Disclaimer:

The following is a work of fanfiction. All characters and situations belonging to the Star Wars saga are copyrighted to Lucasfilm Ltd. and the Walt Disney Company. Everything else, including original characters, are of my own creation.

Author's Notes:

It's been a while since my last update, but that's been because of a multitude of real life issues. Recently, I've had more time to write and I was able to complete this new section. Hopefully I will be able to complete another section or two in the near future.
I would like to remind everyone that this story is inspired by the Lifetime Channel original movies and incorporates many of their common plot elements. Like those movies there is sexual content and violence.
There are references in this section to the Jyn backstory novel "Rebel Rising" by Beth Revis.
Although this story is a follow-up to my "Rogue One" AU "Chances," all other canon events follow the movies. The timeframe for the story is a year and a half after "Return of the Jedi."
Here is the "cast" for the original characters in this part of the story:

Character Actor

Mirella Reedl Lindsay Hartley
Barbeen Cintras Vivica A. Fox
Kathmea Proan Anna Marie Dobbins
Jeek Warler Marcus Rosner
Firit (mentioned only) Rib Hillis
Ziad Dlirk (mentioned only) Erik Roberts
Piter Yyse (mentioned only) Corin Nemic

All questions and comments may be sent to me at my e-mail address. Please see my author profile for details.
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy the story.

As she stood with Cassian and Ashlyra at the back of one of the Senate complex's many reception chambers, Jyn felt the same nervousness she had experienced when she was going to meet Leia for the first time.

Unfortunately, she knew that the outcome of this impending meeting would be very, very different.

Mirella Reedl was not going to offer her a surprise friendship.

The uncertainty of what Mirella was going to do was the very reason Jyn was so distressed.

The things Cassian had told her about the woman...

As if he sensed what was going through her mind, he took her hand and squeezed it.

"It's going to be all right," he soothed her. "She's not going to try anything here, not if she's serious about the negotiations. She's too smart to show her true colors in public if she wants them to succeed, and since members of the Tyratian High Council are here, I'm confident she is. She wouldn't have brought them if she wasn't being truthful about wanting to join the New Republic. When she's ready to make her move against me, she'll attempt to get me alone. Mirella's image was always very important to her and she won't risk tarnishing it by going after me in the open. You have nothing to worry about right now."

"I wish I could be as confident as you are," she disagreed. Mirella was pure evil. It was difficult to believe that she would restrain herself from lashing out when she had a perfect opportunity for her revenge. (This was a woman who had attempted to murder a man simply because he had broken up with her.) "I just... I wish Ashlyra didn't have to be with us."

She was more terrified of Ashlyra being hurt than anything else and she knew Cassian felt the same way. (She was also worried that Ashlyra would recognize Mirella as "the bad lady" from her nightmare, but Cassian had assured her that it was very unlikely. Not only had the vision taken place nearly a month ago, which was an eternity as far as a four-year-old was concerned, but her mind was preoccupied with other things, such as her obsession with Tookie.) The only reason that Ashlyra was with them instead of safely back at the apartment was that Leia had insisted they bring her with them. Leia believed that appearing as a family unit would serve as a deterrent to Mirella. All of her colleagues from Tyrat and the New Republic representatives would witness any interactions she had with the entire Andor family. Leia had agreed with Cassian's assessment of the importance Mirella placed on her public image and pointed out that the negotiations would immediately fail if she showed any aggression or malice in front of a child. No one would want to work with someone like that. Mirella, for her own self-preservation, would have to be on her best behavior.

Jyn, however, wasn't so sure that Mirella would care about any of that when the object of her revenge was right in front of her.

"Believe me, I feel the same way," he assured her. "I don't like the idea of exposing her to Mirella any more than you do. Which is why we're going to make sure it's for as short of a time as possible. As soon as the first opportunity presents itself, you're going to take Ashlyra and leave."

"All right."

Normally, Jyn would have protested leaving his side, but for Ashlyra's sake, she would do exactly what he said.

She glanced down at Ashlyra, who was currently trying to break out of her mother's tight grip so she could explore her new surroundings. She had gone from not wanting to leave Tookie's side (they owed Bodhi big time-he had promised Ashlyra he would stay with the kitten while she was out, which had been the only way to get her to leave her bedroom) to wanting to run around and discover everything she could about the Senate complex. (She had been talking about Tookie non-stop until the huge building came into her view.) She was completely unaware of her parents' worries and fears. If anything, she was annoyed that she wasn't being allowed to wander away and kept pulling against Jyn's hold on her hand. (Jyn wished she could be holding her in her arms to ensure that she didn't break away, but Leia had advised her against it, telling her that she needed to keep her right hand available for shaking the hands of everyone to whom she would be introduced.)

Cassian brought Jyn's attention back to him by giving her hand another squeeze.

"Thank you."

She could hear the relief in his voice.

"How long will it be before you can join us?" she questioned, wondering how long the meet and greet could possibly last.

