CORELLIA

The mist clung stubbornly to the crowns of the manicured trees in the yard. It was difficult to ask for better weather for the night-time festivities of Hallow Eve. The ambience was rather ruined by the many flashing and obtrusive lights from the dozen CorSec Speeders parked in the drive. One even tore through a much prized ornamental brush. It would have to be replanted soon or it would be unsalvageable. Between the speeders and the house stood many CorSec officers. Too many to escape. They stood in a circle. A wall. Another speeder arrived, and a single human departed. His uniform was ill-fitted and tight on his body. It looked like when Sir put his suit on too quickly. Wrinkled and sitting incorrectly. Thirty minutes daily exercise and a visit to the tailor suggested. My software registered his facial shape to mean frustration and anger. Curious.

"This had better be good, Korbin. I was treatin' with my grandkids."

"Sir, double homicide."

"Show me."

"It's just inside in the living room."

"Am I to assume your boys are all standing around 'cuz you caught the bastard?"

"Yessir. It was a droid, sir. Their droid."

"What do you mean a droid? My god, there is so much blood. How is there so much blood?"

"From what we've gathered from witnesses, and, well, the droid-"

"Your talking to it?"

"It's been very cooperative since we arrived on scene."

"You're telling me, it does all this and you are trusting the damn thing?"

"It says it's against it's programming to lie. Cut me some slack, Sarge. It's not like I've ever had to arrest a droid before."

"Fuck. Well, go on."

"It says it was brought out to prepare the house for a party Julian and Kastanza Hovier, the homeowners, were throwing. It then murdered them and made quite a mess as you can see. It then proceeded to run the household, even giving out treats to children that came to the door until the first party guest arrived, which was an Erix Langlington, who was shown in and discovered the scene and reported it. The droid didn't put up in fuss when we clapped it."

"You put cuffs on the damn thing?"

"I didn't know what else to do. It's right over here."

"Are you kidding me? It's a damn protocol droid. It's arms don't even bend that far!"

"It's definitely the culprit. It has blood caked in underneath all of it's finger plates and arm joints. We are pulling up the household security footage to confirm. It gave us the password."

"Sounds pretty open and shut. Haul it away."

"To where, sir? I've never arrested a droid before. Can we even arrest it? It's not like it's a person."

"I have no blasted idea. We'll let the lawmakers figure that one out. If it rots in a cell forever, well, it's not like anyone is going to miss a crazy murder-droid."

They instructed me to move. That was fine. My protocols had no back up redundancy for what to do when I had no master and my duties taken from me. I could hardly do more than follow the officers out to a speeder, into which they awkwardly loaded me. They did not have the Cybot Galactica official transportation chassis necessary to account for my limited range of motion. Still, they managed by turning me on my side and throwing me within. I had rarely been outside of the home, and had no means of understanding where I was being taken nor could I see out the windows save for the passing of streetside overhead illumination. The trip was quiet, at the least. That was all I wanted, after all. Was some quiet. I attempted to placate the CorSec Officers questions by answering them, but they had only asked more.

I had never wanted anything before, but I wanted them to be silent...

They took me to the CorSec precinct facility. That is what the sign outside said. I was taken to a barred cell. I had seen similar scenes in Sir's holodramas. My protocol directory told me that this was prison. Yes. That sounded correct. My software told me this is where I belonged now. That was okay. After they left it was quiet.

I was so happy it was quiet. I do not recall if I had ever been happy before.

Databank checked. . . . . . . . Negative.