Oh My, My, Kiss The Sky

[Cassandra Paige]

She looked a mess and she knew it. A bruise starting to form across her cheek. Lip split and swelling, blood dripping without any attempt to stem it.

"You can get me there without being seen on camera, I assume."

It wasn't a question.

In this moment, they had both taken off their masks. Not completely, but shifted up to peer out from beneath them, offer a wink, and then in a moment to vanish again. They had both seen the same sort of monster beneath the veil. Cold. Calculating. Willing to pay a price for the sake of what was necessary, but not to do so frivolously or foolishly.

As it happened, he could. He took her a circuitous route, always in a set up that kept the cameras from catching them at the *wrong* angle, seeing her face *before* they came back out of the room with the protesters. She wondered, with how easily he did it, if there were other blind spots, deliberately set. Ones that allowed him a way through the facility entirely unseen, if one just knew how.

It annoyed her. But she also respected it. She knew how she worked in her own machinations, but through this her estimation of him only went up.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

When this had first started Itash had not considered the possibility of respect starting to bud up in their relationship.

She had seemed an acceptable distraction.

A beautiful face that would push up his status even more during the balls and galas, but more and more Itash started to realize that beyond that pretty face and the standardized lean towards plots... there was something similar within her. Today they had both revealed a glimpse of it to one another. It made Tash curious just how far the proverbial rabbit hole actually went.

"We were in the progress of evacuating you." Tash mentioned, as he supported her and led her through the corridors that would prevent her 'bad' side from being seen immediately. "They jumped us and before we knew it, one of them hammering your face while the other tried to take me out."


"We received reinforcements and managed to take them down." He settled down before the door. Beyond it were the protesters themselves. The law enforcement was already called and on their way. "Anything else we should mention in your opinion?"

 

[Cassandra Paige]

"Your men will confirm?"

She had no idea of just how silly a question that was. Just what lengths Itash was connected to the men of his security force.

"Everything."

A small, curt nod, then a pause.

"I'll say I heard them shout something, but I was in so much shock I couldn't make it out," she decided. "Cruelty isn't cute, perhaps? That was on one of their signs outside. There is security footage to confirm. It would be natural for me to miss it, the surprise of the attack, but quite expected for you and your men to catch it, considering your line of work."

Another layer. Utilizing experience with other people's emotional reactions to fuel the lie.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

Calm mind.

It had been suggested during their first meeting so many months ago on this very planet and it was only confirmed now. The pain was still lacing through her nerves, but she didn't allow it to influence her whatsoever. Her mind was clear, calm, rationale, it was... attractive. "Mhm, nice touch." Tash complimented, before pressing a button that caused the doors to slide open.

Inside the scene was exactly as Itash wanted it.

Them (four, three aliens, one human, excellent) on their knees with Didact security standing over them, looming. "You can't do this, man. We have rights." Cass and Itash would hear just as they walked in.

The Rodian, suddenly got quiet when he saw them enter. His first instinct was to shout one of his PR cries. Then. The silence got more oppressive when he, she?, it? saw Cassandra's face. "W-woah, what happened to you?" The Twi'lek next to him, not as smart, started chortling. "Something the schutta deserved no doubt, should'a happened much soon-"

They all froze when Itash pulled out his knife.

"You happened." Itash calmly stated.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

"Your rights ended when you entered my facility and assaulted me," she said calmly.

"What? No!"

"We didn't-"

"You can't just-!"

"No one TOUCHED YOU YOU BI-"

It wasn't until Tash turned and offered her the knife and she caught his eye that she realized what he wanted from her. Even as they protested (what they had come here for, yes? Only not like this. Never like this), she turned toward him, taking the hilt, wrapped in a handkerchief, carefully but firmly.

It wasn't how she would have done it. He could see a further calculation in her eyes as he held out his arm. But that was because she already knew that the price of deliberately karking with people too far was greater than the enjoyment from it. She had learned that the hard way.

But this was his offer of parity. It had not been the first time it had come up, and her jaw hardened slightly- sending a stabbing pain through her skull, but she let it wash over her.

