Red Right Hand

[Itash Mecetti]

REDOUBT CLUSTER​

CHISS SPACE​

IIX-FEROCITY STATION​

​

Chiss Space was in chaos since the collapse of the Iron Empire.

Their main shipyards on Copero wrecked either by terrorists, outlaws or the Empire itself. Their territory slowly being torn apart by internal pressure, as some Chiss want to pursue military action, while others counsel patience. It was a powder keg waiting to implode and take everything around with it. In that context [member="Darth Filiae"] and him were but a minor hiccup in a long line of destructive events, but Itash still wondered if this was going to blow up in their faces. It was an ambitious plan- part of him was impressed by it, but another part wondered if he wasn't currently pushing Didact at the foreground of an intergalactic incident.

The IIX Ferocity was operated by a rogue Chiss cell that was advocating for extreme measures to preserve their race's purity.

Space racists.

Saaraishash intelligence had caught wind of several plots of theirs to push the Galaxy into further turmoil. The reason why Itash and Didact were involved? The private military corporation had uncovered their own little conspiracy within the Corporate Sector. They had been able to neutralize it, saving the CSA seat of power on Etti from being annihilated by a makeshift neutrino bomb.

But that left the source intact.

Seeing as Didact had already contracted out to the Sith Empire in the past and that had gone well with all parties satisfied? It only made sense for the Lord of House Mecetti to establish another partnership with the Sith to put a stop to this menace.

Only Itash was allowed to destroy galactic stability as far as he was concerned.

"Does this trouble you, Lady Filiae?" She looked up from whatever she was doing, while Tash started to put on his bracers. "Assaulting your own species' fortress in the heart of their former territories?"

Strangely enough Itash did not mind the Chiss. This one, anyway. Mostly because she looked dangerous and the Tapani thrived on that sort of connection.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

Filiae's cybernetic arm was lain wide open, the steel shell split like a slain taozin. One could clearly see the workings of thin, super strong wires replacing tendons as her fingers rythmically touched her thumb in turn. A spark flew out, the Chiss ducked out, cursed under her breath, then crouched back over her work. A few more tweaks, and then the mercenary captain spoke.

Lady Filiae​

A part of her frowned deeply, it was even worse than "Lord". Lady implied a fem-fatale, fashion and fast speeders, fur coats and a new lover every night. Stylishly deadly, impractical yet impeccable. Ugh. Another part of her turned a deeper shade of blue as this ruffian chose to speak to her with such casual familiarity. Not in anger though.

"Does it hurt you to see man beat man into submission? To see humans slaughter and enslave one another? Civilians vented into the cold embrace of the void?" She lifted the tool from her arm and clenched the fist. The scale-like shell of her arm closed automatically around its finely tuned innards as she turned half-way to look at him.

"No, Mr. Mecetti. I have no trouble taking toys from unruly children."

Filiae was young, far too young to call grown men children. Yet, she spoke with a solid conviction, a certainty she inherited from someone older and far more cruel than herself. Two of them in fact.

She casually picked up the cybernetic eye left on the table next to her and popped it into the formerly empty socket as she turned to him fully. If he had felt it was watching him the entire time, he would be right. She had taken it out in order to - quite literally - watch her back. Or watch, anyway.

"And my people will do better if we succeed." These words she spoke quietly, uncertainly, her red eyes falling for a second before reaffirming themselves.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

If the purpose of the exercise had been intimidation and putting Tash off, it didn't have that effect on him.

In fact all that the Tapani felt was curiosity. This was sated by studying her intently, as she worked her arm and did her little tests to check its state. The detached eye was fascinating in its own right. He knew cybernetics could be very advanced -- his own company used them extensively to upgrade and augment its personnel -- but Mecetti hadn't considered that a wireless cybernetic was a thing.

"Fair point." It wasn't entirely, of course. There were plenty of humans that would feel disgust and horror at the scenes she described so casually. Itash... had never experienced it.

He fundamentally understood that these things were horrible to certain (admittedly large) subsets of sentience, but understanding did not equate to feeling.

