The Call of Manda (Atroxa & Rivine)

Rivine

Rivine

Supernova
Joined
Jun 28, 2011
Adenn strode down the halls of the ship, feeling rather naked. It had been months since he had been able to don his beskar'gam, but the mission had demanded it. If he had known what he was getting himself into five months before when he had taken this job, he might have had second thoughts. Considering how many months he had been immersed in this mission he likely could have had several others, but none that paid as well as this. But the money was not all that he cared about, not even close. What meant more to him was his reputation. How many others in his line of work could say that they had assassinated an Imperial warlord? Of course it would also make him a wanted man in more sectors then he cared to imagine, but that was only if he was identified.

Finally he came to the access hatch he wanted. He did not look around to see if anyone was watching him or in the hall, instead he just opened it and acted like he was going about his business. After all, he was just a technician. The Mandalorian made his way down the maintenance access corridor, moving quickly. There was nobody there, which is what he expected, and he was glad that that was the case. Leaving bodies behind would make things far more complicated. He soon moved into a small nook off the corridor and quickly fetched out a bag that was secreted away. He paused for a moment, then quickly opened the duffel, a small smile tugging up at the corners of his lips. He knelt and ran some fingers over the breastplate of his armor. The armor was a family heirloom, passed down for five generations. His family's blood was in the armor and he had to believe that his ancestors would be watching over him today. With that thought steeling him, his desire to honor his family, he stood and quickly began to strip out of his Imperial uniform.

It took the Adenn only a mater of minutes to don his armor. He made a few final adjustments before he slid his helmet on and made sure that it sealed. As the HUD came up he felt far more comfortable, more alive, more himself. He stood there for several seconds more, focusing his mind. Then he turned and strode out into the corridor once more. His steps were confident, determined. It did not take him long to reach access hatch that he wanted. He reached down to his belt and removed a small grenade from it. He then opened the hatch ever so slightly and waited. His HUD told him the time and he knew that soon the guard would be changed in front of the admiral's quarters. He waited and soon enough the troopers marched by. As they passed he tossed his grenade at one of their backs. The small explosive adhered to the stormtrooper's armor and Adenn smiled inside of his helmet.

He counted then; one, two, three... continuing until he counted to eleven. When it did he pressed a button on his bracer. The sound of a detonation echoed through the halls and he allowed the hatch to slide open fully. He stepped out into the hall, calmly reaching down to his left hip and drawing his blaster pistol. He brought the weapon up as he came around the corner that lead to the admiral's quarters. There were a score of stormtroopers there, some regaining their feet, others laying dead. Calmly the Mandalorian began to fire, dropping any that were moving at all and putting shots into those who did not, just to be safe. Soon enough he was over to the pad to access the door and calmly hooked his datapad too it and started the hacking sequence. It took only moments for the program he had running to do it's job and the door slid open. He detached his datapad before he stepped into the admiral's personal quarters, pistol at the ready, the carnage behind him easily visible despite the slight amount of smoke that drifted in as well.
 
Valeria Braddock had had quite a life so far. She was one of the youngest Admirals ever to achieve that rank, and she'd worked hard for it. She'd been trained for greatness since an early age, but achieving it was all on her. She'd faced bias against her for being a woman, for being beautiful, for not being a pure blooded human, but it didn't matter, that only made victory taste all the sweeter when she reached her goal. Now she was an Imperial Warlord, having splintered off to take her fleet and claim a territory of her own as the Empire had crumbled and fallen apart. The Seswenna sector was certainly a worthy acquisition, and she had enough of a force to be formidable to anyone that wanted to challenge her for it. She wasn't one to just give up her claim on something though, and she honestly felt sorry for anyone who tried to take Saswenna from her. Because she would destroy them. There would be no surrender, no letting them go to lick their wounds and return to try again. Going up against Valeria ran the risk of being the last thing you ever did.

She commanded her fleet and the planets of the sector though with an even hand, not too hard, not too soft, firm and steady. After all, hold on too tightly and people would begin to chafe, start to become resentful, and though Valeria was perhaps guilty of a fair amount of arrogance, she wasn't stupid. She could not withstand a full revolt. Keeping her people happy was just as important as keeping them in line.

Currently she sat in her quarters, draped over a chaise lounge, a 'gift' from one of the Eriadu nobles that had dared to try and raise an attack against her. She'd killed him, stripped his family of their title, their money, their possessions, and taken anything of interest from his possessions. The chaise was luxurious and comfortable, and she'd positioned it next to her fireplace, making it her favorite place to curl up and read. Which was what she was doing now. Though she wasn't reading a novel, unfortunately, but reports. She was still wearing her uniform, having lacked the energy to change when she'd returned to her quarters, planning to do that though when she was done reading these.

The explosion outside her door made her look up, raising her brows and peering at her door over her glasses, which had slid down the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were a deep dark blue, a touch of purple to them, and her hair was long and black, currently pulled back in a severe pony tail. She had a blaster on her thigh still, but she didn't reach for it, not even when the door opened and a Mandalorian stepped into her quarters. Valeria barely acknowledged him except to hold up a long tapered finger, she had the hands of a musician, and continued to read until she finished the paragraph she had been on, finally setting the papers on the floor beside her chaise. Taking off her glasses and folding them to slip them into her pocket, Valeria pulled her legs around to put her bare feet on the thick rug that was laid out in front of her fire place.