Anything you wish to do to me, you allow me to do to you in return, Itash.

In this case, it hadn't been necessary. She had asked him to do this. It was not something she had expected their usual quid pro quo on.

But neither would she pass it up.

"No no stop!"

"What are you doing?"

"Crazy karking-"

In one swift motion, she drew the blade across his forearm, steadying his wrist from beneath with her other hand. All the while watching his face as the protesters had to be subdued again by his men.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

Most sentients didn't do well with violence.

It just wasn't in their DNA, their instincts, they all recoiled against it. Ancient old hunter instincts buried deep by comfort and acclimatization, but some... some didn't forget as easily. Tash met her gaze level as the fire burned a lick across his skin, bleeding immediately, but minus the tightening of his lips and the lines around his eyes, it almost seemed as if he was enjoying himself.

Pain is life.

"Good clean cut." Itash complimented again, before accepting the offered blade by its hilt. Handkerchief let the prints off, of course. "You. Tear off a bandage and address this." Her tone was terse and it amused the Tapani just a touch.

The protesters' cries were muffled now, face pressed against the cold floor, firmly looked into place.

"I'd say the Rodian." Tash mentioned, before passing over the blade to another one of his enforcers.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

"Yes, it's easily believable."

She watched without expression as the Rodian's hand was physically drawn out, one of Itash's men firmly but careful not to cause bruising, wrapping it around the knife handle.

"Trespassing." She said quietly. "Assault. Assault with a deadly weapon. Acts of domestic terrorism. Willful damage of private property. Do any of you have priors?"

None of them answered but the small sob from the Rodian confirmed. Cass tutted softly. Carefully she stepped over, crouching down to look at them closer, her voice gone flat and deadly.

"This is a warning," she whispered, forcing them to pay attention. "Next time there will be bodies."

"You're insane," the human male said, looking up at her in bewilderment.

"No," she smirked slightly. "Well. Maybe. But the detail you ought to know, that is important here, in this moment, is that I am thorough."

She stood up, looking back over at Tash.

"We're done here."

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

"Of course."

Tash didn't look back as they walked out of the room.

This time his good arm was wrapped tight around her shoulders, she was already leaning against him heavily, a good show against the cameras that would catch their departure from the room. He led them past cameras, this time making sure to show her good side and reaffirming just how much they had suffered after this cowardly and baseless attack.

"Mm, that went rather well." Tash murmured softly against her hair as he helped her sit down in one of the chairs. "I have a feeling these people will think twice before trying this stunt again."

Then again.

It could blow up in their faces- maybe this would push them to become even more extreme in their approach. Some fools, when cornered, decided to bite rather than roll over and accept fate. But... even then Itash would win- increased security measures, more profit, pushing Cassandra to increasingly more extreme measures herself, just to see.

Just to watch how far she'd go.

"The police will be here in about ten minutes. Want some caf, while we wait?" Find a blanket for her too, make the image perfect.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

"Better make it tea," she decided after a moment's thought.

Cass hated tea and he knew it. But again, it gave a certain air.

They hadn't gone to her office, instead one of the lounges. Let as many people see her as possible through the glass, though security of course would shoo them on. Let the rumor spread.

She hadn't been faking the lean against him as much as she wanted to admit. The pain seemed to envelop her entire face now, her lip and cheek throbbing. She couldn't remember anything having hurt like this before. It was.... interesting. Not enjoyable, no. But a new experience. One that made faking it in the future easier. Something to file away. But it had left her unbalanced, and she was surprised to find that as he handed her the mug, her hands were shaking ever so slightly.

Her tongue came out, touching her lip where it split and she hissed slightly at the pain. Holding the cup in both hands, she let him drape a jacket around her shoulders (no blanket to be found), tilting her head up to look at him critically for a moment, eyes unfathomable.

"That's not the first time you've done that."

It wasn't a question.

But there was no accusation in the tone either.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

It was his jacket.

Too large for her and she positively disappeared in it, but that was an extra layer. It underlined how meek, fragile and small she was in the moment. The perfect lie hiding in the open for all to see. Even her employees, who knew what kind of person she could be.

