I didn't think Ahsoka would really believe she was in the past until she met Anakin. Sure, I had shown her the Warehouse and the doors, but that could be explained away as some weird phenomena that she didn't know about. Unfortunately, I couldn't just walk out of the guest room on the Alderaan satellite with everyone there. My crew knew about the Warehouse. I wasn't in any hurry to share that knowledge beyond them. Sabe didn't know about it yet which made me feel a little bad since Ahsoka just arrived and already did even if the circumstances of her arrival made it a requirement.
This meant we were taking the long way. Legacy was enroute to Alderaan. It would take a couple of days to get there from Concordia. The trip did give us a good reason to explore the ships many functions. I had dispatched the entire squad of fighters to land on Concordia for maintenance and possible retrofitting considering their systems were a thousand or so years behind. My instructions were clear, dismantle each fighter with a crew focusing on one system per. I hoped that was enough to trigger their respawn. It was the same with the crew. The droids that staffed Legacy had originally been from The Old Republic era. They were sent to the Droid Control ship to be taken apart, analyzed, and replaced by the latest Generation of my upgraded Battle Droids.
I found that Terminators had the processing power of roughly five Infiltrator Droids. They took longer to produce than the battle droids but were worth it. I offered the B1s on the ship the option to transfer to one of the new models. A couple took it only to want to be sent back once they activated. They didn't want to talk about it, so I didn't press.
Carrie took the initiative to guide Ahsoka around the ship. A padawan from an alternate future exploring a starship from an alternate past. My life was getting stranger by the day.
I had to amuse myself now that I had a stretch of unexpected free-time. This was the perfect time to spend some of the points that were burning a hole in my pocket.
ROLL.
[Cost: 200 FP][ITEM: Titan's Blood][A measure of divine ichor from the fallen Titans. Applying this to an ordinary weapon will transform it into a legendary equivalent or improve a legendary artifact with even greater power and mystery. You gain a new measure of ichor each month.][Purchase – Dismiss]
PURCHASE.
Interesting. It was worth a shot. I had plenty of points to keep going. A potion bottle appeared hovering in the air before me. I grabbed it and hooked it on my belt. It was tempting to try it on my lightsaber or my sidearm. The fact that I didn't know if it would work and could possibly go catastrophically badly stopped me from trying it immediately. I would need to try it out on a weapon I didn't mind losing.
ROLL.
[COST: 200 FP][ITEM: The Bow of Apple Oak][A renowned weapon that is said to have belonged to the infamous Daergal Corngold: A foul-tempered farmer with both supernatural woodcarving skill, and a habit of opening fire on any potential intruder to his fields. This ancient bow, carved from the boughs of a magical apple-oak tree, can hit a target at nine-hundred-thirty paces with barely any effort, and seems to make every arrow fired from its strings multiply into four arrows mid-flight.][Purchase – Dismiss]
That was useless.
DISMISS.
ROLL.
[COST: 400 CP][ITEM: Shield Generator Facility][You gain a full shield facility that once placed in a setting and activated will be able to perfectly protect any external target. The facility itself has a lesser plasma shielding system though it will not be able to block any projectiles or infantry moving slower than 3 miles per hour.][Purchase – Dismiss]
Sweet. I could use that for one of the bases I had across the multiple planets. There were plenty of places on Tatooine that could use some actual protection.
PURCHASE.
[Balance: 1900 Forge Points]
Two of the three rolls were a bust depending on how effective the Titan's Blood. I had other things to hold my attention rather than spending more points. Though. I hadn't looked at the Shop in quite a while.
SHOP.
[Advanced Slicer – 100 Forge Points][Novice Astronavigation – 100 Forge Points][Novice Culinary Skills – 100 Forge Points][Re-Roll Shop – 100 Forge Points]
Carrie negated the need for Slicer skills. She was still connected to my suit; it was just on hold when one of her bodies was around. Astronavigation was another one I didn't need. The times that I was the one piloting a ship usually came down to punching in coordinates then I sat back to wait. I wasn't scouring old maps of hyperspace lanes to track lost planets or searching for some fabled shortcut.
Culinary Skills, those I could use.
[Novice Culinary Skills][Purchase – Dismiss]
PURCHASE. RE-ROLL SHOP.
I felt the knowledge slot in. It truly was novice level, but that was more than I previously had for the local cuisine.
[Theme Song – 100 Forge Points][Seeker – 150 Forge Points][Patience – 300 Forge Points][Re-Roll Shop – 100 Forge Points]
Interesting spread. No idea what they did.
