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:
Here is another section of the story and lots of stuff happens here! There are numerous Lifetime staple moments in this part alone. For those of you familiar with the movies, you'll know what I'm talking about. They were so much fun to write!
It's taken me a few months longer to get this section done than planned, but that is all due to the new furry addition to my family: Fluffy! Fluffy showed up outside of our house back in September and it took until the beginning of November to catch him and get him to the vet. Long story short, Fluffy is now living his best life in our house and the other three cats aren't thrilled by the young newcomer. Mom and I just love him to pieces!
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 (mentioned only)...Anna Marie Dobbins
Jeek Warler...Marcus Rosner
Erik Rydel...Jason-Shane Scott
Piter Yyse...Corin Nemic
Dr. Berz Qwintir...Doug Rogers
Geea Wislin...Megan Best
Larg Sorvin (mentioned only)...Tanner Zagarino
Hyrin Fasher (mentioned only)...Andrew Spach
Baner Ilick (mentioned only)...Thomas Gipson
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.
"She's waking up," Jyn heard as she emerged from the total blackness she had been in.
What...? Where am...?
Her mind was a jumble and her body, her chest especially, was a sheet of pain. All she could tell was that she was in a lying down position.
What had happened?
"Mama! Mama!"
She forced her eyes open at the sound of Ashlyra's happy cries. She was rewarded with the sight of her daughter's beautiful face.
"Hi, baby," she softly greeted her.
"I was so scared, Mama!" the little girl told her. "I love you!" She began to kiss Jyn's face. "Don't scare me again, Mama!"
Confused by Ashlyra's words, she lifted her arms to hug her and discovered that one of her arms had an IV line in it.
What?
"Okay, baby, Papa needs to talk to Mama now," Cassian's voice spoke up and Ashlyra was lifted away from her.
As Ashlyra left her line of sight, she saw that she was in a bed in what looked like a hospital room.
What am I doing in a hospital?
"How are you feeling?" Cassian asked as he sat down beside her on the bed.
"Confused," she told him as he gently touched her face. "And in a lot of pain. What happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember?" he questioned.
"Umm..." She took a moment to try to sort through the last events she could recall. "I was sitting with Mirella. She wanted me to tell her all about my childhood, which I thought was strange, but I knew better than to question her. I suddenly got very tired and the next thing I know, I'm here. What happened to me?"
Cassian took a deep breath before he spoke. "Jyn, you nearly died. I found you floating unconscious in the swimming pool. If I hadn't found you when I did..."
"Oh, Force," she breathed, shocked by the revelation. "How...?"
She didn't understand how something like that could have happened. How could she not have felt herself go into the water? Why hadn't that woken her up? And why hadn't the lifeguard droids pulled her out immediately?
Plus, she hadn't been alone...
"That's what General Draven and Captain Yyse are trying to find out," he answered. "They've opened an investigation and are working with the hotel security to get to the bottom of this." He paused. "You weren't the only one attacked."
Her mind immediately leapt to Ashlyra, but she reminded herself that she'd seen her baby girl just moments ago and she was all right.
"Bodhi was shot with a stun blast and Mirella was physically attacked in the locker room," he informed her.
"What?!"
As unlikely as they'd thought it would be, Mirella was the only one with the motive to harm her. But Mirella had been targeted too...
"To make matters worse, all of the cameras in the entire aquatics center were disabled as were all of the lifeguard droids in your section," Cassian continued. "Whoever is responsible for this attack is highly skilled and sophisticated. This was not the work of amateurs. The cameras were turned off remotely. That fact alone tell us that they planned this in advance."
"But how and why?" Jyn wanted to know. She remembered Mirella saying something about the server droids being down for maintenance. Had that been arranged by the attackers? "Which of us was the main target?"
Mirella was the only one of them who could possibly have enemies given her unpleasant personality and her position as planetary leader. She knew for a fact that Bodhi was well-liked by everyone who knew him. As for her...
As far as she knew, her only enemies had been Imperial and the Empire didn't exist anymore. She'd been nothing but a trouble-maker and petty criminal and had been caught and punished a few times over her short career. She hadn't done anything to warrant a years-old vendetta from anyone. No, the only one who had anything against her was Mirella and that was only because she was married to the man Mirella wanted for herself.
"Captain Yyse and his team have been at the hotel all afternoon and evening trying to answer that very question," Cassian told her. "Irack stayed with them and he'll contact us the moment they find anything out."
"I hope we hear from him soon," she asserted.
She was about to ask to see Ashlyra again when the door to her room slid open and a human doctor, a Togrutan nurse, and a droid came in.
"How are you feeling, Mrs. Andor?" the doctor asked. There was no warmth in his voice and his demeanor was all-business. "My name is Dr. Qwintir. I have the results of your labwork. Is now a good time to speak?"
"Of course, Doctor," Jyn let him know and she felt Cassian take her hand. "What did you find?"
"Before we begin, I'd like to ask all non-family members to please step out into the hall," Qwintir stated and for the first time, Jyn took a good look at her surroundings and who was in it.
Besides Cassian, who was seated with her on the bed, and the medical team, she saw Viena, who was holding Ashlyra, and Waite. Kathmea, she suspected, was with Bodhi.
Viena and Waite did as they were asked, taking Ashlyra with them. The little girl started to protest as they walked away, but Jyn trusted that Viena could find a way to distract her.
"Mrs. Andor, your husband informed us that you are not taking any medications at this time," Qwintir began as soon as the others were gone. "Is that accurate?"
Jyn exchanged a puzzled glance with Cassian. "Yes, that's accurate. Other than some vitamins, I don't have any current prescriptions."
"Hmm," Qwintir said as he consulted his datapad. "How about anything over-the-counter, such as pain-killers or sleep aids? Have you used any of those in the last day or two?"
"No, nothing," Jyn assured him. "I have not taken any drug of any kind in over a year. Why are you asking me this?"
"Because your bloodwork came back showing a very high level of the sedative pambitden," Qwintir informed her. "Pambitden is a very strong, prescription only medication. Your blood is showing five times the normal dosage. Do you have any idea how it may have entered your system?"
Jyn shared another glance with Cassian. She'd been drugged? (Which made sense given how fast she had passed out.) But how and why? Who?
"No," she told him. "No one gave me any pills."
"Pambitden is a liquid, so you would have either drank it or had it injected," Qwintir explained. "I didn't see any injection marks, so you must have ingested it. What was the last thing you drank before you lost consciousness?"
"Water," Jyn answered, still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she'd been essentially poisoned. "A carbonated water. But it didn't taste like anything was in it."
Water that had been handed to her by Mirella.
Mirella who had a motive for possibly wanting her dead.
But Mirella had been physically attacked too...
