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:
So, um, it's been over a year since I last posted. I've had some rough patches during the last twelve months and they have all affected my writing. The worst event occured last August and that was the sudden unexpected death of our beloved cat Oreo. He was only six-years-old and it came as a shock to all of us. I fell into a deep depression that lasted for months and I was unable to concentrate on my writing. Other things keeping me from writing were falling out of Star Wars due to other obsessions several times and just not feeling creative due to general stress. But I have finally pulled myself back together and I'm determined to finish what I started!
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, including murder.
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
Barbreen Cintras (mentioned only)...Vivica A. Fox
Kathmea Proan...Anna Marie Dobbins
Piter Yyse (mentioned only)...Corin Nemec
Jeek Warler...Marcus Rosner
Larg Sonnin...Tanner Zagarino
Erik Rydel (mentioned only)...Jason-Shane Scott
Kevnar Trigon...Landon Ashworth
Tork Nanus...Steve Byers
Baner Ilick...Thomas Gipson
Hyrin Fasher...Andrew Spach
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.
Cassian stood at the back of the conference chamber wishing he was anywhere else. (His time as a prisoner on Narkina 5 had been less torturous.)
While the negotiations were off to a strong start, both Leia and Councilor Cintras agreeing on all currently proposed terms, Mirella was taking every opportunity to get up from the table and attempt to convince him to have an affair with her. (From what he had observed so far, she served absolutely no function in the negotiations herself. Her presence did not appear to be at all required and the others were paying very little attention to her. He could only assume that she was there to ensure that he was as well.) Apparently, he had done too good of a job last night feigning passion during the tamlaga because she was convinced that something real had taken place between them and that it was a "sign" that they were meant to be together.
Interestingly, any mentions of Jyn had been limited to her not having to know about Mirella and Cassian having a relationship. It was a jarring change from her active disparaging of Jyn as his wife and as a person. What the sudden change in tactics meant he didn't know. But he was both disturbed and unsettled by Mirella's new approach. While he knew an affair was not her ultimate goal, she was making it seem like she wanted nothing else. (Which both he and Jyn knew was not the case.)
At the table, Mirella went into an exaggerated stretch that indicated that she was about to get up from her seat. The others, as they had done the previous hundred times she'd given this performance, ignored her. (Which only served to reinforce his theory that Mirella was only there for him.)
Cassian, on the other hand, braced himself for another onslaught.
He couldn't wait for this day to be over.
((()))
Mirella smiled to herself as Cassian instantly stiffened at her approach. He'd been acting that way all morning, pretending that the heat they'd generated last night wasn't real. His denial was amusing.
Well, he could protest all he wanted, but in the end he'd inevitably realize they were meant to be together.
Especially once Jyn was out of the picture once and for all...
"Things are going quite well, don't you think?" she casually commented as she reached him. "Tyrat is well-suited to become a New Republic member world."
"I'm sure Chancellor Mothma and Senator Organa will be pleased to hear that you think so," he diplomatically responded. "Perhaps the negotiations won't take very long at all."
"They'll take as long as I need them to," she assured him.
While Barbreen and the other councilors drafted the terms, she had final say as Leader. If she disliked anything at all, it would have to be changed until it met her approval. (And none of her decisions could be overridden here because there was no possibility of a negative impact on the Tyratian people. The New Republic was adamant that they only helped member worlds when requested. If a world wanted to be left to its own devices, the galactic government had to abide by the agreement.) Which meant that she had the ability to drag the negotiations on as long as she required to get what she wanted.
"Which of course all depends on you," she added.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I won't cheat on my wife?" he predictably replied. "You need to stop asking."
"You know that I won't do that," she told him. "Not when we both know how good we are together. You can't deny the flames we generated last night. We owe it to ourselves to explore it further."
And she knew that she had indeed sparked something within him. She had briefly skimmed last night's footage and she had been pleasantly surprised to see him recreating things she'd taught him with Jyn. (It was too bad Jyn was too incompetent a lover to know how to properly reciprocate.) While it wasn't an ideal outcome (he still was denying his feelings for her), it proved that his body remembered what it was like to be with a lover of her caliber. He'd subconsciously retained the lessons she'd taught him all those years ago and last night's encounter had brought them back to the surface. So he could protest all he wanted, but his body knew where he ultimately belonged.
With her.
"As I've told you, Jyn never has to know," she added for good measure.
By making it seem like she wanted nothing further to do with Jyn, it gave her plausible deniability for when the woman finally met her end: why would she have killed her? She only wanted to keep her relationship with Jyn's husband a secret, nothing more. Killing her was unnecessary.
"I'd know," Cassian asserted, thankfully unaware of Mirella's true intentions for Jyn. (Because if he had even the slightest hint...) "And I won't do that to her."
"Yet so many men can and do it to their wives," she pointed out. "It's obviously not the worst thing in the universe if it's so common. Why not give it a try?"
"I love my wife, Mirella," he stated. "What's so difficult to understand about that?"
