Private The Last Hand

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio couldn't tell if the two Shi'ido were seriously considering his proposal, or were entertaining the idea solely to mock him. It wasn't a feeling he particularly enjoyed, staring between the two of them as they responded. It was dificult to tell, but it seemed the one disguised as a Gand was perhaps a bit more open to the idea than the human.

Evident by the latter's insistence in needling him, and Inanna as well. The Count had to fight to keep his anger in check, narrowing his eyes imperiously at the man, but not respecting his words with a response. Instead, he turned his face to the Gand-disguised Shi'ido.

"I don't have to trust you," Alicio said, his words measured. "I trust your motivations. I believe what this movement wants is a free Lao-mon. I believe you truly want what is best for your people. That you aren't just terrorists, criminals looking out for yourselves. If I'm wrong," he said, gesturing to the room of people. "Feel free to tell us now."

It was his own little trap. Turn on him now, before fully considering his offer, and they would brand themselves hypocrites. Hopefully, it was enough. The Count stood up, turning to address the whole room, his presence quiet, but impassioned.

"And if you can't trust me, trust my motivations. I want the Shi'ido to be safe. I think you want that too. So let's work together, to reclaim what was lost."

"If you would truly liberate Lao-mon by any means necessary, I'm happy to be that means. Your necessary evil, if you need one."

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

The human's skepticism was much more biting. No mincing words as he expressed all his ire for the Alliance, and the neglect his people suffered. As with many movements, Free Lao-Mon spawned from understandable desires. The desire to save their homeland from an evil tyranny. There was nothing wrong with it inherently, in fact Cato would call it admirable. But they had gone too far. Skewed their goals into something that hurt the wrong people. Lashing out blindly. Before Alicio could further his impassioned plea, one of the Shi'ido's comments was enough to get a rise out of Cato.

“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.”

Cato snapped a finger at him, "You're going to want to shut up now."

The human blinked incredulously at the Jedi's brazen interjection, "Oh? Or what?"

"Or we're going to have a problem."

Now the human laughed, "Aww, I see. You think you're special cause she put out? Just another notch in her belt, buddy. Get over yourself."

Before Cato could fire back with something much more escalatory (which he definitely would have), Alicio stepped up again to speak to the Gand's questions. The Count's sincerity was difficult to call into question. He wore his passion on his sleeve. Cato fell silent, using the opportunity to cool off, as much as he wanted to slug the human in the face.

The challenge put in place by Alicio seemed to at least cause hesitation. And even a bit of friction. The Gand didn't speak, but was clearly a bit conflicted, looking between the rest of the assembled Shi'ido, and ultimately, the human one, for a response.

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“So you say,” the Gand murmured at the end of Alicio’s impassioned speech.

But were his words really sinking in, or were they being ignored in favor of continued antagonism? If Inanna was reading the room right, then it looked like opinions among the Shi’ido were divided. The atmosphere was a clash between unmoved hatred and something more introspective and uncertain.

The human seemed amused by Cato’s reaction to his crude comments, but didn’t needle the Jedi any more than necessary. Instead he turned fully toward Alicio. “You’re going to have to give us something more concrete than that,” he said. “What exactly can we do, using you as our means? Join the Alliance military, sacrifice our lives to the meat grinder of intergalactic war, and die on some contested world far from home?”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio was able to hold his tongue. Cato, on the other hand, could not. The Count had to speak up quickly, to divert the Jedi's rage, and get the conversation back on track. Alicio shot a cautious frown at Cato as he caught his eye, during his speech.

Lives were at risk. Moreso than just the three of them. There wasn't room for error.

Remember what's at stake, his grey eyes pleaded.

The room was still entertaining him. If they had completely disregarded his offer, they would have struck by now. There was a chance.

Alicio turned his gaze to the human, regarding him with a gentle face. "You want specifics? I need a proper negotiation." There was a firmness to his tone now. The Alderaanian senator was quite the contradiction, speaking so softly, yet made up of so much grit.

"If Free Lao-mon has a leader, or leaders, I need a meeting with them. If you don't, elect them. Then we can talk about what exactly I can offer. And what you can offer. Either over comms, or in-person."