"It wouldn't have," Qwintir let her know. "Pambitden has no taste." He consulted his datapad again. "Considering the high dosage you were given, you're very lucky that your fetus was un-"
"Fetus?" she cut him off, shocked by the casual way he had mentioned it. "You detected a fetus? You mean I'm-"
"Yes, you're pregnant," Qwintir confirmed. "I'm assuming you didn't know?"
"No," she answered, exchanging a glance of amazement with Cassian. "I mean, we've been actively trying, but my last home test came back negative just last month. I was going to take another test in about a week."
"But now you don't have to," Cassian said, taking her other hand and squeezing both. "We did it, my Stardust. We're having another baby."
"Finally," she murmured. "Thank the Force."
Qwintir pointedly cleared his throat.
"If you don't mind, I'm trying to establish when the pambitden entered your system," he reminded them. "You said water was the last liquid you ingested before losing consciousness. How long would you say it was before it took effect?"
"Um," Jyn replied as she tried to recall how long she was speaking with Mirella before she was overtaken by the extreme drowsiness. "Maybe ten minutes? I'm not sure how much time passed. I was having a conversation and I suddenly passed out."
"I doubt it was that long," Qwintir declared, "but that confirms the water was the delivery system. How much of the water did you drink?"
"Just a couple of sips," Jyn answered.
"Hmm," Qwintir said as he again consulted the datapad. "Considering you had five times the normal dosage in your system, this indicates that the person who administered the drug may have poured an entire bottle into your water. No wonder you lost consciousness so quickly. As I mentioned, it's a very powerful sedative. You're very lucky that was all you ingested. Any higher dosage and you could have died."
Oh, Force! Jyn thought, her hand reflexively going to her stomach.
Cassian covered her hand with his. "Is any of the drug still in her system? Are either Jyn or the baby in any danger?"
"No, the majority of the drug has been excreted in the hours since she's come in," Qwintir informed him. "There wouldn't be enough left in her system to do anything. However..." He turned back to Jyn. "I would like to keep you overnight for observation. I need to make sure that you or your fetus don't suffer any additional effects from the drug that we may have overlooked in our original exam. If everything looks good in the morning, I will discharge you."
"All right," Jyn accepted. "Thank you, Doctor."
"Mrs. Andor," he said with a curt nod. He then turned and walked out of the room, the droid obediently following him.
"Do you need anything before I go?" the nurse asked.
"No, thank you," Jyn let her know. "If you'll please send everyone waiting in the hall back in as you go."
"Of course," she said. "When you do need assistance, just press the call button. My name is Pelomi. I'll be your nurse all evening."
"Thank you, Pelomi," Jyn told her.
Pelomi smiled and then left the room.
"We're having a baby," Jyn happily said to Cassian once they were alone. Nothing else mattered just now, not even the fact that there had been an attempt on her life. All that mattered was that they were finally, finally having a second child.
"We are," he agreed with a smile. "When would you like to tell Ashlyra that she's going to be a big sister?"
Jyn started to think about what would be a good time, but she was interrupted by Ashlyra herself bounding back into the room, followed by, to Jyn's relief, Bodhi and Kathmea. Viena and Waite also reentered, but took positions by the door.
Ashlyra immediately climbed back into the bed and crawled into her mother's lap.
Jyn wrapped her arms around her beloved little girl.
For just this moment, everything was right in her universe.
((()))
Mirella came to a stop as she saw a group of people enter into Jyn's room. This clearly wasn't a good time to go in and make sure that Jyn didn't connect her to her...mishap.
She felt her anger begin to rise over her foiled plan. If only Cassian had stayed away for ten minutes longer! Now she had to start all over again, which meant enduring more boredom as she dragged out the negotiations even longer.
She wondered how she was going to create another perfect opportunity for Jyn to meet her demise. Inviting her anywhere was out of the question as she couldn't be connected to any future incidents in any way whatsoever. (She needed the investigation's focus to be on the fictional narrative she was pushing about the perpetrators being enemies from Jyn's criminal past.) How could she lure her into a trap without doing any actual luring herself?
Truthfully, she didn't know enough about Jyn to predict how she was going to react in particular situations. Her only experience with her had been related to Cassian and their relationship, and she'd gotten quite good at anticipating Jyn's responses to specific innuendo. But she needed more knowledge than that if she were to convince Jyn to willingly walk into her own doom.
But how to get...
Of course! she gleefully thought as a realization dawned on her: Jyn and Cassian's apartment was going to remain empty as long as Jyn was in the hospital. Ever the sickeningly devoted husband, Cassian wasn't going to leave her side and the child would either stay with him or be cared for by Kathmea. (The thought of Cassian's daughter spending time in her hotel room without her father highly amused her.) And in their empty apartment was all the information Mirella would need to paint a detailed picture of who Jyn Andor was.
A picture that would illustrate the perfect way to ultimately dispose of her once and for all.
Pleased that she had found her solution, she pulled out her comlink.
"Jeek," she said as soon as he answered, "let Erik know that I'm in need of his assistance and then come pick me up from the hospital. Get here as fast as you can."
She needed to move quickly if her new plan was to be ready by the time Jyn was discharged.
The sooner she got rid of her, the sooner Cassian would be back where he belonged.
Forever.
((()))
"Any luck with that signal trace?" Yyse asked one of the techs working on that aspect of the investigation into the attack on Jyn Andor.
He doubted they'd be able to find the origin of the signal that took out all of the cameras in the aquatics center, but if there was even the slightest chance something would show up, it was worth the time.
"No, sir," the tech confirmed his suspicion. "All I've been able to find is the fact that it originated somewhere in the hotel."
"Good work," he praised him. "That narrows the field considerably. Keep searching. Let me know if you find out anything else."
His gut told him that Mirella Reedl was the one behind the entire plot. Jyn Andor had clearly been the main target and Reedl was the only person with a motive to harm her. (From what Major Andor had told him, Reedl was fixated on having sex with him and she saw Jyn as the obstacle preventing it from happening.) The drugged drink, which Reedl has provided, had to have been prepared in advance. The other two "attacks," on the other hand, were too spontaneous and clumsily executed in comparison. The ambush of Rook while he was in the refresher and Reedl's so-called assault did not match the meticulous style of the attack on Jyn. (The report from the medic who treated Reedl indicated that her head wound was incredibly superficial and suspiciously looked self-inflicted.) There was also the fact that Reedl had just happened to send her assistant away with Jyn's daughter right before she was pushed into the water. Why do that unless she wanted to make sure no one witnessed her actions?
In his mind, there was no question who the perpetrator was.
The problem was how could he prove it?
He had a feeling that the signal trace would be a dead-end. Whoever Reedl used would have expertly covered his tracks. No, he needed to approach this from another angle. One that even the cleverest of criminals could have missed.
An idea came to him. Just because the cameras had been out in the aquatics center...