"I am sure they will." The reasonable doubt clinging to her own words were palpable, but unnecessary to touch on. This wasn't a situation where Itash felt it wise to prod and pull at her emotions. There were plenty of them and in a different situation the Tapani might have drawn pleasure from prodding at that little ball. But he wanted to survive this coming battle.

Having a Sith at the top of their game during a high-stakes engagement seemed to be the best way towards that goal.

"I like your cybernetics, my Lady." She did not verbally oppose that address, after all. Then there was the fact that she was calling him mister rather than the honorific of Lord. Both those variables made for the continued usage of the address she disliked. "Functional, utilitarian, deadly. There is beauty in those things."

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

It was not really a matter of intimidation, though perhaps she did want to put him off. Mostly, she was sick of humans thinking other species were more cohesive than they, which was ridiculous. Everyone had civil war. Everyone killed each other. Everyone betrayed their neighbour. If the Chiss had a reputation for unity then it was only because they were an autocracy and very good at suppressing dissidence.

After all, they had spawned minds like Thrawn.

"I am not a showpiece." Was that a refusal? If so, of what? Of beauty, one could guess. She too did prefer the utilitarian and the streamlined. Every machine she put in her body had to be as good, if not better than the original. Frills were mercilessly cut, and yet there was an elegance to the interlocking mechanisms, leaving patterns on the metal. "They keep me alive, and put my enemies in the ground."

She took a few steps towards him, her eyes narrowing in curious scrutiny. Casually, her cybernetic hand picked up a vibrodagger laying about and flipped it in her hand. Metal scraped on metal as she weighed it in her hand, but Filiae's eyes did not move from Itash.

"Have you ever considered an upgrade?" "I could get you a good deal."

There was a wry smile growing on her lips just then, the knife was in her hand, nonthreatening, but reminiscent of a surgeon's scalpel. Before she could continue her play, the light changed. Their transit was ending and soon come the time for risky tactics and brazen theft.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

He did not step back.

"No, you are not. You are the manifest destiny of technology turned destruction." Itash retorted calmly, while watching her move. There was a certain elegance in her stride, the beauty of the predator and it was enough for him to disregard her blue skin. If it had been pink and zeltron? Well, that might have been annoying, but the Chiss were a species that Itash could respect.

Instead of stepping back, he took a step towards her in return.

Pushing the boundary, the line, daring and promising all at once. "Many times, but if we learn our limitations too soon, we never learn our power, my Lady." A shrug followed soon after. "Perhaps-"

Whatever Itash wanted to say next was drowned out by the sudden sound of the klaxons. They had entered combat-range and would be penetrating the deflector shield within a few moments. It would get risky there, because they would need to uncloak. But there wasn't really a different way here. Itash nodded at her and then began gearing up further.

Punctuated with the helmet settling itself on his head and locking his armor in.

Outer Space wouldn't get him as easily.

"Let's go then. My men will pave the way for us."

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

He was not giving in, was he?

It was a good sign. If he was half as brave in fighting as he was when talking, then this mission would be over quickly.

She was quick about getting the rest of her gear ready, knife in belt, blaster opposing it, sleeves sealed and batteries charged. Lightsabre in hand. The hand on her cybernetic arm was exposed still, but she knew it could do fine in space, lest she was left for hours. A metal hand had many uses. She topped it all with her helmet, sealing her in and allowing her to breathe.

Under the helmet, behind the tinted visor, blue turned very blue as she finally let her body express just how embarrassing his compliment was.

/Final com test. Let's go./

She did not speak the words out loud, but they were still transmitted. The cerebral com was a favourite of hers. Totally worth the migraines.

"Show me what your boys can do, Mister Mecetti. No quarter."

The ship rocked for a moment as it uncloaked and weapons could finally get their shots in. But the ship and its shields withstood. This was no mere barrel of fish waited to be blasted, she was armed and armoured to do the job. The men looked sturdy and confident in Filiae's eyes. Most importantly, they were not legionaries nor dressed like them. Their attack could be anyone. No blame nor undue glory befalling on the Empire.

