Arming Up

[Jacob Crawford]

It had only just been a day since the events in Coruscant's Undercity had wrapped up. After ensuring her cybernetics were functioning once more, and that she was in general all right, he had parted ways with [member="Irajah Ven"]. But the revelations from that time was still on Jacob's mind, as he was very close to tearing apart his ship again. Somehow, someway, the mercenaries had still been able to track him even after sweeping for any bugs and such when he initially 'took' the ship from his father.

He had missed one, albeit a very well hidden one buried within the ship's navicomputer. It was a backdoor of sorts, allowing someone on the other end to receive a data copy whenever a jump was made. That was how the mercs; or specifically their leader 'Lillian' managed to keep tracking him down. As soon as he discovered this, Jacob temporarily took the system offline and began going about disabling it. At first he wanted to just outright destroy it and be done with the annoyance. He could practically imagine the look of surprise from whoever was watching for when the data would come through, only for the connection to suddenly go dark.

But Jacob hadn't done that. Instead he opted to keep it, to use it against the mercenaries and track them down instead. But that was a matter for another time, and as such Jacob simply disabled parts of the navicomputer, effectively neutering the bug for the time being. This gave him ample time to focus on another pressing issue.

His cybernetic arm.

The EMP had apparently caused more damage than he initially thought. While the majority of his functionality had returned, it lacked any of the same fluidity as before. With that as an issue, Jacob was forced to push some of his plans around, and putting a specific one to the forefront of his attention. It was time to replace his 'starter' arm, with something he had been planning for a while now.

When he had gone back to Maena to report to Matsu, she had referred him to a company she knew of that could provide assistance; iBorg. That was his reason for coming to Arkania, though it was primarily because it was the closest option given his half functioning navicomputer.

Matsu had provide contact details, informing him to send a message ahead of time to ensure he got a meeting. Jacob had done just that, and in turn had received a response that simply consisted of directions to a meeting point. So upon arriving on Arkania, Jacob dressed appropriately for the planet's weather and set off to meet whomever the company had sent to see him.

[member="Cerbera"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Webs within webs was how the Spider moved and trailed around through the Galaxy.

It was not a surprise that she was capable of touching base with someone who could help [member="Jacob Crawford"]. A long time ago iBorg had been created by Selka, as a new start-up venture after selling off her interests within Silk Holdings. A side-project to really invest herself in.

How it came into the hands of him and her was not known to Cerbera, but it was a good thing she came along when she did. To take possession of it and make it something worthwhile.

Already the Sith Lord was in the little private hangar-bay of the Arkanian lab. This wasn't one of their official offices on Arkania, of course, private, off-the-books and with a staff consisting of very talented professionals. Arkanian ones who knew their business very well.

"What is his name?" Cerby inquired politely to her assistant.

The Arkanian furrowed his brows, before checking his ledger. "One Jacob Crawford, ma'am."

"Hrrm."

The silence kept afterwards, at least until the sensors picked up the approach of Jacob's ship. It would be here soon enough.

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob watched in silence as his ship glided down towards the hangar bay. Given the state of his cybernetic arm, Jacob allowed for the ship's autopilot to make the calculations for the landing. As confident as he was in his ability to fly, he wasn't as much when it came to his glitchy limb.

Instead he focused on other matters, namely what he was seeing before him.

It certainly wasn't what he was expecting, but then what was could he have expected. Jacob recognized it wasn't an official location, at least from appearances it didn't strike him as being one. That fact intrigued him, and he wondered the reason.

Though there were more pressing matters, namely the fact he didn't even know who he was supposed to be meeting up with. Matsu had never given him a specific name. Just pointed him in the direction of iBorg and that was it. Albeit it had been a mostly passing comment, especially given the other distractions that cropped up that day.

The freighter made a smooth landing in the private hanger, settling down with a soft thud. Roughly a minute passed as the final procedures were made, and the ramp was lowered. Jacob stepped down it, his eyes immediately searching and finding Cerbera and the Arkanian.