"It's up to you," Alicio said, staring down the two Shi'ido, before raising his voice, "all of you, whether your convictions, your dedication to your home, turns you into rebels with a just cause, or terrorists with a vendetta."

"Choose."

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

“I say we just kill him and be done with it,” the human growled in Shi’idese.

“I suggest you reconsider,” Inanna said. “We should be focusing our efforts on the Maw.”

“The Maw is licking its wounds. Now would be the perfect time to strike—if the Alliance weren’t already getting into another war with the Imperials.”

She ignored these comments. “He asked for a meeting with the leadership. Either arrange one or do what you say you will do, and quickly.”

The human scowled at her. But before he could reply, a new voice spoke in Basic.

“We have had no formal leadership since the death of Mara Darzu. But since I am the one who oversaw the attack on you, Senator Organa, I suppose I am the closest you’ll get to the leader of Free Lao-mon.”

Inanna followed the voice to its source. Seated at one of the other tables was a winged woman. Cato might recognize her moth-like features as similar to that of McGill, though her wings were azure in color, as was her hair.

“Speaking of which,” she continued. “What became of your would-be assassin?”

Cato said I could skip him Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato was quick to cool down as Alicio took the floor, but when the Count shot him a pleading looking, he snapped his gaze elsewhere, clearly annoyed by what preceded. Thankfully, he understood what was at stake, and just kept to himself. This was out of his wheelhouse. Best to leave it to Alicio and Inanna.

Of course, as the human made his interests known, the knight tensed up, expecting things to spill over into a fight at a moment's notice. Then a new voice spoke up, belonging to a figure that had kept inconspicuous until now.

"Depends which assassin you're talking about," Cato instinctively stepped a bit in front of the others, "And you are...?"

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio attempted to ignore the conversation held between Inanna and the other Shi'ido, instead staring around at each face in the room. Wondering at their stories, what pushed them to become who they were now. Wondering if they could change their ways, have their efforts focused in the right direction.

Speaking of...

Alicio turned his head slightly towards a moth-like figure as they made themself known. The senator locked eyes with the winged person, only a twitch of a frown gracing his face in response to the realization that it was her that had ordered his death.

"Depends which assassin you're talking about," Cato instinctively stepped a bit in front of the others, "And you are...?"

Alicio appeared behind Cato, and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. Conveying that he would be alright, as he stepped around the Jedi, and moved to sit down across the Shi'ido.

"I am Alicio, Count of House Organa." He bowed his head respectfully, before giving the blue-tinted insectoid a curious look. "And you're a Nomad."

He waited for Cato's question to be answered.

- Inanna Harth - Cato Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

“The assassin’s name is Dagon Tor,” the woman replied. Unlike most of the other Shi’ido, her accent was noticeable and deliberately pronounced. “I know that you arrested him, and I know that you won’t kill him if you can help it. I also know Dagon well enough to suspect he has already gotten himself killed trying to escape.”

She paused, luminous blue eyes flicking toward Cato as he stepped forward, only to be stopped by Alicio. Her gaze followed the Count as he sat down across from her. The remnants of a card game remained strewn across the table; her four-fingered hands idly shuffled the deck.

"I am Alicio, Count of House Organa. And you're a Nomad."

“That is a human term for what I am.” But she nodded her head. “I am Vashti of Clan Mician.” She gestured toward him with an open hand. “You wish to gamble for your life, Alicio of Clan Organa. So gamble.”

Probably a misuse of Basic on her part, a misunderstanding of the definition of the word gamble or confusion with similar terms like bargain. But Inanna couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She approached Cato, giving him a gentle nudge before leaning toward his ear. “If they don’t go for it, I need you to get him out of here,” she whispered. “If one of us has to die, it can’t be him.”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato stayed back as Alicio took the floor again, speaking face to face with the woman that had ordered his assassination. She offered him an opportunity to 'gamble', as she put it, and already there were red flags keeping the Jedi knight on edge. Inanna picked up on it as well. Even if there was a chance of them agreeing to the terms, the fact that is was seemingly being left exclusively to chance was risky enough.

A whisper in Cato's ear made him turn around, "I know you did not just ask me to do that," He whispered back, furrowing his brow at Inanna, "It's not going to come down to that," He didn't sound certain of that himself, but he refused such a binary choice, "We won't let it. I won't let it." Cato turned back around, his way of trying to shut down the debate before it could continue.

