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:

This section contains a sequence that I have been looking forward to writing since I initially outlined the story. It is a true "Lifetime Original Movie" moment and I'm very proud of how it came out. I hope you will enjoy it too.
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...Vivica A. Fox
Kathmea Proan...Anna Marie Dobbins
Jeek Warler...Marcus Rosner
Arneet Suorn...Arie Thompson
Oren Cripic...Matthew Pohlkamp

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 did not like the fact that Mirella was in such a good mood this morning.

From the moment she had entered the conference room, she had been all smiles and friendly gestures towards everyone, which was highly unusual for her. Mirella was normally very selective of whom she interacted with. She only spoke to those who served her personal agenda. This uncharacteristic friendliness set off every single one of his internal alarms and put him on high alert.

She was up to something.

And it made him worry about what she had in store for Jyn this afternoon.

Logically, he knew that neither Jyn nor Ashlyra were in any physical danger. His initial assessment of the situation still stood. Mirella would not put her reputation at risk by doing anything criminal. (Ashlyra's nightmare or Force-vision, whichever it was, was not in danger of becoming a reality today. At least he hoped it wasn't...) But there were verbal ways of inflicting damage and she was a master of that art.

He doubted very much Mirella had any intention of truly getting to know Jyn.

If only he hadn't mentioned that meeting! He wasn't going to be there to protect her because of it. (He and Draven had agreed that he had to wait at least forty-five minutes before leaving the Senate complex to give the appearance of a normal meeting length.) She was going to be on her own with that monster. And Mirella had repeatedly shown her ability to cause Jyn emotional pain.

All he would be able to do once he arrived would be to stop Mirella from inflicting any more damage. He would do whatever it took to draw all of her attention onto him. (And if that meant implying that he reciprocated her interest...) Anything to make Jyn safe again. (At this point in time, he wasn't too worried about Ashlyra. Mirella had barely acknowledged her, which was good. Obviously, she didn't consider her part of her revenge scheme.)

He wished this entire ordeal would be over already. It had dragged on too long as it was and he saw no end to it anytime soon. Mirella had made it clear that she wasn't going anywhere until she got what she wanted. And since neither he nor Jyn knew what that ultimately was...

He inwardly sighed. Mirella unfortunately had them exactly where she wanted them: trapped and unable to escape her grasp. (They couldn't leave until the negotiations were over because he didn't want to disappoint Mon Mothma. And the negotiations wouldn't end until Mirella said they were finished.) It truly was a nightmare.

All they could do was wait for her to make her final move.

And hope that they would survive the attack.

((()))

"I think that's enough for today," Organa announced, her eyes going to the chrono on the wall opposite from where she was sitting. "Leader Reedl, tomorrow I'd like to focus on all of the issues that you continue to object to. Let's delve into what you specifically are finding unacceptable and work on reaching a compromise that works for everyone."

"I'm sure we can do that," Barbreen spoke up before Mirella could comment. She then had the nerve to shoot her a disapproving look. (Once again she wished she had the power to dispose of the annoying woman.) "We're so very close to finalizing Tyrat's admission into the New Republic."

"The issues are so minor," Arneet piped in. (She was another thorn in her side. Like Barbreen, Arneet Suorn was still loyal to Daddy's weak ideals and Mirella had not been able to sway her the way she had most of the High Council. Granted, they were mostly men, but she had her methods for winning over females as well. Time had taught her that sex wasn't the only way of getting what she wanted.) "Solving them should be simple."

"I'm sure the Leader has good reasons for rejecting them," Senator Oren Cripic pointed out. (Mirella inwardly smiled as she remembered how very easy he had been to bed the night of the gala. He'd say or do anything to please her if he thought he'd get another evening with her.) "And once we hear them, perhaps we'll understand her point of view."

"I agree with everyone," Mirella said. "Tomorrow will be the day that the majority of our problems get resolved. And then a new era will begin for all of us."

She didn't bother hiding her elation. She was mere hours away from ridding herself of Jyn once and for all. (The drugged drink was ready and waiting in the pool complex. After Jyn ingested it and the sedative took effect, all Mirella would have to do was push her into the deep end and then wait for the water to do her work for her. It was a fool-proof plan and there would be no reason for anyone to suspect that it was anything other than an accidental drowning.) After she was taken care of, it was only a matter of time before Cassian was back where he belonged. She would just have to be patient until he got over his grief.

But first she would have to "reassure" him that she wanted nothing more than to make amends to him and Jyn. She'd realized too late that she had been too exuberant when joining the meeting this morning and it had put him back on guard with her. (It had been a mistake on her part to allow her happiness to show, but she hadn't been able to help herself. She was so close!) It was imperative that she smooth things over with him before he left for his meeting.

Because the next time they met, he'd be in mourning...

"Well said," Organa declared. "We'll reconvene bright and early so we can definitively resolve every one of these issues. This meeting is adjourned."

