Without

[Itash Mecetti]

ETTI IV
CORPORATE SECTOR
[member="Samka Derith"]

This meeting was unorthodox to say the least. It had been specially requested to occur outside of office hours and to stay out of the public ledgers. Odd, but Tash was starting to get used to dealing with Sith, so not entirely out of the ordinary for him at this point. The details were sketchy, he got a name and he got the impression she was someone important.

In the First Order out of all places.

Lots of Tapani had a lot of respect and even love for that nation, but that didn't surprise Tash in the slightest really.

They had always been fans of the whole Humanity First movement. The fact that it was imperial, lawful and orderly? Well, that only got them going more. All of that was very hush-hush, of course. Fondor and the colonies were still under Alliance control, after all.

No sense in causing trouble before the Alliance was beyond repair.

He sat in his office, overlooking the skyline of Etti from his chair, large and splendid viewport. He even had some whiskey poured for himself. The office was quiet. Most of the administrative workers had gone home, no, only his Words remained.

But that was plenty.

They would be here soon presumably.

 

[Samka Derith]

The hallways were empty by this hour, the workers having long since returned to their homes and their families. It suited her just fine.

Samka hummed absentmindedly, the same joyful little tune she so often did when she was alone, as her footsteps echoed through the hallways. She followed the presence of a man, a prickle of the Dark Side telling her just where within this administrative block her target lay. Once she found the office, she opened the doors without touching them, letting the Force open it before her.

As the double doors opened behind [member="Itash Mecetti"] the figure who stood there, bouncing gently on her heels with her arms crossed behind her back, would probably make an unlikely sight. The girl was small in stature and petite in her shape. She wore a rather plain casual cream dress so as to not stand out on her way here. She was young and her face looked even younger than her true age. Many times people regarded the idea of such a person being anyone of power within the First Order as a joke but those people typically couldn't feel the Dark Side radiating from within her with a sinister chill.

She smiled somewhat pleasantly and took a delicate footstep into the man's office, "Mr Mecetti, was it?" Her voice, while clearly young, still managed to radiate grace and authority. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Samka Derith"]

The chair swirled around and Itash took a moment to take in the sight.

The eyes sold what the force tried to sell to him. You couldn't fake those kind of eyes, the kind that had seen blood drawn from delicately cut wounds, watching it pour out as the life went out. They were old and unfeeling and cold.

Juxtaposition to the smile.

"Lord Itash of House Mecetti." The Tapani corrected with a brief indication of the hand towards the seat in front of him. The flash of a ring, onyx stone set, lingered before the hand returned to the glass of whiskey on the table.

"Old enough to drink?" Finger brushed towards the bottle and another glass on the edge of the table.

Itash wasn't the type to worry about it. If she wanted, she could, if she didn't? Quite irrelevant to him in the end. "How would you like me to call you?" He had been given a name, yes, but something told him she would want a different one between them.

Just a hunch.

 

[Samka Derith]

"Lord Itash," she repeated to correct herself. "My mistake."

She strode forwards to approach the man behind the desk before settling rather neatly onto the chair gestured for her. She rose a single brow to the man in front of her, was she old enough to drink? The rather embarrassing truth was that is depended on local law.

"I don't drink anyway," she declined politely to dodge the question.

"And call me what you wish," a small smirk creeping onto her face, "so long as it's polite. We've yet to see if you can be trusted with names, you are a mercenary after all, yes?"

To Samka Derith, a mercenary stood among the lowest of society. She'd not ever met one with a cause or loyalty. They may favour one particular grouping or another but they didn't fight for belief, they didn't fight to protect others, they fought to line their pockets. They were prepared to kill and die out of greed. To a devoted ideologue like herself, it was near contemptible.

Yet the dregs had their uses. First she had to acitain whether this particular dreg was useful.

"I like to know who I do business with, Lord Itash. I'm a potential customer with a lot of enemies. A lot of people who need to disappear, a lot of buildings to be levelled and a lot of battles which must be fought." The young Ren cocked her head as she regarded the Tapani man. "Give me a sales pitch. Why should I hire you?"


[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Samka Derith"]

Mm embarrassment.

It colored her outlines just for a brief instance, before filtering past to cold indifference.

Size usually was deceitful. She did not seem like much, but that was part of her strength, was it not? Seem like nothing... until she turns into something. Itash wasn't impressed, but he never was. That wasn't a fault of his as much as a trait of his. "A noble mercenary, ma'am." Another rectification came soon after her remark and it was a necessary one.

Many did not have any trust in mercenaries and Tash understood that.