"That unfortunately depends on Mirella and the Tyratians," he told her. "As guests of the New Republic, they get to dictate how long each meeting lasts. Knowing Mirella, she's going to use this informal setting to get a feel for who she's directly dealing with. From what I remember from the few social events she brought me to, she's very good at getting people to reveal important information to her."

"And by 'people,' you mean 'men," Jyn stated, seeing where Cassian was going with this.

"Exactly," he confirmed. "She's going to find Leia a bit more challenging."

"Which means this thing could go on for hours," she realized, her nervousness starting to slightly fade. (If Mirella was completely distracted by her attempts to win Leia over...)

She had only known Leia less than a day and already knew that she would give Mirella a run for her credits. Mirella, who was probably used to using her feminine wiles to get her way, would not be prepared for a seasoned female politician like Leia Organa. Leia would see right through any attempt to charm her. This first meeting was most likely going to set the tone for the entire negotiations.

In a way, Jyn was slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to see it, but Ashlyra's safety came first.

"Hey, look at the bright side," Cassian said with a slight smile, "the more time Leia spends here, the less time she has to take you dress shopping."

"Ugh! Don't remind me!" she groaned. "I don't even know where to begin finding a dress for something this formal! I've never been invited to something like this before!"

While she hadn't been "invited," she had attended only one other formal event in her life-the sakoola blossom festival on Inusagi. (Enough time had passed that it didn't hurt to think about it as much anymore, but it was still something she tried to avoid remembering if she could. She doubted the pain and revulsion from the experience would ever fully fade. Like the pain of losing Akshaya and Hadder would never fully fade...) The outfit she had been given had been the fanciest clothing she had ever worn in her life before or since. And like every other high quality piece of clothing she'd worn, it had been chosen for her. She had never picked out a dressy outfit herself.

"You're going to be fine," Cassian assured her. "You're just buying a dress, not a starship. Leia will be bringing you to a store that carries nothing but the type of dress you need and all you have to do is find something you like. It's that simple. I promise."

"I wish you were going with us," she told him. "You're so good at picking things out for me."

And it was true. Every beautiful piece of clothing she currently owned had been chosen for her by Cassian. She'd attempted to pick things out on her own, but she'd always ultimately given him final say and he'd always found something better. He had an uncanny knack for knowing what would look the best on her.

"The only thing I've ever done is choose things that I thought would look good on you," he waved her off. "And you can do the same. The dress doesn't have to be elaborate. Just find something that you like and see how it looks when you try it on. If you like what you see in the mirror, then that's the dress you buy. I know you can do it!"

She knew he was trying to make her smile by teasing her, but she was genuinely worried about the whole thing. This gala was a very important part of the negotiations. It was the New Republic's formal welcome to the Tyratian delegation, and more so than this initial meet and greet, would set the tone for everything that followed. The last thing Jyn wanted or needed was to embarrass Cassian by not wearing something appropriate. (He'd already declared the dresses she'd brought from home too casual.) She refused to stand out by having the wrong kind of dress. She had to look perfect for his sake.

"What if you don't like what I pick out?" she wanted to know.

She knew how ridiculous such a question sounded, but she was being completely serious. It wouldn't matter what she thought about a dress if he didn't like it himself.

"Jyn," he sighed. "Why wouldn't I..." He released his hold on her hand in order to gently caress her face. "If you love it, then I'll love it. You need to stop stressing out over this, my Stardust. It's just a dress. You might surprise yourself and have fun trying on one after other until you find the one you like." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Believe it or not, I once actually heard that that's something you women like to do."

She opened her mouth to respond to the teasing insult, but closed it when a chime sounded at the front of the room.

"They're here," Cassian told her and she tightened her grip on Ashlyra's hand ever so slightly as her nervousness returned full-force.

"Ow, Mama!" Ashlyra complained.

"I'm sorry, baby," she apologized as the doors to the chamber slid open.

Mon Mothma, Leia, and three other senators that Jyn had not yet been properly introduced to positioned themselves before the doors. General Draven and several security officers and droids flanked them on both sides. Other officers, including Yyse and the team assigned to their family, lined the outskirts of the chamber.

First to enter were four more security officers. They split and two stood on each side of the doorway. Next came a slightly older dark skinned woman who was elegantly dressed and had hair that was clearly artificial.

"Welcome to Chandrila, Councilor Cintras," Mon Mothma greeted her and it only took Jyn a moment to recognize her from their debriefing.

Barbreen Cintras was the head of the Tyratian High Council and the second in power only to the planetary leader. (Interestingly enough, the High Council had final say on all decisions that affected the people of Tyrat. They could override any of the leader's decisions that they felt would have a negative impact on the planet. The leader, in this instance Mirella, could contest their decision, but what they had decided would stand. In a twist that had surprised Cassian, given his experience with her, intelligence had revealed that Mirella was the first leader in planetary history to barely participate in the day-to-day running of the government. She left almost everything to the High Council. Her request that they approach the New Republic was one of the few motions she had made since taking over for her late father.) Councilor Cintras had a friendly demeanor and wore a huge smile as she went over to Mon Mothma.