The ship broke through to the hangar of the IIX Ferocity station. Doors opened and hell broke loose. Streaks of plasma bouncing off personal shields and slamming into metal as feet stamped forward and guns went off in retort.

Filiae was quick to get off, pressing the button on her hilt. The blade that emerged was not red, but a dull green. Not her creation, not her favourite, but far more discrete and equally good at batting away plasma.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

These assault ships were better than the transport shuttle he had been forced in a couple of weeks ago.

Mostly because Itash knew exactly how they were made.

The extra thick hull served to appease him, besides... fighting on a station was less intense to him than fighting on a ship. That still did do little for the fear racing through his spine. But he did not show it- a Sith would not respect that and that was the last thing he needed right now. The stronger his reputation was, the better it would be for business in the end.

"None will be given." Tash retorted over the comms. He didn't have any strong feelings for or against it, really. It was always up to the employer to figure out what approach they wanted them to take.

If she had ordered only stun... they would have done that.

It might have been more difficult, but it would have been her credits.

They burst through the ray shield holding back the void of space, immediately catching fire from automated turrets and Chiss. Their own emplacements returned fire and the Void Troopers streamed out of the ship. They immediately set up a perimeter, mobile shield points entrenching their position. They pushed further and further, fighting hard and dirty and bloody.

Some fell.

More on the Chiss' side.

Itash's lightsaber, burning white, was cutting and slicing. Until eventually only silence answered them, silence and the faint noise of alarms in the distance. "Some will remain here to keep our exit secured." Tash said as he eyed the reinforced bulkdoor that the defenders had sealed tight in their retreat. "You can do something with this, I assume?"

His lightsaber would take far too long to break though.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

They are not your kin. Yet, she saw herself in the blue faces as they contorted in pain. It is for the plan. She told herself as she deflected a shot back at a Chiss and saw him crumble over, his friend crouching over him and looking into the ruined face. There was almost a relief in it, as though a part of her was cemented.

"We will be quick. Your men are good, but they can't hold them off indefinitely."

She looked at the bulkdoor suspiciously and grinned to herself when he asked if she could open it up. Her sabre extinguished as she put the hilt under her arm and walked over to the panel.

"I can, but it will be a hellstorm when I do."

She plucked a thermal detonator from her belt and turned it between her fingers as her metal fingers as her flesh hand strummed over the options. It would not let her through by mere protocol. She would have to be more creative.

"Unless."

Filiae's eyes closed and the force tensed around her as she delved into the machinery. Her mind isolated the door, refusing the electronic signals from interferring with her will. She was master of the machinery, any machinery, all machinery. And it obeyed her every command. The door began to open, but did not open fully. Filiae shifted the hold on the thermal detonator in her hand, stepped back and flung it through the gap in the bulkdoors.

She waited for the thud! A flash of light and a little trail of smoke trailed through the hole. Once more Filiae delved into the machinery and forced it to open.

On the other side, bodies lay strewn. There were yet survivors, and more would come.

"I love a good grenade."

She ran through the doors, igniting her blue sabre once more and keeping it in front of her defensively.

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

Where Filiae went Tash followed suit.

His mind ran before them and began whispering lies.

If the Chiss was paying it any heed she would hear them softly mumbled from his lips. They started slow and small, but the more he talked the faster they came until the words were strung together with slippery chains. They wove a net that swept up before them and made sure their path was that much easier. It was difficult, doing that, blocking blaster bolts with his lightsaber and also running along with Filiae.

But this wasn't his first rodeo at this point.

The useless noble that had left Tapani space had been shed in exchange for something else. Something new. And the more time passed, the more that image was solidifying into something resembling... truth.

Or as truth as it could become with someone like Itash.

"Left." Tash suddenly said- he had caught something from his whispering, a stray thought that had been extracted from one of the troopers now dying behind them. "One of them was afraid we'd go into this..." Room. Another door, it seemed like any other locked door in the space facility. But the Chiss would notice it operated in its own electronic system.

