CC: Corporate Greed

[Syren]

“Lovely sewer, tragedy free
You cannot start a war
Just for the feeling.”

-Yves Tumor

Corporate Sector

D’ian

Surface: Dawning Estate

A light rain falls across the rolling moors of Concordia Township. It becomes steadier as the afternoon progresses and lends to the drama, something Alka Dawning was hoping to escape if only for a few hours. D’Ken is being formally indicted in the murder of Finnius Dyre thanks to communications the Espos magically obtained indicating threats leveled by the former. She does not believe that and has their lawyers all over it yet it feels like her life is being pulled apart anyway. Definitely not what she dreamed of as a little girl as she pirouetted effortlessly across her bedroom. A nice session in the studio would calm her nerves but she is instead derailed by an incoming call from Dane on Etti IV. Curious, she takes it but is not prepared for the leading story.

“Me? A Direx? You have got to be kidding.”

Dane’s ghostly image hovers above the holo pad, “Is this my kidding face?"

“No,” she admits with a sigh. “How is this a good thing? We were nominated and voted in because of a lie.”

“A brilliant lie, if I do say so myself.”

“Still a lie. I am surprised they entertained the idea at all given what happened to Ples and Trichelle. Our presence would only remind them of what they lost and can never regain. That stupid Imperial simp Barrett coerced us under the absolute worst circumstances. Neither of us wanted Gemma to be captured despite what that little bitch Demaris thinks. I am not second-guessing our decision but this…is a bit much. We are going to have voting power in a governing body we manipulated.”

Dane smirks, “Which gives us more power than we had before and power equals leverage. Besides, how do you think most of those people, our fathers included, got that gig? Their altruistic ways and positive attitudes? Come on! Even you know there are always trade-offs with these things.”

“Ethics and morals be damned, right?”

“Those only complicate everything when it really comes down to it. We have one of our best friends back and the protection of the Jedi. The Direx board membership gives us the opportunity to fight back against the tyranny of the Republic and the machinations of the Empire. Will you, at least, consider it?”

Alka leans against the exquisitely polished countertop, “What would I even do?”

“I believe Irulan said something about arts and culture. Could be fun.”

“Could being the operative word.”

“You wanted me to lean on others, let people in. This is me trying to accept that help. Hard.”

“Dane.”

“Real hard.”

“Dane! You are impossible.”

“To resist, maybe. If you do not want me to get all self-destructive then this is your way to keep an eye on me too.”

She cocks her head and crosses her arms, “Does this mean you have rethought your death wish?”

“Stop pretending me trying to spare you a tragic end is not wildly romantic.”

“Stop pretending that losing you to this insane bullshit wouldn’t kill me too!”

“Well…there it is.”

“I hate this and I hate you.”

He laughs, “You do not. Say you’ll consider it, the Direx thing? We are good partners. Let’s fuck some shit up while we can, really make our parents proud.”

“Fine,” she says with a wistful smile. “Consider it considered.”

“Good, I was hopin-”

Dane vanishes and the lights cut out.

Thunder rumbles in the distance.

Somewhere in the mansion, glass breaks.

Alka turns around slowly and mutters, “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

She tries not to panic but fails spectacularly, frozen in place in the center of the kitchen. Relax, she thinks, it is probably your stalker. Most stalkers just want to be near their obsession. It will be like a really creepy meet-and-greet then everyone can move on with their lives.

Several of the kitchen drawers burst open on their own.

Or not.

“Gyger?” she calls, hoping the service droid had not developed a dark sense of humor. Her blaster is on the vanity in her room not doing a whole hell of a lot of good. Perhaps she should not have made such a hasty exit from the Jedi Gemma literally just sent to watch over them. No, she had to cause a scene. Make a point. Stick it to Dane and his ill-conceived antics. Despite her feeling like they totally fucked with her best friend, their spooky moves would come in real handy right about now.

There is a hum to the silence that follows then a tremendous clatter as the cutlery spills out of the drawers into the air to spiral in her direction. She gasps, moving quickly – a dancer's reflexes – evading each knife except for one. It cuts across the top of her right arm. She stumbles, briefly, as the top half of Gyger skids, sparking and smoking, across the great room floor.

Alka screams, bolting in the other direction further into the house.

As she takes a sharp corner, she slams into someone who clamps a hand over her mouth and forces her back against the wall.

“Quiet,” Garron Prescott hisses sternly, hefting a weapon in the other hand. “There is someone here.”

Fighting the urge to bite the shit out of him, Alka nods. Something else breaks, this time closer. Whoever this is is not exactly being subtle. It feels like she is being hunted which is far more terrifying when she acknowledges it. He leans close to her ear.

“Exit?”

“Study.”

She leads the way and together they traverse through the darkened house. The storm outside allows them some cover but not enough. Someone is closing the distance between them. As they near the study, there is movement from across the corridor. Garron kneels and turns to lay down cover fire as Alka unlatches the bookcase and enters the code for the blast door. He follows but waits for the door to lock behind them along with the click of the bookcase falling back into place. She tends to her wound and winces.

“What the hell are you doing here, Prescott?”

He heads down the passage, “Long story and we have to go.”

“Have you been stalking me?”

“Yes,” he says, shaking his head. “I mean, no. Not like that. You left. I thought someone might come after you.”

“Security would have taken care of it.”

“Your security is dead.”

 She stops suddenly, “How do I know you didn’t kill them?”

“You and your friends are in real danger.”

“As opposed to the very fake danger we have always been in? You are not selling me on this, especially after…after…”

The image of him with his wrists slashed open on the floor of the Gellar Penthouse lingered longer than she would have liked. He tried to kill himself once, Dane twice, and now here he is a savior in this crisis – as he had been before. The protector and confidante she had known him to be her whole life. Whatever this is, she does not want to hang around and find out the alternative.

They escape through the tunnel, passing a slain private security agent near her mother's garden, to a speeder Garron stashed beyond the tall grasses at the fringes of the property. Soaked and out of options, Alka throws a look back at her home before sliding onto the seat behind him and speeding off into the woods.

Inside the Dawning estate, crushing needlessly expensive décor beneath her boots, Alia emerges by the window just in time to catch a glimpse of their daring escape.

“Pity but there is always next time.”







-TBC

[Syren]

“You think I’m living it, living it, living it up
In the spotlight
You think I’m living it, living it, living it up
It’s a lie, lie.”

-Class Actress

Corporate Sector

D’ian: Surface: Concordia Township

Demaris Atrii places a hand on the cool, stone floor and closes her eyes.

The Dawning estate is in quite a state of disarray. Signs of an attack. Cutlery lodged in the walls and floors. Décor crushed and scattered. A small splash of blood now dried a deep crimson against the light stone. Dane was right to worry. After his call with Alka ended so abruptly, he wisely went to the Jedi. He said something felt off but could not place it. Given everything going on with her father and the rather precarious situation they find themselves in, Demaris agreed and they hopped in the Gellar shuttle and arrived on D’ian to find their fears confirmed. The Dawning security team is dead and the place is trashed. The group fans out in an armed search of the grounds.
 
Alka is nowhere to be found.

Near the garden wrapped around the north side of the mansion, Taarek pulls on his gloves and inspects one of the bodies.

“No visible blast marks or signs of abrasions. Judging by their position, they were taken down at close range. Not an amateur job. Someone with skills, training.”

“Charming,” Dane mutters, sighing despite the rising dread within him. “But where is Alka?”

“She is not among them. Possibly a good sign.”

“Not dead but captured? I warned her not to go back alone.”

Roman, concealed in full armor, places a hand on his shoulder, “Your actions did not remove her from danger and only damaged the trust she once had in your word.”

“Cold, dude. But fair.”

The sting of it is very real. He should have known that trying to put distance between them would not make her any less of a target. Worth a shot though, if it could save her. She is a public figure, adored throughout the Sector and beyond for her magnificent grace upon the stage. A loyal friend to Gemma and so much more to him. Dane knows she thinks him and this plan insane – again, fair – yet the alternative, even the notion of perpetuating the ongoing nightmare from which they cannot escape, is so much worse. He ruminates on their last exchanges, heavy with fire and hurt, trying to recall anything that may shed light on how and why this happened.

“She mentioned something about a stalker, someone leaving her things.”

Taarek shakes his head, dousing his theory into smoldering ash, “This looks too elaborate for a crazed fan. The service droid was torn in half. All that destruction feels intentional, almost personal.”

There are several people within the Sector upset with Dawning over Dyre’s murder. He’s been indicted and awaits trial but that may not have stopped one of Dyre’s allies from going after Dawning’s family. People who would make others pay in both credits and blood.

“That is hardly comforting. Let’s check with the others.”

Inside, Shendo is waiting with Demaris as she kneels in silent meditation. He studies her closely. She is one of the only people he can stand in this group. Even though she is from this world, a child of excess, she does not exude the arrogance and privilege of the others. It feels frivolous and unproductive given the threats they face and it is, for all his mistrust and suspicion, something Shendo can appreciate. Demaris draws from the Force, reaching out for the emotional imprints of the shattered scene. The air around them hums with a palpable edge. A blade, striking skin. There is a scream, a blur of motion. Something else. Someone else. Demaris opens her eyes.

“She was not alone. An ally and an enemy.”

“Who?”

“I do not know.”

“Well, a lot of good those Force powers are-”

“Have you seen this?”

Shendo, with his deep voice like heavy wheels over gravel. They move through the archway between rooms, around the corner to find a message carved into the massive blank wall where a piece of now-smashed sculpture was previously mounted.

