What is the meaning of an assassin droid's existence? Most sentient beings in the galaxy, especially those who move in certain not-so-legal circles, will answer that the meaning, of course, is in killing. It's clear from the name, right?
However, HK-47 disagreed with this point of view. Fundamentally. In his understanding, the meaning of a droid's existence, and it doesn't matter which one by designation, is in carrying out the Master's orders. And various combat protocols, as well as "special" capabilities, only allow for more effective service. And if you're really lucky, the Master will give an order that will be directly related to these very "special" capabilities.
HK was always ready to carry out the order of his Master and creator. Especially when the task involved the use of his assassin protocols, gifted, or rather programmed, by the Master personally. Forty-seventh always tried to please his creator and execute the order as effectively as possible. So much so that none of his targets ever managed to escape during his service. True, over the years, there were fewer elimination assignments. But here, the droid believed, he was also significantly to blame. He was too effective! There's no one to kill when you've already killed every bag of meat that dared to plot against the Master.
After a forced downtime in a cave on Tatooine and the sudden return of his creator, HK had not yet received a direct order for elimination! Espionage, reconnaissance, search and hunt for capture, even training an annoying bag of meat, but not murder! Never.
And now, this day has finally come. A full order. The task is the elimination of one of the most influential crime bosses on Tatooine. HK always believed in this planet! In this cursed desert, bags of meat were constantly at war, without any hope of peaceful coexistence. No matter the era, no matter what power ruled the Galaxy - there will be war on Tatooine. Settlers and desert peoples, smugglers and mercenaries, one criminal group against another - they have all been fighting each other for generations. Somewhere the struggle is overt, like between the "desert dwellers" and farmers or between gangs, and somewhere it's a silent, but no less bloody confrontation, as was customary among mercenaries, often hired by opposing sides.
And one cannot entirely blame the world itself, although Tatooine remained one of the most unfavorable planets for the life of humans and close races. If at the dawn of colonization the threat was local fauna, then thousands of years later, the greatest danger for a settler is another settler. A paradise for a hired killer.
HK was extremely enthusiastic about the received assignment. The contours and circuits of his electronic brain almost sparked with a reaction similar to extreme excitement in humans or other bags of meat.
The target was named a Hutt. The name - Gardulla Besadii the Elder. The droid's memory suggested that Hutts do not have a gender as such, as all representatives of the race are hermaphrodites and are capable of reproduction and childbirth even without a partner, so it was impossible to confidently call Gardulla a woman or a man. Hutts themselves chose how they would be addressed... However, this was not necessary information for the mission.
Much more important was the fact that these slug-like creatures have very tough skin, capable of withstanding even several blaster shots at close range. This complicated HK's work, but at the same time, it awakened a sense of excitement in the droid's personality matrix. To kill one of the crime bosses of Tatooine, and one closely connected to the Hutt Cartel.
After checking his gas and energy cell reserves, HK proceeded towards the spaceport. He needed to find transport to reach Gardulla's residence, located three hundred kilometers from Mos Espa, almost halfway to Bestine. The Master had provided the coordinates, which he in turn had obtained from another slug-like bag of meat – Jabba. The journey was not short, but the planetary day allocated by the Master for the task should be more than enough. The assassin droid even had some information about Gardulla's residence's security systems. Although the Elder Besadii had chosen a less "ostentatious" place for her dwelling than the B'omarr Monastery where Jabba was holed up, her "palace" was situated in a sufficiently secluded and hard-to-reach location – on top of a cliff at the edge of the Dune Sea. Desolation stretched for many kilometers around. It was impossible to approach unnoticed, either by land or air. Cannon systems automatically attacked any transport approaching without permission. The territory was patrolled by Trandoshan and Gamorrean mercenaries. What was inside remained a mystery, but HK was confident he could handle anything.
What HK didn't know was that almost immediately after the droid left on his mission, his Master contacted Tyra Nomad and Tycho Dormo. The thought that letting the forty-seventh go on a mission alone was not the best idea kept pounding in his head. Tatooine could still be useful. And HK's enthusiasm… not every world could survive it. Yes, Tatooine would definitely come in handy.