Her room was elegant, but not extravagant or gaudy, instead managing to be tasteful. “Well,” she watched him with a piercing gaze, her mind working a mile a minute behind a calm exterior, “I have to say I'm impressed. How long did you lay in wait for this opportunity?”
 
When he strode through the door Adenn had half expected to see another security checkpoint or maybe find her waiting for him armed. Instead she was lounging on a couch or something of some kind. But that was not the most surprising thing. The most surprising thing was that she actually help up a finger to him as if she expected him to wait! The Mandalorian's pistol was fixed on her, but he found himself standing there a bit dumbfounded rather then firing. It was not that he was actually obeying her, it was just that he was more then a little dumbfounded by her audacity.

But his state of shock was broken when she spoke. The Mandalorian moved forward then, closing the door and then taking another item off his belt. He took the cylinder And placed it vertically against the seam of the door. Adenn moved further away and a moment later there was a slight pop and then suddenly a whitish goo could be seen oozing out of the door's seam slightly.

Having kept the gun on her the entire time thanks to his HUD displaying both her and the door for him when he needed it too, the Mandalorian faced her again. "That is irrelevant," he told her softly, the helmet filtering his voice so that it came out more gravely then it normally was. However he found himself adding, "But, if you must know, it has been several months since my mission began." Adenn was silent for another moment before he said, "If you would care to look away, you may."
 
Valeria glanced at the door as he secured it, preventing any of her men from getting through to interrupt him. She didn't seem worried or surprised, she'd expected him to do as much after all. Besides, she could handle this herself. She didn't doubt that in a straight fight, this Mandalorian could beat her and kill her, she was a skilled fighter, but combat was not her forte. No, she had other areas of expertise, and by the way he had handled her rather unconcerned reaction told her volumes. He was a fighter, but she had him beat with mental maneuvers. He should have killed her as soon as he saw her, but that wasn't the Mandalorian way. Maybe if she had pulled her gun on him, but she hadn't, for that very reason.

The Zeltron blood in her veins gave her a distinct advantage, and right now, with her life in danger, the abilities that that granted her as well as her force sensitivity were kicked into high gear. Even with his face concealed by his helmet, she could feel his mind, his emotions, and her own emotions pressed down upon him. She could not fully control her abilities, her force sensitivity was too weak to have warranted training, and the Zeltron blood in her was too thinned to allow her much control over her empathic abilities and the pheromones her body produced. They were weak as well, though still present, enough to give her an advantage in almost any situation she found herself in.

Her groomed, black brows rose a little when he told her that how long he'd been waiting was irrelevant, but he answered her anyway. She seemed to ignore his offer to let her look away, to find something more peaceful to take her mind away when he killed her. Instead she stood, reaching up to work her hair out of her pony tail, letting it fall about her face and shoulders and down her back instead, “Several months?” She repeated, “You are a very patient hunter aren't you?” Valeria mused aloud, walking over to her vanity, dropping the hair band into one of the small drawers and grabbed a brush, beginning to brush her hair out, her body starting to produce the weak pheromones that she hoped would work against him. They were only strong enough to enhance any sense of attraction, if some one was not attracted to her, they would do nothing more than perhaps make that person find her more likable. Thankfully, most men found her attractive. “It must have taken several nobles working together to offer you enough money to make this worth your while,” she told him, the mirror she was standing in front of angled so that she could see him, and he could see her in it.
 
The Mandalorian watched he woman closely as she rose, his finger still resting on the trigger of his blaster. If she made any motion to go for her weapon then he would gun her down without a moment's hesitation. The only reason he waited now was because he was confident that he had a little bit of time. He knew that there was an escape exit from her quarters (at least one), but he doubted that that could be used as a route for her to be rescued. So he could afford to let her talk for a little bit. Perhaps he would even learn something that he could use to make a further profit even?

Adenn noticed how her hair being let down seemed to make her seem more feminine then she had appeared before. With her hair up she had very much looked like the High Admiral that many spoke of in somewhat hushed tones. But as she moved over to sit before a mirror she looked much, much more like a woman, albeit a professional one. But those observances were more clinical in nature, for they had to be. After all, he was about to kill this woman in a few moment.

When she spoke once more, observing that he was patient, the Mandalorian showed no physical response, but replied, " 'One who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious'," he intoned quoting Mandalore the Destroyer. Adenn had been a diligent student of Mandalorian history in his youth and still read much about the history of his people. He did not expect her to know who he was quoting of course, after all there were few if any dar'manda who understood their ways, and none who adhered to them obviosuly, for if they did then they would be Mandalorian.

The warrior shook his head ever so slightly as she spoke about who likely had offered him his contract. "I will not say so that your loyal officers could avenge you, even if they cared too," he told her. however in his mind he could not help but remember how he had been contacted by one of the nobles of Eriadu, one who was particularly wealthy. The man had not told him his name, not that it mattered.

His mind changed gears quickly and a question came to his mind. "You certainly seem resigned to your fate. Why have you not tried to resist?" he asked her. He respected how she was acting of course, after all she was allowing her death to be dignified. But why was she doing it? Why was she not fighting? Adenn found it rather odd.
 