Mirella immediately stood from her chair, her eyes searching for Cassian. She caught a glimpse of him as he disappeared through the door. She'd have to hurry if she wanted to catch him before he started his meeting.

"Mirella."

She turned to look at Barbreen, who had not moved from her seat.

"We need to have a chat," the pest informed her.

"It'll have to wait," Mirella brushed her off. "I have a pressing appointment I need to get to."

"This will only take a moment," Barbreen insisted. "Why don't you sit back down?"

"Just say what you have to say," Mirella told her, her annoyance flaring.

"All right," Barbreen accepted. "I just want you to explain to me why you aren't taking these negotiations seriously."

"Excuse me?" Mirella questioned incredulously. "What in the galaxy are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that joining the New Republic was your idea," Barbreen continued. "You were quite insistent about it, if I recall. We are all here because of you. Yet you barely participate in the meetings except to reject minor point after minor point. Your mind is clearly elsewhere."

Mirella silently cursed. Barbreen had always been too perceptive for her own good. It was why she spent as little time as possible interacting with the woman. (She and Daddy had been very close.)

"And where do you think my mind is?" she wanted to know.

"On Major Cassian Andor," Barbreen declared and Mirella cursed again. (Damn that woman!) "Don't think the others and I haven't noticed your excessive attention to that very handsome man. A very handsome married man, I might add."

"And what of it?" Mirella countered. "I have every right to admire a man I find attractive. But what's that have to do with the negotiations? I think you'll find that I've attended every meeting."

Barbreen scoffed, an act that only someone with no fear of public retaliation could get away with. (If only Barbreen wasn't so beloved to the Tyratian people! It was why she kept getting reelected as head of the High Council. Mirella couldn't touch her.) "Oh, there's no question that you're physically there. Your constant strutting around the room ensures that everyone sees you. But you have yet to make one meaningful contribution to the negotiation process. All you do is object to the smallest, most inconsequential items. I'm surprised you listened close enough to hear them."

"You forget yourself, Barbreen," Mirella told her, her annoyance at this waste of her time morphing into anger. "I am Leader. How I conduct myself is no one's business but my own. You and the other Council members can think whatever you want, but I'll do what I want, how I want, when I want. You'd do well to remember that I have final say in everything that occurs in these meetings. Nothing moves forward without my approval."

"Which brings me back to my point," Barbreen stated, as usual completely unfazed by Mirella words. "It's clear to all of us that all of your focus is on Major Andor and whatever you think you can make happen between the two of you." She paused to give a low laugh that showed what she thought about Mirella's chances. (The audacity!) "All I'm asking is that you bring some of that focus to the entire reason you brought us here for. The sooner we complete these negotiations, the sooner you can spend all of your time chasing after him."

"You have some nerve," Mirella informed her, completely infuriated now. "How dare you talk to me, your Leader, this way! You're so lucky-"

Barbreen cut her off with another laugh. "You forget that I've known you since you were a child," she reminded her. "You're still the spoiled, entitled little girl I first met. If your father-"

"My father is dead," Mirella hotly interjected, enraged that she would dare bring Daddy into the conversation. (What impudence! Just because she and Daddy had been close friends didn't give her the right to bring him up!) "And I'm now the Leader instead of him. So whatever you think he would have said or done doesn't matter. I'm the one in charge. And I say we're done here. This discussion is over and I'm leaving."

"Of course, Leader," Barbreen easily replied, her tone making it clear that she didn't mean it. "Whatever you say."

Deciding not to respond, Mirella stormed out of the conference room.

Ooh, the woman was so infuriating! She hated her with every fiber of her being! What she wouldn't give to find some loophole to rid herself of her once and for all! (Killing her outright was out of the question as the Tyratian people wouldn't rest until the murderer of their beloved councilor was found. And if she made it look natural like she had with Daddy...Well, the people would create a planet-wide holiday honoring her.) Her life would be so much easier without her in it!

As soon as she was out in the large hallway, she started scanning for Cassian, who was of course nowhere in sight.

"Mistress?"

Mirella was startled by Jeek's quiet words.

"Did you see which way he went?" she asked without preamble, knowing that Jeek would know to whom she was referring.

"No, Mistress, I didn't," he answered. "I wasn't paying particular attention to him. I apologize for my lapse of judgment."

If it had been anyone other than Jeek, she would have exploded. But the truth was that she hadn't instructed him to be on the lookout for Cassian and to make note of where he went. She hadn't thought she'd need him to, based on her planned agenda. So he hadn't technically done anything that he needed to apologize for. (Jeek was the only one of her servants who followed every single one of her orders to the letter and had yet to fail her. It was why he remained her favorite.) The true fault lay with the infuriating Barbreen, who had delayed her.

"No need," she waved him off, forcing herself to calm down now that she had more important things to focus on, such as getting back to the hotel and getting ready for Jyn. After she was taken care of, she'd have plenty of time to make things right with Cassian. "Go gather the others and meet me at the front entrance. I have to make a call."

"Yes, Mistress," he acknowledged with a nod. He then immediately started off to fulfill her command.