Before heading to Gardulla's sanctuary coordinates, HK decided to visit the "Bloody Claws" arsenal. The analytical units of his personality matrix strongly recommended arming himself with something heavier.
An EWHB-10, for example, or an E-Web… Although, no, it would be too difficult to handle, and it required a tripod. He should pick something portable for infantry. The amateurs from the "Claws" should have purchased the necessary equipment, weapons, and ammunition recommended by HK. But bags of meat could fail, as his logic processors constantly reminded him.
The electronic brain's work was interrupted by a call on a secure channel. Only the crew of the "Dawn Eagle," including the Master, used it, so the assassin droid hurried to answer.
"With readiness: HK-47 – ready to serve," the droid did not finish the phrase with the hated "Master," as he was not sure if it was the Creator himself calling him.
And this decision was correct.
"Temper your enthusiasm, metal maniac. Gardulla's fortress cannot be taken by brute force," Tyra Nomad connected.
Despite the fact that the Mandalorian was still a brainless bag of meat, HK could not deny that in terms of combat effectiveness, the Nomad was slightly better than the average organic. Just a little… An infinitesimally small fraction of a percent. Yes, it was much easier to accept this conclusion from the analytical unit.
"With irritation: What is the reason for this exchange of verbal information? I am carrying out the Master's mission," the droid asked impatiently.
HK was already starting to fear that the Creator had changed his mind and decided not to kill Gardulla. However, his logic blocks quickly suggested that the Master would have given a new order personally. So, the matter was something else.
"I'm on a mission, actually, and I decided to contact you. Revan informed the Eagle that you wouldn't be on board the ship today. That you went to Gardulla's palace," Nomad explained.
"Warning: This is my contract," the forty-seventh decided to make things clear immediately.
"I'm not claiming it," Nomad immediately dismissed.
"With suspicion: Then what is the reason for the call?"
"That you will need at least minimal information about this overgrown slug's sanctuary. And I, as a mercenary, have already been to the Fortress and can share some details," Tyra offered.
The droid calculated that such a sudden and altruistic "desire to help" was prompted by the Master's order. Distrust? Or perhaps just…
"I'm not going to complete the contract for you. Revan just asked me to provide you with information about Gardulla's sanctuary so you could save time on preparation… and so the 'Claws' would have something to capture after eliminating the Hutt," Tyra said the last phrase barely audibly, but the droid heard and analyzed the new input.
HK knew about the condition for eliminating Gardulla, which the Master had agreed upon with Jabba. Revan had agreed to deal with the "overgrown slug's" competitor only if her territory was given to the "Bloody Claws," who were formally under Jabba's patronage, although they reported directly to Revan. For Tatooine, as well as for the Cartel, it would look as if the Desilijic would seize Gardulla's territory. At the same time, the "Claws" would have more resources and freedom to conduct their activities, both in Hutt space and in the Republic worlds, where the influence of the semi-legal group was rapidly growing.
HK, however, thought that Jabba himself should have been quietly buried somewhere in the Dune Sea… but the Master needed an intermediary and patron in Hutt territory to protect himself from the Cartel. The Assassin Droid clearly understood that he and the Creator could easily destroy any inhabitant of the Galaxy, no matter what power they possessed, but they could not fight entire star systems that stood behind the Cartel, the Trade Federation, and similar formations… Not yet.
The Master had ordered to minimize destruction… Information from the bag of meat named Tyra Nomad could be useful.
"Forced consent: I am listening," HK said, feigning a sorrowful, weary sigh.
"Oh, has His Iron-Assed Highness deigned to listen to anyone else besides his dearest Master?" The sarcasm in Nomad's words was easily recognized by HK… and ignored.
He had no time for "exchanging pleasantries."
"Urgent recommendation: Get to the point," the droid demanded.
