The Hapes Cluster

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

"Of a sort," her hand moved slightly as she fought the impulse to pull back from the intrusion. His eyes met hers and she reminded herself of who he was to her. Kandor already knew about the entirety of the secrets she bore for herself and her family. The aay'han that gripped her at missing them had also made her a bit more sensitive that should would have liked watching him hold the flat crimson crystal in his hand. Ultimately she reached behind her neck to unclasp the chain, allowing the crystal to fall into his hand. "Well, it is, but there's more to it than just the data. There are empathic memories imprinted on it as well as ones that can be read by a reader." If she couldn't trust Kandor enough to share this with him, could she truly say she implicitly trusted him at all? That she truly loved him?

 

She hesitated, still feeling a little embarrassed from missing the others, though she knew it was silly. "Tresha gave it to me when I met up with them after leaving Enigma. Rhys is the one who made the necklace out of it for me. It's just some old family stuff from when I was younger." For another heartbeat, she paused. "Would you like to see?"

[Moon Knight]

Kandor had no trouble reading Mirdala's emotions through her eyes. He knew that what was on the crystal was deeply personal, and when she ultimately made up her mind to allow him to see the images, he did not take it for granted. He held her gaze for a few seconds more after the offer before he nodded, giving her time to rescind her offer if she felt uncomfortable. "Okay," he said.

 

Together they sat down and inserted the crystal into the appropriate reader. The very first image was a still of Mirdala's buire, Jorbe and Cyare. Several of the next few images were of Mirdala as an adiik, 4 or 5 years old. One with her arm being treated for a sting by TeVerd, who of course hadn't aged a day since the image. Mirdala covered in engine coolant looking proud. One with her peeking out of an oversized buy'ce and TeVerd's jacket draped over her tiny frame. Her and her first sand hound, Cabur, as a pup. A holo of TeVerd braiding her hair to fit under her new bucket and her performing a mirshmure'cya on him before he was ready, Hwulf laughing in the background and a concerned Cyare running over to make sure the Ageless was okay. Other images of her childhood with TeVerd, Hwulf, or her buire.

 

Kandor put an arm around Mirdala, the full weight of her aay'han coming to rest upon him. The good moments spent with aliit, many of whom were nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la, that created a moment of joy even as she missed them dearly. Kandor had no real aliit, and had precious few fond memories of his buir, but the feeling ran deep in their culture and in the human race, and for a moment he experienced it clearly and vicariously through the woman he loved. To understand this was to know one of the deepest parts of her, her most intimate memories that she shared with so few.

 

He leaned his head sideways against the top of hers as the last image in the series lingered, the shared bittersweet emotion resting upon them both. "Vor entye for sharing, cyar'ika," he said.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

She smiled, and could sense the emotional energy working itself out as her arms encircled his waist. Kissing Kandor on the cheek, she relaxed back against him and wondered what this must be like for him. She knew he chose not to dwell too deeply in the past, but to look more in the here and now with an eye for the future.

 

Mirdala found herself looking forward to making that future with him in whatever form it should take.

[Moon Knight]

In the morning Kandor got out of the sanisteam and dressed, then found Mirdala in the T'ad Kebbur's main living area, the holographic recording of his fight against the GenoHaradan filling the space again. Once again he came face to face with the visor-shielded Zeltron assassin who had managed to elude him despite an injury.

 

Fett crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as Mirdala noticed him. "Something still bothering you about our GenoHaradan friend?" he asked, though there wasn't really any question. She hadn't seemed to stop thinking about it since her meeting with Ghet the previous day. Even he had to admit that there was something not quite making sense about the cabin. The different man there than he'd expected to find. The assortment of clothes which would not fit one individual, despite there being only one bed. Perhaps all explainable by some complex situation with multiple agents that rotated between locations or slept on ships, but there was a certain lack of elegance to the theory that made him question its veracity.

 

One thing was certain -- he wasn't done with the GenoHaradan, and they weren't done with him. He hoped Mirdala got to the bottom of what the Seeker ghosts were trying to tell her, because it could make a big difference in what was to come.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

“Yes,” she in toned stepping through the the holographic display to meet him just outside it’s blue glow. “This about this team aren’t adding up in a way that seems right to me. I’m not wholly convinced it’s a team at all.”

 

She leaned against the bulkhead beside him, her eyes watching the the scene play out in slow motion as she filled him in on her train of thought. “I might have lost enough time for him to have ditched his jacket and ducked in somewhere, but to disappear so completely…I still have a hard time buying it. Even if what I saw was a disguise, I would have noticed the red skin of the Zeltron and found much more than just the coat. Which, by the way, was the only foreign object we brought into the apartment that we didn’t get from one of the vendors you trusted."

 

Nodding her head to the scene as it continued to play out, “You found an array of clothing in various sizes and mixed between men’s and women’s, yet only signs of everything else being set up one person."

 

“Last night I finally pieced together what the Seekers were trying to tell me. There is one trait my brothers and Tey have that I don’t, and won’t ever have since I don’t actually possess any Ageless genes.” She stepped in front of him before explaining further. “The ability to shift their form. It’s why Nek and Viscount look so different from Vy'ika & Rhys."

 

"I called Buir to ask about taking on a potentially hostile Zeltron. Needless to say he wasn't less than thrilled to hear about it, but took the time to relay some of his experience with them. The more he explained, the less about what I'd actually been feeling from our assassin made sense. He suggested our GenoHaradan could be a Clawdite or other shapeshifter. Apparently the concentration required to hold a form shows up on my empathic 'radar'."

 

With a blink she paused the playback and cued up an overlay of measurements on the "Zeltron's" form. "This top line indicates his forearm length when you began to engage him. You can see in this and the next few frames that his reach gets extended by roughly two centimeters."

[Moon Knight]

Kandor raised his eyebrows, considering the implications of this new discovery. One speeder, one cabin, different clothes... one assassin who could fit perfectly into any crowd or situation while providing Mirdala with a consistent empathic static regardless of form. It fit all the clues even before the slight change in forearm length she pointed out in the holo. One on hand, he was somewhat relieved that there was only one assassin and they wouldn't have to end up pitting themselves against a whole team of them. On the other hand, a shapeshifter could be virtually anyone, anywhere, making them incredibly dangerous. No amount of training could protect a verd from an attack he never saw coming.

