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Jonathan Grey
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I stood across from Cortana with a wooden training sword still in hand, completely relaxed and not a bead of sweat or single sign of fatigue. While Cortana leaned forward, hands on her knees, breathing heavily. Her synthetic skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweat, and her chest rose and fell in rapid rhythm, which caused me to tilt my head as my brows knit together. "You do know you don't get tired, right?"
She straightened instantly as her breath caught mid-exhale. Her body snapped upright as if nothing had happened. "Right! Just… getting used to human mannerisms, you know?" She pouted, flashing a sheepish smile.
We had sparred for almost two hours, and I would admit, fighting her was more fun than fighting the Dremora Lord. She lost every match, obviously. Sparring a physically enhanced individual with a mastery of the Force and sword on my level was just too much for her.
With a soft chuckle, I slid my training sword into its resting mount on the wall. "Well, everything seems to be in working order. You've adapted well and continue to do so even during combat. 'Looks like you're ready to handle anything in the galaxy far, far away. Well, any Jedi or Sith anyway — at least until I finish touring this magical world and go to deal with the bigger problems."
Cortana mirrored my motion, placing her wooden sword neatly beside mine. She folded her arms and looked at me sideways. "You're terrifying, you know that? I haven't managed a single win, and I have a brain that processes billions of operations at a minimum."
I gave her a light pat on the back as I smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it. You're improving. You'll land a hit eventually. You just have to get gud, and it takes time for noobs like you."
Reaching into my pocket, I ignored her deadpan as I retrieved a necklace, dangling it from my fingers. At the end of the chain was a tiny, enchanted briefcase with a voice activation charm that would change size with just a word rather than needing a mage to use. "For you," I said, offering it to her. "It has all the farms, food, and seed stores to elevate the Tatooine. Fully stocked. House-elves are working around the clock. No maintenance needed unless you want to change anything."
Cortana's eyes lit up as she accepted the necklace, the miniature briefcase. "With this, I'll have Tatooine ready to be the first conquest for the empire and running at optimal level in a few months, a year at most." She frowned, crossing her arms as she started massaging her chin in thought. "Actually, the copy we left behind would have made a lot of progress already, so conquest will be sooner rather than later, if the Galactic Senate hasn't done anything rash."
The look in her eyes told me she plans and counterplans, but I didn't question it. The system ensured she wouldn't betray me, so I would leave her to it. I simply shrugged as I turned away. "Empire's your thing. I'm just there to end slavery and get rid of some problems they have going for them."
Before she could say anything more, probably to convince me in some way to think big like she had done many times before, I placed a hand on her shoulder and used [Blink] to teleport us both out of the dojo. We reappeared in Watto's shop on Naboo, where a single B1 battle droid stood by the counter.
[Remove the blockade on Naboo: +50,000 SP]
That's it? I saved an entire planet from an invasion, and that was all I was getting? I got almost half that just for freeing Anakin and Smin from slavery. I get they were more important to the canon and all, but still.
And why was it only appearing now? I know I was in another dimension, but that shouldn't stop the System from giving me my rewards. Was it because of some time dilation thing, or did I have to be in a dimension to receive its rewards? I had so many questions, but the next thing I read drew my attention.
[Remove Slavery From Tatooine: +300,000 SP]
"Give me a sitrep," I ordered the B1 droid, not missing the fact that the once-cluttered chaos of a shop was replaced by structured aisles and organised storage, with hovering display shelves that neatly showcase everything from podracer components to astromech droid parts. The earthen floor is now reinforced with duracrete plating and embedded mag-strips to help move heavy equipment. It was surrounded by cameras and only had a terminal where the reception desk used to be, with a sign that read 'payment point'.
The fact that a person only had cameras in the place and one B1 droid as security while everything was out in the open said a lot about how safe they thought it would be. Or that they were either dead or had misplaced their brain cells.
Before the droid could respond, Cortana casually stepped forward, chest out in a barely concealed smug manner. "Already got it. I'm linked with the copy we left embedded in the droid control ship. Everything seems stable." She turned slightly, and we exited the refurbished shop as new automatic doors slid open with a smooth hiss to let us out.
"My copy was efficient," she said with a proud glint in her eye. "She managed to convince most of the major criminal organisations to unite against the slavers in a much quicker timeframe than we initially thought. As planned, all it took was some of the money we took control of when we first arrived, resources, and a promise of structure. Like you said, gangsters like getting paid a lot and on time, regardless of who their boss is."
With a nod, I took the Witches' robes from the [Hoard] I had enchanted myself and handed them to her while I equipped the [Infamous Armour] myself. I would have given her a piece of Anti-Venom, but with her being inorganic and already stacked in terms of combat ability, I didn't see the point.
Once we were both dressed, we stepped onto the sunlit streets of Mos Espa, and I immediately noticed the striking transformation. Gone were the fearful, ragged crowds and the silence of slaves in fear of their masters. In their place were vendors shouting good-naturedly, and children laughing. As we made our way through the market district, heads turned. Whispers spread quickly, and eyes lit up with joy at the sight of Cortana in a similar manner they would when I healed people of their Maledictus and other ailments in the hospital.
