Ask Of Scales And Fangs

[Xukas Mangle]

Ah, crime-lords could be such a cowardly thing, also so quick to take flight, never quite the type to get their own fists dirty. There were exceptions, of course. Some were more violent than others. Some were more involved. Not this one, though. He was a small thing, nimble and nervous, but not quite built for a fight. His twitchy mannerisms disguised the cunning mind of an entrepreneur, someone who knew the inside outs of business. He would have done well outside of the drug industry, and, in all honesty, he had covered his tracks well enough. It was the clumsy fault of one of his lower ranking henchmen that had led the Sith here, to their little dug out nest in the bowels of Tiss'sharl's jungle cities. Regardless, had Cera-To-Zar not chosen to distribute his last Spice shipment directly into the awaiting hands of a known Dromund Kaas criminal organization in the first place, Mangle would not even be here, beyond the confines of his home space. But, well, he wasn't one to tolerate snakes, slithering in and out of his part of the galaxy.

Teeth are bared as he steps up to the warehouse door, it's decrepit and abandoned features covered in vine and moss. With a lift of a broad hand, talons glinting like polished razorblades, the Shistavan calls forth the gift that swirls throughout his very spirit. In one dark and entirely ruthless display, he pushes outward with the force, and the heavy metal door swings open upon it's rusty hinges to crash against the building's sturdy walls. Shadows envelop the snarling beast, eyes like crimson gems that glow with angry fire. The blaster bolts that ring out are met with a scarlet blade that deflects them back into the crowd. In only moments, there is silence, an eerie quiet resting upon stale air as the dust begins to settle upon reptilian corpses. The room is cluttered with both the supplies needed to create the illegal drugs, and the cunning packing methods of which to distribute them. Well, he'd leave that for the local government. No doubt the noise of the fight, no matter how swift it had ended, had been heard by others in the area, and here, Mangle was little more than a vigilante.

He turns, talons of large, bare paws clicking against steel floors, just as another red blaster bolt rings out. Ears twitch as he jerks his torso to the right, but not quite quick enough. The bolt tears through the fabric of his shoulder, and singes both fur and flesh alike. It's a graze, a glancing blow, but the beast grits his fanged maw in pain regardless, a low growl ripping through dusty air as he lashed out with the force to grip the Tiss'shar crime-lord, sending him crashing into the durasteel wall of the warehouse. Mangle can hear the audible crack and snap of Cera-To-Zar's spinal chord, as the runt of a lizard becomes little more than a crumpled corpse on the floor. Huffing his agitation into the now silent air, Mangle slips quickly from the thought to be abandoned warehouse, and melts into the crowded streets beyond the impoverished and crumbling city block. His lightsaber is back at his hip, and he cares little for who notices it, where it blends lightly into the black fabric of his flexible, dark colored clothes.

He's making his way back to the spaceport, because the little nuisance to Dromund Kaas had been solved, and there was little reason for Xukas to remain upon the jungle world for any longer than he'd be tolerated. He had already gathered quite the number of suspicious glares and uncertain glances from the reptilian populace. Just as they were not looked upon fondly by other worlds, Shistavanen were equally as outcast, though perhaps that was more due to the hostile and solitary nature of his kind, rather than their reputation alone. It doesn't matter, though. Xukas pays the wary looks no mind, and he moves through the crowd as if he hadn't just single handedly dismantled a drug cartel within the city's depths. For all intents and purposes, he appeared entirely passive. The teeth and claws were difficult to hide, and the crimson gaze of the canine was undoubtedly imposing, but his posture was relaxed, and his gait was regal, and entirely peaceful.

Xukas doesn't make it to the spaceport, though. As he passes through jungle ferns and shadowed structures, he spots what appeared to be a clinic. He can't read the local language, nor can he understand it. But, well, the graze of that blaster would be simple enough to get taken care of, and credits were known in all languages as a source of profit and income. The wolf is no healer, himself. He's a berserker by nature, a ruthless and aggressive killing machine. There wasn't really any room in his mind for learning how to heal when he could instead further his methods on destroying his enemies. This clinic could prove a useful pitstop before he makes his way back to Dromund Kaas. After all, it wouldn't do to allow potential infection to fester. The Sith slips inside the clinic without a word, moving gently passed a few of the residents that lingered in the hot sun just outside. As the lights of the facility dazzle his sensitive eyes, Xukas pauses to peer around the interior, intent on making a quick memorization of his newfound surroundings.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

