Hero of Naboo Chapter 30 Preview

OOM-9 deduced that this operation was vital.

While that could be said for all tasks, the Command Unit's programming lead him to believe that eliminating this army of organic primitives was a greater priority than simply occupying the planet. Why, he was not sure, only that the Viceroy's behavior spoke of greater urgency.

Droids had varying degrees of awareness, but it was strange for OOM-9. He had originally been a regular B1 battledroid, just like one of the hundred he was commanding. Nothing special or interesting about him. But they had upgraded him, gave him more advanced programming, and a different paint-job. Thus he became an Operational Overseer Manager unit, or an OOM for short. The nineth one, obviously, hence OOM-9.

His increased awreness wass dedicated to tactical and leadership of his fellow droids, along with security protocals that enabled him to attempt to adapt to a cchange situation.

OOM-9 dedicated minor suproutines to an unimportant question: Why him, instead of the other OOM-9, or one of the organic officers? Half of the answer was easy: the Neimoidian were a often a very fearful race, and thus his superior sent out droids as they were more expendable and replacable. But why him, over the other OOMs? Part of it was probable to just be happence chance. Some were out of the running due to known glitches. OOMs 1-3 couldn't cordinate plans involving droids in the triple digits. OOM-14 kept losing his ability to send out long range transmissions. OOM-8 was just had a horrible aiming malfunction.

Droids with glitches, droids that failed were tolerated until they were intolerable. Failure here would likely redender him intolerable, with the assumption that failure did not lead to his termination by the enemy.

An alert in his systems notified him that the enemy had been spotted. He open the hatch of his upgraded AAT, rising to survey the situation with his binoculars. It struck him as inefficient that enhanced optics were not simply builtin to his head, but didn't waste any processing power on that.

The situation was very clear and simple: the organic army had gathered in an open feild, surrounded by giant energy sheilds. No enemies were detected outside of the protective domes. His own forces were on a hill, giving them a minor terrain advantage.

Objective one: Neutralize the Sheild generators.

Default Tactic: Overpower the sheilds.

"Open fire!" OOM-9 ordered to the line of AATs, which let lose their cannon. The explosions rang through the air, and OOM-9 repositioned his footing to adjust for the minor recoil of his own AAT firing.

He surveyed the assualt for forty-seven seconds before concluding that this tactic was too inefficient. The sheilds showed no sign of faltering or straining. These sheilds were large, and their four of them. Taking out just one with pure fire power would take time, and give his enemies a chance to counter.

"Cease Fire!" he commanded with a wave of his hand. It was a needless gesture, as there were no organics in his forces, but uch behaviors were built into his programming. That aside, he sent the signal for his fellow battle droids to emerge and acctivate.

New Tactic: Attempt to penetrate the sheild with infantry.

Some sheildings prevented physical objects and energy-based projecticles from entering, but not all. If this one held off both, than he would simply use the additional firepower of nearly two thousand blasters to wear down the sheilds. If it didn't prevent his troops from entering, this battle would end that much sooner.

The sound of nineteen thousand droids activating and unfolding filled the plains. It was effecient and, according to his database, a terror tactic. Mass uniformity unsettled organics for unknown reasons.

As they began to march forth, OOM-9 double checked his estimation. The texture of the energy sheilds made surveying more difficult, but he estimated that the enemy troops were somewhere close to seven-hundred. His troops had nearly three-to-one odds Assuming that estimation was correct, he possessed the numerical advantage.

As his troops closed in on the dome, the enemy forces suddenly began to charge. He focused his binoculars in to observe what their plan was.

Whatever their intent was, OOM-9 deduced they had begun their operation too late, if only by a few seconds. His droids entered the domes and began to fire. However, he quickly realized the enemy's strategy. The Gungans were attempting to hold the line at the shield, using their personal sheilds and weapons to cut down the droids before too many could cross through.

He scanned the sheild and saw the defensive maneuver was being unddertaken at all the domes. Better progress was being made on the flanks, but they would lose the numerical advantage if he kept to this tactic.

He sent the signal for his troops to cease the advance, and hold at the sheild, as he had a near instnat calculation in his head. He could no afford to send out he droidkas yet. They had a high probability of destroying the sheild generators if they got inside, but the enemy wouldn't give them the opening. Their were too few of them to waste. The STAPs were much more numerous, but their own firepower and lack of defenses would just be sending them to become scrap.

That just left one option.

Adjusted Tactic: Send in the Tanks.

"Forward!" he called out, signaling the tanks to charge.