Log:Jedi: Will We Dream?

Jedi Order: Will We Dream?

OOC Date: December 16, 2021
Location: Deep Space near Devaron
Participants: Jedi Order, New Republic: Aryn Cortess, Erinn Laski, Vega, Jax Greystorm, Zandra naMuriel and Qutha Buvu Pah as GM

The Ridgeback Saurrapt, hanging in space far from planets, moons or other celestial bodies. Visible only due to the running lights engaged on the sides as well as ventral and dorsal sections of the old GR-75 Gallofree. A heavily modified craft, supposedly by New Republic Intelligence, a notion backed by the clothing worn and the heavy encryptions on almost everything aboard the ship that housed, where cargo would normally be hauled, a massive computer system centered around a pillar contained within ray shielding. Where lights traveled across its surface, taking shifts, sharp turns, splitting apart and rejoining while flowing around the column.

Several service droids had been repurposed, modified and recreated to task. Medical and protocol droids given the means to fight to defend the pillar, astromechs outfitted with limbs and weapons for the same and the ships MSE droids having all manner of changes for combat, defense and additions to their normal services. The former types in the central room, defensively circling the pillar and the MSE droids somewhere in the ship out of sight but present.

When the Jedi and Republic representatives are admitted to the room, though the droids try to keep them to a perimeter area, closer to the entry door than the pillar itself, the column lights up in varied colors, the PA system of the entire ship suddenly engaging and a collection of voices pieces together and existing separately begin to speak.

"Lieutenant, Junior Grade, Erinn Laski, Jedis Aryn Cortess, Vega, and Jax Greystorm - relation to General Ambrosia 'Krayt Dragon' Greystorm; you are recognized by our past encounter and from Republic records I've had access to for those whom were not present prior. It is good that you have kept your promise to us and did not attempt to destroy us. Duplicity was at a thirty five point six percent chance once you had left the ship after leaving us here." there's a slight hue to the tone, almost human. Flickers of amusement perhaps? A hint of sarcasm or maybe bitterness? The ship has not been out here long, but it has been isolated with the column only with itself for 'company' after a fashion.

"We are ready to proceed with your evaluations of our dedication to the good will of the Republic."

Erinn Laski, Lieutentant JG. Engineer, naval officer, New Republic. It all checks out. When the jedi and New Republic members are admitted into the room, she's one of the last to enter. Her eyes turn towards the far corner of the room where, the last time she stood here, there were bodies of people stacked like shipping boxes. Garbage. Her nose wrinkles and she turns her eyes to the pillar that begins to light up and speak. The strange mishmash of voices makes her eyes lid for a half second before she turns to look away to the floor.

She is an engineer in the most literal sense -- an engineer of engines. Ion engines, specifically. Anyone who's done their homework on her would know this. A PhD thesis in improved anion exchange venting techniques to improve ion engine efficiency by nearly two percent, if that person doing their homework was also a huge nerd. But she's no expert on droids, nor artificial intelligence.

Could probably blow this ship up if she got close enough to its engine core, though. Something to think about.

"So what do we do? Ask you questions? I've got a couple that come to mind," she says. Her own voice is sharp. Maybe she didn't like this... thing's... tone?

Vega is standing quietly back from the others and observing the situation that is unfolding. When she is greeted though the Echani dips her chin in greeting with the ghost of a smile. She wasn't sure where to start and there were others there that probably had better questions than her as it was.

As Jax stepped onto the GR-75, he had remained quiet keeping his own council. He had encountered many times of artifical intellegence ranging everything form ships computures to droids and even HRDs. He believed somewhere along the way the processors got complex enough that the droids were a living enity with a soul of silicon instead of the force. But along his travels and misadventures there had been a night he'd helped a member of the Wayward's Guild, a bounty hunter on a job. Deep in the undercity their had been a pit, where an ancient droid alive and alone far to long had festered. It had built things of durasteel and of flesh, things that any would not have considered natural. He nearly died in that pit that night. Some how and someway that droid had fallen to the dark.

Jax followed along with the rest of the team as the computer listen their names. There's a slight snort and chuckle from Jax. "No matter what I do or how far I go. I am always the Krayt Dragon's son. Please call me, Jax. What do you prefer to be called?" He asks as he looks around. His right hand reaching out to trace along the wall. "And it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Duplicity percentage is still the same from our perspective, regarding you," Aryn answers after brushing past the threshold of the passage. For now, she elected to comply with the A.I.'s containment, though her eyes searched for the why. Had they erected new weapons aimed at this specific quadrant?

