The Assassin Droid HK-47 was never known for "neighborly kindness," patience, benevolence, or courtesy. He had no need for such things. He was created for a single purpose: the elimination of the Master's enemies.
Hunting and killing — that was his true designation. That was how he was programmed... Or perhaps, after years of service and acquiring his own independent personality, the droid simply believed it. He saw the meaning of his existence in serving his Master, just as he did in cleansing the galaxy of foolish and imperfect meatbags.
Naturally, to accomplish a given task, HK could successfully disguise himself as a common protocol droid. Unlike most robotic assassins, his construction allowed for it. It was this very fact, apparently, that caused the Master to... allow this...
On his way to the left auxiliary cargo hold, located in one of the Dawn's Eagle's tail 'wings,' the droid ran the received order through his logical circuits yet again. "Train Anakin in weapon proficiency."
Train...
Not kill... but train...
HK relentlessly burdened his processor, reviewing his creator's instruction from various angles, which created the impression of his personality splitting into several opposing factions.
"Hypothesis: Perhaps the command was articulated unclearly?" insisted the logic module tied to the assassin protocols.
"Negative: The command was confirmed multiple times," countered the analytical module.
"Query: Why?! Why is an assassin droid being brought in for training?... Query Canceled: Question deemed rhetorical."
"Suggestion: Conduct a visual demonstration of the destructive capability of blaster weapons of various types and power," offered the hunter-killer module.
"Objection: The training subject must not be harmed."
"Objection Correction: The subject must not sustain permanent damage and must retain the capacity for learning," the analytical module corrected.
"Proposal: Minimum charge power?"
...
...
"Approved."
The boy walking behind the droid suddenly felt a wave of danger emanate from HK. And when the mechanical assassin turned its head toward him, the expressionless faceplate seemed to Anakin like an anticipatory, malicious snarl. The rising sense of dread had almost reached the "panic" threshold when HK-47 carefully "chucked" his new student into the cargo hold and sealed the door, cutting off all avenues of escape.
The left auxiliary hold had been painstakingly converted into a workshop-arsenal by the assassin droid. HK was short on time, and not everything was ready, but a couple of workbenches and several crates of weaponry were present.
Anakin, eyeing the droid warily, backed up to the far wall.
HK thought at that moment that the target had so conveniently placed himself on the firing line. After all, that was the bulkhead that had been reinforced with a durasteel armor plate during the brief repairs in the Coruscant docks.
A tense silence fell. The assassin droid and the human child froze across from each other. What was happening bore little resemblance to training, but only a complete idiot would argue with the droid now. Anakin did not count himself among them.
HK was quite conscientious about executing his Master's orders. Therefore, he decided to start with a brief instruction session.
"Query: How much do you know about small arms, meatbag?" the droid asked emotionlessly.
"Uh," Skywalker stammered. "Well, I had a small ion blaster at home..."
"Conclusion: As suspected, NOTHING," HK interrupted the student.
"Hey!" the boy protested. "I know a blaster shoots a laser..."
"Mockery: Incorrect answer," the droid cut him off again. "Instruction: Listen carefully and memorize, you foolish meatbag. Blasters operate on more efficient principles than archaic lasers. Instead of a coherent beam, a blaster fires a highly compressed energy bolt, lethal to most animals. The energy used to form the blaster charge depends on the blaster type. The charge is created by pumping energy into the particles of a specific substance. One such substance is tibanna gas. When the substance's atom absorbs energy and becomes excited, its electrons transition to a new energy level. Upon stabilization, the electrons return to the previous level, emitting the energy bolts capable of inflicting damage."
The droid approached one of the weapon crates and withdrew a BlasTech Industries DH-17 blaster pistol, acquired through the Hutt Cartel.
"Supplement: Less common is the plasma blaster. Plasma is suitable for destroying any target, but is most effective against droids due to the nature of plasma, which is superheated ionized gas. Droids are vulnerable to the effects of ion energy, and the plasma blaster is the obvious choice for combating them," HK continued his lecture. However, noticing a look of absolute incomprehension on Skywalker's face, the assassin droid was forced to rephrase the information.
"Sympathetically: Shoot, pain. Blaster, kill," the droid stretched the words, as if explaining something to a complete idiot, which, in HK's opinion, was the case, summarizing his lesson: "Enjoyment: Killing, good."
The boy sulked, offended. He did not appreciate being treated like an imbecile.
