Scarlet Shadows
© Kaz, 2003

Chapter Six – Interventus

"Well, it was actually a nickname given by my friend Eryl," Tahiri replied to her friends' question, lying down on the sofa and gazing up at the ceiling with her arms tucked under her head. "You see, there are species of butterflies that are poisonous, with spores hidden underneath their bright-colored wings. Some kinds, I just forgot what they were called, can cause blindness to humans. And eventually, everyone else adopted that name for me. 'Beautiful and deadly,' that was why they called me such. Very flattering, if you think about it --- but not when Xenakis uses it. Everything he says are insults."

"So… you were a top-notch thief in that gang of his?"

The grin on the fifteen-year-old's face disappeared, and she closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. "Yes --- and that's why there's really nothing for you to be insecure about; we all have our stories. So what if you're a courtesan, or a drug maker? I was a thief myself. We all worked on the underworld one way or another." She looked at the older women and smiled, softly this time. "In one of our schemes, I tried to escape, as I was no longer contented with my life. Xenakis captured me, but Aunt Arica, miraculously, was nearby and she came to my rescue. And you know everything else that happened from then."

A quizzical look appeared on Nadine's face at that. "I'm just wondering --- why us? I mean, there are many other women out there to train in this field, and yet Aunt Arica chose us. What's the one thing in common that might have been the reason why we were put together as Moirae? I don't think it's because we had jobs that weren't very… well… good, if I may say." She shifted her position to be able to look directly at her friends' faces, including Tahiri who was lying down in a very comfortable stance. "Maybe because we already had the required skills for the job we have now?"

"Maybe," Danni replied, leaning back against her chair. "And I believe that's the case too. I mean, think about it. You, Nadine, are very good with machinery, although you haven't spent a lot of your time tinkering with them, and that there aren't much in the market at present. How many establishments use those kind of things? Mostly those that belong to the Solo faction, which we have infiltrated effectively with your help. You're also very talented with weapons; you can handle almost anything. And you have the abilities of a diplomat. You can talk smooth when you want to, and if you want to manipulate someone then you can by simply talking to them."

"You give me too much credit, Danni," Nadine commented with a laugh.

The eldest of the three only smiled. "I just give credit where credit is due. No need to act so humble," she declared, then turned her head to the side slightly to glance at Tahiri with a grin. "On the other hand, you are simply a fighting machine. Hand-to-hand combat isn't a problem for you at all; you can do it with your eyes closed. Maybe you're not too versatile with weapons, but you can do the jumps, backflips, and somersaults we can only dream of. You're very graceful, very agile, very fast-paced. You're also not afraid to make the first move."

A cocky grin appeared on the fifteen-year-old's face, then she sat up and smirked. "Well, what's the use of being from a family of gymnasts and acrobats? Although I lost them when I was a little girl, but I still got the genes to carry on," she remarked, before she and Nadine turned to look at the third member of their team. "Let's not forget about you, Danni, the brain of Moirae, who's telling us that we're acting too humble when you are doing so yourself. Heck, you're a genius! So what if you're not the combat kind of girl? You've always been good on the defensive, with your keen senses and your invaluable ability to think fast. And we all know that offense doesn't work all the time."

"But I'm sickly," she protested, pushing back a few locks of her blond hair that edged towards her face. "And very sloppy. I'll never be good enough to get into the front line of the assault formation, with my ability in hand-to-hand combat. And I'll never be able to use anything else but projectiles, because I'm terrible at swords and daggers."

"How about me? I'm careless, easily angered, and a ditz. I may move fast, but I don't think fast. Sometimes I don't even think at all," Tahiri blurted out with a giggle, earning similar reactions from her comrades. "I suck at projectiles, and I definitely suck at watching other people's back. Defense isn't my forte either. And I can't stand waiting. I have to move, or else I'll go crazy."

"And I'm a cold-hearted slut, selfish and individualistic. All I used to think about was myself, all the suffering I had to go through, all the pain I felt… everything. That was until the mission to assassinate Aalto, of course," the eighteen-year-old member of the group explained, flashing a smile which the 'old' Nadine wouldn't have let out. "I realized how selfish I was, forgetting that I'm not the only one who suffered. Aside from that, well, I'm not very good in hand-to-hand combat. I always need something in my hand, whether that be a stone or a metal rod. And I'm not skilled at planning anything, most especially with team battle tactics, despite my talent with machinery. That's Danni's specialty: thinking."