"Thank you, Chancellor," she replied as she accepted the extended hand. "It is an honor to be here. I look forward to the bright future that awaits Tyrat as a member of the New Republic. And, please, it's Barbreen. There's no need to be so formal."

"Barbreen," Mon Mothma repeated, as they shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I agree that Tyrat's induction into the New Republic will have a positive outcome for all involved."

"I can't wait to get things rolling tomorrow," Barbreen said and then she moved off to greet Leia, who stood beside the Chancellor.

After Barbreen came four other members of the High Council, three men and one woman. It was after the last one had finished greeting Mon Mothma that Jyn finally got her first in-person sight of Mirella Reedl.

And she was so shocked by what she saw that she mindlessly released Ashlyra's hand as she let a gasp slip from her lips and didn't even notice as her daughter skipped off deeper into the room. (The holoimages she'd seen paled in comparison to what was now before her eyes...)

Mirella was gorgeous. She was tall and shapely, with long wavy hair and incredibly striking features. The dress she wore clung to her every curve and accentuated her perfect form. Jyn could understand why she had such an easy time getting male companionship. She looked like she had just stepped out of a holodrama.

Jyn, who'd never considered herself to be pretty despite her husband's constant protests to the contrary, never felt more plain and unattractive than she did in that moment.

She felt Cassian take her hand again and give it an incredibly tight squeeze.

"It's okay," he soothed her. "She won't try anything. I promise."

"Ashlyra!" she gasped as she belatedly realized what she'd allowed to happen. "I-"

"She can't get out of the room," he assured her. "She'll be fine."

"Should I-" she began to ask.

"Force, she's coming this way," he cut her off as Mirella looked directly at them and began walking towards their position, ignoring everyone else who she was supposed to be interacting with.

Jyn felt herself enveloped in a fear she hadn't experience in many years.

All she wanted to do was run, find Ashlyra, and get out of that room.

But she remained where she was.

For Cassian.

He needed her to stay by his side as he was confronted by this figure from his past.

So she forced down her fear and waited for Mirella to reach them.

((()))

Mirella allowed herself a wide smile as she saw the fear radiating off of Cassian's wife Jyn. She'd known she was afraid of her from the little of the conversations between them that she'd listened to (Cassian obviously had told her all about the punishments he'd received), but to actually see it...

Having her eliminated would be easier than she'd assumed. She would barely pose any challenge to whomever Jeek ultimately sent to do the job. (Jeek, who was accompanying her in his role of head of security, was trailing just far enough behind her to be unobtrusive yet overhear every conversation. She knew he'd be able to do an assessment of Jyn so he could make his final decision on who to assign the task of taking care of her.)

Cassian on the other hand... His face was blank and she could not detect any tension in the way he held his body. (The body she couldn't wait to see and touch again after all this time...) He truly was a masterful covert agent. (He'd certainly fooled her...) She could not get any sort of read on his emotions at all.

She'd be sure to change that by the end of this encounter.

She's also noticed their child slip away a moment ago, but she didn't really care about her one way or the other. Either she'd die with her mother or, if she survived, she supposed she'd have to let Cassian keep her. As long as he provided her with a child of her own, it didn't really matter. The girl was of no consequence to her.

As she reached where they stood, hand in hand no less, she said, "Dominik! Oh, sorry, I mean Cassian! It's been such a long time! You have no idea how wonderful it is to see you again!"

She knew Jyn was completely convinced that she'd perform some sort of violent act towards Cassian as soon as she saw him again, which was why she was so terrified. (It was a ridiculous notion. If her goal had been to simply kill him, she wouldn't have objected to the late detective Dlirk's idea of giving Cassian's name to his enemies and letting them do all of the work. Why would she have wasted all of this time luring him into the open? No, what she had planned was so much better...) Cassian, on the other hand, wisely knew she would never make such a public spectacle of herself. She was the planetary leader, after all. She represented all Tyratians and had to show the New Republic how fortunate they were to gain their membership. As Cassian kept telling his fearful little wife, she would make any move against them in private.

Well, she wouldn't be making any moves herself anyway.

That's what she had servants for.

"Leader Reedl," he greeted her with a formal bow, not even flinching at her mention of his alias. "It has been many years."

"What's with this formality?" she questioned, putting a hint of surprise into her voice. (Since both Jyn and Cassian were expecting her to be antagonistic, what would throw them more than friendliness? She looked forward to their confused reactions.) "Considering how...close we were, there's no need to use titles. I'm just Mirella." She gave him another smile. "By the way, I love your natural accent. It suits you." She then purposely turned her gaze to Jyn, who was such a tiny thing in person. (She doubted she'd ever understand what Cassian found so attractive about her.) "And who do we have here?"

"Mirella, this is my wife Jyn," Cassian introduced her.

"Jyn!" Mirella repeated with exaggerated excitement. "So you're the woman who ultimately won Cassian's heart! I hope you know how extremely lucky you are to have found yourself such a...talented husband."