HK-47 was already preparing to begin a new "lecture" regarding weapon safety, but reconsidered, deciding to simplify everything once more.
The mechanical maniac pulled a blaster carbine from the crate and demonstrated it to Anakin.
"Explanation: Barrel, forestock, grip, stock," he rapidly declaimed, pointing to the corresponding parts of the weapon. "You won't need to know more than that."
"But..."
"Supplement: The power pack is located inside the stock; the gas canister is in a shielded block to the left, running along the barrel. Strict Warning: Do not attempt to disassemble the weapon until you have thoroughly studied its mechanism, meatbag," the droid reminded him.
"I..."
"Instruction: Weapon handling safety protocol," the droid declared, ignoring the boy. "Always point the muzzle at an enemy, and only when prepared to fire. At all other times, the muzzle must point toward the floor or the ceiling, no exceptions."
"I GET IT!" Skywalker shouted.
The droid tilted his head slightly.
"Sarcastic Clarification: Do you, now?" HK said in the most mockingly affectionate voice his vocabulizer could produce.
In the next few seconds, the assassin droid charged the weapon and took it off safety. The ensuing twenty-round burst passed precisely over Anakin's head, making him instinctively duck.
"Directive: Catch!" HK commanded loudly, throwing the blaster with its spent power pack into the boy's hands.
Skywalker reflexively caught the flying object and instantly screamed in pain as the overheated barrel burned his left palm.
"Demonstration: Rapid-fire rates cause the weapon's barrel to overheat. Safety Recommendation: Avoid contact between exposed skin and overheated weapon parts, or use thermo-insulated gloves."
As the whimpering boy pressed his injured hand to his chest and slowly backed toward the exit of the hold, HK retrieved a spare power cell for a hand blaster from an ammunition box and struck it against his own thigh several times.
"Directive: Catch!" the droid yelled again, tossing the sparking power source at the boy.
"No!" Skywalker cried in a panic, trying to bat the incoming power cell away.
The moment of contact sent an electrical discharge through the boy's arm, making Anakin arch his back with convulsions.
"Demonstration: Damage to power cell insulation can lead to electrocution. Warning: Monitor the integrity of power sources, and use insulated gloves," HK stated didactically while Skywalker writhed and twitched on the floor.
"Warning: The Master forbade inflicting permanent injuries upon the training subject," the logic block in the droid's personality core reminded him.
"Acknowledged."
HK's sensors continuously monitored the life signs of the juvenile meatbag to ensure he didn't cease his vital functions during the educational process.
To the assassin droid's surprise, the boy recovered quite quickly and, choking on sobs, began to crawl toward the door. However, the memory archives quickly reminded the former "hunter of the gifted" of instances where his targets called upon the Force and displayed phenomenal resilience. The boy, by all appearances, was subconsciously doing the same. Therefore, HK decided there was no point in taking a break mid-lesson.
"Additional Information: Most plasma blasters are capable of firing stunning ion charges. A hit from such a charge on a droid will cause an overload in its electrical circuits and, consequently, a brief system shutdown until automatic reboot. Clarification: Only if the backward models are equipped with such a function," the droid uttered the last phrase with a hint of pride, implicitly suggesting that he himself possessed such a capability.
Skywalker tensed up the moment HK spoke. He was no longer sure the droid wasn't trying to kill him. Quite the opposite. But the saving exit was just a few steps away.
"Supplement: Organic opponents are also extremely vulnerable to the stun charge, as it causes an overload of the nervous system, resulting in painful shock and loss of consciousness," the droid continued to broadcast, retrieving a new blaster.
A short beep, signaling the weapon's shift into stun mode, spurred Skywalker on faster than a stim-pack.
A smile crossed his face at the realization of his proximity to freedom and salvation from this mechanical sadist.
Except... the door was locked.
Horror... Anakin experienced this feeling for the first time, though until this moment he had sincerely believed he had been in dangerous situations before. How wrong he was. Even that flight in the Naboo starfighter amidst a battle did not seem as perilous to the boy as the droid standing behind him. The very embodiment of death was now five steps away... with a blaster in its hands.
"Don't..." Skywalker managed to whisper through a gasp.
In the next instant, a plasma blaster charge hit the boy, rendering him unconscious.
"Belated Warning: A demonstration of the stunning capability of the DH-17 blaster model is about to follow. Recommendation: Clench your teeth," HK said mockingly, approaching the boy's unconscious body. "Instruction: And never neglect the safety guidelines, you small, disobedient meatbag."
