Back to the Grind

[Harkin Kane]

Harkin limped to the walls of building still remotely intact clinching tightly at his arm. 'Oh yeah, Republic space, that will sure fix Nar Shaddaa!' Sliding onto his rump he struggled to retrieve the cigarette carton from his ruined coat . Shaking the carton only produced a crushed plethora of debris and paper. "Frack it all..." Tossing the crumpled pack through a broken window inches from his shoulder Harkin looked back into the smoldering chaos that was almost his tomb. He peered back at all of the people whose lives were ended so abruptly and without reason. Make no mistake he blamed the psychopath, but had the merc not had been so green maybe things could have ran a little smoother. His throbbing pain brought his attention back to his arm or the lack there of one. His head throbbing, and his mind fighting to remain conscious, all Harkin could manage was to swear about the response time of the Republic. His surroundings turned black and he fell into a sleep....

 

[Rexus Drath]

Whenever Harkin decided to awake he would find himself in a completely different setting, no more burnt flesh or dead bodies. No more death and pain, but the sweet sweet joy of prescription strength pain killers and medication. Rexus Drath an agent of the empire had been tracking Parker as well, his warrants were rather old but since he had escaped from their prison system things had gone terribly wrong. "Hey pal, wake up. I need your signature." The man said as he poked at the man in his hospital bed. He was a long ways away from the bar on that awful planet. He was in imperial turf on their capital of Atresia. Where he would be given some of the best medical treatment they could offer. This was however partially their fault.

 

[Harkin Kane]

Harkin's eye sprang open in response to the voice and the poke. He was attacked by the light rushing to climb into the back of his skull. It hurt, a lot, and so he gathered that he wasn't dead, yet.

"Hey pal, wake up. I need your signature."

"Huh?" Harkin spoke without thinking. His senses began returning one at a time. This place was quiet, looked clean, and the air wasn't smog. He wasn't on Nar Shaddaa anymore. Republic space? Must of been. Weren't they over Nar Shaddaaa now? Harkin, fighting against the splitting headache lifted himself up to sitting on the cot. "Took your sweet time responding didn't ya chief... What, not worth wasting the jedi resources on the smuggler's moon?" Harkin came across far more hostile than he had anticipated. Be it the medications or just the situation but the man was to damn stubborn to apologize. So instead, he stared bitterly towards the man who had no doubt saved his life.

@[member="Rexus Drath"]

 

[Rexus Drath]

"Well first thing, I'm not a space hippy. Second I'm galactic empire. Third, I'm pretty sure I risked my neck removing your soon to be dead body from the scene of a republic crime. And last but not least I need your signature, you're on Atrisia. The galactic capital of the empire." Well that was more five things but it wasn't like the bounty hunter was counting. "You are lucky to be alive, you sustained quite a few wounds in that little tussel you got in" and that was putting it lightly the tall man handed him a clipboard and slip with a pen to sign. They were records going over the medical treatment he had recieved. "Though this is only the beginning. I'm afraid the good doctor has a few questions for you."

 

[Harkin Kane]

Harkin nodded as the man spoke. "Empire huh, Parker piss you guys off to?" Harkin gave a faint look of apology for insulting the man, but that was about as much of one to expect. Understandable considering the man just lost an arm. Still Empire space had the means to replace it for the better, and maybe he could milk em' for an eye as well. Atrisia, I have you to thank for that I take it?" Harkin lifted his head to look the man in the face, "Thank you." Harkin offered his hand to authorize whatever it was he needed to sign.

 

[Rexus Drath]

"Don't worry about it man, but next time just try not to bleed all over my seats." the man chuckled and gave the man a nod forgiving him. This was good, the man was coming along great his vitals were normal and the robotic arm was ready for grafting. Rexus had done surgery before he was a trained field medic but this was far beyond him, this was something an expert was required to do. "We're about to replace the arm for a cool robot one, just don't go wankin with it or you'll tear it off." the man chuckled and signed for him on the piece of paper. "Hey, if you need anything then let me know. The doctor will be in soon for you" taking the clip board the man walked down the hall to turn it in so the procedure could begin.

 

[Moff Iridius]

The small pitter patter of steps came down the hall closer towards the room, moving at a rather slow pace Harkin could tell whoever was coming was quite old or quite slow. "Mr.Kane!" the voice rang out to him, it was the voice of an elder woman. Walking into the room the good doctor Marie Krasnican presented herself to @[member="Harkin Kane"] and smiled at him brightly. Oh how she had plans for this one, he was perfect in every sense of the word. "Hello Mr.Kane I am Doctor Krasnican and I will be attaching your arm today. Before we begin though I'd like to ask you a few questions" she smiled again taking a seat next to the man

 

[Harkin Kane]

Harkin nodded @[member="Rexus Drath"]. New arm? Of course he had seen such improvements on a lot of other people, but usually ranking soldiers on one side or the other. It sure wasn't a cheap matter, and if he was expected to produce credits for the Empire's 'kindness' then a bounty might just be popping up on his head. Still, this was by far his best shot. Not much call for one armed pilots and such around the galaxy. Harkin smiled towards the man as he joked. A look of worry surfaced once the man had left the room. 'What ya got yourself into this time ol' boy?' He wondered to himself.