But that was where his appeal came in.

The ancient blood of Mecetti ran through his veins and with it came expectations, responsibilities, belief and faith. More than with others people trusted him on his word, because he was a Mecetti.

Usually they were proven right.

"We are expensive, but we complete the contract without exception. We do not switch sides during the duration of the contract. We do not ask questions. We kill. We steal. We sabotage or spy. We do whatever you need doing and we are good at what we do." She would know that. If Samka had done her homework - and Tash assumed she had - she'd know all of this already. "My name opens doors that would be closed to you otherwise."

He shrugged.

The fact that there was a bond between him and his men wouldn't be a large secret either at this point.

They felt less pain, were stronger, faster, they did not need to communicate as long as their numbers were small. They were the ultimate killing force combined together under the aegis of one hungry man.

"Now- why should I accept a contract from you?" Equally important, because Itash knew his worth and the worth of his men. He did not accept every contract for the hell of it. He did not need to. If there was one thing the Tapani could afford at this point was pick and choose with who he was working with. Morality was not an issue, but the price was.

As were her expectations.

 

[Samka Derith]

"Noble," she repeated his words again. "Naturally." Her tone was polite but she had yet to be convinced.

She nodded along with the man's sale's pitch, it was talk. Talk was cheap. He said the right words, the words all those looking for work may say, but how well did he dance? The only reason she'd entertained him over others of his kind was the word put forwards by the FOSB. The intelligence agencies kept eyes and ears around the galaxy for reliable mercenaries, ones who could be called upon and still create plausible deniability. It was through this that the name [member="Itash Mecetti"] was passed to her.

Another smirk briefly passed on her features when Itash asked why he should work for her. It was the right question, it reassured her that the man didn't accept any contract thrown his way. It made him less likely to be a backstabber as well.

"The money is no obstacle, I have my sources," she explained nonchalantly. "But while I can pay substantially, I think that's not what concerns you. Through me, you'll get to leave your mark on the galaxy. I require the best and I require discretion. I'd like to see how capable you are with that. Impress me enough and I'll see you provided for. You see, I'm not here to merely offer you a hit list with a onetime payment and be done. I'd enjoy something more resembling a partnership," she smiled. "Prove yourself useful, prove your worth, and it's in my interest to keep you safe, you understand? That is worth more than any sum, you trust me on that."

She leaned forwards, elbows on the desk and chin resting on her hands. "Well, Lord Itash? Up for a little test?"

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Samka Derith"]

Keep him safe.

Him.

Usually it was the other way around, but by the look of those eyes something told him the missions she'd give him would be... different. Didact was growing steadily and the more days passed the more customers they were attracting. In a war-torn Galaxy like this one, there was a lot of need for an organization of battle-hardened mercs that asked little to no questions beyond: "What, Who, Where, When?"

"You will find that Didact is always ready, ma'am." Tash retorted smoothly, before pushing himself off his seat and slowly rising. Every gesture, every move, there was grace and articulation behind it.

Noble.

Lord Itash had learned grace from a young age and at this point it came natural to him. It were for these reasons that many asked for his services. The title of Mecetti suggested quality and Didact's skill did the rest. "What do you have in mind?" The test in question determined just what Tash had to tap for it. It could be anything, if he were to believe the rumors.

 

[Samka Derith]

The small girl flashed another smile up at [member="Itash Mecetti"], making note of his posture and movements. A man raised with charm among the higher echelons of society. She approved. Too often was she around the classless. Her own background had taught her the importance of such things even if the others in her organisation so rarely appreciated it.

To answer his question, Samka pointed behind him. She pointed outside of the large window surveying the planet's landscapes and towards a tower, one of many dominating the view. "I took a little detour on my way over," she explained. "I met a fine gentleman on the streets this morning just outside that building over there. Do you know it? You must do, Yinshu Robotics. They're very rich and very dangerous. Some of the finest security a private corporation can have. But anyway, this gentleman and I collided in a most unfortunate accident, it was very uncharacteristically clumsy of me," Samka's crimson eyes flashed with dark mischief. "I did manage to place a tracker on him in the confusion."

The Ren reached beneath her cloak to pull out a small device, a flashing screen which would fit comfortably into the palm of a hand, and slid it across the desk to the mercenary. "It says he's still in there which is good since he was rather rude." She reclined backwards as she finished the briefing, her expression turning cold and aura authoritative.

"I want him dead. Any questions?"

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Samka Derith"]

Oh, Itash did.

After all.

