In which Jack heads to an ice ball planet and walks around in the snow

[Jack Anderson]

Jack never usually let common sense get in the way of a good adventure and today would be no different to any other, any sane person upon getting a message from an anonymous source asking him to meet on a desolate ice ball of a planet would have threw it away instantly. Jack on the other hand, Jack loved this kind of poodoo, one half of him said "Don't you dare karking go anywhere near that planet." But the other half that he almost exclusively listened to said "Do it." And so he did it, two days ago he inserted to the snowy wastes via high orbit drop pod, and started walking towards the given coordinates, in his full combat load no less, if this was a trap he wanted to be prepared for whatever what as the other end when he sprung it.


Yesterday there was a blizzard, and Jack was forced to walk through it if he wanted to make the rendezvous on time. The blizzard made the perfect conditions for ambushing, the winds were so heavy that any attempts to drop in backup would have been sucide for them, and if a pod did land, chances are it would have been far off course and the mercenaries within would have had been operating in zero visibly conditions against someone who knew they were coming. So all Jack did was pull up the warm cloth he had to cover his lower face and press on nearly getting frostbite for his troubles, but he took the few lessons he had from Grace, he took his anger at the storm and turned it into his drive to get through it. So when Jack emerged just before making camp for the night he made many a rude gesture at it before making a small shelter in the snow and turning on his small heater to get the cold out of his bones.

Today was an completely opposite extreme, now he had the bright sun beating down on him, the temperatures were still absolutely frigid, approximately forty degrees below the freezing point of water, the lack of clouds meant that much less of the heat was captured by the atmosphere. But still, Jack pressed on, he was into foothills now and mountains were very close behind them, he checked his datapad, there was only a little further to where he was supposed to go, just over the next hill actually. In preparation for an ambush Jack took a combat stim, and felt like he just got three square meals and eight hours of good rest, the crash would be hard, but that was something he could worry about later. Just as he crested the hill Jack was briefly blinded by the sun again, as his eyes adjusted something started to come into view. . .

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

Al-Khali was situated within and around a mountain itself. Self isolated so that sections of it dropped arpound it like a moat. The energy bridge was the only thing that connecte dit to the mountain aside from the masive struts down below in the amonia rich waters and jagged rocks. Metal that was smooth and unable to be gripped, rocks that were thick and dangerous to try and drill through as they connected eventually to tunqstoid metal walls that were just for pain and the rest was rock. Black oily and greasy loking stone that was interlocked with thick walls sher and angled to make it hard, long distances across while turrets were spaced with sensor and towers.

Seras was in her medical lab, at the base as in the small valley behind the mountain was the black orchid. A living ship that was situated and defended with the planetary grade world armor. Weath control stations to make it clear or a blizzard depending on what she wanted. The writhing plants on the interior wall as the droids spotted the man approaching and the sisterhood troopers. In their black armor stood there. Helmets gleaming before they didn't open the gates but activated the bridge to let him approach the doors. THey didn't speak the nanites in the air made it impossible for sound to carry within the facility from throats.

THey made the hand gestures for him to hurry across the bridge while they held weapons at the ready and there were screams in the distance, the infected were always around. shambling and they wanted warmth... they wanted flesh and blood and to tear into it. The sith lord herself got the alerts and was heading up the lift itself into the center fo the coutrtyard where the four faced statue was located that held her holocron and teachings from here. Airlocks, security and biometric medical scanners to search for infection... the more dangerous experiments held in cells. Her sithspawn moving around and defending the facility where it was needed or open.

 

[Jack Anderson]

Jack pulled a pair of tinted goggles over his eyes to help cut down on the glare and saw, some sort of compound built into and around a mountain, He pulled out a set of Macrobinoculars to observe the, what appeared to be, front door of the place, starship grade blast doors for a gate and an energy bridge that was by no doubts controlled by someone watching it, he saw someone signaling him to run over. They were expecting him whoever they were, his instincts told him that if they wanted to kill him it would be on that bridge, they could shut it off before he was across, or not open the gates before turning it off, no fuss no mess, just death. There was no point in worrying Jack figured though, if the really wanted him dead they could have done it a thousand times already, so just as a show of confidence he pulled down the face mask and stuck a cigar in his mouth and puffed on it as he walked over.