At that, the three of them let out a hearty laugh, something that happened more frequently than ever before. From behind one side of the doorway, Arica allowed herself a smile. Someday, girls, she thought to herself, her happy disposition disappearing as her calm, nonchalant front took over, I'm going to tell you the real reason why I picked you three to be the members of Moirae. Someday.

The Solo villa was a luxurious-looking mansion that appeared very heavenly compared to the houses that were built a good distance away from its location. It had large windows with expensive drapes in eye-catching colors, white walls that shone with much radiance against the afternoon light, a magnificent garden with a tiny, bubbling fountain in its midst, red-plated rooftops, and a perimeter fence built with strong-looking metal bent and twisted in various designs. It was evident, by the exterior of their residence alone, that the Solos were the richest citizens in the country.

The interior of the chateau was even more extravagant than its exterior. It was spacious and very tidy, with walls and floors made of the most expensive kind of stone. The furniture were undeniably of the lavish kind. Despite the fact that Han Solo rarely let anyone else inside his home, especially those who weren't related to him by blood, the villa was second residence to Kyp Durron and Jagged Fel. The former was one of the members of the Corellian Senate and running Vice President in the upcoming elections, while the latter was his apprentice in the political industry, the second son of Senator Soontir Fel.

That lazy afternoon, the two visitors and the Solo brothers were gathered in the balcony, playing a game of chess to set their minds. Kyp had taken the white pieces, his disciple Jag observing his every move and throwing questions whenever something significant would cross his mind, while Jacen chose the black pieces, enlisting the help of his brother Anakin to defeat the other team. The thirty-two-year-old Senator was an aggressive man who wanted to make the first move at everything, even at a simple chess game, while the eighteen-year-old politician-in-training preferred to take up the defensive side, as he was a pacifist.

"Jace, let your big shots out already," Anakin bugged after doing a few mental calculations regarding the moves he predicted would take place, squirming towards the edge of his seat to whisper the suggestion. His restlessness was shining through like a piercing light once again. "If you won't, he'll sweep through all of your guard posts and take down all your defenses."

At that, Kyp averted his eyes from the chessboard towards the youngest member of their gathering, then leaned back against his chair with a knowing smile. "That's what's happening, isn't it?" he asked, putting his hands together, intertwining his fingers. "Bel Iblis has unleashed his assassin group to sweep through all our guard posts and take down our defenses. Unless we go out there and stop them, damage will be done, and our faction will be vulnerable to attacks of a larger scale."

Anakin nodded. "I agree with you, but shouldn't we know more about them first before we strike? Who they are, who's behind their actions, who their next target is?" he inquired, his concentration not on the game anymore. Even his older brother's gaze moved from the game board to the other two members of their strike team. "I did make a list of their victims, but they make no sense. There's no such thing as a pattern. It's like they kill at random."

The older of the two Solos gripped his brother's shoulder. "No, they don't kill at random," Jacen declared, his brown eyes narrowing significantly. "To begin with, their victims are all men. Most of them had businesses that were connected to women. Verflux had a collection of women slaves, and he sold them in auctions. Stockher was developing a sleeping serum when he was killed. He tested it on women. Aalto was a drug dealer, and it's rumored that the person he forced to make drugs for him was a woman. And there were more. In short, they are an all-women team, killing in the name of revenge. At least, that's what I believe them to be."

"Jag? What do you think?"

"I agree with Jacen," he replied with a nod. "They must be female vigilantes out for vengeance. I mean, ever since Leia Organa Solo's death --- sorry to remind you two --- the women have completely lost their place in society. Even if we don't think of them as lowly underworld folk, most other men do. They think of them as slaves, experiment components, puppets, pleasure-givers, and many others. If these assassins knock down the big boys, the others will be inspired to lead a revolution. And remember, Viqi is running for Senator. She will definitely be a major key player if ever the women will revolt. They could drive her to the position of President at that."

