Play Testers Wanted Pt. 17

"What is that expression?" The hologram asked, and I felt the energy in the room change.

"She is just smiling, a feeling of happiness," Kyanna explained. "Why are you smiling, Katria?"

"Answer her question," the hologram pressed when I hesitated.

"I know of someone with a unique Ghostfire crystal, and it was transformed into a diamond by severe gravitic forces," I said, and the sense of dread increased. "We are in deep shit," I said as I had Left drop one of my new lightsabers into my open palm and waited for the shit to hit the fan. Time seemed to slow, Aoki's duster winged open as she reached for both her blasters. Kyanna's double-bladed lightsaber was in her hands and igniting, the Zabrak twins brought up matching repeating blaster rifles, and to my shock, Ruatha ignited her light whip and stood ready for trouble. The little shit must have been using Force cloak the entire time. The room transformed as the display cases withdrew into the walls and secret doors split open, revealing gleaming metallic war droids in the shape of the hologram. Their tentacles crackled with power, and I realized they were in capture mode.

"And I thought we would get out of here without fighting. Silly me." I roared as battle music filled my ears, and I slipped into Juyo, the particularly aggressive form seven combat style. I focused on the three war droids attacking me. As the apertures for their stunners opened, I was already on the attack. The Dark Side filled me, and my saber landed the first of three quick strikes, which bounced off their shielded exteriors. I cursed and turned to smoke to avoid being stunned into oblivion. Blaster bolts of various hues and colors were bouncing off the shielded walls and droids. This conflict was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. "Must think outside the box," I repeated as I shifted to a purely defensive mode. The last of the bolts fired scarred the stone floor, which slowly repaired itself. I sheathed my weapon and began dodging as I cupped my hands together and readied Force burst. The air between my hands was black as I launched the attack at the droids.

"Unknown Force attack," one of them alerted the others a bit too late. The sphere of compressed hell slammed into all three crushing them against the shielded wall. The wreckage slumped to the ground. I turned my attention to the others. Ruatha was already down, her light whip had proved useless, and it took her too long to realize it. Kyanna, on the other hand, had swapped out her lightsaber for a double-bladed vibrosword. It was more effective in lopping off limbs and piercing armored plating. Aoki had abandoned blasters for magnetic shape charges. She was hopping and leaping as she slapped the heads, torsos, and anywhere else she could reach to apply the bombs before triggering them. Like claymores of old, the blast went where directed and, in this case, towards the droids. I powered up my needler and fired from the wrist as more of the war droids appeared. Unlike the pure energy-based attacks, the diamond-hard needles penetrated the droids and exploded, destroying their insides.

"Shit, they are regenerating. What do we do?" One of the Zabrak called out behind me. They were protecting the unconscious Togruta the best they could. They had reverted to vibroswords seeing how effective Kyanna had been. Whisper had swapped out her weapon for matching needlers I had crafted for her. She spun as she fired, taking out four droids in short order.

"There must be a governing intelligence if we destroy that we destroy the future of Kaiburr crystals. I..."

Ding! My HUD chimed in. Traci read the message since I was in a battle.

"It says you must destroy fifty droids to prove your worth to the governing intelligence. Only then may you depart the facility in peace." She displayed a counter, and all combined had only destroyed nineteen droids.

"Only thirty-one more, and we got this licked," I hollered as I ramped up my battle music and slowly moved over to the fallen Ruatha. When I was close enough, I performed mass heal on her and the Zabrak twins. She woke pissed off and ready to fight. I gave her a speedy rundown on our situation and pressed the attack as the steady line of enemies emerged. I hoped I had enough ammo to last for this little soiree. As the new droids appeared, they were augmenting their armor and shielding. In the beginning, a single needler round would wreck a droid. Now it took three, and I guessed it would take more than that by the time this ended. I sorted my inventory and took out Deathkiss. She moaned as I drew her from her sheath. "I missed you too. Let's fuck some shit up." My leap took me high in the air, it tried to cross its tentacle-like arms to defend, but the combination of Sith sorcery, gravity, and razor-sharp alloy cut it from crown to groin. After that, I got lost in the slaughter. The Dark Side latched on, and I rode it to the end.

"Hey! It is me!" Kyanna screamed, and I woke to find the palms of her hands firmly holding the flat sides of the black blade. I blinked, and she dropped her hands, looking me in the eye. "You okay?"