"Mr.Kane!"

The voice snapped Harkin back to attention. Much to his surprise an older, pleasant woman slowly entered into the room. Harkin smiled at @[member='Dr.Marie Krasnican']. as she spoke. "Of course, Ask away." Harkin followed her with his eyes to the chair.

 

[Moff Iridius]

The woman sat down and got comfy, "Have you now or ever had augmentation done on your body?" She asked and smiled looking at the man happily, she was trying to be as sympathetic to the man as possible but on the inside there was a darkness in her that would stop at nothing to get what she wanted from the man. "Also are you allergic to anything? And I need your age and blood type." the woman smiled and sighed happily afterwards, this was going to be a very long day for @[member="Harkin Kane"]

 

[Harkin Kane]

Harkin felt at his coat as he listened to the woman's questions, 'Damn, they took my flask.' With spirits a little dampened, his thoughts returned to the questions. "Uhmm... No, Sobriety, 37, and O-Negative." The pain killers had began to wear off as well as Harkin's good mood. A thought had just occurred to him. He was suddenly reminded why it was he never got around to replacing his eye. He HATED going to the doctor. But a one armed hunter was nothing but useless. He had no choice but to comply to the Doctor's orders for now. A feeling of distress was brewing in Harkin's stomach.

@[member='Dr.Marie Krasnican'],

 

[Moff Iridius]

"Now, Mr.Kane here's the big question." The woman smiled sitting down jotting a few things down on her notebook. She hopefully would get this man with her whether he wanted to or not, just like the last one. Just like her son. "Do you believe yourself to be a leader of any sort?" The woman paused and held her breath, the man in her reports displayed a more experienced leadership role. And that's what she needed right now, more than anything she needed a leader for her children.

@[member="Harkin Kane"] was starting to slowly catch on her maliciousness and Marie knew that, this had to be done fast and tactfully or it would be lost forever. His body was damaged and broken but still the man showed massive signs of potential for her.

 

[Harkin Kane]

'Leadership?' Harkin hadn't considered himself a leader in a very long time. If she was digging through records that means she had seen his role in the Bluehawks. Harkin had a growing hunch his surgeries were not out of the goodness of the Empire's heart. Unarmed, drugged , and exposed Harkin realized that he just might of been pulled from the frying pan and throw directly into the fire. The friendly aura he was keeping dropped and his eye expanded wide. "What the hell exactly is this about?" Harkin began marking an exit strategy if things were to get bad. One arm, one eye, and an expanding suspicion plagued Harkin.

 

[Moff Iridius]

"Well well, your file is right. Effectiveness in hazardous situations and a strong combat mindset. Perfect" the woman smirked at the man and backed up awaiting the next part of the procedure. "Mr.Kane im not too much of a monster so I'm going to give you a choice." The woman sat back down next to Kane and gave him a pat on the shoulder "You are broken, with a few robotic limbs you might return to half of what you were. I want to remake you rebuild you from the ground up. I want to clone you new limbs, a new eye, and make you the leader of my children." Grabing a holo recording on a data pad she placed it in front of him and it played a film of the first person view of giant seven foot tall man crushing and tearing apart what looked to be a militia unit with his bear hands.

Leaving the recording where it was she sighed and smiled "That is my sons Rolland and Jerrick." She grabbed her notepad and placed it in front of him showing her the designs and schematics for the body she wanted to give the man. New limbs and things he could only dream about. "I will give you your eye back your life, but at a cost. I don't want you to be my slave but I want you to be a leader and show my children right from wrong. Teach them and guide them not to be like me. I want to turn you into one of them, of course you are free to continue on your career as a mercenary but when you are called upon my children will need you." gently she grabbed @[member="Harkin Kane"] 's hand and held it gently "Help me."

 

[Harkin Kane]

Harkin uneasily watched the holocron playing from the perspective of a hulking death machine. When the recording finished and the doctor had made her proposition Harkin stood up from the table. "I'll start with the lesser concerns first: First, you want to replace my... everything with science tube 'others', second, these things your wanting to replace include the parts of me that are running clean as a friggin whistle, and we'll skip to the last and most important part, you have already done this shab to your own flesh and blood!" As he spoke he walked to the corner of the room, and with a discrete scratch of the stomach Harkin triggered the tracker on the backside of his belt. He hadn't ever used it, and truth be he was unsure if any of the Bluehawks had kept there trackers live. But if @[member="Caben Mar"] or any of the others were out there, he just might need a little help. Harkin turned to await the Doctor's justification.

