Picking the Carcasses (Flannigan)

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

Ahto City, Manaan. Twice ruined in the past decade, and twice rebuilt to its former glory. Selka had participated in both rebuilding efforts, been injured in both catastrophes, and spent a good bit of time here in between.

<<Show him in, please,>> she burbled in fluent Selkath, and her aide nodded. The gray-blue Selkath in white robes could be an imposing sight, but somehow she doubted Flannigan Mcnash of the Jackals would be intimidated by an aide.

Flannigan would be ushered into Selka's office, a simple affair: a desk, two chairs, two potted plants above and behind Selka. Both were semi-sentient, permanent fixtures wherever she had her office. One was a black orchid, the other a Dromund Kaas dart flower; both were endangered species now.

"Mr. McNash," she said, half-rising, "I'm Selka Ventus. Welcome to Ahto City."

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

He tracked across the grated floor letting out a wrapping tapping sound as his pronged feet moved across them, his long red coat thrown behind him like some awkward cape, the tassels moving in the artificial breeze as he moved towards [member="Selka Ventus"]. It was cold and like steel, sharp and rough like fragment rock, it was distant yet human, it was all of these things. "Greetings." there was a pause an almost tangible silence, the disperse of air and the rising steam from the automated voice-box broke it, continuing on his sentence he spoke. "I've received word of your offer, And here now I stand." he addressed [member="Selka Ventus"].

It was with a shake of his hand and a mechanical groan that he tightened his hand. The pistons working as he directed them towards [member="Selka Ventus"]. There was a look to those eyes, a movement that was not without purpose, something that said contempt, arrogance and a solemn regress. "If you'd lead on."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

"All right."

She rose the rest of the way, examining the humanoid cyborg. At what point did you stop being a person and start being a droid? The mercenary was certainly mostly metal -- the office's weapons scanners had had a field day with him, though she'd kept the alarms from going off. Selka touched a button on the edge of her desk, and a door opened on the office's back wall. She headed through into an analysis unit where a handful of elite Selkath techs waited to examine the Jackal. "I assume you've made arrangements to have your old components delivered to this facility, as we discussed? They'll be re-routed to a separate analysis bay. Mr. McNash, these are Mr. Barrior, Mr. Ob'stakul, and Mr. Empedemen. They'll be facilitating your analysis. If you'll just take a seat in the scanner here, and detach whatever portions of yourself you feel comfortable removing..."

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

'Tap' 'tap'. Those were the sounds the pronged feet made on the floor, and in turn creating deformities and scratches on the floor making it a mix of imperfections. The mass of metal would slide through the scanner, the head swivelling from side to side with a disjointed and surreal look and quality about it. "The older module model has been delivered, I believe the front desk should be receiving it any moment now."

And there was a thud as he adjusted himself to full height in the scanner, the lapses in the plates sliding over one an other in almost hypnotic sound of 'chink' and 'clink'. "Will I have to explain the events that led up to the transformation, or will I have to just stand."

| [member="Selka Ventus"] |​

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

"The medical scanners are top of the line, Mr. McNash. We can read a portion of your medical history from the remaining tissue. The cybernetics scanners are identifying your components' functions now -- if there's anything exotic or anomalous in your current or former augments, feel free to talk about it. It might help Mr. Barrior put together the logic maps." She exchanged glances and nods with the Selkath in question as multiple scanners hummed to life.

Her aide appeared at the door, backlit by Selka's office. "Ms. Ventus? Mr. McNash's package has arrived. It's been scanned and redirected to disassembly lab Q as you asked."

"Thank you, Dificul. Please transfer two hundred thousand credits to Mr. McNash's account as soon as we're finished here." As the aide vanished, Selka turned back to Flannigan. "You were saying?"

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"Anomalous, I can't think of anything that would fit that description." the scanners pulsed the strobe lights blazed in the room. They moved in great swaying bands of colour like a living organism. Illuminating the cyborg's form. "There is this." it was with a flick of his hand, a slight movement that led to a tremor, a space little more than than the size of a hand opened up and into a slight compact wrist mounted slugthrower.