The expression on Jyn's face was priceless. The woman may be unattractive, but she wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what Mirella meant by "talented."

"I'm the lucky one," Cassian spoke up before Jyn could say anything and Mirella recognized at once that he was extremely protective of his little criminal of a wife. (How had such a terrified creature like Jyn lived any kind of life of crime? For all of her tough talk when alone with her husband, she was too frightened to speak up for herself in public.) If he was perceiving merely suggestive words as a threat... (They had been designed to embarrass, not harm, and based on Jyn's face they had done their job perfectly.) Cassian was clearly on high alert when it came to his wife's safety.

Which meant that taking out Jyn would be slightly trickier than Mirella had originally supposed. As long as she was with Cassian, she would be untouchable. If the assassin Jeek assigned to get rid of her was to have any chance of success, the two of them would have to be separated. Cassian could be nowhere in the same vicinity.

"Jyn showed me everything I was missing from my life," Cassian continued, the first bare hint of emotion entering his voice. As if to demonstrate his protectiveness, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "She taught me what true happiness is."

Mirella pushed down the urge to laugh at the pathetic display. Did he really think that she'd be deterred by something as simple as holding his wife closer to him? It was as adorable as it was pointless. Did he not remember all of the lessons she had taught him? (Well, she supposed it was understandable if he didn't. It had been ten years after all. Clearly, he would need to be reinstructed once they were back together.) No one could dictate to her who she spoke to or in what manner she spoke. She was the one with all of the power. She did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted to do it. It was that simple. So if she wanted to make Jyn uncomfortable by referencing her own past with Jyn's husband, there was nothing Cassian could do to stop her.

"She did, did she?" Mirella replied, pointedly returning her gaze to Jyn. "Then perhaps you can enlighten me on exactly what it is. I would love to know."

"I..." Jyn tried to reply, but nothing else came out of her mouth.

"It's nothing physical," Cassian once again jumped in to rescue her. "If that's what you were thinking."

Mirella smiled at him. "Of course not. If that were the case, you'd have married me."

Again, there was a very slight reaction, but nothing that would have been noticed if she hadn't been closely watching him.

"Oh, Cassian," she sighed dramatically. To make him believe he had left her devastated... It was too much fun to resist! "You have no idea the pain I felt when you vanished on me. When I woke up to an empty bed that morning and then I couldn't find you anywhere... I honestly didn't know what to think. And then when I called your hotel and learned that you'd checked out in the middle of the night... My heart just shattered! I had really believed that we had a future together. We had even talked about children! I was completely in love with you and then you just left me!" Now the part that she had no doubt would elicit a reaction from him. "Of course you had no way of knowing, but I was planning to surprise you with a wedding the morning after you disappeared."

To her disappointment, his reaction was as muted as his others had been.

"Mirella, I had no idea," he said, his voice at least somewhat sympathetic. He may not be dropping his guard around her (she'd intimidated his little wife, after all), but it was possible he was starting to reconsider what he believed she wanted after all these years. "It was never my intention to hurt you and for that I apologize. We had only been seeing each other for a short time and it honestly never occurred to me that you had such deep feelings for me. I'm truly sorry. But as you already appear to know, I was there on an undercover assignment. I simply left when I was finished. It had nothing to do with you personally."

"Which I had no way of knowing back then," she pointed out as she fought down the urge to smile. "All I knew was the man I loved had left me. I'm sure you can understand what that was like for me." She turned her attention back to Jyn. "Just imagine how Jyn would feel if you did that to her."

"I'm sorry to hear about your father," Cassian immediately changed the subject. "He was a good man."

"Thank you," she replied, barely holding back the laughter that wanted to burst forth. His need to protect his wife from even hypothetical situations was absurd! Was the little criminal that fragile? "It was very unexpected. He is deeply missed."

There was some truth in the lie. It wasn't unexpected at all, but she did miss her freedom. If she'd known the responsibilities that had belonged to Daddy...

"Well, it's been wonderful catching up with you, Cassian," she declared, deciding to end this encounter before Barbreen or any of the other idiotic council members wondered why she wasn't greeting the actual New Republic diplomats. (She was sure Barbreen was going to question her later as it was. She could be too nosy for her own good. If she weren't the head of the High Council... Some people couldn't be eliminated no matter how much she wanted to.) "But now there are others that I need to greet before the gala this evening. I look forward to seeing you there tonight." She looked at Jyn. "And you as well," she added, intentionally making it clear that she was an afterthought.

"We'll see you there," Cassian assured her and Mirella could tell he wasn't at all happy about it.

"I can't wait to see your dress," she directed at Jyn. "I'm sure it will be stunning."

She highly doubted that would be the case. Anything that would fit someone of Jyn's stature and childish body shape would barely be passable.

"I know it will be," Cassian spoke up for his mute wife.

"Of course," Mirella accepted. She then opened her arms. "May I have a hug? For old time's sake?"

Cassian, clearly aware that it would be rude to decline her, released his hold on Jyn and opened his arms in response.

