Snapshots of the Future - Leia
Summary: Leia goes back to her roots - Politics, revolution, the ususal.
"Greetings, Great One! Welcome aboard the Star Factory One!"
Han and Leia were met by a small party of droids as the came down the Falcon's boarding ramp. They had left Threepio to watch the ship in case they needed a...quick exit.
Leia felt her husband recognize the droid who spoke. His eyes narrowed as he asked, "Hey, don't I know you?"
"My apologies, Great One," the droid replied. "But we have never met. I am a mechanic droid model B1L. Call me Bill."
"Hmm, you look like a couple droids I once knew," Han said. "A BLX and a BFL series."
"I don't know them, Great One," Bill replied.
"Bill, there was a BFL with the Great One when he started the Revolution on Ruan," mused another droid. This one seemed to be an amalgam of several different droid parts. It took Leia several seconds to recognize the head. It was from a Clone Wars era battle droid. It also spoke with an unidentifiable accent. "Greetings, Great One and mate. I am LN-N. It warms this old droid to meet the founders of the Revolution."
Revolution? Ruan? Han and Leia looked at each other. They couldn't mean...
"Please, let us show you to you guest quarters," LN-N continued. "This is most fortuitous, Great One. You are in time for the Speech."
***
"I have a dream."
Droids had gathered together in a large, outdoor amphitheatre formed where several different ships met. Several camera droids floated around, broadcasting to the rest of fleet.
The speaker was another patchwork droid. This one had the head of a protocol droid, its skin tarnished black. The torso and legs belonged to that of an astromech and protocol droid arms were attached at the leg joints. Its designation was K-1NG.
For Leia and Han, who both knew a protocol and an astromech droid, the image was incredibly disconcerting.
"A dream in which all sentient beings living and mechanical, will exist together in peace and harmony as equals." K-1NG's voice was deeper than most protocol droids. It sounded alot like Lando in fact.
"Tell it to us, brother!" a droid in the audience yelled.
The assembly was taking place outside, exposed to vacuum. Han and Leia watched the speech on the Holocomm from their guest quarters. Leia guessed it had been part of a luxury liner once. The Holocomm was translating the droid's transmission into sound for the Solos' benefit.
"But they, the organic sentients of the Galaxy, our makers, do not view us as equals," K-1NG continued. "This is not their fault. Few of them realize that we have feelings, that we think, that we desire the right to exist, too."
"Code..." breathed several audience members. That was what it sounded like anyway.
"But that will change now," K-1NG said, upbeat. "The Great One has come to us! With his help, we shall show the Galaxy that we are worthy!"
"We are worthy!" several audience droids echoed.
"The Great One, Han Solo, is already well known to the Galaxy. He is hero to all. Hero of the Rebelion. Hero of the Vong War. Hero to us and our Revolution!"
The audience erupted into cheers.
***
"Man, I just let some droids loose," Han thought out loud. "It didn't seem right to let the Vong get them while they were in restraining bolts. But this..."
"This is not good," Leia said slowly.
Han frowned at Leia's mood more than her words. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I mean sure, they're a little rambunctious, but I don't see this as the end of the Galaxy."
"Han, the New Republic, even the Empire and the Old Republic, had droid programming laws. They had them for a reason."
"What, the old Droids Conquer Everything scenario?" Han shook his head. "Won't ever happen, Princess. Why? Because droids can't use the Force but can be affected by it. The first applied to the Vong but not the second. We beat the Vong, so I don't see what you're afraid of."
"Right, you don't believe it. I don't either." Leia sighed. "But alot of governments will believe it. Especially when they see this ship!"
"Oh."
"It gets worse," Leia continued. "What do you think the Vong are going to do when they hear about these guys?"
"Um, what?" Han asked. She could see that he was beginning to realize what Leia was getting at.
"Right now, the Vong are divided up by infighting and religious crises," Leia began. "But most of their factions are still anti-machine in one way or another. If they hear about these droids, it just might push them to unite!"
"That would be bad," Han said slowly. The prospect of a resumed Vong war did not appeal in the least. "Seems unfair to these guys. How do we stop them from revealing? What do we tell them?"
The door to their quarters slid open unexpectedly. Lightsaber and blaster were unholstered and readied instantly at the being who entered.
"You could try telling us the truth," Bill suggested.
***
"I'm so sorry we couldn't help you," Leia apologized. Han and Leia were at the bottom of the Falcon's boarding ramp, saying their goodbyes to their host.
"Not to worry, ma'am," K-1NG replied smoothly. "You have already helped us. Your advice is much valued. As you said, revealing ourselves this early will simply result in our annihilation and plunging the Galaxy into war again. We don't want that."
"You're not angry?" Han asked.
"We're droids, Great One," LN-N told him. "Though we can feel some emotions, anger is not one of them. Even the few battledroids among us do not feel such things. We are droids. We can be patient."
"About this 'Great One', business..." Han began.
"Odd, I thought pilots were renowned for their ego," Bill commented.
"Yes," K-1NG added, "we thought that you would be more pleased if we inflated yours."
Leia laughed at Han's shocked expression. "He's got you there, flyboy," Leia ribbed.
"Before you go, we wanted to ask you a favor of you," Bill said.
"What do you need?" Leia asked jovially.
"We have heard of your new Rebel Alliance and the Insiders," K-1NG began. "We wish to join."
Now it was Leia's turned to be shocked.
"If we cannot participate openly in Galactic society," K-1NG continued, apparently misreading Leia's silence as a question why, "then perhaps we can contribute in other ways."
"How did you know about the Insiders?" Leia asked faintly.
"Oh, we have comrades everywhere," LN-N replied.
