Six Years.

[Darth Metus]

Before the Mandalorian could so much as blink, he found himself beset by the arms of his assistant. They snaked around him a brief embrace that completely caught him off guard. Professionalism, in any shape or form, had been thrown out the window...yet Isley did not care. In fact, he acted on the same impulse and raised his hands in response to her embrace; returning the gesture lightly.

When she retracted her hug and stepped back into reality, Isley simply rendered a small smile. "There's no need to apologize." he said, now reaching out so that he may place his hand upon her shoulder. "And...while my culture would disagree with your views on unnecessary violence, I do agree that further damaging Kamino would probably not end well. Would it be a good fight? Absolutely. But it would not end well."

He paused, retracting his hand in the process. Isley wanted to say more, but the navicomputer blared before he could utter a word. They were close and would arrive shortly. "Looks like we'll be landing soon." he said, casting a glance at the central console. "Would you like a cloak? I would hate for the rain to ruin that lovely hair of yours."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

She had not expected him to return the gesture so there was yet again another surprise. Though, she got the feeling that by being near to him she would be getting a lot of them in the time she spent as his assistant. Her head turned toward the console upon hearing it go off only to turn back to Isley at his finishing statement. An amused smile played across her lips before an incline of her head was given.

"A cloak would be nice, thank you."


[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

Rising from the seat, Isley momentarily departed from Lilith so that he might procure her a proper cloak for the rainy world. Seeing as though he was taller in stature than she, the Mandalorian had to dig into the rear of the adjacent closet to find one that would fit her. He was successful, however, and soon returned bearing a bundle of cloth in his hands. It was one of his older cloaks, but it was still aesthetically decent and smelled clean.

"Here you are." he said, placing the cloak in her lap before turning his attention to the console. A few choice button presses produced the voice of a Kaminoan. Ground control was wanting to know who they were and why they were here. "This is Isley Verd. I've come to finalize some Dread Guard business and to settle the account of Miss Lilith Engelis." In response to his words, there was silence on the line...only to be broken by the utterance of coordinates. Now having been told where to land, the real fun could commence.

"I suppose, since you revealed to me why you are coming here...I should do the same." he began whilst steering the Mie'yebo down through the heavens. "Long ago, I was a mercenary for the Confederacy. It was the nation whose territory included Kamino several years ago. Well, they paid me quite well for my work and eventually I joined up in more than one aspect. I climbed the ranks of the military. I ascended to leadership within their Force sect...Hell, I even got to represent a planet as Viceroy."

He paused, taking a moment to adjust his heading. "Things were going good until the Eastern Campaign. I came to Kamino so that I could give the Confederacy a fighting chance against Jedi and Sith alike...through creating a fighting force that was immune to the Force itself. That was the Dread Guard, and I personally led them in a series of conquests that almost doubled the Confederacy's territory. Then, almost overnight, everything fell apart. My most trusted Dread Guard betrayed me and the Confederacy out of the blue, taking most of the legion with him...and then the Confederacy blamed me for a mountain of crimes I did not commit. They took from me everything, so now I will take from them the ability to replicate the Dread Guard program. That is why we are here today. My greatest success will be eliminated by my hand."

With that said, it was now time to go. The ship had landed and Isley was putting on his helmet. "We can see to Cassia first if you'd like. My angst can wait."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

G r a t i t u d e;

Something Lilith hardly felt towards another person. Than again, who could blame her given her past.



Accepting the cloak, she would offer up a small smile. "Thank you.."She'd murmur softly before rising and slipping the cloak on. Moving to follow him, she'd purse her lips slightly watching him.

F o r i e g n;

Everything he said and the way he acted was a far cry from what she was used to. A frown would decorate her features at his reaccounting of what occured.
Keeping quiet , she opted not to speak until after he had finished speaking.

"No, business comes before personal matters. We are here to attend to what you need done. I can see Cassia after the work has been finished."