The scanner would pick up mostly expanse of metal, with the odd organ centred around the torso and head. The outer plating was made up of phrik and further still a diatium Threading, that in the right situation would adsorb energy from lightning or similar attacks and would store it. It followed a path that led to the right hand, with further and careful examination one might notice it to be a shock glove. "To be honest I don't even know half the stuff."

One might put two and two together to get four, and notice the cyborg slim and odd design had a distinct approach against light sabre duellists, an anti Jedi or Sith in the right circumstances. One might put two and two together and get six, and miss the connection. "Not much those scanner will tell you about my organics, little more than a handful of organs. I can count them all on one hand, I'll explain. It was a botched slave auction on Tat, one too many Jedi decided to interrupt it. One thing led to another, I was let on the operating table on my ship with cuts and bludgeoning, not to mention three slugs with an acidic formula that ate through my innards like well acid."

"I mean I was a little more than a slab of meta before the implants, or should I say new body."​

​

| [member="Selka Ventus"] |​

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

Sith Lord or not, she didn't much like the idea of lying helpless while acid ate your guts. The phlegmatic Selkath didn't pause in their analysis. They had long experience in medical experimentation, trauma surgery, cybernetics and prosthetics -- horror stories were their stock in trade. Frankly, they were taking it better than she was, even if she'd killed thousands.

But this was her business now, the personal, the visceral, the face-to-face.

The scanners wound down from strobed rings to occasional flashes. Eventually that ended too, after ten minutes that felt like forty. Selka liked ideas and sales and progress. That was her side of the business; this part was firmly in the hands of the Selkath. The last scanner fell silent.

"All right, Mr. McNash, you can step out here. Now that the transaction's concluded, and incentives are settled, I was hoping to talk with you about contracting with the Jackals to provide augments, implants, and prostheses, as well as service packages. Have you had the chance to look through our brochures? I can offer a discount on concealed rotary ion disruptor arms." Any identifying phrase that long was a little ludicrous by nature, but that was the business, and she kept a straight face easily enough.

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"You'll hear from us in the future, and not all are left wanting when they look at the face of technology." he'd state the voice a machine, a soft, rhythmic clattering. "But I'm sure I can convince one or two to become borg." The expansion and dexpatiation of the chest cavity would groan with a light 'squeak'. The pistons moving forward sending intricate components moving and tightening until reaching the hand unhinging the clamped fist. "But I must ask before I go, have you looked at our brochure. The Jackals is the name and looting and pillaging be our game. If you ever need some heavy hands you'll know who to contact."

| [member="Selka Ventus"] |​

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Flannigan Mcnash"]

"Oh, it's not just for those who opt for augmented life -- it's for anyone who's experienced serious injury, like yourself. We're working on projects specialized for those who've lost hands, feet, or eyes in the line of duty, among others. As for your work..." She smiled faintly. "The Jackal reputation speaks for itself. I was at Drogheda, as it happened -- you may have heard me over the comms, ordering your employers off the planet with a fleet at my back. That was actually one of my last acts as a member of Silk's Board of Directors. iBorg had a more interesting long-term offer, and I have one for you. I know that the Jackals are busy with frequent contracts, and I'm willing to contract with you to keep the Jackals off Manaan and out of Ahto City, if your combat contracts might take you here. A retainer, if you will, to go hand in hand with the prosthesis deals I'm offering. We fix your wounded, you make sure that when other jobs might lead to violence on Manaan, you say no -- in return for incidental compensation."

 

[Flannigan Mcnash]

"I didn't recognise you without the fleet of armed ships." the hand would rotate on its core crossing his chest in an impossible angle for an organic, setting his pronged finger's where his heart should be. He'd lower himself in a bow although be it slight. "I'll take you up on that offer, never say we aren't an understanding bunch." he straightened and began to shift towards the door. "Was there anything else?" he addressed [member="Selka Ventus"], with one final look.

| [member="Selka Ventus"] |​

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Flanigan Mcnash"]

"No, I think that about does it for today. Until next time, Mr. Mcnash."

FIN