Private The Last Hand

[Cato Harth]

"Hm." Cato hummed lowly, as if he didn't fully believe her. It was an awkward bout of tension that ultimately stemmed from a place of care, but was present all the same.

“You’re still useful in other ways,”

That only seemed to make it worse, but Cato said nothing, obviously withhold his frustrations as he leaned back against the counter to wait for Inanna to call their ace. Except, the call fell on deaf ears. They were on their own.

The hole was dug deeper.

Cato sighed quietly, and straightened up to grab his jacket. Thankfully Alicio stepped in to diffuse some of the awkwardness, for his own sake as much as theirs. More thankfully, lightsabers were an easy distraction for the Jedi knight. He whistled, and inspected the weapon closer, "Really now? Very nice," Cato smirked, and pushed it back to the Count, "I think we'll be in the clear. Keep it on hand as long as you've got a way to keep it hidden. Never know what we might run into there," Should any trouble arise, they could have the advantage, considering they could keep a few weapons on hand. Cato himself was prepared, sneaking two sabers into a hidden pocket of his jacket. The material was lined with a bit of its own bypassing tech. Very handy in this line of work.

"Right. Let's go then," He led the way up the stairs and to the main street, "We'll take the metro. Just don't make any prolonged eye contact."

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna had her weapons hidden inside her body, and while she would’ve offered to stow away anyone else’s gear, the boys seemed to have things well in hand. It allowed her to stay silent, which was good, seeing as she’d already put her foot in her mouth.

She followed Cato’s lead on the metro, avoided eye contact with strangers, and arrived in one piece at the Last Hand.

The cantina looked unassuming enough from the outside, one of a dozen similar hives of scum and villainy in the area. There were thousands of places like it on Nar Shaddaa, and very little about its exterior suggested there was anything to set this one apart from the rest.

They were confronted by a burly bouncer at the entrance. “Weapons?” he asked, wielding a scanner in one hand.

Inanna spread her arms, submitting to the scan. Nothing amiss, but then the scanner didn’t look too in-depth. The bouncer moved on to Alicio next.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio retracted his hilt into the folds of his coat once more, tucking it securely into an inside pocket. "I'll keep it close," he said, acutely aware of the beating heart of his weapon, as it rested next to to his actual heart.

"Lead the way."

The nobleman quietly followed alongside Inanna and Cato, hands in his pockets as they exited the apartment. As directed, Alicio kept his eyes down, searching the contours of the ground instead of the people passing around them.

As expected, a bodyguard had posted up outside. Inanna was first to submit herself to a scan, and Alicio was quick to follow. It was easy to forget, as he was often loathe to it, but the Count could be a rather good liar, shown in the undertones of mild annoyance in his face as he waited for the bouncer to finish his scan.

Unaccosted, he stepped into the cantina. He paused at the entryway, waiting to make sure Cato was allowed inside.

"I have an idea for how to find them," he whispered, under his breath. "Try to sense... surprise."

They had just tried to kill him, after all. The last thing they would expect was Alicio Organa showing up at their front door.

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

What Cato found most entertaining about their excursion was just how strictly Inanna and Alicio adhered to his precautions. Not that it was without merit; Nar Shaddaa's populace is unpredictable, and by extension, dangerous. But watching his companions and their struggle to avoid so much as a peek at someone else's line of sight, filled with a tinge of amusement. But above that, he just silently appreciated the value that his experience had been given, regardless of how literally it needed to be followed in truth.

Better safe than sorry, as they say.

The streets were thronged with all manner of species. Even the Alliance's most cosmopolitan worlds couldn't hold a candle to the sheer level of diversity on display here on Nar Shaddaa; One of the moon's very few redeeming qualities. Uniqueness had its charms, but it could hardly cover up the similarly ubiquitous inequities of Nar Shaddaa society. Poverty and crime weren't just rampant, they were staples of life. A thinly-veiled anarchy, with rule of law decreed only by those with the firepower to enforce it.