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

So that was his name. Dagon Tor. Alicio thought back to his would-be killer, putting a name to the shifting, amorphous face. "He was still alive when we left Alderaan," the Count confirmed, studying the way the Mician shuffled the cards before her. "Though he wasn't all that pleased with his... current living arrangements."

Blissfully ignorant of Inanna and Cato's intense whispered conversation, Alicio committed the Shi'ido's name to memory, staring inquisitively at her face.

“You wish to gamble for your life, Alicio of Clan Organa. So gamble.”

Alicio pursed his lips in confusion, but didn't let the emotion spread. He didn't like her turn of phrase. But he'd entertain the idea, for at least a moment longer. The Count peered at the Shi'ido, trying to see past her immovable expression.

"What are your stakes?"

- Inanna Harth - Cato Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna opened her mouth to speak before Cato had even finished talking, but he was clearly adamant about not letting things get that bad. You stubborn, splendid fool, she thought, feeling a swell of affection for him anyway. But she could feel all too keenly how little control they had over this situation, and how rapidly it could spiral into chaos.

Perhaps it was already spiraling. Her eyes were glued to Vashti as she dealt out the cards, shrugging her shoulders as Alicio told of Dagon Tor’s current whereabouts.

“A great deal of planning was structured around your death,” she said. “We opened channels into the Maw, falsifying information, posing as Fleshtakers. Your assassination would have been the final proof of our sincerity and competence. Once we had their trust, we would kill as many Mawites as we could, take them down from within.”

She turned her cards over, hiding her hand. “If we do not kill you while we have the chance—and I am not so naïve as to think we will ever be able to get this close to you again—then all of those carefully laid plans are worth nothing. Wasted.” She peered at him from beneath impossibly long and thick eyelashes, like the wings of a black butterfly. “Those are my stakes. Yours must be greater. Astonish me.”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato knew the chances of things ending smoothly were slim, and steadily decreasing. He was obstinately optimistic, but he wasn't naive. The more open threats Vashti dealt Alicio, the more tense he became. For now this was his fight, but as soon as things spiraled, Cato would be the first to react. But no matter what happened, he wouldn't let it come to the ultimatum that Inanna had given him just a moment ago. He looked around at the assembled Shi'ido, all anxious and waiting for the same turn of events.

He leaned back towards Inanna, "If Vashti makes a move, I'm taking her out first thing." Cato whispered. He still had his pistol on him. He kept his hand at the ready.

Inanna Harth | Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio let the hand dealt to him rest on the table, making no effort to study the cards. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at Vashti, a growing coldness in his heart.

He'd wished he could have prepared more. He wished he would have known more. But he would just have to work with what he had. And hoped he could convince them. He took a moment to think. Almost too long.

But finally, he spoke.

"I assume the reason you don't simply harass the Maw in the same way you have us is because of a fear of being discovered." Alicio's tone was like ice, biting and cold. "So... instead of conducting small operations to make the occupation of Lao-mon unsustainable, Free Lao-mon has banked their entire organization on one lie."

His tone heated. "One lie, that relies on doing your sworn enemy's dirty work. That, if discovered, would lead to your entire group becoming actual Fleshtakers. That, if not discovered, has the best-case scenario of heavy losses and a swift retaliation."

"I can't promise anything." Perhaps those words would spell his end, but he refused to lie to Vashti. "But the Alliance has been known to sponsor rebel groups. Imagine what you could do against a neglectful governing body like the Maw, but with the credits you need for actual equipment, bribes, what have you."

Alicio stared intently at Vashti, the rest of the room fading away. He had no way of knowing whether his hand was a winning one or not. But he had to go all in anyways. "Lao-mon is already almost unlivable for the Shi'ido. Break supply lines. Disrupt their resources. Make it unlivable for them, for a change."

- Inanna Harth - Cato Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

So tense was Inanna, she barely registered Cato’s hissed threat. She doubted Vashti cared whether she lived or died anymore. That was part of what made Free Lao-mon so dangerous. They had nothing left to lose, no problem sacrificing their own if they believed it would help their cause.