She watched him walk away and then she reached into her purse and pulled out her comlink. She activated the appropriate connection and held it up to her mouth.

"Kathmea," she said in the most excited voice she could manage when it was answered, "it's time to go swimming!"

((()))

If Jyn thought there was nothing left to surprise her in Hanna City, the ambassadorial hotel proved her wrong. The sheer grandeur of the main lobby alone was overwhelming. She felt like it was a small city unto itself. (It put the luxury apartment building she and Cassian were staying in to shame.)

She, Bodhi, and Ashlyra, who was being carried by Bodhi to keep her from running off, were following Kathmea as she led them through the labyrinthine lobby, which was filled to the brim with beings of every species. And, zipping through the crowd, much to Jyn's surprise, were small speeders. (It was a good thing that Ashlyra was being carried. Her excitement level was extremely high, as evidenced by the fact that her gaze was going every which way at once as she attempted to wiggle out of Bodhi's arms. If Jyn hadn't witnessed her nightmare last night, she would have never known she had one. She thanked the Force for her daughter being an easily distracted four-year-old.)

"The aquatics center is the entire lower level of the hotel," Kathmea told them as she led them to the main elevator bank that lay somewhere in the middle of the massive space. "The pool that Leader Reedl reserved is the largest in the facility."

"Wait, I'm confused," Jyn spoke up. "Leader Reedl implied that she had reserved the whole pool facility."

"Yes, the one for humanoids," Kathmea clarified. "The center has multiple indoor pools, each one designated for the needs of different species. For example, there are sealed areas with different atmosphere mixes for non-oxygen breathers. There are also several outdoor pools that are open to everyone.

"Wow, that's a lot of pools," Bodhi commented and Jyn silently agreed. (She'd visited a lot of planets in her time and she'd never heard of such a pool complex existing before. The things one could find on the capital world of the Republic!) "Have you ever been down there?"

"No, actually, I haven't," Kathmea admitted as the elevator bank finally came into view. "But I have studied the hotel maps available on the local holonet. The humanoid facility takes up the largest section of the aquatics center. We won't have any trouble finding it because there's some sort of transportation right as we get off the elevator."

By transportation, Jyn assumed she meant those small speeders she'd observed throughout the lobby.

"Did Leader Reedl not give you a chance to explore the hotel when you first got here?" Bodhi asked Kathmea.

"No, it's not that," Kathmea told him. "It's because, um, well, I haven't spent much time here since I arrived. Most of my time has been, well, spent with you." She then gasped as she realized what she had said, turning bright red in the process. "I-I mean spent with all of you," she stammered as she averted her gaze from Bodhi's. "Helping with Ashlyra, I mean."

"Of-of course," Bodhi instantly agreed, his expression of embarrassment mirroring Kathmea's. "That's ex-exactly right."

Jyn had to work very hard to keep a laugh from escaping. They had no idea how adorable they were together. She literally could not think of a more perfect match for either of them. She hoped they'd realize it themselves sooner rather than later.

"Is it time to swim yet, Mama?" Ashlyra broke into the conversation, bringing her attention back to the present and reminding her of who they were meeting.

"Almost, baby," she promised, wishing they weren't as they finally reached the elevators. "We just have to take a ride down the elevator first. You just have to be patient."

If only the future of the Republic wasn't riding on keeping Mirella happy...

As Kathmea pressed the call button, Ashlyra replied, "Okay." She then proceeded to resume her scanning of her surroundings, wiggling around in Bodhi's arms to get a better look.

Jyn just shook her head. As uncomfortable she was about having to spend time with Mirella, her daughter's antics never failed to amuse her. (Thank the Force Bodhi was holding her! Jyn would have lost her grip ages ago!)

The elevator arrived and the four of them got into the car. Kathmea pressed the button that was labeled "Aquatics Center" in Aurebesh and the door immediately slid closed.

"We're almost at the pool, Ashlyra," Jyn informed her daughter as the elevator began its descent to the lower level.

"Yay!" the little girl gave her favorite cheer and the three adults all laughed.

Ashlyra's excitement was infectious and despite the circumstances of their visit to this pool, she was looking forward to seeing it. If it was anything like the rest of the hotel, it would be something to behold.

The elevator reached its destination and the door opened to reveal a space almost as cavernous as the lobby. And, just like the lobby, it was filled to capacity with guests. As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they were instantly hit with a wall of sound that perfectly matched the sight before them. Jyn could barely hear Kathmea as she said, "This way."

Kathmea led them to a group of those same miniature speeders Jyn had already observed in the lobby. The sign next to them simply read "transport."

"This should take us to the section we need," she explained as she got into the closest vehicle.

Jyn got into the front next to Kathmea while Bodhi climbed into the back with Ashlyra, who he put down onto the seat next to him.

Jyn was surprised to see that there were no driving controls. Instead, there was a card scanner on the dashboard. Kathmea pulled out her room key card and pressed it to the scanner. The vehicle instantly came to life, the dashboard lighting up with a touch screen that listed all of the sections of the aquatics center. Kathmea pressed the one labeled "humanoids" and the vehicle immediately began to move.