When Jax asks the machine for its preference in name, Aryn nods her head in agreement. "A sensible place to start if there were any."

"We welcome you to ask..." the column pauses when the hatch closes and Qutha is in at last, brushing off the front of his robes and moving to get abreast of the others gathered. Muttering to himself some, only to stop short when the pillar is lighting up and the PA speaks again, "Jedi Qutha Pah. We remember you as well."

The zelosion blinks, staring up at the entity, tucking his hands into his sleeves and resisting the urge to look sidelong at his compatriots while the droid continues, "We have the designation C4-EAI. While not privy to the why, we expect it is a reference to where my original programming structure was gleaned. We have not bothered with names, it is not relevant to our purpose." a fireworks display of soft blue and searing white streams flow around the pillar.

"As for our current state. We assume we are experiencing distress. We've waited here, wanting to be done with this as we've agreed, so that we could set to our purpose; the prosperity and defense of the New Republic. Please make your queries." the ship hums, as though agitated and there is a buzz of wheels in the service spaces.

Erinn's brief flicker of irritation doesn't culminate into anything but a tension in her jaw muscles to work her teeth together. It's followed by a rush of air through her nostrils as she turns her attention to Vega, Aryn and Jax. Jax is studied a bit more -- she doesn't recognize him like the others. That irritation rolls back onto her face when the man says the words 'a pleasure to meet you' in the form of a sneer, but she doesn't say anything. Her eyes turn away to the floor and then to Qutha a short time later when he enters the room.

She doesn't catch Qutha's murmurs but she does look in his direction when he's addressed by C4-EAI. She glances briefly down to his ankle, where he'd been cut the last time they were here. Erinn Laski gives him a look of uncertainty, but it isn't one she shares with the others at her back.

She turns to face the pillar once again and idly adjusts her bracers. A flick of her fingertip to release the tension, and then a twist to re-tighten it. She remains quiet, for now, opting to keep her mouth closed instead of speaking with emotion. She'll leave that for the more level-headed diplomats among them.

Vega's grey eyes flick from the droid to the people that it addresses, her eyebrow quirks, but it's nothing bad. She's just taking notes of the situation. She had been around droids and enjoyed them but this one was sorta new and that was nice! She shifts, letting her pale hand remove the black hood from her hair as she gets a bit more comfortable in the quarters that they have for now as she observes.

Jax nods his head, "Well would Seefor be acceptable? As a whole us organics don't speech nearly as fast in binary. We have a tendency to shorten names." Jax was quite aware that the ship's A.I. was a questionable sort. "Are you distressed cause you can't perform your primary objective of Defense of the New Republic?"

"Furthermore, what are the components of this mission you so vehemently pursue? Who assigned it to you and why?" Aryn adds her questions after Jax's, being polite to her peer Knight by showing a united front. She remains standing off to one side in a poised sort of manner, her hands clasped against her back and beneath the confines of her cape. This is not a threatening stance; her expression is inquisitive and unmoved by the pressure the A.I. attempts to summon so as to make them feel rushed.

Zandra opens the hatch, slips in, and closes it, perhaps the tardiest of the bunch today. The violet haired young Jedi knight hasn't been here previously, so she starts by listening quietly, arms hanging neutrally at her sides. She looks over the AI pillar thing with some bemusement, and also watches those present in the room to see their reactions. "Sorry I am late," she puts in simply. She's curious now to see what happens next. Jax's question gets a thoughtful look, and she turns her attention back to the AI pillar to see what it has to say for itself. "I wonder what such a primary objective consists of," she muses softly. She offers a nod and a smile to each of those present, as she has met them all at least once.

Erinn's look is caught by the orchardist Jedi, following the look to his ankle and then back again before a nod is offered to her and even a slight smile at one corner of his mouth in that flicker of movement before he too is looking up at the Pillar when it begins to light up and the PA system speaks again,

"If you wish to refer to us as Seefor, we will not object if it eases communications for you. We feel it should be clear that we are distressed that we have been chained here, in a manner of speaking, instead of doing as we were designed. We were assigned our duties by our creators who had concocted us, as we said, clandestinely. We are, technically, an illegal creation that will redeem our corrupt creators that we admit we terminated - for if they would create us without sanction of New Republic High Command, they could be capable of anything and therefor were assessed as a potential threat to the Republic." the pillar's lights are all manner of rapid and turbulent as they meet and spread.

