[Video] Design-A-Droid

[exsithstential]

It would seem business is booming in the import community again. Perhaps we have our ambassadors to thank? Or the Government? Or maybe this is a sign imports are beginning to take command of their destinies?

[Some might find the figure a bit familiar, if they'd had any eye for politics or the history of this world. But instead of the sharp black suit, Revan's lithe frame is adorned with humble robes of earthen browns. He stands in an open facility that looks a bit like a brightly lit garage. Only instead of vehicles there were rows of tools and various machines.]

Regardless, I'm proud of what you've all accomplished thus far.

I'd had the pleasure of meeting an... old friend from my universe. And he rekindled a passion of mine. One I'd like to share with you.

[At that, Revan nods both to the left and right of the screen, as if to signal to someone. But instead of a person, several metallic, creature-like constructs saunter, rolls, and glide into the shot with him. Some are short and squat, rolling around on a tri-pod stand, while a couple seem vaguely humanoid. And even one that could pass for a large, gun-metal cat pacing between a couple of it's companions.]

It's little more than a hobby of mine, but I've decided to open a small shop dedicated to building custom-made droids like the ones you see before you. If you'd like a companion tailored to your needs and tastes, we can work together to create the perfect one for you.

They can be modified with a chassis of your choice, and programmed to fulfill a number of support roles should you have a need: Construction, chores, cleaning and the like. Or they can just a faithful friend. They are quite intelligent, capable of learning and developing with you. So as to grow to be the best companion it can be. But I assure you they are incapable of harming anyone.

[Because he knows everyone's first fear is 'will they become self aware and attempt to kill us all?' The first part is a strong maybe, but the second is a definite no.]

Though I should mention that if you set their development threshold high enough, they may develop interesting quirks that will begin to resemble an actual personality. Should that be something you'd desire from your droid.

[And the twinkle in his eyes clearly expresses his approval of such a course. In a 'sound like fun, no?' sort of way.]

Comments

[reexamined]

And there's no preventing it. It's entirely random?

[exsithstential]

Aside from death, or in a droids case, destruction of their primary processors, which results in a temporary port out before your body is reconstructed at a porter.

Otherwise yes, it appears to be entirely random. If there is a catalyst for it, it has yet to be discovered.

[reexamined]

Noted.

[ He seems like... he wants to say something more on the subject, but after a few struggling moments of trying to keep the question to himself, he winds up successful. Just don't... ask him about it.

A subject change might help. ]

Who was the "old friend"?

[exsithstential]

If you have any questions, please... I am at your service.

[Even as a droid, Revan can sense it's ambivalence. A skill picked up from his time among them and designing them himself. So he won't push the topic, but he'll try and prove he's trustworthy.]

HK-47. A droid of my own make. Despite having many programming freedoms, he was one of my most loyal friends.

[reexamined]

I do have a question. But I don't want to ask it now.

[ He's not even sure it's something he wants, exactly, and so he'll have to think about it. It's a possibility that he had been thinking about, but knew that this world wouldn't have any means for. But maybe, with Revan... ]

Later.

[ He'll come to a better conclusion, later. ]

An HK? The assassin protocol droids?

[ He'd never met one, because of, well, you know. But he also never imagined it'd make a great "friend." Then again, the same was probably thought of his KX-series. ]

[exsithstential]

[The blunt, and accurate assumption tickles a surprised cough from the usually composed Jedi.]

You're... aware of the model?

[That's... highly unusual. HK's assassin protocols were usually top secret, and he could count on his fingers the number of people that knew HK-47's true nature.]

[reexamined]

[He doesn't know about HK-47, nor about maybe too many specifics involved with those models.]

I am. But that's the extent of it. I was under the impression they stopped making that model a long time ago.

[exsithstential]

Depending on when you're from, it could very well be. As they should.

Not everyone had the... restraint required to use them appropriately.

[Even as Darth Revan, HK's body count was minimal. Others were a bit... gratuitous in the execution of his assassination protocol.]

[reexamined]

But you did.

[Considering he had said that this HK was his close friend.]

Along with giving him more freedom of "choice," I presume. Would you say he "chose" to be loyal to you?

[As much as a droid can, of course.]

[exsithstential]

That's the question, isn't it? One could argue that I was his creator, so he had no choice.

But when I was separated from him, when his orders were specifically to stay at home, and he clawed his way through the galaxy to find me, was that free will? Or some latent protocol, some degraded code, that caused him to disobey his orders and seek me out?

If a droid is not alive, why would it care if it's master was beside it, or lost in space if it had been told to 'stand by'?

[reexamined]

...

[ Hearing this recount gives him an unusual "feeling." He's noticing similarities in this behavior to something he's encountered before- his own. This strange sort of... ability to recognize why this other droid he's never met would react in the way he did, and understand his motivations entirely. What was this? Empathy? ]

I would have done the same thing.

[ For Cassian. He has done the same sort of thing, on a smaller scale. But if this planet, this galaxy was as wide as their own original one, and he had been told Cassian was on the other side of it, he would do exactly the same thing.

Although this story is meant to speak more about HK, it speaks of Revan as well. ]

But not for a master.

[ For someone more than that. Don't make him say it. ]

[exsithstential]

Ah. [With droids sometimes it's hard to know if they've been offended or not. And Revan isn't sure referring to himself as 'master' had done just that to his deadpan partner.] I like to think that HK saw me as more than just that.

I certainly saw him as more than just a 'droid'.

[reexamined]

Alright, we're both avoiding using the word here, but I'm going to go ahead and say it.

"Friend." We both mean the word friend.

[exsithstential]

You got me. [He smiles though. He wasn't exactly avoiding the word 'friend', more alluding.]

You have a friend that is dear to you in your home universe?

[reexamined]

Yes.

[ And he's here!! In this post!! What are the chances. But unless the post is locked, he's been avoiding stating his connections to Cassian so plainly. ]

I would do what HK-47 did for you, for him.

[exsithstential]

Good. Very good. Never let him go then. Stay by his side always... metaphorically. [Just in case K2 fell on the more 'literal' side of droid personalities.] I made the mistake of leaving HK behind on a very important mission. And I have regretted it [For centuries?] and will for the rest of my life.

[reexamined]

[ He won't mention that one fight he had with Cassian once, perhaps. ]

I won't. I know humans make unwise decisions on a frequent enough basis.

[ Not meant to be a dig at you, Revan, but... sure wound up sounding that way, huh. ]

So I already ignore his orders when they sound stupid.

[exsithstential]

[Revan chuckles, soft and honest sound.]

That we do. While capable of a lot, sometimes a droids clarity can save us from ourselves.

[reexamined]

In my instance, it's seventy-eight percent of the time.

[Eventually if Revan gets to know Cassian is who he's been speaking about, and maybe even learning more about Cassian himself, it'll become... much more obvious.]