning instead of skipping to where information may have been said. The Twilek was muttering to himself. Alem could tell he was muttering an old Twilek song. One he had sung so often to his family. Before it had been more melodious. here, it was nothing more then a quiet chant. Suddenly, Alem's voicebox came to life. His master had made the correct connection. Immediantly, the recording of Alem began to speak. "Master, it seems I am disconnected from my body." The Twilek jumped slightly in surprised and laughed to himself. "Jeez, you scared me. Yes Alem, you are" For a brief moment, the Twilek was happy, as if to hear his own bodyguard talk again was a blessing. Then Alem had to ask, his programming always focused on his primary directive and not on the condition of his body: "Master, where are my wards?" The Twilek's face sunk again in despair. He didn't answer right away. Alem almost had to ask again but then the Twilek said, "Alem, do you know why I reprogramed you?" "To protect you and your family. To ensure harm doesn't come to your household. To be your Alemo" The Twilek nodded and sat down, wringing a dirty rag with his greasy hands. "Well, I guess I had a recent epiphany. You are my Alemo, but at the same time, you could and should be more. I remember when i found your body in that black market, and thought how powerful and useful you could be to me. But recently..." The Twilek sighed. The Alem who was reviewing the recording grew confused. Was his owner implying Alem wasn't useful? That wasn't like him. "Alem, you could be more. When I bought you, I was being selfish. I was only thinking about me. So, if you don't mind Alem, I'm making some alterations to your programming, once I get you fixed up. Is that alright?" "You are my master and ward. I do not argue with you unless it is for your own safety." The Twilek raised his hands and shook his head violently. "Nope, nope, I'm not having that. I'm letting you decide. Its selfish of me to not let you decide. Otherwise, I'm just fulfilling another one of my desires. I command you to make your own choice, with no influences" For a moment there was silence. Then the recorded Alem responded. "I am open for reprogramming. If you think it will be beneficial, whether for my wards or for someone else, I will agree with your decision." The Twilek smiled slightly. A smile that had not been on his face for a very long time. "Master, where are my wards?" Alem asked again. Before Alem could view his owner's answer, Alem had to stop the recording. It seemed they were pulling out of hyperspace. He grabbed his electrostaff and headed to where Genesis was and followed him closely behind.

Acceptable Response. Lack of Resistence and denial of services accepted. Secondary Ward Identified: Genesis Alem seemed to be pleased at the non-denial towards him from Genesis as well as the Jedi master. Indeed, his programming indicted a positive response to the entire situation. It seemed that his owner had programmed a bit more personality with this hidden programming. Nothing major, such as making him go against his primary goals of finding his primary ward, but enough for something equivalent of emotion to show through. Even when he guarded his wards back on Ryloth, his personality was lacking or, for lack of a better term, robotic. This fascinated Alem. As Alem was guided to the ship, noting briefly of the demonstration of the force power, he could not help but observe the eyeless beings. He tried to understand how they were able to navigate so well without natural eyesight, but came up empty. The ears did not look to be anything better than human, and the sense of smell was hardly useful for casual walking, as far as Alem knew. At the ship, as Draygo hid her eyes at the name, Alem was approached by a rodian which Alem recognised from the temple entrance. The rodian reminded the old droid the promise he had made, to which Alem nodded. "It seems I will be leaving with this ship instead of my own. If I may request, could you make sure that when you erase my knowledge of the location of this temple, have someone move my ship a distance away and be sure I have coordinates to where it is at?" The rodian agreed full heartedly. That wouldn't be too much of an issue at all. With some credits, Alem could guarantee a local could keep an eye on the ship and make sure it didn't get stolen. Satisfied, Alem requested to listen to Draygo first, and make sure of the location of where they were going. Satisfied with it being Corescant, one of the top choices Alem had for finding his primary ward, he submitted to the erasure. They had it done within the cargo hold of the ship of Shippy McShipface, to which the rodian chuckled a bit, and the process didn't take long at all. Alem was pleased that only the location of the temple was erased, and no other files were tampered or even opened, just as the Jedi had promised. The Rodian handed Alem his weapons and bid the droid a farewell. As the ship took off, Alem followed Genesis, reviewing his own data silently. Probability of finding primary Ward on Coruscant: 30% Warning: Primary Ward's Safety if located on Coruscant is threatened. Warning: Secondary Ward's Safety on Coruscant could be threatened. Keep eye on Genesis and Draygo. Provide Help when needed. DO NOT ABANDON PRIMARY GOAL. ((Just wanted to clear up some things before my character left)