Jack took note of the impressive defences as he started crossing the bridge, the sheer Durasteel walls, thick rocks, structs extending down into certain death, this place could repell an army, still, Jack figured he could get a team of the 701st in here, especially under the cover of a blizzard. But he'd rather not have to try it, given how serious the outside defences were whatever was on the inside probably wasn't worth it.

He strode up to the massive thick doors and shouted. "JACK ANDERSON! I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT!"

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

ONe of the droids from the black rose spoke outside the door while it was opening. Scanners and the bridge deactivating as there was thing shambling and screaming but the distance only made it faint. "Oh welcome to Al-Khali, do come in before the infected rend your flesh from your body." The droid moved and black plating with red eyes was important as medical tools were on one hand and the other scanned to open the door as defenses didn't deactivate. Just scanning then sending a message to Seras who stood in one of the tower areas. Experiments laying on beds while she walked through and was observing the spread of different infections on them. "Bring him to me." The droid spoke looking at the man and leading the way across the courtyard towards the large library with the stone steps where soldiers were standing like sentires. The prudeii were armor clad witches with energy bows and whips but had back up from the experimented on hollows and creatures venefica had made.

 

[Jack Anderson]

Everything about his place seemed wrong, and coming from Jack that meant something, he was far from the type to get creeped out by, anything really, so he was especially on edge now, when the doors were opened to him Jack pulled his side arm, a DC-15s side arm blaster, a relic of a much older time, but it still had plenty of kick, whenever the term 'the infected' was used it was bad, even worse so when the rending of flesh from his body was mentioned, he didn't want to take any chances with this. He wasn't so worried about a trap anymore, the thought that there was one stuck in the back of his mind but they had too many opportunities to spring one by now and the more they let him see the more of a risk he would be if he got out, so this would either be the best or worse trap he was walking into if there was one.

"Droid what the kark kind of place is this? Infected, security systems better than most military installations, being so isolated from the rest of the karking galaxy. You might as well tell me, either your master plans on killing me or letting me in on the secret since I was given the coordinates of this place, and told to walk right in the karaking front door."

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

"The droid looked at the man while he was leading the way and had a laugh... a simulated chuckle that said more then a few things. "Oh my... I am afriad you misunderstand the situation.... you being killed was never an option. Here death is only the beginning and Master Goto would be able to find so many more uses for you before she killed you." The droid said it casually and leading the way they had the library.. well exam rooms now but it was large and built there. Thick walls jutting out of the rock and large cannons with airlocks. THe droid went into the scanner and let jack follow him while they would be getting decontaminated then processed to the other side for the same thing. Everything they could do as the process went on and Seras herself was on the other side. Black preservation suit, mask mask with her mechanical breathing... black hair covering the pale skin and golden eyes looking out while in the creatures and subjects within the dozen's of cases were moving but no sound came from them. Rotting things, older things... different stages of decomp and infection.

 

[Jack Anderson]

The first thing that hit Jack was the smell, holy kark the smell was bad, rotting flesh, fecal matter, and a hundred other subtle yet equally disgusting smells assaulted his nose as the door to the decontamination chamber opened.

Jack continued to speak to the droid, "Good thing she wasn't trying to kill me, you let me walk right by the easiest way to do it."

Jack pulled the cloth mask back over his lower face so that the skull print on it matched up with his own face, he was intensely curious what this master Goto wanted with him, to much t wait and ask the actual person, so he spoke to the droid again. "Did you master tell you what exactly she planned for me? Because if she's kriffing trying to hurt me that's not gonna end well for anyone."

