Coming of Age

[Zef Halo]

Akash Guul observed thoughtfully the metropolis of Vorzyd V from his upper level office pondering over the future of one of Lord Fa's assets and former apprentice Vitor Avendahl. The human had hastily left behind the known regions with only an encrypted and enigmatic message left to Lord Fa. Guul was not made aware of its complete content just a piece of it - the succession of Corondex Arms to a capable person without hindering Fa's influence in this region. The Givin remained questioning of how Avendahl had not attempted his former master's life. A common tradition and concept about the Sith known to masses. He, himself, was not very knowledgeable in the business of Sith but had complete trust in his Thirriken master's intelligence and cunning.

There was no official contest, no public selling of shares. This was not how companies with shadow leadership and grander ambitions operated. Corondex was more than a company. It was a tool in the hands of a Sith Lord. It was only fitting that the survival and development of Corondex Arms was given to a worthy 'contender'.

Enter Itash Mecetti. An ambitious, far underestimated Tapani noble. Often judged as a spoiled and wretched royalty that's legacy would be the collapse of everything he had inherited or built from the family jewels. But Guul was not a spymaster by luck. He had investigated, gathered data as much as possible to see beyond that mask.

"Mecetti is here." A coarse voice cut his thoughts. "Are you ready to see him?"

"Very much, Miss Ando."

The doors slid open with June leaving the office in exchange for the Tapani noble.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]​

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

The message Lord Mecetti received had been cryptic to say the least.

A business opportunity by the way of Corondex Arms, one of the leading weapons manufacturers in the Corporate Sector and beyond. It had been on his radar to watch for as a more established organization. But now a meeting had been called on Vorzyd and Tash was not one to avoid opportunity. Not even when it was risky. He arrived at the HQ with half a dozen guards from Didact, but entered the office with the Givin alone.

Givin.

An alien, but in the sense of the Chiss. Professional, meticulous and to the point- he could have respect for that.

"Mister... Guul, yes?" A wide smile that was eighty percent relaxation and thirty percent casual shined bright. "Lord Itash of House Mecetti, you called a meeting?"

 

[Zef Halo]

The Givin measured the man before him, yet his dark maws for eyes remained static. A hidden quality to his race, it often allowed him to observe various things or beings for a long time without hinting the target of the eyes brooding over every move they made.

"Indeed, Lord Mecetti." He gestured at the comfortable sofa chair laid out on one of the walls. A table before it with various beverages. Guul did not like the formality, or rather stereotype, of office desks. He much preferred the comfort of casual. The spymaster sat on the sofa adjacent to the sofa chair. "Corondex is transferring its leadership, Lord Mecetti."

"We have picked you as a successor."

No time wasting. Guul usually would engage in long, complex structured conversations aiming to baffle the 'opponent'. Utilizing carefully tailored small talk to pluck out valuable information from a relaxed dialogue. Today he would blitz right in. Shock and awe. Test the man's reactions to such direct, grandiose news.

Fa had given him the aim but it was up to Guul to set his own objectives to tackle that aim.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]​

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

From one moment to the next the ditzy nobleman was gone.

Head tilted at that news, but otherwise Tash didn't allow his emotions to surface to the foreground. "Why?" The question came almost as soon as the Givin finished his news and then continued the silent studying. He didn't ask who we was for now, that would come later. Right now he wanted to know just what the other boot was, before it crushed him while he wasn't looking.

One did not simply get their hands on a shiny, large company for nothing.

There was a game here, a plot and if Itash wasn't mistaken, these beings were trying to make him into a pawn of it.

That didn't mean Itash was going to walk away from this deal. Already he was starting to consider the options, the ways he could make sure that this was more beneficial to him than these people.

This was exciting.

 

[Zef Halo]

Black gaping orbs of darkness monitored the Tapani like the moon. The obvious question came after and the Givin shuffled his pose on the sofa to cross his legs. Long fingered hands gestured as he talked.