[PERK: Theme Song][COST: 100 FP][You gain one or more theme songs that play either from an unknown source or within your mind. You can have a song for every emotion you're feeling, and it can be any song or even an original tune that fits the moment. To update your song database, simply say "Update Song Databank," using mana, supernatural energy, or even mundane energy in most any world to get its entire songs. The songs can be selectively heard by whoever you choose, and they may automatically play during intense emotional moments, like fighting or sneaking. You can switch or disable your theme songs whenever you want, and you'll never be bothered by this perk.]
[PERK: Seeker][COST: 150 FP][This ability won't let you see through every lie, it makes it much easier for you to discern lies from the truth.]
[PERK: Patience}[COST: 300 FP][Your patience is inexhaustible. You can sit without moving for days or spend countless hours on a single, mind-numbing task without issue.]
[SKILL: RE-Roll Shop][COST: 100 FP][Dismiss the current selection of offerings in the shop and generate new ones.]
[Balance: 1700 Forge Points]
That was helpful.
I could not properly state how tempting it was to purchase Theme Song. John Williams had spoiled me when it came to the music of this world. I could practically already hear it in the back of my mind.
Fuck it.
[Theme Song][Purchase – Dismiss]
PURCHASE.
A soft melody began to play in my head. I checked my helmet's external sensors. The music was contained solely in my internal monologue. It reminded me of a gentler version of Princess Leia's Theme from the Original Trilogy Soundtrack. That was enough pointless spending of points for today. Seeker was useful as was Patience. I was distinctly lacking the ability to stand still for extended periods of time.
[Seeker][Patience][Purchase – Dismiss]
PURCHASE. RESTOCKING SHOP.
[Balance: 1250 Forge Points]
A sense of calm settled over me as the purchases slotted in. As far as I could tell there wasn't a huge change in my personality. Time would tell. I closed the shop before I spent more points.
The entire process of using the Forge took about five minutes. I wasn't as bothered at the prospect of the remaining travel time now. There were other things that could use my focus. Namely the multiple technologies I now had either rolling around in my head or in my database.
I had the Cyberdyne database, Stark-Tech Blueprints, and the Basilisk War Droid Schematics. Using the Arc Reactor to power things was just common sense. Adjusting the size would take some time. The current version was the classic chest-piece which still had an impressive power output. It was the fully functional version and not the one put together from a box of scraps in a cave. I needed to get my mechanics to look over the details before making any changes.
Stark Tech was definitely more advanced that I had expected considering the setting. The basic design for Ultron drones had a few improvements that I could use for Battle Droids. Not the actual Ultron AI, just the construction of the drones. They weren't as complex as Terminators, but it was an upgrade. Using an Arc Reactor to power the droids would make them less dependent on a mobile charging station. The ships and transport also worked as mobile power blocks for the droids to top up their batteries. A full charge could last them for seventy-two hours of heavy activity (combat, construction, rescue work) or a week of standard operations. Using the Arc Reactor would mean they could function effectively for three weeks of heavy activity or a couple of months working standard operations.
I had the specifications to create the base version of Jarvis. The AI wouldn't have any of the experience and would have to learn everything from scratch. Effectively he would be Carrie's little brother. I wasn't going to drop that on her without talking to her first.
The Cyberdyne technology was a treasure trove. I hadn't expected more than some different Terminator models. Boy was I wrong. There was an entire database dedicated to war machines. Tanks, Walkers, Drones, and each came with a suite of programs to match. I don't know how long I spent going through the many, many pieces of equipment and bookmarking anything that I thought would be useful to integrate to my current options. The second-generation Basilisk Droids were going to be monsters.
Bo might hate me for it, but I scrapped the one I had previously created and stopped the current production line. I didn't lose much time ending the builds as the updated blueprints didn't require another stretch of research. The Droid Foundry already had the details which meant it just had to apply the changes. It would run a virtual simulation to make sure my genius hadn't inadvertently ruined them. I had no doubt Bo would want my head if I screwed up the Basilisk Droids.
I started the new line of Basilisk Droids before turning my attention to the Terminators. They were obviously more complex than my Battle Droids. It took sixty hours to create a batch of Battle Droids and two days to create ten Terminators. Adding a layer of 'living' flesh over the exoskeleton added another day to the process. The good thing was that I could customize the Intelligence Suites for the units as well as their appearance. Thankfully, Cyberdyne didn't skimp on the number of infiltration units available. An impressive number of careers and personalities could be installed in a unit.
A prototype batch was in order. I tapped the side of my helmet to bring up the HUD then connected to the Droid Foundry in the Control Ship.
[Terminator K-11 Production – 10 Units - 3 Days][Basilisk Generation K12 – 30 Units - 30 Days]
The designation 'K-11' stood for Kiskin Mark One Version One and Version Two. I had altered the design to integrate a variety of units. This test batch would help me see what needed to be improved, scrapped, or recorded for future study.