 

"You're right," he said. "My credits are on Clawdite. I think a Shi'ido would have been quicker to use its abilities in a fight, since they're capable of significant size changes." He'd actually worked briefly with a Shi'ido named Vash Mammon not long after he'd become Moon Knight. They'd managed to get into some trouble picking on the Empire, but Vash had proved just how useful a changeling was, even impersonating such individuals as Jidai Geki. Their operation had suffered from lack of resources and planning, however, and had fallen apart after a defeat at the hands of Vladimir Faust. Given those experiences, he probably should have seen this possibility sooner.

 

He rubbed his neck. "If there's only one it's difficult to say how much comm chatter there will be once we hack in," he noted. "Hopefully Thane is a hands-on type."

 

With the opera that evening, it wouldn't be long before they found out.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala’s gloved hand clutched Kandor’s as the two of them sat in the back of the speeder Ghet had sent to meet them at their apartment. Her breathing was slow as she worked through some of the mental exercises she’d learned from both TeVerd and from Aryian’s data pads. The two of them had agreed this might make a good opportunity to take Thane out, but Mirdala was more in favor of him being brought to the Hapan Authorities for his involvement in slicing through his competition than one or both of them taking justice into their own hands.

 

As she leaned her head against Kandor’s shoulder, she could feel his battle-calm matching her own. When the speeder pulled up to the theatre, he helped her exit. The dress Mode had chosen for her was far more elaborate than the one she’d worn two nights before. The top section was heavy with red and gold beading and the torso section was much more fitted than the other had been. The length was longer too, with the beaded motif echoed along the hem.

 

Ghet greeted them herself, smiling warmly at the couple as she extended a hand to Kandor. “It seems I have you to thank for bringing this heroic young woman into my employ Mr. Alenka. You’ll have to forgive me, but I have need of her services this evening as they have yet to make an arrest regarding the recent attacks against us.”

[Moon Knight]

As the ride ended, Kandor didn't miss the operational calm that settled over Mirdala even as it did him. Neither of them knew what the evening would entail, but they'd done what they could to prepare for it, given themselves the best edge they could get. Now was the time to stay cool and alert, thinking clearly and ready to act decisively if a situation came about that warranted it. Of course, there was always the chance that nothing happened, and that they were really just there to watch a Hapan opera. If no assassination attempt was made on Ghet and factors combined to make the time not right to move against Thane, he would simply wait and listen, finding out all he could about the GenoHaradan shapeshifter through his comm chatter.

 

For now he very gently shook Ghet's hand and smiled graciously. "Of course," he said politely. "Thank you for your invitation, I'm certain I will enjoy the evening."

 

The group of them moved inside, passing through a detailed security check. There were no weapons allowed on the premise; more than one politician had been assassinated in the private boxes where they and their closest advisors and security people would be seated, and this was a very easy to implement measure to make sure it didn't happen tonight. It was a major obstacle if the Mando'ad decided to take his chances here instead of waiting.

 

The Countess and Mirdala soon departed for one of those private boxes, leaving Kandor to be seated separately nearby. As soon as they parted of course Fett and Mirdala switched to their private link, and Fett initiated the program that would start scanning again for GenoHaradan activity and hopefully this time decrypting it. As of the time he got to his seat, there was no comm traffic, which was no surprise. Even if the changeling were here and was going to carry out orders tonight, it would not be until the opera had begun and everyone was where they were supposed to be.

 

As he settled into his chair, hoping his first opera wouldn't be as boring as he feared it would be, he kept his eyes open, watching the entrances and exits. He did notice when Thane arrived, and made careful note of which private box the man entered....

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala gazed quietly through the one-way transparasteel barrier that shielded the box's occupants from view as the others from Ghet’s party filtered in taking their seats as the sound of instruments warming up filtered in through special pickups below. Despite her apparent calm, a feeling she couldn’t readily identify continued to gnaw at her. Something was coming, and she could feel it, but there was more to it than just the sense that the people in this place were hurtling towards an unknown event.

 

“Kida, my dear,” the Countess purred, reminding Mirdala more than a little bit of her waspish birth-mother Nathaline Sivaara, “you’ll take the seat next to me. Hapan opera can be difficult to follow for those not familiar with our language. I would be happy to translate for you as we go.”

 

Suddenly the extra feeling wasn’t as hard to identify - it was knowing she was being manipulated and positioned, but only having the option to go along for operational security. Mirdala turned to look at her employer and found herself wondering if she would take another blaster bolt for the woman. Then she reminded herself of just how different this world’s customs were from her own. Here on Hapes, political manipulation and jockeying were the norm. As much as she hated feeling like a game piece on a chatta-ragul board, it was just a regular aspect of life. It struck her that being considered one of the pieces, might not be as bad as it seemed. It at least meant she was an entity in the game, though whatever that might mean remained to be seen.

 

Ghet was as much a survivor of Hapan politics as any of those around her, including Mirdala. It was in the Countess's best interest to set the board and move the pieces in her favor as much as possible, especially against an opponent such as Ranos Thane.

 

“As you wish, milady,” she bowed slightly as she turned from where she’d seen Kandor safely take his seat in the regular admission section a floor below them. Ghet patted her hand tenderly as she took the pre-offered seat to the Countess’s left. It was only a few more moments before the lights dimmed and the band below began the overture.

[Moon Knight]

Even as comfortable as he was with the Hapan language, Kandor had a little bit of trouble following the opera, distracted as he was by operational factors. Best he could figure, it was about a Hapan woman whose husband had become disillusioned with the aristocracy and left Hapes to join the pirates hiding out in the Transitory Mists. The issue was complicated by the fact that the woman and her husband were still in love, and the conflict in the first act derived from how torn he was in making the decision to leave his beloved wife but in the process take charge of his life; the dramatic conclusion of the act came when the woman vowed that she would hold herself personally accountable for bringing the man to justice, despite her heart's turmoil.

 

Following the act he and Mirdala touched bases, but not much had developed as far as the mission went. All the players were in place, but no comm chatter had happened on GenoHaradan frequencies.

 

Heading back in and being seated for the second act, all that changed quickly. The comm channel experienced its first spark of activity, and this time the code worked perfectly.