He was dressed rather warmly; shirt, heavy jacket, thick trousers, gloves and boots. It was a typical ensemble for a planet like Arkania.

Jacob made no pause in his stride as he approached the pair. His eyes flickered between the two as he walked, drawing an assumption on who to greet. By the time he was stood before them, his focus was on Cerbera.
"Thank you for taking the time to see me."

[member="Cerbera"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

The silence dragged on after his greeting, while Cerbera studied him intently.

Yellow spheres brushing past every angle, from his jaw to the set of his shoulders and deeper the turmoil crawling underneath his skin at every single moment of the day. Oh, the pain, oh the experiences, it almost made her salivate in response. But the Sith contained and reminded herself that this one was not for play.

Yet.

"Our mutual friend speaks highly of you, darling." Cerbera cooed softly, before petting the Arkanian on the shoulder. This was enough for the scientist to give a little bow and leave. Right after that the Sith gestured with her hand for Jacob to follow. "As I understand it you are in need of... enhancements."

"This can be done, of course."

As they walked Cerbera hummed softly to herself, but the intensity and clarity in her eyes never faded. No, this one was intently aware of everything passing around her.

"Just the arm then?"

[member="Jacob Crawford"]​

 

[Jacob Crawford]

As Cebera studied him, so too did he in return, amber eyes fixed on her.

What intrigued him most was just what exactly the woman was, her race specifically. It was unknown to him. Certainly wasn't one of the more common seen across the galaxy.

He felt that nagging desire to explore. To delve into the woman's mind as though she was another patient of his. A compulsion and consequence of reforging the damage the Netherworld had done.

But he restained himself, kept it buried beneath a neutral expression.

"That's good to hear," he replied. Having someone like Matsu speak as such opened certain doors. But equally turned certain eyes towards him too.

As he followed her, he gave a short 'mhm' in agreement to her initial query. The arm he currently had, had simply been a replacement; a necessity at the time. What he had in mind to replace it would truly be an enhancement in comparison.

"Just the arm, yes. The current one is basic and I have been meaning to get changed for a while now." His eyes lingered of to Cerbera for a moment. "Figured now was a good time as any."

[member="Cerbera"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

The rise of desire was noted as was the lack of follow through.

A pang of disappointment colored her being, but she didn't let it show. It would have been amusing to have an excuse to break this one completely and turn him into an experiment of hers. There were a multitude of options for that - perhaps a meld of mechu-deru and alchemy to truly turn him into a killer.

He was too pretty now.

Nothing attractive about a man who cared more about the chisel of his jaw, than the sharpness of his nails.

"What would you like it to do, darling?" Cerbera inquired patiently as they strode through the corridors. All metal and fine and cold, clean and clinical as much as she was. "Basic functionalities, of course, but what additions would you be interested in. Your imagination is the only limitation, worry not."

With iBorg and the Arkanians on her side?

There was plenty of things they could do to his arm.

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Your imagination is the only limitation.

The slighest of smiles appeared on Jacob's face upon hearing that.

When he had initially been brainstorming ideas, he had fussed over whether this or that would even be possible. There had been no concrete idea on who he'd go to have it crafted back then, and he had been fairly ambitious with some of his plans.

Jacob remained silent for a while longer, eyes lingering around the corridors they walked down. Occasionally his gaze fell past Cerbera, amusingly noting there was hardly a difference between them.

"I've happened to have found some...inspiration from recent developments. The main idea, the key component I have in mind is a revolving cylinder within the arm. Capable of holding a number of syringes, which in turn can be slotted up into each finger for intended use."

His mind went to his time on Tatooine with [member="Thraxis"] . Recalling how the Zeltron's armour had small needles hidden beneath the finger tips to inject toxins and such into a target.

Something like that, made possible with a new cybernetic arm would work splendidly with what Jacob had in mind for the future.