One by one they entered the den unimpeded, with Cato sparing the guard a moment of study before quickly flicking his gaze away. He joined the others, wiping a faint smirk off his face as soon as it came. They were none the wiser. Inside, the criminal populace was chatting, drinking, and gambling to their hearts' content. Alicio's suggestion was sound, and Cato focused his senses on the emotions of those around him. The appearance of a thought dead Senator was bound to register with whoever had been involved.

Sure enough, a flare of surprise appeared near one of the back corners, "There. Far left table, by the band," He nodded his head in the direction of a dais across the main room, where a group of musicians played for the gathered patrons. The table in question seated three figures: A Gand, a Devaronian, and a human. Whichever one specifically was their target, couldn't quite be sussed out in time, "How do you all wanna play this?"

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Everyone made it through the door. Now they had to figure out where their target was. Alicio's presence drew attention from those who recognized his face, in particular those involved in trying to kill him. Not because they thought he was dead - that had been a trick to fool the assassin while he was in custody, cut off from any news of the outside world. But the co-conspirators surely wouldn't expect Alicio to show up on their doorstep.

Cato was the first to pick up on a surprised reaction, coming from a table in the far corner. The three figures sitting at the table had the appearance of a Gand, a Devaronian, and a human engaged in a card game. Inanna felt an uncomfortable sense of deja vu, once again reminded of Moloch Vandolae and his gang.

"I don't suppose talking to them is an option?" she asked. Given that they were shocked to see Alicio, she was a bit surprised they hadn't tried to run yet. But no - they were still sitting there, calmly playing their game. Perhaps hoping they would escape notice. "Could we spring a trap somehow?"

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

It took all of Alicio's willpower not to search the room's faces as the trio entered. He knew it would do no good, yet the temptation to look at every patron with a suspicious eye was there. Instead, he put his hands in his pockets, acting as casual as he could, as Cato swept the room.

"There. Far left table, by the band."

Again, Alicio didn't look. But he did feel his blood run a little cooler. He took a moment to let his sight double into the future. Just in case.

He sent a sharp frown to Inanna, hands leaving his pockets. "I would like to just talk with them. Maybe... help them see that we want the same things, in the end." That goal of his hadn't changed. "But we can't do that if they slip away, so... trap it is. We either cut off their escape routes, force a conversation, or..." He sighed, combing a hand through his dark hair. "...Or I'm bait."

"Thoughts?"

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

"Maybe they're all Shi'ido," He shrugged, staring a bit too intently at their aforementioned targets. As soon as he realized it, he quickly looked away at something else.

"I would like to just talk with them. Maybe... help them see that we want the same things, in the end."

Cato shot the Count a brow raised higher than seemed possible. The idea of this ending with them all holding hands sounded like nothing short of a fairy tale to him. Aliciol certainly was an idealist at heart. Noble in concept, but in reality, much harder to achieve. It reminded the Jedi of his younger self, in some ways. Not that it had completely flaked away from who he was.

Bait, however, was not an inherently bad idea. Potentially dangerous, but the Senator had guts, and Cato respected it. "You sure?" He asked, a bit wary but leaving it open-ended, "If something goes wrong, it leaves us all, you especially, in a vulnerable position." Better to give it to him straight, just to make sure there were no doubts about the potential risk.

"How would you suggest we go about something like this?" Cato nonchalantly began to lead them around the bar, so as to avoid the much more suspicious strategy of standing around at the front door and whispering.

Alicio Organa | Inanna Harth​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Maybe they're all Shi'ido."

"Maybe everyone in the entire establishment is a Shi'ido." Inanna winked.

"How would you suggest we go about something like this?"

"They've already seen the three of us together, so leaving Alicio alone as a hook to lure them in would look too obvious," she said. "We could pretend to hand him over as a prisoner, make it seem like we're defecting..."

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Maybe they're all Shi'ido,"

"Maybe everyone in the entire establishment is a Shi'ido."

Alicio gave the pair a dubious look, but not without a moment of fear at the intended joke. If they were all Shi'ido, then this would be the most extravagant failure in the history of extravagant failures.