Liars

Plural, Dane notes darkly. Not a good sign but there it is. The why. Things snapping into place. It does not mollify him. Someone knows about what really went down in the Bolerathon Tower. Knows that Dane and Alka lied to the Direx Board when two of their own were grieving their children. A few more sacrifices heaped on the altar of the prophecy. To protect their companies, to shield Gemma from blame and litigation. Selfish motives, if there ever were any other kind here, not that the Empire made it any easier.
 
It was his choice to pin it on the Chiss, dragging Alka deeper into the lie with him.
 
Could it be the Empire fucking with him? They could be seen as a liable party had their deceptions about allowing Gemma to escape be revealed. At the very least the Republic would have wanted her to stand trial, to use her part in those lives lost as a symbol to further illustrate the need for their legislative terror. Look at the Force user. So dangerous! A menace! He may have no love for Barrett Trevaithan but he did keep his smart fucking mouth of his shut. They even held off giving a statement until Pallus went on record and chose to corroborate their story – a careful gamble or savvy business move? Their stake in ChemiX elicits skepticism as they look to climb further into bed with the Gellar brand. Why not if there is currency to be made? It is in their interest for Gellar Industries to do well. So, no, probably not.

Who else would even know?
 
“What the hell does that mean?” Taarek cuts in, addressing the group.

Dane shakes his head, “Nothin good.”

*

D’ian: Undisclosed

Garron leads Alka into a bunker deep in the Tyndarian Woods.

This is it, she thinks. This is where she dies. This is what she gets for following the severely unstable former right hand of Rutherford Gellar after escaping yet another near-death experience at the hands of an unseen assailant. Everyone’s luck runs out eventually.
 
He leads her inside, the situation looking incredibly dire. He’s been squatting and the place is a mess. If she had to guess, this was one of several safe houses the Gellar’s have in and around the Sector. Alka only knows because her father has taken the same precautions. For people in positions like D’Ken and Rutherford, they could never be too careful. It makes sense he would come here, somewhere familiar yet untraceable to anyone other than the Gellar inner circle.

She almost lets herself relax when she spots the various datacards spread out across a basic black table in a way that suggests mania she is not in the mood to deal with.
 
“I know why I was returned,” he mutters lowly. “Why they brought me back.”

Oh, boy. “Do you?”

“She wants me to kill Dane.”

Alka does not react, instead deadpanning. “Looks like you and Dane have that in common then.”

He does not ask and she does not elaborate. Alka is not entirely sure she can trust him in this condition. This woman sent him to kill Dane and Dane knows he must die – connected? Possibly. Garron escaped the Gellar Tower while in custody which is impressive in and of itself. He might be the only one that could with his knowledge of every corner and conference room. She is not sure if that makes him more or less dangerous so she treads carefully.

“You didn’t.”

“No,” he whispers. “No, but she will make me.”

“How…will she make you?”

Garron’s brow furrows deeply as he looks up at her, a stream of blood slowly appearing under his nose.

“I have tried over and over to replay what happened to me. Where I was. What I was doing. The blackness, the pain, is so profound. I have spent weeks forcing myself to push through it, to reach into the depths of my memory. No matter what I do I can only bring back bits and pieces. The gray-skinned woman came to me as people I knew, loved, lost – Kylie, Celeste, Rutherford. She wanted to torment me into submission and I fought to resist her. I heard screams and thought it was Janessa. I’m worried about her. It took time but then she was in my mind. Everything inside me drowned until there was nothing left."

Alka crosses her arms tightly, fingers grazing the shoulder wound, “If you are worried about Janessa Kain, I have some bad news for you.”

“Is she…okay?”

“No,” she says evenly. “She is not. She was killed in the explosion that took out the Republic President and a CSA delegation…”

I know why I was returned.

A chill slips along her arms and she feels vaguely faint. If Garron returned to kill Dane, did Janessa return to kill Inganarre? They were both missing, one shortly after the other. A convenient cover story neither she nor Dane really bought but everyone else seemed to accept as if people went missing without any notice all the time. She supposes in some circles, on some worlds, they do. The Corporate Sector is no different. People go missing or wind up dead in ways that render the Espos more ineffectual than usual. Both taken, she muses. Taken and returned by the same person? This gray-skinned woman. A common thread for general badness if it is the same one who came to collect Alia here, on D’ian, in what feels like a lifetime ago.

All he says is, “Yes.”

“What is the last thing you remember? Before you were in the Gellar’s living room?”

“Orange. The glint of light off orange armor.”

His description of the towering terror brings back a flash of the blade cutting through Ples and the monstrosity standing behind him.
 
“Sometimes, I am not even sure if that was real.”

“It was,” she murmurs distantly. “I assure you.”

Was this so-called Inquisitor working with the gray-skinned woman? Collecting key people to do her dastardly bidding by reprogramming their minds through magic? It seems impossible, almost silly. But she has seen enough to know that it is most certainly not – impossible or silly. The prospects only grow more ominous and she has to pull back to keep from spiraling.

“Why are you here? If you will try to kill him if you are near him, why not leave this place?”

Honestly, she is surprised he has not tried to off himself again. He clearly has the time and means. Perhaps a change of heart in the darkest of hours? Garron Prescott stares at her with bleary, bloodshot eyes, rimmed with shadows.
 
“I have to help him however I can.”

“Noble, but hard to trust given what you have done. He does not want our help anyway.”

“I could not save their parents, their friends, but I can save them. Dane and Gemma are all I have left.”

“I am not sure they can be saved,” she sighs, admitting to herself what had been there all along.

Garron sits at the table in front of the scattered datacards.

“Will you help me try?”









-TBC

[Syren]

"You can ask yourself
Are we having fun?
You can ask yourself
If I am the one
But all that I know
Is money and love
Love and money
Money and love.
Love and money."

[email protected]


Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Mondder

Garron Prescott idles by the landing platforms across from Gellar Tower.

His jaw is set tight beneath a pair of dark sunglasses and a cap that makes him look like an anxious tourist which is not entirely unexpected given his daring escape from this very building not all that long ago. Alka Dawning sighs, something she has become quite good at, eyes rising slowly up the impossibly textured exteriors of the skyline.

“This will never work. Coaching me from the sidelines is only going to piss everyone off, especially with Jedi in the mix.”

“Perhaps,” he says, trying to keep his tone south of shrill. “But what alternative do you see? I am compromised so I cannot do it myself. If everything you told me is true then it has already begun. Closing in on those The Four hold dear is the precursor to a final confrontation, one which will determine an outcome that seems to have been in play for longer than anyone realized. I often wonder how much Rutherford knew, if he was not stuck in a different loop, one strengthened by ambition and grief. He had his motives. I suppose we all do.”

“How comforting,” Alka groans, rolling her eyes. “Wait, if I am telling the truth? Wow, you really are something lately. We are not imagining these things, Garron, despite what they may have done to your head.”

“I do not think you are lying but allowing for the possibility it could be misinterpreted. It would not be the first time. You need to be careful.”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

Garron manages a weak smile, “I need you to be a source of reason for Dane while infiltrating the Direx board for their connections and security. There is greater visibility and insight with that access. You already have an in, you just need to capitalize on the opportunity. Can you do that?”

“Yes, but not sure it will be enough if he is intent on nose-diving into Gemma’s fatalistic assessment of the situation. Also, we lied to their faces. The Direx board would willingly sacrifice us if we were exposed. Blood for blood.”

His voice is trembling, “I will try to help with that. Hopefully, it will buy you time. Dane has considerable resources which is why I do not believe he will be directly targeted first. It would be easier to eliminate Masterton and Patten…”

“But?”

“But that is not to say they will not make him suffer along the way to bend him to their will. He is not short on enemies. None of you are.”

Alka throws a glance behind her as she steps out onto the platform, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

The lift ride is spent in quiet reflection. Everything seems to be closing in but she pushes through with the same determination that makes her such a sensation on stage. She approaches Ximena’s desk slowly and watches the admin’s eyes widen at the sight of her. Alka only made a half-hearted attempt at pulling herself together after the attack and rescue.

“Uh, hey. Irunlan in?”

Ximena glances down at her screen, “She’s wrapping up a call but…”

“It’ll only take a moment.”

She nods, tapping away at her keypad. Ximena has a list of priority individuals Irulan can be interrupted for, something her boss was rather vague but stern about. She did not question the directive and looks to the shaken prima ballerina.

“You can go on in.”

Inside the cavernous office, light piercing the room in sharp angles, Irulan rises behind her desk.

“I must say this is a surprise, albeit a pleasant one. Dane and his companions think you have been abducted or worse. They are on D’ian freaking out as we speak but I will send for them. I am pleased to see you have not fallen victim to their worst fears.”

Alka approaches and falls gracefully into one of the plush chairs, “For the moment, at least.”

“Our people discreetly took care of your slain security so no worries there. Best not to involve the Espos if we do not have to. May I ask what happened?”

“I was attacked.”

“Anyone we know?”

“Unclear,” she says, sweater sliding down her shoulder to reveal the cut on her shoulder. “I escaped before I got a look at them.”

“Well done but it clearly warrants further investigation.” 

Irulan rounds the desk, removing the bandage Garron placed there to take a look at the wound. 

“This needs treatment.”

“So, you are a medic as well?”

“I can do many things. Help build then grow this company with Rutherford; teach Dane in these ways, and try to keep him safe so that he may run it if he so chooses. However, the success of any of our business ventures is not dependent on his survival – although it is preferable.”

Irulan retrieves a small medkit and meticulously sets the contents on the desk behind her. Alka allows her to work, wincing slightly at the antiseptic sting, “That is more consideration than we would likely get otherwise.”

“You are speaking of the troubles with your father and those scrambling at Dawning Enterprises in his absence.”

