"I have some business I need to attend to first."
Cipher Nine knew shutting down the Eagle was her top priority, but there was a pressing matter she wanted to pursue first. Keeper pursed his lips and frowned.
"Attend to it quickly – we still need you here."
Kieyla nodded. Looking closely at the holographics, she noticed the corners of her superior's lips twitch up.
"Good work once again, Cipher Nine," he said with amused sincerity. "Keeper out."
The holocom fizzed and went silent. A smile crossed her face - such simple words that held high praise, especially coming from Keeper himself. Kieyla erased the emotion as she turned towards Renald. He wore a clouded expression on his face.
"That man hides it well, but the strain's getting to him - probably worried the Dark Council will skin him alive" the station chief stated, his eyebrows furrowing with worry.
Kieyla wasn't one-hundred percent certain what the standings of Renald and Keeper's friendship were, as strange as it was, but she knew that the two men had known each other long enough for one to tell when something was bugging the other.
Why mention the Dark Council? What does it have to do with Keeper?
"I'm not sure what you're talking about" Kieyla said slowly.
"Make no mistake, I don't hold him responsible for what happened," Renald said, his hands held in front of his round belly in a rather defensive position. "But Darth Jadus was assassinated on his watch."
His voice trembled as he mentioned the event, which didn't surprise the Cipher. The tragedy was the entirety of her mission, but surely the Dark Council couldn't blame Keeper for what happened.
We didn't even know about the terrorists until the attack. If anything, they helped us by revealing another enemy of the Empire to be shut down.
Still, it was all too likely that reverberations within the hierarchy of the Sith and Imperial Intelligence would fall on Keeper's shoulders.
Renald took a few steps back towards his chair, suddenly looking very relaxed.
"Ah, but now's no time to discuss politics. You deserve a moment of celebration, and I have work to do" he said heartily, sitting down heavily.
"It's been a pleasure doing business," Kieyla responded warmly with a small wave of thanks.
It was almost unnerving how quickly the two of them changed moods.
Guess it just develops after being involved in this kind of work.
"Indeed, my friend, indeed," Renald agreed, reaching for the bottle atop his desk.
Cipher stole a glance towards her companion as she turned to leave, and stopped at the unusually satisfied expression.
"Not bad, agent. Not bad at all," Kaliyo purred slyly. "You and me – we're going places."
Kieyla rolled her eyes and started towards the door, but paused as she caught sight of a figure leaning against the wall by the doorway. Her heart rate increased by a fraction, sending a thrill of excitement through her veins. She had hoped to see Sanju again, especially after the incident at the toxic outpost.
Kaliyo hadn't been too keen about walking into a cave covered in poisonous slime, so Kieyla had gone alone and met Sanju atop the hill nearby afterwards. Unknown to anyone else, Kieyla had retracted some of the toxins into her system while inside and Sanju had been the only one there to help her. She had thought him cute from the start, but after he saved her life, their flirty relationship had evolved into more. It was dangerous, but they had agreed to take the risk and hide it from the rest of the galaxy.
Cipher approached the brunette man who was now taking over for Gray Star. She didn't know why, but something about the strand of hair that hung from the right side of his head was absolutely adorable.
Sanju grinned brilliantly as he caught her eye.
"Hey! Sounds like things went pretty well with the station chief," he said calmly.
Kieyla nodded, returning the smile. Sanju pushed off the wall with his shoulder and stood up straight. He was a good six inches taller than Kieyla, but that hardly mattered to her.
"I'm glad to hear it – you deserve a little praise."
He was being so sincere it hurt as Kieyla realized, right in the spur of the moment, she had limited time with him. Sanju stepped out of the shadows towards her, and the light momentarily glinted off his chocolate windswept hair.
"You kept the bloodshed to a minimum, and…I'm grateful, you know?" Sanju said quietly, breaking his gaze for a fleeting moment.
She was caught off-guard at first. It wasn't necessarily a question, but it was almost like he felt he owed her a debt when she had only done her job. There was also a subtle 'thank you' between the words. Looking at him, it was clear Sanju wanted a response.
"I felt it was the right thing to do," Kieyla responded quickly, making sure he caught the same sincerity in her voice that was in his.
"Yeah, well – it was something I could never pull off. So…nice work," Sanju said with a sheepish grin.
A tingle shot up the agent's spine. She thought it was impossible for someone to make her feel as giddy as a child; clearly that was no longer the case as she looked at the man standing a mere four feet away from her. The square jaw, the broad shoulders, the toned body underneath his shirt…
Whoa there Kieyla! Slow down!
Her face flushed red. Luckily Sanju didn't notice.