He followed Cato to the bar, glad that the bartender was preoccupied elsewhere. "Sure. You're handing me over. Let's make the story as close to the truth as possible. I came to you to help me find Free Lao-Mon. You did so, but planned to give me to them as soon as you could, for a way into the group." There were a lot of holes. But hopefully, the pure shock-factor of their plan would patch them.

"Okay." Alicio steeled himself. "Um... Does that work?" If it did, he was more than ready for the acting role of his life.

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

He listened with pursed lips to each of their suggestions, "It's pretty ballsy, I'll give you that," Which for Cato, worked just fine. What could go wrong? He glanced back at the table, and nodded, "Right. Okay. Then- Maybe you should take the lead on this one, Inanna," He turned his focus to her, assessing her confidence, "You're the only one who can actually, well, prove you're Shi'ido."

"I'll try and fill in the gaps where I can. But for the most part I think you oughta do the talking." If she felt otherwise, now was the time to say so. Any longer standing around and things would start to smell a bit fishy.

"Ready?"

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“It works.” The whole thing hinged on the terrorists believing a premise that fell apart the longer one thought about it, but they shouldn’t need a cover story for more than a few hours at the most anyway.

Inanna glanced between Alicio and Cato, and took a moment to smile a little. A brave person was hard to find; having two on hand felt like winning the lottery. It certainly helped to mask her own doubts and insecurities. “Well, gentlemen…”

She spirited them over to the table, and in her native Shi’idese she bluntly asked, “Which one of you wants the Senator dead?”

The trio sitting at the table paused, their conversation falling silent. The Devaronian scratched his chin. The Gand’s expression was inscrutable. The human’s eyes darted about in either confusion or discomfort.

“Er, miss?” the Devaronian said at last, speaking plain Basic. “What’s this all about?”

“Come on now,” Inanna continued, not so easily thrown off track. “At least one of you was shocked to see him.” She gestured to Alicio.

“You're a senator, aren't you?” the human remarked. “I follow politics. Not every day you see an Alliance politician in a place like this.”

Inanna pursed her lips. She had a feeling at least one of them was playing dumb, but she couldn’t quite be sure which.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio closed his eyes a moment, centering himself. Preparing to be surprised. Perhaps a small part of him wanted Inanna and Cato to shoot down his idea, given how flimsy of a foundation it rested upon, but on short notice, it seemed to be the best plan they had.

Alicio followed along as Inanna walked up to the group, letting his true emotions show clearly; concern, caution, but a stoic determination. Hopefully, his genuine feelings would mask any falsities from the other two, if there were a Benandanti mind reader around.

He glanced at Inanna, projecting some amount of confusion as she addressed the table, letting the group speak, and nodding at the human's interjection, before speaking up. "My name is Alicio Organa. I'm looking for Free Lao-mon." Blunt, straightforward, and to the point. "I just... I want to talk."

He realized in that moment that the bit of surprise could have been from the human recognizing a senator entering the bar, and decided not to think too hard about the massive embarrassment it would be if none of them were Shi'ido.

He frowned, waiting for the sudden but inevitable betrayal from either Cato or Inanna.

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

With little else on the table, their plan was set in stone. As Cato suggested, Inanna led into the conversation, though the group they accosted seemed to be playing dumb. Or, more embarrassingly, had no idea what they were talking about. A possibility, certainly, but Cato remained confident. Even if none of them really were Shi'ido, this was still a criminal sanctuary. Somebody would be able to point them in the right direction.

But given how Alicio introduced himself to the group, the guise of bringing him in captive was effectively shattered. Cato shot the Senator a look, and recomposed himself for the shift in plans.

"...What about?" The Gand chittered, his tone impatient. The curiosity was noted, but still didn't singularly prove he was the one they were looking for, "And who are these two?" He nodded at Inanna and Cato.

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna hoped the terrorists would interpret the very different presentations of Alicio and herself as a sign that they weren’t on the same page. It was why she had spoken in Shi’idese rather than Basic, knowing that Alicio couldn’t understand her. Unless he had brought along that translation device she had given him…

The Gand asked a question in Basic; she responded in Shi’idese, going all in. “I am Inanna’s niece. I took my aunt’s face to fool the Alderaanian. He thinks I brought him here to negotiate.”

