Chapter 8

Nar Shaddaa

Myrtenaster

ZW-31 tweedled idly to himself as he worked on the engineering panel. The wires that needed to be sorted into neat, tidy rows were located just outside of his fellow droid's reach, hence his assistance. By his side, P3-NY gave out periodic soft beeps as she remotely interfaced with the Myrtenaster's main computer, monitoring the communication lines.

After her twenty-sixth beep in eight-point-six-four minutes, the larger droid let out an indulgent trill, reminding the tan astromech that their masters were perfectly capable of handling themselves in a variety of dangerous situations. Not to mention those organics accompanying them who were capable of various levels of lethality.

P3-NY irritably replied with a long categoric list of instances where one or the other of their creators got themselves into dire straits, correlated with the number of times that the droids themselves had needed to intervene on their behalf.

She was halfway through a rendition of their rather harrowing, in her humble opinion, crash landing on Tatooine, ZW-31 diligently finishing up his rewiring efforts all the while, when the diminutive droid suddenly fell silent.

Worriedly, he spun his flattened dome around, inquiring if she'd suffered a sudden malfunction. When she did not immediately reply, ZW-31 quickly resealed the engineering panel and fully swiveled around, rapping on the smaller droid's round dome with his gripping tool.

P3-NY gave a startled electronic squawk and jolted backwards before informing her partner droid that their masters were in terrible, terrible danger.

Curious, ZW-31 beeped that while he hadn't heard anything, surely the other organics on board their new ship designated home would have reacted to such news by now, but P3-NY quickly cut him off with a frantic trilling. She'd been monitoring the comm channels in the immediate vicinity of their creators' destination when several signals came through from a variety of sources, even one she'd identified as a Trandoshan mercenary cruiser docked at landing pad 74236, three levels down and eighteen over. Though the Trandoshan frequencies were irritatingly unclear as to their content, P3-NY being an astromech droid and not a translator droid therefore with no database access to the Trandoshan language itself.

The larger droid indulgently tweeted for her to get on with it.

Chagrined, P3-NY's beeping increased in speed as she rapidly laid out the case of an impending ambush for their masters, as well as those organics designated friends, though she was still unsure about the one named Weiss. While her own creator certainly seemed to favor the Mandalorian, P3-NY was withholding her own judgment until she got to spend more time with the overly irritable organic.

Once again, ZW-31 interrupted the smaller droid's rambling, this time to receive clarification on said impending ambush. Rather, that she collate more information that they might use.

P3-NY obligingly tweeted a list of communications channels active in or around the immediate area, the number disturbingly large.

With a short but resolute blat, he determined that their creators should be informed of the danger immediately, to which her response was a mournful wail. While she'd managed to interface with the main computer enough to receive, she wasn't at this time able to send any transmissions.

It didn't take many processing cycles for ZW-31 to determine that immediate action was required. As those organics still on board the ship were of dubious trustworthiness (the orange-haired armored one in particular, she seemed inordinately fond of blowing things up, if her overheard conversations were any indication), he should depart the ship immediately. To which, of course, P3-NY's response was that there was no way he was leaving her behind.

ZW-31 began wheeling his way down the corridor and towards the exit, pausing to lower the ramp. The small tan droid was traversing alongside, zipping back and forth in an attempt to both gain his attention and seek his approval for such an outing.

Questioning her relative effectiveness, he headed down the ramp and out onto the landing pad, knowing full well she'd follow him no matter what he stated in any case. She was even more overprotective of her creator than he was of his.

P3-NY did a few laps around the larger droid, proudly proclaiming that she was most certainly combat ready. That caused ZW-31 to pause his progress with a derisive electronic snort, assuring her that she was nothing of the sort. His creator had installed in his chassis both a portable shield generator as well as a compact BlasTech DL-28 blaster pistol with interchangeable power nodes allowing for stun, blast, and ion setting. He let out a proud little warble, informing his diminutive friend that there was no possible way she could meet such standards of combat readiness.

In response, P3-NY merely extended her gripper arm and activated the welding tool, sending a little arc of electricity between the fingers.

ZW-31 stared wordlessly at her for the span of four-point-seven seconds before resolutely wheeling his way past the small droid towards where their masters were. P3-NY followed in his wake, irritably grumbling in quiet electronic squeaks that she would certainly show him just how combat ready she was once they engaged with the enemy.

His sigh was the sound of static, but nonetheless carried an undertone of fondness.