 

[Moff Iridius]

The woman sighed and nodded to the man, "Very well then. Sit down and we will do the basic repairs." The woman signed a few forms handed to her by a nurse. "Lay down Mr. Kane you shouldn't be walking around you are on way too many drugs to be doing that." The doctor chuckled and walked over to a nearby table "They aren't my biological children Mr.Kane, Jerrick is a volunteer and Rolland is well that's a bit above my pay grade." the woman grabbed a nearby sedative and looked to @[member="Harkin Kane"] "I won't turn you if you refuse, the procedure is free and you will be free to go. Deal?"

The woman walked towards him cautiously and smiled "So robotic limb and eye or just the arm?"

 

[Harkin Kane]

Unsure of the thought in the good docs mind Harkin wearily responded, "Both need replacing, but I'll take what you give." Harkin lay back onto the stone table. He was trusting enough as he closed his eye. Weary of what to expect he found comfort in one thought, 'If they do turn me in to a hulking monstrosity, there will be hell to play.' He thought about what he had said and raised back up, "By that I mean the arm and eye, none of this super solider shab." He gave the most sincere smile he could muster. She was right about the walking around he had tired himself, and so with a soft thud he relaxed again on the table...

 

[Moff Iridius]

"Sweetheart the program to turn you into one of them would most likely kill you in your age. It takes well over a month for the procedure to be completed much less the rehab and the adjustment. I doubt you could hack it." The woman said chuckling a bit afterwards. It was a shame @[member="Harkin Kane"] said no, sure she could have him beaten within an inch of his life then put under for a month erasing his memories like she did Rolland. But that would leave Harkin as if he were an infant, she needed his experience. "Very well then Mr.Kane" smiling she stuck the sedative into harkins arm and push edit into his blood stream. He would have a few moments to say what he needed to before drifting to sleep

 

[Harkin Kane]

"Thanks Doc." Harkin, stubborn as he was, knew when to play his hand or walk away. He would take the 'hack it' comment on the chin. He still didn't know what his calling was, but he was growing away from bounty hunting and sure as hell knew it wasn't secret super solider programs. Harkin let the sedatives take hold and he drifted asleep again...

 

[Moff Iridius]

"Bring me the chip." She smiled and watched Harkin drift to sleep, but if she couldn't have @[member="Harkin Kane"] experience to guide her boys. Then should have a feed of everything the man saw or heard to show them so they may grow by it. the crew of doctors wheeled the man into the operating room to begin the surgery. Walking into the room the good doctor was dressed in standard surgeon scrubs ready to operate on the man. Looking down at the man she wanted desperately to turn him into one of her children. She could do it and he wouldn't remember a thing of who he was or where he came from. But she had to let the man walk. Without his experience the man was next to worthless

"The arm please." She said looking over to assistants, quickly they have her the robotic arm, top of its grade it would easily go for over twenty thousand credits on the market she smiled and simply began to attach it to the man's spinal column and move on with her work, it was exposed machinery though. No synthetic skin or muscle to cover up what it really was, he would have to worry about that on his own.

Grabbing the new eye it was linked to a data gathering chip that would latch on the the man's brain to transmit signals of everything he did. Harkin would be of some use in the end but nothing of great importance. Sighing in frustration she placed the fake robotic eye into the socket after latching the chip on to the frontal lobe of his brain where short term memory was stored. And just like that the procedure was done, a new arm and a new eye. It was a shame though to her, he showed so much signs of potential. "Sens him back to his room." Marie shooed the other doctors as they scurried away with Kane back to his room so he could rest and recover

 

[Harkin Kane]

Harkin rubbed his chin. Wait, His EYES sprung open! Looking up at the hand he used it occurred immediately to him, it was his left arm! Gripping the table he pulled himself up. Perhaps he did so a bit to hastily as it made the room spin, his bicep hurt, and his head ache. He looked down at the table from where he anchored to heave himself up. Finger length dents scarred it's surface. 'Oops' Harkin looked at the arm from his eyes, old and new, he could spin his wrist in circles freely, and all of this was controlled by thought. Focusing with the eye he discovered he could zoom his vision so far he could read serial numbers on the arm, and could tell there was military hardware stuffed in his new limbs. He went to rub his newly occupied eye socket and triggered thermal display. "Ah, well that's gonna be mighty handy." He looked about and could see bodies behind walls. Quickly he flicked through night vision and back to normal sight all at a thought. 'Spose I owe the old gal something' Harkin assumed she would be in soon due to all the ruckus he was making...

@[member='Dr.Marie Krasnican']