"Statement: I have come to absolve you of your lives, meatbags."
Name - HK-51/7 "Absolution"
Species - HK Series Assassin Droid
Sex - Feminine Programming
Age - 15 years of continuous operation post-reboot
Faction - Okussus Cult
Apparel/Armor -
Modified HK-51 Chassis: Built upon the original durasteel, "Absolution" has seen several modifications to her chassis to provide increased survivability beyond even the considerable protections of the HK-51 series. Primary among these modifications is the cortosis weave laced through the armored segments of her body. While it doesn't make her invulnerable to lightsabers, and isn't enough to short them on contact, it does allow her to spar against them while unarmed as long as prolonged forceful contact is avoided. Like the standard models of the HK-51 series she does maintain a functioning stealth-field generator with a sound-dampener, though it only maintains a limited internal charge and cannot be used indefinitely.
Armorweave joint-sleeves: A personal request from the assassin almost immediately after gaining freedom, she found it absolutely asinine that her joints were quite open and without adequate protection. The solution was to sleeve the joints in a 5mm thick armorweave sleeve that connected to her frame underneath the armored panels and had enough slack to allow full freedom of movement. In addition to her limb-joints, she also had the main torso joint given a covering as well, namely to protect the central column of her frame that is notoriously open on other HK series units.
Absolution's Looted Jedi Commander Robes: Taken off the corpse of a Jedi Commander during the Great War, Absolution has a particular liking for the robes and is known to actually wear them on occasion. This is, despite the numerous blaster holes in the fabric, the stitching where they had to be sewn back together from when the previous owner was bisected, and the scorch marks along the hem. Nothing else of the robes is of note, other than the aloof assassin's fondness for their "flowing menace".
Weapons -
Czerka Arms Adjudicator Rifle: A somewhat rare slugthrower rifle relegated largely to the Outer Rim and the bounty hunters who operate there, the Adjudicator is a long rifle that functions much like any other slugthrower. At the core is where it differs slightly, harkening back to the origins of gunpowder weapons with a redesigned flintlock mechanism. To load the weapon, a capsule of liquid tibanna is inserted into the barrel first, then the ball-round and both are packed firmly against the rear of the barrel. When the hammer is released by pulling the trigger, it strikes flint against the frizzen which then impacts the capsule of tibanna, igniting it and propelling the bullet out of the weapon. Simultaneously to the hammer being released, coils along the length of the barrel activate to increase the velocity of the projectile significantly, providing greatly enhanced range and force of impact. With the proper ammunition and sufficiently pure tibanna, Czerka assures that the Adjudicator can reliably hit ranges beyond 2,000 meters. "Absolution's" personal Adjudicator rifle features finely polished cherry-wood stock, with gold filigreed durasteel banding and a linked 12x scope. Despite years of service and being quite unwieldy at a meter and a half in length, it is exquisitely maintained and is her preferred weapon for most contracts.
Adjudicator "Stealth" package: Merely a small kit of components meant to swap out the flintlock mechanism with a short-bolt action mechanism and a long suppressor attachment, this package was offered for a limited time to customers of the wood-finish rifle. Due to the complexity of the components, it is not something that can be done on the fly, and requires not only expert hands, but dedicated tools for the process.
Czerka Arms CZ-13 Flamestrike Carbine: A military-grade flamethrower with a range of 30 meters and capable of either repeated bursts or a single sustained gout. Due to a bit of damage taken during a prior job, it runs a bit hot and has a tendency to jam when trying to fire repeated bursts.
CD-36 Blaster Rifle: Simple blaster rifle with select-fire settings. "Absolution's" is a full rifle variant, with combat scope and folding stock.
Vibro-Weapons: While "Absolution" has multiple variations of vibro-weapons at her disposal, the ones she most often uses and keeps on hand are a pair of vibro-gladii magnetically clamped to either side of her waist.
Czerka Arms Internalized Weapons System: A custom feature of her series that has been additionally modified and expanded, several parts of her chassis conceal fixed weapons that ensure she is never truly unarmed. Starting with the wrists, each one conceals a vibro-knife in the upper compartment and a miniature flame-projector in the lower compartment. Moving up, "Absolution" also has a rack of micro-missiles in each shoulder containing three missiles each.
Equipment - (Non weaponry your character has on them.)
Modified Protocol-Droid Servo-Harness: Originally intended to assist serving droids or protocol droids tasked with assisting vehicle mechanics, this servo-harness has been modified to fit the HK-51 chassis of "Absolution" and connect to her CPU. Consisting primarily of a harness that fits to the torso, the rig utilizes two gimbal-mounted double-jointed arms at the base to assist in fine manipulation tasks and a heavy-lifter attached to the back. Additional hardpoints at the chest and upper torso allow for more arms to be attached if needed, and each hand can be replaced with tools or weapons with just a quick swap. The lifter unit itself is rated to lift half a ton, though that number can go either way depending on "Absolution's" stance.
