Private Wicked Game

[Inanna Harth]

“No doubt they think having Shi’ido help catch Shi’ido would be a mistake, and that we only look out for ourselves. Try to convince them that nobody knows our kind better than us. Or, uh, maybe just do your thing where you somehow make everyone want to work together. That usually works.”

Inanna headed for the door, preparing to leave him in peace and quiet. Before she could step out, however, the Count—the Senator—Alicio mumbled something against his pillow, prompting her to glance his way. Curled up in the hospital bed, he looked terribly vulnerable.

With a flick of her wrist, she turned the holoprojector off. “Get some rest, Alicio,” she said, gently closing the door behind her.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio's eyelids were already dragging down by the time Inanna flicked off the holo with the Force. He gave her a grateful nod, watching as the Shi'ido left the room, a sleepy sort of puzzled expression on his face.

But it didn't last for long, as he slowly fell into a sinking, fitless sleep, dreaming about operas and galas and thranta rides.

New Aldera, Alderaan
Maximum Security Holding Facility
​

Alicio wasted no time in claiming the investigation for House Organa.

It was surprisingly easy. Despite his involvement with Maranatha, it seemed like the little Count was a rather popular figure with the Alderaanian government. Or, at the very least, he was pitiable. Whichever it was, the end result was the same; he was able to invite along Inanna and Enkidu as consultants.

Alicio stared through the one-way glass at his would-be murderer with a somber expression. He wore simple blacks, and seemed to favor his chest a bit more than usual. He spoke out of the corner of his mouth, sparing a glance at Enkidu and Inanna, who had been called in as soon as the clearance was issued.

"So... what kind of questions should we ask?" Alicio continued his staredown of the assassin, as if studying his form might give the Count some hidden insight. "I doubt he'll respond well to anything I have to say."

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna never doubted that Alicio would pull through, yet she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when she finally found herself standing in front of a one-way window. Through it she could see the assassin up close for the first time since the attempt on Alicio’s life.

He was bound to a chair in the middle of the interrogation cell. The same drug which had trapped Inanna in the form of an Ortolan now prevented him from shapeshifting. It also impaired his body's natural ability to heal from wounds. He bore a few mild injuries from his tussle with security, but luckily nothing serious enough to require more than bacta and bandages.

Inanna turned to Alicio as he asked a question, but Enkidu beat her to the answer. “It depends on what approach you’re going for," he said. "Free Lao-mon has already taken credit for the assassination attempt, and he hasn’t tried to hide his allegiance to them. If you want more info on the group, perhaps you could stroke his ego, play into his pride. Other than that, we don’t know much about him as an individual. Not even his name or clan. We certainly don’t know how or why he got involved in all this.”

“He refuses to speak Basic,” Inanna added. She handed Alicio a small earpiece. “This is a translation device programmed for Shi’idese. It’ll allow you to understand what he’s saying, at least.”

“I admit I’m a bit concerned about how he’ll react to seeing you,” Enkidu muttered. “I wouldn’t put it past him to try something even now.”

“He’s disarmed, tied up, can’t shapeshift, and in the middle of a maximum security facility,” Inanna pointed out. “What could he do, exactly?”

“You’d be surprised.”

She shrugged. “Well, all three of us could go in looking like Alicio. I doubt he could tell which was the real one, so he wouldn’t know which to ‘try something’ on.”

“Very funny.” Although Enkidu didn't sound all that amused. He looked to Alicio, waiting for the go-ahead to start the interrogation.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio nodded at Enkidu's response, and quickly took the translator from Inanna, slipping it over his ear. "I don't like the idea of lying to him," the Count declared, realizing just how idiotic it sounded. The man tried to kill him, and Alicio felt bad about fibbing.

But if deception was required...

"Okay... What if we made him think he succeeded?" Alicio put a finger over his chin, pondering the notion. "He may be less careful with his words if he thinks the deed is done. Then, I can stay back here, try to get a read on his mind as you talk. And... maybe I can look into the future, predict what will get us the info we need."

Alicio had gotten the idea from none other than Kai Bamarri . The Count could see into the future, used it constantly to save his life in combat situations. Why not use it in a social situation? Perhaps he would be able to sense the right words to say.

He looked to the Shi'ido, trying to gauge their interest in the plan.

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Luckily for Alicio, Inanna and Enkidu found his desire for honesty endearing rather than idiotic. But the fact remained that a bit of deception was necessary to accomplish their goals.

“He has no idea what happened after we carried you out of there,” Enkidu said with a nod. “No access to the news or contact with non-personnel. I say it’s a sound plan.”