Just as the droid flipped Skywalker over and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt to drag him back toward the improvised firing line, a commlink signal from Revan came through.
"Courtesy: I am listening, Master?" HK answered the call, unceremoniously dropping Anakin's body, causing the latter's head to thud against the metal floor.
"What is going on in there?" Revan asked sternly.
"Answer: Training."
"Oh, is it?"
It became clear who HK had copied his mockingly affectionate tone from.
"Is this 'training' why Anakin is suddenly emitting waves of fear across the entire ship? Any louder, and his cry for help will be heard even on Coruscant."
"Clarification: No irreparable harm, Master. Merely disciplinary measures to instill a sense of order in the training subject," the droid added, picking up on his creator's mood.
A prolonged sigh was heard.
"Tone it down," Revan said, now more calmly.
"Confirmation: Acknowledged, Master," HK instantly replied.
The connection cut off.
The assassin droid stood over Skywalker for a few minutes more, tapping his finger on the blaster's trigger, testing its movement while simultaneously running the Master's order through his logic circuits.
As unfortunate as it was to admit, killing the little brat was absolutely forbidden. And the "training program" would have to be... softened.
Snapping his manipulators in annoyance, HK put the blaster away and instead took a small container of bacta. Quickly treating the burns on the boy's hand and the spot where the charge hit, the assassin droid propped the boy against one of the weapons crates. HK himself knelt down beside his unconscious student and waited for the latter to wake up.
But he was in no hurry to regain consciousness.
Finally, the droid grew tired of wasting time.
"Anakin. Anakin, wake up, dear," the gentle voice of Shmi Skywalker echoed through the hold. The boy stirred. "Get up quickly, Ani. The sun's been up for a while. You'll be late for Watto's junk shop."
"Mmmm..." Skywalker stretched. "Now, Mom... five minutes."
"No 'five minutes'!" Shmi's voice grew stricter.
"Alright, alright, I'm getting up..." Anakin grumbled reluctantly.
With a drawn-out groan, the boy peeled open his eyelids and blinked a few times. His eyes grew wider as he realized where he currently was and who was in front of him.
"Awake?" HK-47 inquired in the voice of Anakin's mother.
The ability to imitate voices was extremely useful for the assassin droid's craft. It came in handy now, too.
The boy drew a large breath, preparing to scream, but his mouth was quickly covered by a metallic palm.
"Warning: Scream and panic, and I will stun you," the droid said in his own synthesized, metallic voice.
Skywalker tried to struggle, but the barrel of the blaster pressed against his forehead. The boy froze.
"Question: Are you calm?"
Anakin nodded energetically.
"Question: Will you neglect safety protocol or the advice of a more experienced instructor again?"
The boy vehemently shook his head.
"Joyful: Excellent. That means we can proceed with the lesson."
HK released the boy and yanked him to his feet.
"Wasn't that already the lesson?" Anakin asked warily.
"Clarification: Of course not. That was the orientation."
"Then what will the lesson be?" the boy muttered in a disgruntled tone, then quickly bit his tongue, remembering that the assassin droid in front of him was equipped with sensitive audio sensors.
"Query: Do you know how to dance, meatbag?" HK asked menacingly.
"What? What does that have to do with anything?" the boy didn't understand.
"Joyful Explanation: Oh, there once was a wonderful pastime on Nar Shaddaa known as the 'Deathdancer's Waltz.'" The droid aimed the blaster barrel at Skywalker's feet. "Question: Shall I teach you?"
"No, don't!" Anakin jumped in place.
"Directive: Then shut your mouth, take the blaster, and aim at that square on the armor panel."
The boy, realizing his situation, quickly began to follow instructions.
The droid stood behind him, correcting Skywalker and eliminating the rookie's mistakes.
"Correction: Higher arm, stiffer wrist! Annoyance: No, not like that. Use both hands if one is too difficult... Confusion: The target is stationary, why are you leading it? Mockery: Where are you raising the barrel, you brainless meatbag?! This isn't artillery, the charge will fly on a flat trajectory! Threateningly: I will shoot your elbows if you spread them so wide. Instruction: There is no recoil here; you're flinching from the sound of the shot. Don't yank the trigger, or the barrel will pull sideways. Even a millimeter of deviation at this range will result in a miss. Maliciously: Oh, it seems someone has decided to use the Force? We shall see, we shall see."
'And this is only the first lesson,' Anakin thought with dread. 'I want to go back to Tatooine...'
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