~
The Terminator models were being stubborn integrated into the upgraded technology. An Arc Reactor was more efficient than the standard power source. It was the size that was the issue. An Arc Reactor was larger than the printer-cartridge sized batteries. The change should have been a simple swap. Unfortunately, the entire skeletal structure had to be adjusted to make the it fit. That made things more complicated than they needed.
My newly enhanced patience made it possible for me to approach the problem from a variety of angles with a minor bit of annoyance. The new gift didn't make my mind suddenly able to solve the problem. I could calmly go down the line of ideas, but I was still limited to what my mind could conjure. One after another I went through each solution I could think of. There was only one more thing I could do.
"Carrie," I said out loud.
There was a little click to signal a connection to my helmet, "Captain?"
Her voice wasn't as lively as her avatar. It was an easy tell to show which version of her was speaking. This was her original VI connection.
"Can you scan these plans?" I asked. "This is beyond me."
"I see. You're attempting to integrate the Arc Reactor into the Cyberdyne designs," She confirmed. "I will create a series of possible solutions for you to accept."
"Thank you," I replied. "How is our new crew member holding up?"
A screen nearby swapped from a read-out of the interior structure of a T-800 torso to show a gym. Ahsoka stood in the center of an open section of the room. Pieces of classic Old Republic droids were scattered across the floor around her. A new squad approached. They were armed with blaster rifles, pistols, and vibro-blades. The muscles on her legs tensed a moment before she sprang into action. She became a blur. Her lightsabers moved in a mad dance deflecting shots back at droids, cutting those that got close into pieces, and using her Force Abilities at random times.
"How long has she been going?" I asked.
"She was shown to the gym after a short tour of the crew area," Carrie answered. "That was about two hours ago."
"How long have I been working?" I asked.
"Five hours," Carrie replied.
I nodded. My stomach protested loudly now that I wasn't focused on my work. There were some left-overs from the test meals I made for Carrie. Some good Earth food sounded amazing.
"I'm going to get some food," I announced. "Has she eaten yet?"
"No," She replied.
"Send your Avatar to offer her food," I ordered. "I'll get some meat going in the mansion kitchen. Togruta are carnivorous."
"Roger, roger," Carrie answered.
I made my way to the mansion kitchen. The droids had done a decent job of cleaning. They weren't made for such detailed tasks, so some things were missed. I cleaned the scraps that remained before getting to work. The pantry had a good selection of just about everything. I had bacon frying on the stove, chicken thighs in the over, and beef running in a slow cooker.
"That smells good," Ahsoka said as she entered the kitchen. "What is it?"
"Meat," I replied. "I haven't added spices or sauces yet. We can do a taste test to see what you like and if there are any unintended reactions. Maybe we could get the medical droid to do a scan for allergies."
"Thanks," Ahsoka replied. "I haven't had actual food in a long time."
I paused, "Field Rations?"
She nodded. Carrie joined us a few moments later.
"Are we eating?" Carrie asked with a smile.
The bacon was ready first. I served a large portion for each of us. A quick wash and I put on a selection of turkey bacon. I wasn't a fan, but I wanted to give her options.
"Yes," I replied. "It's going to be a bit bland until we know what Ahsoka can eat."
The sound of crunching caught my attention. That was how I liked my bacon, but it was louder than I expected. I turned around to see both of them had already cleared their plates. Carrie hand froze a couple inches over my portion.
"I'll make more later," I said sliding the plate farther away from her. "Bacon is good, noted. Now we're moving on to the next option."
Carrie wrinkled her nose at the turkey bacon, "What is that?"
"Different animal," I replied.
I served them each dish as they were ready. No one liked the turkey bacon. Roasted chicken thighs were good if a little bland. Slow-cooked beef was a big hit. From there we went through the spices and dessert options. The accompanied non-meat additions to the dishes had to be limited to animal-derived options. Eggs, cheese, butter, milk, and such. Ahsoka turned out to be a coffee fiend. She said that it was vastly superior to local Caf.
"I'll get some more dishes prepared tomorrow," I said. "How are you feeling now?"
Ahsoka let out a sigh, "Good. I didn't realize I was hungry."
"Do you need anything to help settle in?" I asked. "I know this can be a big change."
"I'm sure you do," Ahsoka said rolling her eyes.
I let out a dry chuckle, "I'm not from here either."
"What?" Ahsoka sat straighter in her seat.
I nodded, "This isn't my original world. I didn't look like this when I was born."
She opened her mouth to speak then closed it.
