Private The Last Hand

[Inanna Harth]

In an attempt at preserving absolute secrecy, Inanna didn't bother to contact Cato before showing up on Nar Shaddaa with Alicio in tow. There was always a chance that her comms were being monitored, and besides, what the hell was she going to tell him? That she was bringing her ex over for dinner?

It also meant they couldn't arrange a meeting anywhere other than at the apartment, but it wasn't like she had tried to keep its location a secret in the past. If her enemies really wanted to know where she lived that badly, they would've figured it out by now.

"I brought the kid with me to Alderaan and left her with my family for the weekend, which means Cato might not be home," Inanna told Alicio before unlocking the door. "But if he is, uh... just let me handle it."

The apartment she shared with Cato was a humble little abode. She had tidied it up a bit, but there was still an element of chaos to the place, mostly in the form of piles of books, scattered baby toys, and laundry that had not been folded (and probably never would be).

Elfangor came slithering over to greet them at the door. Sniffing Alicio, he seemed to recognize the Alderaanian and promptly began crawling up his leg, seeking attention.

"Cato?" Inanna called out. With the baby not there to be taken care of, part of her expected to find him as she so frequently had in the days before Serena came along: passed out on the bed, bandages covering dozens of fresh wounds gained from fighting Narsh's criminals all night. She still sincerely hoped that wouldn't be the case, but deep down she knew it was more likely than not.

Cato Harth Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

//...which is why I'm going to Nar Shaddaa. I won't be home for a few days, I don't think. It's... a little dangerous. Okay, a little more than a little dangerous. But I'll be with Inanna, and her new Jedi fiancé. Fiancé, Amani...! She wants to apologize to you, by the way. Another time. I'll be safe, make sure to use that menacing finger-point we worked on.

I'll see you soon, Love.//

With a quiet countenance, Alicio stepped gently through the threshold of the doorway. Never before had he felt so... out of place. Perhaps when he had first began attending galas and parties on behalf of Queen Faith, but this was an entirely different monster.

In place of his usual fineries, Alicio wore a black coat, within which rested the dark hilt of his lightsaber. Given the nature of their mission, lighting it today wasn't a question of if, but when.

Returning his thoughts to the moment, Alicio nodded slowly to Inanna as she said she would handle Cato if he were home. The wording concerned him, but he pushed those thoughts away for the moment, distracted by an adorable little creature snaking it's way towards him.

He braved a smile, reaching down and gently scratching between Elfangor's ears. "Hello, friend," the Count said, content to let the Sithspawn crawl up and down his form. Still, he hesitated at the door, as if waiting for an invitation.

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

"-And now, if we're very careful…" The sound of his voice was just audible enough, followed by a rattling of metal and a sudden explosive bang. In the kitchen, were two figures: Cato, shirtless but with bandage wrappings around his waist and various other parts of his body. And a Kitonak man wearing an open floral shirt. They were both staring intently at a smoking droid chassis, which then hopped up, seemingly reactivated.

"Hell yeah!" Cato said, raising a hand for a high five. As they connected, he finally turned to face the new arrivals. His forehead was smudged with grime and his hair was blown back. He had to pull up his now smudged goggles to see that Inanna had brought a new face with her. His brow raised high, and he nudged his landlord, "Gurt get outta my house will ya?"

The Kitonak looked between them all, and took his repaired droid before awkwardly walking past Inanna and Alicio, out the door. Cato idly slapped the wrench he was holding up and down against his palm, before setting it on the counter, "What's uh- ahem- What's up?" He studied the unfamiliar figure, "…Who's Mr. Tall, Dark, And Mysterious?"

Inanna Harth - Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Upon hearing an explosion, Inanna’s blood pressure began to rise. Her golden eyes followed the landlord Gurt as he picked up the chassis and left the apartment, before flicking over to Cato.

“What are you—” she began, only to shake her head. “Never mind. I don’t care what you’re doing, I just want it out of the kitchen. Don’t you have the whole basement reserved for your tinkering?”