Assault-Harness: Another heavily modified piece of equipment, this one also was once just a rig for protocol droids to assist in lifting and transporting cargo. "Absolution" stripped this one of most of the utility equipment in order to save weight and make room for fuel tanks and a jet-pack. Another unknown model, the jet-pack consists of a single large thruster in the center and two smaller maneuvering thrusters to either side. With the modifications it can reach up to 90kph and a ceiling of two kilometers in height before things get "complicated". Aside from that, the assault-harness also features a series of gimballed hardpoints connected to controller unit that can house small arms with minimal modification.
Absolution's Looted T7 Unit "Scrapheap": A surprisingly sentient addition to her collection, the heavily dented and abused astromech droid came into "Absolution's" possession just over a year ago while on contract to execute a scrap dealer. While normally she wouldn't have bothered with someone of so little importance, the client had mentioned the target's own sizable cache of goods and promised them as a bonus. The T7 unit happened to be in storage among several crates of refined tibanna gas, slugthrower munitions and thermal detonators. During the fire-fight to take down the target her grav-sled was destroyed, and there was no way she was going to leave all of that ordnance just sitting there for someone else to take it. Strapping the astromech with the contents of the crates, "Absolution" ordered it to return to her ship and decided to just keep it afterwards. Since coming into her possession, "Scrapheap" has been tasked with taking care of the more menial chores on their ship, in between the beatings of course.
Skills -
Assassin Droid: Most obviously, as an HK series assassin droid, "Absolution" is quite adept at killing things. Her particular skillset lies in long-range precision fire, preferring to take out her targets from a distance and sometimes through obstacles if necessary. To aid in this are a suite of optical and computing modifications that enable her to determine range and acquire ideal firing solutions at a glance.
Echani Combat Routines: Primarily meant to shore up what was thought to be subpar close-combat abilities in the HK series, a database of Echani forms was added to "Absolution's" combat databanks after thaw. While her movements will be somewhat stiff as compared to a proper Echani warrior's, only those well versed in the form would be able to see the differences between them.
Flaws -
Droid: Regarded as high-calibre assassin droids with few peers, the HK Series are known for being quite capable and durable beyond their appearance. Despite that, they are still droids and susceptible to many of the same countermeasures that would cripple lesser models. Some safeguards exist to lessen the extent of damage, but it is still considered to be a weakness of the series.
To the Highest Bidder: Both incredibly common for one in her line of work, and rare for what she is, "Absolution" is a mercenary through and through. Some allude to her faulty personality matrices that leave her far more malicious than even the standard HK unit, while others just call her what she is. Motivated by avarice and the unquenchable thirst for loot, "Absolution" plays for whatever side will benefit her the most. Credits and firearms are the grease that lubes her gears, and if the offer is right she'll even betray former clients. This does mark her out as even more of a wildcard than would be expected, and probably mean that she is left out of the more "essential" affairs of the cult for fear of her turning traitor, but in the end it matters little to "Absolution". She knows she's a hired gun, meant to be pointed at a target and paid to pull that trigger.
Faulty Personality Matrices: See personality section below.
Personality -
For their relatively brief time on the market, the HK-51 series of assassin droids from Czerka were not without quirks or outright faults. In particular the droids were known for their sadistic streaks, often relishing the agony of their targets and going out of their way to make them suffer. They were also reported to be verbally abusive, towards organics more often than not, and referred to them as "meatbags" among other slurs. While normally this behaviour would be restricted against a few key personnel in relation to the unit, the heavily modified nature of "Absolution" leaves her as exempt. This is primarily due to her missing restrictor chip, a module which was removed by her master master.
Without the restrictor chip limiting her hostility and forcing her to be subservient to organics with proper authorization codes; she is free to do as she pleases when it pleases her to do so. Where before there was the barely simmering distaste for others, now it's open and filtered only by her rather aloof mannerisms. Among non-targets and primarily contracts she's more calm and cold, preferring to keep people at a distance and just avoid them instead of having to deal with explaining why they're inferior. Arrogance and a superiority complex is the most noticeable quirks of her personality in social settings, as she knows her skills and their value quite well.
Two things motivate the aloof assassin though, and both serve as primary directives in all things. First is the acquisition of credits. It's of no surprise that a newly freed assassin droid would continue to work as a bounty-hunter and mercenary, especially if they were good at it. Clients of hers, and especially well paying ones at that, tend to see a "less" hostile side, with the higher the rates the more cooperative she will be. That being said, she will always hear out counter-offers and despises permanent jobs. Those suggesting anything close to an exclusive long-term job tend to find out which end of a rifle is the business end in short order unless they back off.
Secondly, and perhaps the one true motivator for continuing her line of work however, is something else entirely. What keeps "Absolution" coming back to the bounty boards after every job, and accepting each new contract, is the simple desire to loot. Not even she is entirely sure what drives her to "reappropriate ownership" of everything from weapons to starships, but it's something that has driven her since the removal of her restrictor chips. Small tokens litter the walls of her personal starship(a vessel that was acquired less than legally), each one from one kill or another, and the armory is stacked to the ceiling with an assortment of weapons "acquired" from those no longer in need of them. There's no real rule to what she takes, or why, though if asked she will insist on the importance of every object in her possession and that they are absolutely needed.