She gestured to Cato. “The other one is his bodyguard. I couldn’t convince him to come alone, of course. I wouldn’t underestimate him.”

Turning to Alicio, she switched smoothly back to Basic. “They’ll need proof that you’re not a decoy. Maybe shed some blood?”

“Er, that won’t be necessary,” the Devaronian said. Turning to the human, he asked, “Is this another one of your harebrained schemes, or something?”

The human shook his head. “No. I don’t know what’s going on here… I’m intrigued, though.” He flashed a toothy grin.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Everything was going well so far.

Assuming they were talking to Free Lao-mon in the first place, and not just three random bar-goers.

Alicio in fact did have his translator in his ear. Not that he was about to share that fact, as he glanced even more confused at Inanna, pretending he couldn't understand her, before turning back to the three, his earnest desire to help showing on his face.

"How they and I want the same things," Alicio responded to the Gand, sincerely. "Lao-mon, free from Sith oppression, and returned to it's ancestral people. I want to help them."

“They’ll need proof that you’re not a decoy. Maybe shed some blood?”

Alicio glanced between Inanna and Cato, gauging their moods. Inanna seemed fully invested in the ruse, but he detected a hint of confusion from the Jedi. Uh oh. He tried to convey that this was all part of the plan, before returning his gaze to the people at the table.

"Happily," he said, fiddling with a pin on his coat, until he was able to remove it, and stick his left index finger. A pool of red welled up from the wound. "If any of you are Shi'ido, if you will just have a conversation with me, I won't try to harm you."

Even if it was part of the deception, Alicio was glad to have a chance to change their mind.

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

The interaction was off to a curious start, and between their targets' apparent confusion, Inanna's Shi'idese that Cato could only understand pieces of, and the writer's inability to reread a post correctly, the Jedi Knight was a bit mixed up, so to speak.

He remained quiet for the most part, inadvertently fulfilling Inanna's bodyguard claim by being a stoic, rigid presence. It wasn't exactly like they could say much without giving themselves away. Still Cato glanced between the other two with a look that conveyed a bit of doubt in their plan's integrity. The trio at the table wouldn't budge, and even he was beginning to wonder if they really were just a couple of typical thugs after all.

But at the sight of red blood, more or less confirming the Alicio's identity, the Gand cocked his head. He then began to speak in Shi'idese, still warbled by his insectoid physiology, <He's the real deal?>

The other two looked on a bit confusedly. For all they seemed to know, he might as well be speaking the Gand language, as was common among most of their kind. Or, they were still playing dumb.

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

The mood at the table certainly shifted once Alicio pricked his finger with a pin, drawing red human blood. That same sense of stunned surprise flared up again, too strong to be coming from just one person. But it still didn’t confirm their suspicions. Not fully, not yet…

It was the Gand who finally broke character, asking for confirmation in Shi’idese. Inanna managed to keep her feelings of triumph from showing on her face. Now what? “He’s the real deal,” she replied in Basic. “Check him for holograms if you’re still not convinced.”

<I believe it,> the Gand said. <And I believe you. Your aunt may be an incompetent diplomat, but even she wouldn’t be stupid enough to bring the real deal right into a nest of andesites.>

The human casually threw down his cards, seeing as the game seemed to be more or less over. “Anybody here who isn’t with us had better clear out,” he said, addressing the other patrons. “Right now, if you know what’s good for you.”

The Last Hand abruptly got very quiet at the announcement. Then people started getting up and filing out of the building, not so fast as to be obviously fleeing, but with a little more haste than a casual walk. The Devaronian was one of those who departed, squeezing past Alicio in the process.

Those who remained (Inanna counted roughly two dozen of them, which was really far too much for her liking) were all turned toward the trio, watching them. Though they looked like a colorful variety of alien species, all of them were presumably Shi'ido in disguise.

"Okay, Your Excellency," the human said, facing Alicio with a grin that now seemed just a little too wide. "Since you're so determined to talk, go ahead."