Even if someone sliced the station, this door wouldn't be available.

"I am assuming you can do this one too?" He stood at guard, having her back automatically, he couldn't do anything with the door after all.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

She heard him mumbling, but paid it very little heed. People muttered their way through combat all the time, and who was she to say he did not have some sort of power that required a slippery string of mumbled syllables rolling off his lips? Besides, she was already busy looking into the walls, reading the electrical signals coursing through hidden cables. The cyborg Chiss could feel the current of power in her metal.

Her blue sabre knocked bolts aside, and when the moment presented itself, she threw it at their attackers. The resulting spinning disk of death carved through the foremost ranks of the Chiss, causing a lapse in their rate of fire.

"Left"

Nethil caught her sabre and jumped left. A streak of green plasma from a precision rifle streaked through the air where her head had been.

"That will take me a moment more." She twisted her neck to relieve the tension in her spine with a series of pops. "But I'll get us through. Just keep us covered." Her lightsabre extinguished.

She ignored the controls and put both hands directly on the door. Her eyes closed and her face contorted in intense concentration. She reached deep into the metal and machinery, To cogs and wires, servos and computers. She muttered to herself too, lips moving to pick out things her mind could see. A terrible grinding sound came from the door, choppy, as if it laughed at her effort. She punched it with her metal hand and continued. Another groan, this time in defeat. Click, click... click.

"I got it!"

The door opened in front of her and her blade re-ignited in preparation. But there was no one inside. No one she could see, anyhow. She stepped inside quickly, eyes sharp.

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

It was one thing to be a snarky arse when it was your free time.

But this was work and she was paying good money for his services.

So Itash simply stepped into her void, lightsabre ready and already blocking the incoming blaster shots himself. In the meantime the whispering didn't end, instead it intensified as it became even more important to keep the thick crowd of Chiss defenders dazed and confused. Sweat trickled from Tash's temple, headache starting to form just behind his eye.

This wasn't easy at all.

But before the Tapani would start getting the mother of all migraines, Filiae got through the door and Itash quickly stepped on through himself. Behind them the door sealed itself shut by her voiceless command.

It would take the Chiss a while to get on through and in the meantime? Tash turned around and realized what this was. "Feth me." He whispered softly as he studied the rows upon rows of exotic tech, weapons, mainframes, everything. It was a restricted Chiss lab, where they made their exclusive tech and experimented with everything in question.

"This what we came for?"

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

The sight of it was quite amazing.

Chiss scientists were entirely devoted to pushing the boundaries of existing technology and making it better than before. They did not invent as much as, say, humans did, but they perfected just about everything they could get their hands on. More importantly, this was technology most of the outsiders would never see.

"More valuable than gold and spice." She stepped in front and held her arms out victoriously.

A grin spread wide on her lips as Filiae made quick strides down between the rows of tech. She was not so much interested in the prototypes and limited productions hanging around. Rather, her interest was in the blueprints; the secrets behind the creation of these items.

"You should take a souvenir, Mr. Mecetti. Chances are this is your best chance"

Filiae picked a cable out of a pouch on her belt and unwound it. One end, she slipped into a small port behind her ear, while the other dangled from between her fingers. Her organic hand hovered in the air as she sensed her way through the electrical currents and swiftly moved to the far wall. She traced her fingers along it, following the cables until she found one that connected to the internal mainframe.

"But make sure nothing comes through that door." "I need a few moments to focus."

She attached the opposite end of the cable to an outlet in the wall. A shudder went through her flesh, then came the pain. Her eyes closed and her jaw set so hard she thought her teeth would break. Veins became visible on the sides of her head as Filiae forced her mind into the circuits and tore apart their virtual protection

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

He wouldn't say no to that.

The idea had been to just ensure she got what she needed, but if they were here already and the doors were locked shut behind them? There wasn't a reason for Tash to be staring at that reinforced bulk of metal while he could profit a little bit more. He swiped some minor objects off the table, for the most part he had no idea what they did, but they were small enough that it didn't matter.

In the chaos one of the scientists had left one of the screens unlocked.