 

"Time to get things started." The first message came through, but the datastream was text, rendered into an ambiguous voice by the program so that Fett and Mirdala didn't have to constantly monitor readouts.

 

"Acknowledged," the response came. "I am moving to position."

 

Fett waited a moment, then opened his private link to Mirdala and tapped on his hidden microphone twice so that he could wordlessly convey that he'd heard the exchange and wanted to confirm that she had as well. For the moment though, all he could do was continue to wait until something more specific came through -- getting out of his seat would draw attention to himself and he wanted to only do it when he had actionable intel. So for now he continued to watch the opera, the second act starting with the woman taking command of a Battle Dragon and perilously entering the Transitory Mists, projecting calm decision making while secretly not sure if she could bring herself to fire upon her husband's ships if it came to a fight.

 

"Master." 2277's voice came over both their comms. "I was searching the local holonet and it seems there is a warrant out for your arrest. I believe your activities at the charity event have not gone unnoticed after all. They have posted images of your face."

 

He set his jaw. That complicated matters considerably. He would no longer be able to move freely around Gransys, and indeed it would be difficult to even leave the Opera without getting noticed. Ending up in a Hapan prison cell wasn't even on the list of acceptable outcomes of all of this.

 

The Mando'ad stood and quietly made his way out of the aisle and towards the lobby. He spoke just above a whisper into his comm. "Looks like I'm out of time. Keep an eye open for the assassin. I'm going to move against Thane."

 

Unarmed, in a formal suit, he thought. Not the way he'd hoped it would go down.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

2277’s transmission had reached Mirdala as well as she’d indicated to Kandor that she’d followed the comm traffic as well. Her instincts cried out to her to make some excuse to leave so she could aid him in bringing in Thane to answer for his crimes against the other candidates, but with the GenoHaradan still in play, she dared not leave Ghet unprotected. Ravencrest’s people would just have to hold their own.

 

I saw, her jaw clenched, an action that didn’t escape the Countess’s notice.

 

“Forgive me dear, I didn’t realize how close this might be to hitting home for you.” Ghet intoned quietly so the other three members of her security staff couldn’t hear what was being said.

 

Mirdala looked at her curiously, “I’m not sure what you mean, Excellency.”

 

“Your husband, is a former pirate, isn’t he? I mean, he certainly is more fit than your usual Hapan male. It’s how you met isn’t it? Being a mercenary, surely your kind has its own dealings with the Pirates of the Mists.”

 

Mirdala nodded absently, allowing the assumption to stand.

 

“One wonders, if it came to it, could you fire against your own husband. The love between the two of you is readily apparent from what my people have seen.” Ghet smiled, none-too-sweetly.

 

Her professionalism winning out over her desire to back up Kandor against Thane, Mirdala settled back against her seat. “I know my duties, milady. Though I highly doubt you have anything to fear from Theron. He’s a man of honor who also knows his duties.”

 

That answer seemed to placate the Countess for the moment as the woman turned back to the opera at hand as the curtain dropped and the setup for the third and final act was complete.

[Moon Knight]

"Agent Bishop is making his move," the assassin's voice came over the comms in Hapan.

 

Kandor frowned. Perhaps there were more moving pieces here than he'd thought, or the GenoHaradans had a team after all. Unfortunately, right now there was little he could do about it but hope Mirdala was in position to deal with the threat. Personally he was now walking down a hallway around the perimeter of the lavish opera house. The hallway was empty, everyone's attention turned to the dramatic song being performed on stage, except for two men that were standing outside a door. The door, Kandor knew from the building map and his own visual scans, led to another short hallway and another door behind which was the private box that contained Thane and his closest few. It was all designed with security in mind. Lining the hallway were a few other objects. Paintings on the walls, small end tables with plants on them, wall sconces for lighting.

 

Steeling himself for what was coming, Fett approached the two men. He left his private comm open. "I have urgent business with Ranos Thane," he said.

 

"No one sees Thane until the show's over," one of them answered.

 

"It's a matter of life or death," he replied.

 

The other man sent a meaningful glance at the other, then pulled out a small datapad and looked at it for a moment. "It's him," he said, then looked at Fett. "We were warned you might be coming." The two men started to take off their jackets so they could move freely. "You would have done well to stay away."

 

The first one threw a punch, but ShadowFett was ready, blocking it with his palm. Lightning fast he counterattacked, delivering a sharp jab to the man's ribs with his left. The other man was on him in an instant, driving him back against the far wall. When Fett hit he could feel his earpiece pop out and clatter off a nearby table. He ducked another strike and drove a shoulder into his assailant's gut, pushing him back a step and then falling into a Teras Kasi stance as both men recovered and came in for another attack. He was suddenly very glad he'd taken the opportunity to brush up on the techniques with Mirdala a few days prior....

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala tensed slightly as she listened to the exchange, then heard the sounds of struggle from across the comm though they steadily grew softer. The vocalizations of the players on stage called her attention back to the situation presently in the room as the countess turned to say something quietly to the aide sitting to her right.

 

Don’t move until he's in position. the radio chatter from the GenoHaradan channel continued.

 

Mirdala found herself listening for any of the similar sounds of struggle in their own corridor, moving to the edge of her seat under the pretense of becoming engrossed in the swell of the story unfolding before her on the stage as the pirates and woman engaged in a tumultuous battle of their own.

 

“See, I knew you’d like this part,” Ghet remarked, turning back to her. “Everything that has been set into motion reaches it’s full momentum. She is now asking for his repentance so they have some chance of being together again, though in the back of her mind she knows that justice for him is likely to mean separation. Such is often the tragedy these sorts of stories play out to be.”

 

Her jaw set again as the sound of crashing and yelling came across Fett’s comm, doing little to ease Mirdala’s anxiety about her own separation from having Kandor’s back as he took on those Thane had with him in order to see their investigation through to the end. “It seems she knows her duty as well, milady.”

 

Unknown approaching from down the hall, one of Ghet’s outer-ring security guards relayed on their security channel. Stand by all units

[Moon Knight]

ShadowFett managed to duck one incoming punch by a slim margin while simultaneously blocking another from the second man. He retaliated with an elbow strike to the throat of the first, then grabbed the forearm of the second and swung him sideways against the wall, hearing something crack as the man doubled over and swore in Hapan.

