The Theoretika was a research laboratory ship owned by Czerka Corporation over a hundred years before the Cold War. On a routine transport run to the planet Sleheyron, an unknown catastrophe caused the Theoretika to miss its hyperspace jump and break apart in an asteroid field deep into the Unknown Regions.
Prior to it’s dissappearance, the science team onboard the ship had been experimenting with the bio-engineering of creatures such as Jurgorens for research purposes. One such creature was known to be aboard the vessel by the name of ‘Specimen Gamma 19’.
The ship itself was Commanded by Chief Engineer Diirn of Czerka Corporation, and consisted of a crew of 50 or so researchers, engineers and scientsts of Czerka Corporation.
It is unknown as to what caused the catastrophe that doomed the Theoretika and its 51 crew, as it was only recently rediscovered when Heroes of the Republic and Empire (player characters) tracked down it’s location after discovering the Fatality on Belsavis. An old Sith Warship that contained dozens of deactivated and destroyed or damaged HK-51 Series Assassin Droids.
Docking with the Theoretika, these Heroes came in search to locate the last known Schematics to construct the HK-51 Assassin droids for themselves, and instead uncovered the fate of the derelict vessel.
Immediately after the catastrophe, not much was recorded, nor was it recorded how many crew died in the initial accident, however the ship had suffered major breaches to it’s outer hull that compromised the ships integrity. While the breach was seemingly contained, the damage caused the ship to lose its stores of power, which in turn began to effect the surviving crew.
After the catastrophe, the crews food supply began to slowly deplete as the ship lay adrift in the Asteroid Field, matters would soon turn from bad to worse as the ships primary Medical Droid malfunctioned. The droid classified the remaining food storage as an ‘infestation’ and bombarded the food supply with pesticides, rendering it inedible.
With the food supply seemingly destroyed, tensions amongst the crew grew, Commander Diirn, knowing the research that the ship contained, ordered the remaining power supply to be diverted to the Research Lab in order to keep the suspension field active for Specimin Gamma 19.
Gamma 19 was a ferociously large Jurgoren that had been bio-engineered by Czerka, Science Officer Vipp described the creatures habits in great detail as it had previously eaten a researcher named Orgglo whole, after Orgglo had crossed into the containment field, which forced Vipp to place the creature in Suspended Animation. Diirn knew of the danger the crew faced if Gamma 19 should escape suspended animation, unfortunately, his fellow crew members did not.
Accusing Diirn of stashing food in the laboratory and redirecting the power to keep it fresh, Vice Engineer Xarval lead a mutiny against Diirn. Locking Diirn away in a compartment, Xarval drained the oxygen, killing Diirn. Xarval and the remaining crew would then break in to the Research Lab in an attempt to locate the supposedly hidden food, awakening Specimin Gamma 19, who promptly killed Xarval and his mutinous crewmates.
It is unknown what happened to the remaining members of the crew afterwards, as the ship continued to drift through the Asteroid Field over the next century, however the Medical Droid did embalm several of the corpses, classifying them as research subjects, including Vipp.
During the time of the Cold War, Heroes of the Republic and Empire would board the ship and eventually piece together what happened, even if fragmented. They even managed to restore minimal power and deactivate any remaining remnants of danger aboard the ship. Including reawakening Specimin Gamma 19 from suspended animation, killing the creature and at last, recovering the last known Schematics for the HK-51 Assassin Droid for themselves.
Sources:
Republic Quest: Assertion: Repairs Required – HK-51 Questline
Imperial Quest: Directive: Activate Assassination Protocols – HK-51 Questline
HK-51 Classified Intel – swtor.com Blogpost
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