"Here we go," she said as the car skillfully began to weave between the pedestrian traffic.

Jyn took a deep breath and began to mentally prepare herself for whatever Mirella had planned for her.

Cassian couldn't join her soon enough.

((()))

Mirella's smile was genuine as she saw her guests exit one of the hotel transports. The time to rid herself of Jyn Andor once and for all had finally arrived.

By the time this day was over, Cassian was as good as hers again.

Everything was working out exactly the way she wanted.

Jyn, Kathmea, the pilot whose name she couldn't be bothered to remember (though she should work on that since he and Cassian were close friends...), and the child all started walking towards where she stood in front of the entrances to the locker rooms. Jyn held the child by the hand, presumably to keep her from wandering off. (In the holo footage, they had repeatedly mentioned the child's tendency to run off on her own.)

She gave an enthusiastic wave. "You made it! Welcome!"

To her amusement, the little girl buried her face against her mother's body as they arrived. (This was something she'd need to remedy if the child was to live with her and Cassian. It wouldn't do for her step-daughter to be afraid of her!)

"Thank you for having us," Jyn returned her greeting. "This place...it's absolutely amazing."

Mirella silently snorted at her reaction. Leave it to a simpleton like Jyn to be impressed with typical elegance.

"Just wait until you see the pool area itself," she said, keeping her voice as cheerful as possible. "I know your little one will just love the children's pool."

"Do you hear that, Ashlyra?" Jyn spoke to her child. "There's a special pool just for you!"

The girl raised her head. "Really, Mama?"

"Yes, really," Mirella forced herself to say, feeling disgusted with herself. (But if this helped her get Cassian back...) "I bet you're a very good swimmer."

The child looked at her mother, who nodded at her.

"Y-yes," the girl confirmed.

Mirella gave the girl her friendliest smile, hoping it didn't looked as forced as it felt. "Well, if you have a good time today, you can come back any time."

The girl looked surprised.

"What do you say, Ashlyra?" Jyn prompted.

"Thank you," Ashlyra said.

"You're very welcome," Mirella told her, deciding this was the perfect time to end this tedious interaction. (She would make sure she saw the child as little as possible once she and Cassian moved into her home.) "Now, let's head into the locker room so we can get ready." She paused, turning to the pilot. "The men's locker room is just through there," she informed him, pointing to the clearly marked opening in the wall just in case he wasn't the brightest. (The pilot types usually weren't.) "We'll meet you by the pool."

"Sounds good," he replied. He knelt down in front of the child. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay, Uncle Bodhi," she said, stating the pilot's name. (She really did have to work on remembering it.) "We're going swimming!"

"Yes we are," he agreed with a smile as he stood back up. "Meet you out there."

He then disappeared into the men's locker room.

Good riddance, Mirella thought. Now she could concentrate on what really mattered: winning Jyn's trust so she could slip her the drug-laced drink without any suspicion.

"Shall we?" she prompted, gesturing to the women's locker room.

"Lead the way," Jyn told her.

She walked through the entrance and once she had gone in just far enough to give them a good overview of the area, stopped to wait for her guests to join her.

She mentally shook her head at the sounds of awe both women made at the sight of the spacious locker room. It was pathetic at how ungalactic both of them were. There was nothing particularly special about the size of the area, which could easily fit around one hundred beings if not more. It was part of a complex designed to host multiple visitors from around the galaxy at any one time. How could it not be large?

"You'll find the refresher stalls to your left," she informed them, pointing to an opening in the wall that led to a separate area. "The showers and the sauna are straight back behind the lockers. The exit to the pool is through that area. And as you can see, there are plenty of lockers to choose from."

The majority of the space was taken up by rows and rows of lockers. They went from the front of the area to the distant back.

"All right," Jyn said and then she bent down to pick up her child and stand her on the bench in between the very first row of lockers. "Let's get you ready for the water, baby."

"Yay!" the child said again and Mirella turned away as quickly as she could so neither Jyn nor Kathmea could see her roll her eyes.

Ugh! So annoying!

She moved to the locker directly across from Jyn's and opened the door. While her important items were stored in a locker much closer to the pool entrance, this one would do for her cover-up and shoes. She shrugged off her cover-up and hung it up on the locker's hook and then took off her shoes, which she placed in the locker as well.

She turned to look at herself in the nearest mirror, which was on the wall across from the row of lockers. She was wearing the most conservative swimsuit she owned, which she smoothed down to ensure it laid perfectly on her body. It was a one-piece that completely, other than two tasteful cutouts in the sides, covered her torso. (It was the one she had always worn when swimming around Daddy. He'd disapproved of too much skin...) Neither Jyn nor Cassian would find it inappropriate for a family-friendly get-together.

And the authorities would not have a reason to give her a second glance when they came to retrieve Jyn's body...