"I was a human," I continued. "My world didn't have space travel, laser weapons, and droids. We had one planet and it only had humans. As sentient beings, that is. There were animals, of course."
"How does that make sense?" Ahsoka asked before turning to Carrie. "What about you?"
"It's complicated," Carrie shrugged.
"How long until we get to Alderaan?" Ahsoka asked.
"Thirty hours," Carrie replied easily.
We could technically be there in a couple of minutes if we used the doors. That would unfortunately mean I have to explain the process to more people that I wanted. Letting my crew in on my abilities were something I wanted to keep from spreading too far.
"I'm going to fight more droids," Ahsoka grumbled as she stood.
I looked at the mess in the kitchen. It would be rude to leave it for the droids to clean another stack of dishes I had dirtied.
"Give me some time to clean up and I'll join you," I offered.
~
I strolled through Legacy enjoying the hum of the engines as I walked. It didn't take long to find the gym. The sound of lightsabers and blasters announced the location to the point I didn't have to worry about following a map. It also helped that my HUD had would correct me if I drifted from the route.
The sparring area of the gym was a mess. Droid parts, charred areas, and pieces of blasters were scattered around where Ahsoka stood. She was swaying on her feet. Her lightsabers shivered in her grip as she tried to hold them in a defensive position. A squad of maintenance droids were in the process of cleaning the mess. She had worked her way through the number to cause a lag in the next wave.
"That's enough for now," I announced.
Her eyes snapped to me. The grip on her lightsabers steadied as she shifted her stance to face me.
"I wouldn't suggest that course of action," I moved in a wide arc to give her space.
Slowly, her lightsabers lowered. A moment later she deactivated them.
"These droids are tough," Ahsoka said as she hooked her weapons on her belt.
I nodded, "They frequently fought Force Users in the Old Republic days. Their programming is a reflection of that."
"This really is a Hammerhead," She said to herself. "These haven't been in production in over a thousand years."
I chuckled, "Weird right? Technology hasn't changed much in all that time. Some of the systems have been lost to time. The battle-droids of this era have better processing, but the factory set skills are lacking. I can't just pop a core from the Old Republic droids into a recent one. That would be too easy. The Old Republic droids don't have a personality matrix which causes all sorts of problems. They didn't see a point in giving expendable foot-soldiers complex thought. Everything they do is a simple 'If-Then' logic process."
"I don't know which ones I'd rather fight," Ahsoka said as she stepped off the sparring platform.
I thought for a moment, "You, or a Force User, would do best against the current versions. Their tactics focus on Non-Jedi enemies. Most of their strength comes from their numbers. The Oldies have skills to fight both troops and Jedi. You could probably chop through a dozen or so more per wave if you were fighting the B1s."
"Why do I trust you?" Ahsoka asked. "We just met. You basically kidnapped me. I still can't find it in me to find a reason to fight you."
I chuckled, "Thanks, I think."
"I'm serious," Ahsoka snapped.
I sighed, "It's part of the process."
Ahsoka motioned with her hand to keep going.
"There is no going back to your old world," I explained. "The people, entity, or whatever that brought you here is kind enough to make sure you feel comfortable with me."
"This is my world," Ahsoka countered. "Kind of."
I shook my head, "It's close, but not the same."
"Something is messing with my head to trust you?" Ahsoka asked. "That doesn't make me want to trust you. Why do I?"
I shrugged, "Get some rest and then we can hit each other with sticks to make you feel better."
"Sticks?" Ahsoka asked. "I don't mind hitting you, but we have lightsabers."
I chuckled, "I don't want to lose another limb."
Ahsoka narrowed her eyes as she studied me.
I held up my cybernetic arm, "Maul slipped my defense."
"Maul is still around because of course he is," Ahsoka muttered.
I shook my head, "I killed him."
"Are you sure?" Ahsoka asked. "He has a bad habit of not staying dead."
A gout of flame erupted from my other gauntlet, "I don't think he's coming back from this."
I paused and knocked my knuckles against my helmet just in case. That slippery bastard did have a reputation for avoiding death.
"Fine," Ahsoka shrugged. "Why sticks?"
"Bacta can heal broken bones," I explained. "It can't replace limbs."
"Fair enough," She replied. "I'm ready when you are."
I shook my head, "Walk around and do some stretches. You don’t want to get cramps."
"Jedi don't get cramps," Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "I'm good with a few minutes of rest. It's an eternity on the battlefield."
I sighed, "Fine. Grab a weapon from the rack over there."
She practically skipped over to the weapons rack. Her selection was two shorter wood swords like her lightsabers. She took a few moments to find the ones with the best balance. I picked one with the normal measurements then made my way to the center of the sparring area to wait.