"If ever they'll get as far as that revolution," Kyp stated firmly, a sly smile playing on his features. He then stood up and walked towards the far end of the balcony, looking out at the small huts that stood nearby. "And we must not let them achieve that. We must destroy the assassins before they destroy us. For that, we have to investigate. We have to know who these females are. We have to force them to show themselves." He whirled around to look at his comrades, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Let's say… a rumor about one of us engaging in a woman-affecting business, perhaps?"

A fit of giggles erupted from the dressing room of the Feu de Joie as a small container full of face powder slipped from Nadine's hand and landed on the floor, sending its debris towards Tahiri's new red shoes. The younger woman then let out a cry of victory at that, for she had a reason to take off her footwear to dust off the specks of white that accumulated on it. "You know, I was beginning to doubt that life would go back to normal for us, even for a night," she muttered as she took out a washcloth and wiped off the powder. "But I was wrong. We're going to be on stage again, isn't that going to be fun?"

"Just like the first time. See the men drool at your feet and be glad!" Nadine replied with a lopsided grin, pushing her face closer to the large mirror and putting on a considerable amount of make-up. She was wearing a sleeveless velvet dress with a plunging neckline and a long slit at the right side, and her long brown hair was allowed to cascade down her back like a waterfall, providing the customers the impression of a huntress who had looks that could kill.

Tahiri, on the other hand, was wearing a crimson dress that wrapped itself around her pleasant form, then dropped not very low that her legs were still exposed. Thus, she had to wear shoes, as it was the only way for her to complete her seductress look. She groaned as she put her footwear back on, not at all delighted by the fact, then added, "I shouldn't have gone with this. A longer dress would've saved my problem. Argh."

They heard footsteps, and upon whirling around they saw Arica standing by the doorway, one hand resting on the wall rather comfortably. "I'm afraid I have to agree with you, Tahiri, that you shouldn't have gone with that," she began, "yet I disagree that you wear a longer dress." She then walked towards the two, then handed the girls dresses that were perhaps the most beautiful ones they had seen so far, as they were glittering against the faint light of the dressing room in a dazzling, mesmerizing manner. "Put those on. Tonight, you have to look your best."

"Why so?"

A smirk appeared on the redhead's features, her green eyes gleaming with an emotion that the younger women could not make out. "The Solos are in the house," she answered casually, sitting down on the table that was not very far from where the teenagers were standing. Her statement caused Tahiri's eyes to widen slightly, but she paid her no mind. "The brothers Jacen and Anakin. And I want you to go out there and get as much information about their family as possible. Also, I want you to hurry. Danni's keeping a close eye on them, but there's nothing she could do if they lose their interest and decide to leave."

Arica's information, however, was not very accurate. True, the twenty-three-year-old waitress was keeping watch over the Solos, who sat at one corner of the nightclub in silence, but it was the older of the brothers, Jacen, who was keeping a close eye --- a close eye on her. She did not notice that, however, because the young man would look away everytime she would spare a glance at their direction, and because she was busy attending to the needs of the other customers. She hoped that her comrades would get into the picture soon, for she was tired of splitting her vision just so the Solos would not escape her line of sight.

Filing the glasses of liquor on top of the tray she was carrying, she then started to make her way towards a table just in front of where the Solo brothers sat, where five gruff-looking men crowded around and admired the girls who danced on the stage. She went through a small passageway just between two chairs, careful to keep the tray and the goblets balanced, when a short, bald man at her right side suddenly stood up. Luckily, she was able to swerve to the other side just in time to avoid being hit and spilling the contents of the glassware.

However, one of the customers in the Feu de Joie had a very bad idea for a joke, and because Danni had her eyes fixed on the bald man, apologizing for their near collision, she did not notice that one of the customers at her left side --- a long-haired street thug whose age was impossible to tell --- had stuck his foot out, right in her path. And just as the prankster expected, she tripped, although she was lucky enough not to crash on the floor facedown and the drinks on top of her. Despite the fact that she managed to regain her balance, however, one of the goblets on the tray tipped over, and its contents drenched the upper half of one of the five men at the table she was headed for.

Immediately, the man stood up and drew himself to his full height, which wasn't very much. His dark eyes were flashing dangerously, and left without a choice --- she was strictly warned by her Aunt Arica that she was not allowed to display her talents in the fighting arts inside the premises --- she settled for an apology, bowing off afterwards and turning to leave. However, the man grabbed her arm before she could leave, and caught by surprise, the tray completely fell off from her other hand, the glasses breaking and the contents spilling. "And where do you think you're going, little miss?"