Once Didact took over Baktoid Industries and integrated its corporate holdings within it Yinshu became one of their chief competitors. Considering Didact hadn't yet launched a droid it was a polite competition for the most part, but the consistent attempt to intrude on their systems was starting to wear on him. It was for this reason that Itash wasn't just agreeable to do this job for Samka.

No, he was happy to do so.

"Of course." There were always questions when you were a professional. If you didn't have any questions right before a job, you were either a fool, a braggart or a reader of the mind.

"Stealth or loud? Just him or others as well? Do you wish to partake or will you just be watching?"

Every answer would subtly shift the approach Tash would take for this.

 

[Samka Derith]

A swift change in her persona followed. She smiled back at [member="Itash Mecetti"]. It was pleasant, innocent with no hint to any darker impulses so it was utterly disconnected from the conversation at hand.

"You may deal with this however you see fit, that's the test. I want to know your preferred style and speciality, Lord Itash. I want you to do what comes most naturally. You could poison his tea so he chokes alone or you could burn this entire city to ash just to have him dead. I have uses for a man capable of either." A lively twinkle appearing in Samka's scarlet eyes for a moment as the images of death and destruction passed through her mind.

"And yes I'll be escorting you there. I have to keep a close eye on things and ask questions when necessary," a mischievous expression touching the teenager's features for a moment. "I'll not interfere unless I have to to protect myself. Or you," a small smirk accompanied the final remark.

"If you're quite satisfied, Lord Itash, your assignment will begin in:

Five

Four

Three..."

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Samka Derith"]

He let her finish counting.

Then calmly strolled back over to his chair, settling himself in and poured another glass. "Are you sure you aren't interested in some apple juice or orange maybe?" Tash asked politely as he waited, a shrug followed if it was a negative response. He tasted the amber until the door opened to his office. In came several Didact personnel, already loaded up and ready to go.

Armor black, visors obscured, this would clearly be a stealth mission.

Itash finished the glass and then gestured with his head to Samka. "Escort the lady to our hangar bay, she is coming along." This was taken without any discussion or anything.

"I will join you there, miss Darith."

At the very least Tash would need to grab some of his own gear first.

 

[Samka Derith]

"I'm quite alright, however your kindness has been noted," a small smirk crossing her lips at his offer of a drink.

Her brow flickered slightly at the mispronunciation of her name. An honest mistake or playing games? She couldn't yet tell. Regardless, she stood up without a word, only offering a smile to the armoured men. Judging by their uniforms, stealth was the chosen method. It was her preferred method too, that could make things run smoother.

"One thing before you leave," she halted the proceedings with a gesture of her palm extended. Reaching around the back of her dress, the girl carefully removed the article of clothing revealing a black outfit beneath. It was much more suited to their task than the civilian dress she'd worn before. As was the norm for her, the armour was minimal but fabrics ideal for flexibility and acrobatics.

"Here," she'd folded her dress neatly and meticulously before passing it to [member="Itash Mecetti"]. "Store that somewhere nice, Lord Itash, I expect it back once we're done."

With a small curtsy of gratitude, she turned to follow Itash's men.

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Samka Derith"]

He was rather happy that this wasn't the start of a very disturbing scene.

Tash wasn't sure what he would have done, if she had been naked beneath the dress. Well. Probably attempted to call her parents or something. That was besides the point though, because luckily they didn't need to explore that particular avenue. Tash nodded to her as he accepted the folded dress. He eyed the dress in his hands while she moved to leave and shook his head.

This was such an odd turn of events.

He dropped it in her chair, sighing, before heading for his personal armory where he'd deck himself out in suitable gear.

About ten minutes later the Lord of House Mecetti joined the waiting Ren and his personnel at the private hangar. Already some were loading up the shuttles that would bring them as close to the HQ as possible. "Miss Derith." Tash greeted while stepping up alongside her. There was now a lightsaber attached to his belt, his arms covered by bracers that radiated the Darkside.

It was all rather impressive to be sure.

"Ready?"

 

[Samka Derith]

Tap tap

Samka drummed her fingers together.

Tap tap

Wasn't it supposed to be her gender with the reputation for taking one's time getting ready? Or so goes the stereotype. Ten minutes can seem an eternity to stand in silence. Itash's men didn't seem to be the best conversationalists either.

She repressed a sigh which threatened to pass her lips so to not offend her hosts.

Tap tap

The young girl continued to drum, watching the shuttles be loaded. If such work wasn't beneath her stature, she'd offer to help just to have something to do. If the physical world could not provide entertainment then what of the mental? She'd think of the future and what awaited her there.