“I didn’t know you were into telepathy,” Inanna murmured, looking a little pale. Realizing Enkidu was looking at her expectantly, she quickly added, “It’s a good plan. Let’s do it.”

“Your previous interactions with him disqualify you, so I’ll go,” Enkidu said. Inanna sighed in disappointment, but agreed. She wasn't sure if she could resist the urge to throttle the assassin.

***​

Constrained by his bindings, the assassin tried to stretch out as much as possible, easing sore muscles. He hardly reacted when the door opened. His body felt tingly, a side effect of the drugs they had given him. Disrupted the nervous system, left him feeling pins and needles from head to toe.

Enkidu entered the room—a middle-aged man in appearance, clad in a gray suit. “This one looks more like a businessman than a police officer,” the assassin remarked, sounding bored.

“Hello to you, too,” Enkidu said, taking a seat across from him.

Upon hearing his own language spoken, the assassin sat upright. “A fellow Shi’ido! Hello indeed. Where are you from, brother? Never mind, I’ll hear it in your voice soon enough. I’m very good with accents.”

“I’m sure you will. I’m your lawyer.”

“It’s about time.”

Despite the assassin’s attempts at throwing the conversation off track, Enkidu maintained a serious, grave demeanor. “You’re in a lot of trouble already, but recent developments have made it a whole lot worse. Count Alicio Organa died this morning from his injuries.”

“Really?" the assassin snorted incredulously. "I don’t believe that. These Core Worlds are supposed to have the best medical care in the galaxy.”

“Your slug bounced off his lightsaber, and the molten shrapnel cracked his rib. A fragment of bone pierced his heart. They tried to save him with surgery, but it wasn’t enough.”

Upon hearing the lie, the assassin grew very quiet. His surprise was palpable, followed by a sense of relief, and finally, victory. Unable to suppress a smug smirk, he leaned back in his chair. “Then my job is done,” he said. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill myself. Enough of us have died already. Will my trial be a public one?”

“Given how high-profile the murder was, yes,” Enkidu answered. “You assassinated an Alliance Senator, and a member of the Alderaanian royal family to boot.”

“To hell with the royals, and screw the Alderaanians. I will go to trial for the ones who settled. The people living in that parody of our home that they carved out of this frigid world’s one jungle. The natives will kick down the doors of the settlers, round up their families, and banish them from ‘paradise’ because the shapeshifter is too violent, too scary, too dishonest and slippery to be trusted. Hopefully they will see that it wasn't me killing their so-called savior that led to it. Such conflicts are simply part of nature, of history. We have no business being here. cramming all the survivors of the holocaust into one place. We might as well paint a target on our backs. Maranatha will be our tomb.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“I didn’t know you were into telepathy.”

Alicio sent the Shi'ido an apologetic look. He figured the notion might make her uncomfortable. "I can't see anything clearly. But I can sense... intentions. Emotions. Images. Maybe enough to go off of."

The three had their sights set on his plan. He watched as Enkidu began to enact it, talking with the assassin in a measured tone, pretending to be his lawyer. Alicio twitched a frown; this felt like an abuse of their power.

But as long as it kept Maranatha safe, the deception was worth it.

The Count closed his eyes, focusing his senses on the man. He tasted his change in emotions, the eventual rush of victory when it was 'revealed' he had killed Alicio. That made him feel a little more confident in the situation.

Confidence he fueled into gazing out over that sea of future possibilities, casting his eyes over various paths. The Force blazed around Alicio, a near-palpable weight simmering off the noble's shoulders. He looked for a way forward, some way to get what they needed.

One future called out to him. Alicio studied it for a moment, before letting it be known.

His eyes finally opened. "I saw something. And I have... frankly, a really bad idea." He turned his stormy eyes to Inanna. "You have to go in there, pretend to overpower Enkidu, and start to help him escape. Get him to tell you where you can escape to, but pretend you already know where. He'll let it slip."

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna could feel Alicio’s precognitive powers like a prickling sensation against her skin, a hum or vibration in the air, an aura around him she could see only out of the corner of her eye. The exact nature of his powers was beyond her understanding, however. She only knew that he was trying to predict the future—and evidently, he succeeded.

When he presented his proposal to her, she blinked incredulously. “At least you admit it’s a really bad idea,” she muttered. Eying the assassin and Enkidu through the window, she pursed her lips. “Enkidu won’t know what we’re doing.” He would either have to catch on quick, or be left thinking it was all real. The deception was only temporary, but still—what if he got hurt?