"Farrow," he called to the team leader of the group searching all of the feeds that had been active around the time of the center's blackout, "run a facial recognition search for anyone attached to Leader Reedl's party. Let me know the second you get a hit."
((()))
Mirella hated the indignity of having to pretend to be an employee, but Erik had informed her that it was the only way for her to enter into the Andors' building without rousing any suspicion. (He'd explained that it was easier for him to slice into their employee database and add her credentials than it would have been to add her to the Andors' approved visitor list.) And she was willing to do whatever it took to get rid of Jyn once and for all.
Even posing as a lowly hotel maid.
"Take the elevator car numbered two," Erik's voice instructed her in her ear.
Because she was the only one who could physically enter the premises, Erik was guiding her via comlink. She had a small camera attached to the front of her blouse so he could see where she was at all times. (She planned to remove it once she reached the apartment...)
She made her way over to the indicated elevator and joined the group of employees and droids waiting for it to arrive, the call button already lit up. She ignored the confused stares of the staff members, knowing it was her lack of uniform that was drawing their attention more than anything else. (As if she'd be caught dead in something so drab!) But she'd made sure to wear the plainest, most inconspicuous clothing she owned. (Which, unfortunately, was still more expensive looking than anything these menials could ever hope to afford.) It was the best she could do to blend in.
"You're new," the woman standing next to her cheerfully said. "Welcome! I'm Geea." She held out her hand.
Mirella ignored the extended hand. (There was no telling what this maid had previously touched.) "Hello," she coolly replied, hoping the woman would take the hint.
"Where's your uniform?" Geea asked, genuinely sounding curious and clearly not bright enough to recognize a brush-off. "Didn't your supervisor tell you that it's required?"
Mirella was thankfully saved from having to answer by the arrival of the elevator car. She made sure to get in first so she could make her way to the back.
She noted the hurt and confused expression on Geea the maid's face as she boarded the elevator, but she didn't bother Mirella any further.
Idiot! she silently snorted. Hopefully, she wouldn't run into any other overly friendly or helpful people.
She watched the other passengers make their floor selections and then asked for someone to hit the floor one above the highest one chosen. It wasn't her true destination, of course, but she couldn't risk anyone remembering "the new maid" going to one of the private upper apartments. Her goal was to get in and out as unnoticed as possible.
The ride up seemed to go on forever as the elevator stopped at almost every floor. The annoying Geea was one of the first to get off and Mirella was glad to see her go.
When she was finally alone, she pressed the button for the forty-ninth floor.
"It won't take me more than a few seconds to override the locks," Erik told her as the elevator came to a stop. "The mechanism is fairly simple."
Mirella doubted they actually were that simple, but Erik had a tendency to forget that the rest of the galaxy wasn't as technologically gifted as he was.
The elevator door slid open and there, at the end of the very short hall, was her goal.
Behind that door was the key to ridding herself of the pest that was Jyn Andor.
"Done!" Erik announced, the door opening just as she reached it.
"Thank you, Erik," she told him as she stepped inside.
She walked over to the wall panel that she had observed either Cassian or Jyn go to countless times and used it to activate all the lights in the main area.
As the room was illuminated, she was pleased to see that it was exactly as it had appeared in all of the holofootage.
It was time to get to work.
"You'll be well-rewarded for your assistance with this," she let Erik know. (She would have to get creative since sex wasn't as important to him as the rest of her servants. Which she didn't mind at all since he was an abominable lover.) "Now, I wish to explore here alone." She reached up and shut off the tiny camera. "I'll contact you again when I'm finished."
"Sure thing, Mirella," he replied. "Signing off."
The comm went silent.
She shook her head at how flippant he could get with her. Truthfully, she found his insolence distasteful, but his slicing and droidsmithing skills were unparalled, which made it worth her while to put up with his disrespectful behavior. His preference for droids' company made it easy for her to spend as little time around him as possible. (She knew he had a couple of friends among the other servants, but from what she understood, he never socialized with them outside of her house.) Luckily, she'd had not yet needed to discipline him. She doubted she ever would.
She surveyed the apartment, trying to figure out which area would yield the best information about Jyn's habits and interests.
The main living area, as she'd already noted from watching the holos, was bare of any personal touches. The only sign that someone lived there were the toys that were strewn over the floor. Neither Jyn nor Cassian had done anything to make this apartment more like home. (Mirella couldn't imagine not putting her own stamp on wherever she was staying. Daddy had taught her that trick from an early age. "The more comfortable you are with your surroundings," he had said, "the more comfortable you'll be with being yourself.")
Let's try the kitchen, she decided.
One could learn a lot about someone from their eating habits.
She entered the kitchen and her first stop was the refrigeration unit. She opened it up and found that it was filled to the brim with various typical foodstuffs: meats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. There was also a small variety of beverages, including the carbonated kind that children favored. Some sweets were also mixed in. Overall, it was very simple fare, the kinds of things you'd find at a low-end grocery store. Nothing for a refined palate.
In other words, it was a perfect reflection of Jyn.
Next, she investigated the cabinets and found that it too only possessed simple, low quality items. There were numerous breakfast cereals, all of them geared for children. (She would have to break the child of that dreadful habit once she came to live with her. No one in her household would be eating such garbage! She hoped that Cassian hadn't resorted to eating such poodoo out of desperation!) There were also dried and canned goods that could be used for cooking meals, but none of them were of decent quality. This was clearly another one of Jyn's faults. She couldn't even feed her husband and child well!
Also missing were any alcoholic beverages. She knew that Jyn wasn't drinking because she was trying to have a baby, but Cassian? The Cassian she remembered indulged nightly. And drinking was something that could not be faked. So either he had a secret stash somewhere (doubtful) or he had let his wife once again force his hand (most likely.)
Now that she had completed her survey of the kitchen, it was time to investigate the room where she would garner the most useful information: the bedroom.
Thanks to the holofootage, she had memorized the full layout of the apartment. She knew every room and hallway by heart. As she made her way towards the master bedroom, she noted which rooms were the ones that were always dark on her feed. They were the ones that hadn't been touched since the Andors moved in, such as the formal dining room and a formal sitting room. (The family was literally occupying less than half of their apartment. It was such a waste!) She supposed it was a result of their living in such a tiny house back on their home planet. Cassian would have to be broken of such a cramped and frugal existence.
Finally, she reached her destination and paused. Through that closed doorway was the room where Cassian made passionate love to his wife over and over again. The room where he lay naked in bed and wasted his talents on the undeserving Jyn.
The thought both angered and aroused her. She was the only one who he should be pleasuring. Not that...that...criminal!
Perhaps she'd find something explaining his seemingly inexplicable devotion to her.
She touched the control panel and the door slid open. She entered the room and paused once again to take in the space where Cassian had been spending his nights.
Her eyes immediately went to the huge bed.