Alem was surprisingly pleased at the fact that this particular Jedi was actually willing to take Alem's hand. A good sign. "Thank you very much Draygo. As such, you may call me Alem, as my owner has designated me to his friends and extended clan." As Alem followed the Jedi, he couldn't help but scan the woman over. She was most definitely a warrior. The battle scars he could see were evident. But this did not make Alem nervous in the slightest. If anything, his programming seemed to register this as a good thing in relation with the fact that she mentioned the individual was her apprentice. He knew that all Jedi masters and knights took on apprentices, much similar to a guard and their ward. However, their relationship always seemed a bit deeper. Alem was actually taught that if he ever fought a Jedi and their apprentice, he was to go for the apprentice first, since this would upset the jedi and make it more likely they would make a lethal mistake. Perhaps Alem could relate with the Jedi a bit more beyond both being protectors. His relationship with his own ward was much deeper then others knew. However, he was bothered about something. This Jedi didn't visibly carry a lightsaber or another weapon of choice. All traditional Jedi carried a lightsaber at all times to protect themselves and others. Was this nervousness part of the hidden program? Before the jedi introduced the apprentice, Alem silently scanned the redheaded human over. He even made a note about the human, just to be sure this unknown programming would receive it. Alem had to be thorough about this. He had to know what this program was, and how it could interfere with his primary goals. Name: Genesis Race: Human Approximate Age: Between 15 and 18. Approaching full maturity. Conclusion: Not Primary Ward But as the individual called Draygo introduced this Genesis, there was another dead programming moment. Their was nothing unique about the name to trigger the dead programming. But seeing and having scanned the being seem to be important for the droid's programming. What was it? Then the new commands began to kick in. Parameters Identified Program: Alema'tal on standby. Secondary Ward Pending: Genesis Secondary Goal Identified: Seek Passage with Jedi. Offer protection. Do not allow lethal harm come to this individual for the time being. Secondary Goal should and will not intervene with Primary Goal. If droid's had brains that function like organics, his would've been racing. This new program, what did it mean? Why did his owner install such a program into his complicated bodyguard when he had no need to protect people other then his own family? However, these were questions for later, or possibly questions that would never get answered. In typical droid fashion, Alem repeated his ceremonious greetings to the human designated at Genesis, complete with the hand out to shake "Greetings. My name is Alem'Chee, though you may call me Alem if desired. Your master mentioned that you are going on a mission that cannot be delayed, I will be straightforward and to the point. I came to Felucia to see if my ward was here, but I wished to speak with you when I noticed a hidden program in my systems. Upon seeing and introduced, I have gained access to this program which states this goal: Offer Protection. I calculate this can be done while I continue my own search for my primary ward." Alem decided a review of his own programming would help convince the youngling, as well as Draygo to accept his offer, much similar to how one would give a resume. "I have been originally programmed and trained by the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. However, I was reprogrammed by my owner on Ryloth to be a protector, utilizing my trainings and programmings from the CIS to never be the aggressor." Alem noted the astromech and decided to add something about being a droid. "With combat training still intact and the ability to be repaired, I believe I am ideally useful, especially for those who are unable to protect themselves."

The approach of the bald woman made Alem a little pleased, as it did help his search shorten a little bit, though he couldn't help but notice she left the youngling away from her. If he was going to scan the youngling and uncover this Alema'tal, he would no doubt have to earn this individual's trust. If he was an organic, he would've been annoyed, since earning trust was not something he was doing well it appeared. Alem raised a hand in greetings, similar to how he did when he first arrived on this planet. "Greetings. My name is Alem'Chee. I must confess that while I am here on business of my owner and seeking out my ward and his lost youngling, I needed to speak to you and to the youngling you were with." Alem's head turned briefly as he scanned the room again, unable to find the individual, so he turned his head back to the woman, to appear more human to her. "I mean no one any harm, though I understand if you are suspicious of me due to being a droid. However, I can give you my word that nothing in my known programming is meant to harm anyone here. This Jedi here..." Alem gestured slowly a metal hand toward the guard who had been with him "...as well as the guards at the door can attest that I have been cooperative, surrendered all my weapons but my staff, and I have promised to succumb to a mind wipe when I am ready to leave this temple." Alem gave another look around the room briefly. "May I ask where the youngling you were with is?"

