Private Settle

[Inanna Harth]

Cato was a bit more optimistic, and suggested they involve other allies of his. Inanna listened, piling cooked eggs on plates. She used one as a lure to get Elfangor off of Cato and out of the kitchen, then handed the second to Cato.

“Well, whenever you’re ready, you have all my powers at your disposal,” she said, starting on a plate for herself. “So… what do you want to do now? Besides eat.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato took his plate and leaned against the counter, practically vacuuming the eggs off of his plate. Vigilante work was hungry work. "You wanna have a cool costume?" He waggled his brows, taking a moment to breathe and actually enjoy the taste of his breakfast.

To the other question he seemed genuinely unprepared. Cato gave it some thought before admitting, "Honestly I was hoping you'd have an idea for that. You've got a better grasp on outside life than I do." He shrugged, "Anywhere you wanna go or… things you wanna do?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“I can’t really have a cool costume, since clothes are too restrictive to shapeshift in. But if you want to draw me a picture of an outfit I will shift into it,” she replied, watching Cato vacuum his eggs. She couldn’t decide whether it was disgusting or hilarious.

“Are you implying that you have no life?” she asked sweetly. Grabbing a sliver of bacon, she gave it to Elfangor, who scarfed it down in a matter of seconds. “We could go to Alderaan and see what’s been keeping me away from you for so long.”

She smiled, her tone growing less serious. “Maybe you could even demand financial compensation from the royal family of Alderaan for saving one of them from a would-be assassination plot. I know a lawyer.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

“Tempting,” Cato smirked, “I’m not that great an artist, though.”

He watched amusedly as Elfangor annihilated a slice of bacon, and then proceeded to do so himself, “More or less,” The knight said wryly without missing a bit, before moving on to the more serious question, “That could be nice. Gotta make sure all that time spent away was well used.” And Alderaan was far more pleasing to the eye than Nar Shaddaa.

Cato chuckled a bit at her second comment, “That would be something. Storming in for an unoffered monetary reward probably won’t make me very popular with ‘em though.” Then, more genuinely, “But- no. Let’s go to Alderaan. I can get out of this mess for a while, and you can show me what you’ve been working on.”

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“What are the parameters for a vigilante costume, anyway?” she asked, tearing into a strip of bacon. “Do you just have to have a mask, and that’s it? Or is the whole spandex catsuit thing non-negotiable?”

After admitting he had no life, Cato promptly agreed to go to Alderaan. Inanna leaned back against the kitchen counter, facing him and biting her lip. She was tempted to ask how long he could be gone, but at the same time she didn’t want to know.

Instead, she said, “Then let’s go.”

---

Inanna had been surprised but grateful to discover that Alderaan, famous for its cold and mountainous terrain, also had rainforests among its biomes. The government had allotted a certain jungle for the Shi’ido’s use, and the climate there was warm and humid—much better suited to the shapeshifters than the cold.

The city was already beginning to take shape, though much of it was well-camouflaged, blending in with the jungle around it. One building in particular, a temple-like structure of pale stone just ahead of where Inanna and Cato had landed, had clearly been made to boldly stand out. But even it had been deliberately covered in green plant growth to seem a little less noticeable.

“Well, this is it,” Inanna said. “Maranatha. Roughly translated as “place of deliverance”. They let us plan and design it ourselves. In fact, the Alderaanians have largely left us to our own devices here…”

Taking a step forward, she paused and reached for Cato’s hand. “Shall we?”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Well I didn't start with either," Cato admitted, "Those guys on Denon didn't seem all that invested in the catsuit shtick. Mask is definitely preferable, though." They were quick to settle on their destination thereafter, and in record time were ready to head out.

A rainforest hadn't quite been what Cato expected to see when coming to Alderaan, but it had plenty of aesthetic appeal all its own. As they stepped out and observed the large structure, "Really? I'm surprised they've been so hands-off."

He interlaced his fingers with Inanna as they moved ahead, "We shall. What is this? This building?" He gestured to the obvious one in front of them.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna smiled as Cato’s hand found hers. “They monitor us, making sure we don’t go beyond the limits they prescribed, and we had to have our plans approved, but so far they haven’t directly interfered. There may be a reason for that, but I’m not sure what it is.”

She led him toward the building, across the bridge. “It’s our, uh… government building, I suppose is the closest equivalent. Our leaders meet here.”

As they approached the entrance, she heard a commotion coming from inside. Voices were shouting in some sort of heated discussion, though it was too muffled for her to understand what was being said. Not wanting to get involved, Inanna was about to lead Cato away—but the doors in front of her were thrown open before she could move.

A woman stepped out, her clothing indicating she was an Alderaanian. She seemed to be in a hurry to leave, walking briskly. In the doorway behind her stood Enkidu Duran. He had been the chief of security of the refugee camp on Erakhis, and now he was fulfilling a similar role in Maranatha. His face was dark with fury as he watched the woman depart.