Having said all that, her attention honed in on the bandages covering his naked torso. Though she wanted to ask, she bit her tongue. That was a private conversation best saved for later.

"…Who's Mr. Tall, Dark, And Mysterious?"

Inanna glanced over at Alicio. Elfangor had coiled around his body and was now resting his head on top of Alicio’s, enormous ears flapping happily. The Count was at risk of getting a mouthful of fur (and his black coat was starting to look more white due to all the pale fox hair that had gotten stuck to it), but was otherwise in no danger from the Sithspawn pet.

“This is Count Alicio Organa, Senator of Alderaan,” Inanna introduced them. “Alicio, this is Cato, my fiancé. We need your help finding a terrorist hideout here on Nar Shaddaa.”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio deferentially stepped to the side as the Kitonak waddled past, a stray hand gently pushing an excitable Sithspawn's tail away from his face. Then, he followed in after Inanna, his grey eyes landing on Cato for the first time.

"…Who's Mr. Tall, Dark, And Mysterious?"

The Count found a smirk at that. Tall? The Jedi had him beat by about half a foot. Frankly, he could say the same about Cato. As Inanna introduced him, the nobleman stepped forward, extending his hand out to shake. "Alicio," he said, offering a simpler name.

"Maranatha is..." The Count paused to blow Elfangor's tail away from tickling his nose, a careless hand stroking at the creature's scarf-like body. "Maranatha is in danger, and Inanna said you were the best person to help."

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato's head lolled to the side, "Well, technically, this area is the basement," He quickly stopped himself from turning it into more of a debate than need be. The knight straightened up, snatching a shop towel and rubbing off some of the black stain on his forehead before tossing it back aside.

Alicio, Inanna introduced him as, before the Count made proper introductions himself. Cato squinted, looking between the two of them. Given what he knew about their relationship, it was a bit of a surprise to see them in the same space. He stepped forward, assessing the man in front of him, before raising an oil-stained hand to shake, "Cato. As you're already aware..." Another side glance, before he stepped back to search through one of the cabinets for fresh bandages, "You're dating Amani, right?" He asked, apparently aware of who she was.

Cato took a moment to process the quick explanations they had given, unwinding the bandages around his waist where there was a faint red stain. Underneath was a cut, which he doused with a bit of disinfectant before reapplying, "Sooo, more problems for Maranatha. Not the same group as last time, then? Why's Your Highness getting involved all of a sudden?"

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

Giving Cato a glare as he argued the point, Inanna showed surprisingly little reaction to the fact that he apparently knew Amani. Then again, maybe she was too distracted by the sight of Cato trying to change his blood-stained bandage with oil-smeared fingers.

“Your hands are dirty,” she said in a soft voice, taking the fresh bandage from him, washing her hands and redressing the wound herself. In addition to keeping him from giving himself an infection, it gave her a chance to see how bad the cut was…

“It’s our old friends, Free Lao-mon,” Inanna answered grimly. Cato should have remembered them—the two had raided their hideout in the sewers not too long ago. The operation hadn’t been as much of a success as she had hoped it would be. Plenty of survivors got away.

“One of them almost killed Alicio. We captured the would-be assassin and got him to mention a meeting place here on Narsh called ‘the Last Hand’. Does that name ring a bell to you?”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio gladly took Cato's oil-stained hand, without any of the hesitation expected of a nobleman. "It's good to meet you, Cato," he said warmly, conjuring his bravest face.

Which turned into a flash of surprise as the Jedi mentioned Amani. Even the thought of her name was enough to coax a wispy smile to his face. "Yeah. Do you know her?"

"Why's Your Highness getting involved all of a sudden?"

Alicio's smile broke, but he kept his face a neutral mask. He recognized a jab when he heard one. But Alicio was content to let Inanna answer, busying himself by unwrapping Elfangor from his neck, and spooling the fox-snake around his arm.