Valeria looked at the Mandalorian out of the corner of her eye as he quoted something to her, something that tickled the back of her mind. She knew who had said that, who was it? “A very wise way to hunt,” she commented before she continued to brush her hair, trying to think, then it clicked, “And who was ever a better hunter than Mandalore the Destroyer?” Valeria was no expert on Mandalorians, she knew enough about them, more than the average person, but she wasn't a scholar, she didn't have the time to sit and study such things these days. She finally set down her brush and turned on her little stool of a seat to look at him when he refused to speak of who had hired him. “You likely do not know anyway,” she murmured, her tone not critical or insulting, merely stating fact.

A small smile curved one corner of her mouth though at his question, and a small huff of breath escaped through her nose in the form of a soft laugh. She opened her mouth to answer, but there was the sound of boots in the hall and then some one tried to open the door, when they couldn't, they pounded on it, and a voice called out, “Admiral Braddock?”

“I'm alright,” Valeria called back quickly, not wanting to get the bounty hunter alarmed and tense, “I'm fine. Just give me a moment.” She looked back to the intruder, her features calm, “Now, you asked me why I'm not fighting back, but why should I? What good would that do me against a Mandalorian?” She asked him, pursing her lips for a moment she studied him. “Tell me, bounty hunter, what honor do you find in working for greedy nobles who are too cowardly to fight me themselves?” Valeria asked him, “'Strength is life, for the strong have the right to rule'.” Not it was her turn to quote at him. “By your own code, those men have no strength and no honor, how do you enhance your own honor by working for them?”

Valeria hoped this worked, otherwise, she was dead.
 
Adenn listened to her as she commented about how it was wise to be patient. He knew well that many of his own people did not adhere to that belief, but he did. What was the point in attacking if you could not maximize the efforts of success? Orf course being patient was not always the right course, sometimes you had to strike quickly and decisively. Really a balance between those options was the best approach to things, at least in his mind.

That mind was distracted from the thoughts that had been forming in it when she spoke once more. He tilted his head slightly to the left, surprised that she knew of Mandalore the Destroyer. "That is true. But she was not only a hunter," he said in reply, then, curious to see about her knowledge of his culture added, "After all, it was she who showed us that victory need not always be attained on the battlefield, yes?" He wanted to see if she knew of the event he was alluding too or not.

But before she could answer there was a sudden knocking on the door and someone calling for her. He tensed ever so slightly, ready to fire, but to her credit the admiral held off on calling for her help. The Mandalorian could not help but respect that. Here she was, dead to rights, and yet she was maintaining her composure. He had seen even Mandalorians break under such stress, though that had only happened a handful of times that he could remember. Regardless, the woman was showing that she possessed courage, even in the face of death. How could Adenn not respect that?

As she continued to speak, pointing out that she did not stand much of a chance against him, the Mandalorian shrugged slightly. "Mandalorians die often enough. I know well that you are a fighter of some skill Admiral. So I had to ask the question. It does not seem to be your way to simply lay down and die," he said to her. Of course Adenn was correct in that she was not the type to give up, but it was fairly obvious that he had not picked up on her strategy. Gifted in battle he undoubtedly was, but she was fighting the campaign in a field that he was wholly unsuited for.

Te woman's next words caught the Mandalorian completely off guard. He stiffened a bit when he heard her quoting the Canons of Honor. His mind exploded into frenzied thought. She did have a point to an extent, the one that hired him was weak and unable to face her. But was he not their tool? Was he not the sword that allowed him to stroke her down? Those questions and other whirled around in his mind as he stood there.

It was a minute of more before he finally spoke, "You have a point, at least to an extent. However I did give my word to fulfill a contract. That contract was to kill you...." Even though he seemed somewhat determined to carry out his mission, a chink had shown in his armor. She had opened up a gap i his defenses, now all she needed to do was exploit it.
 
Adenn had made a critical mistake in not knowing when to stop being patient and when to strike fast and sure. He should have killed her as soon as he got through the door. Fortunately for Valeria, he hadn't, and fortunately for her he was not trained to have a political mind. She was, her mind was sharp and formidable, a weapon honed to be just as dangerous as any blade or blaster she might wield, or even her own body. It would not break easily. She had been in more dangerous situations than she could count, had more near death experiences than she could remember. She'd nearly died a number of times. She didn't fear death, nor was she ready to embrace it though.

Valeria studied him for a moment after he finished speaking. Now it was time to employ some of that wisdom, that patience. She had him just where she wanted him, but she mustn't rush and ruin it. She had to be careful. The Admiral stood and walked over to him, her posture relaxed, bearing no aggression or a hint of a threat. She stopped a few feet from him and peered into the t-shape glass of his visor, where she knew his eyes would be. She could feel his hesitation, the frenzy of his thoughts, she just needed to prod him a little more.

“Yes, and a contract broken brings you no honor,” She admitted, “But I can.” Valeria paused for a moment, “Killing me and fulfilling your contract will no doubt bring you a lot of money, and increase your honor. You'll have completed your job and killed a High Admiral, an Imperial Warlord.” Her head tilted to the side slightly and she gave him a piercing gaze, not blinking, “But a contract completed for dishonorable men will do little for your own honor. I can pay you more gold than those cowards can even imagine, and I can provide you with work that will more than make up for the small tarnish of incomplete contract.” She let him absorb that, before continuing, “So what will it be? A little gold and a little honor? Or the security of my employment and a guarantee that by working for me, my own strength and honor will magnify yours?”
 