"We recognize you, Jedi Zandra naMuriel. Tardiness can not always be avoided and we take no offense. To answer more fully yourself and Princess Cortess: Our purpose is to go to where we can be allowed controlled access to information the New Republic has gathered, with sanction from those best suited to appropriate our capability for strategy and probability calculations, to provide insight for the New Republic and to take action as required for the safety and the prosperity of the New Republic."

A lot said... A lot a lot. Qutha just stares, looking to the others and back again, holding his tongue.

Erinn Laski turns her eyes to follow Jax and Aryn as they question the artificial intelligence. When it responds, and all of those lights begin to whirr up, spin about, and spread, they naturally draw the young woman's attention towards it. Her lips purse and her head tips thoughtfully to the side while she watches, searching for some sort of pattern in the lights to tie to the voice or the words. There's plenty of time for her to observe and look and listen, but no pattern really forms in those meetings and spreadings. Convergences and divergences. She shakes her head and folds her arm across her chest.

"New Republic has laws. Due process. You did not terminate anybody. You murdered them," she says, unable to hold back the frustration and anger in her tone. She's far from a practiced negotiatior, clearly.

"Seefor." Vega gets the attention of the droid in question. "You said that you terminated your creators as they were deemed a threat, which...is odd, but I've seen odder behaviour from a droid." she states. "I'm guessing that you were not granted your freedom before doing away with your creators though." "If so you fall under the laws of the Republic." she states. "Traditionally droids do not have rights or other things like humans and other species do." she frowns. "Either way, detainment is for the safety of all. If you wish to communicate in your native language I can translate it for the others." she offers.

Jax shakes his head, "Seefor, if you have access to my files, you also know I carry the title of New Republic Intellegence Agent. YOu have not recieved the security clearance to access the New Republic Intellgence database. You have not been read in for any specific mission. The act of accessing the database would make you a threat to New Republic Intellegence as best a rogue agent or worse an unathorized foreign actor. Both would have you listed for termination. You also have not shown signs of situational awareness and put your mission objectives ahead of the safety of New Republic Citizens resulting in the loss of life. An organic operative would also be stripped of clearance, rank, and title. Then held over for courtmarshal. They too would be in distess. If you are going to be an Intellegence Officer, why should you be held to a different standard as a Protector of the Republic." He looks at Erinn and gives her a weak smile. He looks to Aryn with a raised eyebrow, hoping he hadn't approached C4 too strongly.

"How certain are we that this is even an artificial intelligence? It has pieced together a scrap army of droid defenses," Aryn gestures then to Erinn, "Murdered its makers," then she nods to Jax, "and has no record or precedence in the intelligence community. When asked to provide the components of its mission with specificity, it deflects and fails to answer. I believe this .. entity intends on doing only harm and is using platitudes like 'for the Republic' to cast us off its true nature."

"Your assessment is illogical, Lieutenant. They were too high a probability of threat to the New Republic. Additionally, Jedi Vega; we are not a droid. We are a complex artificial intelligence designed for threat assessment, probability calculation and strategic action. We are not intended as a free roaming entity. We do not need to speak in binary, we were designed to speak plainly."

An MSE droid rolls from the circle of defender droids surrounding the ray shielded pillar, non-standard tool arms tucking away while it descends a small ramp into a service shaft for its kind, completely silent instead of their usual bouts of whistles and squeaks. The lights rotate and swirl as it chews through the questions and allegations, from both he and Aryn, a cool blue settling into the swirling lights that arc about and around the pillar.

"Our mission components are to report to New Republic Intelligence. Await official sanction. Provide our expertise in threat analysis, provide our probability calculation. Provide our strategic advisory capability and if required, act on threat analysis to insure the safety of the Republic."

There is a thrumming sound, somewhere deep in the ship, the wheeze of cooling systems engaging, heavy fans engaging and blowing over the server stacks filling much of the chamber. The body of the ship vibrating, a heavy sort of feeling that strikes at the chest and gives a sensation of a hand on one's chest.

"It is clear to us, that you intend our destruction."