[member="Cerbera"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

Cerbera listened patiently, before allowing a nod.

"That could certainly be done." The alchemist responded after a while. "What about alchemical alteration? I have been made aware that you are training in the arts of mentalism."

"I could add certain materials to strengthen that ability."

Nihil smoke stone enhanced the mind, glitterstim, there were options here, they just had to reach out for them. But at the same time Cerbera wasn't going to make the most perfect thing here. After all, she didn't know him and in the end she wasn't Rave in that specific regard.

It didn't all have to be perfect.

Especially if it could be used against her.

"Any other thoughts?"

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob looked away slightly, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Hmm, why did I not think of using alchemy with it." He had after all been quite invested in studying it after seeing first hand what Matsu used the art for in the bowels of The Unit. That, and there was a measure of irony given Jacob was in the midst of looking for means to apply alchemy to a building.

He gave Cerbera a nod.

"I would certainly like to see what options could applicable." He was unsure just how far iBorg's reach went, taking into consideration the materials usually required for the alchemy. Though the fact imagination was the only limit spoke volumes.

But there was still the matter of time and credits.

He said nothing initially, thinking on what else to give the new arm. Recalling the events of Coruscant, an idea came to mind.

"EMP shielding perhaps?"

[member="Cerbera"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

As they walked into a room the reason for this clandistine operation would become clear to Jacob.

It was dark there, but fires hung in the air, suspended by nothing more than the Force and their own power. But it was the center of the room that explained it all: it was a forge, its sheer presence clung heavily in the air, thick with blood, pain and misery. Every step they took was a step through oil, through fire, through shadow. This was not the forge, not the Dark Forge of Aza'zoth which Cerbera kept and used to fuel the greatest of works she shaped.

Compared to the corruption of that one?

This was but a pale imitation.

But Cerbera traveled a lot, her reach far and rooted, she could not always be where the Dark Forge was and as such she had created imitations. Better than the one Dissero had stolen and taken for himself, but lacking.

Not in artisanship, but in... experience.

Few artifacts of the dark had been seeped in blood and death as the Dark Forge. Maybe one day this one (or the others like it) would match the corruption of Aza'zoth, but it was not today.

"Doable." Cerbera whispered while her eyes were glued to the gleaming black forge. "How are you with being injected with things?"

 

[Jacob Crawford]

He had certainly not expected to find himself where Cerbera had brought him, expecting to simply be taken to a room that continued the theme of the facility they were in. Either some time of office to fine out the details, or somewhere filled with sparkling technology that would strike awe in someone.

But this, it was something else.

Jacob's eyes moved across the dark room, to the fires that were suspended up on their own. Everything was a piece to the overall atmosphere, it was dark and the corruption coiled throughout it like a serpent.

Like Cerbera, his eyes were fixed on the forge that was the centerpiece of the room. He felt the presence it emanated, knowing that one could likely drown in it if they weren't immersed in the dark side.

And yet with each step he took, Jacob could feel something from the forge. The more he stared at it, the more he felt as though he was looking at a recreation of something else. And if that was the case, with the sheer presence it had - then what was the original?

His eyes shifted to Cerbera as she spoke, narrowing in thought as he was reminded of being constantly jabbed with stimulants and sedatives for a whole year.

"It would depend entirely on what would be injected." Jacob said, his attention shifting over to the forge again. "Though a question of my own. What is this?" His words lingered in the air, making it clear he knew this wasn't just any simple forge before them.

[member="Cerbera"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

"Glitterstim, other stimulants that will overcharge your mental prowess for a brief amount of time." Cerbera explained, before closing the distance between herself and the forge itself. Her hand, naked, already touched it and she closed her eyes. A long time ago that touch would have stung her, burned her and showed her nightmares beyond possible belief.

But that was then... and then was now.

"I can integrate an injector directly into prosthetic, it will flood your system with them when you desire... directly feeding into your veins."