But it was possible to stun him. Could she pull off the charade? Most certainly. She even had a weapon stowed away that she could use to make the show more convincing. A weapon of Shi’ido make—exactly the sort that a terrorist looking to make a statement would carry. (Smuggling it into a maximum security facility was definitely illegal, but hey, a girl can never be too careful.)

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll do it. If anything goes wrong…” But no. Alicio wouldn’t have her do this if he had seen things going wrong. This was a future outcome he found acceptable—and if he did, they’d all come out of it fine. Even the assassin, probably.

“I trust you.”

With that final phrase, her body morphed into someone else. Producing a small, sleek device from her malleable flesh, she barreled into the interrogation room.

Enkidu didn’t know what hit him. Inanna’s weapon produced a beam of energy that struck him in the back, pulsed through his nervous system and left him temporarily unable to move. She moved to the astonished assassin, pausing as she realized she didn’t have the key to his restraints. Probably for the best, though it made her rescue attempt look somewhat sloppy. Well, she could always pass it off as a spur-of-the-moment thing…

“How do I unbind you?” she asked in Shi’idese. “Never mind. We have to get out of here! I’ll carry you.”

Despite all his earlier blustering about wanting a public trial, the assassin’s entire demeanor lit up at the prospect of being rescued. “Will you carry me all the way to the Last Hand?” he asked, grinning.

Holy chit, Alicio was right. This guy is an idiot. “For the man who killed Alicio Organa, I would do anything.”

“Nar Shaddaa is pretty far. At least I’ll be in good company.”

She had moved behind the assassin, close enough to pretend she was going to actually pick him up. Instead, she raised her beamer to paralyze him and be done with the charade.

The weapon was knocked from her hands before she could fire, but she didn’t hear it clatter to the floor. A fleshy tendril had begun to wrap itself around her throat, as the assassin slipped free of his restraints and pressed the barrel of the gun to her head.

“You almost had me, I’ll give you that,” he growled. “But there’s something about your walk, your stance that gives you away, whether you’re a woman or an Ortolan.”

The drug they gave him must have worn off! She realized, frozen in his grip. Alicio must not have looked far enough into the future—unless allowing this to happen was part of some broader plan of his that she wasn’t privy to. She sure hoped it was the latter...

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio frowned slightly as the Shi'ido agreed to his plan. Inanna had a lot of trust in him. Despite everything they'd been through. He only hoped he could be worthy of it.

Alicio watched on with an intense glare as Inanna burst into the room, swiftly incapacitated Enkidu, and got the information they needed. It had been even quicker than Alicio had forseen. But watching her move, watching the emotions in the room, keeping a close eye on the immediate future... Alicio suddenly started.

As the assassin put a barrel to Inanna's head, Alicio stretched out with the Force, his eyes a blazing skyscape. He wasn't incredible at telepathy, but he did know a few tricks. The Force pressed down on the Count once more, and a word formed on his lips. One he whispered out loud, and cast through the glass, pushing into the man's mind, and crowding out all other thought.

"Stop."
​

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

The assassin wavered, but didn’t obey. “Stop?” he retorted angrily, agitated by the mysterious voice and accompanying vague impulse. Alicio’s attempt only half-worked, because the command was in Basic and the assassin didn’t speak much Basic.

Inanna took what opportunity she could get. Seizing the gun with telekinesis, she knocked it out of his hand. He reached toward it, but she grabbed him, coiling her body around his.

The resulting fight was difficult to describe. Two shapeshifters doing battle on the floor of the interrogation room—it was hard to tell them apart as they changed their forms, sprouting makeshift weapons with which to attack or toughening their flesh in defense.

Enkidu began to twitch, coming out of the paralysis. By some twist of fate, the weapon had wound up near where he sat. Fighting the sluggishness in his limbs, he reached down and picked it up, aiming it at the two. “Freeze,” he commanded, his voice hoarse. “Or I’ll shoot you both.”

The fight stopped—and a pair of Inannas emerged, perfectly identical in appearance.

Enkidu sighed at the sight of them. “Not this again,” he grumbled. Then, in Basic he added, “Son, I need you to tell me which one is the real deal. You’ve got the Force, make it fast.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Fiddlesticks. Damn language barriers.

As the tussle began in earnest, Alicio tore into the room, his lightsaber blazing to life, held loosely at his side. He looked between the entwined bodies, nearly mesmerized the the Shi'ido battle style, before the fight stopped, and two Inannas emerged.

Enkidu insisted that he peeked into their minds, and there was less hesitation from the Count than he was comfortable with. He blurted out a quick "Sorry," before the world became tastes and impressions.