“And why do you think you were chosen?” Vashti asked Alicio, her tone cold and unemotional in response to his heated words. “You’re not a soldier or a general or a Jedi Knight. You’ve probably never even fought a Mawite. At least your death would help the war effort, seeing as your life has been of no use to it thus far.”

Inanna couldn’t help but flinch a little. Vashti was just trying to get under the Count’s skin, speaking harshly because he had insulted her plans, but she didn’t like hearing anyone be told to their face that they were useless except as a corpse.

Watching Alicio quietly as he made his pitch, Vashti regarded him with a sort of dull disappointment. Evidently his suggestion was not astonishing enough. “Putting aside the fact that you just admitted you can’t promise us anything…” she began. “Funding would mean we would be beholden to your Alliance, no? That will not fly here. Not being under the Alliance’s thumb is part of our…” She waved her hand, trying to find the right term in Basic. “Our schtick.”

Inanna only realized that the waving hand wasn’t an idle gesture, but a signal to the others, when she heard the click of several blasters. She turned her head toward the sound, her mouth falling open as she saw the number of guns pointed at Cato, her heart hammering in her chest. Her gaze darted back toward Alicio, her poker face having dropped like a mask, fear and desperation in her eyes.

“I will give you a second chance,” Vashti said. “If you cannot keep your promises and come up with something better, then I will do what I must. Your bodyguard presents more of a threat than you, so he will be the first.”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

As if on cue, Cato shifted around to see that the assembled Shi’ido had drawn weapons. All pointed at him. So much for getting the drop on Vashti. She was one step ahead. Instinctively he shuffled around to make sure Inanna was out of the crossfire. Cato’s gaze passed by each of them, searching their body language, their eyes, “...You all better be real sure about what you do next…” He said coldly.

From a flap inside his jacket, his lightsaber twitched, rustled by the Force, ready to spring out into his grip. From the other flap, his blaster did the same. If it came to it, he wouldn’t hesitate to take down as many as possible. Or all of them, if he could.

“You’re smarter than this, Vashti,” Cato glanced back at her now, “Call it off.”

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio didn't seem to immediately respond to Vashti's returned jabs, his eyes reclaiming a chilly intensity. She wasn't entirely wrong- he didn't usually find himself on the front lines. Empress Teta was an oddity, one that, despite his technical victory, he refused to brag about.

She didn't seem to respond well to his idea, instead threatening Cato with a ring of blasters. The Jedi Knight was quick to respond with a plea to the Shi'ido leader. He sensed Inanna's sudden spike of fear, but the Count kept his face neutral. More severe, but not panicked. As if it were all part of the plan.

It most certainly wasn't, but what good would revealing that do?

It was time to switch tactics.

"Perhaps she isn't smarter than this." The Count continued to stare down the Shi'ido, fearless. He raised his voice, so that all in the bar could hear him.

"Here stands your greatest chance for the movement's survival. The most powerful ally you could ask for, and for the sake of a schtick, your unelected leader would instead ally herself with your planet's destroyers. A plan which will end in nothing but an increased Maw presence on Lao-mon."

"Perhaps Vashti of Clan Mician isn't strong enough to make the sacrifices required for victory."

The future began to kaleidoscope behind Alicio's eyes.

- Inanna Harth - Cato Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna felt weak. Weak in the knees, weak-willed, weak of spirit. Her heart was hammering in her chest, panic pricking her thoughts along until they were racing. She had not gone into this blindly—she knew things could turn out badly. But she didn’t think she would wind up being the only survivor.

Cato moved away from her, his body language giving away to Inanna, if not to the others, that he was preparing to fight. But she saw no way that he could possibly survive. There were too many of them, all just waiting for a signal from Vashti to open fire. He’d be dead before he could get his lightsaber in his hand to deflect the bolts, let alone shoot back.

Alicio kept grating against Vashti, hard and cold as steel. Inanna stared at them, her weakness making her tremble.

Vashti weathered it all with a blank expression until the very end, where her eyebrows rose in apparent surprise. “Is that a challenge?” she asked, raising her hand.