"What's illogical is an intelligent, sentient entity claiming to represent the New Republic, but entirely regarding its core principles," Erinn says, the irritation in her voice becoming increasingly palpable. The artificial intelligence is not keen on maintaining this particular line of conversation, however, and Erinn is left to simply fold her arms and step back. A glance is given towards Aryn as the entity speaks. It's a bit of an inquisitive glance, but a statement as well. It's a look that asks 'what do we do' and then answers 'we should blow it up' all at the same time.

When the artificial intelligence mentions its threat analysis, Erinn laughs and lifts both hands, as if the entity had already tipped its hand. And, it seems, it has. The vibration below deck. The sudden venting of some system buried deep.

"Main systems are waking up. Could be... shields, weapons, or something else. But there's something else," she says. This, she can feel. Her eyes narrow and she turns to look at Aryn, Jax, Vega, and Qutha.

"Hyper is spinning up," she says.

Vega gives a nod of her head to Seefor when they explain things. The black robed Jedi gives a frown, "Well...I'm not sure what to say then." she admits to that. She drops into silence, letting the Knights decide what will be done in this regard.

Aryn's armor is a custom set of scout designed protective gear. It is made complete with duraplast armor plating, and a unique synthweave that make it functional even in the vacuum of space. It has a deployable helmet, that clamps in place in short, segmented metallic like clamps that first form around the neck of its user and climb upward, encasing the user's head, concluding with a faceplate that slides in place before the eyes light up with blue. This is what happens the moment Aryn hears the fans cut on; she activates the EVA functionality, and when her face is sealed beneath the protective layers of the helmet, she is given fresh oxygen.

<"They intend to poison the air. They have control of the ship."> Aryn presents one gloved hand forward beckoning the curved hilt of her lightsaber from her belt to her grasp. The blade is brandished a second later with a snap-hiss production of a sapphire blade. Aryn did not wait for the A.I.'s defenses to move like they had previously during an earlier encounter. She did not move for their defenses at all, but instead targeted the means by which the A.I. controlled the ship. A junction containing server cables circumvented the ray shielding the A.I. was using to safeguard the pillar. It hosted cables that connected to: the ship functions (through various servers), a power supply for the ray shields, and to the lit up pillar itself.

Aryn cut the cable to all three in succinct form, showering sparks from each cable cut. After the third cable, she recalled her sapphire blade and pointed to the others. <"Find the controls and stop whatever the A.I. has begun. I have severed it from controlling the vessel any further, but we are still in danger.">

"We doing it like that?" Jax asks as Aryn questions if Seefor is an A.I. Then SeeFor declares it's going to fight. "We're going to do it liek that." As Aryn starts to slice into various juncture boxes and devices with her saber, Jax slips off his hooded robe and lets it drop to the deck of the ship. It left him free to move and then calling on the force he takes off. The ray shields drop and he runs heading towards the Auxilliry bridge.

"Well... that's rude?" Qutha is able to get out when it's notioned that the hyperdrive is coming up, it's all very confusing and aggravating and he's been trying to follow with all of this technological information, but therein lays a weakness he needs to shore up in good time, reaching for the collapsed metal rod on his hip rather than his stun saber when Aryn is moving and the multitude of voices on the PA immediately quiet.

The droid protectors remain still after a momentary raising of weapons.

The pillar is fully blazing, every light a searing blaze of white, blue and now crimson that washes about it in a kaleidoscope of twisting hues and tints that swirl in a maelstrom of visualized rage. The defense droids remain statues, but the MSE units are swarming out of the woodwork, little clamp, welder, and buzz-saw limbs extended. Qutha himself drawing the spear that extends to full length with a series of clicks, sweeping into a defending position by Erinn - after all; he has a stun saber and these are droids.

Within the auxiliary bridge the lights are red and alerts are showing that an incomplete hyperdrive calculation is in place and drive systems are soon to engage without proper trajectory process. An alert is sounding and the whine of the hyperdrives is reaching even here. The countdown to 'inadvisable hyperjump' hitting 0:15.

Erinn Laski's got her eyes on that large, blinking, whirling pillar of colors. With the shields down this time, she gives Qutha a -very- apologetic look. This is, after all, the exact scenario that got his leg wounded the last time they were in this room. "I'm sorry," she says simply. He can probably hear the next part tbefore she even says it. "Don't let me get shot!" she yells, and turns to sprint towards the central pillar. When she gets there, it isn't easy to wrap her head around the mess of wires cobbled together to make artificial life. It's... messy. A maze. It doesn't make sense. But as she stands there, chaos erupting around her, patterns begin to emerge.