Mirella immediately threw herself against him and clung tighter than she very well knew was appropriate. (How could she resist? This was her first time feeling him against her again in ten years!) She resisted the urge to rub her pelvis against his, knowing that would get a reaction, but not a good one. (Oh, but if only she could!)

Cassian loosely put his arms around her, not relaxing into the embrace at all.

Deciding to rile him up in a different way, she moved her lips closer to his ear.

"I can't wait to feel you inside of me again," she whispered and his body instantly went rigid.

Holding back laughter at the first true reaction she'd pulled out of him, she released her hold on him and stepped away.

Feeling very satisfied as she looked at the shocked expression on his face, she said, "I'll see you tonight."

Giving both him and his wife another big smile, she turned and walked away.

She made eye contact with Jeek, who gave her a nod to indicate that he'd heard the entire exchange. With any luck, he'd already chosen who would get the assignment to eliminate Jyn Andor.

She couldn't wait to listen to the discussion that she knew Jyn and Cassian were going to have back at their apartment! She knew it would be highly entertaining.

But now she had politicians to introduce herself to.

It was a boring process, but it had to be done. (She couldn't give the New Republic the wrong impression of who the leader of Tyrat was, now could she?) Oh, the trials and tribulations of running a planet! How had Daddy dealt with it for so long? (Too bad he'd started interfering with her personal business...) She was so not cut out for this life! Constant enjoyment was the only way to live!

But at least this tedious situation had a bright side: being reunited with Cassian.

Having him back was worth every drawn out torturous moment of these negotiations.

And she was getting him back.

Whether or not it was the easy way or the hard way was ultimately up to him.

((()))

Kathmea Proan immediately noticed the little girl break away from her parents.

And when neither one of them moved to go after her because Leader Reedl had started to speak with them (one did not turn down Leader Reedl for any reason), she instantly moved to intercept the child herself.

This busy reception chamber was no place for a little girl (why had her parents brought her with them? She couldn't be more than three or four), so Kathmea planned on catching her and taking her outside of the room. And then she'd stay there and wait with her until her parents came out.

She didn't think Leader Reedl would need her services at this time. As Leader Reedl had explained it, this was just a chance for everyone involved in the negotiation process to introduce themselves. Leader Reedl had brought her as a courtesy since she would be present during the negotiations, but there was nothing for her to actually assist with. She had no function at this meeting.

So she would make herself useful by helping the child to safety.

When she finally caught up with the little girl, she was crawling out from under a table.

"Hello there," she greeted her as she came to stand in front of her.

"Hi!" the little girl answered as she glanced up and got to her feet. "I'm Ashlyra. Who are you?"

Amused by the girl's straightforward and fearless manner, she replied, "I'm Kathmea. Did you find anything interesting under there?"

"Not really," Ashlyra informed her. "There's not much in here. I thought there'd be more to explore. It's kind of boring!"

"Well, it is just a reception chamber," Kathmea pointed out. "All that happens in here is that beings get together and talk."

"Boring!" Ashlyra repeated. "Mama and Papa usually bring me to fun places!"

"So why do you think they brought you here then?" she questioned, curious as to what the girl's answer would be.

But all she did was shrug. "They just told me I had to go with them. But there's nothing to explore here, so I'd rather be home with Tookie!"

"And who is Tookie?"

"My kitty!" Ashlyra told her, a big smile on her face. "I found her last night. I saw her run into a dark place and I ran after her and then Mama got her out. Then we took her to the kitty doctor. She's in my room with Uncle Bodhi. He promised to watch her while I was away."

Kathmea was surprised by how open Ashlyra was. Hadn't her parents taught her about strangers? It was a good thing she had found her before anyone else did.

"Well, since this place is so boring, how would you like to wait outside for your mama and papa with me?"

"Okay!" Ashlyra agreed. "You're nice."

"Thank you," Kathmea laughed. "So are you." She reached out for Ashlyra's hand. "Let's go."

Ashlyra took her hand without a second thought. "Okay!"

She mentally shook her head at how trusting this little girl was. Didn't her parents know better than that? Why hadn't they told her to beware of strangers? The galaxy was a dangerous place!

Which was why she wished she was still back on Tyrat in the safety of her own hometown. She had never wanted to leave at all, but her own parents had insisted and sent her to school so she could study and make something of herself.

She had hated her time at school, which was located in Tyrat's capital. It was too much everything: crowded, noisy, dangerous. She had spent more time alone in her dorm room than even in her classes. (She hadn't made many friends, but the few she had quickly learned to stop asking her to go out with them.) She had wanted to quit immediately, but her parents insisted she stay until she had some kind of degree and career to pursue. (They had rejected her preferred choice of childcare and demanded she choose something more lucrative. As much as they knew she loved children, they didn't feel that a career in that field would bring her the lifestyle they wanted for her.) So she had picked something that met their approval and it had ultimately led her to her current job: being the personal assistant to the planetary leader.

She didn't even know how she'd ended up working for Leader Reedl. In fact, she didn't even understand why she had come to her notice. Her grades had only been adequate. There had been plenty of other beings in her class who would have been more suited for the job. But Leader Reedl had singled her out for some reason and personally offered her the position.