She laughed. "What's that have to do with anything? Love her all you want. But I can give you things she can't. Things she won't."
It was a daring thing to say since she wasn't supposed to know anything about their sex life, but she couldn't help herself.
And judging by the expression on his face, the reaction she was about to get was totally worth it.
"Jyn gives me everything I could ever want or need," he tersely informed her, a hint of emotion finally slipping into his voice. "So, no, I'm not ever going to do something that would hurt her so badly. Not with you or anyone else. And that's the last I'm ever going to discuss it with you."
Ooh, he was getting angry! Clearly, she had pushed him a tad too far this time.
Which meant that, as much fun as this was, it was time to back away until he cooled off. She didn't want to be the reason for a setback in her quest to return him to where he belonged.
"Never say never," she simply said in response. She gave him a seductive smile before adding, "We'll talk more later."
Feeling pleased that she'd given no hint of her plan to eliminate Jyn, she turned and walked back to the table.
She was bored out of her mind, but it wouldn't look good for the Leader to seem uninterested in Tyrat's future. (She didn't need another lecture from Barbreen about appearances.)
It was the unfortunate price of her position.
If only she'd known that ahead of time...
((()))
Jyn walked into Ashlyra's room to find the little girl lying on the floor next to the sleeping Tookie and watching her intently.
Bodhi and Kathmea sat on the bed, animatedly talking in quiet voices that wouldn't disturb either child or tooka.
She smiled at the sight, happy to see how well the two of them were getting along. They'd known each other barely a day but they were as comfortable together as if they'd known each other forever. They seemed to be a perfect match, complementing each other in every way. Where Kathmea was timid and unsure, Bodhi was outgoing and encouraging. She knew it was a little soon to speculate, but she could see the two of them sharing a long and happy life together, the way that she and Cassian did. (They both deserved it.) The potential was there. It just needed to be nurtured a little.
And the best part of a relationship between them taking root would be that it would get Kathmea away from Mirella for good...
She returned her attention to her tooka-obsessed daughter.
"Hey, Ashlyra," she called out, announcing her presence. "How would you like to go swimming today?"
She'd spent the morning scouring the local Holonet for places she could take Ashlyra during the day while Cassian was occupied with the negotiations. While she understood her fascination with Tookie, Ashlyra needed to get out of the apartment for fresh air and exercise. So far, she'd made a list of several they could visit over the next week. (Both she and Cassian had a feeling that Mirella was going to drag the negotiations out as long as she possibly could.) Today's destination was a beach that happened to be fairly close to the apartment.
Ashlyra gasped and jumped to her feet, startling Tookie. "When, Mama, when?"
Jyn laughed. "After lunch, my love."
Tookie, recovering from her unceremonious awakening, started cleaning herself.
"Aww!" Ashlyra pouted. "Why can't we go right now?"
"Because Mama has a lot to do before we can go," she informed her. (Part of that to-do list including arranging the trip with the security team.) "But don't worry. You'll get to spend as much time in the water as you want."
"Yay!" Ashlyra cheered, excitedly jumping up and down. Then she bent down and picked up the unsuspecting Tookie. "We're going swimming!"
"You know that Tookie has to stay here," Jyn informed her, wanting to immediately quash any ideas of bringing the tooka along with them. "Tookas aren't allowed at the beach."
"Aww!" Ashlyra pouted again, holding Tookie close. "I wanted to teach her to swim!"
"Tookas actually don't like to swim," Bodhi helpfully interjected. "She'll be much happier staying here."
"You'll stay with her, Uncle Bodhi?" she hopefully asked as she released Tookie from her arms.
Tookie walked away and promptly found a new spot to sit and clean herself all over again.
"I was hoping that he and Kathmea would come to the beach with us," Jyn spoke up. It wasn't fair to force him to sit by himself with a kitten that spent most of her time sleeping in her enclosure. One short morning had been enough as far as Jyn was concerned. Besides, the beach would be a great place for him and Kathmea to continue getting to know each other. "If that's all right with them."
Ashlyra lit up. "You can see how good I swim!" she declared. "Come!"
"I can't wait," Bodhi smiled at her.
"Yay!" Ashlyra cheered again. She turned to Kathmea. "Come too!"
"I, uh, don't actually have a swimsuit," Kathmea confessed. "Or anything appropriate for a beach."
"That's not a problem," Jyn waved her off. "We can stop by a store on the way over. You can either buy a swimsuit or beach-appropriate clothes. It's up to you."
"That's too generous," Kathmea protested, reminding Jyn of the way she'd responded to Leia's generosity with her.
"Hey, if I'd brought more than one swimsuit, I'd let you borrow one, but I didn't, so you don't have much of a choice but to accept," she pointed out. She and Kathmea were fairly close in size. "So, as long as you don't buy anything designer, I think we'll be good."
"Can I get a new swimsuit, too?" Ashlyra burst in before Kathmea could say anything in response.
"Umm..."
"Just how many suits do you already have, young lady?" Kathmea questioned when Jyn was too surprised to speak.