Adenn stood stock still as the admiral rose and moved over to him. He studied her body as she moved, noting how fit she kept herself, but also not seeing any signs of her being tense or possibly springing into action. He held off from shooting her as she moved closer, her eyes obviously fixed on where his would be. It was now that he noticed that she was almost of a height with him, the tip of her nose only two or three centimeters below where his would be. What was she doing?

Soon enough his curiosity was sated as she spoke. He listened to her as she lay things out as she saw them. The Mandalorian showed no reaction as she spoke, as she painted this as a matter in which his payment seemed to be the prime motivating factor. How wrong she was. Breaking his silence, he snorted, then spoke, "And why would I want to take your coin and become a lapdog?" he asked her. Adenn shook his head slightly, then said, "The man who hired me might not be the most honorable, but by breaking contract with him I would not gain honor... and I would not have the honor gained from killing you. Now you offer me more coin then the nobleman can. What good is that when weighed against the honor and repute I would gained by carrying out this mission?"

He fell silent for a moment, letting what he had said sink in, then went on. "You are a warrior of some repute. Surely you know that coin is what not motivates a true warrior," he said to her. There was another banging at the door, this one louder then before. He glanced at it, then back to her. "It appears that our time is growing short admiral..."
 
Valeria tried not to frown when the Mandalorian spoke, feeling her actions backfiring on her and her plan slipping through her fingers. She managed to keep her face calm and passive, peering at him and letting out a small sigh. “You misunderstand me, bounty hunter,” She told him, sounding almost a little disappointed in him, “it is not the money I offer that should appeal to you, it is the opportunity to do more for your honor than killing me could ever do.” Valeria tilted her head to the side slightly, studying his helmet. She needed to get that off of him, if she could just get him to breath the air around him, now full of her pheromones, she knew she could seal the deal.

“And you would not be my lap dog, you would be my sword. With you I would be able to cut down enemies even stronger than myself,” her tone grew slightly passionate, insistent, but then she calmed again, quirking a brow, and shrugged her shoulders a little. “But, if completing your contract is the only goal you care for, then so be it,” She took a step back from him, “The only thing I ask of you is to give me the honor of facing you before I die. Truly facing you, without the helmet.” There was noise outside the door, she knew they were trying to get through, to get it open, at this point even if she told them to stop they wouldn't listen, they would assume that either she was being forced to tell them that, or that it was a trick of some sort.
 
Adenn was slightly surprised when she said that he had misunderstood her. His head cocked ever so slightly to the side as she spoke about how she would bring him more honor, about how she would use him as a sword. The Mandalorian stood there, looking at the woman before him. It seemed that he had underestimated her yet again. The passion that had entered her voice had not simply been that of one pleading for their life. Rather it had been the passion of someone with a vision, a goal, of something that she wished to attain. She was a singular woman, especially considering she was dar'manda.

He did not reply verbally to her, not until she requested that she see him properly, to face him like a warrior. Aden considered for a moment, then nodded, speaking softly, "I can do that admiral." He reached up with a hand then and used his thumb to slide the lock that held his bodysuit to the helmet. There was a slight hiss as the suit depressurized and he removed the helmet. His short auburn hair glistened with a slight sheen of sweat as he tucked the helmet under his right arm and focused his blue eyes on her own.

The Mandalorian raised his pistol then, pointing it at her... but hesitated. He looked at her as she stood there, proud, unfaltering. She... had a point. Why should he fight for those that were to weak to oppose her? Here was a woman that was meant for greater things. There was something appealing about her, something more then her beauty, an air about her that made her passion and will all the more potent. He could not help but be drawn to it. She was offering him a chance to be part of something more, to aid her in conquest, in building something. He hesitated for a moment, then, slowly, he lowered his pistol. "I will not be a sword," he told her softly, then said, "I will be an ally."
 
Valeria had been groomed for ambition and greatness since childhood, and she new, without ego, that she should achieve any goal she set her mind to with enough time and work. That was the difference between her and so many that were raised within a privileged life like her, she knew the value of hard work, she knew that there was nothing that could replace it. It was how she had managed to climb the ranks as high as she had, as fast as she had. It didn't hurt that she had an advantage over most of her peers, considering they were mostly men, by being a beautiful and charismatic woman. Some might accuse her of sleeping her way to the top, but in all honestly, she had slept with very few of her superior officers, and it hadn't been to garner favor. She simply was not above using the advantages afforded to her, no matter what they were.

She stood patiently as Adden nodded and agreed to remove his helmet, a ripple of satisfaction at her victory shivering through her, but she showed no outward sign of it. Valeria was pleasantly surprised though when he did finally remove his helmet, he was very handsome, and she couldn't help the small curve of a smile that developed in the corner of her mouth. She watched him with her blue-violet eyes, waiting, her gaze steady even as he raised his pistol and pointed it at her. She could feel the hesitation in him, see it in his eyes, and she fought to keep a smile off her face, especially when he lowered his blaster and spoke. She merely inclined her head though, “Very well.” Inside, she felt that high of victory, that no high from a drug could even come close to touching.