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

THe droid looked at him for a moment as the red eyes almost seemed to have humor in them when he chuckled. "Oh dear... oh dear you have never met a garhoon before have you. They are quite adept at hunting, their victims usually are torn to shreds and quiet scattered as it were." He was moving and spoke. "Master Goto, I am here with the something or other he doesn't seem to know why he is here either. Oh please do tell me we are going to play my favorite game. Whose the better killer is something I believe I have the perfect winning combination to finaly best you in." Seras was looking at it while she moved looking at Jack with her golden eyes. Hands on a datapad and the mechanical breathing of her life preservation suit. THe garhoon grinned wickedly coming closer and removing the mask revealed a ruined mouth. Cheeks scarred and missing chunks as the tendons had synthflesh around them. her fangs were revealed coming from her gums like shark teeth over the normal ones and lining her mouth. "Welcome apprentice."

 

[Jack Anderson]

"Quite the chompers on you, carnivore I assume?" Jack asked with no regards for being polite.

Jack seemed to be inspecting Seras' teeth, despite the fact that the display was probably meant to unnerve him Jack seemed almost fascinated, looking into the mouth of an apex predator.

"Apprentice eh? So you're the poor bastard who ended up getting stuck with me, might fine place you have here though what kinda poodoo do you get down to anyway?"

Jack looked around as he spoke, trying to get a look at the datapad as well as the oddly quiet cases around her, Jack wasn't sure how to feel about having a master yet, Grace never felt quiet like a master, a friend and a teacher for sure though, he didn't like being tied down to someone above him but he'd see how things worked out.

He pulled out another cigar and asked, "It fine if I smoke?"

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

She motioned and continued to walk as the droid headed off on its own whistling. She passed by some fo the experimental pods and finally spoke into the force. Her nanites went after her as well. 'The oxygen in here is rich, if you want to risk fire consuming more of it... I can survive without air if anything happened.' She spoke into the force to do it before one of the larger chambers were looking up from the flor. A rancor she had gotten from dathomir was standing and moving around. Thick skin sloughing off its muscles and bone in some places as the tongue was bloated and teeth yellowed but also larger. 'As to this being a lot... if you fail I have more then enough uses for you same as others.'

 

[Jack Anderson]

"If that's the case I'll stow it fer now, these karking bastards are gonna kill me sooner or later, and I choose later." Jack said as he put the cigar and match away. "Combat stimm make yah feel invincible, but I'm pretty sure I'm gonna kick it without any'a that sweet oh two."

Jack inspected the Rancorthat they had come up on, this wasn't Jack's first time seeing one, he'd made a trip to Dathomir before with Grace, but everything looked wrong about this one, it looked, well it looked sick. It was disgusting the way the flesh of its tongue was all swollen up, its teeth a nasty shade of yellow, and he was pretty sure it's skin has disconnected from the layers underneath in some places, like someone tried to skin the beast but changed their mind before finishing.

"What the kark did you do to that thing? If you weren't studying it, or at least I figure yeah are, I'd offer to put it out of its misery for you. What's sick with anyway, that doesn't look like anything I've seen before."



[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

She looked at him and had a look on her face while crouching on the top of the cell. 'Whatever do you mean?' She looked at it there for a moment before she had to laugh to herself. The rancor flapped the rotted wings.. created with ancient alchemy in the past she had found a baby and raised it before infecting it with a wicked grin. 'He has been tested on for experiments just like the others if we can weaponize different creatures.' THere was a look though when she rose up walking to one of the airlocks to get through and into the barracks. One of them as soldiers moved around, some fo the cells with shambling half rotted soldiers in chewed armor moving but not doing much else. THey were a security measure after all in case she perished the facility would be overrun.

 

[Jack Anderson]

"Whatta I mean? I mean the damn thing looks sick, and if I saw it outside of a lab I'd shoot it and put the poor thing out of it's misery." Jack said with a sigh, Jack could care less about most sentients, but he always had a bit of a softer spot for animals.

"Weaponizing animals though, reminds me of someone I knew back in my Dominion days, ran some medical corporation, she had some tank of a wolf cooked up in a lab, the damn things were bloody massive, damn thing could eat a small walker for breakfast and still have room to eat the crew for desert. I don't know what happened to them but the company is still kicking around out in TSE space."

Jack walked as he talked looking at the what only could be described as zombies in various cells around him it was all pretty interesting and he wondered how well they could fight in their current half decayed state, he dared not assume anything since just because they looked like something out of a holovid he doubted that would act like it too.