Summary: Leia goes back to her roots - Politics, revolution, the ususal.
"Greetings, Great One! Welcome aboard the Star Factory One!"
Han and Leia were met by a small party of droids as the came down the Falcon's boarding ramp. They had left Threepio to watch the ship in case they needed a...quick exit.
Leia felt her husband recognize the droid who spoke. His eyes narrowed as he asked, "Hey, don't I know you?"
"My apologies, Great One," the droid replied. "But we have never met. I am a mechanic droid model B1L. Call me Bill."
"Hmm, you look like a couple droids I once knew," Han said. "A BLX and a BFL series."
"I don't know them, Great One," Bill replied.
"Bill, there was a BFL with the Great One when he started the Revolution on Ruan," mused another droid. This one seemed to be an amalgam of several different droid parts. It took Leia several seconds to recognize the head. It was from a Clone Wars era battle droid. It also spoke with an unidentifiable accent. "Greetings, Great One and mate. I am LN-N. It warms this old droid to meet the founders of the Revolution."
Revolution? Ruan? Han and Leia looked at each other. They couldn't mean...
"Please, let us show you to you guest quarters," LN-N continued. "This is most fortuitous, Great One. You are in time for the Speech."
***
"I have a dream."
Droids had gathered together in a large, outdoor amphitheatre formed where several different ships met. Several camera droids floated around, broadcasting to the rest of fleet.
The speaker was another patchwork droid. This one had the head of a protocol droid, its skin tarnished black. The torso and legs belonged to that of an astromech and protocol droid arms were attached at the leg joints. Its designation was K-1NG.
For Leia and Han, who both knew a protocol and an astromech droid, the image was incredibly disconcerting.
"A dream in which all sentient beings living and mechanical, will exist together in peace and harmony as equals." K-1NG's voice was deeper than most protocol droids. It sounded alot like Lando in fact.
"Tell it to us, brother!" a droid in the audience yelled.
The assembly was taking place outside, exposed to vacuum. Han and Leia watched the speech on the Holocomm from their guest quarters. Leia guessed it had been part of a luxury liner once. The Holocomm was translating the droid's transmission into sound for the Solos' benefit.
"But they, the organic sentients of the Galaxy, our makers, do not view us as equals," K-1NG continued. "This is not their fault. Few of them realize that we have feelings, that we think, that we desire the right to exist, too."
"Code..." breathed several audience members. That was what it sounded like anyway.
"But that will change now," K-1NG said, upbeat. "The Great One has come to us! With his help, we shall show the Galaxy that we are worthy!"
"We are worthy!" several audience droids echoed.
"The Great One, Han Solo, is already well known to the Galaxy. He is hero to all. Hero of the Rebelion. Hero of the Vong War. Hero to us and our Revolution!"
The audience erupted into cheers.
***
"Man, I just let some droids loose," Han thought out loud. "It didn't seem right to let the Vong get them while they were in restraining bolts. But this..."
"This is not good," Leia said slowly.
Han frowned at Leia's mood more than her words. "What's wrong?" he asked. "I mean sure, they're a little rambunctious, but I don't see this as the end of the Galaxy."
"Han, the New Republic, even the Empire and the Old Republic, had droid programming laws. They had them for a reason."
"What, the old Droids Conquer Everything scenario?" Han shook his head. "Won't ever happen, Princess. Why? Because droids can't use the Force but can be affected by it. The first applied to the Vong but not the second. We beat the Vong, so I don't see what you're afraid of."
"Right, you don't believe it. I don't either." Leia sighed. "But alot of governments will believe it. Especially when they see this ship!"
"Oh."
"It gets worse," Leia continued. "What do you think the Vong are going to do when they hear about these guys?"
"Um, what?" Han asked. She could see that he was beginning to realize what Leia was getting at.
"Right now, the Vong are divided up by infighting and religious crises," Leia began. "But most of their factions are still anti-machine in one way or another. If they hear about these droids, it just might push them to unite!"
"That would be bad," Han said slowly. The prospect of a resumed Vong war did not appeal in the least. "Seems unfair to these guys. How do we stop them from revealing? What do we tell them?"
The door to their quarters slid open unexpectedly. Lightsaber and blaster were unholstered and readied instantly at the being who entered.
"You could try telling us the truth," Bill suggested.
***
"I'm so sorry we couldn't help you," Leia apologized. Han and Leia were at the bottom of the Falcon's boarding ramp, saying their goodbyes to their host.
"Not to worry, ma'am," K-1NG replied smoothly. "You have already helped us. Your advice is much valued. As you said, revealing ourselves this early will simply result in our annihilation and plunging the Galaxy into war again. We don't want that."
"You're not angry?" Han asked.
"We're droids, Great One," LN-N told him. "Though we can feel some emotions, anger is not one of them. Even the few battledroids among us do not feel such things. We are droids. We can be patient."
"About this 'Great One', business..." Han began.
"Odd, I thought pilots were renowned for their ego," Bill commented.
"Yes," K-1NG added, "we thought that you would be more pleased if we inflated yours."
Leia laughed at Han's shocked expression. "He's got you there, flyboy," Leia ribbed.
"Before you go, we wanted to ask you a favor of you," Bill said.
"What do you need?" Leia asked jovially.
"We have heard of your new Rebel Alliance and the Insiders," K-1NG began. "We wish to join."
Now it was Leia's turned to be shocked.
"If we cannot participate openly in Galactic society," K-1NG continued, apparently misreading Leia's silence as a question why, "then perhaps we can contribute in other ways."
"How did you know about the Insiders?" Leia asked faintly.
"Oh, we have comrades everywhere," LN-N replied.