“Wait!” Inanna blurted in Shi’idese. She started toward Vashti and Alicio’s table, but only managed to get about halfway there before the other Shi’ido stopped her. “I’m not Ashmedai. I’m Inanna Yomin of Clan Hoole. I came here to negotiate with you, and I have an offer to make.”

Vashti studied her, but didn’t say anything. Inanna continued breathlessly, “All you need is a corpse, right? Why does it have to be him who dies?” She held her hand over her chest, feeling her heart pounding against her palm. “Without me, there would be no Maranatha. The Shi’ido would all still be living in dirty refugee camps, ripe to fall prey to the Fleshtakers. You said it yourself—Alicio is just a politician. Wouldn’t I be more of a prize?”

A few seconds passed. Time enough for all parties to absorb what she had said. Well, except for Cato, who couldn’t understand what she’d said. But Inanna had done that on purpose. She couldn’t allow him to stop her.

Vashti continued to stare at Inanna, her raised hand held still, and for a fleeting moment she smiled. It was a gentle, almost wistful expression, not cruel or dispassionate. As if she had gained a newfound respect for Inanna, however lunatic and misplaced it might be.

“Shoot her,” Vashti commanded in Shi’idese, giving the signal. Free Lao-mon opened fire.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Cato Harth]

Beyond the general air of rising tension in the room, Cato had no sense of what was going on. The conversation switched to Shi'idese, and he was left in the dark. Part of him wanted to pounce now, rather than wait until they were out of time. At this point it seemed unlikely they would all be walking out of here holding hands. It was just a matter of when things fell apart. Then things grew eerily quiet. A pregnant pause that left them all at a standstill. Finally, Cato mustered up the focus to channel Comprehend Speech, drawing on the Force to intuit what was said in a way he could comprehend. He did it just in time to hear those final decisive words,

“Shoot her,”

It felt as if the air was sucked form his lungs, and his heart immediately began racing so quickly that it seemed near ready to explode. The sound of rushing blood drumming his ears deafened him. Cato threw out a hand, and with it, a rippling wave of raw energy upending tables and splintered wood in an arc towards the largest concentration of Shi'ido. But that, decidedly, was not all of them.

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“Is that a challenge?”

"For them. Not you," he fired back, taking a glance around the room. Alicio was trying to cause doubt among the ranks. Make them question their default leader's objectivity. Pry apart their unflappable loyalty.

Which appeared to be a bit too unflappable.

Before Vashti could give the command, Inanna broke into the conversation. The Count's translator whispered the meanings of the words into his ear. The shock, the pure disbelief of what he heard, was the only reason he didn't immediately contradict his friend.

It was the tastes of the future that finally spurred him into action. He was thankful, in that moment, that he'd been underestimated by the Shi'ido. A moment before the Mician gave the signal, Alicio was moving, blade jumping to his hand, erupting into chilly blue and furious black. He interposed himself on the other side of Inanna, Introspect flashing in a twirling Form III routine, rerouting a few streaks of red to the ground.

He couldn't stop all the bolts, but he'd turn away as many as he could. Hoping that the hesitation from his challenge, that Cato, that Inanna, would save Inanna from the barrage.

- Inanna Harth - Cato Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna may not have had much of a plan beyond saving Cato and Alicio, but she liked to think that she knew the score when it came to these things. Even if the three of them worked together to massacre the inhabitants of the Last Hand, this wasn’t every member of the movement. Hell, a few would probably escape—Shi’ido were good at that. In the end, they’d be right back to where they started, having gained nothing but a few more scars and an increasingly hostile enemy.

But if the movement thought they had succeeded, and went ahead with their suicidal plans? Now that was just the sort of encore they needed to wrap this whole mess up for good. Free Lao-mon would die at last, burned up in the flames of their madness, going to their doom believing that they had won. It was almost poetic.

Inanna just had to deal with the whole dying thing.

She’d been shot before. Given all the injuries she’d had over the course of her life, if she’d been human she’d have been dead many times over by now. But this was certainly an impressive way to go out, riddled with bloodless holes burned into her by blaster bolts.

The boys put up a valiant fight, but it was already too late. Within less than a minute (most shootouts were quick that way) the Shi’ido began to retreat, fleeing the scene. Why bother to stay and get themselves killed? They already had what they needed.

A corpse.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​