Makko did not take pleasure in the kill, he did not draw on the dark side as the echoes of the person-that-had-been became one with the Force.
It was actually the teachings of the Jedi that allowed him to harden his mind against his feelings. His planning was complete, the path was laid out. Makko simply had to follow it.
Jedi training made him an effective weapon, not the lure of the sith.
The next guard didnt even see Makko. He started to turn at the sound of footsteps just a moment before his head was cleaved in two.
Within just a few minutes the first part of the work was done. Not a single guard was left in the building. In some respects, it was the easier half. Always moving, always acting, he could not have stopped to think.
He reached a thick blast door. It was designed to hold out long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Even with his lightsaber it might have done it's job, but Makko disabled the alarms through the Force in just a few seconds.
It was slow, hot work to cut through. His blade worked through it inch by inch. When he had carved himself an entrance, Makko stepped back and waited for the metal to cool. Stopping to wait let the guilt try and reach him.
The crushing weight of Cora's days and nights had hardened her against the world. He could hold up his barriers for just a little longer. She had only let them down for just a few short minutes in the gardens, before remembering herself, drawing the walls back up and fleeing.
Makko stepped through the opening in the blast door. There were no treasures around him. To the left of the air conditioned room was the squat metal form of a backup generator. Next to it was a bank of computers covered in a thick weave of cables.
On the other side of the room was his target. His targets. Four runners lying motionless in their supportive chairs, spikes engaged into ports at the napes of their necks. They were busy carrying out the gang's operations on the holonet. None of them had any awareness that they were about to die.
That gave Makko a momentary comfort, but even that feeling was a weakness that could let further feelings slip through the cracks. Fear was the path to the dark side.
He walked to the generator. He swapped a single cable around and flicked two switches. He let his hand rest on a lever and took a breath. Makko pulled it down. The lights flickered. The four runners all went rigid as the surge fried them from the inside in an instant.
—
It was such a nice restaurant for such terrible business, Makko thought as he was led inside. It was the kind of place Cora would have taken him to as a treat.
Big Nasty was sat at a table on his own. Two of his suited thugs sat at a table further back, flicking through paper books.
Paper. It was such a strange thing to see on Denon. Only a gang that new the dangers of trained holonet runners slicing into systems would use such an archaic method of keeping books.
"Makko, sit!" said Big Nasty. "Sit and eat."
Makko sat down and was surprised to find that he had an appetite.
"It's…"
"Done. I know. Have something to eat."
Makko obliged, picking up an artistically formed piece of pasty.
"With the duty guards down we sliced through four of their holonet strongholds. They've put new walls in place but we hit them hard Makko. But…"
He had waited until Makko was chewing before the 'but'.
"...you see we'd never heard of this u-tak-is place when we agreed to the deal. Turns out this Royal shit is a little harder to get to than we thought. "
"We made a deal…" Makko started to venture, but he was cut short by a single look. He felt the air grow cold at his attempted interruption.
"And we did that in good faith because we wanted to help out family like you," Nasty said, his tone suddenly soft and polite.
It made sense to Makko, even though he knew the mob boss wasn't being entirely honest with him. The words made sense.
"You have another job for me?"
"Not yet, no," said Nasty Jenu, leaning across the table and wagging a finger at him. He turned away.
"Lyaris, get Makko a menu so he can order whatever he wants, yeah?" he turned back to Makko. Someone sauntered off to the bar.
The restaurant was closed right now, but Makko had heard Jenu took pride in running one of the most popular eateries in District Six.
"Have some food Makko, I've got a suite booked out for you all week. You need something you ask. Spice, girls, computers, just ask. Can tell you've had a rough run kid. We've got your back. Stick around and I'll find something small for you to do to even up our ledger."
—