Her first instinct had been to turn the Leader down, but then she'd realized that this job was everything her parents wanted for her, so she had accepted. That had been three years ago. And she had regretted her decision ever since.

Leader Reedl was a nightmare to work for. She had a volatile personality and Kathmea was literally terrified of her. She was highly critical of everything Kathmea did and nothing was ever good enough even if she performed it to Leader Reedl's exacting standards. She was constantly reduced to tears, which she was positive Leader Reedl loved to see. If it weren't were for her parents, she would have quit the job the first week.

Her parents loved the prestige of her position and it was almost all they ever wanted to talk about. They bragged to everyone they knew that their only daughter was the assistant to the Leader. And whenever they came to visit... Kathmea had been so shocked when Leader Reedl had personally greeted them on their initial visit and then lied to their faces about how perfect Kathmea was as her assistant. Kathmea had known better to protest and had allowed her parents to believe that Leader Reedl considered her a valuable employee. They of course had been charmed by her and accepted her invitation to visit whenever they wanted. (After they had left the first time, Leader Reedl had, in so many words, threatened what would happen if she said anything to correct her parents' beliefs about her job performance. Kathmea had sworn she never would.) And when they'd heard that she'd be accompanying the Leader off-planet for some very important negotiations... Listening to them gush over how wonderful this opportunity was for her had been an ordeal. She would give anything to escape this job, but she didn't see any way out. (Leader Reedl had also implied her parents would suffer if she ever quit, which was the main reason she stayed.)

She started leading Ashlyra towards the reception chamber's doors.

"Do you like games?" she asked as they walked.

"Of course! Who doesn't?" Ashlyra countered which such certainty that Kathmea couldn't help but laugh.

"Good question!" she answered. "I'm sure I can find a couple of good ones on my datapad that you can play while we wait for your parents."

"Okay!" the little girl readily agreed.

They exited the chamber into the waiting area and Kathmea led Ashlyra to one of the many chairs. She helped the little girl climb into it and then she reached into her satchel for her datapad.

But before she could start searching for a child-friendly game, she was interrupted by a woman's voice crying out, "Oh, Force! Ashlyra!"

"Mama!" Ashlyra happily responded and Kathmea turned around to see Ashlyra's mother rushing over.

"Baby!" the mother called and Ashlyra jumped to her feet on the chair.

"I'm here, Mama!" Ashlyra informed her. "Over here!"

The mother raced right up to Ashlyra and pulled her into her arms.

"Papa and I were so worried!" she told her daughter. "You need to stop wandering off like that, baby!"

"Sorry, Mama! I just wanted to explore!" Ashlyra explained. "And you were hurting my hand!"

"I'm sorry, baby," the mother apologized before shifting her attention to Kathmea. "Thank you for finding her. She has a need to explore everything around her and if her father and I take our eyes off of her for one second..."

"I get the impression that she can be a handful," Kathmea said with a smile. "Luckily, I spotted her immediately and I was able to catch up to her before anything happened."

"Thank you so much," the mother told her. "I'm Jyn, by the way."

"Kathmea," she responded. "I'm Leader Reedl's personal assistant."

"Oh," Jyn said and Kathmea didn't understand the strange look that crossed her face. "Have you worked for her long?"

"Three years," she answered, confused by Jyn's sudden change in demeanor. Had she done something to offend her? "What do you do?"

"My husband and I are farmers," Jyn answered, surprising her, "but we're here because Mi-, Leader Reedl knew my husband years ago and wanted him here for the negotiations."

A memory of a name that Leader Reedl had constantly mentioned in recent weeks came to Kathmea's mind.

"Cassian Andor?" she queried. "Is that your husband's name?"

"Yes," Jyn answered, another strange look passing over her face. "She's mentioned him?"

"Oh, yes," Kathmea told her, positive she was missing something. "She was adamant that he be here. He was part of every communication I drafted for the Leader. She didn't mention how she knew him though."

"It's a long story," Jyn informed her. "And one that I can't share without his permission."

"Oh," she said, surprised by that. She was definitely missing something and she doubted she'd find out what it was anytime soon. Leader Reedl didn't share anything with her that wasn't related to her work. "All right."

"Look, I need to take Ashlyra home for a while," Jyn told her, adjusting the little girl in her arms. "Thank you again for your help with her. I really appreciate it."

"Of course," Kathmea waved her off. "I'm glad I could help. I love children."

"Will you be at the gala tonight?" Jyn asked.

"Only if Leader Reedl wants me there," she honestly answered. "So I don't know."

"Well, if you do come, I'll introduce you to my husband so he can also thank you for your help with Ashlyra," Jyn told her. "He'll want to personally give you his gratitude."

"It's not necessary," Kathmea waved her off, "but it would be nice to meet him after hearing his name so often."