 

Taking one long stride, Fett grabbed an end table, knocking off the plant that was on it, and brought it up just in time to catch another incoming fist, hearing the knock of knuckle bones against the wood as the attacker winced. Holding the table legs on either side of his torso with the surface before him, he charged ahead, pushing the man backwards until he slammed into the wall, ribs cracking even as the table broke, leaving Fett holding the unattached legs. Moon Knight memories of a martial art that used two sticks of about this length came quickly into his mind even as the other man came back at him from behind. Fett batted aside his attempt at a strike with one table leg and then delivered a blow to the side of the man's head with the other, causing him to drop to the floor and stay there.

 

"Need backup," he heard the guard with the broken ribs groan into his comm, struggling to remain conscious through the pain.

 

Immediately the door opened and three more guards poured out, two men and a woman. They paused as they sized Kandor up, but he feinted, threw one of the table legs sidearm at the man on his far right, then charged him, maneuvering to enhance his odds by getting that bodyguard between himself and the other two. He had to make this quick, not knowing how long it would take Thane to call in more heat than he could handle.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

“Situation developing, milady,” Mirdala heard one of the other security team relay to the Countess from behind.

 

“We shall stay,” The Hapan noble glanced towards her aide and then over to Mirdala. “I feel I’m well protected. Lock the down the door though. No need to make it easy for them again, don’t you think Kida dear?”

 

Mirdala nodded, “A wise precaution.” As the head of Ghet’s security team keyed the appropriate code into the locking mechanism, the Mando’ad suddenly couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped. She hated feeling trapped.

[Moon Knight]

The man took the spinning table leg to the shoulder and shook his arm, knowing he'd earned a bruise, then attempted to grapple Kandor so he couldn't defend against the other two guards. Fett wouldn't have it -- as the man grabbed his shoulders he struck his side with a knee, then smashed his remaining improvised club into the same shoulder that had taken the hit from the other. The man cried out in pain and took a step back while the other two closed in.

 

The female guard had grabbed a painting off the wall about three feet on a side, and now swung the whole thing at Fett, who, unable to avoid it, turned so it smashed against the broad of his back. He felt the frame buckle against his shoulder blades and pain coursed through him, but he didn't feel anything give away so he didn't think he was injured. He pivoted, smacking his table leg painfully across the other man's guard while committing to a kick, planting it on the painting which had become an impromptu shield. The frame crumbled away in the woman's grip as she was forced back a step. Taking the table leg in two hands, he feinted high once, making the man flinch, then drove it into his stomach. The wood finally buckled, leaving Fett again with only his fists, but the man crumpled, injured and gasping for air.

 

By now the first man was rubbing his arm but stepping back up and the woman had discarded the painting and delivered a high kick. Kandor caught her by the ankle and yanked her off her feet, her head striking the corner of the discarded table leg as she fell and her body going limp. The last man took a deep breath, glancing at his array of fallen comrades, but approached anyway and tried a punch with his good arm. Fett leaned around it, cutting inside like a boxer and delivering yet another sharp jab to the injured shoulder. The man swore and Fett knocked him down with a follow-up strike, then dropped to a knee and struck the man in the forehead hard enough to give him a concussion. He could feel the seams popping in his carefully-tailored suit, which simply wasn't up to the stress he was putting it through.

 

Moon Knight didn't pause, though he swung his arms to work his sore back as he bent to pick up the earpiece he'd lost during the fight. He put it back in, but only heard static. Not good news if Mirdala needed to contact him. Still he didn't stop moving, heading through the doorway and up the small corridor to Thane's box. He hit the door release and found the politician and two of his aides standing there, Thane looking awfully nervous for a man who was normally completely in control.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Several long moments with no clear sign of what was going on outside of Ghet’s box and Mirdala was beginning to get suspicious of the situation. They should have been here by now if there was truly an assassin bent on getting at Ghet. she thought to herself.

 

The whole thing didn’t feel right. Ghet’s calmness unsettled her as well. Kandor? Kandor can you hear me? Respond. Silence and a sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach gripped her as she rose from her seat, pretending to notice Kandor missing from his seat for the first time. “I’m going to go check on the situation outside,” she announced as she headed for the door that had just been sealed.

 

“I think not Mandalorian,” Ghet’s voice commanded. The word caused Mirdala to freeze. Her cover story was being Concordian, known to be part of the Mandalorian sector, but there was something to how the woman had used the term of address that made her skin crawl. She noted the others had risen from their seats as well that’s when the pieces began to fall into place.

 

Osik. She slipped off her heeled shoes subtly under the cover of the full skirt of her dress. It’s a trap Kandor, we had the wrong candidate all along. It’s Ghet! Can you hear me? It’s Ghet!

 

She turned on her implant’s recording, knowing that to make the accusation she was about to make, irrefutable evidence would be required. It was then the other three women rushed her, pinning her against the wall as Ghet came into view.

 

“I don’t know who sent you, but it was very foolish to think you could pull off interfering in Hapan politics. You and your ‘husband’ lack the wit and subtly necessary to keep your hand from being seen."

 

Mirdala’s eyes narrowed at the other woman. “It was very brave of you to stage such an attempt on your own life."

 

The Hapan woman’s sharp laugher chilled Mirdala. “The idiot wouldn’t have done anything fatal, though, your heroics did go a long way into making the performance all the more convincing. I was never in any real danger my dear girl. You were almost as easy to play as that fool, ShadowFett."

 

Kandor, I hope you’re getting this. You are walking into a trap! The assassin is there! Thane is the target! Repeat Thane is the Target!

 

“Search her! I highly doubt she’s without some connection to her partner.” Ghet’s head of security ordered. The other two women complied, removing Mirdala’s earpiece that they assumed connected had been in use to connect her with their team and possibly Fett. One of them crushed it under their heel.

 

Kandor! she continued to relay through her hidden implant. WHERE THE HARAN ARE YOU! THANE IS THE TARGET! GHET'S BEHIND THE ASSASSINATIONS! IT'S A TRAP! REPORT! REPORT!

[Moon Knight]

"You're- you're the one from the charity event," Thane said, his face white. "I swear, I'm sorry! I've changed!"