“I should not be talking to you about this.”

“We are not competitors, Alka.”

“More so investment opportunity or acquisition target. I know how this works.”

“Good, then you also know it is not personal. Would you rather D’Ken’s company be torn to pieces internally or continue to flourish with Gellar Enterprise capital?”

Alka watches her suture the wound carefully but quickly then apply a fresh bandage. She has endured worse through grueling practice sessions, pushing her body to the limits for a jump or turn that appears effortless to the audience. Dane had said as much about their position, as obvious and trite as it may be. Such is the way of things here and while she may be more jaded than she wishes to be having grown up in this world, it does not dampen the fight in her.

“You make it sound so harmless. Like it would not destroy his legacy in the process.”

“Is this a legacy you wish to inherit and continue?”

“I make my own way,” she says defiantly, a mixture of rage and sorrow glowing behind her dark eyes.

“Yes, you do. And you are lucky not to be tied to your father’s business materially. It gives you far more flexibility with your future outside the twisted webs the corporations weave. You are the principal dancer in the most prestigious company in or out of the Sector with more influence than you may realize. Considering I am a fan myself, I would not be betraying my duties by telling you that there is a silver lining here.”

“I know which is why we will accept the roles of Direx.”

Irulan steps back, “Interesting. I expected that of Dane but was not entirely sure you would.”

“We have an opportunity to do some good.”

“Is that all?”

“No,” she says, recalling Dane’s words.“These positions bring us power and power equals leverage. Also, I can keep an eye on him considering his more…troubling thoughts these days.”

Irulan replaces the kit in her desk drawer and then draws a finger across the back of her chair.

“You love him. That is a statement of fact, not a judgment. I loved once and was loved in return. What I would not give to feel that again but that is no longer my purpose. As I said, although preferred, his survival is not tied to a successful business outcome.”

“Ruthless.”

“Necessary, so consider this carefully: if he chooses this path and you follow him down it, will you die with him or for him?”

*

Beneath the tower, Dr. Maumbile has procured everything he needs. Cloning tanks, hibernation chambers, and an impressive array of tools to assist with any genetic tinkering. He has begun his work, the work that Rutherford Gellar first procured his services to assist with. Now, he would honor his benefactor and friend by ensuring that while the prophecy must be fulfilled, there would be a dormant contingency ready to counter whatever darkness may follow.

Maumbile holds up a vial, extracted from the blood of Dane’s last diagnostic sample, and smiles.

Rutherford would have his revenge.







-TBC

[Syren]

“Under the sun
It’s not what they can see
Until it’s done
Your secrets safe with me.”

-Mr. Little Jeans

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Surface: Mondder

The group is reunited with Alka atop the Gellar Tower.

They find her in an elongated stretch, using the small sill as a makeshift barre. She brings her arm across the air in a graceful arch and smiles. While relief is the shared emotion, Dane realizes how close he came to actually losing her and chides himself for foolishly thinking that pushing her away would save her. She is and always will be a target. He was foolish to think otherwise.

After the requisite embraces, something Shendo shies away from, the group retires to the casual comfort of the conversation circle in the living room to debrief about the attack. Alka walks them through it, careful to avoid her rescuer in outlining the escape but reinforces that she never actually saw her attacker.

“You mentioned you have a…admirer,” Taarek says. “Someone leaving you notes and flowers and gifts. Could this have escalated beyond admiration?”

“This seems too brutal but there is a lot going on. Maybe I missed it. Still, cutting the power, the flying knife fiasco, bisecting my service droid – it all feels so, you know, intentional. Personal.”

Demaris is quick to home in on the more esoteric aspect of the story, “Flying? As in, operating independently?”

“Yes.”

“That seems more like a telekinetic attack…”

“Or the Force,” Shendo chimes in darkly.

Roman folds his arms, “Perhaps this is not a stalker or a corporate rival.”

It resonates and settles over them in a moment of silence with implications their foe is working with more power than the average executive in these parts. Something more to consider. The conversation then shifts to the aftermath; the slain security team, the spectacular mess, and the literal writing on the wall. Dane groans.

“We had to obscure the message. It would raise too many questions if left undisturbed and someone found it.”

Alka levels her gaze, “We wouldn’t want that now would we? Considering we have our first board meeting in a few days, I don’t think I have to tell you how completely fucked we are going to be if this is made public. Someone could be setting us up to fail.”

They saw how quickly the board took action against Balthazar Nash once his part in the demise of their legacies was revealed – i.e. fabricated. While Dyre may be dead, Aguilar would gladly sacrifice them both if it brought him even a whisper of closure with Ples. Retribution in the form of making their respective holdings vulnerable. Gellar capitalized on that with Nash and now Dawning.
 
What is it they say? Turnabout…and all that.

Taarek breaks through their mental spiral, “If you believe this was intended as a direct threat, it is something they could leverage. I mean, extortion isn’t out of the question, right?”

“Right. This is a classic move. Hold it over our heads while we try to draw them out and negotiate terms. Only one problem with that. If all they wanted was currency they would have demanded it by now.”

“I do not like this,” Demaris says solemnly.

“What’s to like?” Alka hisses. “We are well aware of how things went down last time. The goal of elimination was preceded by shockingly violent actions against those closest to The Four. They want you dead, Dane, but they want you to suffer first.”

The iciness of her words catches his breath yet they all know she is not wrong.

The things they had seen and read painted a haunting picture of Karen, Melanie, Kimber, and Valerie being stripped of those they loved before ultimately falling victim to it all themselves. Made for good Holo. However, the pressure of a potential sequel in what is now known to be a series of horrific cycles seems quite a bit less glamorous as part of a lived experience.

Roman surveys the group, “Then we protect both. We split up the detail to cover Dane and Alka, each with a Jedi to accompany them. It gives them the greatest chance.”

“At the very least it would give Gemma and Riley some runway to figure out a better way.”

“Not that you have much faith in that,” Alka mutters.

He holds her stare, “We don’t deal in faith, babe.”

Demaris muses, “I would give anything to forfeit such an outcome so I think you are right about more focused coverage. But I do not wish to speak for others.”

“We will do what we must to protect them. We swore it.”

Roman runs a gloved hand over his helmet, “That we did.”

Shendo nods. These people are insane. He has come to care for some through their fight for survival in a galaxy that now fears and hunts them. Although he has learned much about himself and his gifts, there is a madness in their methods. The lies the Republic told to put them in danger are just as dangerous as the ones Gellar and Dawning told this Direx Board. He can see the distinction in judgment but begins to wonder if one set of lies predicated all the others. Yet here he is, still alive and kicking. He figures he should stay the course.

Once settled, the groups are formed: Demaris and Taarek will stay with Dane while Shendo and Roman watch over Alka.

“Between the board meeting and rehearsals, you shouldn’t have too much trouble I hope.”

“If you don’t wander off again in a huff.”

“Justifiable huff! My father is set to stand trial for a murder he didn’t commit and you were hardly what I would call comforting.”

Demaris slowly paces the length of the room, “Have we considered Dawning’s predicament may be part of this as well? After all, hurting Alka would hurt Dane.”

“It does destabilize her support network. Keeps her close.”

“How very reassuring.”

Roman stands by her side, “It is not a judgment, Alka. Whoever is doing this knows you are Dane’s weakness. They may be counting on it making him reckless, pushing him to further compromise himself to protect you.”

“Strategy wise,” Taarek cuts in. “It makes sense.”

“I will not be a pawn in a game I didn’t even want to play!”

Dane cringes, “Maybe a bit late for that. Do you think anyone unwittingly involved in the prophecy wanted this? Gemma called it. They cast these roles long ago and everyone around them is fair game.”

“Always so helpful.”

“You think I like this? Here I am still butt crazy in love with you and these assholes want to use you to get at me? It’s insane!”

“I’m sorry, what now?”

Taarek shakes his head, Roman and Shendo look away awkwardly, and Demaris bites her lower lip.

Dane throws his arms up, “Oh, don’t stand there and pretend like I’m doing all this for selfless reasons. I’m Dane Gellar for fucks sake! I love you – I am in love with you – and I don’t want you to suffer because my fate is foretold or whatever.”

Alka has never wanted this boy more than she does right now but stares daggers at him anyway.

“Alright,” Roman says lowly. “We know what we must do. We need to keep you both safe and we will.”

Demaris sighs, amused by the declaration, but weary, “Speaking of, we’re going to need more of the Force vaccine if Shendo and I are to provide such protection without being tracked through our Force signatures.” 

“I got you. I’ll have Irulan send some over.”

“Much appreciated. You know, this would have mitigated a lot of damage had it been more accessible during the Republic purge of the Jedi.”

“I…didn’t think of it that way.”

“Big picture, Dane,” Demaris says, voice free of any scorn. “You may be central to the plot but it is not only you who risks harm.”

“That’s not what I…”

“I know. I am only reinforcing what you already feel. A call to action to stop what is coming. I believe Gemma and Riley will find a way but until then those we know and love will continue to be targets for agents of the prophecy. We must do what we can to protect them all. You are not naïve, Dane. Neither am I. Lives will be lost but we must minimize the damage the prophecy has the potential to cause however we can.”

He nods, despite not quite believing it himself.

Dane excuses himself to hit up Irulan for the meds, finding a quiet moment in his office. Formerly his father’s. It is not nearly as stately or impressive as the one at the Gellar Estate. He would generally head downstairs to his actual office for official matters of business. This served as more of a safe space, something away from the corporate chaos below. Dane had more recently used it to play virtual multiplayer games but often found himself in his father’s old chair, staring out into the bustling cityscape beyond the massive windows.

