Hachitarou

The Teikodian Empire discards its tools when they break. Hachitarou was one such tool, left for dead in a border skirmish with a shattered recon headset. They crawled for days, driven by a quiet determination, until collapsing at the door of a secluded workshop. The defector Mekanikku found them there, expecting another imperial hunter. Instead, they saw a chimp clutching a simple apple stick like a lifeline. Mekanikku not only repaired the complex headset with parts no imperial scientist had ever seen, but also reinforced the wooden staff with a glowing, weightless filament. Hachitarou returned to service, a ghost the Empire thought it had buried. They still carry out their missions, but always leave a tiny, perfectly carved apple behind—a quiet thank you to the one who taught them they were worth repairing.