Message to Four

As Four comes onto the viewscreen you can see his optic sensors brighten in surprise.

As they dim however, you hear sadness in his gravelly electronic voice.

"Eight is dead, isn't he?"

"No! Well, not yet, anyway, but it is not for lack of trying."

"However, that is related to what I wish to speak to you about. He is determined to face Thirteen soon and he has set up a situation where we will not be allowed to intervene. I am trying to aid him as best I can, so I've been trying to delay him and the others until I can find what I'm looking for. Eight is confident that he can defeat Thirteen on his own, despite his greater experience.

"I like to know as much about an enemy as possible. All of you have different goals. Why is Thirteen so obsessed with his? For how long has he been practicing with the Force? I want to understand what Thirteen is trying to accomplish and why. We know the broad strokes, but I would like to ask you to fill in the gaps."

Four lets out an electronic sigh of relief, which sounds a lot like static for the most part.

"I know of Eight's plan, that's why I assumed the worst when you contacted me. He alerted to me to his plan as well, but unfortunately not until after he had already challenged Thirteen. Now I'm afraid his honor will not allow him to back down from this challenge. You have to understand we were built not just to spar with Lord Vader but to assess and evaluate an opponent. I can tell you as I mentioned to Eight earlier that Thirteen is just as powerful as Lord Vader once was. Against that kind of power what Eight is doing is suicide."

"You also have to understand that besides being the most powerful Thirteen believes it is his right to rule as Vader's successor. Thirteen was the only one active when the Death Star was destroyed at Endor. He was awake for several years alone, trying to put the rest of us together. I think during that time, something inside him malfunctioned. He believes he still hears Vader speaking to him and spurring him onward with his plans. That Vader's armor and cybernetics were his way of trying to be more like us, more perfect in Thirteen's mind. He is literally insane."

(OOC: ARG! Board ate my first post. Had to rewrite. BTW, how much of Thirteen's plans do we know? We know of the Death Star, but do we know any of the others in-character?)

"So, he rebuilt the rest of you by himself with his own hands? No wonder he does not tolerate an transgression from you. I can understand what something like that would do to a human mind, but I can only guess what it would do to a droid.

"Eight has expressed the opinion that the Galaxy tends to favor the noble. He believes that if he walks into this and fights true and just that he will win. However, he is limited by his morality and it does not seem to me that Thirteen suffers the same weakness. Thirteen does not appear to care about anyone or anything beyond his goals, which means he can justify anything in their pursuit.

"How long has Thirteen been a Force user? Eight's powers have only recently reached a tipping point. I know Thirteen must have spent a lot of time with Vader sparring, but he still would have needed some kind of training whether it was from a book, a person, or a holocron. If he is as strong as you say, I find it hard to believe that he picked it up out of the ether."

(You have heard of their other plans through 4 as well)

"If Thirteen has given his word to Eight then at the very least I'm sure he will keep it. Which still unfortunately means all Eight will have accomplished is an honorable death. In the wreckage of the Death Star Thirteen did find a holocron. One of Palpatine who no doubt sensed he may have been at the end of his life. The holocron only fuels his madness, and likely urges him in the destruction of the New Republic. Thirteen fist found his spark of the Darkside just two years after the destruction of the Death Star. When he killed a group of salvagers visiting the wreckage and took their ship to get us out of there finally. So he's been practicing in the Force for almost fifty years."

"You have known Thirteen longer than I so I will accept your appraisal of his honor, but even if he and Eight were of the same skill level, his use of the Dark Side would be enough to give him the advantage.

"Why would he want to resurrect Darth Vader? Advice? A chance to achieve Thirteen's idea of perfection?"

"While I know of his plans, I do not know their full extent and motives. It is even possible Vader himself put such a directive into Thirteen's programming and none of us ever knew."

Freya raises an eyebrow. "Well, that's something I hadn't thought about. In any case, Eight has picked Socorro as the location of their duel, but they have not agreed upon a time, yet. I'm assuming that Eight has been keeping you appraised of that? He has also said that he has been in contact with a few of the others, trying to get support for overthrowing Thirteen."

"He only came to me for advice on facing Thirteen, my advice to him was not to. I don't think he'll find much support among the others. Most of them agree with Thirteen and those that don't only follow him through fear. If he did not feel honor bound to this fight I would have gladly fought alongside Eight myself."

"Well, thank you for your time, Four. I will do my best to try to keep him from getting himself killed."