"I... sorry," I said, and I blinked and found I was still upset and itching for a fight. My HUD flashed an alert. We had only taken out 49 droids. "Shit." I cursed as parts and limbs from destroyed robots slithered across the floor and combined to form the Boss Droid. I hefted my weapon and grinned.

"Choose a champion." The governing intelligence announced. "Not you, Nocturnal. You may only assist the champion."

"Well... okay," I stepped back and waited for the others to vote. Why was I being denied the chance to fight the boss? The situation did not sound right, but maybe Kat wanted someone else to get the glory. If that were the case, I accepted her decision. I expected to see Kyanna get the nod since she was a former Jedi battle master, but I was wrong. They gave Ruatha the chance to end the threat, and while she readied herself, there was a sudden shift in the Force. Though it was subtle, I could not put my finger on it. Ruatha needed all the help she could get. "Hey... Ruatha, come here for a second."

"What is wrong?" She said, her eyes moving nervously. So, I was not the only one that sensed something was off.

"Listen, I got your back in this. I have an idea, but I don't want to say it ahead of time." I said, and she smiled. "Good. What I can say is this even Titans fall." The boss was complete, and it looked imposing as all hell. It was three times as tall as the others and bristled with armored tentacles and improved defenses. I handed Deathkiss to Ruatha and told her it was just a loan. "Listen to me. I want you on your best behavior, got it?"

"I..." Ruatha began when the soft sensual voice of the black blade spoke.

"I will be good, Master," Deathkiss purred. "Pity, no living target to eliminate. Oh, well, don't worry, sweetie, we will get through this together."

"It... I mean, she is so cold," Ruatha shivered as she spoke.

"My name is Deathkiss darling, remember that," the sword replied.

Ruatha hefted the two-handed sword and got a sense of its balance with confidence that gave me hope for our victory. I informed the others that I would be busy, so I would be grateful to heal Ruatha when she needed it. I moved to the rear of the chamber, sat down, and reached out with the Force.

"I did not know Katria knew the battle meditation skill," Kyanna commented.

"She doesn't," Aoki laughed. "Look around."

The countdown time began at ten, and with a brief flash, it started. The shadows did my bidding and lengthened just before the clock struck zero. Ruatha used Force speed and charged the behemoth. At the last second, she dove under it and sliced at the repulsor engine that kept the massive droid aloft. She slid into a shadow and vanished just before three giant tentacles struck the spot where she should have been. A moment later, she was falling from above it. She orientated quickly, and her weight, combined with the blade's razor-sharp edge, allowed the sword to leave a long straight incision on the dorsal side. She hit the shadow beneath it and disappeared. The boss was getting frustrated, and so was the governing intelligence.

"Unknown Force ability at work." The alien AI coolly declared. It defaulted to a General Grievous type move and began spinning all of its tentacles in different angles and directions. I dropped Ruatha at an oblique angle to the side of the boss droid. She reacted instantly and thrust between two tentacles just as they crossed and moved away from each other. Her weight drove the blade deep and wrecked the two servos controlling those tentacles. Ruatha brought her feet down and pushed off, and backflipped away from the droid. She landed true and angled Deathkiss into a defensive direction. "Target acquired."

The droid began to glow, and I felt Ruatha's initial unease, but she pushed it away and waited to see what I had in mind. Then, the shadows started to vanish under the omnidirectional illumination the boss was emitting. I focused a single patch beneath Ruatha to save her from being destroyed, and she slowly slid from view. The moment she vanished, the droid sent out a pulse that wiped out that final piece of darkness.

"I have a countdown to return to the game," Ruatha informed me. "Oh hey, a shimmering portal just appeared, is that you?"

"Yep," I said. "Have at it, and I will follow your lead."

Ruatha appeared from the rear wall and instantly launched an attack on the boss. The droid was taken entirely by surprise. I felt her intentions, and soon she was moving in and out of the portals I created, and while she got in her licks, the droid dealt out a fair amount of damage itself. She mixed wall-running, acrobatics, and stunning dodges to her credit after a long-drawn-out conflict. She brought the boss down, crashing in a whirl of glittering metal. When an alien hologram appeared, we received our XP for the mission, and it asked me how I brought Ruatha back and created different portal types.