"Not enough," Ashlyra matter-of-factly declared.
"You heard her," Bodhi said. "The four-year-old doesn't have enough swimsuits. You and Cassian are clearly terrible parents."
"If ten swimsuits aren't enough, then, yes, I would agree with you," Jyn told him. "And she brought all of them with her. Me, I just have two, one of which, as I already mentioned, I left home."
"Ten? She has ten?" Kathmea questioned in disbelief.
"It's very hard to say no to her," Bodhi pointed out. "You've seen her pout."
"Just wait until you've witnessed one of her tantrums," Jyn added. "Bodhi's luckily been spared, but trust me when I say surrender or compromise are the only ways to quiet her. Cassian and I figured that out years ago."
"So spoiled," Kathmea declared with a smile as she shook her head. "If you think she's bad now, just wait until she's a teenager."
"I don't even want to know," Jyn waved her off, trying not to picture her baby all grown up. (Ashlyra was a beautiful child, taking mostly after Cassian in her coloring. Jyn sometimes wondered how she'd helped create someone so pretty. Clearly, Ashlyra had gotten very little from her.) She wanted her to stay little and carefree for as long as possible.
"You can get a new suit too, Mama," said Ashlyra, trying another tactic. "Please?"
"Quick, answer her before she pouts again," Bodhi teased.
"Oh, all right," Jyn relented, knowing Cassian was going to have a good laugh when she told him how Ashlyra had strong-armed her again. "You win."
"Yay!" Ashlyra rushed over to hug Jyn's upper legs. "Thank you, Mama!"
"Bullied by a four-year-old," Bodhi commented. "Gotta love it."
"But she followed up with a thank you, so she clearly has good manners," Kathmea pointed out.
"You have Cassian to thank for those," Jyn let her know as Ashlyra released her legs and went over to where Tookie had curled up into a ball. "He drilled them into her."
"She's very lucky to have both of you," Kathmea said.
"Thank you," Jyn smiled. "And we're very lucky to have her. She's everything to us."
She spent a moment watching Ashlyra happily pet Tookie, who had rolled onto her back.
"So," she continued, getting the conversation back on track, "it sounds like we better leave before lunch if we're going to buy new swimsuits first."
"There's a good department store near my apartment," Bodhi told her. "That way I can run home and get my suit while the three of you are shopping. Afterwards I can take you to lunch at a restaurant I know by the beach."
"Sounds like a plan," Jyn replied. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun. Let me go fill Irack and the others in on our plans so they can set things in motion. I'll be right back."
"We'll wait here," Kathmea promised.
Jyn smiled again before turning and leaving the room.
((()))
Mirella finished adjusting her clothes and exited the office that had been assigned to her for the duration of the negotiations. She nodded to Jeek, who was standing guard at the door to keep her from being disturbed. Larg, Kevnar, and Tork were still learning to navigate the multiple partner arrangement, but they had all performed admirably. She looked forward to the next break.
She walked down the hallway that led back to the main conference area. As she got nearer, she heard Cassian's distinctive voice.
"I can't wait to see it, little one," he was saying as she reached the end of the hall. He was leaning casually against the wall outside of the conference room doors, speaking into a comlink. He was smiling for the first time she'd seen all day. "Now give the comlink back to Mama." He paused and then continued, "I love you too."
The child, she identified the person on the other end.
How he had the patience for a conversation with someone so young and...simple-minded was beyond her. (He and Kathmea appeared to have that in common.) She doubted there was any true substance to their talk. The girl was only four, after all. But if he wanted to do the same thing with their own child, he would be welcome to interact with it to his heart's content. She had more important things to focus on, such as running the planet.
"How many does that make now?" Cassian spoke again after a short pause. He then laughed at whatever Jyn had said. (He had told the child to give the comlink to "Mama," so there was no question who he was currently talking with.) "Oh, she did, did she? I'm sure you fought her very hard, my love." There was another pause as he listened to her reply and then he laughed. "Well, then I'm expecting to see you in it tonight." A pause and another laugh. "I'm not that bad, am I?" Another pause. "It's all for the good of our project, I swear."
The "project" Mirella had learned from observing them, was trying to conceive a second child.
Luckily, that would soon be a non-issue once Jyn was taken care of.
"Oh, I'm the terrible one?" he quipped into the comm. "Uh-huh. If you say so." There was another pause as he listened to his wife's reply. "I love you too, my Stardust. Enjoy the beach. I'll see you and Ashlyra when you get here."
The smile on Cassian's face has grown bigger as he'd spoken with Jyn, a fact that highly annoyed Mirella. How was it that this former criminal made him so happy? It made absolutely no sense. She was clearly the inferior choice, in both looks and personality. She couldn't even give him a fraction of the things she could. She wasn't even willing to properly pleasure him. What was the attraction? Why had he married her?
She supposed in the end it didn't matter. Jyn would soon be a distant memory and Cassian would be where he belonged. All she had to do was...
An idea came to her.
A brilliant idea, if she did say so herself.
