Ghosts of the Machine

"Ghosts of the Machine" is a story in the canon comic Tales from the Rancor Pit. The story was written by Cavan Scott, illustrated by Juan Samu, and published by Dark Horse Comics on November 23, 2022.
==Plot summary==
In Jabba the Hutt’s Palace on Tatooine, Hassarian Captain Vaclav is held upside down by a rope from the ceiling where he dangles over the Rancor pit. A translator droid accuses him of having loose lips and telling tales to the rivals of Jabba, and to no avail Vaclav tries to offer his ship and crew to prove his loyalty. However, Jabba remains to be unpleased due to the fact that Vaclav betrayed his trust and sold him out to the Razorstar Clan. In a final attempt to save his life, Vaclav explains to Jabba that he has stories, as it’s a hobby of his and collects them wherever he goes. 
He begins to tell a tale that he believes will intrigue Jabba, and he explains that back in the Clone Wars when his people joined the ranked of Count Dooku’s Separatists, a large scale battle between the Republic and Separatists took place on Malenko which was once home to the Andon Host, a long extinct species. They were said to be powerful necromancers able to raise the spirits of the dead, especially those who had been wronged and abandoned in life. According to legends, the land was cursed but the Separatist General, a Hassarian named Kazameer, didn't believe in curses nor ghosts. During the deadly battle, Jedi General Mace Windu and his former padawan Depa Billaba begin to overwhelm the Separatist forces which include droids such as DSD1 dwarf spider droids and OG-9 homing spider droids. Seeing that his forces won’t be able to hold the enemy back for much longer, General Kazameer orders a tactical droid to send in more droids while he retreats on a speeder. 
Kazameer didn’t think twice about the droids that he was sacrificing as they meant nothing to him, and he returns to his headquarters which is an old abandoned citadel built upon haunted catacombs filled with the unquiet dead. However, to Kazameer, the catacombs meant nothing to him and he only used them as dumping grounds for his destroyed droids that had served their purpose, and he treats them all the same since he only cares about his own survival. Once inside, he heads to his quarters and has his service droid LEP-999 bring him sustenance, but he becomes startled when hearing other noises coming from the citadel. When Kazameer is informed that no other droids have returned from the battle yet, he orders LEP-999 to investigate which terrifies the droid. As the droid starts to search the citadel’s hallways, several items are mysteriously knocked over, and while LEP-999 can’t see anything, it hears a noise sounding like chains. As it peeks around a corner, it comes to the realization that it is in fact not chains, but ghosts of battle droids marching towards them with weapons drawn. When Kazameer opens fire upon the droids, the shots have no effect on the ghosts as they pass straight through them, but the same can’t be said for LEP-999 as he is blown apart into pieces. As Kazameer flees and tells himself that this is all madness, the battle droids explain that he left them to die, so now they’re coming for him to exact revenge. He is suddenly ambushed by LEP-999 who asks him if needs something such as tea or a new set of pants, or more droid reinforcements to save his skin.
Being completely cornered, Kazameer’s only option is to go down a set of stairs while LEP-999 taunts him by saying that the droids are cannon fodder and mechs to the slaughter. Once down the stairs, Kazameer enters the tunnels littered with the discarded droids and filled with a strange swirling mist. Kazameer continues to flee and begins to lose his mind as he’s herded into a corner by the droid ghosts, but when he tries to contact Separatist command, a droid answers him and says that what he’s experiencing isn’t possible since he said it himself - there’s no such thing as ghosts. When Kazameer questions who he’s talking to, the droid says that he’s one who knows how certain anesthetic gases can create various visions and nightmares in order to teach him a lesson that he should watch what he sacrifices and throws away. Suddenly, a surgical droid comes straight at Kazameer with its many needles and saws ready to kill.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Tales from the Rancor Pit stories