After all, there was no chance that anyone would be able to get through those bulk doors, right? Tash pulled out a small data-stick and inserted it in the input port. G.E.A.R had developed this for him a few weeks back.

It wasn't on the level of Filiae's integrated cyber-brain or slicing equipment, but it had enough EWAR capabilities to start copying important schematics.

Easy.

"Got about five minutes, then we should leave." A shrug. "We got lucky, no sense in pushing it too much." The rest of the station would be mobilized by now. It wouldn't be long before they'd start utilizing excessive force, declining to capture and simply start slaughtering. Didact hadn't come in force with this operation. This wasn't a conquer mission, it was quick insertion and getting out just as swiftly.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

Five minutes, that would be a challenge. Could she do it? Hell yes she could. She was Darth Filiae, and in the words of the Csen'ai, it was success or death.

At the end of the first minute, her forehead began beading with the first sweat, yet her eyes remained closed and her focus unbroken. Nethil's eyes moved behind the eyelids, back and forth, while her lips muttered soundlessly through her clenched teeth.

The second minute passed into the third, her hands clenched as she laid waste to the last of their security and started filing through the blueprints and picking what she was interested in. There were many strokes of genius in this lab, but she was looking for a specific work. Found it: A stealth field generator, practically perfected. What it lacked, she already knew how to make.

Third to fourth minute, she downloaded the info and uploaded a malware she had developed to corrupt any trace of her intrusion.

The fifth minute - She stood up and unplugged herself from the wall. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face wet with sweat. The breath was heavy in her mouth as she curled the wire up and tucked it into her pocket.

The Chiss took her lightsabre in hand and looked at Itash. Would they have to fight their way out or was there another way? Her eyes fell to the floor and her feet traced over the surface.

"Do you think we could cut our way through?"

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

He eyed Filiae for a brief moment.

The sweat, bloodshot eyes, whatever she had been doing had cost her something. "By the way the door is made? I doubt it." The Chiss weren't amateurs and this lab was state-of-the-art. He wouldn't be surprised if they had made the floor from high-grade durable metals as well. Oh, they might be able to get through eventually, but then they'd have to figure out a different way of getting back to the hangar. That plus the fact that their time was running out made it all infeasible.

To underline that the door started shuddering.

Filiae had locked it down electronically, but they were trying to ram through it. It wouldn't be long, before they got dedicated engineers here or explosive charges.

"I am going to try and sow dissent within their ranks. Once you hear blaster fire... open it up and start cutting." With the chaos of ally shooting against ally there would be enough momentum to cause them to break or at the very least make room for them to retreat.

Eyes closed and the murmurs started again.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

For once, she cursed the thorough industriousness of the Chiss. If only they had neglected the floor.

She moved to the door and stepped back once when it shuddered, half fearing that the ram would pierce through the metal. No, it was still some ways off yet. Filiae did not quite know what Itash was doing, though she assumed it was some sort of mind trick. She was not that good with mind-tricks, probably a trade-off she had made when she decided to favour steel over flesh.

She kept the lightsabre firmly in her hands, the parrot droid once more climbed off her back, to her shoulder. The Chiss gave it a moment's glance as she instructed it to disrupt the fighters as much as possible. Whether it would survive or not, she did not know. Whether they would survive or not... Her senses told her they would. Filiae listened, eyes staring at the metal as it shuddered rhythmically after steady intervals.

Then a beat was skipped, the sharp whine of blasterfire erupted, cut with the shrieks of humanoids. She opened the door quickly and ignited the blue sabre. Throwing herself through the gap, she slashed for the legs of the confused bundle. Several were cut, arms flailed as balance was lost. But Filiae kept on plunging through. The parrot droid wizzed past her, moving gun-barrels, tugging on collars, poking eyes.

Her steel arm lashed out, fist colliding with a cheek and crunching the bones underneath with an audible crack. The butt of a gun hit her in the stomach, knocking her a step back. In response, a roar of fury passed through her throat and lips as she heaved her blade in wide arcs, calling on fury and fire to beat down the disoriented mass. It cleaved through weapons and rended flesh from bone with furious hisses as she fought her way to where they had come from.