The bed where his naked body pressed into the mattress as he...
Her arousal skyrocketed as she imagined herself being the one under that amazing body.
Oh, to feel him inside of her again!
She shook herself out of her reverie. She was here on a very specific mission: to learn as much as she could about Jyn so she could use that knowledge to dispose of her.
Once she was gone...
She surveyed the space, trying to remember which side of the room Jyn occupied. (Truthfully, she had paid little attention to any non-sexual activity that occurred in this room.) The two of them kept it neat and organized and, like the other areas of the apartment, devoid of any personal touches. All of their belongings were being kept out of sight.
Since she couldn't remember, she would just have to check all of the dressers and closets until she found Jyn's things. She went over to the first dresser and pulled open the top drawer.
It was filled with obviously male underwear. The unfortunately plain variety that she'd seen on Cassian's body as he dressed and undressed every morning and evening.
She tsked in disappointment at his dull preference. (More of Jyn's influence?) When he'd been "Dominik," he'd worn tiny, form-fitting briefs made from the finest shiny materials. They'd been flimsy and, to her utter delight, extremely easy to rip or cut off of his body. How Cassian could stand to wear something so...ordinary was beyond her.
Deciding to allow herself one small indulgence before resuming her search, she picked up a single pair of underwear and brought it to her face, inhaling the scent she had missed for so long. It was slightly different, but the essence was still the same. Cassian had the most wonderfully masculine scent. Like just about everything else about him, it aroused her.
Fighting the temptation to keep it as a souvenir, she replaced the briefs in the drawer, which she then closed. She also resisted the urge to look at the rest of the drawers. She needed to focus on why she was there, which was learning all she could about Jyn.
She crossed over to a dresser on the other side of the room. Just like before, she pulled open the top drawer and was immediately rewarded with a treasure trove.
Unlike her husband, Jyn kept an eclectic jumble of belongings in her top drawer. It was filled with makeup, jewelry (clearly cheap), datapads, and various other items, such as hair styling tools. (The brush disgustingly had strands of hair still in its bristles! Did the woman not bother cleaning it after every use?)
Mirella examined the collection of Jyn's belongings. As everything else she had seen in the apartment, they reflected how plain and simple their owner was. The jewelry was small and obviously fake and the cosmetics were limited to a very simple pallet of common colors. Perhaps having Erik arrange for her to win a free shopping spree or makeover would draw her out? She filed that thought away as a possibility.
Next, she picked up and activated one of the datapads. It, surprisingly, contained several holonovels. (Jyn liked to read? How unexpected!) Each one came from a different genre. Which meant that Jyn did not have a reading preference, a possibly useful bit of information. Maybe she could do something with this rather than the cosmetic or jewelry side of things? Since Jyn really didn't seem to care much for her appearance...
Turning off the datapad, she replaced it in the drawer, which she then slid closed. She moved on to the next one, which was filled with the plainest and most boring underwear she had ever seen in her entire life! (Did the woman not even give her husband a second thought? Where was even a single items of shimmersilk?) Now she knew that Jyn barely thought about her appearance! What self-respecting woman didn't like to wear stylish underthings? Mirella shuddered at the very idea of wearing anything like Jyn did!
She shut the drawer, deciding that looking any further would be a waste of time. The only thing she had learned was that Jyn was even more boring than she'd already thought. There were no secrets buried in her belongings, not even a sex toy! She'd have to rely on one of the very conventional things Jyn liked to lure her out. (The holonovel angle was the most likely to work.)
Disgusted by Jyn's ordinariness, she decided that she could allow herself one more indulgence before she left.
She made her way over to the bed and lay down. The mattress was the perfect firmness and she once again began to imagine Cassian doing all kinds of pleasurable things to her.
Things she couldn't wait to physically experience...
Things he now only did with Jyn...
She found her hands sliding over her own body in an attempt to simulate what she had seen Cassian do to Jyn over and over again in the holos. She'd memorized all of the different ways he'd touched her while Jyn just lay there, her hair...
Her hair...
Her hair!
Mirella sat straight up as a brilliant idea came to her. Why bother luring Jyn out to her doom when her doom could go directly to her? A weapon of some sort that only targeted someone matching Jyn's exact biometric information. She was sure it would be easy enough for Erik to design something of that nature. (He'd yet to fail to create something she had asked for.) Something that could be operated by a droid instead of a living being. (She didn't want to have to rely on one of her servants again. It went so well the last time...)
Something that would ensure she wasn't connected to the scene of the crime in any way, shape, or form.
She practically jumped out of the bed and went back to Jyn's dresser, pulling out the top drawer.
The drawer with the brush full of strands of Jyn's hair.
She reached up and activated the comm that was still in her ear.
"Erik," she spoke as she plucked several of the strands out of the brush, "I need you to make something for me.
"Something very special."
((()))
Cassian sat next to Jyn in her hospital bed while Ashlyra soundly slept in her mother's lap. Leia sat in a chair placed by the bed, having come to visit after hearing about the incident from Draven.
"I have to say I'm sorry to see you go so soon, but considering what happened, I agree it's for the best," Leia said after Cassian had informed her of their plans to return to Lah'mu as soon as Jyn was discharged. "You were very lucky this time. We don't know if that would still be true the next time."
"That's why we're leaving the moment Jyn's released," Cassian agreed. "It's become very obvious that Jyn was the intended target. We don't want to give the perpetrator a chance to try anything again."
"As you should," Leia agreed. "Any theories about who could have been behind the attack?"
Cassian exchanged a look with Jyn. "There's only one person who has anything against Jyn, but since she was attacked too..."
"Mirella," Leia guessed.
"Yes," he confirmed.
"But she has no reason to want me dead," Jyn spoke up. "Out of her way with Cassian, yes, but dead? I don't understand it."
Cassian put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I'm the one we assumed Mirella would want dead. But she's instead been spending all of her time trying to convince me to sleep with her. That's why we can't be sure that she's the actual perpetrator."
"Makes sense," Leia nodded. "So who have you told besides me that you're leaving?"
"We let Irack know and he said he'd pass the information to General Draven and Captain Yyse," Jyn let her know as she stroked Ashlyra's hair. "We know Chancellor Mothma won't be happy when they tell her, but I just want to be back home."
"Don't worry about Mon," Leia assured her. "She'll understand. As you said, she won't be happy, but she'll most definitely understand. I've been keeping her apprised of Mirella's behavior, so she's aware of where her priorities lay. And it's certainly not with becoming a member of the New Republic. But if it turns out that she's guilty of attempted murder, Mon will immediately end the negotiations anyway on principle."
"What about the other senators?" Jyn questioned. "If it turns out she's not guilty and Mirella ends the negotiations because we've left, will they be as understanding of our decision?"