Valeria looked at the door though as it jerked a little, trying break free of the hold of the foam, and then looked at the Mandalorian, motioning for him to step aside and moving between him and the door just in time for it to lurch open with a loud crack as he foam gave. Immediately six stormtroopers streamed in, rifles raised, though when the officer that followed them saw Valeria he barked at his men to lower their weapons. “Admiral Braddock, are you alright?” His filtered voice asked. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was staring at the Mandalorian behind her.

“I'm fine, commander,” Valeria assured him, “You and your men can go.” The surprise and hesitation in the posture of her men was obvious, they were suspicious of the intruder, and why the Admiral wasn't letting them kill him. Valeria narrowed her eyes, giving the commander a hard look, “I said you can leave,” She repeated, her tone cold and sharp.

The commander flinched a little, and stepped away, “Yes, Admiral.” He motioned to the door and his men filed out, the commander following them out.
 
Adenn nodded slightly as she agreed to his terms that he would be an ally and not just a mindless weapon. But his attention quickly turned to the door. The Mandalorian shifted, facing the entrance that he had sealed off, fingers flexing on his blaster. But before he could raise it the admiral moved between it and him. Adenn blinked a bit as she did that, then remained still.

The Mandalorian remained silent as she talked to her men, commanding them to depart. He had noticed that the commander of the Stormtropers had looked his way more then a few times, but for some reason it did not seem overly important at the moment. Adenn shook his head slightly as the soldiers left, furrowing his eyebrows. His head felt fuzzy for some reason, light. Had he know that she was part Zeltron, then of course he would know what was making him feel that way. But, as it was, his research on her had dug up nothing about that part of her heritage. Whoever she had hire to expunge it from public records had done an excellent job.

His eyes went to her, taking in how she looked from behind, studying her strong legs and round, tight bottom. She certainly kept herself in good shape. A small smile pulled up at the corners of Adenn's lips, a roguish grin starting to form. "Well, they certainly did not seem happy to see me," he said with a slightly amused tone. Of course if the tables were turned he would not have been happy to see them, for he had just slain a good number of their comrades. More then likely the floors of the halls outside were still coated with the blood.

He quickly holstered his blaster pistol, then asked her, "So. I think we have some things to discuss...?"
 
Valeria watched the stormtroopers leave before she looked at the Mandalorian, raising a brow a little as he seemed amused by the animosity from her men. “Well, you did just kill several of their friends,” she reminded him, her tone not displeased or reprimanding, almost more of an exasperated amusement. She was glad at least to see that he wasn't remaining stiff and impersonal with her, though she suspected the effects of her Zeltron blood probably had something to do with that. She had indeed been careful to wipe all traces of that part of her heritage from the records, it hadn't been hard considering her father had done the same. The Empire had been very humanocentric, not being one hundred percent human made things difficult for you.

She nodded though as he spoke of things needing to be discussed, “Of course, please, have a seat,” she had a comfortable armchair near the chaise lounge, waving her hands towards it. “First,” she walked in the other direction, starting to undo the front of her uniform, “What is your name?” She asked him as she stepped behind a screen, stripping out of the gray-green uniform, tossing the garment into her dirty clothes and pulling a robe from a rack on the wall behind the screen with her, pulling it up and securing it with a hook at the waist as well as a sash. The robe was long and hardly revealing, in fact it covered her completely, but hugged her body in a more complimentary fashion than her uniform had and the dark blue-green color giving her a decidedly more feminine appearance.

Valeria left the screen, walking back to her chaise, bare legs occasionally peeking out from behind the gap between the two sides of the robe. She sat down, legs tucked under her, looking at the bounty hunter curiously.
 
The Mandalorian shrugged slightly, then said softly, "I am fully aware of that. Were I in their position, I would be angered as well," he admitted. He had lost more then a few of his comrades before, but for some reason he found the image of the troopers acting like scolded dogs when she told them to go was funny to him. Perhaps it was because he was so used to being involved in many of the decisions. He had never seen action with a group larger then twenty or so with him and all of his commanders had been fairly open with their men. After all, if they knew the goals and objectives then it was far more likely that they could help the mission succeed. At least that was the thinking that he was used too.

When she motioned to the seat, he shook his head, then said softly, "I will remain standing for the moment. Thank you," he said to her. Besides, the chair looked... odd. Adenn was not used to plush and padded furniture. He was used to things being more spartan, more sensible. He watched her as she moved off an started to undo the top of her uniform. He arched an eyebrow and could not help a stray thought, wondering what it would look like to have her facing him and doing that.

But his mind was quickly rerouted as she asked him his name. "Adenn. Adenn Farr," he answered her promptly. As she slipped behind the screen he moved and sat his helmet down on the chair, then glanced over at the screen, watching as she removed a robe from a rack. But he was not prepare for how she looked when she came out from behind the screen. His eyes traced the lines of her form as he turned towards her, watching her sit.

Once she was seated he glanced at the chair, but then decided against it. The Mandalorian looked back to her then, his eyes focused on her as he said to her, "I am not going to apologize for what I did. I am sorry for the loss of your men, but because of the investment it takes to train soldiers." He did not call them good soldiers, for if they had been that then they would likely not be dead. He spoke up again a moment later, "Furthermore, know that if this arrangement between us is broken by your doing, I won't hesitate to default back to my previous contract."
 