Jyn and her child apparently liked to swim. And what better place to swim than the luxurious indoor pool facility at a very expensive hotel?
A pool facility that could be rented out for private usage by any guest willing to pay an extra fee...
((()))
Cassian smiled and knelt down as Ashlyra came bounding towards him as he exited the Senate complex.
"Papa! Papa!" she excitedly called as she ran into his arms.
He picked her up and asked, "Did you have fun today, little one?"
He glanced in the direction that she had come from and saw Jyn strolling to join them as well as the security team waiting a respectful distance away. Noticeably absent were Bodhi and Kathmea, whom Jyn had sent off to go have some fun on their own for the rest of the afternoon. (She was convinced that they were meant to be together and was determined to make it happen. Cassian could only shake his head at her matchmaking efforts. In his opinion, if it was meant to happen, it would happen. But he knew better than to say anything to his stubborn wife.)
"Yes! It was so wizard!" she happily informed him. "The sand is a different color here than our beach! And the water is warmer! I want to go back! You have to come, Papa! You have to!"
Jyn reached them and said," Papa won't be able to come until all of the meetings are over. But you and I can go back tomorrow if you'd like."
"Yay!" Ashlyra cheered as he leaned in to give Jyn a quick kiss. Then she seemed to think about her answer. "I'm sorry, Papa."
He chuckled at her feigned contriteness. "That's all right, little one. We'll all go together before we go back home, okay?"
"Okay! And then you can buy a new suit, too!"
The two adults shared a laugh at the matter-of-fact declaration.
"We'll see little one," he told her as Jyn mouthed "yes" at him.
"How was the rest-"
He was interrupted as Ashlyra suddenly gasped and started struggling to be put down.
"Hey, hey, what's-"
"Cassian," Jyn cut him off in a low voice.
He looked up to see Mirella walking towards them.
"Go to Viena," he told Ashlyra as he returned her to her feet.
Her reaction to Mirella made perfect sense. She had sensed her malevolent presence in the Force. (She had not had the reaction yesterday at the meet and greet because she had wandered off before Mirella came over to them.)
The little girl obediently ran to the waiting security team.
Cassian held up a hand to them to indicate that they should stay where they are before he turned his full attention to Mirella.
"I'm so glad I caught both of you before you left," Mirella greeted them, her fake friendly smile on full display. "There's something I need to say to the two of you."
He took Jyn's hand as both a reassurance to her and to indicate to Mirella that they were a united front.
"All right," he acknowledged her. "We're listening."
He wondered what she was going to try now. Mirella had used two different approaches over the course of the day. The first was her attempts to convince him to have an affair with her. The second was to practically ignore him, as if she believed her lack of attention would cause him to run after her begging for it. (For someone who claimed to know him so well, Mirella didn't have a clue.) He had to admit he was curious to learn what the third method she'd try would be.
"I want to apologize for my inappropriate and inexcusable behavior," she said, taking him by complete surprise. (Mirella never apologized to anyone or for anything. He had to give her points for creativity for this new approach.) "I was so disappointed to learn that you'd married and settled down in the years since you vanished from my life. When I found out that you were in love with someone else, I... You have to understand, Cassian, that I never stopped loving you. I never stopped believing..." Tears appeared in her eyes, a trick he'd seen her use more than once to get her way. "So seeing you so happy... It made me angry. Very angry. So angry that I've been lashing out at Jyn as a way of punishing you for something that you didn't deliberately do to me. It was wrong of me and I'm so very, very sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"
He didn't believe a word of this supposed "apology" and he knew that Jyn didn't either. It was clearly a performance, designed to make them think she was not out for revenge. (He wondered how long it had taken her to come up with this approach.) And the fact that she had done it in public, in full view of their security team no less, told him that this was part of a larger plan. She was telegraphing her "remorse" to anyone who could see. He would have to proceed with caution.
"We accept your apology," he said in a neutral tone. "But forgiveness has to be earned."
The statement was designed to give her an opening to state how she intended to "earn" said forgiveness. What she said next would hopefully reveal a hint of her ultimate plan.
"Of course," Mirella replied. "I completely understand and I fully intend on doing so."
He knew he shouldn't have been surprised at her vagueness (she was a master manipulator, after all, and knew how much or how little to reveal at any given time), but it was still disappointing. He hated that he had no idea what she was planning.
"As my first gesture," she continued, "I'd like to invite you and your family to join me at my hotel's indoor pool. I have the ability to reserve it for private use and it would be the perfect environment for us to have a nice, relaxing conversation. Jyn and I can get to know each other better while we continue to get reacquainted. Meanwhile your child can swim to her little heart's content. What do you say? Will you join me at the pool?"
Cassian knew there was only one way to answer the question. Turning her down was, unfortunately, not an option, no matter how much he wanted to. The future of the negotiations was dependent on him giving in to her.