Nomad snorted indignantly, but still discarded her prepared, particularly biting speech and laid out all the information she had in memory about Gardulla's Sanctuary.
"So, her home is not called 'Fortress' for nothing. It's not a monastery like Jabba's, of course, but in some aspects, it even surpasses it. Gardulla settled in an old fort of the first settlers. Not like the infamous Fort Tusken, but much more reliably defended."
"With interest: How well?" HK clarified.
"Solid walls without windows that can withstand everything except a proton torpedo and a cruiser's main caliber. The patrols are only sentries on the towers approximately two hundred meters from the fortress."
"With interest: Main caliber?"
Tyra was mentally glad that the "Obsidian" remained at the edge of the system and not hovering over Tatooine. The maniac might convince someone to open fire on the surface.
"Don't even think about it! Destruction, collateral damage, the Master's territory, remember?" Nomad cut off the droid's attempts to plan a cruiser attack on Gardulla's sanctuary.
"Forced consent: Accepted. Request: What about the number of guards and security systems?"
"No exact data. I'll tell you what I noticed during a couple of visits. So, the building has five levels. Three above ground and two below. Downstairs are cells for prisoners and animals used in the arena. Gardulla loves death matches. She herself spends most of her time on the second floor, in a kind of throne room, where she receives visitors and watches the fights in the arena. M-54 security turrets from 'BlasTech' on each floor, two per corridor. Laser targeting, individual. Security network sensors – AE-33 type, sensitive to changes in surrounding space volume. Blocked by EMP. The number of guards is unknown. Based on observations and some information obtained from reliable informants, there are at least thirty fighters inside, mostly Gamorreans and Trandoshans. Another three dozen security and combat robots, including AR-55, ASP-15 modified for close combat, and SDD-21 security droids, manufactured by 'Tung'la.' And this is not counting the mercenaries who are constantly hanging around in the bar near the 'Throne Room' waiting for new orders or just relaxing. It's not a fact that someone will stand up for Gardulla, but she can offer them a reward at any moment. And for credits, mercenaries are ready to take risks at any time. At the gates is the favorite gatekeeper on Tatooine, TT-8L. Stupid, but he distinguishes faces well and doesn't let strangers in. He is controlled by one of Gardulla's assistants, either the Twi'lek Sars or the Duros Gaaran," Tyra said.
"With interest: Does the target have means for an emergency escape?"
"I am not aware of any. However, there is a hangar in the fortress. Gardulla also has a personal yacht."
HK-47's processor was already calculating operation scenarios, with tactical and analytical modules actively assisting him. Without precise information, the plan had to be flexible and based on improvisation. For HK, this option was preferable.
"Confirmation: Information accepted for consideration," with these words, HK ended the conversation, disconnecting the communicator, not hearing the long and emotional profanity in Mandalorian.
After a brief raid on the "Claws" arsenal, incidentally terrifying the surviving guards who had encountered this droid with Revan during the first visit, HK "borrowed" a speeder and headed towards "Gardulla's Fortress."
The journey took almost two hours, during which the droid had to shoot a couple of sand people who decided that the speeder was a good target for target practice. The Jawas, who risked trying to capture the expensive "unattended protocol unit," miraculously escaped. HK pondered for a full ten seconds whether to chase their crawler and clear it of inhabitants to satisfy his perverse sense of justice. They reminded him too much of the damned Yukka-Lakk, in whose shop the assassin droid languished for several years with a damned restraining bolt in his chest. Ten seconds is an eternity for a droid's thinking speed. However, responsibility to the Master ultimately prevailed, and the mechanical killer continued his journey to the target.
A quick reconnaissance of the area from the top of one of the dunes confirmed the information received from Nomad. Gardulla had indeed settled in an old fort. The truncated four-sided pyramid of the "fortress" gave the impression of a well-fortified building… It would have, if not for the numerous superstructures added, apparently, in recent years. As a result, instead of a monumental and monolithic-looking structure – HK saw… an attempt by a handless architect to depict a klickoid nest… while drunk.