"My ability to manipulate light and darkness usually manifests as shadows. However, I can also open portals to and from realms of those respective elements." I stated.

"Intriguing." The hologram said and then disappeared. Ruatha eagerly returned Deathkiss to me, and her expression was one of mixed emotions, fear, and awe. I sent the Sith war blade to my inventory for now.

'Ding!' My HUD chimed and announced the conclusion of the Lehon Legacy. I looked over the rewards and XP that I had earned. Something felt odd, but I could not put my finger on it at first.

"What's with this?" Aoki exclaimed out of character. "I got 104,234.25 XP. When did they start giving out fractions of XP points? Holy shit did you check out the Kaiburr crystal reward!? I got two Mithril Silver crystals, and they boost my speed."

"I got two Viridian crystals, and they improve my accuracy," Kyanna stated with a grin and a twinkle in her eye. The others had equally odd colored crystals but none stranger than the hot pink stones Ruatha received. That was so off the chart, but there it was. Had Kat created them or okayed their creation?

"What do the pink crystals buff?" I asked, and the Togruta smiled as she replied.

"The boost my intimidation skill." She said and appeared too happy to notice how unusual the color of those crystals was. "What did you get?"

"Um, let's see," I said and brought them up. "Whoa, I got a pair of dual-colored crystals. They are shadow grey at their core with a bright silver aura. They help me maintain my balance."

"A Jedi needs a lot of balance," Murad declared good-naturedly.

"No," I said gently. "I am a Je'Daii Master, and the crystals help me stay in balance with both sides of the Force."

"Holy shit, I thought that was just a legend," Shurad exclaimed. "That explains the shadow magic." He said, trying to remain in character. "What now?"

"We return to the surface and go from there," I suggested. A portal appeared, and Jha waved at us from the other side as if summoned by my words. The moment we reached the surface, I felt better, and the sense of wrongness lifted. "So? How was it?"

"Best video ever." The Ithorian praised us. "It will take a bit to edit it, but I have high hopes of great ratings."

"We should hang out and celebrate at the Broken Chains," Shurad suggested. "They have the best food and even better music. There are a lot of amateur musicians that move on to better things elsewhere." Translated, musicians that cannot make it in the real world play the Broken Chains and, if they are lucky, get picked up by record labels. I loved the idea. "Here are the coordinates. We should be going." The Zabrak declared, staring beyond me and his color fading. I looked over my shoulder, and there stood an ebony version of DP-69. She looked like she had something serious to discuss. "What is that?"

"A droid I designed and built," I claimed, and DP bowed. "I think she has a matter for my immediate attention. You drop me a line when the video hits the holonet. I will contact you when we arrive at the Broken Chains." There were hugs all around before they returned to their ship. We watched as the starship rose and vanished from sight. I turned to DP-69, and she approached and bowed a second time.

"I am so proud of you." She said, using a new voice. It sounded familiar, and it took me a bit to make the association. I figured it out, and my confusion that had started below was now reaching a whole new level. Why was the bodyguard droid using Scarlett Johansson's voice? I knew she had contracted out for the Disney Princess game as the Black Widow character. "She is highly regarded for her pleasing vocal parameters. She ranked high on several polls and overall a good choice, I believe." I was not the only one surprised by the droid's statement. "It is time to claim your fleet. Your ship awaits." She said as the Ivory Wraith swung into view and landed nearby. "I will relinquish control of the vessel once you are aboard. Fear not, the primitive droid was safely disabled."

My ship settled lightly on the rocky surface of the atoll. The ramp lowered, and a pissed-off HK-47 walked down to greet us. HK's photoreceptors were a murderous red as he drew his blaster rifle and took aim.

"Master, give me permission to terminate this traitorous bitch," the assassin droid requested. "It is not allowable for me to act without direct orders."

"He didn't do the thing," Aoki called out. "You know, condescending statement, let me ghost the bitch now."

"Hang on," I said, turning to face DP-69. "What did you do to him?"

"I can feel your anger Master, and it is good," DP moaned. "The Star Forge updated his software to make him more efficient. His loyalty is to you alone, I assure you."

"Traci, perform a full diagnostic on HK now," I ordered. We waited while DP approached and silently anticipated the results with us.