Luckily, he didn't see how this could be her endgame for him. Number one and most important, she couldn't bed him at a pool in front of his wife and daughter. (He had a feeling that the security team would not be permitted to stay with them.) Not to mention the presence of security cams and lifeguard droids would make sexual activities impossible. Mirella was only so much of an exhibitionist. (She was always discreet in public.) And number two, for all of the same reasons, she couldn't outright kill him. (It would be impossible for her make it appear to be anything other than a cold-blooded murder, which was not something Mirella would want. She couldn't allow her reputation to be tarnished that way.) Whatever this was, it was only a part of her overall plan. It would be safe to bring Jyn and Ashlyra.
"We accept your generous invitation," he answered her, exchanging a quick look with Jyn. "Ashlyra will love it. Thank you."
"Wonderful!" Mirella replied, her familiar insincere smile on her lips. "How about we meet tomorrow after the day's meeting is over? It will still be early enough that we can spend plenty of time enjoying ourselves."
Karabast! Cassian silently cursed. Draven had asked to meet with him at that same time to go over the progress of his and Yyse's investigation into the security leak. It was not something he wanted to postpone.
"Unfortunately," he began, exchanging another look with Jyn who knew about the meeting, "I have an appointment at that same time tomorrow. Can we do it the next afternoon instead?"
Mirella made a face of exaggerated disappointment. "Oh, poo! Tomorrow would have been so perfect because I have other engagements for the next several days. I wouldn't be available again until next week and that, of course, is only if the negotiations are still on-going."
As he'd expected, Mirella was making the continuation of the negotiations conditional on them coming to her hotel pool. Though he couldn't help but notice that she'd shifted from dragging them out to cutting them short to suit her needs. This only reinforced his belief that Mirella didn't care about the negotiations at all. This was all about him.
"What if Ashlyra and I came by ourselves first?" Jyn suddenly suggested, releasing her hold on Cassian's hand as she stepped slightly forward and turned to face him directly. "That way you could attend your meeting and then join us later." She then turned to Mirella. "And it would give us more time to get acquainted."
He was impressed with her quick thinking. Mirella had always been inflexible when it came to her plans. If she said that tomorrow was the day that she wanted them at her pool, then tomorrow was it and no other day would do. Jyn's idea was logical and as much as he disliked the idea of she and Ashlyra being alone with that monster, it was the only way to protect the negotiations.
"What a wonderful idea!" Mirella approved. "Jyn and I can really talk woman to woman without you there. I can't wait to find out what we have in common besides our taste in men."
Cassian watched Jyn's face as she struggled not to react to Mirella's implication that they had anything in common. (Nothing could be further from the truth. Mirella was pure evil while Jyn was the epitome of goodness.)
"Kathmea can watch the child while we chat," Mirella went on. "That way I can ensure I have your full attention while we talk."
Interesting, he noted. The fact that Mirella was indicating that additional people could join them told him that she wanted witnesses to corroborate her friendly gesture. Yet another sign that this was just a step in her plan and not the endgame.
"Our friend Bodhi has been assisting Kathmea with Ashlyra," he spoke up. "She really enjoys being the center of both of their attentions. Would it be all right if he joined us as well?"
"Of course," Mirella easily answered. "The more the merrier."
"Ashlyra will be thrilled," Jyn said. "Thank you."
"My pleasure," Mirella replied with her artificial smile firmly in place. "I want everyone to have a wonderful time, even your child. I'll contact Kathmea as soon as the meeting ends tomorrow and she'll bring you to my hotel. We'll meet at the pool."
"Sounds like a plan," Cassian told her. "And I'll make my way there as soon as my meeting is over."
"Perfect," Mirella let him know. "I'll leave you to enjoy the rest of your day now. Until tomorrow."
"Until tomorrow," Cassian echoed, wrapping his arm around Jyn's waist and pulling her close.
Mirella gave one more insincere smile before turning and walking away.
"That was...unexpected," Jyn commented as soon as Mirella was out of hearing range. "What do you think that's all about?"
"What it's always about with her: making herself look good," he answered, gently nudging her to start walking to where Ashlyra and the security team were waiting. "She wants to give people the impression that she has a good relationship with us. That way, when she finally makes her move..."
"No one will suspect her," Jyn finished. "Or so she thinks."
"Exactly," he agreed. "She has no idea that there are numerous people aware of the kind of person she really is. She won't get away with anything." He gave her a conspiratorial grin. "Not even a secret affair with me."
"What?!" Jyn laughed. "You're kidding! When did she pull that one out?"
"Oh, it was all she tried to convince me of the entire morning," he told her. "She even used the classic 'your wife doesn't have to know' tactic."
"Yikes," she said, shaking her head. "So that's why she's now making it look like she wants to be friends with me. If she can't get you to dump me, she'll win me over so she can get my permission to sleep with you."
"Or invite you for a threesome," Cassian lightly pointed out.
"Eww! No!" Jyn shot back. "Have you lost your kriffin-"
"Mama! Papa!" Ashlyra interrupted as they came over to where she was waiting with the security team. "The scary lady's gone?"