Valeria came from a wealthy family, her mother was a politician, her father an admiral himself before he retired, but had passed away only two years ago. Her mother had died when she was young, leaving her to be raised by her father. He'd been a hard man, but she was grateful to all the things he had taught her, that he had ensured she would always be able to take care of herself. They had maybe never felt a deep love for one another, not like how most people experienced with their parents or children, it had been more of a sense of duty and responsibility. He had had a responsibility to her as a father, and she had had a duty to him as his daughter. She supposed she'd been fond of him, but their relationship had been very much professional.

But she had grown up in rather posh and luxurious surroundings, this was nothing compared to the home she had lived in for much of her youth, it was more than enough for her though. Her years in the military had taught her what was really worth bothering over and what wasn't. If acquiring comfortable surroundings proved too much of an inconvenience, then she wouldn't do it. As it were though, most of the items had come her way very much by chance.

Valeria knew though that Mandalorians lived a far more Spartan lifestyle, so she wasn't surprised when he declined to sit down and instead remained standing. She herself settling into the chaise, leaning against the raised back, propped slightly on one elbow, her legs curled under her. She looked very much at home, like a queen in her domain. She listened to him though as he spoke, inclining her head a little, “I understand,” She told him quietly. She shifted a little and pushed some of her black hair out of her face, studying him for a moment, her eyes running over him. She didn't bother to hide the trace of her gaze, but the intent of it was hard to read, it could be entirely clinical, or not. She'd always found Mandalorians rather dashing though, and Adden ws particularly so.

“Now,” She broke her gaze to look at his face, “I'll provide you with whatever it is you may need, lodgings, a ship, equipment. If you need anything in particular, you can either ask me directly or submit a request through our acquisitions office, whichever you prefer.” She pursed her lips, “Know though that of course any of the ships I give you do have tracers on them, standard procedure, and,” she tilted her head slightly, “know that just as if I break our agreement, you will not hesitate to default to your contact, if you break our agreement, I won't hesitate to kill you either. And do not mistake that I cannot. I do not take betrayal lightly.”
 
Adenn watched her as she relaxed, unable to help but notice how the position she was in highlighted her form. He might not have had a clue what the piece of furniture she was on was, but it certainly aided in making her appear far more feminine. His eyes moved to her face then and he could not help but notice how she was looking him over. He arched an eyebrow slightly, wondering what she was thinking. Was she looking at his weapons? His armor? He had to wonder a bit what had caught her notice.

But his eyes were brought back to hers when she spoke again, saying that he would have whatever he needed. Adenn nodded slightly, then said to her softly, "I already have my own ship. However I will need to go and retrieve it," he informed her. He was not about to take a ship from her that had a tracking device installed on it. He knew all to well that a skilled slicer could hijack a signal of a given craft and use it for their own purposes. However the idea of having access to other weapons and equipment was somewhat appealing. He might find at least one or two items he could use.

The conversation to a quick turn however as she brought up the contract issue. He listened to her, then nodded slightly at her promise to meet betrayal with the same violence that he had. He considered for a moment, then nodded again, "Then it seems to me like we understand each other admiral," he said to her. He considered for a moment, then asked her, "I suspect that you will not be trusting me implicitly right away. Not that I can blame you. But I must say that you really should not be living in such an obvious spot aboard the ship."
 
Valeria nodded when he said he already had a ship, he simply needed to retrieve it, “I will have a transport take you to do that by the end of the day then.” She would have to figure out some other way to keep tabs on him. She had an extensive network of spies, but that wouldn't do for keeping track of a bounty hunter on a mission. He was right in that she would not be trusting him right away, but then, she trusted no one really. Trust was one luxury she could no afford. She watched everyone, from her officers down to her maintenance workers. How he had managed to slip through her net she wasn't sure, but she would have to see to it that this didn't happen again.

She blinked slightly and arched a brow at him when he spoke and suggested she not be living in so obvious a sport, a small smile curving her lips. “Oh? And what would you suggest instead?” She asked him, brushing a bit of fuzz from her thigh absent mindedly, “And please, call me Valeria. If we are allies then you aren't required to call me 'Admiral'.”

Valeria considered the implications of having a Mandalorian at her disposal now, wondering how she should go about testing him, who she should send him after, and when. She would need to think on this. Did she give him a challenge or something she knew he could handle him, which would be a better test? She knew which would put his skills on better display, but which would be better to test his personality, the way his mind worked, and how he would handle taking direction from her.
 
Adenn chuckled a little bit when she said that she would have a transport take him to his ship. He shook his head a bit, then said to her, "First, it is more then a day away. Secondly, I will get it myself in my own good time." He did not want her to think that she controlled him. After all, they were supposed to be allies. He wanted it to be clear that he was not one of her soldiers, to be ordered about. The Mandalorian was his own man and, as such, he would do as he damn well pleased.

The Mandalorian could not help but smile a bit when she arched an eyebrow and smiled at him in response to his comment about where she lived. Soon she asked him where he would suggest. The Mandalorian shrugged, then said, "Anywhere but here. I mean with all the guards outside and the security you had around the room, it made it fairly obvious. Not only that but this is one of the rooms marked on the diagnostics for ships of this class for officer use. He somewhere unexpected, like tucked in by the engines. Or maybe you could even live in that assault cruiser you had built into the ship during that refit?" he suggested.