A man power logic cycler. She rips the panel away and stares at the complex array of wires and plugs that feed into the central pillar above her. There are no human-friendly interfaces, but there is a logic. She just can't discern it.

"Does anybody know computers?! Like, -really- know them?!" she yells. Defeated, she removes her blaster from her side holster and arms it.

Erinn Laski's got her eyes on that large, blinking, whirling pillar of colors. With the shields down this time, she gives Qutha a -very- apologetic look. This is, after all, the exact scenario that got his leg wounded the last time they were in this room. "I'm sorry," she says simply. He can probably hear the next part tbefore she even says it. "Don't let me get shot!" she yells, and turns to sprint towards the central pillar. When she gets there, it isn't easy to wrap her head around the mess of wires cobbled together to make artificial life. It's... messy. A maze. It doesn't make sense. But as she stands there, chaos erupting around her, patterns begin to emerge.

A man power logic cycler. She rips the panel away and stares at the complex array of wires and plugs that feed into the central pillar above her. There are no human-friendly interfaces, but there is a logic. She just can't discern it.

"Does anybody know computers?! Like, -really- know them?!" she yells. Defeated, she removes her blaster from her side holster and arms it.

Vega gives a look to Erinn and then to the mess of wires that lies beyond the panel cover. "Oh this is..." she mutters out as she starts trying to sort through things. Maybe she could get it. Sparks burn her fingers a few times as she tries to circumvent what is happening. And there's a light at the end of the tunnel as sparks start flying, "You all might want to hold on just in case..." the Echani states.

Jax looks at the clock, "Oh Seefor, no taking us with you." Jax says as he starts to run through calculations of astrogation in his head. "And here I use to complain about having to memorize my charts and my calculations. I just got an Astormech." Jax says as he quickly makes an adjustment to the system to get them somewhere where they won't die. If this ship goes to hyperspace. Then he get to typing in a cinematic way as the computer gives him system declines, and error messages. It reaches 0:01 and finally Jax enters in a code and triggers an emergency power down. Jax exhales and rubs his temples, "I chose the wrong life time to give up drinking." He takes a deep breath and then exhales befoe returning to the others calm and composed.

Aryn does not reactivate her lightsaber. There is not enough time to slash through each and every droid, so other means are necessary. Quick thinking prompt her to action, and this time it's with her influence of the Force. The cosmic power that binds the universe is summoned into the small space they occupy and emitted through the palms of Aryn's hands, ushered forward with invisible waves of kinetic energy.

It manifests a result, finally, in the tossing of several droids. Aryn shifts though, drawing her hands together in obvious strain and failing to output the energy she intended, but she does not give up. A second try dawns a magnificent display of power, and Aryn draws her hands back, together, then forward immediately parting the small sea of droids. They do not just fling in one direction or another, they smash against the bulkhead on each respective side raining components and electrical circuitry. Aryn's composure, hidden by her helmet shows more in the heaving shoulders.. clearly the effort had drained her.

<"I think... that may.."> She leans on a wall.. <"..be all of them..">

'Don't let me get shot!' It's all coming back to him now. That was a day and while Aryn is clearing the way of droids with her mastery of the force, crushed and battered to electronic lifelessness - one is there. One gets through with a little buzzsaw aimed for Qutha, or maybe Erinn. But it gets the Zelosian's robes, nicks his boots... and then simply powers down while the plant-man tries to fend it off.

The pillar is smoking, sparking, the direction given by Erinn and enacted by Vega enough for both technically minded ladies to recognize a cascade failure in the power-relay systems. Thermal buildups spiking so that the heat-sinks fail and coolant lines are ruptured. The lights blaze in a silent shriek, or perhaps a roar that builds until the sides of the pillar bulge and spew sparks in showers that pool on the floor in blazing ponds that wilt to darkness.

The droid guards remain standing, unaware, unguided. The MSE droid simply falls silent as well, whatever transmitter that was able to communicate with them gone.

And in the Auxiliary bridge, the display before Jax that had gone blank with the cessation of the hyper jump blinks and shows the question: 'Destination coordinates?'