"You look so pretty, Ashlyra," Kathmea was saying as Mirella turned around to see how close they were to being ready.

And had to hold back her laugh when she saw what Jyn was wearing.

A swimdress! The woman was wearing a swimdress! Of all the things she had pictured Jyn in, a swimdress had never been one of them! (No one but old, fat women wore them!) Shorts and a top, perhaps. A typical one-piece, maybe. But a swimdress? (Once more she wondered how Cassian could even remotely find himself attracted to her. It was incomprehensible.)

The little girl was wearing a typical child's two-piece with a skirt while Kathmea was dressed in a simple one-piece. Thankfully, neither one of them possessed Jyn's terrible fashion sense. She hoped the pilot, Bo-whatever-it-was, was also wearing a normal swimsuit.

"Well," Mirella began, eager to set the all-important events in motion, "are we all set?"

"We're ready," Jyn told her.

"Wonderful!" Mirella replied with as much enthusiasm as she could manage. "Follow me to the pool."

"Swimming!" the little girl inanely cried out as Jyn took her by the hand. "Yay!"

As she turned away to guide them to the actual pool area, she rolled her eyes once again. She would definitely have to make sure she spent as little time as possible around the child. She was so annoying!

She led them through the locker room and into the shower area. At the back was a doorway with the sign "To pool" above it.

"Almost there," she promised as she walked through the doorway and brought them into the actual pool area.

She then paused and waited for their laughable reactions.

They did not disappoint.

"Oh wow," Kathmea breathed at the sight of the large pool that took up most of the space. "It's as big as a lake!"

"I didn't know pools this big could exist," Jyn added. "This is amazing."

Once again, Mirella struggled not to give in to urge to burst out laughing. The both of them truly were pathetic.

"Let's go, Mama!" the little girl urged and she started to tug on Jyn's hand. "I want to swim!"

"In a moment," Jyn told her. "Where's the children's pool?" she asked Mirella.

"All the way at the other end," Bohee or whatever his name was provided as he came to join them. "I've just circled this whole area. It's unbelievable!"

Mirella saw the perfect opening to get alone with Jyn.

"Kathmea, why don't the three of you go ahead to the children's pool while Jyn and I stay here for some girl talk?" she firmly suggested, knowing her obedient assistant would not say "no." "We'll join you in a little bit."

Mirella caught Jyn's expression of discomfort as Kathmea predictably replied, "Okay. We can do that."

Obviously, Jyn did not like the idea of being separated from her child, but this was the only way to ensure that Jyn and only Jyn drank the prepared beverage that was sitting in the cooling unit behind the bar. (Putting anyone else to sleep would be pointless and would ruin her perfect scheme.)

"Come on, Ashlyra," Kathmea continued, taking the hand of the little girl that Jyn wasn't holding. "Time to swim!"

"Yay!" came the annoying screech as Jyn reluctantly released her hold on her and let the child go with Kathmea.

Mirella once again fought the shudder that that horrid sound sent through her body. How did they all stand it? (How long would it take the child to grow out of making such terrible noises?) It made her want to scream!

"See you soon, baby," Jyn called after them as they walked away.

"Well, now that we're alone, we can finally have some adult conversation," Mirella spoke once the others were out of earshot.

Little did Jyn know that it would be the last one she ever had.

((()))

Every part of Jyn's body had wanted to protest when Mirella basically ordered Kathmea to take Ashlyra away from her, but she had known she couldn't. To have done so would have alerted Mirella to her continued distrust, which was the last thing she wanted to do. It was imperative that she keep Mirella happy so she wouldn't call off the negotiations.

She would do her best to be as friendly as possible until Cassian got here.

"Why don't you have a seat while I get the two of us something to drink?" Mirella said, gesturing to the rows of lounge chairs along the sides of the pool. "A carbonated water, if I remember correctly."

"Yes," Jyn confirmed, bracing herself for the inevitable pregnancy comments because of the drink. "Thank you."

But Mirella only smiled. "I'll be right back. Would you believe that they're performing maintenance on the server droids today of all days? It's up to us to prepare and serve our own food and drink out here."

Completely shocked by Mirella's uncharacteristic lack of hostility, Jyn didn't know how to respond.

Mirella, still smiling, walked off to the bar area set up alongside the pool.

Not knowing what else to do, Jyn made her way to the nearest chair and sat down.

She looked in the direction of the seemingly far away children's pool, but all she could see was distant motion. Thankfully, it didn't matter because she could hear Ashlyra's happy laughter and the sounds of splashing, which meant that she was safe and sound. She didn't like being so far away from her, but she knew she was in good hands with Bodhi and Kathmea.

"Here you are," Mirella announced as she came back with two glasses. She held out the one with the clear liquid to Jyn. "One carbonated water."

"Thank you," Jyn said, accepting the glass.

"You are so welcome," Mirella replied with that smile of hers. She sat down on the chair next to Jyn's and took a sip of the dark colored liquid in her own glass, which Jyn assumed was alcoholic. "It sounds like your daughter is having a wonderful time. Is swimming one of her favorite activities?"