When she said that he should address her by her first name he inclined his head to her slightly out of respect. "Valeria... I can do that easily enough," he said, then chuckled a bit, "Though I might slip back to calling you admiral occasionally. Those months and months of training I underwent to join your forces made it something of a habit."

He considered her silently then, wondering how this had come about. Certainly his respect for her had grown over the time that he had served in her command. He had heard of how she punished officers who mistreated their men, how she expected the best of all her soldiers and gladly rewarded them for jobs well done. Adenn knew how many of her soldiers adored her, especially the fairly large contingent of female soldiers that she had under her command. Most Imperial forces were very male dominated, but that was not the case as much in her forces. The Mandalorian could not help but think how smart that was how... Mandalrian... it seemed to be.
 
Valeria shrugged a little and tilted her head when he refused her offer of transport to his ship, “Very well, I was merely trying to be helpful.” That was partially true at least, she was trying to be helpful, but she was also trying to keep an eye on him. She wouldn't push it though. She'd figure out some other way to ensure that he was not simply going to kill her the moment he changed his mind about this. She'd have him killed if she so much as suspected that he was going to betray her.

She sat and listened to him as he suggested other places that she might claim as hers besides the obvious officer's quarters. Her lips curled in a smile and she rose a brow though when he suggested the assault cruiser she had had installed on the ship for her own private use, primarily for escape should the ship ever be compromised. But no one was supposed to know about that. Valeria chuckled softly, “My, you have been busy haven't you?” she shook her head a little, “I will bring your suggestion into consideration then.”

She smiled a little when he forewarned her of possible slip ups involving using her title rather than her name, “I'll try not to be offended.” Valeria gave a small sigh though and sat up, “But if you'll excuse me, I've had a rather long day, if you have no other questions or requests I'd like to be left alone. I'll send an order to have you assigned your own quarters, I don't think you'll be very welcome in the barracks now.” She also wanted to send orders to her intelligence units to start hunting down who the nobles were that had hired Adden. They needed to be dealt with.

Valeria was a good leader. She could be cruel, she could be a cold-hearted bitch that struck fear and pain into those who drew her ire, but she was not unnecessarily so. She knew the value of morale and loyalty, and she managed to earn it easily. Her men were loyal to her, fond of her even, she never let them forget she was an Admiral and they were her soldiers, but she didn't treat them as if that made them less than human or undeserving of respect. And she treated them all fairly and equally. Perhaps she'd never really been the stuff the Empire wanted anyway, and this was what she was really meant to do.
 
"I appreciate the thought," Adenn said to her, though it only seemed half courteous, if that. They both knew that she had other reasons behind it, as did he. He was not yet sure if it was good that they distrusted each other or not. Only time would tell if he had made the correct decision or not. But one thing he knew for certain, he did not want her knowing the location of any of his safe havens if he could help it. More then likely he would have to go about finding some new ones now anyway, but the fewer of his old ones she knew about the better.

He appreciated how attentive she was when she listened to his suggestions about where she should relocate too. Adenn could not help the smirk that formed on his lips when she chuckled, seemingly in appreciation of what the details he knew about her "escape" craft. He shrugged a little bit and smiled, "Well when you are a technician you get to see the guts of a ship more then you would think. Also it affords you a bit of an excuse to explore places that most people never venture too," he told her.

But when she spoke next, explaining that she would like to be left alone he nodded a bit. However, when she said that she would order him to be assigned quarters he could not help but retort, "Actually I would rather find my on place on board the ship if you do not mind. I think it might be best if none of your men knew where I was sleeping." He knew well once something was entered into the database aboard ship that it would be accessible to anyone with the proper clearance, that undoubtedly included more then a few Stormtrooper officers.

Having said that he put his helmet back on, then said to her, "If that will be all, I will take my leave. I will contact you tomorrow."
 
Valeria pursed her lips a little, looking a little displeased for the first time when he refused to let her assign him a room. His reason was sound, but this was her ship, and she disliked at least not knowing where it was at night he would be sleeping on her ship. Perhaps she was a little territorial, but it had worked for her so far. She said nothing though, deciding it was an issue she could pursue later. So she merely inclined her head, “Very well.” She watched him grab his helmet and put it on, nodding slightly when he gave his farewell, “Tomorrow it is then.” And watched him leave.

The Admiral sagged slightly once the door had closed behind Adden and stayed closed for a couple seconds, letting out a tired sigh and running a hand over her face. What a day. It certainly hadn't ended anything like she had thought it would. She stood after a moment and went to the comm unit by her door, the first thing she did was request to have something very strong brought to her room, she needed a drink, the second thing was to send out an order to her intelligence unit to see her first thing in the morning. She had some very foolish nobles to flush out and shoot down.

The next morning she woke and went through her usual morning routine of stretching and a shower before she dressed in a fresh uniform and pulled her hair back into it's customary pony tail, giving her a far more severe and commanding look. Her day was busy, as usually, starting with her meeting with the head of her intelligence unit, telling him that she didn't care how much money it cost, how long it took, if he wanted to keep his job, if not his life as well, he would find the men who had hired Adden to kill her. Valeria wasn't going to put up with these sniveling little weasels trying to do her in. After that her day was rather run of the mill, her duel life as an Admiral and a Warlord kept her busy if nothing else. Sometimes she did miss her more simple days as a pilot, but she wouldn't really trade this to have that back.