"I'm not sure what I'll be doing now that Chemish and Gray Star are out of the picture," he said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Or even what I want to be doing."
The shrug of his shoulders made Kieyla slightly nervous. Did Sanju even know that he was in charge of the entire terror cell? Renald told her he was replacing Gray Star, but right now it did not look like Sanju knew what he was going to be doing.
If you're going to be leading this terror cell, you had better figure out a plan and fast, or you won't survive. The terrorists don't keep weaklings alive – you know that.
She could've, and probably should've, told him those things, but now was not the time. A furrow in Sanju's brow caught her attention.
"And I guess you're leaving Balmorra?" he asked, clearly voicing his dismay. "It's too bad – would've been nice to spend some time together outside of work."
The Cipher's breath hitched in her throat. To anyone else, his appearance would've remained unchanged at the question. But to Kieyla, she noticed dozens of physical features shift: tightened jaw, slight squint in the eyes, corners of the lips turn down, flickering gaze. Nothing missed her sharp eye, especially not the silent message Sanju was screaming at her – stay here...with me.
Oh stars, if only I could. I would give up everything to spend the rest of my life here with him away from all the deception, and blackmail, and lies.
Kieyla stomach sank.
But that's not how things work. Once you're in, you don't get out. Ever.
As it was, she was the one who decided when to leave the planet. Unless Keeper himself wanted to come extract her, she could spend as much time here as she deemed necessary.
"If you want to celebrate, I don't have to leave the planet quite yet," Kieyla said coyly, flashing a devious grin across to him.
There were things she needed to discuss with Sanju in private – important things. With her playful voice and small hand gestures, it was clear she was putting on an act to fool the people around them.
"I'm up for it if you are," he replied with repressed excitement. "A few drinks, maybe?"
She shot him an amused look and took a step forward.
Well played, Sanju. You're learning the rules of the game.
"And if the station chief asks where we went, well – I'll just say you swore me to secrecy…" he said, lowering his voice to a husky whisper.
Reaching out, Sanju took her hand in his, and a spark went up Kieyla's arm at the touch. It immediately brought forth the memory of him half-dragging her back to Chemish after the toxin poisoning. For once in her life, she had been forced to rely on someone else for help. While such a scenario would've normally made her extremely uncomfortable, there was something about Sanju that made it a rather enjoyable experience.
It also made her nervous. Weren't they trying to hide things from everyone else? She mulled over their conversation, and realized he had set it up that way on purpose to allow himself a little more freedom.
"Cute, but a little dumb," were the words Kaliyo used to describe him.
In the elevator down to the second floor of the base, Kieyla stole a glance at Sanju. Cute – absolutely. Little dumb – perhaps, but he was learning quickly.
He'll probably stumble around with the terror cell leadership for a while, but he'll be fine.
It took all of Kieyla's self-control to keep her emotions repressed as they walked into Sobrik. They were not in private yet, and until that happened, she had to make it appear that the man she was with was nothing more than a one night stand. Intelligence had eyes everywhere. She was one of them, but as they were walking through the city still hand-in-hand, Kieyla was suddenly the one receiving intense Imperial gazes of instead of giving them.
Upon arriving at the only cantina in Sobrik, Kieyla allowed Sanju to lead her to a secluded table tucked away in the corner behind the stage. All the cameras near the ceiling were pointed towards the middle of the cantina, which meant there were no eyes on them. Just knowing that put the Cipher at ease.
A few Twi'lek dancers were swaying on a stage to the rhythmic music provided by the local band. Kieyla let herself relax and watched them for a while, becoming fascinated at how easily they accentuated their bodies. A twinge of jealousy nipped at her, but she knew she had other methods of attraction than her body.
Suddenly, the back of her neck prickled and a nagging feeling stirred in her gut – the one that told her she was being watched. Instinctively, Kieyla whirled around in her seat, a small dagger appearing in her hand. Her jaw dropped into her lap at the sight of Sanju's astonished expression.
"Easy! It's just me, there's no one else back here," he explained, putting his hands up in surrender.
Kieyla stared at him in confusion. How could that be true? The tingles in her neck…those only happened when she was being hunted. Her eyes scanned the room intently, but she saw no one that appeared to be an enemy.
"It's just me," Sanju repeated.
His voice was surprisingly steady and started to soothe her jumpy nerves. Sanju scooted closer to her and put a hand on top of hers. It felt rough compared to her smooth skin, but she liked the touch.
What in the stars just happened?
Kieyla pushed the confusion from her brain.
"Were you…staring at me?" she asked carefully.
An awkward question for an awkward situation.
"Yes," Sanju replied.
The bluntness in the statement caught her by surprise.
He didn't even flinch.