Before too long, they entered the alleyways of Nar Shaddaa. Two droids wheeling along by themselves might not be a cause for concern, but the looks from several more unsavory organics were beginning to give ZW-31 reason to look for a maintenance ingress point. He softly tweeted for P3-NY to stay on the lookout for such a portal when she nonchalantly beeped back that the next such opportunity would be in precisely eighteen-point-seven-four meters.

He swiveled his head around to gaze at her while they kept going. In response, she dimmed her optic lights briefly, her way of winking that her creator had taught her. Smugly, she tweedled that she'd downloaded the schematics for the neighborhoods and buildings in between them and the meeting location that their masters were headed towards.

With a wry beep, he conceded that she just might be of help after all on this adventure, to which she excitedly zipped around his wheels, almost tripping him up in her happiness. Before ZW-31 could berate her, she paused and let out a keening electronic wail. She'd just intercepted a transmission from organic Weiss still designated as both friend and possible enemy. The party ahead had indeed been ambushed and were under fire.

ZW-31 assured her they were making good time and for her to concentrate on their job right now, which was to find that maintenance portal and get off the open streets.

It didn't take too long for P3-NY to calm herself again, forging ahead to halt at the unassuming hatch built seemingly into the side of a building. She assured ZW-31 it would lead them into the tunnels and that she could navigate them towards their destination without any problem.

Together, they managed to wrest the hatch open, lever themselves through with no small amount of banging and scraping along the edges, and maneuver the portal closed once more. ZW-31 insisted on taking the lead now, his photoreceptor casting a bright red glow as he increased the visibility. The smaller droid wheeled obligingly in his shadow, calling out directions as they came across each intersection.

Until, of course, they were led to a dead end.

ZW-31 crossly beeped a question of precisely how accurate her maps was, to which P3-NY indignantly replied that she was perfectly capable of downloading a simple schematic and following it, thank you very much, and perhaps he merely was not utilizing his optics the correct manner to see the proper way forward.

He spent only two-point-five seconds berating her for her lapse in logic before demanding she find another way forward, as obviously someone had welded this particular pathway closed.

With a resigned blat, P3-NY had them retrace their path back to the last intersection and took a right instead of a left. His inquiry of whether or not her processors needed to recollate that decision was met by a series of irritable tweets and whistles which relayed precisely what she thought of his inquiry.

The pair of droids continued on rapidly, the tunnels narrowing at some points which made for a tight fit, at least for ZW-31, and opening at others wide enough for a speeder to fit through. Eventually, though, they emerged from the tunnels into the basement of what P3-NY assured her fellow droid was the warehouse-like structure that contained this Migrant Merchants Guild, their creators' destination.

After zero-point-eight seconds of consideration, ZW-31 decided they should try a nearby portal sized for organics and anthropomorphic droids as it would hopefully lead them towards their masters.

Naturally, the first chamber they entered had a rather large security droid who eyed them suspiciously, orange photoreceptors glowing ominously.

"Halt," it buzzed imperiously, hefting its blaster rifle in what it likely presumed to be an intimidating manner. "This is a restricted area. You are not authorized to be here."

P3-NY quickly zipped forward, welding tool extended, and declared with a sharp trill that she would show him precisely what her authorization consisted of. As in, her welding tool, in case there was any confusion as to her intent.

While the security droid simply stared down incredulously at the diminutive, ferocious astromech droid, ZW-31 let out an electronic sigh as he switched blaster modes and powered on his shield. He mildly requested that P3-NY remove herself from the immediate vicinity.

P3-NY replied there was no possible way that could happen, not when her big moment was upon her, finally her chance to show off just how combat ready she was-

She broke off her excited warbling as ZW-31 popped open the hatch of his concealed blaster and let loose with a powerful ion shot. It whizzed just over her round dome, impacting upon the security droid's chassis and toppling it. The enemy droid convulsed on the ground, blue tentacles of energy writing about its body.

ZW-31 apologized profusely for his rudeness, but they were on a bit of a schedule here to save their masters, to which P3-NY glumly tweedled that she could have taken him.

He indulgently agreed with her assessment as they wheeled past, heading into the next chamber.

Fortunately, what their opponent had been guarding was a data access point, much to the delight of both droids. P3-NY was quick to zip over and extend her interface tool into the socket, trilling softly as she worked her way into the network.