She spoke with an air of professionalism. She in a way dreaded seeing her child, knowing full well that the tears and heartbreak at seeing her baby like that would rear thier ugly head. She couldn't afford to be weepy or not at her best whilst on the job, so she would wait until his business was finished.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

As the Mandalorian reached the end of the hall, he responded to the gratitude of his assistant by smiling from underneath his helm. This veiled gesture was accompanied by a nod and a "You are most welcome" before he set about opening the door. With a hiss and a small symphony of metallic clicks, the rear of the vessel was exposed to the perpetual storm of Kamino. Isley disembarked down the ramp with his brisk pace, pausing only to remove and grip his lightsaber firmly within his palm.

"Business it is. I'll try to be swift."

Now, truth be told, Isley did not know what sort of greeting he would have. He was not welcome in the South, and he we certain that Kamino would have mixed feelings about his arrival. Nonetheless he led the way forward until he and his assistant breached the frontmost entrance of the cloning facility. There, they would be greeted by armed, clone troopers and a looming Kaminoan.

"To what do we owe this unexpected pleasure?" came the gentle inquiry of the native female.

"My name is Isley Verd. I have come to conclude some business."

At the mention of his name the troopers tensed. They knew him well, for many in their ranks considered the Dread Guard to be extended family. However, the Kaminoan did not react with angst, terror, or anything in between. She, instead, simply motioned for Isley and Lilith to follow. "Then you will need to speak with the Clonemaster, Mr. Verd." she said, keeping the dialogue intentionally short. With that said, she would lead the pair deeper into the complex until arriving at the Atrium.

There, the Clonemaster waited. He, another Kaminoan, gazed upon Isley and Lilith with recognition plastered upon his face. Clearing his throat, he motioned for them to join him before the sole source of green in the entire complex: a simple tree, before addressing them.

>"Mr. Verd, I am surprised to see you here...the news of your dismissal was convoluted, but I garnered enough truth to assume that Kamino would not be graced by your coming again."<

"You assumed incorrectly, old friend. I have come to conclude some business. I want assurance that the Dread Guard project is destroyed. All samples eliminated."

>"As per our contract, at any time the genome you paid for to create can be destroyed. However the prime DNA of Jango Fett will remain untouched."<

"That is fine. I want confirmation when the process is concluded. I also wish to place an order. A new legion, utilizing force sensitive DNA. You are free to utilize whatever prime clones you seem suitable and I will provide you with the data required to make these clones stable."

There was a pause, for the Kaminoan knew full well that tampering with force sensitive DNA was not exactly easy. But if he had data on how to do it successfully... >"We will be happy to accommodate. Simply send us the data and we will begin as usual."<

From there, a few moments of basic business commenced. Data was transferred, as were credits. Potential prime clones were selected...and even Isley donated some blood for the cause. When it was all said and done, the two shook hands before the Clonemaster faced [member="Lilith Engelis"]. A somber tone escaped him, yet he remained the pinnacle of professional.

>"Miss Engelis. I regret to inform you that your account...has been closed. In the wake of the galactic disaster, your child disappeared. We can only assume that, in light of her incomplete treatment, she has perished alongside the billions lost to Akala. Needless to say, we will not be charging your account for any expenses...and we offer our condolences."<

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

She followed him, waiting in silence when he conducted his business, her thoughts drifting to the upcoming glance at her beautiful child..

So, when the clonemaster addressed her it took a while for his words to register. Still as a statue, she stood before her lips parted to speak...

"w-what?"
She'd stutter out softly before drifting into an awkward silence.

The saying 'seeing red' literally applied here, she saw his blood splattered all over the room. She also saw this and various other buildings up in a blazing inferno.. Multiple emotions assaulted her;shock, disbelief, heartbreak, sorrow, hatred fueled by the sudden desire to kill this male before here..