 

Kandor regarded him coolly. The two assistants, a man and a woman, stood by hesitating. The woman was practically cowering in the corner, but the man was watching with just a bit of curiosity, perhaps. "Ranos Thane, you stand accused of conspiracy, assassination, and acts of terrorism... just like last time." He was getting some rather frantic buzzing in his earpiece, but couldn't make out any of the words.

 

Thane shook his head emphatically, pressing himself up against the one-way transparisteel as if getting a few more inches between himself and Fett would make a difference. "You can't prove anything! I did my time and have been clean since. You can't just come in here and kill me!"

 

ShadowFett approached him menacingly, picking up a bottle of wine from the table by the neck. "Dynasties will fall by my hand if that's what it takes to clean out the rot infesting Hapes," he said.

 

The politician frowned, recognizing the words. "You're not Isolder."

 

"--HARAN ARE YOU! THANE IS THE TARGET! GHET'S BEHIND THE ASSASSINATIONS! IT'S A TRAP! REPORT! REPORT!" Suddenly Fett's earpiece started working and he paused mid-step, looking at the male advisor who was still watching with rapt interest. Slowly he lowered the bottle his side and gave Thane half of a tired smile. He double clicked his microphone to signal to Mirdala that he'd received the message, not certain if her situation was under control but knowing he had one of his own to deal with before he could even think about backing her up. "Luckily for you, I am not."

 

He whirled, the bottle leaving his hand and hurtling toward the advisor. It only got halfway before being vaporized by a blaster bolt from a holdout weapon the man had produced from nowhere.

 

Fett realized he was in trouble.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Mirdala struggled against the press of the two household guards as she finally heard his acknowledgement and caught the tail end of his words. The distinct sound of a blaster bolt spurred her to further action as she suddenly realized the amount of danger that Kandor was in.

 

“It doesn’t matter if your ‘husband’ gets to Thane in time to end his life or not. He’s merely an instrument. The real assassin is already in play. Thane won’t survive this night. The Earldom will not pass to a man as long as I live."

 

The aide at Ghet’s side spoke up just then, “The contingency has been activated. Our associate has engaged with ShadowFett.”

 

No osik, Mirdala thought as she sent a signal to the authorities. Every instinct in her mind screamed at her to get to Kandor. Suddenly she dropped, then kicked back from the wall, drawing slightly on the Force to provide her enough strength to topple the two guards. The the guard captain was on her then, raining down punches trying to disable the woman who seemed inexplicably able to dodge strike after strike before landing a few blows of her own.

 

The two other guards recovered enough to advance towards Mirdala as she tussled with their captain. Mirdala was grateful that, among the other skills she’d learned or honed during her time amongst the Clade, facing multiple opponents in close quarters was one of the scenarios they’d drilled through often.

 

A practiced calmness took her then and she let herself fall into the flow of battle against the other women, turning their momentum against them as she sent one of them flying into the one-way transparasteel view screen with a dull “thunk”. The woman lay still, clearly out of the fight.

 

Ghet danced out of the way as she and her aide did their best to stay out of the path of this more than adept woman as she continued to fight the other two.

[Moon Knight]

The GenoHaradan agent gave a cold smile, then turned his blaster on Thane. "Goodbye, Ranos."

 

ShadowFett grabbed the nearest object -- a chair -- and hurled it into the path of the bolt as the assassin fired again, blasting the chair apart even as Fett lunged, hot metal and wooden chips bouncing off of him.

 

"Rolfe! What are you doing!?" Thane shouted.

 

Fett was on the agent in an instant, wrestling for control of the blaster. Just as he started to get the upper hand, however, his opponent's skin seemed to shift, his bones repositioning minutely, freeing himself from Fett's grip. The assassin attempted to retreat a step and stand but Fett doggedly pursued, willing himself to be even faster. He struck in a blur, scoring a hit on the changeling's wrist which sent the blaster clattering off into the corner. The shapeshifter now looked like the tall dark skinned man who had a little bit of size and reach on Fett, and bared his teeth as he drove the Mandalorian back with a series of punches, for now letting the blaster go.

 

Thane scrambled back in disbelief, a string of choice Hapan expletives streaming out of his mouth.

 

Fett weathered the sequence of strikes with expert blocks and parries courtesy of Teras Kasi, but the assassin was strong and fast, and each block was a fraction of a second later than the previous until one of them got through, a punch to the gut that forced the air out of his lungs. Still he forced himself to fight through the pain and hold his warrior's composure, retaliating sooner than the assassin expected, dropping low and sweeping the alien's legs out from under him, then leaping over him towards the discarded blaster pistol laying nearby. The cold metal touched his hand and he rolled onto his back, finger tight on the trigger as he brought his target into his sights.

 

To his shock instead of the assassin he saw Mirdala standing there, hand outstretched as though throwing something. "Stop!" she cried out.

 

He froze, just for an instant, and felt something cold and metal slice into his stomach just below his rib cage, his world exploding into pain even as he realized what the shapeshifter had done. "Shabii'gar!" he shouted, pulling the trigger and putting two blaster bolts in the chest of what looked like his partner.

 

The assassin dropped, face slackening and returning to the natural form of a Clawdite. ShadowFett looked down and found a knife buried deep in his abdomen. He gritted his teeth, knowing that pulling it out would just make the injury worse, pulling himself onto his knees through sheer force of will before his strength failed him and he slumped backwards against the wall.

 

Thane seemed to recover. "Get medical help!" he shouted at his cowering assistant. As she scuttled out he approached Fett. "I don't know who you really are or what changed your mind, but it seems I owe you my life."

 

Kandor had his hands pressed over his wound around the knife handle, feeling his blood trickling out between his fingers, but he managed to nod. "Suppose... people can change," he said, his voice pained.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Finally the captain dropped, leaving just Ghet and the aide in front of her as she tried to catch her breath in the restrictive torso of her gown. The delicate fabric was ripped in places and some of the beading had come unstitched, but Mirdala cared little.

 

From over her open comm with Kandor she heard her own voice, followed by two blaster shots, then cries calling for medical help. Her concern for the man she loved must have been apparent on her face as Ghet’s laughter drew her attention towards the woman.