She'd think of Coruscant in ashes. Of the New Jedi Order's leadership dead at her feet (hers alone of course) amongst the ruins of their temple. A hard fought blood bath in which she'd come out on top. As the last vestiges of the feasting Galactic Alliance were at last swept away, signified by the clear view of their fleet crumbling in orbit, at last the First Order, and the galaxy at large, could breathe a sigh of relief. As the last dying breath from a Jedi Master left his lips, Samka heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see... The Supreme Leader! He looked triumphant, a welcoming beam on his face and a swagger in his steps.

"You've made me so proud, Decitus!" His booming voice echoed around the chamber. "At last, order can return to the galaxy. You've achieved what so many before you have failed."

"It was nothing for someone of my abilities, really," a small blush creeping onto the girl's face.

"This day is bittersweet, my child, my purpose has been fulfilled and death comes for me."

"Supreme Leader?!" This was awfully sudden. "You can't die!"

"I've been holding on for too long, Decitus. At last I have found a worthy successor, take good care of this galaxy for me," the Supreme Leader's wispy figure faded away into nothingness. His cloak dropped to the floor and behind him stood an entourage of Stormtroopers, officers, Moffs and the Knights of Ren.

"The Supreme Leader is dead, long live the Supreme Leader!" They chanted in unison.

One figure stood apart from the rest, one Samka recognised as [member="Ara Zambrano"] marching towards her with the usual seductive smirk on her beautiful face. "Not bad going, I suppose I should bow even lower before you now, hm?"

"See that you do, the respect you gave me before wasn't nearly enough," Samka quickly retorted, a ghost of a smile passing through her.

"What are your orders, miss Derith?" Ara sounded rather masculine by the end there.

Samka blinked her way back to reality. Back to [member="Itash Mecetti"] who now stood before her, lightsaber at his side and oozing an aura of the Dark Side more powerfully than before.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Of course," Samka shook her head to clear away any lingering thoughts. That was a rather indulgent fantasy even for her. "Let's get moving, I'm rather eager to see you in action."

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Samka Derith"]

Tash had been leaning in at this point.

Watching her eyes clouded and deep focused elsewhere- only hints and figments at the edge of her mind, enough to catch a glimpse of what she was seeing, but not rude enough that Samka would notice his own scrutiny. It was the brilliance of the mind as far as Itash was concerned. The true masters could make the realm of the mind their little kingdom and they had true freedom there.

Very pleasant skill as far as Tash was concerned.

"Certainly." They loaded up ten seconds later and Tash settled himself down in a seat next to Samka. It was quite a comedic image they cut together, what with their disparity in height that was only enhanced by the sitting.

"I wonder, miss Derith, when did you start the killing?"

Oh, Tash could smell it on her and the visions in her head were far too distinct to be born out of simple fantasy. No, there had been purpose behind it, a dream cut into reality piece by piece by simple repetition. She might not have covered Coruscant in blood, but there were other... fields of battle. Other avenues that would have allowed her to carry out her twisted little fantasies.

It interested Itash keenly.

The lie dripping off her skin.

 

[Samka Derith]

"That's a rather personal line of questioning, wouldn't you say, Lord Itash?" Samka preferred to glance around than look up at the man next to her. She couldn't leave him thinking he was too interesting, [member="Itash Mecetti"] already had something of an ego. She instead took interest in the shuttle, pretending the seats and lights were far more appealing to her than they actually were, and also began to inspect the mercenary's crew.

"I do suppose some explanation couldn't hurt. Technically the first time I killed a man, I was thirteen. But I'm not sure if I should count condemned men who were trapped in a cage and sentenced to be living training dummies for students learning the Dark Side, would you?" A small smirk on her lips as the girl finally looked up at Itash with not an inkling of regret on her youthful face. "The first time I killed someone who could fight back was shortly before my fifteenth birthday. I was taken along on some resistance suppression, more as an observer than a participant, but I saw an opportunity and I took it. My superiors were pleased with my initiative and the galaxy is all the better for the unfortunate gentleman's passing."

"Make no mistake," she said firmly as the shuttle rumbled. "I don't enjoy death," a crimson flash in her eyes for the faintest of moments, almost daring the mercenary to challenge her. "I simply do my duty for the nation. So," Samka's head cocked in curiosity, chin resting in her hand as she regarded the mercenary with large, round eyes. "I'd not normally share such tales but I have a feeling you're not the type to be put out so easily, Lord Itash. You've probably heard oh so much worse, am I right?"

She leaned in ever so slightly, like a predator discovering a scent.

"You've probably done worse."