Xim was not sure, but he thought that he recognized the disembodied prosthetic. it was possible that it belonged to the sickly being who was paying him to be here. The creature’s obsession with such attachments had been made quite plain. To separate so gruesomely from his precious creation was unlikely without outside influence; given the blood trail, that influence did not seem to be a positive one. Stooping over, Xim picked up the limb. It was heavier than it looked. Slinging over his shoulder, the Mandalorian cautiously hurried forward following the trail. Wherever he went, his blaster les the way. He was not about to be taken by surprise.
Making his way into a yawning laboratory that was strewn with cast aside mechanized limbs, frozen-rotted bits of organic material, hanging tubes, wires, bare rafters, conveyor belts, connections for electricity and movable apparatuses, Xim could only think of one thing: this was like a horror holo in the making. Through the shadows a bright lamp shown, a haphazard surgical suite beneath a snow-covered window. Xim paused, ducking behind what had been a large refrigerated unit, just as another pair of deformed biomechanical abominations passed. “No reward is worth this.” He whispered to no one but himself, just as a blood-curdling cry emitted along with a shower of sparks from the partially obscured work table at the end of the room. Xim could see a single booted foot and he knew, wether he wanted to admit it or not, that that was @Khlan Gonk.
Sliding his fingers over the top of the unit he now hid behind, the Mandalorian delicately jumped, using his upward
momentum to pull him upward into the tangle of dangling tubes, wires, and cords. From there, it was but a few careful steps and gaps to make it up into the rafters. He had little time to lose as he snuck his way forward to where he could overhear the conversations held over the surgical table.
Xenos, the Dominion, amalgamations of man and machine, Xim had heard rumors of weird horror stories about Arkanians. The few he had met gave him the heeby jeebies. It was something about their eyes. Still, he had not expected any of those stories to be true. Whatever hellscape this was, it was
probably best left buried. Xim’s goal was now to insure the man who was paying him got out mostly alive. He looked at the limb he had hung over his shoulder. His secondary goal, get whatever they had came for.
Inching along, Xim moved until he was almost directly over the table where Khlan was strapped and the mechanical octopus-like being was preparing to do demagolka type things. Xim glanced about. There were a lot of baddies and who knew what else lurked in the shadow. This was going to get ugly, no matter what.
Xim chanced a look down at Khlan again. He was a mess. Hopefully he would survive what was to come. If Xim did not act, the man was doomed.
With a heft, Xim shrugged the recovered
limb from his shoulder and heaved it into the air. The limb tumbled through the air downward to slam into the operating table. Xim quietly receded into the shadow, his black and blue armor blending in perfectly above the bright light that bathed Khlan and company in a bright glow.
@Narzen @Akheron