In other words? It wouldn't hurt, well, not all that much anyway. It seemed like a small price to pay for a thing that will increase his power by many orders. Well, it could also kill him.

Maybe.

"This? This is power, corruption frozen in brushed steel and sealed with blood." A chuckle after that, when she released her hold over the cold fire. "It is a forge that will assist me in creating what you need, darling." Oh, it was so much more than that, but Cerbera did not know Jacob and even those she did know... she was still very... secretive around them. The Dark Forge was not a trivial matter and plenty of individuals had tried to hunt for it over the years. It was the secrecy, the lack of knowledge, it was the addition of plausible deniability, that had allowed the alchemist to stay ahead of the race.

Where velokite-infused walls would not work, secrecy would.

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Jacob remained silent for a while, pondering over Cerbera's suggestion. He knew of glitterstim and a few other stimulants that could provide a boost to one's mental ability, but he was equally aware that each of them held flaws and consequences. The constant drugs pumped into him on Dxun had messed with his body when he eventually didn't need them anymore. Sleep patterns completely karked, along with being irritable when awake and not to forget the withdrawal symptoms.

Thankfully reconnecting with the Force had lessened the impact they had on him. If that had never been there, well he probably wouldn't have been able to function well day to day.

"I agree, that sounds like a very useful addition."

He watched as Cerbera stepped towards the forge and didn't hesitate to place her hand on it. Jacob expected a reaction, but was surprised when there wasn't one - at least not one he assumed would follow.

Jacob suspected if someone else; such as himself for example, wouldn't have quite the same non-reaction if they laid a finger on it.

The more he saw of this forge, the more his fascination with it increased. And he didn't bother to hide that in his expression, Jacob always liked a good mystery.

"I must admit, I am curious what the creation process is? Not very often you get to see something being smithed." Well, at least Jacob rarely had. The one thing that he had witnessed being forged or rather created for a better term, were machinery. Terminals, speeders, ship parts, etcetera. And while he had only minor knowledge in the actual creation, he knew his way around fixing a lot of things.

[member="Cerbera"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Jacob Crawford"]

She looked over to Jacob, before shrugging.

"You can stay and watch, if you would like." From a nearby container she revealed a pair of gauntlets. They gleamed and seemed to be made out of numerous scales, all coming together in a single shape. But the moment she pulled them on? They seemed to flow like simple silk gloves in her hands.

"I will have to kill you, if you share what you see though."

It almost seemed like a joke.

Besides the fact that Cerbera wasn't laughing, didn't look back and even the tone seemed deadly serious. Instead she stretched simply as the heat in the room started to increase - originating from the gloves, which seemed to be radiating hot iron warmth from the moment she put them on.

"It will also get a little bit... hot in here."

 

[Jacob Crawford]

"Of course, I'd be surprised if you didn't." Jacob's tone was equally as serious, he wouldn't speak of what he saw. Recall the memory at a later date and watch it again? Certainly. But there would always only be one set of prying eyes then.

The fact Cerbera was allowing up to watch her work; whether that was a common thing or not, wasn't something Jacob was going to take for granted.

He watched as the woman moved over to a container, taking the moment to collect a pair of gauntlets. Jacob watched with clear fascination in his eyes as they seemed to mold to her hands within seconds of pulling them on.

Ever since he had set foot on Arkania; met Cerbera, he had become intrigued by her.

As the heat began to rise in the room, Jacob undid his jacket and peeled it off. Would the temperature become too overwhelming? Perhaps, but Jacob's curiosity was not going to let him leave until it was done.

* * *​

A couple weeks had passed since then, time needed for the final product to be made.

Once he had received the message that it was ready, Jacob was immediately on route back to Arkania to pick it up.

Though there was a certain look in Cerbera's eyes, one that he had picked up on but could never figure out the reason. Something he wouldn't come to realize when he tested out the arm's injector.

Payment was made; credits exchanged. But there was no doubt in either of their minds that there was a favour to be owed at later date.

[member="Cerbera"]​