"Not one of, but the favorite activity," Jyn told her as she took a sip of her own drink. (She wasn't the biggest fan of carbonated water, with its lack of taste, but she didn't think Mirella would have approved if she had asked for a fizzly.) "Ashlyra lives for swimming. She'd go every day if she could."

"I take it that she can't?" Mirella asked.

"Considering the beach is a half hour away from our home, no," Jyn let her know. She took another sip of her water. "We take her every weekend during the warm seasons. But no more than that. The trip takes a lot of work to get ready for, so it's hard to do it too often, especially when we have a farm to run."

She once again braced herself for a verbal assault.

"I can't even begin to imagine what any of that is like," Mirella commented instead, still sounding civil. "My life has been one of luxury and leisure from the beginning. Being the daughter of the planetary Leader meant I grew up privileged. From what I understand, you had a bit of a similar start in life."

"I honestly don't remember my life on Coruscant," Jyn replied, not liking that Mirella had just openly admitted to looking into her background. It meant she probably knew about her years with Saw and then the period of time she spent doing anything to survive afterwards. This was a new development she needed to share with Cassian as soon as she could. "My earliest memories are of the farm on Lah'mu."

"Which explains why you went back there," Mirella said, her tone still friendly. (She was definitely being on her best behavior. Cassian was going to love this when he got here.) "It's clear that Cassian loves you so much that he took on that lifestyle for you."

"It was actually his idea," Jyn informed her, taking another sip of her water before putting the glass down. She chose her next words carefully to see if they would pull a true reaction out of Mirella and she wanted to be ready. "I know he led you to believe he lived a flashy lifestyle when you knew him, but that was only a part of his cover identity. He actually enjoys the simple things."

"As I said before, it's hard to imagine, but I suppose it has to be true," Mirella responded, still maintaining her placid demeanor. "But enough about Cassian for now. I actually want to know all about you. Who is Jyn Andor?"

The question took her completely by surprise. It was more direct than she'd expected and there had been no detectable malice in her voice. But was the question genuine or was Mirella simply digging for more ammunition to use against her later? Hadn't she learned everything she needed to know already by looking into her background?

"I'm no one special, to be honest," she finally answered. "I've always just done what I felt was right at the time. I was alone a lot, so I made decisions that were based on my survival. Not all of them were the smartest or the best, but they kept me alive. But the one decision I'm proudest of was the one where I helped my father prevent a galaxy-wide tragedy at the hands of the Empire."

It was a test to see how much Mirella really knew about her and her history. What she was truly the most proud of was her family.

"Your father was a scientist, correct?" Mirella asked, confirming her fears.

What didn't she know? And how had she learned it?

"Yes," she answered. "He specialized in kyber crystals."

She resisted the reflexive urge to touch the place where her necklace usually hung. It was currently safe in her locker.

"And he worked for the Empire?" Mirella questioned, revealing more of her knowledge. "Though not willingly, I imagine."

"No," Jyn told her, her mind flashing back to that horrible day when Mama died and Papa was taken away. "He was forced. But he got his revenge as the weapon they forced him to build held the key to its own destruction."

"The Death Star, I believe it was called," Mirella said. "I remember hearing something about that years ago. My father was ill at the time, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

"I'm sorry to hear about your father," Jyn offered, wanting to move the conversation away from herself. "I know how painful it is to lose your parents."

"Thank you," Mirella accepted. "At least his suffering is over now. But enough about me and my family. Tell me more about yours."

Not knowing what else to do (Mirella was making it clear what she wanted to be told), Jyn went into a narrative about her early years with her parents on the farm. Mirella was probably bored out of her mind, but she was acting like each fact fascinated her.

Suddenly, Jyn was overtaken by a wave of drowsiness and she involuntarily yawned.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized and she knew she had to be tired because she swore she saw Mirella's smile grow wider. "I don't know where that came from."

"Don't worry about it," Mirella waved her off. "I'm sure being a mother to that child of yours is simply exhausting!"

"It can be," Jyn agreed, but she didn't think that was the case here. Yes, Ashlyra had had her nightmare last night and awoken both her and Cassian, but they had gotten her back to sleep fairly easily. None of them had been awake too long from the dream. No, something else had to be going on here to suddenly be this tired. Could she have picked up a virus?

"Speaking of your child, I think it's time we go join her and the others," Mirella told her. "We can talk more later."

"Good id-" Jyn started to say, but she was cut off by another yawn.

Her eyes suddenly grew heavy and she had no choice but to close them for a moment.

"I'm-"

And then everything went dark.

((()))

"Took long enough!" Mirella complained as Jyn slumped over, fully asleep.

If she'd had to listen to anymore of that drivel about Jyn's beloved Mama and Papa...

She stood up from her chair, taking a last sip of her delicious wine before putting it down. She'd have to wait to finish it until after she'd pushed Jyn in the water. First, she had to get rid of the witnesses.