"You are no businessman, Lord Mecetti. Not even close to a fake one." There was no threat or insult behind his tone. Only cold facts, to him. "Neither does Corondex need a businessman." His mind wondered of Avendahl once more. He had been a businessman, that is why Avendahl's judgement was always double checked by the spymaster. That did not occur with Lord Fa. It spoke a lot about his devotion to the Thirriken, being who the Givin was - he always double, triple, quadruple checked every statement, decision and conclusion.

"You've been slowly making your name in the Galaxy, Lord Mecetti and we aim to help you with that." Akash calmly explained and paused. Guul's statement lingered in the air as if incomplete but it all was a deliberate action. He was expecting a reaction.

What would Mecetti answer?

[member="Itash Mecetti"]​

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

This was not untrue.

Business had not been at the front of his education back in the Tapani sector, but Tash had learned that business acumen could be exchanged for a nose for intrigue, opportunity and enough money to hire people who did know how to run clear-cut administration. Once the gears of corporate commerce were running smoothly there was little else to do.

Besides paying the bills so the accountants remained happy.

"What will it cost me to be assisted in this manner by you and yours?" Tash asked further, while noting that the Givin hadn't actually given him a reply. Why would he and his be so interested in helping him?

The cost would give him answers, he figured.

Nothing came free in this world and even though Didact was growing at a very steady pace, Corondex was more established.

 

[Zef Halo]

Akash glared at the man for a moment before replying. He had thought the noble would pull back and leave. Stay away from such a mysterious and out of nowhere offer. The spymaster was wrong. Truly ambitious.

"If you do what you have done so far with your own project." He referred to Didact. "There will be no cost you should think of."

Guul paused.

"Cost accumulates only if you do not further your ambitions with Corondex." The givin explained. He did not want to give him information. Judge how he would react to being tossed in complete darkness. Completely blind. He wasn't lying. Not exactly. Their wishes were to have Mecetti lead Corondex independently without a specific guideline but within all these complex machinations Lord Fa certainly had a finger that could fling it all upside down at any given moment. Right now, Fa saw interest in the Tapani noble at Corondex. Guul only had to test the waters of the judgement call himself.

"Well then, Lord Mecetti. Is it too risky for your liking? Too hard to handle?" He provoked him as much as a givin could provoke with their neutrally toned voices.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]​

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Vitor Avendahl"]

He did not rise to the provocation.

In any other situation he would, if only to keep up appearances, but this Givin... he knew things and that made him dangerous. It also meant that trying to misdirect him would most likely have the opposite of the desired result. "I am interested." Once more Itash stuck to business and pushed away the appearance of the spoiled, easily infuriated noble.

This Givin knew that was just one of the many faces, otherwise they wouldn't be having this conversation.

"What are the terms of the contract?"

This would decide if interest would turn to action or if Itash would simply move away anyway. Oh, his life was build around taking risks, but they had always occurred on his own terms.

It was different when the terms had already been set in stone beforehand.

 

[Zef Halo]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

The human did not even flinch.

Good.

Akash slowly stood up from his sofa and a datachip materialized on his hand before setting it carefully on the glass coffee table before Mecetti.

"There will come a time when I will contact you for a favor. You will execute it without any questions. I guarantee that whatever it will be, it will not negatively impact you or your affairs."

Like a ghost, he shuffled his way out of the office without responding to any inquiries the Tapani noble may have. Guul had done his job, Lord Fa had never asked for anything more than passing the affairs of Corondex to the noble. He had not said to answer questions and inquiries.

And Guul wasn't stupid to do more than his Thirriken lord asked him of as every order Fa issued had a reason behind it.

For a moment he felt the eyes of the Thirriken on his back but did not bother to turn to see if it was true. He'd served him for a long time, he had gotten used to the fact that he was always watched.

Somehow, some way.

--

Above them all, somewhere in the quarters of what seemed to be a ship, a feathery mastermind moved a bishop a square forward.











































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