ZW-31 stood guard protectively, shielding the smaller droid with his own chassis, while he hummed out a need for her to process things as quickly as she was able to. To which she irritably tweedled that there was only so much processing power she could devote to such an activity, limited by the bandwidth of the current connection, which obviously had not been updated in decades, and the central computer itself was such an antiquated model that it likely predated the Great Hyperspace War. In reply, ZW-31 humorously beeped that surely she was exaggerating somewhat.

She grumbled back, only barely, but in any case, she was almost done with the interface. Two-point-eight-five seconds later, she let out a triumphant squawk as she indicated her success. She was now tied into the security network, including cameras and portal control. The larger black and white droid patiently asked if that meant she could now track their masters.

To which P3-NY let out a startled beep, in her exuberance momentarily forgetting their mission.

ZW-31 assured her that was why he was there, after all.

Agreeing, the smaller droid quickly determined that their creators and organics designated allies (though for the time being she'd go ahead and include organic Weiss in said category, a temporary designation only) were currently being herded through a passageway towards another choke point where more enemy units were waiting, including assault droids surely procured from the Sith Empire as they matched the make and model of such assets. Not that she'd had any such dealings before, of course, just that she liked to keep on top of current specifications and had a certain admiration for the sleek lines and capabilities of said assault droids, but of course that was no reflection on her own current state of existence, she was perfectly happy with her own chassis and would certainly never feel any inadequacies that might derive from watching holofeed vids of assault droids in action as they tore through their opposition like a lightsaber through cloth-

The other droid gently reminded her that their masters could certainly use her help right now.

P3-NY gave an embarrassed squawk, assuring the larger droid that she was on top of the situation. With a few deft commands, she sealed the waiting enemy behind sturdy blast doors, as well as blocking off the pursuing forces. She let out a high-pitched beep of success as she declared that their masters were indeed safe from harm.

He considered that, unable to see the schematics, but slowly warbled a stray thought whether or not their masters and associated allies might be able to move out of where they now were.

After several spins of her processors, P3-NY mournfully declared that, no, they were now currently sealed into the passageway.

ZW-31 reached out with his gripper arm and gave her a reassuring pat on the head. She'd done an excellent job of keeping them safe, but now their secondary mission included getting them out of their current predicament. Perhaps there was a way for her to tie into the communications network?

She replied that, yes, she was already tied into said communications.

With a thoughtful, probing whistle, ZW-31 further inquired if she might then be able to hook into the communications of their creators?

P3-NY warbled excitedly as she declared that she just had the most brilliant idea in her short existence. She would communicate to their creators using the communication network that she was connected to!

As she set to tying together nodes, using the codes she knew from the Myrtenaster, ZW-31 let out another indulgent electronic sigh.

Soon enough, the speakers above the data access point crackled to life, with the voice of P3-NY's master coming through strongly.

"...Any other way? I mean, if I could get this panel here open-"

P3-NY quickly interrupted with a few beeps, inquiring if she might be of assistance.

"Penny?" came the incredulous reply. "Sweetie, where are you? Jaune said you and Zwei went off-ship!"

She let out a quick series of beeps and tweedles, recounting their brave adventure to date, and how she'd come this close to taking down a very fearsome security droid-

ZW-31 interrupted with a request of how they might be able to get their masters out of their current situation. He let out a happy warble as he heard his own master come through next.

"Zwei, hey buddy, did you guys block the exits off?"

He assured her that this was due entirely to P3-NY's actions, but that that yes, they were the responsible party.

"Okay, nice job you two. Do you have access to the schematics for this place? Is there somewhere thin enough we could cut through?"

P3-NY hummed consideringly, taking into account the capabilities of a lightsaber, not that she'd actively researched such subject, but it was certainly fascinating to her how they could even function, powered by a simple source yet enhanced by a focusing crystal-

"Sweetie, focus, okay?"

She tweedled her apologies, quickly locating a section of wall that they might be able to cut through. She gave precise directions based upon the camera in that hallway, instructing Blake designated friend and Jedi who actually treated her very nicely, to shift two-point-three meters to the right and face the northward wall.

After the Jedi Master did so, P3-NY informed her that, because the Cathar was so nice to her, she'd overlook the fact that she'd only moved two-point-one meters and not the full two-point-three meters. Besides which, she was in an inordinately good mood today, the adventure they'd been on was both exhilarating and refreshing, imminent danger notwithstanding-

"Penny!"

