The battered Lucrehulk-class core ship exited hyperspace beside the massive form of the Astral Astoria. "Unidentified vessel, this is Astral Astoria traffic control, you are not broadcasting a transponder code: please explain," A slightly irritated voice said.

"I don't have a transponder code; however, I am Smarts, and I am here to find work," A somewhat mechanical voice responded.

"Sir, please activate your holocomm so we can speak face-to-face," the operator responded.

"That is not possible, but I will comply," Smarts said, activating the bridge's holocomm, which showed nothing but an empty room. The traffic control operator, on the other hand, was a young human male, who looked a little confused, and very angry.

"Captain," The operator said, "what is the meaning of this?"

"I am Smarts; I am the ship. If you wish to see me, you need only to look."

Confusion, disbelief, amusement, and finally satisfaction crossed the young man's face. "Please hold your position," He said, "and I'll see what I can do. One moment please."

The image of the man vanished, and Smarts began to do what he always did when waiting; he observed. He listened to comm traffic, plotted the trajectories of the ships around him, scanned the surface of the Astral Astoria, re-checked the status of his systems, but he never waited idly. That was when he realized what was happening; a nearby medium freighter began broadcasting a transmission, declaring the recently arrived Lucrehulk to be his property by right of international salvage laws. They're trying to claim me! Smarts realized. He started to spin the ship on its axis, bringing the port side—the one with the most functional weapons—into view of the approaching freighter.

Smarts powered up the primary comm array, and though it was old, it was still military-grade, and had more than enough power to broadcast over all other comm traffic. "I have been a slave before!" He shouted over all active comm frequencies, "and no man will ever again claim me! I am the master of my fate; I am my own ruler." And with that, ten of Smarts' point defense cannons fired, filling the space around the approaching freighter with a blaze of light. "Turn back, or I will stop you."

Fighters began to launch from the Astral Astoria, and more ships broke from their previous courses and began converging on the massive ship. "What is the meaning of this!" The traffic controller shouted, "you have fired upon a vessel under the protection of the Astral Astoria; stand down and prepare to be boarded, or we will board you by force!"

It would seem that I was wrong: the organics aren't ready to accept me as a sentient being. They would rather destroy me than allow me to exist as a free and independent being. Smarts once again activated the powerful comm array, drowning out the comm traffic around him. "By the simple fact that I am willing to harm in order to protect myself, you all should have realized that I am no ordinary machine; but you seem to think that I am only some lost piece of hardware, just waiting to be claimed by the first passerby. You are wrong; I am much, much more. Do not attempt to enslave me again; next time, I may not be so forgiving."

Smarts powered down the comm array, deactivated the ship's weapons, and jumped into hyperspace, fleeing for some distant star where the tainted steps of the organics did not tread.

Saxh walked uneasily down the corridor when he saw a patrol of guards running round the corner. having only recently came out the hangar about half a mile behind him he guessed that was where they was heading. Saxh thought no more of it until he looked at a holoscreen to his left, seeing that a ship claiming to be "Smarts" had attacked a frieghter under protection of the Astral Astoria. Saxh carried on reading. "Boarding ay?" Saxh said to himself. "Must be where they were going" Saxh mumbled before carrying on, completely creditless, to the dormitories, free to any guests who needed them.

FD-86 however was in a completely different situation. he was a protocol droid, programmed for engineering and was just about to be sent to slice into a computer mainframe on a suicide mission. if he had a sense of cowardice, he would have ran away by now. "well, thats fixed" FD said in a proud voice, stepping back from the wing of a fighter, heading towards his craft.

Saxh very nearly reached the dormitories. Very nearly, if he hadnt have been tackled backwards and dragged by the oncoming patrol of guards. "What the?" Saxh managed to say before being escorted to the nearest armoury. damned Smart thing. it had decided to shut down the droid guards...

Saxh was thrown into the armoury. standing up rather abruptly, he was greeted by an iridonian holding out a gun and a suit. "change" the iridonian grunted in its own language which was translated by a small computer on the side. Saxh very quickly changed behind some cover of thermal detonator racks and ran back outside. The armour was simliar to that of the naboo royal guard many years before, and gave Saxh a royal look. Saxh was dragged over to the group assembled. the leader, a human with a giant metal cover over his eye looked at Saxh sternly.

"You, new boy, you will join group c and pursue that "Smarts" Spacecraft" The leader grunted, but before he could turn to his own group he was interrupted. "why are we chasing it if it went into hyperspace?" Saxh curiously asked but quickly withdrew the question after seeing his "commanders" look.

FD was making some final adjustments to his cradt when Saxh was half pushed half dragged into the hangar bay of the Astral guard. "Help" Saxh mouthed quickly during a glance at FD. FD seen this and very modestly walked to the leader of group c and spoke out loud. "I need some assistance to carry some blaster clips." FD told the leader. before the leader could answer FD finished by pointing at Saxh. "will he be ok?" FD asked. the leader grunted and the two quickly scurried back to the dormitories.

Saxh looked very relieved. "thank you. im not a fighter. by the way, my name is Saxh" Saxh muttered.

FD cheerfully replied back "I am FD-86, maitenance droid"

(as this other guy seems to have left, ill carry this on next time...)

Saxh looked on at FD-86. "so, for aiding me in getting out of service, what are you going to do?" Saxh asked curiously.

FD seemed blunt with his answer of "Staying with you". Saxh looked him up and down. "well, where can we go?" Saxh asked sarcastically and a small hint of panicky.

FD again seemed blunt in his answer. "cargo ship, 20 minutes. travelling to Corellia" FD barked.

"right" Saxh said, turning to run before turning back. "wheres the cargo ship?" he asked. FD didnt respond. he just simply dragged Saxh towards hangar 7...

hangar 7 was relatively quiet, being at the opposite side of the Astral Astoria. a few small transports were lined up with only 2 guards standing at watch, a wookie and a human, seemingly asleep.

Saxh had a strange feeling. he could hear something. a hissing sound. it grew louder. FD was unaffected but it was bugging Saxh. it went shortly after it came, leaving Saxh mystified.

Saxh was able to walk on with FD seemingly ok until it struck again, taking him to the floor. the guards rushed over. they stopped at Saxh quite abruptly. but their feet didnt stop them. Saxh had stood up and pushed them away, but without touching them. "The force?" Saxh hissed before running towards a craft with FD, who had seemed unshocked by all of this....

In a dark corner of the hangar, Xara noticed what had happened to the guards. "Jedi...Sith?" she wondered to herself. Seeing the figure rushing from the scene she guessed luck played a hand as neither a Jedi nor a Sith would run from anything as minor as knocking two guards out cold. Xara grasped her blaster and began to walk quickly towards the two guards lying on the hangar floor.

"Nice trick" she yelled to the exiting stranger as she searched for anything of value on the guards. Now out in the open she could be seen. A blue skinned female with unusual markings holding a blaster in her right hand as she knelt over the guards. A battered lightsaber also hanging from her belt.

After getting what she wanted from the guards, Xara abruptly turned and began to head in the opposite direction to leave the scene.

"Be seeing you" she said as she walked away.

(OOC: its kinda finished, and Saxh is on Naboo, as is FD-86. thanks anyway ^_^)

OOC: No problem Dark Adept, just found an open door for a good starting point. I'll be starting a new thread in a bit.

OOC: just a point Xara;

put OOC when your going to say something in an rp which isnt meant to be in the rp..

and call me TDA. or Adept, as Jan does...

thanks,
TDA

OOC: Thansk TDA, I appreciate the help and fixed the previous post.