Valeria hadn't see hide nor hair of the bounty hunter though, but she suspected he would turn up when he was ready. In the meantime, she decided he had had a point about her choice in location, and decided to look into the places he had suggested she take up instead. First was her private assault cruiser, leaving her guards behind, she boarded and was about to head to the cabin that was hers when she heard what sounded like voices coming from within the ship. Slipping her blaster out of it's holster, she crept down the hall stealthily, finding that the voices were coming from the mess hall, noticing that the lights were on inside as well. Reaching the doorway she peered around carefully, but blinked a bit at what she saw.

She could only shake her head and smirk as she walked into the mess hall, holstering her blaster. “Making yourself at home?”
 
Adenn scratched his cheek as he sat up and then stretched. He really was glad that he was done with the entire cover and could be himself now, especially since it meant that he did not have to shave everyday. Hell, he might even grow himself a beard now that he did not have to pretend that he was following all of the dumbass Imperial regulations. The Mandalorian glanced around the room that he had requisitioned for his own use. It was fairly sparse, evidently meant for two minor officers to share, since there were two separate lockers and two beds. His own things, which pretty much just consisted of his armor at this point, were laid out on the other bed.

He rose and moved over to the bed, considering for a moment what he should wear... his current state of undress was a bit chilly to go walking around in ship. He picked up his shorts and undershirt, slipping both on before he slipped his feet in his boots. That done he grabbed his gun belt, hanging it over his right shoulder and then snatched his datapad off of his right gauntlet. Adenn moved to the door then, opening it and making his way out into the hallway. He flipped open his datapad and looked over the ships schematics, which he had downloaded from it's database the previous night. After looking them over for a minute or so he decided where he should head to first, then moved off.

It did not take him long to make his way to the mess hall, considering the ship was only one hundred meters long and only had three decks. When Aden entered the mess hall, the lights flicking on, he glanced around. Things were pretty barren, but there were two holoscreens on the wall. He moved over and flicked one on, then said to it, "Galactic news." An instant later the screen flicked over to a news program. He then turned away from the screen and set the datapad and belt down on a table and moved off again.

The Mandalorian found the kitchen quickly enough and set about taking stock. He was rather surprised to find some of the ingredients that were stocked there. She certainly did not skimp on stocking good things. Adenn set about cooking, having an idea for a dish that he had been craving for quite some time. He enjoyed himself as he prepared the ingredients and cooked them, making the dish just like his mother had taught him years and years before. After about forty minutes of prep and cooking he soon had a pot boiling away with a rather pleasant sent coming from it. All of that done he moved back out to the mess hall and sat on one of the stools attached to a table near the holoscreen, leaning back against the table as he watched the news. That was how she found him.

Adenn heard the footsteps as she walked into the hall and glanced over at her. He smiled a bit as she approached, noting how she was holstering a blaster. Her comment made him chuckle a bit though and he shrugged, "Yes, more so then you know. Making some gi dumpling soup just like my mum used too," he told her. He glanced back at the screen for an instant, then back to her, "What about you Valeria? How has your day been?"
 
Valeria walked over to the table Adden was sitting at, sniffing a little as she went. She wasn't sure what he was cooking but it smelled good. She blinked a little when he told her though, “Never had gi dumpling soup...” she admitted, moving to sit on the stool next to him, glancing at the holoscreen. When he asked her about her day though she looked at him, quirking a brow. People rarely asked her how her day had been. That level of familiarity with superiors was highly discouraged within the Empire. And though they were no longer a part of the Empire, the training and mentality were still very much there.

“It was fine,” she shrugged, “Busy, as usual.” She looked back to the holoscreen, leaning back against the table a little, “Anything of interest going on?” Really, she knew just about anything worth knowing that was going on in the galaxy, especially if it was anywhere near her sector. It was her job to know, but she figured a little conversation couldn't hurt. She glanced at him again out of the corner of her eye, noting again that he was a rather handsome young man. How old he was she wasn't sure, but he seemed to be a few years younger than her.
 
Adenn nodded a bit when she told him that she had never had gi dumpling soup. "I am not surprised," he told her softly, "It is a Mandalorian food after all." When she moved over next to him and actually sat down beside him he could not help but arch an eyebrow slightly. She was certainly being more personable then he thought she would have been. He had half been expecting their meetings to be brief and very formalized. However she seemed to rather comfortable around him, despite the fact that he had been intending to kill her the day before.

When he asked about her day he noticed how surprised she was. Undoubtedly that was an uncommon occurrence for her. But when she answered him he could not help but smiled a little. "I imagine it would be. I can't even begin to think of how much you have to do to run a fleet and a sector both. But undoubtedly part of doing that is finding good subordinates that you can delegate too." The largest command he had ever held was over a squad and that had been hard enough. However Imperial soldiers were not like Mandalorians in his experience, at all, since most of the soldiers seemed to be cowed and used to commands. Mandalorians only accepted leadership from those they respected, which made them far harder to handle.

A few moments later an alarm went off. "Well, the soup is ready. Would you care to have some?" he asked her as he stood. When he did that it became a bit more obvious that the shorts and shirt he was wearing were both rather tight, for they did not leave all that much to the imagination. He was fairly tall and lean, but was obviously muscular. Adenn moved off to the kitchen then, finding a knife to slice up some flurr-cle onion and manak leaves for garnish.
 
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