It was easy to tell which was the true Inanna. The specific scars on her mind, while healed by Rianna Organa on Aldera, were still just as recognizable on her psyche. And of course, the gullible assassin likely felt more than a little surprise at seeing the dead senator alive and well.

Gliding along the ground with liquid footwork, Alicio deftly positioned his blade at the torso of the terrorist, his eyes flashing with afterimages of the Future. "Return to your seat," he said softly, ready to protect his friends, should the man do otherwise.

But still, he subtly flicked Introspect to a non-lethal setting. Just in case.

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

The real Inanna sensed Alicio brushing against her mind. At first she automatically shied away from his touch, but she was able to overcome that instinct just enough to let him see her.

The assassin’s face contorted into a scowl as he realized he’d been duped. “So you’re alive,” he growled in Shi’idese. “It wasn’t smart of you to enter this cage.”

“Don’t do anything stupid,” Enkidu warned, still pointing his weapon at the assassin. “You’re outnumbered three to one—”

“I’m not locked in here with you. You’re locked in here with me!”

“—and two of us three have weapons,” Enkidu finished despite the interruption. “You don’t. Sit down.”

Adrenaline draining away, the assassin’s bluster began to fade, cold reality setting in. His gaze flicked between Alicio’s lightsaber and Enkidu’s gun before he slowly but surely sank back into his seat.

“Don’t come anywhere near him,” Enkidu said, switching to Basic as he spoke to Alicio, but kept his eyes fixed on the assassin. “Inanna?”

“I’m all right,” she said. She was bruised and battered, but not seriously wounded.

“You and Alicio get out of here. I’ll keep him pinned down. Find the medical droid responsible for giving him the drug and send it in.” Enkidu rattled off orders with the authority of a seasoned veteran. “Don’t keep us waiting.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“I’m not locked in here with you. You’re locked in here with me!”

That was certainly not the response Alicio had been expecting.

Alicio gave the Shi'ido assassin a dubious look as he threatened the three of them, with a blaster and a lightsaber in his face. Even at Enkidu's caution, there was no fear in the Count's face as he stared down his would-be killer, only the harsh glimmer of confidence in his slate-grey eyes.

Still, he heeded the veteran warrior's advice, backing up slowly, and ensuring Inanna did the same before shutting the door behind them, and quickly bringing a comm device to his face. "Medical droid down here now! We must have missed a dosage." Then he turned to Inanna, a bit of guilt coloring his face.

"I... I didn't see any of that, I'm sorry. If I had, I would've found another way," he uttered. The senator stretched out his hand instinctually, before pulling it back just as quickly, pausing a beat. "May I heal you?"

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna sank down onto the nearest flat surface (a small table) and leaned against the wall, sore all over after her tussle with the assassin. She was glad Alicio was there to handle things, because all she wanted to do was sit there and not move.

As the Count apologized, she shook her head dismissively. “I’m the one who put my trust in you. That was my choice.” She sighed. “If I had your precognitive powers, that motherfether never would’ve been able to get the drop on me in the first place. But I was reliant on you, and you couldn’t be present in that room, and I can’t handle telepathic communication, even though it would’ve been extremely convenient in that situation—so don’t blame yourself, please. Just this once. For me?”

Her head drooped. Alicio’s hand edged into her field of vision, prompting her to lift her eyes again even as he pulled away. She blinked at his offer. “You’re into healing now, too?” The corners of her mouth curled in a vague smirk. It was always something new with him. “Sure thing, Dr. Organa.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"—so don’t blame yourself, please. Just this once. For me?”

Alicio bit back his rebuttal, eyes shifting down and away. He'd asked for her trust, implied that he had it all under control. Maybe, if Inanna had trusted him less, she wouldn't be as battered as she was now.

But, as she said, that was her choice to make. He nodded once to her. They'd done the best they could, but he would feel a lot better once he was able to heal her of his mistake.

With her consent (and a brief, private chuckle at the mention of Dr. Organa), the Count lightly rested his fingers against her wounds, focusing on his compassion. The lightest rushing of warmth, a shadow of what Rianna Organa could accomplish, transferred into the Shi'ido.

"I've been 'into healing' for a while," he muttered, laser-focused on the task at hand. "I'm no Rianna, though. I first learned it from... Someone who isn't with us, anymore. An old friend." Meaning upon hidden meaning layered his words, but he didn't elaborate.

"So... the Last Hand. Nar Shaddaa." Alicio frowned, working his life energy through a particularly nasty abrasion. "Does that mean anything to you?"