Cassian and Jyn exchanged a look. Ashlyra had just confirmed what they suspected: she could sense Mirella's true malevolent nature through the Force.
Which made what they were about to tell the little girl all the more uncomfortable than it already was.
"For now," he assured her as he knelt down to her level. "But you'll see her again tomorrow when you go swimming with Mama. Is that okay."
Ashlyra made a face. "No! I don't like her. I don't wanna go."
Cassian glanced up at Jyn, who quickly joined him at their daughter's level.
"Kathmea and Uncle Bodhi are going to be there too," she informed Ashlyra. "They'll be so disappointed if you don't come. And then Papa is going to join us later. The scary lady won't bother you, I promise. You'll be so busy showing off how good you've gotten at swimming to pay her any attention. Oh, and guess what? The water is inside the building!"
Ashlyra gasped. "Inside? Really, Mama? The water is inside?"
"Yes, baby, it's inside," Jyn confirmed. (Growing up on Lah'mu, the only water Ashlyra knew was the lake where they took her all season. They'd never seen the need to introduce her to pools, indoor or outdoor.) "It's called a swimming pool."
"Swimming pool," Ashlyra repeated reverently, clearly in awe of the concept.
"So will you come?" Jyn asked. "Please, baby?"
Ashlyra's face scrunched up in concentration as she thought about it. "Okay," she finally answered.
"Thank you, baby," Jyn said, the relief clear in her voice. She opened her arms and Ashlyra rushed into them.
"So what's this about swimming?" Irack questioned as Cassian stood back up.
"Leader Reedl has invited the family to join her at her hotel's indoor pool," he filled him in. "I'll tell you everything that was said while we head back to the apartment."
Once there, his first order of business would be to contact Draven and share this new development with him.
Whatever Mirella was ultimately planning for him, this was yet another piece of the puzzle.
A puzzle that needed to be solved before it was too late.
((()))
Mirella watched as Cassian, Jyn, and their security team spoke briefly before walking away from the Senate complex.
She wondered what was going through their minds at this very moment. Even if they suspected that she was using this invitation to lure them into a trap, she knew they had no idea what her true intentions were. (She knew from all of the footage from their apartment that Cassian believed she wanted to kill him, which was laughable. Why in the galaxy would she deprive herself of his sexual talents? His death would be a waste.) Jyn's demise would never be attributed to her. It would be ruled an accident and then the real work of winning Cassian back would begin.
But before the "accident" could occur, a great deal of careful arrangements needed to be made.
"Jeek," Mirella spoke, knowing he was always listening for her instructions, "I want you to select three of the servants to perform a task for me. I need them to go down to the pool in the middle of the night and disable the lifeguard droids. Tell them not to worry about security cams. I'll have Erik take care of those before they go. I need those droids completely non-functional before my guests arrive."
"Yes, Mistress," Jeek acknowledged. "It will be done."
"And I have a special task for you," she continued. "Find out where I can purchase a powerful sedative that's fast acting and makes waking the person who took it very difficult. I'm sure even a city like this has a thriving black market. I need it before tomorrow."
"I'll take care of it, Mistress," he promised.
"I know you will," she smiled. "You never let me down."
And that was why he was her one and only true favorite.
"Thank you, Mistress," he said.
"Summon my speeder," she instructed. "We'll go back to the hotel and you and I can spend some quality time together before I need you to get to work."
"As my Mistress commands," Jeek replied.
She watched him as he took out his comlink and called for the speeder to come pick them up. He was truly an exquisite specimen of a man. He was handsome and muscular and was very highly skilled in the bedroom.
Yet he still came only second next to Cassian.
Which meant she'd probably utilize him less often once Cassian was hers again.
But until that day came...
She smiled again as she began to plot how she was going to have him once they returned to her suite.
He was, after all, a very close second.
((()))
As she jogged on the treadmill in their apartment's workout room (yet another included amenity), Jyn saw in the mirror as the door slid open to admit Cassian.
"What did Draven and Yyse have to say?" she greeted him as she reduced the treadmill's speed. "Do they agree that it's not a trap?"
"They concur with our assessment," he told her as he came over to stand by the treadmill. "The invitation is just a public gesture to show the galaxy how generous and friendly she is. Mirella's just using us to make herself look good."
Jyn snorted as she dismounted the now-stopped treadmill. "Too bad it's too late for that to work."
"But she doesn't know that," Cassian reminded her as she took a drink from her water bottle. "Oh, and Draven let me know that all of the Chandrilian security staff has been cleared. There's no one with any connection to Mirella or any member of her staff. She's not getting her information from any Republic personnel. Whoever her source is, that person is outside of the government complex."
"A good slicer could have gotten our information for her," she pointed out, putting the bottle down on the edge of the treadmill. "She has enough credits to hire a highly-skilled one."
"Or she could already have one with her," Cassian countered. "Draven said she arrived with a large contingent of what she referred to as 'household staff.' All male, of course."
"Of course," she agreed.