"Honestly? It depends on how fast the negotiations break down after your departure," Leia answered. "As you said, Mirella has made it clear from the beginning that no Cassian, no negotiations, but that was before the talks started and before Councilor Cintras got directly involved. And Barbreen is fully-supportive of a New Republic membership. She'll want to keep talking and ultimately reach an agreement. The problem is that Mirella has the final say. If it weren't for her and her clearly random objections, an agreement would have been reached the first day."
"What was that last thing she objected to?" Cassian spoke up. "Something about taxes on exports?"
"Something like that," Leia confirmed. "Everything she's found fault with has been minor. My feeling is that she's using her objections as a stalling tactic."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Cassian said. "The longer she draws out the negotiations, the longer she has to try to win me over."
"Which even a blind person can tell will never happen," Leia declared. "It will be interesting to see what she does when she's found out you've left. And if it turns out she's guilty, her reaction will be even more interesting."
"As long as we're home and away from her, I don't care what she does," Cassian told her. "She's never getting within a klick of my family ever again."
"I'll make sure the New Republic does everything in its power to make sure that never happens," Leia promised, getting to her feet. "And, on that note, I should get going now. Ben will be waking up from his nap very soon and he's going to be very hungry when he does."
"Leia, thank you for everything," Jyn told her. "You have been an amazing friend."
"And I plan on staying one," Leia asserted. "I'll be keeping in touch with you even after you're home. I want to know everything about that little one's progress."
"She is a special one," Cassian agreed, looking down at his sleeping daughter.
The Force lesson Leia had given Ashlyra had been a great help and the little girl has been faithfully doing her daily exercises.
Yet she'd still had a nightmare the other night...
Cassian wondered if he should mention it to Leia before she left since the nightmare had been about Jyn.
A nightmare that had involved Jyn being unable to wake up, as if drugged.
A nightmare both parents had so easily dismissed, so sure they had been that Mirella wouldn't try anything...
But before he could bring it up, the door to the room open and Captain Yyse came in.
"Major Andor, may I speak to you in private?" the man asked without preamble.
Cassian glanced between Jyn and Leia, who had sat back down, before turning his attention back to Yyse. "If this is about the attack, we can speak here. I know that both Jyn and Senator Organa are very interested in your findings."
"Very well," Yyse replied. "Because of the fact that she was drugged, I have been approaching the investigation from the angle that Jyn was the primary target. Given the premeditated component of the attack and the fact that we know that Leader Reedl has been openly hostile to Jyn on multiple witnessed occasions, I believe Leader Reedl to be our prime suspect."
Cassian again shared a look with Leia and Jyn. The fact that Yyse had come to the same conclusion as they had was the confirmation they had been dreading.
Mirella had tried to kill Jyn.
Why?
And, even worse, it had to have been planned in advance. Which was a new behavior from Mirella as far as he knew. The Mirella he had spent a month with ten years ago had been sole reactionary, only taking action when pushed to it.
He knew the main goal was ultimately to hurt him, but murdering his wife would not accomplish her other seemingly important one, which was getting him back in her bed.
Or was that just a distraction?
"If she's the one behind everything, why was she attacked too?" Jyn wanted to know. "She could have just claimed she had stepped out when it happened."
"It's to make her story more believable," Cassian explained. (In his years of intelligence work, he'd seen this very same ploy used multiple times. Sadly, he'd fallen for it more than once. Some beings were just very convincing until the evidence told a different story.) "Just saying she left for some reason and then came back just when I found you is very suspicious sounding. Saying she was attacked as well... You see my point?"
"I do," Jyn nodded.
"And the evidence supports her attack being fabricated," Yyse added. "I've seen the report from the medic that treated her. The wound was superficial and could have been self-inflicted."
Cassian found himself completely unsurprised by this piece of information. Mirella had proven time and time again just how far she'd go to get her way and what she did when she didn't. (He'd been at the receiving end of her violent temper more than once.) It didn't seem too far-fetched that she would literally injure herself to sell her story of an unknown perpetrator.
"Do you have evidence directly linking her to the attack?" he asked, curious what, if anything, Yyse had found. (Mirella was very meticulous in her every action. He doubted she'd gotten sloppy in the intervening years since he'd known her.) "How about with the camera and droids?"
"Nothing directly at this time," Yyse admitted, "but I have enough circumstantial evidence to start looking at members of her personal household staff." He handed him a datapad with a picture displayed. "This is Erik Rydel, one of the men who accompanied her from Tyrat. He is a known slicer and droidsmith with outstanding warrants in numerous systems. He dropped off the radar several years ago and now we know why. He's been living in the Reedl household and he's listed in their records as an employee. He possesses the exact skill set needed to turn off the necessary cameras remotely."
"But the droids were shut off manually, were they not?" Leia spoke up. "That's what I was told."
"They were," Yyse confirmed, "but that's a task anyone without any special technical skills can perform. Which is why," he continued as he took the datapad back from Cassian and began rapidly tapping the screen, "I had my team check the security footage from the hotel lobby with facial recognition for any other employees of the Reedl household from the time the cameras went out in the aquatics center. And they got three hits." He handed the datapad back to Cassian. "This is the hotel lobby five minutes after the cameras cut out."
Cassian watched as three men appeared on screen. They crossed the lobby to the main elevator bank and pressed the down call button. All three carried satchels.
"Facial rec identified them as Larg Sorvin, Hyrin Fasher, and Baner Ilick. All three are in the employ of the Reedl household. And all three of them accompanied Leader Reedl here to Chandrila," Yyse finished.
Cassian was impressed by everything Yyse had found. He was very good at his job, which was why Draven had called him his top agent. But more was needed than their faces on security footage to connect them to the attack.
"All I see are three men taking an elevator," Cassian said, playing the Sith's advocate as he handed Yyse back his datapad. "Where's the proof that their destination is the aquatics center?"
Yyes smiled at Cassian's tactic as he accepted the pad. He knew he was being tested. "There are only three levels below the hotel's main lobby. One is an exercise center, another is a spa, and the third is the aquatics center. The cameras only went out on the aquatics level. We did not see them emerge on either of the other two levels. Unless they remained in the elevator for the approximately thirty minutes it took them to reappear in the lobby, they could have only gone one place. And that place is the aquatics center."
"All right," Cassian replied, nodding his approval of Yyse's intel. "This is very good. But it still doesn't directly connect them to the sabotage. I assume you haven't brought this to General Draven yet?"
He knew that Draven wouldn't accept anything less than complete proof that Mirella was behind the attack.
"No, not yet," Yyse confirmed. "I have another part of my team working on the drug angle. They're trying to track down where the pambitden was purchased and by whom. I'm reasonably certain it was bought here in Hanna City and not transported from Tyrat. Leader Reedl didn't know where she would be staying before she arrived, so she couldn't have planned it before she knew about the aquatics center. There are several black market sites that operate on the city outskirts. My team is both canvassing on foot with holos of her and her associates as well as scouring holofootage from the surrounding areas. It shouldn't take more than a few days to track it down."