Alem stood perfectly still, analyzing every single youngling he saw, but it was rather disappointing. Each one would give his circuits something the organics called hope, a chance, or a possible lead. But then each analyzation resulted in a dead moment, followed by a negative result. He even began to rexamine people several times, just to make sure he wasn't making any errors, or to make sure that the dead moments in his programming weren't interfering with his results. Chance of finding Ward here: >.1% Move on to new area: Kuat Alem began to turn to his guard. "It seems I must be moving...." Alem stopped. He had a brief glimpse at two humanoids. One a bald adult, the other a redheaded teen. For that brief moment he analized the teen, wondering if she was... Result: Negative. Not Twilek Another disap... Possible parameters detected. Inconclusive. More information needed. Alem paused. Usually he had a dead moment in his programming at this time. What were these parameters? Command: Define Program. Secondary Program: Alema'tal Description: Restricted unless unlocked by owner or recognized parameters. For a moment, Alem wondered if he should tell the Jedi that he may have found some hidden programming he wasn't fully aware of. This may be what the Jedi were fearful about. However, doing such a thing would place him in danger, and he calculated that his owner would not have placed this Alematal program with vicious intent. "Guard, I saw two humanoids. One a bald female adult, and with her a possible youngling." The guard thought for a moment. Then asked "You think she could know where your youngling is?" Alem shook his head slowly. "While unlikely, I must see them. Will you accompany me deeper into this area?" The guard nodded, and the two began to move forward, Alem ignoring the eyes on him, full intent on making his way, slowly, to where he saw the two.

Alem nodded to the tree at the information he was given. It was a pity that he did not recognize her, but not unsurprising. "Thank you. I was thinking that I may be forced to look at Coruscant, but I am hesitant to go there since my appearance may frighten civilians. However, with recommendation from the Jedi, I may have luck searching databases at Kuat. I may explore there after my search here." However, Alem couldn't end his search here yet. Just because one Jedi didn't recognize his ward did not mean she wasn't here. He just needed to dig a little further. He turned back to the receptionist and inquired where he may find some more individuals that might match his criteria. She shrugged, but then she thought that some may be in the cantina a floor below. It was near the sleeping areas for residents, so Alem would need a guard to make sure he didn't slip away into there. Alem understood, and soon he had a Temple Guard accompanying him down. The guard commented that it had been a long time since he saw someone carrying an electrostaff, to which Alem nodded. They typically were used for crowd control before the Separatists gave them to Magnadroids. The droid looked across the cantina, scanning for younglings. There were a few here and there, but none matching his ward in age nor race. They were approaching maturity age, none like his ward. Surprisingly, he was having no dead moments in his programming. He definitely was getting more strange looks down here though. An old droid in the entrance area of the temple was a strange sight. Put that droid accompanied by a jedi in a cantina of said temple, and the strangeness only increased.

The moment suddenly ended as Alem's audio sensors picked up something big had just approached him. He was slightly shocked to find something equivalent to a large tree standing nearby. This was definitely a new species to him. He never saw something like it during the clone wars. He actually felt a little inadequate with a simple electrostaff compared to this being. Possibility of being a native of Felucia: Inconclusive. Possibility of being a Jedi: 70% Possibility of surviving combat with being: 20% Conclusion: Do not offend Alem nodded to the tree thing. It took a brief moment for him to translate and understand what the tree said. "I am here on the business of my owner. I am searching for my ward and have asked to see a list of names of the current younglings who are here, in hopes my ward did not change her name. I mean no harm to anyone and simply wish to find my ward. " Alem then noticed that the receptionist was looking at him with an expression that did not register positively. He then took account of what the tree said about strife and fear. He needed to remedy this. "It appears that some of my programming has some.... dead spots. It was for that reason I was unresponsive. I plan on getting this fixed as soon as I can. However, my goal is more important at the moment. I must find my ward. " Alem looked at the tree again and made some more calculations. It was possible this being may help him search the temple a bit more thouroughly. If his memory from the clone wars was correct, Jedi had the ability to sense lifeforms. He held up the holovid and played a piece from it to show the daughter. "I must inquire: are you a Jedi? Would you be willing to help me locate my ward? The sooner I find her would mean the sooner I would leave this planet, and with it erasure of knowing where the temple is." Then he added "It may be beneficial to everyone here to see that you are keeping an eye on myself."