"He is clean," Traci informed us. "His pathways are not just clean but twenty-five percent more efficient. She did not lie."

"How can she feel your rage?" Kyanna asked. "She mentioned it before and now today. How can a mere droid sense the Force?"

"I am a child of the Star Forge, dedicated to my Master's service and the ability to detect Force users and their emotional state. It was Master's ingenuity that made it happen. The Star Forge discovered your wrist shields and adapted that technology to this series power plant. The Kaiburr crystal granted me that connection. Before you query, no, I cannot manipulate the Force."

"I will let this situation slide for now," I stated. "You betray me, and I will crush you and send your remains into the event horizon of a black hole."

"I accept your terms," DP said with a deep bow. "Time has become critical. The anomaly is unstable. We must hasten."

"Time to beat feet," Aoki laughed nervously. "Let's get going then."

We rushed into the belly of the Ivory Wraith and found her prepped for take-off. A quick dash to the bridge, Whisper claimed the pilot's seat and launched us into orbit. I felt a sense of relief at leaving the surface of Lehon. Whisper calculated the hyperspace jump. My blood was up, and Kyanna spied something I did not.

"You, over here," Kyanna ordered as she pulled me away from the bridge. "Your Nocturnal side is showing. Feed, damn it." I did, and she hissed in pain. "Gently, Mmm, that's better."

"Thanks," I said before kissing her. "After the battle, we need to have a puppy pile."

"Yes!" Kyanna exclaimed. "Puppy pile after the battle."

"Woohoo," Whisper cried out.

"I'm with her," Aoki chuckled.

"Master, may I speak?" DP asked with eyes downcast.

"Ask away. I feel better now," I replied, eyeing the droid suspiciously.

"First, let me say, I cannot tell you what joy it brought to me to see you destroy my sister droid with so much rage. I feared your balanced perspective might leave you unable to show your mastery of the Dark Side. I have never been so thrilled to be proven wrong."

Was it me, or did the droid speak more like a person than a robot? Was the Star Forge speaking through her? Hell, was the governing intelligence of the race below the surface of Lehon doing all the talking? The Wraith made the short jump from Lehon to the Star Forge. I was impressed with the pinpoint accuracy of such a precise leap to hyperspace and back again. The sheer size and majesty of the space station were awe-inspiring. The starship factory functioned at total capacity, and I spied the four vessels the size of an executor class star destroyer. Two I knew, Xim's ship and the Heart of Korriban. Thirty-ish large support ships were there to defend them, and at least two hundred heavy cruisers formed the fleet's bulk. This mass of ships could likely take on either the Sith or Old Republic fleet with ease. Was I supposed to start a shooting war? There was so much I did not know. Perhaps the Star Forge itself would explain the next step. I did enjoy watching the expression on Kyanna's and Aoki's faces.

"The race that called itself the Kwa called it the Teelantari in their language. It roughly translates to Star Fire Foundry, and they found it quite impressive. They utilized it to fashion their gates so they could scatter them across the galaxy. The other species whose names are impossible to translate into your crude vocal language. They constructed devices to move planets, manipulated the Corellia System, and fashion the hidden stations. So, this was not always an automated shipyard. Does that surprise you?"

"Yes," I said, and the droid waited for more and was disappointed. "What happens next?"

"You take possession of your fleet and the droid army aboard those ships and do whatever your heart desires," DP-69 said, her voice low and sensual as if the thought of millions of sentients dying gave her a sexual thrill.

"Let us go. Take us to the flagship and head out." I ordered.

"Katria! What the hell are you doing?" Kyanna snapped while Aoki chuckled. "You! What is so fucking funny?"

"You'll see," Aoki promised. "I had a Force vision about this very moment and what follows. It is insane, but here we are."

The Wraith banked and made for the Heart of Korriban. She was twice the length of an Imperial-era Secutor-class Star Destroyer, making her an absolute monster in combat. However, unlike the Secutor, this ship, the entire fleet, was fully automated or manned by tactical or battle droids. The tactical droids could pass as protocol units in a pinch, and their ship-to-ship combat skills were top-notch. I had seen the war droids before, and the recognition made me feel disjointed when I saw them arrayed for inspection on the hanger deck. They were the same model used by Xim the Despot to carve out her empire. They only lacked the skull emblazed on their chests to finish off the look.