The towers with patrols were present. As was a mobile squad on a couple of speeders parked at the entrance to Gardulla's sanctuary. They should be distracted so as not to waste too much ammunition on a breakthrough. Especially since HK, contrary to his initial plan, only took light weapons with him… well, relatively light weapons. The droid planned to enter the complex without a fight, so his appearance had to be as harmless as possible.
What could distract the guards on Tatooine without causing a full-scale alarm at a specific guarded facility? An attack by local fauna, of course. Or by aborigines.
Wrapping himself in the rags of a Sand Person, taken from the corpses on the way, HK hid behind a dune near one of the towers furthest from the entrance. Loudly imitating the war cry of the sand people, the assassin droid wounded a couple of sentries with a couple of precise shots. He could have killed them, but he needed the guards to call for reinforcements.
After firing randomly at the tower, HK quickly descended the dune, disappearing from the sentries' sight. A couple of speeders then moved from the entrance towards the attacked tower. HK's transport, meanwhile, took a wide arc, hiding behind the dunes, bypassing the guards and advancing towards the entrance of the "Fortress."
The evening twilight, which set in after the sunset of the local stars Tatu-1 and Tatu-2, played into the killer's hands, hiding the speeder's dust trail in the gloom of the sand dunes. According to the droid's calculations, the maneuver gave him about seven minutes to infiltrate while the guards were dealing with the sudden attack of the Tusken Raiders. He had to get inside.
The guards at the nearest tower to the entrance didn't have time to understand anything when two blaster bolts from the speeder approaching the entrance pierced the heads of both sentries.
Stopping the transport about ten meters from the door leading inside "Gardulla's Fortress," HK calmly got out and walked at a measured pace, as if he were a summoned guest, and knocked.
The "eye" of the gatekeeper droid TT-8L, which emerged from the wall, looked around and stared at the forty-seventh's figure.
The request for the purpose of the visit was made in Huttese, so HK decided to answer in the same language, pretending to be a harmless protocol droid sent by its master to bow to the great and incomparable Elder Gardulla with valuable gifts. Well, considering the cost of ammunition and weapons that were now waiting in the speeder's cargo hold, HK concluded that the gifts were quite valuable. Even if their delivery would differ from what Gardulla expected.
The gatekeeper, however, stated that he would not let an unknown droid pass without escort. So the "guest" would have to wait for the guards to return. This was not part of HK's plan.
A distant, rumbling "boom" and a column of sand and dust rising into the sky from a high-explosive fragmentation mine, hidden by the forty-seventh under a pile of Tuskens' rags on that very dune near the attacked tower, made it clear that the guards would have to wait a long time. And that's if anyone thought not to approach within fifty meters of the supposed attackers' lair. Tuskens like to camouflage themselves by burying in the sand, so the entire squad would have to search for them. With a known outcome.
Very naturally feigning the fear characteristic of sensitive protocol droids with an extremely emotional personality matrix, HK began to beg to be let in to meet at least the venerable assistants of the radiant Gardulla – Sars or Gaaran.
And it worked! Once again.
The gatekeeper's sensor, resembling a "stick-eye," hid in its designated niche, and the door began to rise with a creak.
Slowly… which was good.
HK had just managed to pull the "gifts" out of the speeder.
The quartet of Gamorreans who were waiting for the droid behind the door didn't even have time to grunt before a plasma storm made another dozen unplanned holes in each of their bodies. The Twi'lek who rushed to flee lost his legs in the next second, simply shot off by plasma bursts from a heavy infantry cannon BIC-7, nicknamed the "Big Seven" by mercenaries on the HoloNet.
The next shots from the heavy cannon were used to pry open the absurdly powerful shields of a couple of spider-like AR-55 droids hiding along the walls. HK had previously encountered distant ancestors of these tin cans. In the era of the Mandalorian Wars, the AR-34 model was quite popular.
The weight of the BIC-7 limited mobility, which resulted in several unpleasant hits to the assassin droid's body. However, against overwhelming firepower, the "spiders" did not last long. Neither did the turrets under the ceiling.