He taps on the console and sees a message alert…from Gemma. As usual these days, she leads with an ominous tone.

Dane – something happened on Corellia. You need to be careful.








-TBC

[Syren]

“Yeah, she’s a death wish
I don’t think we’re ever gonna fix this
Backtrack ‘til we’re dancing on the kill switch
What’s the point of praying for the wicked?
Don’t think that I wanna know.”

-Vampire Disco

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Surface: Mondder

Gemma fades from view.

So. A spy in the mix, and a dead one at that.

He replays the message several times in his father’s office. She looks harder now, even as an ethereal hologram. Her words are sharper and in a tone he did not hear very often growing up – the crispness of Gemma at the end of her rope. She must really have seen some shit, Dane thinks as he absently grips the chair. She tells him to be careful, and to trust sparingly, but the subtext is there.

Watch your back.

Shendo and Taarek are the ones he knows littlest about with Demaris closer in social proximity and Roman a true bro. It was the quiet one that got them, Gemma said. Off to the side but always with a front-row seat. They aren’t an overly talkative bunch, but he hasn’t seen or heard anything that would rouse suspicion yet. Dane knows Gemma has legit problems with the Jedi that cut deeper than bone and cross into an existential whatever so he contemplates options. Could one of those assigned to protect them be a plant and killer? An agent of the prophecy, a term they had so ominously spoken aloud earlier? He shudders to think.

The simple chirp of his com jolts him back into reality. The meds are ready. Irulan says she will have them sent up but Dane declines.

He would pick them up himself.

In the lift, he chews the tip of his thumb. Something Demaris said stuck with him. The Force vaccine could have saved a lot of lives. If they had flooded the markets, perhaps the Jedi would not be down to such a small number. Hunted, slain, and scattered. Those that remain…if they remain. Normally this passing comment would not have cut as deep yet the sentiment lingers for an uncomfortably long time. Despite her inclinations now, Demaris is one of them. She came from this sociopathic corporate scene so she would know that if they did not flood the market there was generally a self-serving reason why.

This was merely a polite way of making him aware of it - and he does not appreciate it.

Xemena has gone home for the day but Irulan still toils away in her office. As always, she looks impossibly poised with features that signal concern as part of her primary programming. Impressive elements of the person she once was. She tosses him the bag of pills that he snatches from the air on the way to one of the statement chairs positioned as an audience in front of her massive desk. Being an executive was definitely her thing.

“Thanks for the meds.”

“You came down here to tell me that?”

“I needed a little walk. Also, Gemma was attacked. One of the Force-sensitive refugees turned out to be evil. She was injured but thankfully saved by Riley’s…aunt. Apparently, our family tree is pretty wild. It was, from what I gather, a whole thing. Given she sent a security contingent our way, she wanted us to be aware. Consider this something of a debrief.”

Irulan folds her hands in front of her, “I am pleased to hear she is okay although the circumstances are certainly troubling. Considering Alka’s recent brush with death, I’d say that puts the threat level higher than it has been.”

“It does feel like an escalation.”

“What do you plan to do about it?”

“Still deciding. I may be skeptical of the Jedi ways but I do not feel Demaris would intentionally put us in danger.”

“Unless she is unaware of the danger amongst you. The Jedi seem to have a habit of being blind to the things that are right in front of them. You may want to broach that with her to be sure.”

“Good call,” Dane muses with a shrug. “She’s fairly reasonable…for an Atrii.”

“The Atrii’s are flakes. Powerful flakes and some of the oldest money here but flakes none the less. Even I see the irony in Demaris shrugging off their family privilege to serve the Jedi but I do not need a mystical energy force to know that is not why you really came here.”

“No, it’s not.”

He holds up the pills, shaking them lightly for effect.

“The reason so many Force-sensitives were identified when it all went down in the Republic was due to a lack of options. Our vaccine, a potentially life-saving drug that would have allowed them to avoid detection and escape, was nowhere to be found. I dunno, I just feel like…we could have done more.”

“We could have,” Irulan replies coldly after a significant pause. “But we didn’t.”

Dane goes there, “Intentionally.”

“When you came to me with the diversification pitch, surely you realized that would require investment. By restricting certain supplies, the prices fetched for such a drug netted a substantial sum and drove up our value across the most strategic markets. It also created the liquid capital used to acquire Palace Arms outright and further diversify our holdings in companies like Dawning Enterprises among others. This is not a new practice and restrictions around the Force vaccine supply were authorized by me after the Jedi were expelled from Chandaar in anticipation of future diversification efforts to ensure we had ample capital to do so when the time came."

She rises and rounds the desk with menacing precision.

“Where do you think all those credits came from, Dane? I certainly did not conjure them out of thin air.”

“I get it but did we, uh, happen to enable genocide in the process?”

“Don’t be ridiculous! The Republic Speaker did that. We merely profited from it. Significantly, if I may say so. Someone would. They always do. Do you now have a problem with that, given all you have and stand to gain?”

“No. Well, not…entirely but-”

“But nothing. You may have known it before – peripherally, perhaps - but now I see that you understand. It is something you and Alka will need to get over. Everything has a price. On that point, Rutherford Gellar was perfectly clear. He may have lost Abra, Blair, and Valerie, but he had Celeste, Gemma, and you.”

“The great karmic wash.”

Irulan sighs, easing down into the chair beside him.

“You know that is not what it was. Rutherford and Celeste made terrible choices based on a promise manipulated by a duplicitous, megalomaniacal brute and they both suffered dearly for it. Your father may have known he would not be able to protect you from it entirely but he did set you up to be a true contender.

You swore you were proceeding with this contingency to avoid any further generations suffering the fates of The Four. It did not please me but I agreed and summoned Doctor Maumbile who is, at this very moment, cloning three of you far below the monolith we are sitting on top of having this conversation. We must do our part. Do not tell me you are having reservations now.”

“A bit late for that,” he mutters.

“Exactly. Do not get yourself lost in the details. Your father tasked me with that. The focus must remain on your appearance for the Direx Board and the public. Ethos goes a long way and your name carries a certain cache.  You may have been nominated to serve on that board but that does not mean there are not enemies in every other chair around that table. This may also be an elaborate trap, one that the likes of the Imperial liaison and others will look to capitalize on. You and Alka must stay alert.”

“Someone knows. About the lie.”

Irulan waves away the notion, “Knowing about the lie does not necessarily mean they know the truth. Without corroboration, everything is hearsay. Pure speculation. These are things that can be spun to our advantage.”

“It could be enough for them to reconsider, make us both targets. I can’t do that to Alka.”

She grows quiet for a moment, eyes drifting to the windows as nightfall deepens over the city.

“Not an option. That is an inevitable burden for any heirs born into this world. An heir is the promise of a future, a continuation, and an extension of power and wealth unto the generations unfolding before it. It is its own form of capital, untoward as that may sound, which is why the loss of one – Aguilar, Corinthos, Kincaid – inflicts a different kind of damage. Not just the loss of a child but the loss of that promise and the future it holds.”

She smiles, something almost wistful, but there is something more sinister beneath it. The reason she was Rutherford Gellar’s right hand.

“The fundamental truth here is that their losses are our gain. The fewer the heirs, the less likely they will be able to maintain their grip on power over time. Not all can stomach these brutal realities but we must. This is the price for profit, and our endeavor needs multiple revenue streams to function both publicly and privately while protecting us from the raiders always waiting just outside the corporate compound gates. I need to know you can do this, Dane.”

A bit harsh, if he is being honest but he gets the point.

The deal with the Empire, involving Kaytt after everything, virtually sacrificing Janessa and Kier, handing the Direx Board a familiar villain to exact retribution upon, "handling" their would-be blackmailer; everything in the name of the almighty bottom line. Shareholder value, etc. The thing is…he is not sure he is quite that far gone. But what does feeling bad about it get him? It doesn’t change anything and there is value in scarcity.

The Jedi are a rare commodity now. They have something many do not and can use that to topple the Voss-Ra or leverage their expertise to dispatch the person who knows about the lie and buy them enough time to pull off the contingency. Demaris may be right about needing to mitigate the damage from the prophecy any way they could which means there would be difficult choices. Ones they would have to make based on what best served the outcome they favor. Dying is still not his preferred option but there would be a smug satisfaction popping up after the fact and sticking it to Dahlia like, surprise, bitch! Gellar in the house! Spite alone may make it worth it even with the added Sith element attached to a Winton victory.

Not their problem. At least not yet.

Irulan does not relent, “Can you do this?”

Dane’s dark eyes go blank as he leans back and flashes an easy smile.

“Yes, I can.”









-TBC

[Syren]

“In a state of confusion you made an illusion
State of confusion you made an illusion.”

-Elsiane

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Surface: Mondder

The implications of his conversation with Irulan weigh on him but he knows what he must do.

He is many things, of course; dashing, spoiled, selfish, and wealthy. All the things a good corporate heir should be – at least the ones that make headlines on the Holo. He also isn’t entirely foolish which is why he goes to Demaris. With Alka at rehearsals with Roman (as Avenarius) and Shendo, it leaves him time that evening with Demaris and Taarek in the Gellar Tower.

He excuses Taarek, asking to speak to Demaris alone.

She nods and he takes his leave, disappearing into the expanse of the penthouse.

“I am telling you this because you need to know and because I trust you. Not that Gemma doesn’t have legitimate concerns with your Order and the way of things but the Jedi, on occasion, have saved the galaxy and stuff so here we are.”

Her expression tightens, “Damning by faint praise. How very…you. What is it? Sounds serious.”