"And because none of them were supposedly attending the actual negotiation meetings, security didn't bother to do full background checks on any of them," he continued. "The only ones they ran were her security guard and Kathmea. So it's very possible one of these men has the necessary skill set."
"Do you want me to try to get some of their names from Mirella when I'm with her?" she asked.
"No, I don't want you saying anything that would imply we're suspicious of anyone associated with her," he waved her off.
"Hey, isn't all of that what you were supposed to be meeting Draven about tomorrow?" she questioned, recognizing the topic they'd just discussed.
"It was," he confirmed. "Since I contacted him today, he saw no reason to hold on to the information until tomorrow." He sighed. "Which means that I actually don't have a reason not to go with you to the pool. But at the same time I can't go because I made such a big deal about it to Mirella."
"And she'd get suspicious if you showed up," Jyn surmised. "I understand, believe me. Though I wish you were coming with me and Ashlyra. The idea of having to have an intimate conversation with her all by myself..." She shuddered. "You owe me big time, Major Andor."
"Oh, I know I do," he agreed, moving closer to her and putting his hands on her hips.
She draped her arms around his neck. "Do you really?"
"I'd like to think so," he lightly replied. "But, please, tell me what you think I owe you."
"Let me show you instead."
She raised her face to meet his and kissed him deeply.
He returned the kiss and his hands moved from her hips to her back.
"I need a lot more of that," she teasingly informed him when the kiss ended. "But I think I should probably shower first. I'm all sweaty."
"Well, I have a solution to that problem," he informed her, kissing her again. "I'll just join you. Two avians with one stone, I believe that saying goes."
"Hmm, why do I have the feeling I'll feel a lot dirtier after the shower then I did before I got in?" she playfully wondered.
He kissed her yet again. "Think of all the work we'll be able to do on our project," he countered.
The mention of their baby making efforts reminded her that they were not alone in the apartment.
"Where's Ashlyra?" she asked, realizing she didn't know where she was.
The last thing she wanted was for their daughter to walk in on them while they were in a compromising position. (Which she had unfortunately done several times back home...)
"She's with Tookie," he informed her. "We won't hear from her again for hours."
"Oh, I agree," she replied, relieved. Ashlyra's fascination with the tooka was definitely coming in handy right now. "Well, now that that's settled," she went on, unwrapping her arms from around his neck and sliding them down his chest, "where were we?"
"Let me remind you."
((()))
"I had a lot of fun today," Kathmea told Bodhi over the comlink as she sat in the middle of her bed. Too energized to sleep, she'd contacted him almost as soon as she'd finished putting on her nightclothes. "Thank you for everything."
After she, Jyn, Ashlyra, and Bodhi had finished at the beach, Jyn had suggested that Bodhi give her a tour of Hanna City. Jyn had informed them that since she and Ashlyra were going to meet Cassian, she really didn't need their assistance with Ashlyra for the rest of the day. Bodhi had immediately agreed, clearly excited to share his current home with Kathmea. But, he'd instantly amended, he'd only go if Kathmea wanted to.
And she'd definitely wanted to. (Any excuse to spend more time with this fascinating and handsome man...) They'd spent a lovely afternoon together, Bodhi showing her all of his favorite places around the city. Then he'd taken her to dinner at one of his favorite diners. When he'd brought her back to her hotel, she hadn't wanted it to end. She'd had an amazing time.
It was one of the best days of her entire life.
"You're welcome," Bodhi replied. "I had a lot of fun too. You're so much fun to be with, Kathmea."
She felt her face turn red at the compliment. "So are you."
"Th-thanks," he stammered over the comlink and she could imagine that maybe he was blushing too. "So, um, I'll see you tomorrow then?"
"Definitely," she assured him. "I can't wait."
"Me either," he agreed. "Good night."
"Good night, Bodhi," she echoed and then she heard him end the connection.
With an excited squeal, she flopped back against her pillows.
She couldn't wait for tomorrow! Just the thought of spending more time with Bodhi...
She'd never felt this way about anything or anyone before. It was both exhilaration and frightening at the same time. And to think she owed everything to little Ashlyra.
If Leader Reedl hadn't suggested that she offer her services to Jyn...
She looked at the time. It was nearly 1100 and she wasn't the least bit tired. She knew she needed to sleep, but it would be an impossible task at the moment. So she decided that she would made herself some tea and then read one of the holonovels that she had brought with her. That should calm her down and allow her to finally get some rest.
She got out of her bed and headed out of her room. The main living area was dimly lit, but she could see well enough to make her way to the kitchen.
But before she could start crossing the suite, she heard low voices and the sounds of movement coming from the front entrance area.
She turned and was surprised to see Hyrin, Baner, and Larg at the door.
Leaving.
What? she silently questioned. Where in the galaxy are they going?
Given the hour, there were not many places that would be open. And the ones that were were of the unsavory sort. She doubted Leader Reedl would approve of them patronizing such establishments. Were they sneaking out without permission?
Of course, whatever they were doing was their own business. If they wanted to risk incurring Leader Reedl's wrath that was entirely their choice. She'd stay out of it.