Alem nodded to the Jedi. "I hope our relationship continues to grow healthy as well, as I see no reason to betray your trust, unless you are try to destroy me or for some reason hide my ward." Alem took a glance at his weapons that were still on the ground and made a quick calculation. "I volunteer to leave those here until I leave, as I have no use for explosives in such a place, and nor do I think you would like a droid wandering your temple with grenades". As Alem stepped onto the platform, he couldn't help but record the moment and mark it as something historical. Here was a droid from the era of the Clone Wars, a CIS programmed droid, stepping into the Jedi temple peacefully and with no ill intent despite still having said CIS programming. Back during the war, this would have been thought impossible. But now.... this truly was a new age. It was a pity that this moment would probably be erased as well. His owner would've had a small joy reading this recording. As the droid went down into the depths, seeing the large atrium and the false windows, Alem remained perfectly still. In one hand, he held his staff. In the other, the holovid. He was reviewing the footage of the two female Twileks, a red mother of 34 and a blue daughter of about 8, laughing and painting art. The two were clearly picking on each other. Alem didn't seem to mind that the other jedi who accompanied him in the turbolift could see the recording. He was too busy reviewing his calculations. Name: Nima'aan Calculated current age: 17 Possible changes due to age: Calculated. Possible changes due to scarring: Calculated. Likelihood of being in Temple: 7% Likelyhood of name change: 40-60% Result: Review facial profiles of all younglings close to this age. Finally the turbolift came to a halt. As Alem moved forward, he couldn't help but note all the strange looks he got. Not that it was surprising. He calculated this would surprise most people in the temple. Even the staff game him odd looks, despite being told ahead of time by Comm from the Jedi guard on the ground floor above. Alem didn't help make people comfortable by staring at any youngling who was nearby. For a few brief moments, he would calculate the possibility of any youngling, no matter the age, species or gender, being his ward. But a strange phenomena occurred after each quick scan. When the calculations were complete, there was a moment of dead space in his programming. His programming almost completely stopped for a moment and Alem would simply stare at the youngling. This confused Alem. This was a new development. Had his master added something else into his programming? Something he wasn't aware of? Then the moment was gone and Alem continued his search. He could try to understand this later back in the safety of his ship. He needed to find his ward. He didn't get far in navigating the area, and eventually went to the receptionist, requesting a list of all of the names of the recent younglings who had arrived and if possible some facial imagery. As she pulled the information, Alem scanned the room again and took note of the art. Various pieces of abstract art including some.... Alem stopped. Some of the paintings seemed familiar. Chance of being Nima'aan's: 4% Another moment. His programming went silent. For several moments, he was just a droid, staring at a piece of artwork on the wall above the receptionist. To a passerby, she probably looked concerned, trying to get the attention of the still, old droid.

Alem stood for a few moments, calculating and recalculating. It was very unlikely he would survive combat with not one but three Jedi simultaneously, not to mention a rodian and some other droids. The 'code silver' he guessed. Everything right now came down to the Jedi's 'word'. He wasn't sure how much this amounted to. In the clone wars, the Jedi were honorable, though hostile. Magnaguards were programmed knowing that, and in combat would try to use that to their advantage. It was unlikely that the Jedi had become 'honorless'. However, there were so many uncertainties. Eventually, Alem nodded. This was a risk he would have to take. The possibility of his ward being with the Jedi or eventually discovered by the Jedi would help his goal tremendously. And if the Jedi kept their 'honor', he would be able to leave the planet and continue his search, though never knowing why he specifically came here. "As a show of trust, I will submit to your request." Alem did not let go of his staff however, his programming forbidding him to never be unready for combat. "In return, you will only tamper with the location of the Jedi temple. Give me your word you will not identify my owner, nor alter anything else. You may search for any hidden programmings and even copy information about the child so that way you may help my search, but my owner's name will remain unknown. Your crew should be able to see their is nothing hidden with his name."