Dane outlines everything Gemma told him about what happened on Corellia after the group dispersed – the betrayal, the appearance of the freed Infiltrator, the fight that ensued, and the injuries and death that resulted from it. All stemmed from a traitor among them, the seemingly meek Lysette, who had been manipulating them the entire time with the intention of striking Gemma down before doing the same with Riley.

“As far as agents of the prophecy go, I’d say that pretty much covers it. You want to stop what is coming, so maybe we start here. With us. How well do you know everyone you brought with you?”

It stuns her momentarily silent as she processes everything he tells her. There is a flicker of anger that she did not sense anything amiss throughout their adventures - so focused on Gemma slipping effortlessly to the dark side and Roman spiraling into revenge with murderous intentions - that she did not even realize there was an even greater threat within the group. This is followed by profound grief at losing both Oz and Lysette, two who she believed they were able to save from the Republic’s purge of the Jedi and subsequent elimination of anyone who may possess any type of connection to the Force.

They have failed them.

She pushes a strand of purple hair away from her eyes and raises them to meet his.

“I could do without the accusatory tone but it is a relevant question given those rather horrific details. The truth is, I thought I knew them better than I do. That much is clear. We came together so quickly, separated into groups of Force-sensitive refugees pouring out of the Republic capital who were then shipped off to supposedly safer places. Oz, Lysette, Sirona, and Shendo remained with us, as you know. You were there at the Viperii Lakehouse when we left. Taarek was routing people out of Chandaar any way he could and joined us I believe in some part because of the devotion his father held for Melanie Masterton.

Although the refugees regarded her with suspicion, considering her background, public profile, and connection to atrocities sensationalized throughout the galaxy, Taarek saw what I saw, glimmers in Gemma that led us to believe she held a greater chance armed with the context Melanie so clearly lacked. That does not speak to motive to me if we are reasoning it out. I suppose you realize this puts Roman under suspicion as well.”

Dane folds his arms, “He faked his death to spite his shitty parents after their hand in Preston’s death. As grateful as I am that he is alive, it was not something I expected.”

“We were led to him – by Lysette. That detail holds greater significance now.”

“Not disputing that,” Dane says evenly. “If Oz was in on anything, he got a raw deal from the visuals Gemma so vividly provided. Sirona is with your brother but Gemma told me she already sent word so he is aware. We now know Lysette orchestrated this with help from the grey-skinned woman and that Infiltrator thing. Shendo is, well, something else.”

“He has always been the most skeptical of all this. Not making the kinds of connections we did with each other. The closest he came to showing any kind of warmth was when he banded together with the others to stop Roman from using that superlaser on his family. Not a small thing. However, it is slightly atypical of the Nagai to be so withdrawn. They are traditionally more charismatic, and engaging, but we must remember they all suffered extreme trauma from being turned on so ruthlessly by the Republic. They had citizens hunting them down in the streets. Shendo is a skilled warrior, best with blades so the saber comes more naturally to him, and yet he has not taken up against us.”

“Lysette had the same access to you as he did but did not strike until the time was right. Who is to say he is not lying in wait as the backup?”

“For what?”

He cannot believe that he, for once, gets there first.

“Gemma said the Corellian doctor freed the Infiltrator and likely tipped off the Republic that Corellia hasn’t exactly been operating to the letter of their stupid laws. That set in motion the conflict brewing between them. On the capital, it sure looks like Janessa Kain took out the Republic President, one of the last opponents to the Speaker's consolidation of power and increasing instability.”

He glances down and tries to swallow, mouth having gone dry.

“Garron has tried to kill me more than once and is now on the loose probably plotting to do so again. Two of those three people may be dead but actions were still carried out on who knows whose orders. The grey-skinned woman? Those Voss-Ra freaks? Other, still unknown creepers and prophecy hangers-on? What I’m trying to say is…if Lysette and her flunky-bot-thing succeeded in killing Gemma and Riley and Garron had killed me…”

Demaris’s mouth falls open, “Dahlia would be declared victor, as she would have survived the prophecy.”

“Full stop, no contingency plans. Game over.”

“And what they believe will happen with a Winton victory may come to pass.”

“Big time maybe, but yeah. They sure as hell think so and we would be unprepared to stop them. Any of them. I mean, holy shit, Dahlia as Imperial Empress? On the throne beside that nerd Barrett? Yikes.”

Demaris clasps her hands in her lap, “Right, but thankfully none of those things happened. They were stopped there and can be stopped here.”

“And what about you?"

“Me?”

“Yes, you, Demaris. You were missing for a time too. Gone after your incident on Hesperidium.”

“A few years ago, yes. The Voss-Ra tried to toss me off that bloody tower. I already explained this to everyone.”

“Janessa told me straight up she was on a fucking sabbatical with Garron so please spare me the indignation at having asked the question.”

“I was on Corellia with witnesses. You said you trusted me.”

“Trust but verify. It’s not personal.”

“I see. If we are reviewing our cohort as a whole, let’s look at the timeline. The stalker situation with Alka, and her father’s impending trial for the murder of Finnius Dyre, all happened before any of us arrived. Someone is targeting us, targeting you, but not someone in this group.”

He shudders, “Garron. It has to be Garron.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He could have left any of those things for Alka to find but Dyre was only murdered after Garron escaped our custody. You don’t think-”

“Garron didn’t do this,” Alka cuts him off, moving into the great room space with Shendo and Avenarius flanking her.

Neither Demaris nor Dane heard them enter but it could not have been long.

Dane recovers, averting his eyes from Shendo and Roman for now, and tries not to choke on his words.

“He’s done so many things that don’t make sense, Alka. Terrible things. He was sent here to kill me and he would destroy everything around me to do it. You said so yourself, they want me to suffer first. Screwing with Garron's mind, turning him against me? That has made me suffer because I can't help him, can't fix him..."

“Not untrue,” she says, still dressed in a black leotard with a thin, botanical print wrap tied around her waist.

Skin flushed, dewy from the exertion, impossibly hot.

Dane inhales sharply and concentrates on the topic, “How do you know? How do you know he didn't send you those things? Knows our secret? Attacked you?”

She contemplates, allowing the silence to become excruciating, but then she squares her shoulders and glares at him.

“Because he is why I survived."








-TBC

[Syren]

“I’ve got a problem
Was it supposed to be?
Is it bad karma
That is affecting me?
Is it all related
Or did I make it all up?”

-B.Visible

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Mondder: Gellar Tower

“What did you say?”

“You heard me,” Alka replies curtly, holding her ground. “Garron isn’t my stalker.”

Avenarius slips off his helmet, dark hair matted down, “But how did he help you survive?”

“He was there. We escaped the attacker together, okay?”

“Alka,” Demaris breathes, rising from her seat. “That is critical information you failed to share with us. We cannot protect you if we do not have all the details.”

“And exactly how much information did the Jedi share with you and Gemma when they wandered off for, I dunno, years and let you wade deeper into this mess? Get real.”

“Lashing out for Gemma by proxy is only going to get us all killed. She asked us to come here, to protect you.”

“To protect him. I am just a plot device, remember?”

“Not true,” Dane says, wounded by what he thinks may be an implication. “You matter to me.”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it? We suffer to make you suffer. Why couldn’t you be part of a more fanciful and fun magical prophecy? This is so depressing!”

Taarek rejoins them, “You are avoiding the question, miss Dawning. We need to know how Garron interceded during your attack.”

“What is this, an Espos inquiry? The power cut out, the knives thing happened, our droid was sliced up, and so I ran,” she sighs. “Garron found me in the hall, and we escaped through my father’s study. He said someone might try something when I returned to the estate alone. Turns out he was right.”

“So, he’s been watching us.”

“Not surprising, given his apparent intention. We should sweep the penthouse. We need to be sure since he has intimate knowledge of the properties and security. As for Garron, he follows you back to D’ian and miraculously appears during your attack, infiltrating your supposedly secure estate?”

“Pretty much.”

“Did you actually see anyone else?”

“No, but we heard them. There was definitely someone else there. Wait, what are you saying? He staged the attack to rescue me himself?”

Demaris folds her arms in front of her.

“You thought there was evidence of a telekinetic attack! How could he have pulled that off? That’s insane!”

“As opposed to every other completely sane thing that’s happened to us. He may not be working alone.”

“Right,” Taarek says. “Staging that kind of a scene may serve to soften Dane’s resolve.”

“What about the stalker stuff?”

“He could have left you those things, staged your attack, and come to your rescue. He is the common factor here. He wants Dane scared enough to force a confrontation. What does he have to lose?”

Dane frowns, “He’s not in control. Garron would not be doing this otherwise.”

“We’ve established that,” Demaris says softly but the threads of exasperation thicken her words. “Where did he take you afterward, Alka? After you escaped the Dawning estate?”

“To some sort of safe house in the Tyndarian Woods then I came back here.”

“That’s something to go off of although he will unlikely stay there if she knows where it is.”

“How did he seem? Emotionally, physically?”

“A wreck, obviously, but that’s where your theory falls apart for me. If he was sent here to make Dane suffer then he would have killed me when he had the chance. I don’t think he’s programmed to hurt me or anyone close to Dane. He had plenty of opportunities before his escape. I think Dane is his primary objective.”

“Not necessarily,” Roman muses. “Killing you would take you off the board. You could no longer be used as an influence over him. They are not going to do that. Not yet. Not until we know what he and whoever is behind his abduction really wants.”

“Roman, what the fuck?”

“Dude, dark!”

“We do not have time for denial. You both know it’s true.”

“You think they are trying to get him to negotiate through Garron?” Taarek asks.