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato froze part way through reapplying the bandage, raising his arms to let Inanna step in and fix it herself. Given the length and depth, it appeared to be a cut rather than a stab; Just a flesh wound, if still an unpleasant one. The knight shrugged, "Had a mutual friend more like," He frowned for a mere flicker of a moment at the mention of said friend, before continuing, "But when Amani flipped over to the Sith Empire and everyone thought she killed a fellow Jedi, me and a few others pieced together her innocence," That it was all a convoluted plan to infiltrate the Empire. That the Jedi's death was never in her hands to begin with.

"I like to think it made it a bit easier for her to get back into the Jedi business. Good to see she's really made something of herself," Chief Healer. Jedi Council. Cato chuckled dryly. Not that he believed himself exclusively responsible for it in any way. He was genuinely happy to know she had been able to move past all that trauma. He shot Alicio an icy look that seemed to say 'don't screw it up', before he moved on from that topic completely. Cato's only frame of reference for how the Count treated romantic relationships was the sour ending to the one he shared with Inanna, after all.

All that said, they were working together now, weren't they? When the bandage was reapplied, Cato spun around to wash off his hands in the sink, "Another assassin? Guess it didn't work, huh?" He groaned, remembering the one they had previously subdued. Figures the movement weren't going to give up after the one failed attempt. He shot Alicio another look, though this one was more apologetic; If Cato had done his job better, this wouldn't be a problem. That was what he told himself, anyway.

"The Last Hand?" He rubbed his chin, "Yeah. It's a gambling den in the Corellian Sector. Think it started as a Kanjiklub hand-me-down 'til they got pushed out. Now it's a DMZ. Good place to make connections. Transactions," The detective in him was already coming out, shown on his face as he stepped into the bedroom, grabbing a shirt from the closet and throwing it over his torso.

"So what are they up to now? Free Lao-mon?"

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Any other injuries?” Inanna asked, patting the bandage.

Her interest was piqued by Cato’s story about Amani. It sounded… weirdly similar to her own past, except Inanna had never been accused of killing a Jedi while she was with the Sith Empire. Huh. Maybe Alicio had a type after all—or maybe she and Amani were drawn to him for similar reasons.

"Another assassin? Guess it didn't work, huh?"

Inanna made a face.

Cato went on to explain the Last Hand. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m glad you do,” she said, having no clue what a Kanjiklub was. “Have you ever been there before? Would it be easy for us to get in?”

While Cato went to put on a shirt, she glanced over at the Count. He was trying to wrap Elfangor around his arm. Elfangor whined at this treatment, evidently wanting to drape himself around Alicio and squeeze the life out of him, but the fox-snake soon became distracted by something sniff-worthy in the nobleman’s pocket.

"So what are they up to now? Free Lao-mon?"

“Apart from trying to kill Alicio, I don’t know. I was hoping this would give us a chance to find out—and put a stop to it, whatever it turns out to be.”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

The reference to Amani's past sobered Alicio considerably, as he looked to Cato in interest. She had told him her story, of course, but he had never met someone who knew her during that time. There was a new perspective there. He found the kindest of smiles as they finished discussing his favorite topic. "She has," he said, his confidence mixed with a bit of second-hand pride in his girlfriend's accomplishments.

He weathered Cato's icy glare, none the worse. There were very few things he was sure in, but in Amani, he was sure.

Of course, the realization that this wasn't his first would-be killer widened his eyes, as he looked between the two of them in surprise. "Wait. This wasn't my first assassin?" That was news to him.

As Cato left to clothe himself, Alicio wrestled with Elfangor for a moment. The creature escaped his grasp, wedging his nose into one of his pockets. Any outside observers could see the moment Alicio simply gave up, letting the Sithspawn have free-reign of him again.

"How would we go about looking for Shi'ido in a safe zone?" The Count peeked into the future, testing the limits of how far he could gaze into the Sea. "We can't exactly bust down the door and prick every finger we see."

