CHAPTER 5 â The mission at the Concert Hall starts
Mara had attended countless events like that one before, but this one was specially boring. "Entertainment?", she thought to herself, the vague things that caught most people's attention meant nothing to her hyperactive brain. Just having to sit there in place for more than a few minutes made her feel impatient. And then, all of a sudden, her senses in the Force exploded. Had the Ysalamiri been taken away? She looked around carefully in case something strange could be seen from her seat, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Whatever the reason, she could count on the force once again, if needed, not that she would make the mistake of relying so much on it again anyway. She squirmed in her seat, trying to keep her body calmed and relax, it had been long since she had to be still for so long.
Harris left the cage in silence. He carefully opened the hatch and found the railing where dozens of lightning, sound and other pieces of device were hanging. The stormtrooper skillfully walked in the narrow walkway, looking for the best position in the sight to be close to Mara. The railings and walkway were some 100 meters above the floor - the tiny rope could stretch for more than 200 meters. Mara was safe. He took his blaster and laid on the walkway, using the target to look for Mara and Castor Legolas. She was just below, seating on her place. From where he was, the could see the top of her breasts - she was really gorgeous and felt jealous of Castor Legolas, who would have a better view and a far more receptive Mara.
Castor Legolas began to walk down the corridor towards his seat. His bodyguards were covering the exits and seemed to be quite comfortable with the scene. After all, all the local politicians were in the payroll of the Black Sun.
Castor Legolas was a short man, standing at the same height of Mara without heels (1m60). He was partially bald and weighted some 85 kg - not a fit man, truth to be told. Everyone stood up to give way to him - the entire planet knew who he was. The local Moff was not there - for sure, the criminal leader was the most important person in the hall. As Castor Legolas saw the redhead beauty next to his place, he smiled widely. He sat next to her and asked. âGreetings, beauty. I am afraid I have not yet met the most beautiful woman in Chibiasâ, he flirted without being afraid of being rebutted. âNice to meet, Iâm Castor Legolas, CEO of Lupus Corporationâ, he used the facade name of the business used to launder money of the Black Sun. âMay I ask about you?â
"Of course", she smiled as genuinely as possible presenting her hand to the bald man, his red cheeks making him look silly, but of course he wasn't, not for his dark biddings. "Who wouldn't know such a charming and powerful man" she added, feeding his ego for strategy "I'm very lucky to be seating next to you" she finished. She had to be careful with her words, too much flattery and she would turn into a suspect.
Castor Legolasâs ego skyrocketed with her reply. He smiled back confidently. âThank you for being so sweet, stranger. Whatâs your name? Your accent tells me you are from Coruscant, right?â, he laid his left hand on top of hers casually. He was cold and smooth, the sort of person who had never held a blaster or trained hard.
"I see you're also very well educated", she said "My name is Iris Legasov, and yes, I'm from Coruscant, this is my first visit to your lovely city, but I could never imagine I would have the pleasure to meet you personally, Mr. Castor" she continued. "I find this play a little slow to my taste though, I'm surprised an important and knowledgable person such as yourself takes the time to share with his fellow citizens" she looked at him, smiling and leaning closer to him.
Castor Legolas smiled at how friendly the pretty female stranger reacted to his approach. âNice to meet you, Iris Legasov, Iâm delighted to host you in our humble planet. Of course, weâre nothing like the Coruscant evening but we make an effort. Actually, it is quite popular for off worlders to come here to enjoy our music. It may be slow, but it speaks volumes about the soul of our peopleâ, he spoke as his hand insisted to hold hers. He was limitless as no woman dared object him. âSo tell me what brings you here?â, he asked as the bell rang for the second time - the show would start momentarily.
From the walkway, Harris could see everything. He was taken over by unbearable amount of jealousy... yet, he had to stay professional.
"Oh yes, I've heard you're a man of your people" she said, refraining from taking her hand away, this was one of the most difficult things she had to do as part of her job, and she hated every single time. "Tell me about your people, your city" she asked, trying to pretend to be interested in him as she imagined most women would.
âMy city, my people?!?â, Castor reacted surprised and leaned closer. âIris, I am not interested in talking about them, specially when Iâm next to such a breathtaking girl. Tel me, you look pretty young. Are you 18?â, he asked, still holding her hand. Question is: how would Mara obtain the relevant pieces of information about the Black Sun and start to break down that organization, just as apparently Admiral Pellaeon wished?