However, HK paid tribute to the tin cans' survivability, managing to force the forty-seventh to use a field repair kit and initiate the self-repair protocol for the first time since reuniting with the Master. The damage was not critical, but unpleasant – a couple of charges hit a vulnerable point in the shoulder joint, damaging the articulation. Five minutes for repairs… but HK was not going to wait. For the mission, the right hand would be enough… however, the "Seven," which required both hands to operate, had to be abandoned.
The screaming Twi'lek was subjected to an express interrogation regarding troop positions, security systems, and Gardulla's location.
"Urgent recommendation: Spill it all, gut-head, before I make you eat your own lekku," HK growled in the most terrifying voice his vocoder could produce, pressing a vibroknife to Sars's mentioned body parts.
The green-skinned Rylothian resisted for a short time, after which he received his reward in the form of a quick death from a shot to the head.
"Satisfied: Well, was it worth doubting for so long? It's easier to be a dead bag of meat, right?"
After the first ten centimeters of skin removed from his lekku, the Twi'lek became very talkative, sharing the security system passwords and the approximate number of guards in the building with HK. The picture that emerged was quite pleasant for the forty-seventh. It was as if he were back on board the "Leviathan," which, after a swift dash to the hangar through the captain's bridge, had turned into a flying mass grave for the Empire's soldiers. Carth had been angry with HK for a long time because it was his shot that had been fatal to the former mentor of Onasi – Admiral Saul Karath, whom the Republic pilot intended to settle with personally.
The nearest terminal was found in the office of the infamous Sars, guarded by a trio of ASP-15s armed with vibroblades… which, five seconds later, pierced their own processors. HK needed only one hand to seize the weapon of one opponent and provoke the other two to attack their allies. Technically, HK killed only one droid; the other two fell victim to each other. No need to try to attack when an ally is in the line of fire.
Mimicking the Twi'lek's voice, the forty-seventh entered the network.
"Anticipatingly: Ooh, what interesting target designation settings! What if I swap the markers?" the half-mad droid openly amused himself, setting all the inhabitants of the "Fortress," except himself and Gardulla, as targets for the security turrets.
The droids, unfortunately… or rather, to the killer's upcoming amusement, were programmed separately.
A moment later, the sounds of gunfire and screams echoed through the corridors.
"With pleasure: Ahhh, my favorite music," HK drawled, checking the functionality of his already repaired joint.
Then the clearing began. The assassin droid walked briskly towards the throne room where Gardulla had locked herself in, finishing off the guards and droids that had survived the battle with their own defensive turrets.
"Emotional exclamation: Catch this gift! And for you, for your friends!" HK threw a couple of thermal detonators directly at the paws of two AR-series droids and hid behind a corridor turn.
The double explosion destroyed not only the fifty-fifth models but also the nearby SDD-21 security droids. The latter, by the way, shot quite well. Much more accurately than the Neimoidian B-1s. And they moved almost as fast as HK himself. But the poor tin cans did not have the experience and the self-corrected protocols that the assassin droid, created by Revan, possessed.
"Arrogant statement: I am your punishment for disgracing all droids with your… uselessness," HK-47 declared, raising the severed head of an SDD-21 to the level of his optical sensors.
The next moment, the droid's head flew into the wall, ricocheted off it, and landed directly on the Duros who had hidden behind an overturned table.
"Joyful exclamation: Found him!" HK exclaimed, rapidly approaching the disoriented Gaaran.
Grabbing the new victim by the throat, the droid lifted him off the floor with an outstretched arm.
"Persuasive request: Resist. I really want to see what happens to a Duros's eyes if they are pierced with a vibroknife," HK said in a maniacal tone, on the verge of hysterical laughter, bringing his face mask with its crimson glowing optics close to Gaaran's frightened face.
HK could not find the answer to his question regarding the Duros's eyes. The cowardly alien chattered like a Gungan on spice and even offered to open the door to the throne room.