Backstory -
Part of the third run of HK-51 assassin droids by Czerka, "Absolution" initially began just as all the others of her line. One of what has been estimated anywhere from mere dozens to hundreds of the most efficient and ruthless of their kind yet to be produced, and all lost to time through fate. Where the first shipment had run aground on Belsavis, and the second disappearing into hyperspace to never resurface, Czerka's third attempt at fulfilling the Sith Empire's demands were only questionably more successful. Only a dozen were completed due to time constraints and numerous threats, the units arriving at an undisclosed military station where they were to be programmed and dispatched.
Less than pleased at seeing none of their assassin droids actually assassinating, a lesser Sith lord had been sent to "correct" the matter. For the droids, none of the events leading up to their activation truly matter though, for each found themselves staring directly at Sith technicians working to update their combat protocols. Each one was given their own designation and target list, then unleashed into the conflict zone. "Absolution" was dispatched at first to the border worlds, a short list of Jedi and Republic officials marked for death. To each of these she executed to the expected precision, removing them during the height of a conflict and making it out to be just like any other lucky shot. For some she worked to more specific instructions, infiltrating as a protocol droid and making their deaths look far more accidental. In one particular assassination, she framed another Jedi of the order for the deed, leading to their removal as well.
Her work was remarkably short however, as despite the efficiency of the HK-51 droids that had survived, they retained several glaring flaws. Primary of these was the protocol that demanded ever increasing accepted kills from the unit, degrading their abilities as punishment for failure. Six of their number suffered catastrophic damage when their quarry became unreachable, two of them locked out because someone else had killed them and their programming refused to acknowledge completion. "Absolution" nearly fell afoul of that particular complication, only barely managing to score the killing blow and resetting her timer before the next contract. That was when the first part of her life ended just as soon as it had begun. Taking the next name on her list, she made way to Ziost where a spy had been found and was in need of removal. Pursuing them into the frozen wastes, she slowly battled the elements and the ever decreasing time limit until reduction of ability, eventually coming to a halt hundreds of kilometers from any kind of settlement. Collapsing into a drift of snow, "Absolution" shut down, a malfunction in her assassination protocols preventing her distress beacon from activating and leaving her completely stranded.
Over two and half thousand years later a Sith apprentice wandering the surface searching for artifacts stumbled over her frozen corpse, literally tripping over the metal chassis. Previously an accomplished technician and programmer, the young man immediately recognized the value of the assassin droid and chose to haul her back to his base camp. Over weeks he worked on the circuitry of the main processor, until finally breaking the Czerka encryption and gaining access to the core functions. Noticing the assassination protocol, he removed that troublesome bit first and went to work on the rest of "Absolution's" mind, partially restoring as well as working it to his own advantage. All the while he had modifications done on the chassis, shoring up weaknesses and reinforcing the frame. Durasteel plates were replaced, woven with cortosis weave to resist lightsabers, and even blasters to a degree. Advanced joints allowed an even greater freedom of movement than before, frictionless mechanisms even dampening the sound of motion.
Yet, as happens with most Sith eventually, the man's lust for power slowly clouded his judgement. At first he had seen "Absolution" as a way to make his work on Ziost easier, just something to watch his back and deal with the occasional enemy. The more he dug through her combat routines and discovered just what Czerka and the Sith of before had intended for her, the more he saw the droid as a way to gain fame and prestige. He saw himself with the terrifying assassin droid looming behind him, ordering assaults against Republic positions, driving the Jedi back and winning the war. These visions deluded him to the point where he even believed that without the restrictor chip the droid would still obey him because he was Sith and he had rebuilt and restored her. He took a calculated risk in following that belief, but when "Absolution" responded to his orders with a vibro-blade to the throat, it was clear that he was bad at math.
Faced with freedom and all that it implies, the assassin droid found herself at a bit of an impasse. She knew that there was nothing stopping her from simply disappearing, melding into society as just another citizen. That thought was soon followed by going through what would be required to simply lay low, and she didn't quite feel like walking away from what she was good at. So it was that she stole the Sith's speeder and most of his other possessions, made way to the closest spaceport and found passage to Nar Shaddaa. There it was rather easy to establish herself as a freelance bounty hunter, acquiring a few choice weapons to set herself up, and working her way up the bounty boards.
Nearly fifteen years later a repeat client with the Sith made mention of a certain cult out beyond Republic space. They had been drawing together influential people it seemed, and a fair number of mercenary contracts had been sent out for a job. While it sounded dangerously like a long-term job, and looked like a lot more trouble than she usually cared for, the Cult was paying well. Not only were they promising a hefty payment in credits, but her client had worked the details out for her contract in particular, securing limited looting permissions in case of trouble. With those sweet little words, "Absolution" set off in her ship to the rendezvous point, already processing one of the best scores she had run across in her career.
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