Whatever Itash had done, it was working.

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

Usually Tash would avoid killing the sentients he slowly enthralled to his control.

But in truth the Tapani was getting tired and not in the pampered way. No, in the very real, nose-bleeding and sweating palm way. There was only so much that one man coul do and he was slowly approaching a limit he hadn't been aware of until this very moment. Until he stepped through the doorway and had to catch himself by the doorpost, because otherwise he would have dropped to the ground through his knees.

It was a weakness in his legs that hadn't been there before.

Jaw was set and with a forced move he got back into the game. His white saber trailed, before they cut through necks and shoulders and knees, while standing still or otherwise being mesmerized.

Easy destruction, but they were costing him energy.

"We have..." With some concentration he looked back at the memories that had flooded him for a moment before. "Two minutes, then the reinforcements will get through the lifts." Tash shook the exhaustion off his shoulders. Somewhere, somehow he managed to find another reserve. It would cost him later and that was a certainty. But rather that than expiring.

They ran.

Hard.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]


"Two minutes."

The parrot droid flew to her, and she whispered to it a few choice words. It eye flashed and there was a certain resolve in her eyes, as though someone had volunteered to stay behind. The droid whizzed through the crowd like a bug and flew over to one of the two elevators. Its little mechanical fingers tapped furiously on the screen, working to delay the elevators by stopping it at every floor.

"Three minutes, maybe"

Filiae ran with him, pulling Itash along. She needed him in order to keep his troops in line, and every step she took was a slight acceleration as she pushed on and on. They rounded the corner, dodged through the door, which closed behind her with a mere afterthought now. That would perhaps buy them a few extra seconds. She knew her parrot wouldn't come back, and the only thing it carried to anyone who wanted to open it up would be a dead-man-switch.

She practically pushed Itash into the ship as his troops pulled back.

"Let's go, let's go!"

She batted back a few shots of plasma while one of the Didact troopers carried a wounded but still living comrade on board the ship, then cast a last look at the door she had locked behind them as the lock was disengaged from the other side.

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Darth Filiae"]

Tash slumped against the hull of their ship the moment they slipped inside.

Eyes blinked.

Then the Tapani realized something- he could still feel the presence of one Chiss in his head. He eyed the door that Filiae had just locked and then closed his eyes.

Hands shook, so many dead, just two people and the damage they had done would be felt for the year to come. Felt strange. Like mud between the ears, but they were legion now. Reinforcements managed to come through after shooting down the weird flying droid. Felt cold. Run with them. It will be fine. The door to the hangar was locked... not a problem, not a problem- hmm. Thermal detonator. Weight felt familiar. One of the others looked at him, before eyeing the door again.

It's all okay.

Click. More eyes, but it is too late. It's all okay. Detonator dropped. The others ran, but here was freedo-

A large explosion roared through the corridor behind the locked door. Powerful enough to rip the door from its hinges and send it flying, scrapping across the floor.

"Go." Tash mumbled, wiping away the blood from his nose and stumbling further into the ship as the ramp sealed it shut.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

Darth Filiae turned to Itash, lightsabre still in active and in hand. She wiped a trail of blood from her nose and made a half-cocked attempt at a grin

"You all right there, mister Mecetti?"

The blood smeared against the metal knuckle and left her lip covered in a dark stain. Her eyes were darker, stained by the prior strain, and sweat painted lines in the soot and blood-splatter on her cheeks.

She extinguished the blade of her sabre and sat down in the ship as it disengaged from the station. Her breath pained her chest, but she choked it down. Filiae's eyes closed and took inventory of the blueprints she had copied. Some were better than others, but one was quite exceptional: A stealth field generator. She fully believed she could make it even better, using what she had learned from the Sith Imperial version and the Sith Assassins' secret tech.

The ship jerked slightly as it shot off into hyperspace. The Chiss opened her eyes slightly and side-eyed the human she had fought alongside.