“There is a wealth of assets under the Gellar name, access to boards of companies and holdings that could reshape entire regimes. I know you've taken measures so I don't expect him to try to seize anything outright. Irulan may lead the charge, but everyone knows this all belongs to you. So, yes, he may be the primary but everyone else is fair game.”

Dane fumes, “Then why hasn’t someone made the ask yet?”

“Maybe someone doesn’t believe you are desperate enough yet to deal with the terms.”

“Or other pieces have yet to fall into place.”

“Your sister and Riley Patten are running around flouting Republic laws, and they will respond. A conflict of that magnitude would draw a lot of attention and put the Empire in a tricky situation if they took it too far. There would be destabilizing ripples throughout the galaxy. We’d be on our own.”

“We’re on our own already,” Dane snaps. “You think anyone outside the Sector is watching over us aside from the people in this room? No way. We have to handle our own shit.”

“Exactly. Garron is a threat to us all, even if he isn’t responsible for every incident here.”

“You,” Demaris says, pointing sharply at Alka. “No more lies, even those by omission.”

Alka rolls her eyes up.

“Are you saying we proactively take him out? Garron Prescott has been loyal to our house since I can remember. He’s family!”

“He may have been…once. But not anymore.”

“Seriously? That’s how we repay his service to us? His friendship and trust?”

“You see another option? A better option?”

Shendo clears his throat and steps forward, “You must put an enemy down before they put you down. Hesitating will only give them more time to find an opportunity to strike.”

He stares at the Nagai. It was the most he had spoken to him since he arrived. The shitty part is that he is not wrong. They would slip up eventually. Someone would leave an opening or charge recklessly ahead in the name of honor or love. Boldness may be favored but being eliminated too soon may hinder their advantage in countering the evil that a Winton’s victory would bring to the galaxy.

“Dane,” Demaris says pointedly. “If he was sent here to take you down in service of the prophecy then he is not going to stop until he either succeeds or is stopped.”

“I need to sleep on it.”

*

Later, his door chime rouses him from a fitful slumber. It turns out that mulling over whether to murder a friend is not the sedative one might expect. He groans, “Yeah?”

Alka appears through the doorway, allowing it to slip close behind her.

He is suddenly more awake now, rising in bed, “Hey…”

“Dial it down, Gellar. I couldn’t sleep. Didn’t want to be alone.”

“There’s plenty of room in here.”

“I know,” she says, rounding the bed before crawling onto the opposite side. “I remember. It’s bigger than the one in my guest room. Nothing but the best for the heir of Gellar Enterprises.”

“Yours is just as big back home.”

“You mean the home where I was attacked and all our security killed? Sounds comfy.”

“I didn’t mean…”

She curls herself under the covers, pulling dark hair over her shoulder.

“I know what you meant. I just needed…I don’t know, something. Not you as a lover, Dane. I need you as the friend I have always had right now.”

“And you shall have it. You always have that.”

“Good.”

“You still should have told us about Garron.”

“You want to compare what we should have done about Garron Prescott?”

He falls silent, taking a long, slow breath. Garron asked her to be a source of reason for him and she would do that. He may have claimed to want to help him but leveraging their new access to the Direx Board in favor of whatever his dark motives may be is not something that should be so easily dismissed. Solving problems with problems.

“They are right, you know. I don’t think he stalked me or staged the attack but whoever did that to him did it well. He’s not going to stop until you are dead. He told me that is why he was sent here. He knows it and now you need to as well. I’m a target no matter what but I take some comfort knowing you are fighting beside me.”

He rests his chin on her shoulder, sliding an arm around her. She allows it.

“I am pleased to hear you say that.”

“If you feel you must die to end this, where does that leave the rest of us? Where does that leave me?”

“To live out your life to the fullest. Free of this shadow.”

Alka touches the side of his face, “It is too late, you gorgeous dolt. My father will be tried for Dyre’s murder, our friends dead or scattered to the winds, and we are now members of a board who see treachery and opportunity in everything we do. If Dahlia prevails, she will not leave us lurking about as loose ends. Your death will not free me from anything.”

“Would if I could but this is the only way unless Gemma and Riley manage to destroy the Voss-Ra. Free us all from this.”

“I believe you believe that,” she whispers. “I may not trust Demaris or the Jedi but know that if Gemma sent them to us there must be some reason. They need more time to unravel what is happening here. Garron stands in our way.”

“You can’t seriously be advocating for-”

“I have known him for a long time too. It is not the same, I know. You love him like family, but he is not who you remember him to be. That person has been tortured out of him and the ones who did this to him are counting on that past connection to blind you to the danger he really is. As much as I hate to admit it, they have a point. Rescuing me only furthers your doubt. I do not want to be the reason for your death, confident as you may be that it must happen.”

“I’m sorry…for all of this. I never wanted to put any of you in any danger.”

She laughs, pulling his arm tighter around her, “As if that were ever an option. This prophecy has likely left a trail of bodies wider and farther than we know. I’ve been trying to think of a way out of this but always come back to the fact that The Four and their friends are, well, kinda doomed.”

Dane sighs, “Your altruism is inspiring.”

“Says the one rushing to his death. Your clones or whatever will be blank slates, incapable of stopping anyone let alone remembering why without any of your memories.”

“I have mine backed up regularly. I can fill the others in.”

“What a lovely story. We need you to stay alive long enough to stop those monsters or pull off your contingency. If the Jedi believe these people were sent back to skew things in their favor then Garron is a real threat. That doctor led the Republic right to Corellia’s front door then Janessa Kain blew up the Republic President and took Kier with her. Or did you forget about him?”

“I didn’t forget.”

“Acceptable risk, blah, blah, blaaaaah."

“You know that is our world, our way, but I hear you. Garron is a problem. I’m just not sure I can do it.”

She settles against him, “You must.”

“How am I supposed to kill him? After everything he has done for me?”

“You won’t have to. All you need to do is draw him out.”

“He’s too smart for that.”

“Not if he’s being driven by something deeper than his feelings for you. Draw him out and let the others do the rest.”

“You have it all figured out, do you?”

“Something like that,” Alka murmurs, starting to drift off. He lays his head on the pillow beside hers, feeling the warmth and connection between them. There is a lot to lose for those caught up in the prophecy. So much they must give. Blood spilled in their names. All part of the cycle.

Dane Gellar will have to sacrifice too.






-TBC

[Syren]

“There’s a whole lotta grudges
That I can’t even keep up
I wish that I understood
But I cannot get my head around it.”

-Faye Meana

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Mondder

Dane Gellar rubs his hands together in the brisk air as he waits outside the administration building.

The mottled, overcast sky gives off a foreboding vibe he tries not to let unnerve him. It is not long before Alka’s shuttle touches down. She exits flanked by Avinarius and Shendo to join him as he turns and walks toward the entrance, Demaris and Taarek stand near as sentries. Her delicate features are tight so he keeps his voice low.

“That bad, huh?”

Apparently, the Legal Division is not playing around. A charge of one Direx killing another, especially when the slain was the highest-ranking financial officer in Cybot Galactic, has drawn significant attention and scrutiny. The company is one of the most vital to the Sector with heavy investment from many prominent factions. Controversy surrounding Dyre’s death destabilized momentum and compromised their reputation. Shareholders are obviously furious.

The days of capitulating for fickle Imperial Moffs and self-righteous Republic ambassadors may be long over, but they know who lines their pockets. Opposing counsel had punctuated their opening with what Alka describes as malicious slander that painted D’Ken Dawning as angry and unstable. Dane suppresses a smile – Dawning was certainly angry, but he was far from unstable. They allege Finnius Dyre only wanted justice for his son, but Dawning wanted him to drop it. When he wouldn’t, dragging his name into the shadow of suspicion, they allege Dawning ordered him to be silenced and staged the grisly scene to make himself out to be a victim and potential target.

Her father’s counsel tried to sow doubt early by reminding everyone that the Chiss were implicated in the murder of Preston Dyre, which was corroborated by his daughter, Dane Gellar, and the Empire. Dyre was making enemies everywhere in his accusations that there were deeper threads to Preston’s murder and eventually accused the wrong person who murdered him – but that person wasn’t D’Ken Dawning. Dawning, they claim, was only looking out for him, and more broadly the company, in urging him to make peace with banishment and exile of the Chiss who took his son from him.

“It was excruciating. This is only the beginning. It’s going to get ugly.”

He sighs, “Probably. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah. Everyone’s sorry. We’re in this mess now.”

They enter the building and make their way through the tunnels to the base of the grand conference hall. It is a joyless, functional place. One that Dane never liked when his father brought him on occasion. Their security would have to wait here as only Direx’s are allowed up in the inner sanctum. The trial may be weighing on everyone, but it is only amplified by someone out there knowing they lied. If it were another Direx, this could be a relatively truncated tenure on the board.

The most logical assumptions are Dyre, Corinthos, and Aguilar. With Dyre dead, Aguilar doesn’t seem like the type to sit on this. He would want justice dealt swiftly, knowing it wouldn’t bring back his son, but may afford him a measure of closure. Corinthos has lost not one but two daughters. Kaytt made a lot of enemies in the Republic, not that it excuses or justifies her untimely fate, but Trichelle was clearly caught in the crossfire. Collateral damage in someone else’s fight. Promising lives cut short, etc., etc. Both had a connection to The Four, which Corinthos is not likely to let go of. Would he go to such lengths to toy with them? Corinthos stands to gain from their destruction, as does Aguilar, but the methods are far less direct than they are used to. Direx’s historically do not favor psychological warfare - not when there are more satisfying and enriching ways to exact retribution. It adds a layer of tension to their membership, but they would have to play the game.