"A few days?" Jyn repeated, sounding shaken from everything she was hearing. She looked at Cassian. "Should we change our plans and stay longer?"
"You're leaving?" Yyse asked, surprise in his voice. "Before we finish the investigation?"
"We felt that we'd be safer at home," Cassian explained. "Our farm is isolated and we have numerous security measures in place. If Mirella is indeed the one behind this and she somehow knows where we live, whoever she sends wouldn't be able to breach our perimeter without our knowledge. We'd be able to get away before anything happened."
"I disagree," Yyse countered. "From your own description, Leader Reedl is willing to go to extreme measures to secure what she wants. We already know she has one slicer in her employ and look what he was able to do to a highly secure hotel without leaving a trace. Your home security measures won't stand a chance against someone like that. Stay here and you'll remain under the protection of both the New Republic and Chandrilian security. I truly believe that this is the safer choice."
Cassian turned to Jyn. He had to admit that there were advantages to staying on Chandrila. At home, he'd be the one solely responsible for protecting his family. (Jyn, as much as she'd want to help, needed to put the safety of their unborn child ahead of her own. If Jyn were to be injured...) Here he would have Yyse and an entire team working to keep Jyn, Ashlyra, and the baby safe. But the final decision rested with Jyn. She was the one who's life had been nearly taken.
"What do you think?" she asked him, surprisingly passing the decision to him.
"I think we should stay," he truthfully told her.
"I think you should stay as well," Leia spoke up. "When we thought it was someone else, I agreed that it was best for you to go home. But know that we know it's Mirella, I'll personally feel better knowing you're actively being protected."
"Then we'll stay," Jyn decided, turning her attention to the sleeping Ashlyra. "But only until the investigation is over and Mirella or, if it isn't her, whoever else did this is in prison."
"Fair enough," Yyse accepted. "I'll have my team place a full surveillance unit on Leader Reedl herself as soon as I get back. That way her location will be known at all times. If she tries to come anywhere near you, she'll be stopped before you're even aware of her presence."
"Thank you, Captain," Cassian said, knowing that this was the best that could be done until her guilt was proven.
"Of course," Yyse nodded. "All right, I'm going to go and check on my team's progress and get the surveillance in motion. I'll have Irack keep you informed of any new developments as we learn them."
"Thank you again," Cassian told him. "I look forward to speaking with you again as the investigation moves further along."
"It would be my pleasure, Major," Yyse let him know. He turned to Jyn and Leia. "Senator, Jyn."
"Thank you, Captain Yyse," Leia addressed him.
Yyse nodded and then left the room.
"Oh, Force," Jyn murmured. "I didn't want to think Mirella was responsible, but it's looking more and more likely that she was. And... And... She wants me dead."
"I won't let her get near you ever again," Cassian swore as he put his arms around her.
How in the galaxy were they going to get out of this horrifying situation?
From the very beginning, he'd assumed that he was the only one in true danger from Mirella. He, after all, was the one who'd hurt her all those years ago. He'd worried that Mirella would try to physically harm either Jyn or Ashlyra, but he'd never believed she would go as far as killing either of them. If she was going to kill anyone, he'd thought it was going to be him.
Instead she'd attempted to murder Jyn.
Innocent, pregnant Jyn...
"I knew Mirella was a piece of work, but even I didn't see this coming," Leia bluntly stated. "She made it very clear what she thought of Jyn, but never in a billion years did I think she'd try to kill her. My impression was that she was trying to intimidate Jyn into leaving you. But killing her? It's so unexpected and unbelievable."
"I don't understand it either," Cassian admitted. "Losing Jyn would destroy me, which I'm sure that Mirella ultimately wants, but it would prevent her from achieving her other goal, which is bedding me. Why spent all of that time trying to convince me to cheat on Jyn if she was planning on killing her before she got me into bed? She has to know that if Jyn dies I'd be even less likely to sleep with her. Am I missing something?"
"If you are, then I am too," Leia declared. "The bottom line is that Mirella is clearly insane. Nothing that she does is going to make sense to a normal person. Her reasoning is most likely convoluted and full of holes."
"I really don't want to be here anymore," Jyn said and Cassian pulled her tighter against him. "But I know it's the safest place."
At that moment, Ashlyra began to stir.
"Mama?" she sleepily asked.
"I'm right here, baby," Jyn let her know.
"I really should get going now," Leia said to Cassian as she got to her feet. "I'll be in touch."
"Thank you for everything," he gratefully told her.
"Of course," she smiled. "Now excuse me so I can go take care of my son while you take care of your girls."
"I will," he assured her with a nod.
As she left, he turned back to Jyn and Ashlyra.
"Hi, Papa," Ashlyra greeted him.
"Hi, little one," he returned, smiling down at her.
Nothing was going to happen to his family if he could help it.
They were everything to him.
He would do whatever it took to keep them safe.
Anything.
((()))
Yyse ended the call with his team leads. They still hadn't found the source of the pambitden, but they'd barely searched half of the black market sites. It was only a matter of time before they located it.
But Mirella Reedl wouldn't know that.
And that was how he'd get her to slip up and incriminate herself.
It was the reason he'd refrained from ordering the surveillance just yet. With Jyn Andor securely in the hospital and her husband and daughter with her, they were safely out of Reedl's reach. The plan was to draw her into a casual conversation and to drop a hint that Jyn had told security she knew who was behind the attack and that there's be a news conference the next day. (Reedl didn't know him, so he could easily approach her without arousing her suspicion. She was a very beautiful woman and from what had been in Andor's report from ten years ago, she solicited the attention of strange men on a regular basis. She wouldn't think anything of him coming up to her.) If Reedl was the type of being he was certain she was, she'd want to take immediate action to silence Jyn. And when she did, he'd catch her in the act and arrest her.
It was a risky plan, but if it worked... (The general was always encouraging creative thinking to get a job done. Nothing was off-limits as long as it produced results.) Major Andor deserved a quick resolution to this investigation. He was the reason Yyse had joined Intelligence despite having never met before now and he wanted to pay him back by solving this case of who had tried to murder his wife.
Yyse had joined the Rebellion nearly a year after Andor had resigned and after hearing story after story of the work Andor had single-handedly accomplished as an Intelligence agent, decided to join Intelligence himself. The man had inspired him with his acts of bravery and with the skills he used to infiltrate the Empire. General Draven had taken notice right away of Yyse's keen interest in Andor's exploits and taken him on as his protégé. In the end, field work had not been a good match for him, but his investigation skills were unparalleled and thanks to his research, numerous missions were successfully completed that wouldn't have been without his discoveries. Now that the war was over, he was using those same skills to lead investigations for the New Republic government, like this one.