 

Ghet stepped behind her aide, “Too bad for you and for him that you’re trapped in here with the rest of us. Unless you plan on fighting your way out through all of my people; that could provide some entertainment. Either way, you’ll never get to him in time. The GenoHaradan don’t leave witnesses.”

 

Her jaw clenched as her mind worked over the truth of Ghet’s words. She had to make this woman pay, and now. “Oh, I don’t plan on fighting my way out.” Mirdala spat back as she utilized her implant to wirelessly hack the sound and projection equipment of the opera house. “I will walk out of here and you will be in handcuffs.”

 

The Countess laughed coldly at her until she heard the sounds of confusion as the sound pickups were overridden by her own voice and a projector screen lowered over the climax of the last act showing every word and confession the woman had made just minutes before including the mention of her connection with the GenoHaradan. Utter horror contorted her features.

 

“There’s no hiding in the shadows now Ghet. Welcome to the light.” Mirdala’s own mouth twisted into an angry grin of disgust as she rounded on her former employer. The aide managed to scuttle away and began trying to work the lock override.

 

“Luckily for you, I’m not just some mercenary for hire. Otherwise, I’d have no qualms about ending your life and going to aid my partner. You know what I’m going to do instead?” she growled, closing with the Hapan elite who had the good grace to squirm a little under the glare of the smaller woman. “I’m not even going to lay a hand on you because you aren’t worth it. You are right that I can’t make it in time to help him, but I’m sure as haran going to see you through to justice because that’s what he and I came here to do.”

 

The sound of the door swishing open caught her attention as the aide dashed out only to walk back into the box at the point of a stun baton as a familiar blonde officer and red-headed partner stepped into the booth, surveying the damage and how Mirdala had Ghet hemmed into a corner, almost daring the Hapan noble to make a move.

 

“She is the one behind the attempts on the other candidates for your Earldom seat,” Mirdala stepped back from Ghet, her eyes narrowing at the other woman. "You’ll find a full recording of her confession on the servers of this theater proving her involvement with the GenoHaradan, who I suspect were behind the other attempts.”

 

“What about the one you thwarted on Ghet herself?” the red-head asked as she clasped the aide in cuffs.

 

A dour look crossed Mirdala’s face, “An elaborate piece of theater that fooled a new house guard. The countess insisted she was in no real danger. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

 

The blonde moved to block her path. “You’ll need to come down to the station with us for another statement."

 

“It’ll have to wait until my partner isn’t in danger,” Mirdala shoved past the woman only to have her arm caught by the officer.

 

“The other half of our team is en route to check on the other candidates. You will remain here or we can charge you with obstruction. You understand what that means Ms. Noran?” the blonde insisted.

 

Mirdala looked back down the hallway, a feeling of helplessness tearing at her gut and heart. “I understand.”

[Moon Knight]

From his position in Thane's box Kandor listened as Ghet's confession was played over the speakers. "Kandosii, Kida," he said softly.

 

Thane now knelt next to him, for his part attempting to make the Mandalorian comfortable until the response team could arrive. "Was one of your team members responsible for that? Just who are you people?"

 

Kandor grimaced. "Questions later please, when I'm not bleeding out," he said in Hapan. "For now need you to stay close, keep me from disappearing."

 

Thane nodded. "I can do that."

 

Thankfully, the Hapan response team was on the scene only a couple minutes later and loaded Fett onto a hoversled, stabilizing him and performing some basic first aid before carting him out to the lobby to be taken to a hospital for surgery and bacta treatment. Thane trailed them closely. Before they could reach the ambulance speeder, however, he saw Mirdala being escorted out by some of the same officers that had been at the charity event. "Wait," he told the paramedics.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Movement from the side as they entered the lobby broke Mirdala's silent prayers to whoever was listening that Kandor would be alright. As though someone had heard her, his voice met her ears when she turned to see the medics slowing to a halt with him, looking very paler than she'd ever seen him, including the first time he'd removed his helmet on the Rangir. Threats of arrest aside, she dashed the short distance to him, her hand closing over his as she looked him over worry etched on her face.

 

"You've seen him," remarked a stern voice behind her. It was the red-haired cop. "Now come with us."

 

"Like haran," Mirdala hissed rounding on the woman. "I'm going with my husband," she insisted, her tone leaving little room for debate. "You are welcome to meet me at the hospital and get your precious statement there."

 

The woman's partner approached ready to back up the other officer if the off-worlder decided to do something stupid. Instead, the auburn-haired woman looked from Kandor, to Thane, and back to Mirdala who still clutched the man's hand defiantly.

 

"Fine." She conceded to Mirdala's surprise. "You're both under custodial protection until we can get this sorted out. A cell or a hospital room makes little difference to me." She reached into one of her utility pouches on her uniform and took out a thin device Mirdala couldn't readily place and slapped it against the back of her wrist where it thrummed to life.

 

Mirdala's eyes narrowed, prompting the blonde to explain her partner's actions. "Tracking tech. It will alert us of you leave the hospital without authorization before this whole mess gets sorted and the Justices determine what is to be done with the two of you."

 

"Standard warning then? I mess with it, it goes off, etc? Good. Got that out of your system now or are you going to delay my husband getting treatment some more?"

 

"You may go."

 

"How kriffing generous of you, lieutenant," she remarked under her breath acidly to the woman before turning back to Kandor as her eyes flitted to the knife still protruding from his abdomen.

 

Memories of a similar wound also received during an operation rushed back to her, only their positions had been reversed. Leaning her forehead against his she fervently intoned, "K'oyacyi, ner Kar'ta," using the first word in its more literal sense as he had with her during the Rordis City op. "Meh gar kyrayc, shuk bah ni."

[Moon Knight]

Kandor looked up at her, glad to see she was unhurt and only wanted for a statement. His own legal situation was a bit more complex, since he had a preexisting warrant out for his arrest, but this was a case where the ultimate resolution of the situation shed positive light on the things he'd had to do in order to get there. It helped considerably that the only person he'd killed was the GenoHaradan assassin.

 

"You should see the other guy," he told her in Mando'a, giving her a smile. "This is nothing a couple days of bacta won't fix up."

 

Even as they began to load Fett onto the ambulance, Thane was in the background talking to some of his people. One of them approached Mirdala. "Mrs. Noran," he said in practiced Basic. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's critical I speak to you before you talk to the police. I'm Elegos White and His Excellency Ranos Thane has asked me to represent you in the coming legal proceedings."