Dane gives Alka a small smile as they ascend, appearing behind the vast table, and moving to take their seats. There are murmurs and stares on their arrival. New blood with tainted legacies, as if anyone here is better. He does his best to keep his face neutral. Burke Pallus, the Imperial liaison, nods to them a few seats away. The Empire had covered for them, legitimized their story. It was a gesture of faith but one that no doubt would come with strings. It is only a matter of time.

For the most part, the meeting mercifully proceeds as expected. It opens with action item follow-ups from their previous session, something they both needed to catch up on quickly, before moving on to quarterly budget discussions. There are windfalls here, a slip in sales there. Shifting galactic politics that require adjustments and consideration. All rather mundane. Dane reports on profitability and strategy in his various sectors, supplied in succinct detail by Irulan. Alka comes out the gates swinging and proposes the reallocation of funding to strengthen arts and culture opportunities, suggesting a path through adversity in engaging with their communities.

D’Ken’s trial, Dyre’s absence, and the loss of several Sector heirs are not far from anyone’s minds nor are some of the more aggressive Direx’s keen on allowing the daughter of a potential murderer to tell them they need to relax. There is grumbling that such an investment may be a waste. She provides figures and margins from productions and events over the past twelve months, a clear indication there is strong interest and potential for diversification and worthwhile returns should they be open to it.

It quiets some of the louder detractors, but others remain resistant. Corinthos seems to simmer in unnerving silence while Pallus apprises the potential scope of her newfound influence. Aguilar appears more receptive to the idea as his family has been patrons of the dance company and other artistic ventures over the years. He urges others to find balance in their lives, personally as well as professionally. Speaking as someone who suffered a significant loss in Ples, his words do not fall on deaf ears. Dane is impressed and the board earmarks it for further discussion before moving on.

Below, Demaris Atrii steps away and finally takes the call from Riley Patten.

He has made several attempts over the past hour and only now is she able to address it. He briefly recaps what happened in the Corellian Sector and asks if everything is okay. She assures him that it is, for now, not skirting over the issues at hand. It is as under control as it can be. She is pleased to know her brother survived, even with the extent of his injuries not fully known, but her heart breaks for the loss of Sirona. It hits her almost as hard as the news about Oz and Lysette, but she has fortified herself somewhat at the possibility of greater loss after Alka’s grim outburst. Riley asks what she knew would come next.

“What about Shendo?”

The last of their Force-sensitive refugees with his saber clipped to his belt and Tehk’la blade tucked behind him. Skeptical, but willing. Capable. They may not know him well, but she is not fooling herself when she considers the trust they forged in their time together.

“He has not shown any overt signs of being psychically assaulted or controlled.”

“Neither did Lysette.”

The comment stings but she maintains an even tone, “I imagine the same can be said about Sirona until she was in the right place to strike. This is tactical, Riley, but we should not be quick to turn on one another. They are counting on division as a distraction.”

“That doesn’t mean Shendo didn’t end up with all of you for a reason too.”

Dane made a similar reference, something she has been replaying in her mind ever since their conversation. Many refugees were fleeing the capital when they all came together. It was chaos. Taarek was able to escape with twelve and bring them to the house on Viperii Lake where they waited and comforted one another through training and meditation until they could figure out what came next. His contact, Antaro, escorted the others to a safe house in the Outer Rim, which left Lysette, Oz, Shendo, and Sirona in their care. They were angry, frightened, and forced to run again when their posh hideout was discovered. The details of that split remain hazy in her mind. Had Taarek and Antaro made that decision? Or had Lysette intervened there as well? So much was happening then and so much had happened since that she is not sure she trusts her ability to recall with absolute certainty.

The insinuation remains: is someone waiting for Shendo to move into position? Each of the refugees ended up in a different group when they separated. Was this their own choice, as it appeared at the time, or something more? They may have all been positioned in some way, agents of the prophecy, unwitting or not. The prospect makes her stomach sink, but Demaris does not allow herself to spiral. She believes giving in to conspiracy and paranoia would do more harm than good but admits to herself that Sirona’s message to her brother, through the mysterious woman who destroyed Centerpoint, was likely a warning.

“No,” she says softly, eyes shifting to the Nagai standing alert near the lift. “I suppose it doesn't. We will remain vigilant.”

“Be careful, Demaris. It is growing more difficult to tell who is influencing what, but feel like we are playing right into everyone’s hands.”

With the prophecy revealed to have been active for far longer than anyone realized, the Voss-Ra and their assorted acolytes exerting influence and inflicting terror, the assessment does not ring false. Their advantage in discovering the loop is minimal at best with the depth of planning and possible infiltration still largely out of their grasp. Uncontained. It is a dangerous place to be. Gemma’s fatalist plan, one that Dane and Riley have wildly agreed to, feels more defeatist than she is willing to accept at the moment. She believes there is more than one way to win.

“Keep faith and have hope, my friend. The game may be rigged but it is not over.”








-TBC

[Syren]

“You win by not playing the game
The times are changing, but you stay the same.”

-The Kooks

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Surface: Mondder

The meeting is about to adjourn when Corinthos signals the ExO.

“Another matter you wish to discuss, Direx Corinthos?” Aguilar inquires with a twinge of weariness.

“Only one more: security.”

Everyone was eager to move on with their days, but something in his tone and the timing quieted any would-be naysayers. Aguilar, interest is now piqued, allows it.

“Proceed.”

Corinthos, with his eyes burning across the circular space, finally unleashes all the toxic energy that has been building throughout the meeting. He alleges a grave threat Dane Gellar poses to the board and their respective holdings, not to mention their lives. Gellar is, according to him, a galactic target, which makes his presence and influence here untenable.

“We will pay the price, as I have, for Gellar’s continued membership.”

Not entirely undeserved. Or even necessarily incorrect. Still, he feels compelled to protest when the Imperial liaison, Burke Pallus, first interjects.

“I think we can all understand your point of reference on this matter, but Gellar is no greater danger than the enemies we make in everyday business. The Empire does not object to his membership and welcomes his perspective in the conversation.”

“By perspective, you mean his capital and products,” Corinthos retorts venomously. “And I am not so certain the Republic liaison would agree if she were alive to do so.”

Aghast, Aguilar protests, “Direx Corinthos, are you suggesting Direx Gellar was in some way involved with Ambassador Kain’s demise and the death of the Republic President? What evidence do you have to make such an insinuation?”

Dane wants desperately to object, but Alka’s hand is clamped firmly against his thigh below the table. Right. Best to let this play out. It is true, he was not involved in the bombing or her death, but he did ask that she return to Chandaar to find out what happened to Garron shortly before she also disappeared. Then he sent Kier Kincaid after her to find out what happened when both mysteriously reappeared. Corinthos may be operating out of grief and spite, but he suspects these are details, given their previous encounter, Pallus may have entertained. One more thing the Empire could use.

The tension in the room tightens. Corinthos takes a breath and settles back.

“Perhaps not directly, but I would not be surprised at his involvement somewhere. Surely you have thought the same. Even though they claim the Chiss attacked the Bolerathon Tower, my daughter was only present as a guest of his family. These are the perils of proximity I beseech you to all consider. Gellar will destroy us all if he is allowed to remain.”

“Direx Gellar, how do you respond to these allegations?”

He calls on Irulan’s coaching and every ounce of restraint he has, “Direx Corinthos is entitled to feel as he wishes. I cannot speak to his loss, nor can I attempt to understand his grief, but I bring value to this table and ask that you think carefully before passing judgment.”

Corinthos narrows his eyes. “Then we vote on it.”

“Is this what you truly want, Direx Corinthos? You may be sanctioned if you do not succeed.”

“I do not care. You must see reason. Gellar must go!”

“So be it,” he concedes sharply.

Turning to address the whole of the chamber, Aguilar summarizes the contention as he keys in the commands. The instructions appear on the screens in front of them with two choices.

“A simple majority. A vote of Yay indicates Gellar remains a Direx. A vote of Nay, he is removed. Cast your vote now.”

It is quick but fails. The totals are displayed in the center of the table in real time. Only three Nays.

Aguilar nods. “Gellar remains.”

After formally adjourning, Corinthos storms out. Dane does not call after him. No need. The better house wins. Gellar Enterprises is far too valuable to simply remove from the table. It controls too many industries and monopolizes critical supplies. And they know it. So does Corinthos, deep down. Not that it would bring him much comfort. At least now he knows Corinthos has three allies on the board. He would have to watch out for that.

Pallus appears at his side. “That was quite something.”

“It was. Appreciate the support, of course.”

“Did you doubt it?”

“Not for a second.”

“Excellent. Join me for a drink? We have some catching up to do.”

Alka intervenes with a tight smirk, “Perhaps another time.”

"Another time then," he nods and disappears down the lift.

Dane leans into her, “Thanks for the save.”

“He can petition for favors later. This has been a lousy day, so if you are having a drink with anyone, it’s me.”

“Best. Idea. Ever."

They descend the lift to find their contingent waiting for them. No one looks particularly thrilled.

Dane scowls. “What is it? What’s up?”

The group looks to Demaris, who appears to be stealing herself. “There has been another attack. Aboard the Asunder.”

It hangs there, anticipation almost oppressive.

“Sirona is dead.”






-TBC

[Syren]

“Well do you see
The futures holidays are for me
Just let me know
Where to go
Where you go after the fall.”

-Zero 7

Corporate Sector

Etti IV: Mondder

They keep it together until they are alone.
 