Several citizens nodded deeply or gave humble bows, reverent and grateful. At one point, a young Twi'lek woman even approached cautiously, placing a hand over her heart as she murmured, "Thank you, lady Cortana… we're free because of you."
Cortana offered a gentle smile, brushing off the praise with a slight wave. "Just doing my job, ma'am. It's my boss you should be thanking, really," she said quietly. But I caught the flicker of mirth in her highly realistic, synthetic eyes.
The lack of fear and the subtle confidence in the way people moved was refreshing to see, even as the B1 units patrolled around. They may have been dumb droids efficiently dealt with by Force users, but the sheer numbers gained from the blockade were more than enough to keep Tatooine in line.
"The B1 units patrol regularly now," Cortana explained, noticing my observation. "Just enough presence to keep things safe without being oppressive. Criminals are kept in line with firm rules. Any attempts to exploit the population or destabilise the peace are met with force, or very high bounties." Seeing my nod, she gestured toward a wide avenue. "Come on. Shmi's waiting at the command centre. She's already been informed of our arrival."
We began walking side by side, passing through shaded courtyards and alleys now filled with greenery and clean water fountains, while the Force danced around me like a dog when his owner retired from work. Although it didn't speak, I could tell it was happy with Cortana's changes to the planet.
Soon, the towering form of a repurposed central plaza came into view, with a sign emblazoned above the entrance in crisp lettering: Mos Espa Embassy.
On our way, I saw patrol officers wearing fitted uniforms marked with a proud silver insignia of the imperial dragon symbol, which now represented my House. Pinned beneath the sigil were small devices my [Mechu Deru] told me were body cameras and they all had earpieces. While I was at it, I spread my senses out and picked up shields against space threats and city shields against sandstorms.
"You've militarised the place," I observed, nodding at one of the officers.
Cortana didn't miss a beat. "Not quite. Those are police officers and citizen enforcers, some of them former criminals. The body cams are mandatory and linked directly to my terminal. Constant monitoring ensures they stay honest. One slip, and I flag them for questioning or imprisonment."
At the Embassy's entrance, two guards clad in dark blue armour checked identification from the line of visitors. When they spotted Cortana approaching, they immediately straightened.
"Welcome, Lady Cortana," one said briskly with a professional bow as they moved aside for us to enter, while his companion did the same. "It is good to meet you in person."
She gave them both a nod as we walked through the open doors of the embassy to an interior lined with busy terminals, covered with cameras, and administrative staff busy doing their work. As Cortana stepped into the main hall, the soft murmur of conversation and the clacking of datapads seemed to die down. Dozens of workers and officials paused mid-task, eyes drifting toward the figure of the android who had basically become a legend across the sands of Tatooine.
A moment of stunned silence hung in the air, then respectful nods, awe-filled stares, and hushed whispers followed. Cortana offered only a simple nod in acknowledgement. "Do keep up the good work, everyone."
We both knew she could do all their work by herself if she wanted to, but I knew she had them do some of it to not only give them jobs and a purpose, but also to reduce the processing power she had available. There was also the added fact that they would be more than willing to die for a place which gave them jobs, purpose, and a good salary, unlike the Galactic Senate, which left them to their fate.
With that, Cortana led me down a corridor toward a door to two B1 droids stationed on either side of some blast doors. They stood aside wordlessly as we approached. When the doors slid open, Cortana and I stepped inside to find Shmi standing from her chair with a warm smile on her face. "Cortana," she greeted, walking to us with open arms.
Cortana returned the gesture, embracing her gently and seemingly cherishing the feeling with her artificial nerves. "It's good to see you in person, Shmi."
"And you," Shmi said with a light laugh as they parted. Cortana looked somewhat reluctant to untangle but hid it almost immediately. "Far better than speaking to your hologram, my dear." Her gaze shifted to me, and her expression became respectful as she bowed, like she was looking at the head of her school, and considering I taught her magic, I technically was. "Master Grey. It's an honour to see you again."
I groaned as I gave her a slight, dismissive wave. "Shmi… I told you not to call me that, and stop with the bowing, it's annoying. If you keep doing that, people are going to start thinking I'm some sort of Jedi or something."
I had only had enough time to teach her a healing spell before leaving, but I left a piece of Anti-Venom with her to help her in case of emergencies. In fact, it was the very thing morphed as the Jedi robes she was currently wearing, which made the bowing look even worse.
The mother of the chosen one smiled fondly as she straightened. "You'll have to forgive me. It's hard not to show respect to the man who taught me to wield magic and went out of his way to save a planet from an invasion, only to get started saving another a few days later."
'A few days?' Oh, right, it takes days or even weeks for other ships to travel between worlds. Unlike me, they still hadn't gotten around to solving that skill issue.
Shmi motioned for us to follow her, leading us across the room to a comfortable seating area with cushioned couches. The office wasn't anywhere near the offices on Coruscant I remembered from the movies, but it was definitely an improvement from where she used to be a few weeks ago. "Please, sit. You must be tired — the twin suns are harsh this time of day. Would you like some refreshments?"