 

Kandor caught Mirdala's eye and nodded. Although Isolder's knowledge of the Hapan legal system was excellent, he was going to be in an out of surgery and bacta during some of the critical moments in setting the record straight. Plus, they could use someone like this who worked for Thane and could use his influence to make this go smoothly.

 

-----------------

 

A few hours later Kandor started to come to on a hospital bed, an unusual sight for him. Notoriously private and stubbornly self-reliant, he'd avoided public facilities like this his whole life, patching up whatever injuries he sustained and even being able to afford bacta for his safehouses. But then, whatever injuries he usually sustained were the ones that could get around his beskar'gam, and so were considerably less dangerous than the one the assassin had dealt him.

 

As he regained his senses, he looked over and saw Mirdala faithfully seated in a chair next to the bed, though she'd succumbed to fatigue from the day's events and was sound asleep, slumped forward with her head resting on the bed. He reached over with his right hand and gently stroked her hair. "Su'cuy, cyar'ika," he said quietly.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

She stirred and stretched, smiling up at him as she did so. "Su'cuy, cyar'ika," she echoed. "How are you feeling?" She asked quietly, continuing in Mando'a and pulled a blanket around herself tighter as she sat up.

 

"Thane's lawyer is pretty good at running interference, though they really didn't want me getting time alone with you before I gave my statement. I can understand them not wanting to give us a chance to get our story straight."

 

She brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, then reached out and took his hand. "I gave mine last night about my part of it at least. Ghet has, of course, thrown out the name 'ShadowFett' at every opportunity," he could tell the idea of having his identity out there made her nervous. "White is likely on his way to talk with us before the police question you."

 

In the back of her mind she knew that injuries happened often in their line of work (just looking at her own track record was sufficient proof of that), but it had jarred her in a way she hadn't expected to see Kandor injured. Circumstances being what they were it was no small miracle that things hadn't been worse than they had. She squeezed his hand and silently thanked whatever amalgamation of forces had converged to protect him.

 

Her other hand, still clutching the edges of the blanket, rested at her stomach just above her own scar. "I never figured you for the 'matching' scars' type," she joked darkly as she stroked the back of his hand with her thumb.

[Moon Knight]

"I'm fine," he answered. "It's only pain, I've been through worse." Although his body had been repaired or restored since, Kandor had endured atrocious injuries in the past, from losing hands to having a rib forcibly removed by a dar'jetii. Torso injuries were painful and complex with all the important organs packed together, but medicine was advanced and Fett had a high pain tolerance. "Vor'e for sticking by me, though." This injury was different from all the previous times. He'd never before had someone who cared about him waiting by his side.

 

He studied her face as she gave the rest of the update. "We'll have to deny the ShadowFett allegations publicly," he said, sticking with Mando'a. He wouldn't be surprised if they were being monitored, but the language was very private. The Mando'ade passed it generation to generation but as far as Fett knew it was not recorded anywhere on the Holonet. Much in the way they treated the forging of beskar. "We know of at least one Fett clone that's not me or the Omicrons. I'm sure this isn't the first time some crackpot has claimed to know who I am under the buy'ce though."

 

Kandor chuckled at her comment about the scar, but laughing hurt so he stopped. "Not exactly what I was going for," he replied dryly.

 

A couple minutes later there was a knock at the door. Mirdala was on her feet in in instant, but when it opened and Elegos White and Ranos Thane entered as she predicted, she relaxed a bit.

 

"Sorry to intrude," White said in Basic. "We're having some trouble keeping the police at bay, but the doctors said you were conscious. Do you mind if we chat for a bit first?"

 

Kandor forced himself to sit up a bit, wincing. "Sure, let's get it over with."

 

The two men found chairs. White glanced at Mirdala before looking back at Fett. "Kida here told us her part already," he explained. "She's a mercenary from Concordia who partnered with you in coming here and investigate the political proceedings, knowing that something nefarious was going on behind the scenes. She didn't want to speak for you, however, or where you received the information that led to your mission here."

 

Mand'alor nodded, choosing his words. "I'm not actually Hapan," he said. "I'm a Mandalorian. Let me make something clear -- I deny being the CoreSec Captain called ShadowFett. Ghet's information that says contrary was illegally obtained and merely speculative." He paused. "Anyway, years ago I had contact with a man named Vegeta Isolder."

 

Thane's eyebrows flickered up. He showed no sign of anger. "After his exile?"

 

"Correct," Fett answered. "One time Isolder told me about you, Thane. When I read about the upcoming appointment and saw that you were one of the candidates and assassinations had already occurred, I asked Kida to come with me to investigate."

 

Thane's look turned a bit darker. "Did you actually come here to kill me?"

 

The injured Mando'ad shrugged. "We came here to make the situation right. If I was only interested in killing you, I would have tried it well before the Opera."

 

"But you punched your way through Thane's guards and entered his box with the intention of killing him," White said leadingly.

 

"I have no statement to make about my intentions when entering the box," Kandor answered, his face and voice neutral. "What actually took place is likely the only sequence of events which has enabled Mr. Thane to be alive today."

 

Thane nodded. "And I appreciate that. Elegos, let's let the man rest, I think we have what we need."

 

"One more thing, if I may," White said. "Just what were you doing at the charity event?"

 

"Putting a few pieces together," Kandor said. "Is someone pressing charges?"

 

White nodded. "You stunned not one but two people. However, I'm certain we can make them settle outside of court," he said, then stood. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Alenka... or whatever your real name is."

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Just then there was another knock at the door as the blonde officer entered the room. "Figured Mrs. Noran would appreciate getting a change of clothes. I'm here to escort her." The woman's tone seemed overly formal, no doubt a response to the presence of both the lawyer and Thane.

 

Mr. White looked at the officer and back to "Kida", nodding. "I trust you remember my advice, Mrs. Noran?"

 

Mirdala looked back at Kandor, then nodded. She wasn't going to say a word except to direct the officers to their ship where she could grab their go-bags, or at least what would be allowed past hospital security from those bags.