She walked back to the bar and picked up the blaster that Jeek had left there for her last night. She didn't plan on using it if she didn't have to, but better safe than sorry. (It would mean adjusting her tale of Jyn's demise, but she'd always been quick on her feet as required.) As long as she could convince Kathmea and the pilot to take the child elsewhere for a little while, everything would go according to her current plan.

She headed to the children's pool, the sounds of laughter and splashing echoing louder the closer she grew.

Then she saw Bo-what's-his-face climb out of the pool and head for secondary refresher area that was closest to them.

And she realized she had no choice but to change her plans. If she waited for him to come back to send all three of them off together, the chances that he would want to check in with Jyn before they left were too high. She needed to deal with him first and then getting rid of Kathmea and the child would be easy. (Kathmea never questioned what she was told to do.) It was the only way to ensure the smooth execution of her scheme.

Changing directions, she moved towards the refresher area so she could ambush the pilot before he came back out.

Glancing behind her, she saw that Kathmea and the child were not looking in her direction at all. They were too busy continuing to splash around.

Quietly, she entered the refresher area and listened for activity. It didn't take her long to hear him washing his hands.

Knowing he was too occupied to notice her approach, she moved into the area where he was and quickly entered one of the unoccupied stalls.

She waited while he dried off his hands and started back to the pool area. As soon as he passed her hiding place, she quietly stepped out and hit him with a stun blast.

The pilot collapsed bonelessly to the ground.

"Sleep tight, Bodhi," she remarked to the fallen man, proud of herself for finally having committed his name to her memory.

She stepped over his prone form and moved to the nearest trash receptacle, into which she tossed the blaster. (She had nowhere in her swimsuit to hide it, so it had to go.)

Satisfied that the pilot would no longer be an issue, she returned to the main pool area.

Kathmea and the child were still splashing around, completely oblivious to what had just happened.

Putting a smile on her face, Mirella knelt by the edge of the pool.

"You two look like you're having so much fun!" she called to them.

Both of them stopped what they were doing and Kathmea swam over to the side of the pool.

"We definitely are," Kathmea happily informed her. She looked past Mirella. "Are you and Jyn going to join us?"

"Actually, Jyn mentioned that it was probably time for the little one to have some kind of snack," Mirella said. "I told her that there's a great snack counter out by the outdoor pools. Why don't you take her there for a little something? My treat, of course."

Kathmea looked around again. "Okay. Give Bodhi a few minutes to get back and we'll all go together."

"Oh, you know how men are," Mirella told her. "There's no telling how long he's going to take in there. Why don't you go on ahead and get her started eating. Jyn said that she can get a little grouchy when she's hungry."

Jyn had of course told her no such thing. She had the holofootage to thank for that little tidbit of knowledge.

"I'll send Bodhi out to you as soon as I see him," she finished, knowing that she almost had Kathmea exactly where she wanted her. "You really should get some food in her before she starts complaining."

Kathmea looked back at the child, who was still splashing about. "I guess that would be okay," she finally said, turning back to Mirella. She looked at the girl again. "Hey, Ashlyra, are you hungry?"

"Yes!" the child answered enthusiastically. "I want candy!"

"How about a cookie instead?" Kathmea countered.

"Okay," the child easily agreed. "Cookie!"

Mirella was very glad she had ditched her blaster. One more annoying word out of the child's mouth...

"Swim to me then," Kathmea encouraged the child, who obediently made her splashful way across the pool.

"Where's Jyn?" she asked as if just occurred to her that the child's mother wasn't the one making the suggestion.

"Oh, she's on the comlink with Cassian," Mirella quickly made up. "That's why I came over, to give her some privacy."

"Okay," Kathmea easily accepted as the child reached her. "That makes sense."

It never ceased to amaze Mirella how easy she was to manipulate.

"She'll probably be done and into the water by the time you get back," Mirella went on as Kathmea placed the child on the edge of the pool before climbing up the nearby steps. "Go enjoy yourselves. Take your time."

"All right, thank you," Kathmea said as she took some clean towels off of the nearby towel rack and put them down in a chair.

She then picked up the one that was on top and opened it. She went over to the little girl and wrapped her in it. Next, she wrapped herself in a towel as well. After making sure the towel was secure, she took the child's hand.

"Let's go and get our shoes," she told the girl.

"Oh, there's no need to do that," Mirella interjected before Kathmea could start moving in Jyn's direction. "It's poolside, after all. No one will be wearing any shoes." She pointed out the doorway that led to the outside pools. "Just go through there and you can't miss it."

"Thank you, Leader Reedl," Kathmea said. "Come on, Ashlyra. Time for that cookie!"

"Yay!"

Mirella watched as they left the pool area and exited through the doors to the outside.

"At last!"

Now, it was finally time to do what she had come here for.

She made her way back to the lounge chair where Jyn lay in her drugged sleep.

To make sure she was completely out, she slapped her face a few times, to which there was no response.