Cortana and I both politely declined, and once we had taken our seats, Shmi settled across from us, folding her hands in her lap. "The takeover went as smoothly as we could've hoped," she began. "At first, many of the slavers fought back, hard. But it didn't take long for them to see which way the wind was blowing. Most surrendered once they realised they were outmatched and how much money they could make if they just accepted what was being offered."
Cortana smirked as she chimed in. "Cowards and opportunists. Give them a few credits and a clear threat, and they start waving white flags."
Shmi allowed herself a chuckle before continuing. "Still, it wasn't all easy. We had to sweep the outer districts and burn out some holdouts hiding in the canyons, but… well, they didn't last long." She leaned forward slightly, growing more serious. "The Jedi came, too. Said they wanted to speak with you, Master."
I frowned, ignoring how she referred to me to focus on the more important information. "And?"
"We turned them away," Shmi said firmly. "Well, Cortana turned them away. They came right after the last Hutt compound fell, but they seemed… off. They seemed more concerned with Hutt property than with the people freed from slavery when we spoke over holo-communications."
"Jabba's people pulled strings in the Senate — called in favours." Cortana scoffed as she shook her head in disgust. "And obviously, with typical Senate rot, they answered the call for the right amount. I kept all the information for potential blackmail or just to put all the people involved behind bars, so it's not all bad."
Shmi nodded. "We told them you were off-world and that they weren't welcome until they came with better intentions. I also told them that if they continued to behave like they did, the Jedi would never be allowed on-planet and Anakin would be trained here instead."
"Good." I nodded as I leaned back, unsurprised by the news, while I further relaxed into the couch. "My offer still stands, I would be glad to train Anakin, provided Qui-Gon doesn't leave the order to train him himself — he seemed sincere when he said he would if necessary."
"By the way," Cortana chimed in, "the planetary and local shields you've probably already noticed are gifts from Queen Amidala for being Naboo's shield in their time of need. Apparently, your actions left quite an impression. The Queen also made it clear that she's more than willing to ally with Tatooine… if you remain its leader."
"So, has she finally changed her mind about maintaining a standing army?" I asked, hoping to change her tendency of putting herself in danger, thinking the people she is planning to negotiate with were as peaceful as she is. I respect her willingness to help, but hopefully Anakin won't have to deal with her constant appearance in warzones, behind enemy lines.
"Hardly," Cortana let out a sharp scoff. "The girl may have improved her position by getting herself a few planetary shields for Naboo, but she only slightly increased security on her planet and still refuses to build a force worth anything. Wants peace without the price." Shaking her head with a disappointed sigh, she added, "Good thing the Gungans stepped up. Their generals said they'd back Naboo if it ever gets attacked again. She's lucky they're more grounded in reality than she is."
I went quiet for a moment, brow furrowed in thought as I looked through the System for Tatooine's own security. Then nodded when I found what I was looking for. "Alright. I'll leave you with a new automated factory. Produces a new model I call I-Robots. Durable, adaptable and much more intelligent than B1s. I'll also hook you up with a new core to operate from, but feel free to make any improvements they might need."
[ Large I, Robot Core and Nestor Class 5 Factor package]
[Description - A package that includes a large factory to create Nestor class 5 (NS-5) robots from the I, Robot universe, along with an AI core with cutting-edge quantum computing advanced enough to span an entire planet. Includes resources to produce 500,000 robots.]
[Cost: 250,000 SP]
[Purchased]
"Oh, nice," Cortana blinked in surprise as a smile started making its way to her face. "That'll be a game-changer, I can't wait to see them."
"I'll let you know when it's finished and where they are before I leave," I added, already rising to my feet. "With that said, I'll be back in a few weeks."
Before either woman could respond, I vanished with [Blink] to a spot on the planet where I couldn't sense any life and started mining deep into the planet to house the new purchases.
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Shmi Skywalker's Office
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The seat John had just vacated sat still as its cushion slowly rose back to its original shape. Shmi continued staring at it with her lips pursed in thought. "Does he know you plan to reveal he's our true leader?" she asked absently.
"I was going to commission statues in his armoured likeness around the planet," Cortana replied without missing a beat. "Wouldn't matter much to him. He hasn't even commented on the fact that everyone thought he was just my bodyguard on the way here. He's odd like that, you know?"
Shmi chuckled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Humility can be so disarming when wrapped around power like his."
Cortana nodded. "I've found that it's one of the reasons people follow him, even if they don't realise it." She shook her head before turning to Shmi. "So, why exactly have you kept Jabba alive again? Because I think one naïve lady in a position of power around John is enough for now, we don't need another."
The mother of the chosen one groaned as Cortana brought up a recurring argument she had with her copied AI. "We already have him locked up with no way of escaping. There is no reason to take his life."
With a tender, knowing smile, Cortana slowly shook her head as she kindly laced her hand on her shoulder as she spoke. "There is so much I have to teach you."
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" Then we will see each other again. "
— Shmi Skywalker.
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Hello There
Cortana is definitely trying to corrupt Shmi Skywalker, or make her better as a potential leader, and I don't think I disagree. Jabba need to be removed… permanently.
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