She hadn't gotten that good of a look at him after she noticed Ashlyra wandering away, but she'd seen enough to know that he was very handsome and definitely the type of man Leader Reedl would normally pursue. (The majority of the leader's schedule was filled with activities that involved being with men. And each activity was with a different man. It was very rare for her to meet the same one twice. That only happened if the leader felt the man hadn't been properly, in her words, "charmed" by her.) After meeting his wife and daughter, Kathmea hoped that Leader Reedl wasn't planning on trying to do anything inappropriate with him. Which made her wonder why she had so strongly insisted on his presence...

"I hope you'll be there then," Jyn said, putting Ashlyra down and taking her by the hand. "Say goodbye, Ashlyra."

"Bye!" Ashlyra obeyed.

"Bye, Ashlyra," Kathmea smiled at her. "It was very nice meeting you. Stay out of trouble!"

"Oh, she wouldn't be Ashlyra if she did that," Jyn quipped. "Take care. I'll hopefully see you again soon." She turned her attention to her daughter. "Let's go, baby."

"I want to see Tookie!" Ashlyra piped up.

"Okay, okay, we'll go back to Tookie," Jyn said in that long-suffering tone common to all parents of young children. She smiled once more at Kathmea and walked away with the little girl.

Once they had vanished from sight, Kathmea went back into the reception chamber to find Leader Reedl.

((()))

Mirella observed as Kathmea returned after having gone out of the room with Cassian's child. Since she no longer had the girl with her, Mirella could only assume that she was back with her mother. (Jyn had left the meeting not long after their "introduction.")

She smiled as she thought of how afraid of her Jyn was. To think that this was the same person Mirella had watched speak so forcefully and boldly to Cassian in all of the holofootage she'd watched! It was almost comical to see how fearful she truly was! (Again, she wondered how she'd ever managed to be a criminal. But she'd eventually been caught, so she couldn't have been that good at it.) As long as Cassian wasn't around to protect her, she'd be an easy target for whomever Jeek chose for the assignment. (Oh, how she would reward the both of them once the job was completed...) If all went as planned, she'd be dead within the next few days.

Of course, what happened next would depend on whether or not the daughter perished with her mother. If both of them died at once, there'd be no obstacles to getting Cassian back. He'd have no one tying him down anywhere. He'd have no reason to turn down an invitation to come back to Tyrat with her. (He wouldn't have to know that he would never leave again until it was too late...) And if the girl lived, she would become the sole focus of his life. Everything he did would revolve around his child's well-being. To lure him back to Tyrat would take some creativity. As well as some acting: she would have to pretend that she cared about the little girl. Cassian would not want someone around who showed dislike for his offspring, so she'd have to...

No, she realized as she watched Kathmea start to come over to her, I don't.

One of the reasons she had chosen Kathmea out of all of the students in her graduating class was her psychological profile. (She was an extremely weak-willed woman who gave in easily when pressured by outside forces, especially her parents. She was the type who would never stick up for herself or offer any resistance of any kind. She'd also never have her own ideas. She was the perfect assistant.) And part of that profile was her love of children. (One of the many useful tidbits of information she'd learned from Kathmea's parents was the fact that she had wanted to go into childcare as a career. They had been horrified at the thought and had been so relieved when they had "talked" her out of it.) All Mirella had to do was pass the girl off to Kathmea while she was with Cassian. And Cassian would not have any reservations because of Kathmea's background with children. Problem solved! (She would most likely pass off her own child to her as well as soon as it was old enough. The only reason she was going to have to have one was to appease the High Council who wanted her to produce an heir. Otherwise she would never want one. Children were messy and annoying!)

"I saw you with that little girl," she greeted Kathmea as she finally reached her. "I assume you know who she belongs to?"

"She's Cassian's daughter," Kathmea answered. "I met his wife Jyn. She is a very lovely woman."

It took Mirella everything she had not to laugh out loud at that absurd assertion.

"And the girl? What did you think of her?"

"Ashlyra is an amazing child," Kathmea gushed, obviously taken with the little girl. "So full of energy and spirit! Jyn told me she tries to wander off all of the time because she just wants to explore the world around her. I just adored her!"

"Really," Mirella commented, getting another idea. Since Kathmea was already clearly fond of the girl... "How would you like to spend more time with her?"

Kathmea looked surprised at the question. "Of course, but I don't see-"

"How it's possible?" she finished for her. How sad was it that Kathmea couldn't even imagine a way to see the child again? "You yourself just said she's full of energy and her own mother admitted she constantly tries to wander off. Don't you think Jyn might need an assistant to help watch such a child during their stay here? With Cassian busy in the negotiations all day, Jyn would be all on her own. You could give her the help she needs."

She purposely neglected to mention that that already had some help in that pilot friend of theirs (Bo-something or other, she thought his name was) as well as that pesky security detail (it had amused her to no end how Cassian and Jyn thought a few armed guards could protect them if she wanted to harm them-they had no idea who they were dealing with. It was so disheartening to know that Cassian had truly forgotten everything about her, especially what she was capable of.). She could easily find a way to have the pilot at least assigned elsewhere to make an opening for Kathmea. The security detail she couldn't do anything about, but they would have no reason to suspect that Kathmea was anything other than what she was: an aide.