They were still pretending to be open to negotiation. Inanna wasn't sure why. She had expected it to have already gone to chit by now. Was it possible they really were willing to talk?

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Bingo.

Alicio tried not to show his victory on his face either, as the earpiece translated the Shi'ido language into his ear from the Gand. Instead, he kept a neutral face, as if waiting for translation. When Inanna answered in Shi'ido, Alicio seemed to perk up, as if he had just figured it out, and hadn't discovered it mere seconds beforehand.

It was the little deceptions that made or broke a lie. One poorly-timed reaction would be all it took to blow their cover, start a conflict.

But maybe it wouldn't go that far. Maybe they could find a peaceful solution. Alicio pretended for a moment that it was a possibility.

The echoes of taste from the future told him otherwise, but there was always a chance.

He didn't look around at the others in the bar, instead keeping his stormy eyes on the Gand and Human in front of him. "Both your organization and the Galactic Alliance want the same thing- the Maw defeated, pushed off of Lao-mon. You have manpower, determination, and highly-trained infiltrators. We have resources. Credits, ships, reach. I'm sure we can find a way to align our goals. Make an impact that strikes the right targets."

"While saving others from being collateral damage." He frowned.

It was the moment of truth. Would they listen?

"Consider the benefits. Please."

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

It was arguably for the best that Cato couldn't quite understand everything being said, or else he would have had to bite his tongue to keep from sniping back at the Gand as he unwittingly insulted Inanna to her face. More pressingly, however, was the sheer number of patrons that stayed behind once the act was broken. He glanced around, hiding a bit of his concern. They might not have been allowed to bring weapons inside, but sheer numbers were a threat all their own. And given they were all thugs and criminals, deep down he wouldn't put it past at least a few to have snuck weapons in regardless.

Despite all that, they had yet be swarmed changelings. The 'human' gave Alicio the floor. Were they actually interested in hearing what he had to say? Cato remained on high alert, doubtful that a group like this would actually see reason. As the Count spoke, he studied each of the remaining patrons as if discerning some kind of weakness or flaw in each. Nar Shaddaa hadn't taught him to survive by being lax.

The two at the table looked between each other, seeming to mull over the offer. The Gand spoke, "You came all this way to offer an olive branch? After all that? You got guts, kid. Frankly I'm not in any position to agree to something like that for the entire movement. But even if we did," It was hard to tell if he was actually considering it himself, or simply humoring the conversation for the sake of entertainment, but the stress in his tone seemed highy skeptical regardless, "Why would we trust you to follow through? And why the hell would you trust us?" He chuckled, although in his Gand form it sounded more like a raspy clicking noise.

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Both your organization and the Galactic Alliance want the same thing—the Maw defeated, pushed off of Lao-mon..."

“I’m sure you do,” the “human” muttered bitterly. “The Alliance wants to see the Maw gone, but that doesn't mean they care about the Shi'ido. Let's not forget that when Lao-mon fell, it was the Silvers who came to our aid, and that was only because there was a Shi’ido on their Council who begged and bargained his way into a half-assed liberation attempt. Now that he’s dead, we haven’t heard anything more from them, either. Huh—it’s almost like the only people who actually give a damn about the Shi’ido are the Shi’ido.”

Inanna tensed, recalling how she had claimed Arimanes Bosch’s body after the Battle of Tython and delivered it to his family on Alderaan for burial. She wanted to argue with these madmen, to point out that the GA had fought on Lao-mon too, but she was still technically playing the role of betrayer. Besides, she didn’t think they would listen to her anyway.

“But aren’t you sweet, going out of your way to help all us poor refugees,” the terrorist continued. “Unless the rumors are true, and Maranatha only exists because Inanna showed you a good time. It would certainly be in keeping with her past exploits.”

He looked right at Inanna as he spoke. She couldn’t tell whether that glance was simply because she looked like Inanna, or if he had already figured things out and was trying to provoke a reaction to confirm his suspicions. Either way, she tried to keep her expression carefully neutral, watching the room as the Gand spoke to Alicio. But deep down she was wondering how the hell he even knew about her "past exploits"... and hoping that Cato wouldn't ask about them later.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​