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

"None that need attention," Cato assured. Really he just didn't want her to worry. He would live, and that was enough if it meant giving her peace of mind.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m glad you do,”

Cato shot Inanna with a pair of finger guns before heading to change. While he did, the Count came to realize that it wasn't the first time he had a target on his back. Cato peeked back out of the bedroom door, raising a brow and looking between Alicio and Inanna, "He didn't know?" Then without expounding further, he shrugged and disappeared back behind the door frame

"As for getting in…" Cato said, returning with a fresh set of clothes, "It's easy enough, I guess. But they're real thorough when it comes to weapon checks. Can't have anybody coming in thinking they can get an easy hit on their rivals." It was a place of cooperation and negotiation among the city's gangsters. A rarity in such a lawless land, but a crucial piece of the puzzle all the same.

"How would we go about looking for Shi'ido in a safe zone? We can't exactly bust down the door and prick every finger we see."

Cato snapped a finger at Alicio as a silent commendation. The Count was asking the right questions, "That's the real trick. Can always try and pick someone out through the Force, but that isn't foolproof," He turned to Inanna, "Don't suppose you'd have anything up your sleeve? How did Ash get involved with Free Lao-mon?"

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Wait. This wasn't my first assassin?"

Inanna sighed. “Cato and I accidentally uncovered a plot to kill a member of the Organa family. Presumably you were the target, for obvious reasons. We thought we had taken care of it.”

But clearly it hadn’t been enough. Growing pensive, Inanna combed her fingers through her hair, absently causing it to grow longer in the process.

"Don't suppose you'd have anything up your sleeve? How did Ash get involved with Free Lao-mon?"

“My niece pretended to be a new recruit on the Holonet, and gained their trust over the course of several months,” she replied. “We don’t have months to spare on a long-term infiltration. Unless…?” She glanced between the two men, not really sure if that was a possibility.

“And no, I still don’t know of any special trick beyond checking their blood, DNA, or using the Force to read their thoughts. Most of us think in Shi’idese—that’s a pretty big giveaway.” But none of it seemed to be enough.

“I suppose if we could get an in-depth medical scanner… but that would be too obvious. Or maybe if we had someone who was really, really good at reading minds… No offense.” Alicio seemed to be a beginner in the realm of telepathy, while Cato just plain sucked at it (from what she’d seen, at least). She was suggesting they bring in an expert.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio balked only a little as Inanna explained that there was another time she had, without his knowledge, taken down a ring of Organa-killers. While Cato seemed surprised, Inanna had done it without ever expecting him to know, with no thought of reward.

The Count glanced at the ground, his smile warming. "Well, thank you. Though, if I can give a few notes for next time, I would appreciate knowing that my life is in danger before the assassination attempt, and not after or during."

Alicio patted Elfangor's head thoughtfully, smiling privately as Cato subtly congratulated him. It seemed impossible, trying to force their way into a criminal hangout, and going in quietly would make it harder to find the people they were looking for.

Inanna suggested a long-term undercover op, and Alicio only shook his head. "By then, they'll have so many opportunities to strike Maranatha again. If there's a way to do this quickly, we have to take it."

Alicio pondered the conundrum, stroking along the Sithspawn's form like a Holo-drama villain. "None taken," he said quickly, at Inanna's no offence. If they could have an expert read the room, so to speak...

"Do you have someone in mind?"

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

"Yeah I'm not sure we've got that kind of timetable," Cato rubbed his chin, before offering a shrug to Alicio, "We also weren't on much of a timetable to warn you the first time, either." It had all occurred in a relatively short span, and that was better spent making sure the assassination didn't actually go through.

“I suppose if we could get an in-depth medical scanner… but that would be too obvious. Or maybe if we had someone who was really, really good at reading minds… No offense.”

Cato raised a brow, more amused than insulted. He waited a moment before throwing his hat in the ring, "Well I'm not exactly an expert, but catching someone thinking in Shi'idese wouldn't be too tough," It was, as she said, a pretty dead giveaway. Even just surface level thoughts would do. Not that it was a guarantee that their target would be doing so, but options were limited as is. In any case, she seemed to have someone more specific in mind.