Eventually he noticed Inanna and Cato standing there. “Hello, Inanna,” he greeted her, clearing his throat awkwardly. He was a little hoarse. “I thought you were taking a vacation.”

“I am,” she replied. “Consider me a tourist.”

Enkidu chuckled. “All right. Who’s this?” He turned to Cato.

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

“Hm. Guess I just expected a tighter grip on things,” Seemed natural given the circumstances. Maybe the Organas really were as open to helping others as they painted themselves to be. Cato nodded, opening his mouth to say something else as they approached, when the inside commotion pulled away their attention. Not long after it moved outside, with some Alderaani woman walking past in a huff, and a different figure still standing at the entrance. Cato curiously watched the woman leave, snapping back to attention at the man’s voice.

The knight pursed his lips as the question processed, then blinked, “Oh. Cato. Cato Harth. I'm uh- Inanna's boyfriend.” He gave Enkidu a flat, close-lipped smile, and an outstretched hand. “Who are you? And who was that?” His head cocked at an angle, gesturing back at the departing Alderaanian.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“So did I.”

But Inanna didn’t have a chance to say much more on the subject before the argument took up her attention. She blushed as Cato introduced himself as her boyfriend, watching as a smirking Enkidu shook the Jedi’s hand.

“I’m Enkidu Duran, the chief of security here at Maranatha.”

“Enkidu is an old friend of my family,” Inanna added. “A very old friend.”

“Hey now, the ladies say I don’t look a day over four hundred.” Probably because he chose to present himself in the form of a younger man. His smile thinning, Enkidu glanced back toward the departing Alderaanian woman. “That was Lady Nadine Cortess, an esteemed member of the Alderaanian nobility.” His tone was sarcastic. “She was here to… well, I don’t want to spoil your date.”

“My curiosity, if left unanswered, will spoil it more,” Inanna countered, resting her hands on her hips.

Enkidu shrugged. “She was here to discuss the issue of gang violence. She claimed you downplayed it to the queen, among other things, and in general couldn’t help poking her ears in everybody’s business.”

“Poking her nose in, not her ears,” Inanna corrected his Basic. “So what did you tell her?”

“I told her we would handle it, but she just wouldn’t let it go. Admittedly, I may have lost my temper a little… She made a few accusations that were uncalled for.”

"Such as?"

"That our current leadership is little more than a gang itself, and that we were allowing the fighting to continue because it benefitted us."

Inanna sighed. "Sounds like she was projecting."

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

“Good to meet ya,” Cato nodded firmly, his smile warming up a bit. He looked back to the noblewoman one last time as Enkidu named her. The knight was curious now himself, which thankfully Inanna was more forward about addressing. The faintest twitch of a smirk curled at the corner of his lip hearing the amusing mistranslation, but had no intent to make fun.

That faded though, as he revealed the implications Lady Cortess was slinging, “Classy,” His lip twisted unamusedly. “She planning on doing something about this ‘problem’?” He asked.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Well, she threatened to get involved, though I insisted she stay out of it.” Enkidu frowned. “I won’t lie, the clan feuds are probably our biggest problem right now. You remember when we had all those assassination-style murders?”

“How could I forget,” Inanna muttered. “But that was on Erakhis. This is Alderaan. The standards are different. This planetary government is unlikely to simply ignore it if we allow the violence to continue.”

“Well, what do you suggest we do about it, then?” Enkidu asked.

Inanna’s brow furrowed. “I don’t really know.” She turned to Cato. “Narsh may be a lot worse, but you still have more experience dealing with this sort of thing than me. Do you have any suggestions?”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato listened with a raised brow, mulling over the issues laid out before them. He and Inanna turned to face each other at the same time, though the Jedi seemed a bit more hesitant, "I do have what you might call… peacekeeping experience. But I can't really say I'm all that acquainted with the intricacies of Shi'ido clan feuds… if there are any intricacies."

He shrugged, "You sure people want an outsider like me getting involved to begin with? Feels like that's part of the problem," Cato nodded his head back in the direction of where the Alderaani woman had gone. "But it seems to me if cracking down on the conflicts as a whole is too broad to make any impact, the only option may be to root out the individual aggressors and uh… reprimand them," A faint smirk twitched at his mouth, following his word choice.

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“The clans are family-based, a little like your mafias,” Enkidu explained. “Loyalties are determined by who’s related to who. Most of the gangs we have are pretty small because of it, although some of them are getting bigger and better organized, taking new members through adoption.”

"You sure people want an outsider like me getting involved to begin with? Feels like that's part of the problem."

“Lady Cortess and her ilk are people who already have power over us,” Inanna replied. “We’re just guests in their world. But you’re not part of that—you’re just a guy who can help.” She wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “If you’re that worried about being an outsider, I could always take credit for your ideas.”