"Clever man you are, I'm just a year older than that", she said. "I wonder why it is it's just little me and not some important and gorgeous lady sitting next to such a gentleman this lovely evening?"
Mara had to find a way to direct the man into a more useful conversation, make him think he'd need to impress her with his talents or power, and maybe she could get hints to what she was looking for.
âIris, I like surprises. Thatâs why youâre seating next to me. The thrill of the unpredictable. All I asked was to have a redhead beauty. I donât care about anything else...â, Castor Legolas replied without realizing that Mara has just slotted a serious flaw in his security.Â
âNow, will you come to my home after the concert is over?â, he asked blatantly and straightforwardly. That was a no-return ticket to the unknown, to what neither she, nor Harris could control. Harris skipped a heartbeat - he kept the radio silence though.
So they were right. Someone within the empire had made the arrangements for their mission and that included her seat at the concert hall. The same figure had to be working for Castor. They were right, but yet it was unexpected. Now she wondered if Castor had any idea his redhead provider was someone at the higher ranks of the Empire. Perhaps Castor had been watched for long and their mission was just a distraction... or a trap. Whatever it was, Mara had to get to the bottom of it, because this all meant there was someone within the Empire working side by side with criminals, and that could not be tolerated. She had to go on and take it as far as she had to in order to get the information. "I'd be honored", she answered with a smile, one she used to hide her now boiling anxiety.
The bell rang immediately after Mara accepted the invitation to join him at his place. The crowd stayed in silence and the concert started - for the next hour and a half, Castor ribbed his hand on hers, squeezed and breathed close to the woman he believed to be a Coruscant prostitute. Truth to be told, he had asked a Scott service to provide him with the most beautiful redhead in Coruscant - perhaps someone jumped in and sent Mara. The fact is: Castor Legolas was still an enemy of the Empire and his destruction was in the Empireâs best interest. Harris stayed frozen, breathing heavily ahead, his blaster targeted at Legolasâs head all the time. He would need to find out quickly how to follow Mara. How would he infiltrate Legolas mansion? Â He swallowed dry as he feared he would fail. His heart speeded, and if Mara were closer, she would hear his beats.
As the intermission started, Castor turned to Iris, kisses her cheek, stood up. âShall we go? They have an excellent Chiss wine here. I assure you it is one of the finest spirits in the galaxyâ, he said, offering his hand to Iris to hold.
She nodded in acceptance of his invitation and took his hand, following him. That was a given, sooner or later the victim would want to have a drink, and of course, give her more than enough for her to get in a more pleasant mood. The things she had to do. Sometimes she had to remind herself it was all for the sake of the Empire, and so, it was all worth it. But the more times she had to do this, the harder it was to swallow. She walked by Castor's hand to the hall lobby where long tables were filled with food and long bar served all kinds of drinks.
Harris stood up and rushed towards the stairs, leading to the backstage. He could not stay too far away from Mara. Fortunately, his suit could switch easily to a tuxedo, so he would not be perceived as a stranger in the crowd. Yet, heâd be carrying his backpack, weapons and the like in his back.
Castor was stopped a couple of times before reaching the lobby. In the restaurant, some waiters ignored the line and offered him the glass of the beverage he mentioned early. He raised his glass to Iris.Â
âA toast to your beauty, Iris. I had no idea nature could produce such a beautiful woman. And Iâve seen many redheads beforeâ, he wrapped his right hand behind Maraâs lithe waistline. Some people in the crowd saw the two and made comments about the redheadâs beauty. Harris arrived just in time to see him, pulling her closer.Â
âAre you enjoying the concert? Iâm delighted with the sublime interpretationâ, he said, showing no willingness to talk about any conspiracy or plan of the Black Sun.
"I am, but I'm enjoying you even better", she dared, trying to keep Castor's attention on her. She had to remind herself constantly of the real goal to keep her body from pushing away. If she didn't manage to get Castor's trust, she would never learn anything useful to bring him down along with whomever he was working for. She too was hoping that Chiss wine would help her.