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

She was looking and spoke. "I'd be careful apprentice, the sick share a hive mind.... what one sees they all see and learn. It is why they need to be in special cells of crystasteel. they can't see us so they cannot learn how to open their cells or how to use weapons." She didn't say that was for if the palce should fall, the doors open they learn how to do things and as they add numbers to their ranks their intelligence grows... some of the older things she had encountered before eradicating them had known how to semi pilot the ships but without the atmosphere of the flowers and planet.. with recycled air they could fall apart as it were.

 

[Jack Anderson]

Jack stopped to look at one of them. Ragged armour hung off the poor soul that had been turned into a walking corpse, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, although at the same time it was so insanely similar to what an army tried to achieve, with a little guidance these infected hunks of flesh could be the perfect solider, it creeped Jack out more than a little. Even the most socially inept being would have been able to scene his discomfort at the idea.

"Can they be controlled? Letting something like that loose on a battlefield just as likely to kill your own side, and cause catastrophic collateral damage, it might not even be worth using."

Reasons like that were exactly why ground armies still existed, orbital bombardment, in theory, could wipe out any opposing force on the ground, but it would also render whatever they were protecting unusable, so infantry, tanks, and artillery were still needed to take the surface of a planet. Unleashing an uncontrollable army would just put whatever you wanted to capture in the hands of another foe that would need to be destroyed to take whatever real estate was gained again with the troops meant to hold it.

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

She looked at him and didn't speak in words but hovered a hand over a door control. "DO you want to find out?" SHe said it while raising an eyebrow and moved her hand awqay. They were walking through the hallway now and equipment was being worked on. Blades with pelko barbs and blades for flaying the flesh away to expose and let them be infected as needed. Her poison and spray cartridges filled with various toxins. Seras entered another airlock leading to some fo the lower levels with quarters. "This will be where you will stay, I recommend not wandering if someone gets scared they might activate the security measures and sealing you in a section with the undead is not something you want yet maybe."

 

[Jack Anderson]

Jack followed Seras. "Depends, will I get to shoot a few of the bastards if that happens?" He said with a bloodthirsty smirk on his face.

Jack threw his stuff into the corner of the spartan room, there was a bed, desk, storage units for various affects he might have brought with him, not that there was much he brought with him anyway, just really his weapons and other gear. "I hope you don't mind me going for walks I take very long enthusiastic walks in wilds."

Jack honestly just wasn't a fan of being cooped up in here for an extended period of time and even though the snow was far from the forests he loved it would do for getting out and about.

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

She looked at him. "You could go for a walk I suppose though given it can reach negative two hundred outside when we activate the atmospheric controllers to induce snowstorms and conceal the facility I do not recommend it... and the infected outside do chase after the warmth of your blood. The Batosai might not like having you around but the ice maiden's are passive and seek to have no interaction with anyone." Seras said it whils he was looking around and she walked. "There is also the only entrance to the facility, once the bridge is off you don't want to be on the other side nor try and scale it with the plants. THey like to eat those who get to close."

 

[Jack Anderson]

"Well that's a load of karking poodoo, what even is there around here then? I'm no scientist so I can't help you in whatever your doing here, I'm a karking merc, I make my living off of killing, if I can't do my training then I lose my way of life." Jack told her, he never liked to be contained to a gym or other indoor training facilities so he often took to the wilderness, it was just as good, if not better in his case, Jack grew up outside, rather than in a ship or city, being away from nature for too long actually made him feel uncomfortable.

"This place is basically a damn prison." Jack muttered under his breath to himself

[member="Seras Goto"]

 

[Seras Goto]

[member="Jack Anderson"]

"I'd prefer camp that specializes in providing death to the lesser races and species of the galaxy." She said it while walking towards the door. "And there is nothing stopping you from bringing people here for my experiments... the better tot each you with apprentice. Just don't attract the eyes of others who might try and attack us. Otherwise you'll see what I can really do with those who fail me." She walked out and continued towards the lift while straightening her armor and hood. Entering the lower chamber as it was pressurized to let her breathe outside of the suit with a small smirk on her face and it was wicked.