boxofmisfits | Strange Droid

When the Stormtroopers returned to the Admonitor, they had a box with them, claiming that they got a good deal on it and thought the Grand Admiral might appreciate it. Opening up the box had revealed a droid, but not like any Thrawn had ever seen. While he'd seen droids within the Empire, none were quite this human looking. The lead Stormtrooper, Commander Balkin, said that he felt Thrawn might appreciate it as an art piece or collector's item. Balkin said that the seller hadn't known what world the droid came from, or what culture made it.

Thrawn accepted the droid and took it back to his office. The droid wasn't like any he'd ever seen before, even after cross-referencing various models dating back to the Clone Wars. He'd even looked at droid models from the Sith Empire and Old Republic, and it matched none there either. The strange synthetic skin was interesting, as Thrawn could see no real reason for it. Perhaps it had covered the unit's entire body once.

Thankfully, Thrawn had figured out which wires went where within the droid, and had found a way to hook it to a battery that would give it enough power until it could recharge itself. After some fiddling, Thrawn managed to boot the droid up.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Sadly, plenty of people are not civil towards droids, seeing them as no better than inanimate objects or something to take frustration out of. I understand that my crew has been kind to you, which I am glad for."

If anyone had a problem with Valentine, then Thrawn would see them reprimanded just as he would if Nick were a human crewmate. He wanted to foster an air of civility, for that was how one ran a tight ship.

"Indeed. From what I gather, the justification was that the Sith would have wiped each other out anyway, and that by keeping their numbers to that minimum they would be able to hide from the Jedi. However, it also served as their own destruction. At the moment, there are two known Sith who rule the inner galaxy, and should anything happen to them, the Sith will be gone."

That wasn't to say that there weren't secret Sith out there, or possibly even pockets of Sith in hiding.

"They've been great, yeah."

He'd made friends. And allies. People who came to him if they needed help with tracking something they'd lost down. Most of the crew greeted him when they passed him. A few of them could probably even be called protective. A few of them had said that he reminded them of their grandfather which Nick chose to interpret as a compliment.

Either way he never lacked for people who wanted to talk to him when Thrawn was occupied. Both officers and Stormtroopers had a tendency to track him down when they were off duty to invite him to come sit with them. Or to ask if there was something he needed help with.

"Easier to hide in smaller numbers. Still a damn shame though."

For an entire people to dwindle like that. History and culture being lost but also lives.

"These Jedi were out to get them too then?"

Enemies both outside and within. Sounded messy and complicated.

"Yes. The Jedi were their sworn enemies, often at war with one another. For years, the Jedi thought that the Sith were extinct, not knowing that they were lying in wait. The Sith struck a few decades ago, orchestrating a war that led to the destruction of the Jedi."

There were rumors of Jedi within the galaxy the last time Thrawn had visited, but it hadn't been a priority for him. And then, of course, there were the Emperor's Hands, who identified as neither Jedi nor Sith.

"Lots of loss of life all around then."

It was unfortunate. People were given the gift of speech and still chose violence that ended in eradication. Nick wondered why it was so difficult for people to understand each other and compromise to minimize death. For most people life was so fleeting too.

"Damn shame," He repeated, rubbing at the back of his neck with his good hand.

"How about your people? Sort of can't help but notice that you're as outnumbered here as I am."

As the superior officer too. It had to be lonely. Nick could be invited by the crew on account of being an outsider, but when it came to people who got chummy with Thrawn, he supposed there was just him. Since Thrawn was his owner and allowed for him to speak his mind.

"Yes," Thrawn paused, as if lost in thought. "I was exiled by my people, the Chiss, many years ago, for breaking one of our laws. The Empire found me, and recruited me. I saw an opportunity, and I took it."

Even after all this time, the exile still pained him. He loved his people, he would do anything for them, even if they did not want his help. He would always love them, and everything he did, he did for them.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Thrawn," Nick said, reaching out with his good hand to give his arm a gentle squeeze. Nick couldn't remember where he came from exactly but he was pretty sure he could go back any time he liked. Being separated and exiled from one's people though. That would never stop hurting he imagined.

"Suppose your current situation ain't bad. It's not home though I imagine."

Probably nothing that could make it feel like home though. But he'd certainly made something of himself.

He pulled his hand back, since he doubted Thrawn wanted it to linger. Even his good hand lacked the warmth of the living after all.

Thrawn glanced at their joined hands. Nick's skin felt interesting. It wasn't quite rubber, nor did it feel like real skin. Thrawn's guess that it was silicone-based seemed to be accurate. Thrawn had still yet to figure out why someone would give a mechanical lifeform skin, or go out of their way to make him look human.

"While I often miss home, I have carved a place for myself. There are some Chiss who chose to join the Empire of the Hand, and are loyal to me, though most of them are stationed on various worlds."

He felt oddly self-conscious at that glance. During his time with Thrawn he had come to find that he was quite unique. Not quite a person. Not quite a droid. Something in between or perhaps entirely different. Still acutely aware that his hands weren't the hands of someone quite living. He had old memories that were his but not, newer ones that were fragmented, and new ones of his life here.

Maybe his identity was as much in tatters as his body. He thought that self-conscious feeling probably came from the fact that he didn't carry the heat and comfort of something living though. Or maybe it was just because he was an antique.

"That's good. That you're not all on your own."

Being unique was a good thing but it was also quite lonely. Or so Nick thought anyway.

"Are they out on their own missions for you?"

"They are where they need to be, even if that place is not on my ship." He hoped to integrate more Chiss officers into the fleet, since they already had aliens serving as stormtroopers. Some of the humans were still rather xenophobic, unfortunately, and it was another thing Thrawn hoped to weed out.

Strange Droid

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