"I-I'm really sorry, it was an a-accident," Danni apologized. "I'll g-go get a new set of the drinks you o-ordered."

"Oh no, that won't be necessary, Mademoiselle. Drinks are actually of no matter to us now, for we've had more than enough already," the man with a mustache who sat across the young waitress muttered with a knowing smile, gesturing to his soaked companion to sit down and let him do the talking. He fidgeted with his facial hair for a little while, his eyes gazing at the woman from head to feet, then he motioned to the empty chair at his right. "Please be so kind to join us. We could use a pleasure-giver at times like these, and you seem like a very good one. You look very energetic."

She said nothing as she forced her anger away. Don't blow up, Danni. Not here, not now.

"I said join us!"

Danni backed off slightly in reflex, surprised and alarmed at the same time by the commanding tone in his thundering voice. She had seen and encountered a lot of men of his caliber, but she didn't know what caused her to be so frightened. The man, on the other hand, rose from his seat and decided to take advantage of her startled reaction. Women were made to obey men, and he was going to prove her point. He reached out to grab her, his aim to pull her down towards the table where they could help themselves, when something with much force hit his face, sending him back down on his seat. In fact, the impact was too much for the chair to take that one of its legs gave way and made the man crash on the ground, flat on his bottom.

"Leave her alone. She doesn't deserve your atrocity," her savior told the remaining four men in a calm yet lethal tone, a dangerous gleam leaking through his chocolate-colored eyes. He did not move from his place, in front of the young waitress with one arm held out protectively, his eyes darting around to see who would dare challenge him next. He had the feeling that they would soon pounce on him for interfering, but that he did not mind. He just couldn't stand the sight of a woman being maltreated just because she was not one of their kind.

A few heartbeats, then two of the men at the table, the one closest to where he was standing, rose and cracked their knuckles to show how capable they were of fighting back. "Isn't this a lovely sight?" the taller of them sneered, his yellow teeth exposed to the observing crowd as he let out a huge smile. He then extended his hand and ruffled the eighteen-year-old's somewhat unruly brown hair. "Jacen Solo, the eldest son of running President Han Solo, diplomat extraordinaire, is sticking his neck out for a skimpy waitress? You certainly don't see this everyday!"

The young man held out one finger. "One chance for you to back off and leave us in peace," Jacen warned sternly, taking a step forward to emphasize his point. That he was stronger than they were, smarter than they were, and that he wasn't afraid of them. Anakin, on the other hand, had taken Danni by the hand and pulled her over, out of harm's way. "If you won't take this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I'm offering you, I'm certain you're going to be very sorry for what you did, and for what you tried to do." He let out a lopsided grin, then held out five fingers. "Five seconds. Five. Four. Three. Two. One…"

---

Author's Notes:

Vocabulary time! This chapter's title, interventus, is Latin for intervention. Anyway, I'd like to apologize for the delay of this chapter; college has been such a drag. True, I get off earlier than when I was in high school, but I'm unfortunately stuck in the university until my parents pick me up hours later. And I've got lots of things to study for. The pressure's primarily what's driving me into that insanity, which isn't of the good kind. So…

Vorquellyn – Yes, Viqi is going to be evil, don't worry. Because I hate her. Oh, and thanks about clearing the suggestion about Mirax up. I haven't read all of the NJO books so I don't really know much about her involvement with Mara. But I'll do my best to fit her in.

Fire Princess – *blushes* Thanks, sis. But I'm sure you write them good as well!

Kaeldra – Don't worry, I have that habit too! *points to self* I'm a hardcore anime fan, and I obsess on different characters every time. Non-carbon-based life forms are very interesting, you see. Anyway, thanks for the compliments. I personally like how Tahiri turned out after I played around with the words.

Gwendolyn Rogan – I wasn't planning on putting that visiting scene, but I wanted to drop hints every now and then. So there. Thanks for reading this far, and I hope that I will be able to get around to writing a multi-chaptered fic that'll be in the SW universe… someday.

Thanks again, everyone!