Luckily for the Shistavanen, the sign had been written in several languages, including Galactic Basic, and enounced that he was entering a gene clinic. As he entered, the waiting room looked comfortable, not excessively big, with seats lining its sides and a few tables with magazines of all sorts laying on them: a typical waiting room at a medical facility, in a few words. There was no one at the moment, except for the receptionist, a female Tiss'shar that looked at Mangle with an initial surprised look, which was quickly replaced by a welcoming smile. "Greetings good sir! Did you have an appointment with doctor Jis'tos?" she asked as she checked the computer that was at the reception table, likely looking for a person matching his description.

@Nevermourn

 

[Xukas Mangle]

Eyes begin to adapt to the change in lighting, and Xukas blinks, casts his gaze toward the counter, tilts his head with a curiousness as the the receptionist addresses him. This place... seemed pleasant enough. Formal. The office of a specialist, perhaps. It's only then, as he adjusts his sensitive vision, that he begins to notice the information presented upon the facilities signs. He has to look a second time, really, because he hadn't expected much of it to be supplied in Basic. Tiss'sharl was such a distant world, exotic and entirely out of place, much like his own. But, the galaxy was old, and so were it's many people. The spread of cultures and languages was inevitable. Even his own home-world had adapted to accommodate the galaxy's travelers.

A gene clinic. Xukas isn't entirely certain what that implies at first. He's not savvy with the medical world, by any means. But it soon begins to dawn upon him, as tall ears take in the woman's hissing voice. This... Jis'tos was a likely geneticist. Curious as that might be, it did not exactly fit the wolf's needs. He blinks again, twitches a single ear, and responds with polite vocals, "I do not." Xukas offers, his deep voice low with a professional friendliness. "I am a stranger to this world. I thought this might be a good place to locate some simple first aid, before I make my way back to Dromund Kaas. Consider this the blunder of a lost tourist." Amusement leaks into his closing statements, as the large Shistavanen offers a thin, and tight lipped smile. He's inclined to simply turn around and leave, but perhaps she could direct him to a more appropriate facility.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

The receptionist looked over him, noticing his mild wounds, and stood up. "Wait here, I'll call the doctor" she said, and hurried away, rather frantically even. After a few minutes, she was back with another reptilian creature, who was likely a Tiss'shar... but it looked much different than the woman. Was it for some genetic quirk? Possible.

The doctor gave a look at Mangle and smiled. "Well, I'm a geneticist, but I won't turn down a request for help" he said, motioning Mangle to follow him in a small room, fitted for standard medical checkups. He rummaged through a closet and fetched some bandages, disinfectant, and just in case some equipment for stitching deeper wounds. "Mind sitting on that bed so I can check out? By the way, I'm Iko-Gark-Lokan Jis'tos, owner of the clinic, and fellow acolyte" he said, whispering that last part and winking at the Shistavanen.

@Nevermourn

 

[Xukas Mangle]

His injury was mild, a bit of singed fur and scorched flesh, but the receptionist seemed concerned for him, regardless. Perhaps it might have been touching to the wolf, but he was wary of such soft sensations. An ear twitches as her scaled figure skitters into the back of the building, and Xukas lets his cold vision sweep across the interior once more, an idle gesture of patience. Soon enough, though, the so called doctor had arrived, another of her kind, a local, but this one bore a more jagged appearance, horned and regal. Xukas peers at the Tiss'shar with a glowing curiosity, the twist of the reptilian's lips indicating a friendly smile. That was more than the wolf would offer. He sweeps with a lumbering gait in pursuit of the geneticist, stepping into the room that he was gestured into.

"Xukas." He responds with his own name, once more peering at the Tiss'shar with his burning set of eyes. A fellow Sith? Working as a geneticist in a clinic. It was certainly a far cry from the Shistavanen's day to day lifestyle. He was more akin to an enforcer than a doctor. Regardless, the furred man moves to settle upon the edge of the bed, gesturing with a massive claw toward the graze wound on his broad shoulder. "The graze of a blaster bolt. Pahlok Siigonis. Arrogant lizards of this land. Not so different from my home, hmm? But I am no Acolyte. I am a Champion." Xukas informs lightly, his thunderous vocals smoothed with a noble politeness. The small phrase spoken within his own tongue was a habit, one the Tiss'shar might not be able to decipher, but the wolf had provided a basic translation, regardless.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

"Ah, well, pardon me, it was more of an allusion than an actual title" he explained while gently lifting the canine's clothing to expose the wound better. "I'll clean the wound and apply some desinfectant, it may burn a little" he said, then proceeded to carefully remove any pieces of armor or cloth that could contaminate the wound, and sprayed the desinfectant. Once done, he applied a patch on the wound and smiled. "There we go. As good as new!" he said.

