#( . i should prob make a tag distinction for BD but. BD and cal are attached at the hip so what does it matter ig

[keztis]

              𝙷𝙸𝙶𝙷-𝚁𝙸𝚂𝙺,  𝙷𝙸𝙶𝙷-𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚈  𝚂𝙲𝙴𝙽𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙾𝚂  𝚁𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙸𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶  𝙸𝙼𝙼𝙴𝙳𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙴  𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 and tactical assessment weren’t statistical anomalies.  serving as a companion to not one, but two jedi exhibiting a consistent pattern of behavior categorized as “recklessly curious” had resulted in an extensive, ever-growing emergency response log.  regarding cal kestis specifically, BD-1 had long since initiated a standing internal directive default: prepare for worst-case scenarios.  this wasn’t a negative reflection on his human companion, but a practical adaptation to cal’s behavior profile.  BD-1 understood, perhaps better than most, the impulse to seek answers.  it was a compulsion BD-1, himself, recognized—an algorithmic core function.

the difference, of course, lay in protocol structure.  BD-1 possessed embedded self-preservation subroutines within his directives, whereas cal kestis, by all observable metrics, did not.  no other entity was more acutely aware of this discrepancy than BD-1, who had a front-row seat to the many hazards his companion blundered into without hesitation. . .

today presented a recent anomaly that BD-1 struggled to categorize.  cal’s risk tolerance remained unchanged, as did his propensity for navigating koboh’s rugged terrain with minimal forethought.  all behavioral indicators aligned with baseline.  but something had changed.

cal had become distracted over the past several weeks, exhibiting an increase in dissociative behaviors: visual fixations on distant or non-existent focal points, delayed responses, and prolonged periods of silence.  BD-1 cross-referenced this behavioral shift with existing health records.  hormonal fluctuations: unlikely.  sleep cycle irregularities: persistent but stable.  non-invasive psychological scans revealed emotional metrics had elevated, but weren’t anomalous.  nutritional levels remained below optimal, but unchanged from standard.

results: inconclusive. before BD-1 could conduct further analysis to isolate the cause, the chain of events that followed their descent into koboh’s forest proceeded with unprecedented volatility.

initial contact: stormtrooper patrol.  secondary threat: reinforcement squad.  tertiary complication: two nesting mogu. 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃 𝙻𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙻: 𝙴𝚇𝚃𝚁𝙴��𝙴𝙻𝚈 𝙷𝙸𝙶𝙷. escape route intersected with a bilemaw den. 𝙷𝙾𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈: 𝙸𝙼𝙼𝙴𝙳𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙴. parental defense response triggered.  cal’s actions: evasive maneuvers, sustained combat. final phase: raider ambush.  heavy resistance.  extended combat duration.  environmental traversal attempt—cliff ascent.  cal’s grip failed. 𝙸𝙼𝙿𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝚅𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙸𝚃𝚈 𝙴𝚇𝙲𝙴𝙴𝙳𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝙰𝙵𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙳𝚂. result: unconscious state.

while waiting, BD-1 secured the perimeter, initiated a low-priority camouflage protocol ( sticks and leaf debris placed over cal’s prone form — insufficient, but better than nothing ), then departed to seek help. . . . \\ @d4gangera

he hadn’t stopped running calculations since. what if cal woke up to find BD-1 absent?  would he attempt to locate BD-1 despite injury?  would he perceive BD-1’s absence as abandonment?  anger and fear were frequent emotional responses in human trauma scenarios.  BD-1’s processors cycled faster, extrapolating scenarios: cal going after the raiders, wounded and alone; cal succumbing to internal and external injuries; cal dying in the interval between BD-1’s departure and return.

that possibility—destabilized his processing loop.

the little droid burst into pyloon’s saloon, his high-pitched beeps shrill with alarm, but with the din of shouting patrons, clinking glasses, and music thundering from the stage swallowed his cries whole, no one even looked up. undeterred, BD-1 launched himself onto the bar with a metallic clink, tiny legs knocking against a glass before he steadied himself.  bode: absent.  greez: absent.  monk: swamped behind the counter, arms full of steaming plates.

       BD-1’s head swiveled. there—dagan, settled on the couch against the back wall, partially obscured by a cluster of patrons.  BD-1’s optics flared. dagan gera could help cal kestis. he bounded off the bar, over heads, drinks, and one very confused twi’lek, landing with a thunk on the small round table in front of dagan.

<<BD=𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙! cal=𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚎!>> the droid trilled, hopping frantically in place.  <<cal=𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞!>>  when dagan didn’t react quickly enough, BD-1 let out an impatient squeak, spinning in a tight, frustrated circle on the table before leaping directly into the jedi’s lap.

<<BD=𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙! cal=��𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜!>> this time, his binary cracked at the edges, distorting almost into reedy whistles as he began butting his head into dagan’s chest.  <<cal=𝚒𝚗𝚓𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍!>>