Now that he was ready to approach Reedl, he just had to find her.
Thankfully, he had many friends within the local Chandrillan security force. Xendra Hinrat just happened to be on the detail that had been assigned to the ambassadorial hotel. If anyone would know if Reedl was in or had gone out, it would be her.
He dialed Xendra's code into his comlink and waited for her to answer.
((()))
Mirella scanned the seedy bar as she slowly nursed her drink. The current male patrons didn't took promising, but she was sure she'd eventually find someone worth celebrating her impending success with. At 2100, the night was still young and there would always be more men coming and going.
As much as she enjoyed the roster of servants she'd brought with her (they were the most talented in her household), this special occasion called for something different. (With Jeek busy monitoring Erik's progress, he was unavailable to participate.) So she'd decided to go out into Hanna City and see what she could find in the local pool of men. She'd chosen a bar in the less prosperous section of the city to ensure that whoever she picked up wouldn't know who she was. (She couldn't risk some local blabbing to a gossip holo that he'd been with the Tyratian ambassador, which would ruin her reputation among the Republic elite.) Hopefully, by the time she returned to her suite, Erik would be done with the weapon.
Erik had been intrigued from the moment she had presented him with her idea of a biometric target lock. He'd started sketching designs almost immediately. He seemed to favor making a small explosive that would activate when Jyn was in close proximity. The only problem with a device like that was that it would not only kill Jyn, but anyone with her. (How could she make sure Cassian was nowhere around when Jyn was taken out?) But then again, a bomb was a useful weapon because it didn't need to be loaded or fired and it could be planted by a droid. It also would make it very easy to continue pushing the narrative of an enemy from Jyn's past. (There wouldn't be enough evidence left to trace back to anyone.)
And if her child just happened to be with her when the bomb went off...
Oh, well. Just another loss for her to comfort Cassian about.
"You are far too beautiful for a place like this," a voice commented beside her.
She turned and found herself facing Captain Yyse, one of the security people she'd seen Cassian speaking with in the holofootage. She knew from the little of the conversations she'd listened to (so boring!) that he was one of the higher-ups in Republic Intelligence and he seemed to be in charge of the assigned security detail. Because he wasn't directly involved in the negotiations, she hadn't given him any further thought.
What in all of the hells was he doing here?
"Why ever did you choose someplace so utterly beneath you?"
And flirting, apparently.
"I wanted to go somewhere where I wouldn't be recognized," she coolly informed him.
"Impossible," Yyse asserted. "You are much too attractive to not be noticed. You stand out in any crowd."
Mirella tried not to laugh at his juvenile pick-up lines. This clearly was a man who most likely didn't have much luck attracting women in places like this. It was extremely amusing that he was hitting on her of all people. He had to be extremely desperate if he was trying his luck with her because she knew that he knew exactly who she was and probably had heard all of Cassian's stories about what she was like.
Unless...
As unprofessional as his approach was, could he actually be here for her? Could there be some component to the New Republic membership process that she was unaware of? (She knew it couldn't be because of Jyn's "accident" because she had worked very hard to make herself a victim. Her head still hurt from where she'd slammed it against the mirror.) Maybe a morality clause that guided representative's behaviors? (How they would monitor something like that she didn't know.) Was it possible that he was here to observe her when she wasn't at the Senate building?
Well, there was only one way to find out.
"Would you like to sit down and join me?" she offered, already knowing his answer.
"I'd love to," he instantly accepted, sitting on the barstool next to hers. "A tsiraki, please," he ordered from the bartender droid before turning back to her. "I'm Piter, by the way."
"Mirella, but I'm sure you already knew that," she answered, taking a sip of her emerald wine.
"True, but I only know of you as Leader Reedl," he replied, surprising her. "And from a distance at that. I happen to work security at the Senate building, so I've only seen you from afar. I'm glad I'm getting to meet you in person."
How interesting, she silently mused. She knew for a fact that he did more than just "work security." And that he was aware of her past with Cassian. Why was he lying?
"Is that so?" she wanted to know as the droid handed him his drink.
"Oh, yes," he confirmed. "As I said, you are very beautiful. I've wanted to meet you since the day you arrived."
She wondered if there was any truth to that statement considering that he was lying about everything else. Though, if he was just here to pick up women, it would make sense that he would lie about his true profession. After all, how many women would willingly go with a spy? She would have to tread carefully until she could be sure of his intentions.
"So why haven't you?" she asked, keeping her voice neutral. "Met me, I mean."
"Because you're never alone," he pointed out, taking a gulp of his drink. "It if isn't with other politicians or your companions, it's that bodyguard of yours. And I have to say the man is very intimidating."
She smiled at the mention of Jeek. "He's perfect for his job, isn't he?"
"Did you give him the night off or something?" Yyse questioned.
It was the perfect thing to ask that could apply to any of his possible purposes for being in this bar. For instance, if he was trying to pick her up, he'd want to know if she was truly alone.
"He's working on something for me," she truthfully told him.
"Ah," he accepted. "That's why you're here all alone."
"Tell me, Piter, is this your typical kind of place to come and unwind?" she changed the subject.
"It is tonight," he let her know. "I like a lot of variety in my downtime. It keeps life interesting."
"I bet it does," she replied, noting his use of the word "downtime". "What brings you to this part of Hanna City?"
"I just happened to find myself here," he informed her. "I was driving around and this place caught my eye." He slid his stool slightly closer to hers. "Just like you did the moment I saw you sitting here."
She recognized the tactic and immediately relaxed her guard. There was no question at this point that he was just trying to pick her up. She'd witnessed the stool sliding move countless times. It always meant only one thing: he wanted to leave with her.
"I told you I came here because I didn't want to be recognized," she reminded him. "I didn't think I'd run into anyone who knew me."
"But aren't you glad you did?" he pressed, moving his stool a little bit closer. "No one else here would treat you the way you deserve to be treated."
"And you think you can?" she challenged.
"I know I can," he confidently asserted. He reached out and boldly ran a finger up her forearm. "All you have to do is give me a chance."
She nearly burst out laughing at his pathetic attempt at seduction. Yyse was so definitely not her type and normally she would have brushed someone like him off, but given the poor selection currently around her, she supposed she could make do. Hopefully, he would be better in bed than he was at trying to get her into it.
"That's quite a claim you're making, Piter," she replied, taking her hand and placing it in his lap. "I'll have you know that I have very specific requirements for any man who wishes to be with me." She slid her hand onto his crotch and stroked him, immediately getting a reaction. "At least I can say you definitely meet one of them."
Yyse's face did not betray his arousal. (Like Cassian, she mused. In that, they were the same. It must be a part of their training.) "Tell me the others and I'm sure you'll find me worthy."
"Oh, no, those are things that can't be spoken about," she informed him. "I have to...experience them, you see. Are you willing to let me experience them?"