Alem turned his head slightly, feigning curiosity. "Illogical. You have stated that you will do everything in your power to make sure that if my ward is here, you will bring her to me and will let us leave. But you also state that my circuits will need to be wiped of the temple location whether or not she is here. Do you plan on wiping her memories as well? If i was a human, or a Twi'lek, as my owner as so named me, would you still wipe my brain?" Probability the Jedi will try to wipe brain: 90%. Unacceptable. Probability of combat: 80% Preparing combat programs.... do not activate unless potential threat makes a move to attack Alem returned his head back to its normal position. "I am unable to allow you to alter my circuits at this time as I have no proof you will not destroy me, intentionally or accidentally, in the process. Furthermore, I am less likely to trust you then you are to trust me. I have offered my reasons why I am here, how I came to arrive here, offered my weapons, and even have given you my name, while you have given me nothing except your promise of doing everything you can to find my ward and a statement of accessing and erasing my memories. As my owner would say, 'your manners are quite irksome'. The droid lowered his hand to his side, his programming preparing for any sort of attack. Images of old jedi fighting styles were going through his memory circuits. He did not have many defenses against possible force powers, but if this individual attacked with the traditional lightsaber, Alem knew he could fight back, or at the very least, jump back down the canyon and hurry back to his ship. "I am more then willing to try to find a compromise. If i had ill intentions towards you and the Jedi, I would've attacked and snuck my way in. I could've used those grenades to get you to come closer to me, or that blaster to shoot you before you would have a chance to draw any weapon. Is this not proof that I mean you no harm?"

"The child I seek was kidnapped long ago. While it not the most likely place a child may end up, it is a possible choice, and one of the more safe options to investigate. Are the Jedi not still people who are keepers of peace and take in children to help increase their ranks? " Alem couldn't help but ask this question in a rhetorical manner. "In response to your second question, my owner has a wealth of connections. It was a simple manner of asking nearly all of his associates under the impression of seeking your aid." The words of 'yellow status' and 'code silver' did not bode well for the droid. He calculated that it could mean that he was requesting for extra forces to take down the droid. Or it may have been a request for a superior officer to come handle the situation. Either way, would that mean that this individual was nervous of him? Alem began to calculate silently. Probability of taking down guard violently before reinforcements arrive: 50-60% Probability of gaining access using violence: 72% Probability of escaping alive: 13% Not Satisfactory. Gain access peacefully. Probability of convincing guard that no threat is present: 64% Probability of gaining access peacefully: 40% Calculating options to increase probability..... option found. WARNING: Leaves self open to attack. Unacceptable. Calculate alternative. Compromise Found. "In hopes that it would help you to not fear my presence, I tell you that under my robes I am carrying several grenades and a blaster. If you would allow me, I will drop these on the ground for you to take away from me.

Alem froze at the words of the individual. He slowly rested his electrostaff's bottom on the ground like a walking stick and raised his other hand open in greetings and to show he held nothing else in his hand. "My name is Alem'Chee, here on the business of my owner on Ryloth. I am here seeking his child and my ward. "

Alem continued his descent, receiving a message from below. It was not from the temple, but it was from the locals. They had granted him permission to land and included a set of instructions to the temple from the designated landing place of the temple hanger, though they could not promise the Jedi temple would welcome him. The old droid took a moment to survey the geography of the planet as he moved closer to where the temple appeared to be. It was a remarkable planet to say the least. So much life. A place where beings could evolve and grow, should they survive the planet's dangers. However, this was brief, as Alem had to focus on navigating the canyon. While the message earlier said that there were tractor beams available to help with the navigating, Alem refused, not willing to fully trust The Finder in the hands of strangers. He could navigate it well enough, though he did hear a few scratches as the rocks grazed his wings. "A few aesthetic choices for the ol' thing" Alem guessed his owner would've said. Eventually Alem was able to land. Alem made his way up the steep climb, carrying his electrostaff in one hand and making calculations for each step in his head as if the ground below him was ready to crumble. While some creatures and programmers would've thought of this as being too careful, the CIS had programmed the magnaguard during a time of war, and Alem's owner saw no reason to change it. He made a weird sight to say the least. A beaten up droid climbing a canyon, dressed in torn white robes that have been stained with dirt and grime and carrying a weapon from the past. The entrance was up ahead now, a Turbolift under a hatch from the looks of it. Alem calculated and hoped someone would meet him there. He had a very limited set of ways to enter the temple without assistance, all which would not help his relations with the Jedi. True they were probably expecting a Twi-lek. Alem hoped they would understand why a Magnaguard was figuratively knocking on their door.

