Matuscarantos

  Sadly the Power Hauler didn't have that spark of personality, that was the mark of my favorite droids. It was a simple machine, whether time and exposure to new stimuli would change that, I couldn't say. But I hoped so, these droids were all I had to rely on.

  No one seems to understand why droids started developing personalities in the first pce. As far as I know, it wasn't an intentional effect. Questions like that always made me want to explore, to seek out answers. Though I had my doubts that any of those answers would be found here.

  The rge boxy frame of the Hauler had two rge working grips, and two smaller hands for more articute work. His four almost insect-like legs had broad oval feet mounted on. A modification to deal with walking on sand.

  I currently had it digging out the tunnel leading towards our working generator. Not having to expose myself to the wildlife, would be a blessing. But this job could take days, even for the sturdy droid.

  I grabbed my gear, and my portable turret. The ones I'd put together the other day, should be enough to keep the Hauler safe. I gave it simple instructions about what to do in various circumstances. Most of them boiled down to hide behind the turrets and py dead.

  Part of me wanted to leave Red to watch over it, but I might need Red's abilities. And there was no way I was leaving Pal. It seems I already needed more droids for optimal efficiency.

  I chuckled. As if I needed a reason to gather more droids.

  Loading them in the trailer, I hopped into the cock pit of my speeder, eager to make our way towards the farming complex.

  It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours from here to get to the region it was located. My mind was already dreaming up scenarios we could encounter.

  After travelling for half an hour or so, I began noticing that the terrain was becoming more rocky rather than dusty. There was more of the stubborn vegetation finding purchase in the shelter of those rockier areas. As we kept moving, more and more of the rocks became redder, rather than the every present taupe I was used to.

  Even that change, as small as it was, brought a smile to my face. Any differences were appreciated, however pointless, after being trapped in the same dreary pce for years.

  We hadn't even require minimal course adjustments for avoiding trouble. That did make me nervous. If living on Tatooine taught anyone anything it was that danger was always nearby.

  Soon, I saw a tall sandstone wall growing closer with every minute. They were a small series of mountain just beyond the town. I frowned. A farming complex, should be mostly like my homestead, sunken living and working areas with a few outbuilding. Just a lot more of them. This was looking more and more like a old Tatooine style town. A mining town at that. With rger outer walls to cut down on the damage caused by sandstorms. It was nothing like being on the scale of the Arcologies, but pces like this were quite common before the Colpse.

  Was the farming complex nearby? Or had my information been wrong in the first pce?

  The odd thing was that the walls were for the most part, fully exposed. I would've thought they would be long since covered over by sand after all these years. The only thing I could think of were that some one was already here or had been here recently, or the winds uncovered them recently.

  Knowing my luck, someone was here, and I'd lost my chance at a big score. Hmm. Maybe they'd need some repairs and I could still make a few credits out of this. Or maybe they try to shoot me, and take my stuff. Out here the tter was always the better bet.

  Still nothing seemed to be moving around that I could see. I pulled up my speeder right next to the wall, got out and went to get Red and Pal ready to see what was going on.

  "Hey guys, there's a town, but something about it rubs me the wrong way."

  Red let out a series of soft urgent beeps. "One lifeform, 5 other moving forms, suggestion droids."

  I nodded, "Could be Red."

  "Sir, might I suggest that we boldly stride forward announcing ourselves. Their reactions should suggest whether we can trust them or not." Pal's voice rang out. Maybe giving us away already. He really was a brave droid, but he wasn't the one with squishy bits in him that were hard to rebuild.

  Red let out a sharp boop, it was better not to ponder his meaning there. Where'd the little guy learn such nguage? Never mind, he obviously wasn't a fan of Pal's pn.

  "Counter offer, how about we cautiously proceed while maintaining a ready stance? I will of course be right behind you, and Red will be behind me."

  "Acceptable! Let us begin!" Pal began marching for the open gateway.

  Red whined low.

  "You're right, I've got a bad feeling about this too. That's why Pal's going first." I patted the astromech droid on his dome.

  Red gave a small series of beeps his version of a chuckle.

  The only problem with my pn was that I couldn't see around Pal form. I had to settle for sweeping either side of our tiny column with my EE-3.

  The town looked like I would have expected a pre-Colpse town to look. though it was much bigger than I would have guessed from outside the walls. And why was it abandoned? It could have been made defensible easily enough. Plus out here usable structures rarely stay unoccupied long, one way or another.

  Domed sandstone buildings were lined up in a haphazard pattern, making getting around the small town a maze like affair. However, we were slowly making our way near the center of the town. An open pza for gatherings maybe, or for market stalls.

  Yet there was something already there. Growling and snarling, making loud cnging noises.

  It was a small green being, probably a sentient, that was working on what I though were droids. But...

  The being itself was a little over a meter high and had rge slightly floppy sharp ears. It's face had rge greedy yellow eyes, a crooked nose, and razor sharp looking teeth. Its over sized hands held a small hammer and a comically oversized wrench. I'd never seem anyone like them before.

  The droids were... odd. They all looked roughly simir, but seem to be put together in a very chaotic fashion. My Technomancer's soul cried at the sight of them. There were an excessive amount of bolts and rivets, then poorly patched welds, had been used to hold the mismatching parts together. They seem to be burning fuel in copious amounts, or using steam for power, possibly both. The billowing clouds were spewing forth from two rge back mounted pipes. How primitive.

  Their only obvious weapons were giant mattocks where their right hand should be and very sharp looking grasping cw on the left.

  The small green being was hammering away on one of the droids, from what I could tell ineffectively. Its wrench was being used like a maul.

  "Razishilwyu hrt Grriwmnsy Babooty jen etga!" I didn't know the nguage but I was fairly certain that the being was angry. My first thought was that the droids were not working, though it was hard to imagine them working in the first pce.

  I figured it might be better to wait to try to talk to it. We should let it calm down first. Come back in an hour or two.

  Pal didn't agree.

  "Greeting Sentient!"

  The being turned around to look at us, it yellow eyes went very wide.

  "Sssshaywoak? Tshdika!" That didn't sound friendly in the slightest.

  Pal had stepped in it, and dragged us along for the ride.