𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 - DIN DJARIN

Chapter 63: The Investigation

chapter 63: the investigation •••

Astra adjusts her vambraces as she stands alongside Din and Bo-Katan. The views of Plazir-15 and the palace have since been exchanged with the countless massive monitors within the security room. Astra steadies herself with a breath when she looks at her empty side and confirms that their children's pod isn't floating there. Grogu and Zora had been left with the Duchess and the Captain, mostly for both their own safety and comfort. Though Astra knows they'll be well taken care of, separating herself from them is always difficult, especially given the trials of their most recent journey.

"These droids were all reprogrammed to serve the community from the stockpile of captured Imperial robotics scheduled to be scrapped at Karthon," says the chief officer when Astra allows herself to tune back into their conversation. "The droids' reprogramming was a complete success..." the officer pauses, leaving Astra, Din, and Bo-Katan all to exchange a cautious look, "until one day, an isolated event..."

The officer plays a holovid on the comms of a trash droid picking up a receptacle and thrashing it around. It drops the receptacle on its own head and continues ahead as if nothing's happened. Astra hears the leather of Din's gloves pull tight at his sides.

"Then others." The officer plays more holovids, one of a woman whose cargo was carried and ripped apart by a battle droid and another of a droid driving a landspeeder straight into the wall of a docking bay. Astra tightens her lips at the way the discrepancies worsen. "This is just a small collection of malfunctions that our security cameras caught."

The holovids keep rolling and Astra doesn't have to look at Din to sense the way he gets more and more tense with each one. She offers him a nervous glance, but before she can speak up, Bo-Katan makes her own voice heard. "Turn them off," she suggests.

The officer faces her in his chair, bewildered. "What?"

Bo-Katan shakes her head and looks at the officer. "Why not turn them all off?" When the man doesn't answer, Bo continues. "Who's in charge of that?"

The officer raises his brow at her. "I am." He gestures to a large red button on his left. "There's a failsafe cutoff switch built into the system." The button sits just in front of where Din stands. Astra watches his gloved hand consider the short distance. "However..."

"What?" Din demands, his voice low. Astra moves closer to his side.

"The citizens voted against any interruption in droid services," the officer finishes. He chuckles and shrugs. "They can't live without it."

Din tilts his helmet. "And why's that?"

"The citizens are no longer required to work and can spend their days engaging in recreation, the arts, and participating in our direct democracy. If we shut down the droids," the officer laughs again, "our citizens wouldn't know how to survive. Our society would collapse."

"I'd take societal collapse over droids any day," Din mutters, only loud enough for Astra to hear. She huffs and sets a hand on his armored shoulder.

"Then what do you want from us?" Bo-Katan asks the officer.

"To seek out and decommission any remaining rogue droids, until we can fix the problem." Din shifts his weight and Astra moves with him. His visor meets her gaze and she doesn't need to see his eyes to understand what he's trying to tell her. This is going to be both one of his favorite and most difficult missions they've ever embarked on together.

"Give us the list," Bo tells the officer.

"Well, for that, you'll have to go to the lower level and speak to the Ugnaughts," the officer insists.