Exiting Hyperspace Planet: Felucia Target Location: Jedi Temple AutoPilot: Engaged ...Awakening From Stasis.... ...Systems Online..... Alem sensors slowly flickered to life as the ship's programming awakened him from stasis. Slowly, he tested all his joints, making sure everything was functioning properly. The equivalence of an organic stretching. Everything seemed to be working correctly. Power was at full, enough to last him for weeks, provided there was no combat. Alem turned his attention to the planet. Felucia. A planet overgrown with fauna and flora. Similarities to "home" on Ryloth: back when Alem was repaired: 20%. Today: Inconclusive. And yet this place was eerily similar to the clan's home back on Ryloth. Had Alem been a philisophical being, he probably would've considered this 'eerie', 'fateful' or perhaps 'soothing'. But Alem was a droid. A droid with a program. Programs don't feel unless necessary. This program required the finding of a specific Twi'lek youngling. After searching his memory banks that dated back to the now ended clone wars, mixed with the information about the current state of the galaxy (provided by his owner on Ryloth), Alem had narrowed down to three choices: The Jedi Order: Known for taking force sensative children for training in jedi arts. Corescant: The center of the civilized galaxy. All roads lead to Corescant The Black Sun: Suspected Criminal Organization. Possible lead to pirates who attacked owner. Inconclusive All three choices seemed unwelcoming to Alem. The Jedi at one point were his enemy in the clone wars, Corescant was the capitol of the enemy, and if the black sun had the twi'lek youngling, they would be very unwilling to part with her. His information about the Black Sun was inconclusive as well, and thus faulty. However, he had been trained to fight Jedi, so it would be slightly safer (albeit, very slight) to try the temple. His sensors eventually located several structures on the planet's surface: most likely the temple. He took the controls of the ship, set it to manual, and began his very slow descent, sending a message to the planet below, hoping they would allow him to land without facing any planetary defenses. :Message: From: Alem'Chee Subject: Landing Request Message: I am in seek of assistance from the Jedi Order. I have traveled all the way from Ryloth for my purpose. Please provide clearence for landing and I will be able to explain fully. Alem'Chee :End of Messege: Alem felt something equivalent to nerves as he began to wait. He purposefully didn't state that he was a droid, believing that the Jedi Temple would be more willing to let a possible Twi'lek sounding individual then a old IG unit.

Alem's CHARACTER SHEET Identity Real Name: IG-125 A.K.A: Alem'Chee, Alem Homeworld: Rebuilt on Zolon Species: IG-100 Magnaguard Droid Physical Description Age: Programming was altered 12 years ago. Rebuilt 13 years ago and 1 year ago. Height: 6'4" Weight: 275 lbs Hair: None Eyes: White Sensors Sex: Identifies as male Equipment Clothing or Armor: Stained White robes Weapon: Batterred Electrostaff, Heavy Blaster Pistol, 3 fragmentation grenades Common Inventory: small holopad with a holovid recording, comm Faction Information Force User, Force Sensitive or Non-Force User: Non-Force User Alignment: Good Current Faction Affiliation: Jedi Order Current Faction Rank: Hopeful History: Known Skills: Able to repair ships to a fault. Able to repair droids to a fault. Background: IG-125's body comes from the clone wars, but was disabled in a battle. It was eventually found and sold on the black market to a wealthy Twi-lek father who lived on Ryloth. The father's intentions was to repair and reprogram the battered droid to being a guardian for himself, his pregnant wife, and eventually his youngest child, in case imperials tried to enslave either of them. Most of his programming from the clone wars were left intact, save his purpose and some updates on survival on Ryloth. The daughter was born and eventually gave IG-125 the name was made to make sure no harm would come to the family. He failed. During the Rebellion, the family was off planet when they were attacked by pirates. While Alem was successful in protecting the father, he was disabled again while the mother was killed and the child kidnapped. It wasn't until some time afterwards when the father, in his grief, had the droid rebuilt. The rebellion was successful, a new galaxy had taken its place. But when Alem asked where his wards were, all he received was "gone". What had meant to be "dead", Alem understood it as "somewhere else". So he took the father's personal ship, and left Ryloth. His programming said he needed to protect the family. The father was safe on Ryloth, too depressed to leave. The mother was dead, a failure on his part. Alem's programming would not allow the child, or any other youngling for that matter, to be a failure as well. Ship Registration Name: The Finder Class: Shuttle Model: Delta Class T-3 Shuttle Manufacturer: New Republic Length: 50 feet Armaments: KX3 laser cannon, Twin laser cannons, Wingtip laser cannons Armor: Torplex Deflector Shield Anti-Personnel Defenses: Surface Defense Blaster Cannon, (programmed to fire when unauthorized user tries to board), Appearance: Ship has been painted a Dark green, made to blend in with fauna on Ryloth. Has large burnt marks on the wing tips. Modifications: Advanced Computer Systems to assist with navigation and piloting when repairs are needed and the pilot must repair.