Kathmea brightened. "I would love to do that!" Then her face fell as her small mind fully began to process what she was being told. "But do you really think she'll accept my help? We only met once and-"

"Yes, while you were going out of your way to help a child you didn't know," Mirella pointed out. "A child who you clearly bonded with. Her child. She may not know you yet, but she knows that you are someone she can trust with her daughter. She'd be foolish to turn you down."

Kathmea smiled at what she believed to be real praise. "Thank you, Leader!"

Mirella smiled back, pleased with how easy it was to persuade her. "You should go to her now and offer your services," she instructed. "Tell her of your background in childcare. Ask her to at least let you spend the day with them as a way of proving yourself. I'm guessing they've already left here?"

"Yes, Leader," she confirmed. "I believe Jyn said she was taking Ashlyra home."

"Perfect!" Mirella said, genuinely pleased with this news. If Kathmea gained direct access to the apartment... "You should go meet them there! I'll give you their address."

Thankfully, Kathmea wasn't smart enough to wonder how she had knowledge of their address despite having just arrived on the planet less than two hours ago. Nor had she communicated with anyone outside of this room other than the security team that had met them.

"I'm positive Jyn will realize that it's a win-win situation for both of you," she added despite knowing that the only one actually winning was her.

If Jyn accepted Kathmea's assistance and kept her with her and her child while Cassian was away, then Mirella would have the perfect way to always know her whereabouts. (She doubted Kathmea would notice any trackers installed onto her devices. The girl wasn't smart enough to check for any. She was too trusting and naïve to even consider the possibility. She would have Erik do it tonight while Kathmea slept.) That information could be easily passed to Jeek's chosen assassin, who would then decide where and when to dispose of the woman. With Cassian preoccupied all day with the negotiations, he'd be nowhere near his wife when the job was done. It was the perfect solution.

Of course there was always the possibility of Jyn turning down Kathmea's offer, especially since she knew who Kathmea worked for. (And knowing her assistant, she had most likely told her first thing.) But if the daughter was the handful that Kathmea had suggested, any help would most likely be welcomed, even if it came from someone Jyn (correctly) saw as a threat. Besides, Kathmea herself was too innocent to be seen as remotely dangerous to anyone. And since the little girl had already taken a liking to Kathmea...

"Oh, I hope so!" Kathmea exclaimed, excited by the prospect of spending her time with a small child. "I have so many ways I can help with Ashlyra!"

"I know you do," Mirella told her, again feigning praise. "And I'm sure Jyn will appreciate every single one of them." She gestured for Jeek to join them and he was instantly at her side. "Jeek, send the address for the Andors' apartment to Kathmea's datapad."

"Of course, Mistress," he said and he immediately pulled out his own datapad and began searching for the information.

A chime sounded from within Kathmea's satchel.

She opened the bag and pulled out her datapad.

"Thank you!" Kathmea said excitedly as she read the information. "I'll go over there right now! I-" She stopped herself as she realized she'd forgotten something. "With your permission of course, Leader Reedl. And if there isn't anything else you need from me."

"Go," Mirella waved her off. "That little girl is waiting for you."

Kathmea flashed a huge smile. "Thank you!"

And then she hurried off, rushing out of the reception chamber so she could go spent time with a child of all things!

Mirella let out the laugh she had been holding back before turning to Jeek.

"So, did you get enough of a sense of Cassian's wife to make your choice?"

"I believe so, Mistress," he told her. "Based on what you've shared with me, I wasn't expecting her to be so timid. She shouldn't pose much of a problem. Firit should be able to get the job done.

"Hmm, I think so too," she agreed.

Like the majority of her servants (with some exceptions like Jeek), Firit was not very bright and was completely obedient to her. But what made him a perfect choice was his complete and utter lack of empathy and compassion. He cared for no one but himself. (Mirella was sure the only reason he worked so hard to please her was because of the pleasure he got in her bed.) He would have absolutely no compunction executing a woman in cold blood. He also wasn't very creative, so he would follow her orders to the letter: the death was to look like an accident.

"You'll inform him of his new task as soon as we are settled into our hotel," she instructed him. "Make it clear to him that he isn't to share his assignment with anyone."

"Of course, Mistress," Jeek nodded.

"Let him know that a special reward awaits him once he successfully completes it," she added. She smiled seductively at him. "A reward that you will share, of course."

"Thank you, Mistress," he accepted.

"Now, return to your guard position," she ordered him. "I have to resume mingling. I don't want to be seen as rude."

"Yes, Mistress," he said and he silently moved away from her.

Satisfied that the wife situation would soon be taken care of, she scanned the room and searched for yet another boring politician to converse with.

While she longed to speak with Cassian again, he was in the middle of a discussion with several members of the security force. She had noticed him approach them as soon as Jyn had left. She knew he had done it on purpose to avoid speaking with her again.

But it didn't really matter. He'd be with her again soon enough.

She just had to remain patient.