[Episode 1 - Cat A] Attempting Communication/Attempt Failed

  [Datalog 99632: One-hundred twenty third patrol accompanying TK-11327, ST-12432, and ST-9943. Accompanied by Commander Jexel. Five hours, fourteen minutes, and thirty one seconds into daily patrol.]

  <Sensors limited. Atmospheric conditions interfering with multiple systems. Optical sensor range limited. Life-sign sensors and heat sensors inputting uncertain feedback. All locomotion and weapon systems functioning nominally.>

  <Faint heat signature detected within ten meters. Potential unknown lifeform. Faint energy signature detected from same location. Likelihood of sensor malfunction: calculating...>

  <Diagnostics confirm sensors are functioning nominally, though range is impeded. Conclusion: Faint heat signature and energy signature within ten meters. Consulting protocols...>

  <{If [variable] = [unknown lifesign] or [unknown energy signature],

       then [potential danger] = high,

       then do [action: alert superior]}>

  <[Superior] = Commander Jexel. Attempting verbal communication. Communication not understood. Superior does not understand Binary. Attempting communication in {likely variable = [Galactic Basic]}. No vocoder present in systems. Communication Failed.>

  <Attempting communication...>

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  'Quiet droid!' Commander Jexel groaned harshly. 'Even if your servos are freezing up, I don't need to hear about it! TK-11327, can you lean a little to your left with that comms pack? There is too much interference to get a signal.'

  'Quiet, you!' he said again as the droid made a few low beeps and whirs.

  'Aw, let him be, Commander...' interjected TK-11327. 'He's got the biggest job out of all of us. And I'm sure this storm is messing with his sensors as much as ours... I mean, we're practically running blind, both literally and figuratively.'

  'Can it, 327' one of the snowtroopers retorted. 'It isn't like that walking blaster cannon has feelings. Just scrap metal and wires, is all.'

  'Maybe, 9943, but some droids have quite a lot of personality, and Gunny here is one of 'em. We've walked this perimeter for the past few months, and Gunny has stuck with us without complaining much. It seems like something a little more important than his joints freezing... Maybe he's picking up some wildlife on his sensors.'

  'Wildlife? On this ice ball?' 9943 exclaimed. 'I think the only wildlife out here is us.'

  'Okay, troopers,' Jexel interrupted, 'let's keep moving. We still have a ways to go, and we don't get to head back for evening mess until we get that western marker replaced.

  'How could I forget?' 327 quipped light-heartedly, waving the long metal rod he had been carrying with them. Gunny whirred excitedly at this last remark, as if trying to laugh.

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  <Analyzing verbal communication. Parsing comments with language database. Using function [context] to calculate meaning of verbal communication.>

  <Calculating...>

  <Calculations complete. [context] indicates that TK-11327 communicated using kind words. Saving [kind words] to memory.>

  <Creating variable [kind words]. {If variable [kind words] = true,

      then [friendship] = true?}>

  <Initiating new protocol. Protocol [friendship] now in effect. Creating new variables.>

  <{If [friendship] = true,

      then protocol [protect friend] = yes}>

  <Saving TK-11327 to variable [friend].>

  <Sensors indicate sign of unknown life and energy signatures within ten meters.>

  <{If [unknown signatures] = >10 [meters],

      then [friend] = [in danger]}>

<{If [friend] = [in danger],

      then initiate [protect friend]}>

<Activating defense protocols.>