"Benevolent remark: Thank you. I like polite ones," HK nodded, breaking the Duros's neck as soon as he fulfilled his promise.
A hail of fire struck the doorway from the throne room even before the door opened a third of the way. HK wisely stood slightly to the side, waiting for the idiots to run out of ammunition. Undoubtedly, there were more adequate mercenaries holed up in the room, most likely not shooting now and preparing for the target's appearance. He could play with them for longer.
Appearing in the doorway for a moment, HK managed to fire, leaving a burn on the Hutt's cheek, whose massive carcass, fearlessly sprawled on his "throne-bed," was impossible to miss. The overconfident creature didn't even bother to activate a shield, which it would no longer be able to use, as the droid's second shot hit one of the power field emitters directly above Gardulla's head.
"Urgent recommendation: Run, creature, run!" the killer shouted, sending a couple of detonators into the hall.
Strangely enough, in response, their own "gifts" in the form of fragmentation and ion grenades rolled out of the besieged room. Neither posed any danger to HK. Shrapnel clanged uselessly against his armor, and the electromagnetic pulse was successfully neutralized by the assassin droid's defensive systems.
Explosions rang out, followed by gunfire. However, to HK's surprise, the shots were not directed towards the entrance. They were shooting inside the hall… at each other.
This brief moment of confusion among the mercenaries, who did not expect an attack from behind, was enough for HK to burst into the throne room and open fire.
An unexpected ally was quickly found. It turned out to be a Mandalorian mercenary with Nomad clan markings, who had taken cover at the far end of the room from the entrance and was spraying his fellow craftsmen with a rapid-fire blaster rifle. Together, he and HK quickly dealt with the remaining defenders of Gardulla, whose repulsorlift platform-bed-throne had never left the hall, having lost its mobility due to a couple of precise hits simultaneously from HK and the unknown Mandalorian.
"Indifferent question: And who might you be, bag of meat?" HK addressed the mercenary, holding him in the sights of two blaster pistols.
"Maydin Nomad, responded to the request of my clan sister. I am not your enemy," the Mandalorian replied.
"Objection: That is for me to decide," HK-47 tilted his head slightly.
For a few moments, both stood motionless, looking at each other. Gardulla wailed somewhere in the background, hissing something in Huttese.
The assassin droid pondered whether to leave the unknown alive. On the one hand, he was an unexpected ally… and a witness. And HK disliked witnesses almost as much as unexpected events. On the other hand, the Nomad clan were allies of the Master. And, judging by the words of this bag of meat, someone on the Dawn Eagle knew that there was a Mandalorian from the Nomads in Gardulla's sanctuary. So it wouldn't be possible to do it quietly.
"Humbly: Live, bag of meat," HK said, lowering his blasters.
Mandalorian, who had stood with his weapon lowered all this time, exhaled.
"Question: can you fix the repulsorlift platform?"
"Why?" Nomad didn't understand the question.
"Optional explanation: Lifting this carcass, called a Hutt, and dragging it to the yacht will be problematic. Thinking aloud: It would have been better to let it fly to the hangar," HK stated.
"Why take it anywhere?" the Mandalorian still didn't understand.
Indeed, it would have been more logical to kill it on the spot. However, HK had customer requirements. This meant that Gardulla still had a flight to the Great Pit of Carkoon ahead of her. And it was worth bringing a holocamera to record the very expression on the face of the Hutt scum when its carcass would fly into the maw of the Sarlacc. Undoubtedly, the Master would be pleased with such an outcome and would find a use for the recordings. Jabba himself would be willing to pay a lot of credits for the chance to admire rare footage of the last free moments of a competitor doomed to dissolve in the acid of a predatory creature's stomach.
"Strong suggestion: Let's go, we still have to listen to promises of untold riches and swift retribution, and then everything at once, as the cherished moment approaches."
"You're crazy."
HK merely made a sound like a chuckle. The opinion of a bag of meat, whose life had not yet ended solely due to the whim of the Master, did not interest the best assassin in the galaxy.