 

She leaned in to kiss him. "I've got Mr. White's comm code handy," she whispered in Mando'a. Running her left hand over his close-shorn hair, she paused with her hand cupping his cheek to hide positioning the ear bead so they could stay in communication. "I'll be fine."

 

Rising she followed the officer out of the hospital.

[Moon Knight]

Kandor smiled and nodded at her. "See you soon," he responded in their language.

 

Soon she departed and White and Thane followed her out, closing the door and leaving Kandor alone in silence. He took a deep breath and let it out, thinking back over the conversation and the evening that preceded it while fiddling to get the earpiece Mirdala had slipped him just right. All in all, he thought things had worked out just fine. Whatever he refused to disclose, he had been prepared to kill Ranos Thane when he entered the private viewing box, and would have if the program hadn't decrypted the GenoHaradan frequencies or if the earpiece had continued to malfunction for a few seconds longer. If at that point he had sustained the same injury from the assassin, he would have ended up in a very dangerous legal situation which would have required more criminal actions to escape.

 

There was still some part of him that wasn't ready to forgive Thane for the crimes he had committed during Isolder's pre-exile years. He was no jetii; the Order had proven its willingness to forgive any crime by a dark sider if they repented and turned to the light. Sometimes this had resulted in great good being done, he had to admit. Other times, those who converted only turned back later and caused such death and destruction that surely it would have been better if they were brought to justice. Fett did not know if he was ready yet to take such a conversion on faith. But neither was he willing to judge once and carry out his sentence like Isolder had been at the behest of the Ancestral Spirits.

 

There was no good answer he knew, and now he drifted back off to sleep.

 

----------------------------

 

Over the next 24 hours Kandor was in and out of the bacta tank, but the wound was healing quickly. As Mirdala had been, he was taken care of and given the best care available. While it was tempting to think it was Thane's good will and gratitude that sped the process along, as he had time to think he began to suspect there were pressures coming from elsewhere as well. Nothing about the situation that had played out at the opera made the Hapan political system look good. Two Mando'ade had independently entered the system, posed as citizens, thwarted three separate assassination attempts, and brought the perpetrator to justice -- all while Ostian law enforcement agents were left completely in the dark about the GenoHaradan and their employer.

 

He still had another day or so of treatments before he would be back on his feet, though, and honestly he was starting to get restless.

[Mirdala Ad'Goran]

Being stuck in the small hospital room that also was currently serving as their holding cell, was slowly growing more maddening for Mirdala by the hour. She hated hospitals, she hated feeling trapped, and she hated the need to put their fate in the hands of Hapan policy.

 

You’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep up your pacing, ad’ika, TeVerd’s voice cut in across their private comm channel.

 

Mirdala looked up sharply at Kandor, unsure if he’d heard as well or if she’d finally lost it. She’d scanned the rooms for hidden cameras the day before, not surprised in the least that she’d found two in the corners of the room.

 

No, we haven’t hacked the cameras…yet. He intoned, somehow knowing what was on her mind. I don’t quite call making the system-wide news ‘laying low’. She could tell his arms were crossed from his tone.

 

“Did you call to torture me or for an actual reason biur?” she finally responded back, as she came to a halt. She kept her voice low, since at least visually, the conversation was not private.

 

You’re broadcasting pretty heavily, he warned, but quickly changed the subject. If you two can manage to keep yourselves in one piece and out of the Hapan penal system long enough, we’ve had a viable lead develop from the Abraxos data. It’ll be a few days to call in some of the others and get things sorted. Think you can manage be cleared out by then?

 

Mirdala looked at Kandor, her eagerness to both get back to her family and to her personal mission mixed with concern for making sure he was healed enough to run back into whatever dangers awaited them.

[Moon Knight]

As Kandor watched Mirdala pace, he realized he probably would be as well if he wasn't stuck in a hospital bed. Whenever he was stationary for too long he felt rather disused, like his body was succumbing to entropy for every moment that he was not maintaining his forward momentum. For her it was more than that. She felt like a spectacle here -- the caged Mandalorian pacing behind the transparisteel pane at the zoo -- and she hated being at the mercy of these aruetiise, just waiting around for something to happen.

 

He empathized with that, but it didn't bother him as much. He knew how Hapan politics worked and could make a reasonable prediction about what would happen, so unless he was considerably wrong, they weren't in any real danger. As long as Ranos Thane had in fact reformed, he was a good ally to have.

 

Kandor also knew that Mirdala was done with this place and wanted to get back to her aliit, back to the Sector. That's why he was a little relieved when TeVerd called with an update. When Mirdala looked over at him, not sure how to answer the question, he nodded reassuringly. "We'll be ready," he answered.

 

--------------------

 

That evening, Fett was told that he had to spend one more night in the hospital and get one more bacta session, but he'd be cleared in the morning with instructions to keep an eye on the injured area and make sure there were no complications.

 

But the bigger news was when Elegos White showed up again, tailed again by Ranos Thane.

 

"Good news and bad news," the attorney said, again using basic for Kida's benefit. "The good news is that all charges have already been dropped or settled. Ranos isn't pressing charges despite the damage you caused to his personnel, and the two people you stunned at the event have settled for sums we are handling behind the scenes on your behalf."

 

Fett nodded. "Your discretion is appreciated," he said. "What's the bad news?"

 

White glanced at Thane, who spoke. "Her Majesty the Queen Mother was informed about these events," he said. "And she is most concerned with the fact that outsiders would come and meddle in Hapan politics. She has ordered you both exiled permanently from the Consortium. If you were to ever return, you'd be facing the death sentence. You will have 24 hours to leave upon being discharged from the hospital."

 

Kandor glanced at Mirdala, knowing that she would most likely be pleased by the prospect of never being able to come back here. For him, he found it amusing that in about 12 days he'd managed to earn the same sentence that Isolder had. He gave the two Hapans a pleasant smile. "You won't have any problems with us," he said.

 

"I suspected as much," Thane said, eyeing Mirdala before looking back at Fett. "Before we leave... do you happen to know if Isolder is still alive?"

 

"I was told he is dead," Fett answered truthfully, though he gave the politician a questioning look.

 

"A pity," Thane said. "I think I would actually have liked to thank him. I am a better man for his actions."

 

Kandor nodded. "The universe is a strange place. If I ever come across him again, I will tell him for you."