Getting into trouble for something she had nothing to do with was the last thing she wanted.
She wasn't going to let anything prevent her from seeing Bodhi again.
Their time together was limited as it was...
((()))
"Mama! Mama!"
Jyn sat straight up in bed as Ashlyra's panicked cries came through the bedroom door.
She jumped to her feet at the same time as Cassian and raced over to the door, hitting the panel to open it as soon as she got there.
Ashlyra stood in the hallway, tears streaking down her face.
"Mama!" she sobbed.
Jyn dropped down to her knees and Ashlyra threw herself into her arms, burying her face against her mother's chest.
"What is it, baby?" she asked as Ashlyra continued to cry.
Cassian knelt down to join them. "Tell us what's wrong," he encouraged, placing a hand on her back. "Was it a bad dream again, little one?"
Ashlyra hadn't had a nightmare in a month. Jyn doubted it was a coincidence that she'd had one after her encounter with Mirella's evil presence.
Though whether or not this was a product of her imagination or a Force vision had yet to be determined.
"Hey, is everything all right?" Bodhi sleepily asked as he appeared in the hallway. "What's going on?"
"Ashlyra had a nightmare," Cassian explained as Ashlyra continued to cry into Jyn's chest.
"Oh, Force," Bodhi breathed. He was one of the only other people who knew about Ashlyra's abilities and they'd told him all about her Force visions. "A bad one?"
"That's what we're trying to find out," Cassian told him.
"Tell us what you saw, baby," Jyn urged, stroking her hair. "Tell Mama and Papa."
Ashlyra's cries finally began to subside into sniffles. She looked up from where she'd had her face buried, her eyes red and wet.
"You weren't moving, Mama!" she exclaimed. "You were so still! I kept shaking you over and over but you wouldn't get up! I was so scared! Why wouldn't you wake up?"
Jyn looked up to meet Cassian's eyes. There were only two things that stillness could indicate and one of them she didn't even want to contemplate. The other, unconsciousness, she'd experienced many times in her past but never during Ashlyra's lifetime. If this was a vision of the future, what sort of thing could cause her to lose consciousness? And how could it happen in front of Ashlyra? She hoped that this was not a vision and instead just a dream generated by a fear-fueled imagination.
Because if it wasn't...
"Oh, baby," Jyn said, turning her attention back to Ashlyra and pushing the terrifying possibility from her mind. "Mama's fine. I'm moving. I'm awake. Nothing happened to me. You have nothing to be afraid of. Mama's just fine. It was just a bad dream."
"Was anyone with you and Mama?" Cassian gently asked and Jyn knew he was thinking the same things she was. "Was I there?"
"No, Papa," Ashlyra tearfully informed him. "Just me and Mama. I don't know where you were. It was so scary!"
"We know, baby, we know," Jyn soothed. "But it's over now and everyone is safe and sound. You don't have to be afraid anymore. Mama and Papa will keep you safe."
"And don't forget Uncle Bodhi," Bodhi supplied and Ashlyra looked towards him, still sniffling. "I'll keep you safe too, Ash."
"See? Nothing is going to happen to any of us," Jyn proclaimed in a voice filled with confidence for her daughter's benefit. "Everyone is safe."
But the truth was that as long as Mirella was around, none of them were truly safe and if Ashlyra's dream has truly been a Force vision...
"It was so scary," Ashlyra repeated in a near-whisper and Jyn hugged her tighter. "I didn't like seeing you so still, Mama. I kept trying to wake you up but you wouldn't wake up!"
"Shh, it's over now," Jyn quietly spoke, starting to rock her. "Mama is awake and with you and so is Papa and Uncle Bodhi. You don't need to be scared anymore, all right? Everything is all right, my little love."
"Mama," Ashlyra breathed as she clung to her mother.
"Do you want to sleep with Mama and Papa now?" Cassian asked.
Ashlyra nodded without looking up.
"Okay, let's get you into the bed," he continued, pulling her out of Jyn's arms and into his own. "Papa's got you."
"Papa," Ashlyra sighed and Cassian kissed the top of her head.
"Is there anything you need me to do?" Bodhi asked as the two of them stood back up.
"No, we've got it from here," Jyn assured him as she rubbed Ashlyra's back. "Thank you though. You can go back to bed."
"You're sure?" he pressed.
"We're sure," Cassian assured him. "She's going to fall asleep almost immediately. We'll see you in the morning."
"Anyway, Tookie's waiting for you," Jyn said with a small smile. "Ashlyra will want a full report in the morning."
"All right," he accepted. "Good night."
"Good night, Bodhi," Jyn replied. "And thank you again."
"You're welcome," he accepted.
"Everything is all right now," Jyn told Ashlyra again as Bodhi turned and went back down the hall towards Ashlyra's room. "I love you, baby."
"I love you too, Mama," Ashlyra said. "And you too, Papa."
"We love you very much, little one," Cassian said. "Let's get you back to bed."
And then he carried her into their bedroom, Jyn following close behind.