@Nevermourn

 

[Xukas Mangle]

An ear flicks curiously in response, but the wolf remains quiet, still and relaxed as taloned hands toil at his wound, removing contaminates with a vocal warning of potential pain. Xukas cares little for the sensation of the cleaning. He will tolerate the burn, as it was necessary. The applied disinfectant results in little more than a rough exhale of his hot breath, but he does not move again until the patch is gently applied.

"I thank you. It is a long flight back." Who knew what nonsense would get in his way between here and Dromund Kaas? "Do you spend most of your time here? Do you not act as Sith?" Xukas was daring to inquire, but he was curious. How could this man simply sit around in a clinic and heal, when there was war fraying the edges of Imperial Space? Perhaps he was simply at this clinic on occasion, to insure it was running well. But... Sith were not citizens. Jis'tos had a duty to serve the Empire, as he was trained to do.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

"Well... Let's say that I haven't been trained for combat enough to participate into the Empire's campaigns, so I mostly stick here caring to my patients, while also using my laboratories to study and experiment for the Empire. You know, potential biologic warfare weapons and such" he said, half jokingly half seriously. "Some time ago I tried to work on a weaponized version of an old virus used by Darth Sidious's Empire, but I gave up after seeing that there were not enough samples to make it usable" he said with a mild sigh. "But I was thinking about seeking a master to develop my skills, to contribute to the war effort."

@Nevermourn

 

[Xukas Mangle]

Biological warfare, likely the type to target genes. The sort of stuff that could damage entire generations. He wonders, perhaps, if such techniques could be utilized against the Jedi specifically, but there was the danger of having such weapons turned against the Sith themselves. Still, Xukas finds himself interested in the work, even if he, himself, would not bother to learn it. A shame that there hadn't been enough samples for that virus, though.

"If you have need of something, I would offer my time to supply your efforts in these matters." The canine speaks roughly, but his vocals are friendly enough. This was something that could help with the Empire's expansion rather immensely. Though Xukas was no virologist or geneticist, or anything of the sort, he knew well enough that such tactics could turn the tides of a war. "I think that you should focus on the creation of biological warfare, to utilize against our enemies. But I would not be opposed to the occasional spar or lesson, to further your other pursuits." This seemed worth it, after all.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

The Tiss'shar pondered. "Actually yes, there's something you could do for me: would you mind if I take a sample of your tissues and blood for some studies? I've been taking samples of various species, to see if I could pull out something, and I'd be tempted to visit one of the AMS-infested worlds and take some samples of the virus to engineer it into something..." he mused, seemingly lost in academic musings while a grin spread on his face, and his silver irises seemed to flash red for a moment.

@Nevermourn

 

[Xukas Mangle]

The wolf tilts his head, thoughtful. He didn't see the harm in it though, and Xukas did believe that bio-weaponry could ultimately prove far more useful to the Empire than traditional warfare. They could annihilate opposition without even stepping foot on the planet, and they wouldn't need their fleet to manage it. He flicks an ear with agreement.

"Take your sample, then." Xukas offers with his rumbling vocals. "And keep me updated on your progress, hmm? I will give you my contact information, if you need something more." At this point, he finds himself invested in this prospect, even if he would simply be the muscle of any bioweapon operation.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

Iko smiled brightly at his response. "Thank you" he said, then picked up a syringe with which he took some of the wolf's blood, and then he gently cut off some of the canid's fur, storing them in a container for later analysis. "Oh, I will happily keep you informed of any progresses I do, although for obvious reasons I won't bother you with minor things, I will give you just the big updates. With an attempt to explain what the project does, with layman's terms, since I understand that not everyone is well versed with scientific terminology" he chuckled, patting Mangle's shoulder in a friendly way. "Just, please, put a good word on me for the Empress alright? And perhaps try asking her if she may send my way some... test subjects or fellow scientists that could help me with my work, if you don't mind."