Smiling at the drug's effectiveness, she knelt down and started to lift Jyn to her feet.

The woman was much heavier than she'd anticipated.

Thank the gods that she kept in such good shape! Daddy had never understood the hours she put into strength training, because one never knew when it would come in handy.

It was why she also spent time studying different fighting disciplines. One must always be prepared for anything!

Once she had Jyn in a standing position, she dragged her over to the edge of the pool near the eight foot mark. That should be deep enough for her purposes. (The pool went up to twelve feet, but this needed to look like an innocent accident, so Jyn had to go in where she would most likely normally swim.)

With a firm push, she sent Jyn into the water.

Satisfied that she would be dead in minutes, she went over to her chair, picked up her glass of wine, gulped down the remaining liquid, and headed back towards the locker room.

She needed to have a good alibi for why she didn't see "the accident." Getting something from her locker was a very plausible one.

Just as she passed through the doorway back into the locker area, she heard the one sound that meant the complete failure of her plans.

"Jyn! Oh, Force, Jyn!"

Cassian had come to join them early.

"Hells!" she cursed under her breath as she heard the loud splash that indicated he had jumped into the pool to rescue his wife.

She needed to think fast. What could she do to point all suspicion away from herself? The accident story wouldn't fly once the stunned pilot was discovered in the refresher. She needed to create a likely perpetrator. Someone who would have had a reason to kill Jyn.

She ran through the facts she knew about Jyn's past. She had spent eight years with the known terrorist Saw Gerrera. She was bound to have made plenty of enemies while with him...

Now, to truly sell the story, she had to make herself a victim as well.

Walking over to one of the mirrors lining the walls, she slammed her head repeatedly against it as hard as she could until she drew blood.

The pain was excruciating, but the result would be well worth it.

Satisfied that she looked like she had been brutally attacked, she affected a stagger as she returned to the pool area.

No one, not even Cassian, would suspect she had done the damage to herself.

((()))

"Come on, baby! Come on! Breathe for me!" Cassian begged as he performed chest compressions on Jyn. "Come on!" He then pushed air into her mouth.

Force, what had happened? How had she fallen into the pool? Who had done this to her?

Why hadn't he insisted the security team go with them? This was all his fault!

"Cassian!" came a panicked voice behind him. "What's happening?"

He briefly looked up to see Mirella, blood streaming down from her forehead, staggering towards him.

"Someone attacked me in there!" she told him. "I didn't see who did it, but I blacked out! Is Jyn-" She gave a loud gasp. "Oh, no!"

"Call security," he ordered, handing her his comlink. "Have them send a medical team immediately."

He went back to giving her chest compressions.

"Come back to me, my Stardust," he urged before pushing more air into her lungs. "Come on!"

He barely listened as Mirella made the call. All he could focus on was bringing back his love.

Finally, Jyn began to cough, water coming out of her mouth.

He instantly turned her on her side so all of the water could drain from her lungs.

"Thank the Force!" he breathed as she continued to cough.

"They're on their way," Mirella told him as she handed him back his comlink.

"Thank you," he said, meaning it. Then a terrible thought struck him. "Where's Ashlyra?"

He had been so focused on Jyn that he hadn't given much thought to anything, let alone anyone, else. If anything had happened to her...

"She's fine," Mirella assured him. "I sent her and Kathmea for a snack. They're probably checking out the outdoor pool."

"And Bodhi?" he asked as he rolled Jyn back onto her back. She had not regained consciousness, but at least she was breathing on her own. "Where is he?"

"I honestly don't know," she said as the doors to the pool area burst open and a group of medics and medical droids rushed in.

"Over here!" Cassian called. "My wife needs help!"

The group hurried over and Cassian was gently pulled out of the way as the medics went to work checking Jyn.

"We'll take it from here, sir," one of the droids told him as someone else draped him in a towel. "Please give us room to work."

"What happened here, sir?" another voice questioned and Cassian turned to see that a team of the hotel's security guards had arrived.

"I came in here to find my wife floating unconscious in the pool," he told the guard. "And Leader Reedl here says she was attacked in the locker room by an assailant she did not get a chance to see. The two events are clearly related."

"Excuse me, sir," one of the medics interrupted. "What is the patient's name?"

"Jyn. Jyn Andor. She's my wife," he identified her.

"And your name?"

"Cassian Andor."

"All right, Mr. Andor," the medic said. "We're going to transport your wife to the hospital. Would you like to ride in the transport with her?"

For a moment, he hesitated. Ashlyra had no idea what had happened to her mother. He needed to find her and-

"Go," Mirella told him. One of the medics was cleaning her forehead. "I'll find her and Kathmea and bring them to the hospital. Bodhi, too, if I can. Go be with Jyn."

"Thank you," he said, genuinely meaning it. To the medic he said, "Yes, I'll ride with her."

"Follow me," the medic instructed and Cassian obeyed, not caring that he was soaking wet from jumping into the pool.

All that mattered was Jyn and getting her well.

She had to get well.

She was his life.