"She's missing you say?Presumed dead... No charges to my account...?"Any and all traces of warmth had bled right out of Lilith, it was a miracle she wasn't on the ground in a ball sobbing. No, right now she wanted to inflict physical pain that rivaled her emotional pain. Only then would she give into the grief that threatened to swallow her whole. So when she began moving towards him, it was with the intent to rip his head from his shoulders.

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

The Mandalorian felt Lilith break.

The sensation could only be described as standing before gentle waves, only for a literal tsunami to surge forth to swallow all. In but a handful of seconds, the quiet mother had lost that which was most precious to her...and a flood of emotion radiated through the Force. Anger. Sorrow. All the classic trappings of the Dark Side were evident...and if Isley did not intervene, there would definitely be blood.

As Lilith stepped forward, the Mandalorian acted on instinct. He embraced her from behind, deliberately ensnaring her arms and keeping her still. His voice came forth as a low whisper, yet each syllable dripped with the Force. Was it a messed up thing to utilize Mind Trick in an attempt to keep his assistant from murdering someone? A little...but it sure beat the alternative.

"Lilith. No." he began, holding her fast. "You heard him. Your daughter did not disappear because of his doing. Your daughter disappeared because of Akala. Please, don't take it out on this man. There will be time to anger and mourn, but not here."

[member="Lilith Engelis"]

 

[Vesphira So'Kil]

The feeling of Isley's arms around her first caused her to stiffen. Every instinct in her pleaded for her to lash out at somone and make them feel what she felt at that current moment. So when he started speaking and she started calming , she began thinking clearly. Once the anger and murderous rage had passed it left room for wave aftet wave of grief amd sorrow to attack her.

Slumping slightly, she would begin speaking softly,"Isley, I don't suppose since your business has been handled I could have the rest of the day off and head home?"Her words were pronounced carefully, it clear that she was swallowing back the sobs that begged to come out. Making move to step away from him, she'd give a dejected shrug before directing her next words at the Clone master."Thank you for all that you've done..."

[member="Isley Verd"]

 

[Darth Metus]

The pain was evident in the woman's voice: a pain so mighty that the fire of Lilith's soul had been reduced to ash. Her tone, once confident, was only a touch away from being a whisper. Her movements were slow and dejected. Grief untold was weighing heavily upon her shoulders, and honestly Isley found himself hurting on her behalf. He knew what she was going through all too well...and as such, he found himself concerned.

After all, when he lost Anastasia, the last place he needed to be was alone. However, despite this concern, there were professional boundaries that had to be observed. She was his assistant. She did not know him personally. He was not her friend. As such, once Lilith had stepped away from his grasp, the Mandalorian gave a solemn nod.

"You are more than welcome to take as much time as you need. Your position will be awaiting your return."

The Clone Master, too, spoke in the same solemn tone. However the empathy that was evident in Isley's voice was not present in the Kaminoan's.

>"You are most welcome Miss Engelis. Once again, you have our condolences."< He began, before turning to Isley once more. >"I will keep you in touch regarding our progress. At this moment I must begin fulfilling the terms of your order. Travel safe, Mr. Verd."<

With that said, the business between the CEO and Kamino was concluded. All that remained was seeing to it that Lilith got home. Isley thought it proper to bring her back to Bothawui, for he was certain that she had her transportation still on that world.

Three Days Later.

For the past three days, Isley had concern for his assistant lodged in the back of his mind. It was hard not to, for her desk remained empty with each passing day. The Mandalorian was tempted to have the office call in order to see how she was doing...but he decided against it due to professional boundaries. As such, he busied himself with the matters at hand, which currently consisted of following up with Kamino regarding the Legion.

Greetings, I sincerely hope this message finds you well.

I am curious as to how the order is proceeding and the details regarding the clones' creation. What methods of flash training will be used? And has the data I provided on stabalizing them proved useful?

I eagerly await your response.
-IV.

[member="Lilith Engelis"]