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

"Well, thank you. Though, if I can give a few notes for next time, I would appreciate knowing that my life is in danger before the assassination attempt, and not after or during."

Cato jumped in to point out that they didn't have much time to work with. "Alicio, that whole business at the opera was supposed to be our chance to warn you," Inanna added. "But they already had the drop on us. The assassin was already inside, and because he was a Shi'ido among Shi'ido, no finger prick or DNA test would've prevented him."

Of course, that made things sound hopeless, so she quickly added, "We've been trying to get the Benandanti to work for us. The Shi'ido order of telepaths, that is. They've been busy deprogramming Fleshtakers for much of the war, but now that those numbers are dwindling... There's one named Fira Gog who might be able to help us with this."

She turned to Cato. "I don't doubt your abilities. But we already faced a less scrupulous Benandanti before, and you didn't do very well against him." She didn't need to drop the name Moloch Vandolae to dredge up memories of that encounter.

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio looked between the both of them, and their similar reactions to his rib. He raised an eyebrow. "Only a joke," he said, smiling placatingly. "I appreciate the help. Really."

Inanna came up with a name, Fira Gog. Alicio took a moment to study the faces of Cato and Inanna, trying his best to spy the hidden meaning between them, as the latter referenced a previous adventure.

Finally, Alicio placed Elfangor on the ground, coming back up with little white hairs all around his dark jacket and hair. He tried to wipe away the shed, with limited success. "Well, then, I say we get as many advantages as we can. It can't hurt to have two mind-readers with us." The Count nodded to Cato, then to Inanna.

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -

 

[Cato Harth]

Cato grimaced at the reference to their run in with Moloch, "Yeahhh… But we're not fighting a Benandanti here, are we? We're getting help from one," Unless Inanna had some information that she'd yet to share, that was how things had been laid out.

"Whatever, if you think you can get this Fira Gog to help, then by all means. They'll probably be more useful than me," A sense of uselessness was a particular irritant for Cato, but he wasn't stubborn enough to refuse an outwardly better alternative.

"I'm guessing you have some way to get into contact with them?"

Inanna Harth | Alicio Organa​

 

[Inanna Harth]

“A joke? About your own attempted assassination?” Inanna’s eyebrows rose. “And I thought my sense of humor was dark…”

"Yeahhh… But we're not fighting a Benandanti here, are we?"

“We might be, actually—the Benandanti have no moral precepts, so there’s nothing in their teachings that would bar them from joining a terrorist organization.” But she was deflecting from the truth, which was that she didn’t think Cato could handle it.

And Cato could tell that she didn’t think he could handle it.

“You’re still useful in other ways,” she said, but the damage had been done. Turning away, she picked up her datapad. “I’ll contact her now. With any luck, she’ll be somewhere close…”

But Inanna couldn’t even reach Fira, who for some reason wasn’t answering. After a few more attempts, Inanna gave up with a sigh. “Okay, never mind. It’s just the three of us, then.” She glanced at Cato, hesitated, then said, “You know how to get there. You lead the way.”

Alicio Organa Cato Harth​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“And I thought my sense of humor was dark…”

Alicio offered a wry smile. He'd never joke about someone else's near assassination, but his own, on the other hand...

The revelation that a telepath could be a possible danger sent shivers down Alicio's spine. He knew how much danger they could be in, how much damage a dedicated mind-manipulator could do. He would have to be cautious, guard his thoughts carefully.

Especially considering they were going it alone. Sans a mind-manipulator of their own.

Tense subtext seemed to be the name of the game today, as the Count looked between the Jedi and the Shi'ido. Sticking with the mission, and partially to diffuse some of that tension, Alicio reached into his pocket, and procured his lightsaber, spinning it elegantly in his hand.

"What do you think?," he asked, holding it out for Cato to inspect before they left the apartment. "The hilt's durinium, with a reflec coating. Do you think I can sneak it in, or should I leave it here?"

- Cato Harth - Inanna Harth -