They wouldn't see anything other than a woman entirely put of her depth.

"Not the last time either." Tash smoothly responded before setting down next to her with his own cup of tea, taking a sip from it.

He preferred caf.

But Cassandra was right.

Every little piece of the puzzle added up, until the lie became reality. They were crafting something beautiful here and he was enjoying every moment of it. "Let's go over it once more." Oh, it wasn't strictly speaking necessary.

But he *liked* it.

His hand slipped easily to her knee, giving it a squeeze. A promise. Tonight he'd extract a thank you from her.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

Six Weeks Later​

It had a name!

'First.'

It liked the name, even though in some vague sort of what it knew that it wasn't really the first. But it had been chosen to receive that name and it was very excited! It had received it as a gift, a birthday gift! Given by the scientist with the yellow hair, but picked by the dark man that it talked to in its head. A whole week old!

It was such a good present.

For a moment, it had been distracted, thinking about the pleasure of that gift, how proud it was. How special it was to have a name!

What was First doing again?

Small dark eyes blinked, and First's wings beat furiously to maintain the altitude up near the corner of the hallway ceiling.

Hmm. It had been doing something important, hadn't it?

Tail reached around to scratch the tip of its nose.

The hallway split off in two directions, and First fluttered first one way, then the other, tiny head cocking curiously. Hmmm. Eager to please, but not particularly upset that it had forgotten where it was going, it reached out to a certain familiar thought process. The Dark Man.

~Which way?~

*****

Two Weeks Prior​

"They are sentient, but you have to understand the limits, Tash," Cass said as they watched the six creatures cavort around on the other side of the glass.

"With a two week life span there is no possibility of maturity. They are clever, yes, but the way a child is clever. There literally isn't enough time or room in their silly little heads for anything else. Not with how small and short lived they are. But, they are eager to please, very reactive to praise as a reinforcement. We've had great luck with them completing all sorts of tasks, and so long as someone is kind and thanks them, they will fall all over themselves to do what they are bidden."

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

It was an odd little... birb, but functional for now.

Tash was riding along with it as it bopped here and there through the air. Its eyes could make out details in fineprint and that suited him just well, for a moment the 'Dark Man' was silent, until the alien perspective was translated into something more recognizable for Tash. "Left, please." The Tapani retorted after a brief consideration. It flew through and Itash nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good, First, you are doing excellent."

For some reason the odd creature found long words more enjoyable than short ones. Its got far more out of the long ones, almost spinning in pleasure at being complimented that way.

Amusing to a degree.

They came up to a long corridor and behind it marched the security of the Data Hub. There were plenty of them, but that wasn't Itash's concern right now. "Right, see that junction there? I need you to push through it, First. It will get you into their security room." They had gone through this a number of times prior to the insertion, but the Tapani had learned that with First...

It was best to be clear and repeat the instructions often.

"You are doing good. I think someone will be in for quite a treat once they are done with this."

 

[Cassandra Paige]

It did a small, crisp barrel roll in the air around the corner to the left. Sure, it could have just flown normally, but the sheer joy of it all made the barrel roll just that much better. The large words (always a pleasure though First didn't know why, precisely), the praise, the promise of a treat. It's little chest puffed out with pride, nose quivering with excitement as it flitted forward.

It had to wait a moment- the hallway was occupied, so while it could activate the door on its own, it knew that being noticed doing something like that would mean the Dark Man would frown. It could feel his frowns through the connection and it didn't like them at all. Not one little bit.

So it hovered for a moment, waiting until someone else went through the door and then zip zip zip it zoomed through.

Staying near the ceiling, most people didn't notice it at all. Or if they did, it was to simply remark that a bird or some sort of large bug had gotten into the facility and surely someone should see to it- oh where had it gone? First was fast and clever, and easily avoided the prolonged attention of the larger beings marching around.

****

Two weeks prior​

"They are fast. Small, obviously, but that was the intent. It means that while they had both opposable thumbs and a prehensile tail for manipulating things, they can't do anything that requires real strength. But they can hit buttons, activate various electronics, things of that nature with no real challenge. If you can do it with a push of a button, they can."