"But it seems to me if cracking down on the conflicts as a whole is too broad to make any impact, the only option may be to root out the individual aggressors and uh… reprimand them."

“Hm.” Enkidu grew thoughtful. “One of the gangs, the Vandolae, managed to take out twenty-four rival gang leaders in a single night. The remaining members either died or were absorbed into their ranks. That would make them the largest. But I'm not sure that killing off their leader would help us. They’d simply pick a new one from their ranks, or join with another clan.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato pensively stroked his chin, but found the reasoning suitable enough, even smirking as she suggested taking the credit, “Not a chance.”

With Enkidu’s musings, he had effectively given them a target, and Cato’s eyes shimmered with intent, “Sounds like we’ve found the first on our to-do list, then. Is there a reason you guys can’t just arrest the Vandolae? If they can all be traced back to their familial relation, it wouldn’t be too hard to figure out who’s who, right?”

He shrugged, “Either way, how can we get started? Any leads or key figures?”

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna couldn’t help but smile as she watched a familiar excitement overtake Cato at the prospect of beating up gang members.

“On Erakhis, it was because the local government made things difficult,” Enkidu explained. “Mostly by requiring extensive documentation of individuals who… can’t really be documented, for reasons that I’m sure are obvious.”

Shi’ido could change their appearances at will; any record of what they looked like was meaningless, and they could easily use assumed names and alternate identities. A crime might be witnessed and reported, but if it was committed by someone who could easily change their face to look like somebody else, the cops didn’t have much to go on.

“Moloch Vandolae would be a good place to start. He’s the… I don’t know the Basic term for it, but he’s of high rank. He hangs out in the Ember Bar every night.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"That sounds about right," Cato conceded. It was really a feat in and of itself that they could manage to construct any sort of functioning government in a civilization inhabited entirely by shapeshifters. The sheer logistical implications of that kind of endeavor would be enough to cause a headache.

"The Ember Bar. Alright. Maybe we'll pay him a visit then and see if he'd be willing to… share any information." The knight gave Enkidu a parting nod, "Thanks for the tip." He then turned back to Inanna, readying to leave, "So much for a vacation, huh?"

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Take care of this, and I’ll be the one thanking you,” Enkidu said, giving them a wave goodbye.

As they walked away, Inanna snorted. “All I planned on doing during my vacation was spending time with you. I’d say this still counts.”

The Ember Bar was a newly-constructed building near the edge of the city. Though it was still early, the place was already packed with patrons, all of them Shi’ido, though they came in many different sizes, shapes, and colors reminiscent of other species.

“Well, here we are,” Inanna said, clinging close to Cato. “How do you normally approach finding a stranger in a bar? Do you just ask around until someone points them out to you? Or do you... use the Force?”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato smirked, “Fair enough. I didn’t bring my funny costume, though. So I guess we’re doing it the old fashioned way.”

As they arrived at the bar, Cato grew a little more tense, straightening up while Inanna clung closely, “Well. That depends on the person, I s’pose,” His eyes scanned across the diverse array of patrons, “Don’t suppose you’d know which one is this Moloch guy?” He muttered, before slowly meandering into the bar, opening his senses to the different personalities and energies coalescing around him.

“I’d like to get him out of here if we can. Somewhere a little less prone to public attention.”

Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Beside him, Inanna considered whether it was worth it to change form, even if she only recolored her hair and rearranged her features a bit. Probably not—any Shi’ido could pretend to be her from a physical perspective. But there were other tells that might give away who she was.

Guiding Cato away from the entrance (they were blocking traffic) she pulled him toward the shadowy booths. “Would a high-ranking criminal in a place like this bother to hide his status, or would he flaunt it?”

With a subtle gesture, she pointed toward the best seats in the house. Despite how crowded the bar was, there was only one occupied table in the whole area, as though it were reserved for special guests. The table held five people engaged in a card game.

“Unless you want to go over there and ask for him by name, we have to find out which one of them is him,” Inanna whispered in Cato’s ear. “Then we can figure out how to get him out of here.”

Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

"Depends on just how much status he has," Cato shrugged, "Is he concerned about the law, or someone else, doing anything about it? If not, then he's probably happy to show just how good he's got it." If local law enforcement were too afraid to intervene, or worse yet, paid off, then a high-ranking criminal could get away with quite a lot of things.

Inanna drew the knight's attention to a table full of card sharks. Given the circumstances, chances were high that their target was present among them, "Maybe that's just what we need to do?" Cato raised a brow, "Get involved in the scene, maybe earn his respect even? Could be an in?"

With that, he shrugged as if to say, 'why the hell not', and meandered over to the table, "Excuse me fellas-" He plastered a grin on his face, "...Don't suppose there's room for a newcomer at this table?" It was a difficult mix of confidence and naiveté to express; Bold enough to approach, dumb enough to sink a lot of money.

Inanna Harth​