A quiet laugh escaped her throat.
"That's so strange," she murmured.
His head tilted to the side.
"What is?" he asked curiously, never taking his eyes off her.
"That you were able to do that," she replied, "The only time I've felt those prickles on the back of my neck when someone's watching me, and they're usually not an ally."
She chuckled as Sanju's eyes widened a fraction. He wasn't expecting such an honest answer from her. Why she felt the need to tell the truth to him was a mystery, but it felt good to get things off her chest, even if they were just little secrets about her.
It's not like he has anyone else to tell these things to.
Kieyla was surprised when the bartender approached their table with two drinks in his hand. They hadn't ordered anything yet. He placed them on the table and Sanju handed him a sizeable amount credits.
"What's going–?"
She was cut off by Sanju.
"I took a chance and gave him a heads up I might be coming in later," he said, flashing a knowing grin at her.
Impressive.
Kieyla certainly hadn't been expecting this from Sanju. He seemed less and less dumb as time went by. Taking a sip from the cup Sanju slid across the table to her, Cipher realized it wasn't just any normal drink.
"This is vintage Corellian ale!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice.
It was not cheap stuff. If anyone else in the bar knew Sanju had those kinds of credits on him, there would be a brawl.
"I was hoping you'd like it," he said cheerfully.
Kieyla leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms, leaving the drink idly on the table. Sanju glanced sideways at her.
"What?"
"For whatever reason, I just cannot seem to figure you out, Sanju Pyne."
That made him laugh, which Kieyla had hoped it would. The more relaxed he was, the easier it would be for her to keep her guard down – to a minimum level of course.
"Can I ask you to explain that?" Sanju asked.
He leaned back and draped an arm across the back of the booth, holding the drink in his other hand. Kieyla noticed how he kept at a distance, testing the waters to see how far she would go, and she immediately liked him better for it. Even without the alcohol in her system, she would be willing to run right upstairs with him. Most Imperial cantinas held rooms above the pub area for lone visitors to stay the night, but occasionally they were built for groups of two to three.
Kieyla scooted to the left and snuggled herself in the crook of his arm. Seconds later, Sanju's hand was on her shoulder. He had a strong, but gentle grip, and his fingers felt amazing as they massaged her tense muscles. Placing his drink down, Sanju handed Kieyla's to her before picking his up again.
Kieyla smiled up at him. As soon as their eyes met, her heart started to race. He had such beautiful brown eyes. She hadn't thought brown to be a very exciting color, but the little streaks of gold amidst his iris' were unique. She had never seen that before. It was almost like –
"Cipher."
Sanju's low voice snapped her out of her trance. Her cheeks flushed red as she realized she had been staring.
"Sorry," she muttered, turning her head away in embarrassment.
Smooth, Kieyla. It hasn't even been ten minutes and you're already messing up.
A low chuckle made her turn her head.
"You never answered my question," Sanju reminded.
Kieyla looked out across the cantina, sipping the ale as she pondered her answer. Explaining why she put herself in this position was not going to be easy – nor was it safe.
"You're not like most people I work with, Sanju," she admitted.
He stayed silent, respectfully waiting for her answer. Yet another reason she was drawn towards him.
"You care about people. Working with you proved that you're not out for just yourself, unlike many others I've met. I can see that you truly want to make this galaxy a better place and…"
The words she wanted to say next caught in her throat as Kieyla realized the truth about herself. A sick feeling began to coil in her stomach. She was treading on dangerous territory here.
This is a bad idea…I shouldn't say this.
Sanju waited patiently, and the emotional turmoil was erased as Kieyla glanced over at him. He knew what she was going to say; he just wanted to hear it.
"And because of that…I trust you," Kieyla whispered.
Sanju nodded knowingly. With those words out in the open, it was clear to both of them that the path they had chosen was not going to be a safe one.
"You said you wanted to celebrate, didn't you?" Kieyla remarked teasingly, raising a curious eyebrow at him.
Sanju tensed up.
"Well, um, yes – yes I did, and it's not that – well what I mean is –"
"Oh, come on Sanju!" the agent squealed as she grabbed his arm. "Let's just have some fun!"
The alcohol was definitely clouding her judgment, but she didn't really care. Sure, her mission was important, but so was enjoying herself for once.
"Alright. I'll let you get back to work. And who knows? Maybe we'll run into each other again, someday" Sanju
"I could use another partner. You could always tag along – learn to pilot a ship, use a blaster properly…" Kieyla
"Heh, I appreciate the offer but…Balmorra's my home. Besides, I don't think I could keep up. Watch yourself out there. I hear it's a nasty galaxy, and if the empire's going to run the place, well…we need folks like you" Sanju