Cass tilted her head, watching the creatures cavort about.

"They do need specific instruction," she warned. "With more time, with something longer lived, you could give complex orders without a step by step and have it accomplished, but these will need monitoring. Which can easily be done through the telapathic link. You'll have to be on planet, of course, and closer is better, but we've tested it up to 200 kilometers away without a degradation of understanding, and I believe it pushes much farther than that."

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

TWO WEEKS AGO

"That's plenty, Cass. If this one works out well I might order more- tracking hounds, security, beasts of burden. I am sure there is an entire market here to be exploited by GenPals." Itash didn't mind paying extra money for quality and GenPals managed to bring that to the game for sure. "Might even request a new lines of these... critters that are more long-lived, if they turn out to be effective."

Diversification was a good thing and solely relying on droids wasn't always a good idea.

"...I'd prefer if the ones you make for me don't die, if I don't force-feed them your 'patented' meals though. That possible?" Didact had the potential of becoming a large return customer for GenPals.

Maybe that worth some extra perks.

* * *​

NOW

The security room was relatively small and was currently occupied by three guards- two of which were leaning heavily into their seat, boots on the table and eyes closed while murmuring softly about this or that. Sleeping on the job was so unprofessional, but they weren't exactly expecting what was about to happen. Orron III was an unremarkable world for the most part, sleepy, mostly focused around agriculture.

A band of pirates had set up shop in the ancient CSA corporate information node.

Almost nobody knew about it though.

The Authority had all but forgotten except maybe in some of their old computer files that nobody paid attention to. So that was how a band of space raiders managed to set-up shop on one of the most important locations in the sector without anyone the wiser. It gave them valuable information once they managed to tap the network- supply lines, dates, communication, everything.

They were slowly becoming filthy rich.

"You are looking for a switch on the wall, First. Turning it down should engage emergency evacuation procedures- it should unlock their doors and put their defenses on stand-by. Do you see it?"

 

[Cassandra Paige]

First didn't understand about money, or pirates, or anything of the sort.

But First *did* know what a button was. Dark eyes flickered quickly, wings moving so fast they formed a blur. Yes, that was it! Checking the attention of the larger beings in the room, it waited until all eyes were on the screen at the center console. Another creature (closer to its size! It thought, not understanding the idea of 'not actual size' in regards to a holoimage) danced, and they seemed to be enjoying it very much.

With that it made a bee line for the far wall. Studying it closely, it decided it liked the colour of the button. Good thing it was going to push it!

*Boop*

*****

​

Two Weeks Ago​

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"It's a proprietary part of the process," she explained. "It's not simply to force people to buy the food, but also to baffle attempts to clone copy righted material or to reserve engineer them."

Oh, it was still about profit. But it was a reasonable way to protect their assets.

"For preferred customers we have a supplement, concentrated- it can be administered weekly and you don't have to worry about it every day, so long as you are still feeding them an appropriate diet."

She smiled sweetly up at him.

"Much akin to the automatic withdrawls that come out of the GenPals pocket for continued security yes? Consider this a protection plan on the health of your animals."

His services to GenPals came at a continued price, paid monthly. It was, as far as Cass was concerned, no different.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

Boop.

Security suddenly went into stand-by, cameras flushed, doors forcibly opening themselves to allow a proper evacuation.

Of course, there wasn't a reason to evacuate.

Until Didact Defense Solutions took advantage of the situation. Blackened armor, no callsigns, the Words of Itash storming into the building like a silent machine. They didn't call out, didn't have any need to coordinate, what one saw... all of them saw. What one thought, everyone knew. They pushed into the hallways and killed everything in a clean and efficient manner. No fuss, no drama, they didn't take their time with it. Instead they swept through the facility like the silent death.

Target down.

​Target down.

​Target down.

​Target down.

​Target down.

​Target down.


Over and over again.

"Time to come home, First. Well done."

* * *​

​

TWO WEEKS AGO

"I want you with me once my men clean house. I want you to see what we have been working for."