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

“Looks to me like you’re a natural,” Inanna said, watching her wounds seal shut. Shi’ido physiology was already pliable, but with the bonus of the Force, her bruises evaporated and cuts practically snapped closed.

“It sounds like the name of a bar or a club. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were using it as a front for their operations, if not a meeting place of some sort.” Inanna stopped Alicio after he dealt with a particularly nasty wound. “All right, that’s enough. Save your strength.” Given that he was still in recovery from his wound, she was afraid he might overexert himself.

“How far do you intend to take this?” she asked. “You don’t have to go with us to Nar Shaddaa, you know. I'm sure you have more important stuff to do.”

She didn’t mention it, but anything to do with Narsh would inevitably have to involve Cato Harth in some way—it was his territory, after all—and she wasn’t sure how she felt about putting him and Alicio in the same vicinity.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"I'm good enough," he returned, practically allergic to the compliment. Still, he did find the process far easier on Inanna, as her Shi'ido form longed to be whole once more.

He nodded along at her assessment of the Last Hand, then frowned as the diplomat waved him off. "Fine," he relented, resting a tired hand on his cane as he pulled back from her.

“You don’t have to go with us to Nar Shaddaa, you know. I'm sure you have more important stuff to do.”

"Oh yeah?" Alicio smiled softly. "You're right. A ring of assassins trying to kill me and destroy a city under my protection is far beneath me." But still, something he sensed in the air made him pause. He cocked his head to the side, hesitant.

"Do you... not want me to go?"

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

“That compliment allergy of yours is flaring up again,” Inanna teased. She was happy to discover it no longer hurt to laugh, thanks to Alicio’s healing. “By the way, you look nice. Did you do something with your hair? And I like that you’re back to dressing like you’re in perpetual mourning. Black looks better on you than gray.”

Her reluctance didn’t escape his notice, but she still tried to awkwardly cover it up. “Not at all! We’d love to have you on the smuggler’s moon. I just figured you were, you know. Busy. Wouldn’t want all this mess cutting into your schedule too much...”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Upon her compliments, Alicio's eyes traveled the four walls of the room, finally sitting down himself. "No, I haven't. But thank you." He liked wearing black. There was nothing wrong with varying up the wardrobe, but Alicio had an image to maintain. Even if his mood had drastically improved since his first visit to Alderaan.

Inanna's response to his probing question was confusing, to say the least. There was an awkward edge to her tone, one Alicio tried to parse. Her use of we didn't escape his notice. "If you don't want me to go, I don't have to," he finally said, propping his hands atop his cane. "They are trying to kill me, after all."

The Count frowned. He didn't particularly like the idea of going to Nar Shaddaa. Still, he pressed forward. "But I want to help Maranatha. I want to help the Shi'ido. And I think I could do that best if I come along." He would travel to the ends of the galaxy and back to help people in need. Inanna had to know that by now.

"So... Do you want me there, or not?"

- Inanna Harth -

 

[Inanna Harth]

Inanna started to feel guilty. Alicio wanted to help, like he always did, and yet she was denying him—and for what? The vague possibility of drama and/or getting an Alliance Senator and friend killed on Narsh?

“Okay, okay. If you insist.” She rolled her golden eyes and sighed. “...Yes, I want you there. I want to see you cut loose and beat the crap out of the people who plotted to kill you, because that would be awesome.”

“But let’s get a few things straight,” she continued. “Enkidu can’t leave Maranatha, and I’d rather not draw attention by bringing in a whole task force anyway. It’ll have to be just you, me, and Cato Harth. He’s a Jedi who fights crime on Nar Shaddaa, so he knows the smuggler’s moon like the back of his hand. He also happens to be my fiancé, so it’s in his best interest to help me when I ask him to.” She held out a hand. “Do you agree to these terms, Your Excellency?”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

“...Yes, I want you there. I want to see you cut loose and beat the crap out of the people who plotted to kill you, because that would be awesome.”

Alicio found a smile of his own. "Well, that's probably not going to happen, but sure."

Inanna laid out her terms. The Count nodded along as she spoke, his steel eyes boring into the Shi'ido's gold. It made sense that Enkidu would stay, conceding the fact that a smaller group would make less ripples on the crime-ridden moon. And despite the implications, Alicio was curious to see who had gotten engaged to Inanna so quickly.

He'd got along rather swimmingly with crime-fighting Jedi, in the past. His previous romantic involvement with their fiancés notwithstanding.

Inanna extended her hand to shake. Alicio studied it for a moment, before giving her a slanted smile, rising to his feet, and accepting her grip in his.

"Let's go."

- Inanna Harth -