[Crimson War] The Search

The Northern parts of Raithal were known for its inhospitable climate; an almost perpetual winter with temperatures dropping to extreme levels. To most it would be seen as a frozen hellscape of towering glaciers and endless plateaus of snow. But to the old Empire it was a site of several major research facilities, tucked away in the frozen seas near the pole or hidden between mountains, safe from any attention the wider public or the Imperial senate might give to the questionable experiments and projects done on the world. 

These Facilities were abandoned soon after the Battle of Endor, but in recent months with the Crimson Empresses’ expedition towards several systems in the vicinity of the galactic core, Raithal has once again entered the gaze of the Empire.

TK-457 steadily climbed up the snow covered ruin, making his way towards a higher vantage point to survey the surrounding area. He shivered in the stinging cold, feeling the chill of the frozen landscape around him seeping into the deepest parts of his body.

“Would’ve appreciated some better thermal lining in my armor” he muttered angrily to himself. 

He grabbed on to a stone ledge, and pushed himself upwards to the platform he was climbing to. Some kind of old structure, left behind from some forgotten time. He grabbed his macrobinoculars from the leather pouch attached to the side of his armor and pressed them to his visor. He began swerving his head from side to side, searching for the old Imperial Research Facility they had been looking for. 

“Any luck?” asked a friendly voice from somewhere below TK-457. 

“No sight of the Facility yet, the snowstorm a few clicks away is clouding my vision” he replied. 

“What do you think these ruins were?” 

“I’m no Historian TK-498, I’m just a soldier” 

TK-498 shrugged subtly, then began to pace around the ruins slowly. TK-457 continued gazing at the shrouded Horizon, looking for anything artificial in this snowy maelstrom. 

Nothing. Are we even at the right coordinates? How I would’ve loved to have been deployed to Sochi…

A tall slender structure caught his eye. From what he could see it was some kind of antenna array. Excitement filled his body. 

“I think we’ve found the Facility, call Command to send a squad over!”