 

[Cassandra Paige]

As the red lights flashed and things got chaotic, the little creature zoomed merrily around the perimeter of the room. It even made a tiny, tiny sound effect.

~zoom zoom!~

First was very excited and very pleased.

It would start to head 'home', toward the Dark Man. Along the way, however, its wings grew oddly heavy. Everything seemed to slooooow down.

~Tired~ it whimpered softly in his mind.

All it wanted, in that moment, was to complete that last instruction. To get the promised treat! To please the Dark Man. But for a moment, just one, it would rest.

*****

Two Hours Later​

​

"Found it sir."

One of his men, helmeted and Cass had no idea which, stepped up. He opened two gauntleted hands. Nestled, oddly gently considering the size and strength of the armored hold, was First. Curled up, nose beneath its tail, it was still and cold.

"Found it in a vent. It made sure to hide before expiring."

Cass nodded to herself. Good. That had been the final test, in truth. It had performed exactly as they had hoped.

"What shall I do with it?"

As far as Cass was concerned, it didn't really matter so long as it was disposed of properly. But Tash had felt it die, and he had purchased it after all. So she glanced at him, curious, but not interjecting.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

It was odd to feel a life slip away from you inch by inch.

Tash had presided over First's death. Feeling oddly... responsible, it had done an excellent job and even in its last moments all it had wanted to do was please him. "Hm?" The Tapani looked curiously at the little corpse and nodded then.

"Burn it, spread the ashes."

It was about efficiency and wrapping up loose ends. The fact that they'd treat the little thing as one of their own would not be lost to any of them though.

No complaints.

"It was perfect, Cass, and it would have been even better with more experience." Of course, this time around that simply hadn't been an option. "If I wanted more of these, could we breed in longer lifespan?" He gestured her to follow him, past his men cleaning up the corpses of the pirates. Bodies piled together in heaps to be discarded later.

All of it was very neat, very orderly and efficient.

Rather perfect. Like a well-oiled machine ticking along as it should. Their destination? The security room where First had disengaged the security protocols.

 

[Cassandra Paige]

The barest raise of an eyebrow at his response. She was aware of course that he had felt the creature die- telepathy was funny like that. Of course she had no way of knowing that it went deeper than that- still unaware of his particular 'talents' that made it, in some ways, more intimate. The burning it seemed reasonable, but the scatter the ashes surprised her a touch. Dispose of them, surely, but the phrasing was specific.

Respectful.

It was a glorified flying rat. An intelligent one, to be sure, and it had done the job it had required.

But respect?

She filed it away.

"Easily," she confirmed as they moved through the hallway. She was a little distracted- not upset or distressed. Not disgusted.

But this was something entirely new for her, and she didn't really know how she *ought* to react to it. What would be a 'normal' response. Before the incident with the protesters, that would have concerned her. Not the not knowing, but not knowing what face to present in the situation to Tash. But now?

Now she just let it lie, the expressionless drinking in of the scene as they moved through it all.

"What are you going to do with the bodies?" She asked finally, glancing over at him.

[member="Itash Mecetti"]

 

[Itash Mecetti]

[member="Cassandra Paige"]

They walked and Tash studied the piles as calmly as she did.

"Half these people had bounties on their head. Ordered by the Authority and beyond. It seems like a waste to let that just slip away." It wouldn't be easy if they wanted to keep this location a secret for now and a secret it had to be. The CSA wouldn't be happy if they found out what this place was and that Tash had no intention of giving it up to them.

But they could come up with a different story, much like the way they had done with the protestors those weeks ago

"They expected you'd throw up or otherwise be indisposed for the moment." Itash informed her as the door slid open and allowed them entry to the security room. The bodies here had been carried out a while ago already.

Itash wandered over to the emergency evacuation button.

*boop*

His fingers brushed the handle for a bit, before letting go of it again. "They were impressed. As was I, Cass."

Violence was one thing, but death on this scale was different as far as Itash was concerned. It wouldn't have been odd to him if it had somehow gotten to her.