@Nevermourn

 

[Xukas Mangle]

He's still as the horned Sith takes the sample, little more than the bite of the small needle indicating it's success. He listens to the geneticist with pricked ears, contemplating what would come next.

"No need to bother the Empress." Xukas finally responds, paying little mind to the pat on his shoulder as he pushes himself off the bed to stand at full height. He's taller than the reptilian, but hardly so academic. "Kos kril. You should be brave. Why sit when you can fly, hmm? I can get you your... test subjects, if you have a place to put them. You could accompany me." The wolf offers with a wicked smirk. There were more than enough people in the galaxy, particularly those outside of Imperial borders. They would do nicely enough in furthering the Sith's goals, even unwillingly.

"Rot los nid! Words are nothing. Show the Empress your worth through action." Xukas advises in his thunderous voice.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

Iko thought about the man's words... and nodded. "Yeah, I agree. I need to act and show the Empress and our superiors my worth. Actually, I was thinking about a change for the biologic agent I had in mind: what about something that could hit midi-chlorians directly. Something that could corrupt them, or even sever the connection with the Force. It could be something that's injected, or a gas, although I'd prefer the first option at least initially since it could go against us..." he mused, thinking as he took some notes on a datapad. "I'll need lots of blood samples from Force sensitive people... To see how different species interact with midi-chlorians..."

@Nevermourn

 

[Xukas Mangle]

Glowing eyes narrow as the beast ponders the Acolyte's words, rumbling out a light and contemplative hum.

"You want to manufacture an illness that specifically targets force sensitives." Xukas echoes, thoughtful. It was a bold plan, but it was not one that would come fast, or easy, and it's drawbacks could be potentially devastating for the Sith Empire. "That will take time. A great deal of it, in fact. You are not wrong that it could be turned against us, no matter the form it takes. And, finding you subjects in which to test upon... that will be a slow process. I will not target fellow Sith, and I cannot guarantee a steady supply of Jedi, either. They are protective, and I would not underestimate them. Targeting Jedi so early in this... they would most assuredly attempt to hunt us down, and rescue their allies." Xukas raises a claw, swipes it through the air toward his chin, where it scratches at the fur covered skin there.

They shouldn't draw too much attention before the operation even has some manner of success. It would be too great a risk.

"The other option is children. Force sensitive children. But... for this, we need two things. Firstly, a means to locate them. This is no simple task for me. It will take time. But in swiping these children, children that could grow to be Sith, if trained... we should also develop an antidote, to insure they are not permanently effected. There is no sense in wasting such a limited resource, hmm?" Xukas believed that if they intended to kidnap force sensitive youths, then it would be foolish to destroy their potential as future Sith.

"Much time, indeed. But we need not focus solely on this. A virus that effects all lifeforms may prove beneficial as well. Why glass a planet and put your fleet in danger, when you could instead unleash a plague? And if we should develop the antidote ourselves... that would put us in a position of great power over these worlds. Nust fen qiilaan, hmm? They would bow to the Empire to save their people." A cunning grin slices his toothed maw.

Xukas did not offer charity for free, however. All things came at a cost, including his own services.

"But if I do these things, provide you with materials, and offer combat training in addition to these services, then I am scratching your back. You will scratch mine, in return? Teach me your work as a geneticist. Provide me with a portion of income earned from this. What do you say to this, Iko?" The wolf inquires.

@samdragon

 

[Iko Gark Lokan Jistos]

The Tiss'shar doctor thought about the perspective of making such a disease, and motioned the wolf to follow him. They left the room they were in and moved to another one, which seemed to be the doctor's office. Once there, he sat at his desk, and checked through the files, books and such that he had, seemingly looking for a solution or at least see if something like that is feasible.

After roughly a hour or so of work, he sighed and laid back in the chair with a light, frustrated groan. "Sadly, such an endeavor is way, way beyond my skills, and even if I did have the skill, it would be too dangerous and complex to do. But! This won't stop me from trying doing other things. As a first, I had been delving in some old texts, and found out about Sith alchemy and abominations... I found all that quite interesting, and I definitely wouldn't mind trying getting into that. Additionally, I had a bit of a crazy idea: what if I tried to redo what the Kaminoans did, so make a clone army for the Empire, hm? What are your thoughts, my friend?" he asked the Shistavanen.

@Nevermourn (I'm really, really sorry for not responding, I've been busy and also slightly uninspired XD But now I'm back, kinda!)