A united front in the face of yet another tragedy and all the suspicion it arouses. Inside the masterfully decorated penthouse atop the Gellar tower is another story. Taarek has finally pieced together that despite his best efforts to spare the Force-sensitives he managed to get off the capital from the Republic’s unjust actions, it may have been a setup all along. He hates feeling as though he has been used. He put his own life and safety on the line for what he felt was the right thing, when in actuality it may have been a clever ruse in service to the prophecy. His eyes land on Shendo’s face, expression tight. He does not outright accuse him, but it is enough.

Shendo is at his breaking point. He stares wearily at the group.

“I do not know how else to prove myself to all of you! I have gone along with your insane schemes, fought alongside you, followed you through danger, and still chose to come here with you and Demaris. I chose this, no one else. What else must I do to convince you?”

“We do not know that much about you. You, like Lysette, have kept to the sidelines. Inconspicuous and watchful. Your contempt for us is barely concealed. Perhaps that is on us for not looking more closely at the company we kept, but you must admit you see the pattern we now do."

“This is what they want,” Demaris says calmly, wading into the fray between them. “To sow division. Make us turn on each other.”

“And if we trusted too blindly? What if we have only seen what we wanted to see?”

It comes not from a place of malice but of history. His father, Seneca Cirque, trusted blindly in a Masterton, too. Followed her right into the grave. Taarek thought he had come to terms with that, in his own ways, careful never to project the path Melanie took with the one Gemma charts for them now. Melanie Masterton did not know what they knew. Neither did his father. If the prophecy is to be believed, and he has witnessed so much evidence to indicate it is, they were all doomed to those fates. But now, traitors among them, and several are dead. His faith has begun to slip, and he wonders if they are dooming themselves as well.

“All I am saying is that Shendo could have been sent for us and not even know it. He could have fallen victim to whatever dark magics that grey-skinned woman has been working on us. We never saw it in the others because we did not want to see it.”

“Maybe so,” Dane offers carefully, drink already in hand. “It is a disturbing pattern, and a fair question. We are placing our lives in your hands.”

“Exactly.”

Roman removes his helmet, “What do you suggest we do? Lock him up? Send him away? They may be counting on that to further hinder our ability to provide security for those we were sent here to protect.”

“He is right, Taarek. When we are questioning each other, we are not questioning what is happening around us. With everything going on in the Corellian Sector, Riley put himself at risk to reach out to us. To give us the information we now have. It is a lot to process, but we cannot lose focus now.”

“So, we sleep with one eye open, wondering when he’ll turn on us? We would be fools if what happened did not inform our actions.”

“I am not turning on anyone!” Shendo growls sharply, his face twisted. “You think I wanted these powers? This connection to the Force? I was perfectly content with the life I had scraped together for myself on Chandaar when genetics made me a Republic target, something they needed to purge from their society and systems. It wasn’t much, but it was my own. You offered to help me, and I took that help because I had no other choice. Are you saying you would turn on me instead? Now? After everything?”

He frowns, “I want to be able to trust you.”

“Then trust me.”

It has become a showdown. The tension is palpable, rising into a terrifying crescendo when Alka’s com rings. Saved by the bleep. She excuses herself and steps out onto the deck to answer it. An amber sun, sinking toward the horizon, drapes the cityscape of Mondder in angular shadows. It seems everything is an ominous symbol these days. The air cools her flushed face as she brings the device up.

“Yes?”

“You never checked in,” Garron Prescott says tiredly.

She nearly chokes, lowering her voice to a tense hiss, “Are you out of your mind? Don’t answer that. We’ve been busy.”

“And I grew tired of waiting for your call. Don’t worry, it’s not traceable. How did it go?”

She tells him everything with the Direx Board went well, but not before Corinthos made his objections known.

“Not surprising considering what he has lost. What else? We need to be quick, Lady Dawning.”

“He has support,” she mutters dully, absently rubbing a temple. “Support, I fear, may grow into a coalition against Dane, if not properly managed. The vote to oust him failed, but we know who Corinthos has at his side.”

“Good, we can use that. Tell me.”

Alka swallows hard and names all three of them.

“Thank you, I’ll look into it. We will speak soon.”

The com line goes dead.

Garron had been Rutherford Gellar’s most trusted advisor and confidante, posing as a valet and hired hand. He knows the ins and outs of the Sector better than anyone, which is how he managed to escape custody and remain hidden. She knows she would have likely been killed at her estate on D’ian had he not intervened, and so she makes good on her promise to inform him, careful to leave out any proprietary or incriminating pieces of business discussed. He only has the details he needs…for now.

Dane startles her, “You good?”

She whirls around, “Always something with the company. Creative clashes, etcetera, etcetera. You know directors.”

“Surely they can spare you for a production.”

“I cannot shirk my prima duties for the Direx Board entirely. Besides, I love it. The feeling of the stage beneath the points of my toes. The thrill of it all.”

She shifts the conversation elsewhere.

“Everything okay in there? It was getting pretty heated.”

He shrugs, “A tenuous truce, but it is the best we can hope for. Shendo agreed to test in our labs to probe any signs of mental tampering. Taarek agreed to back off. Trust must go both ways, right?”

“Right.”

She hates lying to him, but it is the only way. Keep Garron away from him, focused on running interference that would clear their path, while laying the groundwork to lure him out when they must. Dane continues to struggle with this, but the Jedi made compelling points that she sees slowly settling over him. Garron Prescott is not a variable they can afford to run loose for long, and Dane knows it. He pulls her into his arms, and she rests her head against the crook of his shoulder.

“You look so hot when you’re troubled. I can barely contain myself.”

She sighs, annoyed, “Somehow, you manage. What a mess.”

“Yes, but it is our mess. We’ll deal.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself. I’m still a bit hazy on your focus now that we’ve been formally inducted into the Direx Board. That went better than it should have, but we are not out of the woods. Your veiled threats may only buy us some time. Some on that board are not cool with us being there, which could inspire…a more determined effort.”

“Haters gonna hate, babe. We do what we can do. We amass wealth to fund our little venture and maintain dominance in the markets. Contingencies aren’t cheap, you know.”

“Riley Patten has credits. Isn’t he, like, a bah-gillionaire or something?”

Dane huffs, smirking.

“True enough. Unfortunately, that Patten punks’ profile would make any movement of those credits or purchases subject to intense scrutiny, especially if he were allocating them toward, say, more morally ambiguous industries in the Corporate Sector. The Corellians are on high alert these days, and they have their own problems, which I am sure Gemma is only adding to. We need to raise capital ourselves and retain some liquidity in these uncertain times. Agility is key with this much ambiguity.”

“And if we do not need the contingency?”

He is sure they’d be able to package, market, and sell it as a solution to someone else, despite the obvious ethical objections. The highest echelon of the Sector would throw enough credits at him than he could spend in five lifetimes for the chance to secure their legacies so completely. Heirs and spares on tap to divide and conquer. His genetics have plenty of lethal applications, but better in his hands than anyone else’s.

“Something tells me it won't matter in the end.”

“But you do think it is possible? You think Gemma and Riley can stop the Voss-Ra’s plans?”

In truth, neither of them knows what that truly means. Although prophecy is a slippery, unstable thing - something to leverage and bend - can it ever really be thwarted? Dane tries not to sound as skeptical as he feels. She, like the others, needs something to hold on to.

“I know they will certainly try. This Adubell woman has attempted to skew things in her favor but failed to eliminate any of The Four so far. That, at least, works in our favor. We’ve proven ourselves more resourceful than she anticipated. Even Dahlia needs to play offense on this one, which I hope, for our sake, she does. Her death would doom all of us to a new cycle, so we either need to debunk the prophecy or fulfill it, whichever comes first. Abudell clearly has a lot of tricks up her delusional sleeve, and Shendo could be just another she pulls out.”

“Do you honestly believe that?”

“I believe in the possibility, however unlikely. Turning those who have ingratiated themselves with us is clever. Not something we expected. An opportunity to do both physical and emotional damage. A bit of a wager, trying that a third time without anyone comparing notes and taking action. I don’t want us at each other’s throats, but we must be sure, especially if he is someone overseeing your safety. We’re gambling enough with that as it is.”

“And my stalker? Could there be a connection? The Jedi seem to think there is a mystical element that tracks if Sirona was subject to a psychic attack.”

“Again, possible. She could have Force-sensitive agents at her disposal, similar to Lysette or Sirona, but the ones we know of were accounted for during that time. I admit the stalking could have been the start of a larger escalation that includes this kind of intimidation, but Irulan had a point. Someone knowing about the lie doesn’t necessarily mean they know the truth. They could be trying to get us to implicate ourselves.”

“Like do the right thing?” she laughs, stepping back to look up into his face. “Boy, have they misread their audience. That may be just as unlikely. If it’s not Garron or Shendo or someone on the Direx Board, who else is there? I mean, it could be more obvious than we think. What if Balthazar Nash returned to make us pay for what we did to him? He is the target of the lie, after all. Our testimony got him exiled, and Gellar Industries acquired Palace Arms in a hostile takeover. It would make the most sense.”

“We didn’t kill Preston, that’s for sure, but if Nash returned, he wouldn’t be able to stay hidden for long. I do see your point. If that is the case, what is he waiting for? Nash would waste no time dispatching us to reclaim what he lost.”

“Suffering is the point, Dane. That is what this all comes back to.”

“Suffering would be a luxury someone standing to profit in the Sector would not afford us. Not when time is money. Prolonging the process means they want more, and only one group comes to mind that has made several attempts over the years and failed to find a foothold in pulling our strings. If they are not waiting for us to confess, then escalation could be an attempt to make us fall in line. Someone just as obvious as the Chiss, and knows about the lie.”

“What? Who?”

A sly grin spreads across Dane’s face.

“It may be time to have that drink with Burke Pallus.”







-TBC