boxofmisfits | (no subject)

As a member of the Dark Council, Talwyn Kallig (Darth Imperius to his fellow Sith), was well aware of the recent deal brokered for new tech. While technology wasn't his sphere of influence, Darth Marr had felt that all members of the Council should be privy to this. In short, an alien race previously unheard of had offered to sell them some advanced personal crafts. Some of the council had objected to the idea, but the Council had ultimately voted to buy the ships. After the loss of the Ascendant Spear and the Republic currently having the advantage, they couldn't afford to be picky.

Talwyn had experience with alien tech, thanks to his encounters with the Rakata, so of course he'd been gifted one of the ships.

Darth Imperius inspected the craft, noting the sleekness, the wingspan, and the angles. He wasn't exactly an expert on aircraft and was no engineer, but he'd been told that this one was top-of-the-line and very fit for one of his stature.

He read the name on the side. "Starscream. Quite the name."

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At the identification the ship hummed to life as if recognizing its name. Streamlined red lighting traced along the panels and seams, brightening briefly before dimming down to a ready state. This particular ship model came equipped with missiles and lasers — labelled as "null rays" — but it was evident that the craft was more suited to superior speed and maneuverability than pure firepower.

The voice of the ship AI came over the comm as he accessed the systems. It was refined, lightly accented, and possessed a peculiar lilt that sounded so fluid it was hard to believe it was programmed. "Darth Imperius. Ready to commence pilot calibration?"

Imperius wasn't exactly given an instruction manual for this craft, so it took him by surprise when it lit up. Strong as he was in the Force, speed and mobility suited him just fine, since he generally preferred to fight with guile rather than strength.

The voice sounded nothing like the protocol droid that ran his flagship, or indeed any droid he'd met. Even fully sentient droids didn't sound that fluid.

"Er... yes. Ready to commence pilot calibration."

"Acknowledged," the AI replied coolly, just a few plausibly deniable shades paler than disdainful at his apparent wrong-footedness.

The ship's interior lights flashed in sequence as if scanning him, and its navigational systems powered on with a pre-lit course that would take him through an ambitious route. Several sections of which were classified for advanced piloting only, or otherwise marked to avoid unless absolutely necessary. It wasn't quite The Belt in the Dubrillion system, but it would not be an easy flight if the prechosen course was adhered to.

"Queuing for departure protocol," the AI announced, proactively pinging comms for clearance. If someone didn't know better, they might think the ship was impatient to get to flying.

Edited 2023-05-22 01:33 (UTC)

Talwyn's eyes scanned the instruments and readout. It seemed pretty straightforward, and even an inexperienced pilot like himself wouldn't have any trouble flying the craft. His friend Andronikos would have a field day with a ship like this.

"Alright, let's see what you can do," He grips the controls, opening his senses up to the Force as he always does when he drives or flies a vehicle.

It had certainly been a selling feature that the Quintessons had highlighted to the Council in their negotiations: that the ships' AI was advanced enough that a piloting skill became secondary to the pilot's mind in decision making.

To Talwyn's Force-sense, the ship is... nothing. Ordinarily that wouldn't be cause to note, except that even machines — everything from droids, to freighters, to speeders — usually put out something. Like a low-level electrical static, they were at least there. They existed, they occupied space in the fabric of the universe.

But this ship was completely and utterly absent. Talwyn could have been sitting in empty air for all nothing trickled across his senses.

But its engine is certainly there as propulsors ignite and guide the ship from its docking bay and discharge it out into open space. More interior lights sequence, their patterning unclear and unprompted.

"Beginning calibration."

Force sensitives tended to make good pilots because of their connection to the Force, but even that only helped so much. A Sith lord relying on the Force alone could still be bested by a talented and experienced pilot without a trace of Force sensitivity. Usually when Imperius took the Fury into battle, he had Andronikos piloting while he served as co-pilot.

But this, if this AI could do half the things the sellers claimed, then Imperius was eager to know what it felt like to be a real pilot.