Architects are Space Pirate storage devices, on which they keep important research data. Three of them play a role in Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
The Federation Force is tasked in M13: Phantom with retrieving three Architects from a Pirate-controlled facility on Talvania. They find the Architects attached to a machine, but upon trying to release them, the Architects abscond, forcing the Marines to give chase.
The Architects travel quite fast for the slow-moving Mechs. They must shot with charged blasts in order to "fry their circuits" and cause them to stop long enough to be picked up. The Marines must then take them to their cargo ship, while fending off Pirate Troopers and Cloaked Troopers. If AI Combat Drones are being used during the mission, they will carry the Architect to the ship. Otherwise, the Marine(s) must do it themselves.
In the debriefing, General Alex Miles reveals that the Galactic Federation research team was able to determine from the Architects that the Pirates were working on advanced camouflaging technology (for the Doomseye) in the base from which they were recovered.
Dedicated terminal[]
Pirate Log: Architect
Autonomous evasion protocols in effect due to improved security system.