"How soon do you want to begin?" he replied.
She smiled. Perhaps he wasn't going to be as disappointing as she feared.
"What about now?"
"It works for me," he let her know. "You know, I have to say I'm impressed with how quickly you've recovered from that attempt on your life."
Mirella froze, her hand stopping mid-stroke. "Excuse me?"
Why in all of the hells was he bringing that up when she was about to show him the best night of his life?
"You were involved in that pool incident, right?" he said as if he didn't already know. (He was working directly with Cassian and Jyn and was high up in Intelligence. Of course he knew!) "At the hotel with those other people. Everyone in security's talking about it. It's big news."
Her guard snapped back into place and she pulled her hand back. If he was the low-level security guard at the Senate complex that he claimed to be (which of course he wasn't), he would have no idea what happened outside of it, especially when it came to an open investigation. But not only that, she knew for a fact that the incident had not been made known to anyone not directly involved in the investigation. No one would be talking about it.
"And what of it?" she wanted to know, suddenly doubting that he was here just for a casual hook-up after all. No one of his rank would be so careless with his cover. "Why are you bringing this up?"
"It's just that I've heard that there's going to be an arrest soon," he claimed. "The woman who nearly drowned, Jyn, I think her name is, apparently has named her assailant. There's going to be a news conference in the morning. I thought they would have told you since you were attacked too."
Liar, she mentally scoffed. What in the galaxy was he playing at? He knew very well who Jyn was and that she couldn't possible know who had put her in the water. (She'd been unconscious thanks to that drug Jeek had picked up for her.) Why was he making these things up? What was the point? And, most importantly, why tell her?
"No, I haven't heard a single word," she truthfully told him. (Because there hadn't been a word to hear.) She put her hand back on him, not wanting him to know that she was on to him. "What are they saying? Have you heard a name?"
"That's the one piece of information no one is talking about," he told her and that was when she knew he was lying directly to her. "Everyone I talk to claims it's above their pay grade."
She silently snorted at that. From what she had gathered from his conversations with Cassian, very few people had a higher pay grade than Yyse did. He would be one of the first people to know if Jyn had named her attacker, which was impossible. Why tell her all of these lies? What was he expecting from her?
Unless...
Impossible, she shook the thought off. There's no way.
It had been the perfect crime. No witnesses and no evidence. It had only been ruined because of Cassian's bad sense of timing.
"But enough about that," he waved her off as if the information he shared wasn't important. "We were discussing my meeting of your requirements." He leaned in closer and brought his mouth to her ear. "Let's go someplace private where you can experience them."
He knew. Somehow, he knew. Or he at least suspected that she was the one behind the attack. Which, she couldn't be sure but it ultimately didn't matter. What mattered was he had somehow come to this conclusion and decided to dangle this false information in front of her. For what purpose she couldn't figure out. What was he expecting her to do with it? Bribe him to drop the investigation?
Which told her that he hadn't shared his suspicions with anyone else. That meant they would die with him.
And die he would.
She never left home without her trusty vibroblade tucked somewhere on her body.
It came in handy when she had to take care of problems like these on her own.
She gently squeezed him through his pants and felt him harden further.
"I know just the place," she seductively informed him. "Follow me."
She stood up from her own barstool and waited for him to get up from his.
She might as well use him for sex before disposing of him. He was ready and willing and he'd be so distracted with pleasure that he'd never see the end coming. It was a win-win for her.
The perfect kind of situation.
Yyse stood up from his stool, his erection clearly visible through his pants.
Very nice, she thought at the sight of him. If he knew how to use it, she'd thoroughly enjoy the experience before she ended him.
She leaned in and kissed him hard. (She was not normally a kisser, but she found that it was a useful tool when it came to getting a man to give in to her.)
"Come," she said, taking his hand.
She'd studied the layout of the place before she'd sat down at the bar. There was a hallway that was labeled "Refreshers" and if she was right, there's be another door at the end. Hopefully, it would lead to a nice, dark alley.
She firmly pulled him after her towards the hallway.
"We headed for the refresher?" he asked, his voice curious.
"Somewhere much hotter," she assured him. "Trust me."
"I do," he said, to which she smiled.
You shouldn't.
Just as she'd thought, there was a door with an exit sign.
Let's see if there are no holocams, she thought as she hit the activation panel.
She drew Yyse behind her as they stepped into the perfect alley. As she'd hoped, it was dimly lit and there were no holocams in sight.
"Are you ready, lover?" she asked as she turned to face him.
"So ready," he informed her.
She smiled and then she roughly kissed him. As they kissed, she began to back him against the alley wall.
Once his back hit the wall, she reached down and undid his belt and pants, pulling them and his underwear down without breaking the kiss.
With both hands, she fondled him. He gasped into her mouth and she smiled against his lips. (He was nicely endowed and she'd enjoy having him inside of her.) She would have no problem catching him off-guard after she finished taking her pleasure.
Once she felt that she had spent enough time readying him for her, she hiked up her skirt, exposing her naked lower body. She quickly pulled her vibroblade from its sheath and stuck it in her waistband while he couldn't see.
She broke the kiss. "Take me," she instructed as she traded places with him against the wall.
"With pleasure," he asserted and he grabbed her legs and pulled them around his waist.
He reached down, adjusted himself, and instantly slid inside of her.
"Oh, gods, yes," she breathed, pleased at how well he fit inside of her. (He wasn't a Jeek or Cassian, but he came very close.)
Too bad this was going to the only time she got to experience him.
What a waste.
She rode him hard and it didn't take long for her to reach her orgasm.
Once she came down from her high, she pushed him away. (She had considered going another round with him, but decided against it. She needed to get back to the hotel to check on Erik's progress.)
"Did I meet your requirements?" he asked, his erection still waiting for release.
"Perfectly," she informed him with another smile. "Now it's my turn to take care of you." She reached behind her waist to grab her vibroblade. "Are you ready?"
"Hit me," he said.
And then she stabbed him through the heart.
Before the look of shock finished forming on his face, she pulled the blade out and slashed his throat to make sure he was dead.
Yyse fell in a lifeless heap onto the ground.
"Thanks for a good time," she told the body as she replaced the blade in its holster (she'd clean it once she was back in her room) and pulled down her skirt.
She examined herself in the semi-darkness. To her disgust, she had gotten blood on her blouse.
"Ugh!" she groaned.
Well, she certainly wouldn't be able to take a taxi back to the hotel looking this way.
She sighed. She hated to pull Jeek away from monitoring Erik's progress, but she needed him to bring her a change of clothes. She wasn't worried about leaving the body here. In this part of town, she was sure people were found murdered all of the time.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her comlink.
"Jeek," she spoke as soon as he picked up. "I need you to come and get me.
"I made another mess."