Once again she tweedled her apologies, assuring them that Blake designated friend and Jedi could certainly proceed to slice through the wall she faced. Soon enough the boom of a dropping plate of metal could be heard over the speakers.

P3-NY proceeded to guide the group through the passageways, closing off some portals to prevent interception and sealing others behind them. At one point, she was forced to have them backtrack until she could redirect a group of enemy hunting them before they could draw closer to where the droids patiently waited.

Just as their masters were approaching the chamber they were now in, P3-NY detected a new presence in the network, as somebody finally woke up to the fact that they no longer had control over their own security systems. The diminutive droid gleefully shut down access controls and wiped what passwords she could find, and as an added measure she made sure to leave a helpful message on each terminal in the complex before detaching from the port.

ZW-31 amusedly berated her for her choice of wording, but P3-NY smugly assured him that "Nice Try Meatbags" was a perfectly acceptable missive when she'd so clearly outsmarted the opposition.

He let out an electronic snort at that, wheeling over to the far door and unsealing it as his audioreceptors picked up on activity in the next room. Sure enough, the familiar figures of their masters rushed into their chamber. P3-NY's creator immediately dropped to her knees, hugging the diminutive droid to her chest gleefully.

"Oh, you are such a smart girl! I'm so proud of you, sweetie, you did great!"

ZW-31 felt a light thump as his own creator grinned down at him, cybernetic hand resting atop his dome. "Yeah, you guys did an awesome job, buddy. I mean, we coulda handled it just fine, but it was nice to have the easy way out."

He gave his master a bump as he ran into her leg, scornfully blatting that she'd surely be as lost without him as she always was.

"Yeah," she chuckled. "Maybe you got a point…"

Outbound from Nar Shaddaa

Myrtenaster

P3-NY tweedled happily to herself as she enjoyed the thorough cleaning her master was applying to her chassis. She'd picked up a considerable amount of detritus and grease from her recent foray into the maintenance tunnel, and her creator was determined to have her shining like new.

"Y'know, I gotta ask," the brunette mused quietly, brow furrowed as she attacked a particularly stubborn spot with a rag and solvent. "What made you leave the ship, anyways? Didn't you know how dangerous that was?"

The diminutive droid was silent for three-point-five seconds before solemnly beeping that her creator was her reason for existing, and therefore of the utmost importance to her. And there was no possible calculation she could come up with that would include her ever abandoning the most important organic in the galaxy to her.

Ruby Rose, designation creator, master, and progenitor, sniffled as she used a clean corner of the rag to wipe at her eyes. "Yeah," she sighed with a broad smile. "I love you, too, Penny."

Dramatis Personae (in order of appearance):

Yang Xiao Long - Human female from Corellia. Smuggler, talented pilot, and droid tinkerer.

ZW-31 - Yang's custom astromech droid.

Ruby Rose - Human female from Corellia. Smuggler, skilled mechanic, and gun nut.

P3-NY - Ruby's astromech droid.

Lady Salem - Rattataki female. Sith Lord and advisor to the Emperor.

Lady Cinder Fall - Human female. Sith Lord Inquisitor.

Darth Hazel - Sith Pureblood male. Sith Lord Warrior.

Darth Tyrian - Zabrak male. Sith Lord Inquisitor.

Emerald Sustrai - Twi'lek female. Sith Marauder.

Mercury Black - Human male. Sith Warrior.

Weiss Schnee - Echani female from Eshan. Mandalorian bounty hunter.

Pyrrha Nikos - Human female from Alderaan. Mandalorian bounty hunter.

Jaune Arc - Human male from Mandalore. Mandalorian bounty hunter trainee.

Hei "Junior" Xiong - Human male from Tatooine. Gangster and information broker.

Melanie Malachite - Devaronian female exiled from Devaron. Bodyguard and assassin.

Miltia Malachite - Devaronian female exiled from Devaron. Bodyguard and assassin.

Blake Belladonna - Half-Cathar female from Cathar. Jedi Master.

Lie Ren - Mirialan male from Makeb. Jedi Apprentice to Master Belladonna.

Master Ozpin - Human male from Coruscant. Jedi Master and Council Member.

Nora Valkyrie - Human female from Ord Mantell. Republic Commando.

Neptune Vasilias - Devaronian male from Nar Shaddaa. Migrant Merchants' Guild.

A/N: This was a lot of fun to write.

Stay shiny!