She caught a glimpse of a very good-looking man in a tuxedo. She cautiously looked again, it was Harris! What was he doing there? She felt more anxious by the second.
Harris stayed calm outside, although his force signature clearly showed nervousness. He mixed up in the crowd, not far from Mara. He even talked to one or two girls who approached him. Yet, his eyes were on his friend.
âIris, do you dance?â, Castor asked, as he realized that she was looking away. âOf course, this music is not for dance, but perhaps we could listen to something more exciting as we go homeâ.
"Certainly", she answered without hesitation, centering her attention back to Castor, using her charming smile to keep him happy. "I'm really enjoying the company of a legend", she begun "But what about the man behind it? what are Mr. Legolas Castor's deepest hopes and desires?" she finished, giving him a seductive look.
Castor melted down with the question. It seemed that the girl was into him - at least, she was roleplaying better than the past ones, who had not being told about his interests.Â
âIâm not a man of hope, Iris. I am a pragmatic person just as you seem to be. As for desires, I think we both know I like redheads.. your green eyes are hypnoticâ, he said, holding her waistline tighter, pulling her closer gently. Then the bell rang for the second part of the concert.
Harris took a deep breath. He should go back to his position.
"Let's go back and listen to the rest of this", she said, taking Castor's hand into hers and pulling him along, happy to be able to pull away from him, if only for the rest of the show. She wanted to look back and see if Harris was following, but Castor wouldn't tolerate her attention elsewhere. If she were to loose his confidence, she would lose the mission, and even worse, endanger Harris. She guided Castor back to their seats, looking back at him with a big smile like she watched so many young women do with their objects of infatuation. She had become a professional acting up something she had never experienced for real.Â
Legolas was flattered by Irisâ words. Praising a man was the fastest way to gain his confidence, to lure him into a trap. Never would he believe that a 19-year-old child could be a spy working for the Empire. Thatâs why he let Iris lead him back to their seat, without realizing that she was gaining the upper hand in many aspects over him.
Behind Mara, Harris worried more. For sure, she was in charge of the situation but it was escalating to a completely different level. The 6 body guards in the concert hall were watching Legolas Castor from close and there was little to no chance that they could make a mistake. Harris was considering to go up again when the second bell of the intermission rang - in that moment, one of his bodyguards split from the main group. Harris acted by instinct and followed him to the restroom.
She found the rest of the show impossible. She reached into the Force for calm and an extra dose of patience. She could sense the man beside her growing impatient as well, but his urge was way different than hers. The mere thought made her stomach turn inwards. But there were worse things that could come out of this mess, way worse. She placed her hand on top of Castors which was intentionally touching hers. Her thoughts were also about Harris. Was he back to the rooftop? or had he stayed around closer. She reached into the Force for his signature, once she had learned to recognize quickly, a very strong signature for a non sensitive. But all she could sense was his vague presence. He either was too far, or something had happened to him. The thought sent chills down her spine, but she kept her composure, she had to.*
Harris entered the restroom shortly after the bodyguard. He simply didnât give any chance for him: he bear-hugged and placed his hand on his mouth, pulling him backwards firmly and asphyxiating the opponent in less than 2 minutes. As the body fell loveless, he dragged it into one of the toilette cabins, searched him for ID, coms etc and took what was relevant. He scanned his face and body, so that he would look like exactly the same. All of sudden, he was listening to the talks of the bodyguards and was aware of everything going on - why hadnât he have this idea earlier?
Just some minutes later, Harris was entering the concert hall and his force signature could be felt by Mara. He spotted the beauty from afar and stayed calm. For the next hour, he listened to the conversations and learned what he could about the Black Sun. He wished he could tell Mara what had happened but he trusted that she would find out. His skin looked darker, his hair was black and his eyes brown.
Legolas continued to rub her hand, growing excited with the prospects of an unforgettable ride.
She knew the minute Harris walked in the hall, she could sense him, almost see him very close to them, but she didn't dare turn. Why would he abandon his post? had something gone wrong? had he been captured? All of her doubts were cleared when she felt him casually walk around in Castor's bodyguard uniform. She felt relief, but she also noticed the change in his features, it was still him, but his skin was different, his hair, his eyes. Was he a shapeshifter? How could she not notice before? She felt upset about it, perhaps her lack of experience with that sort of species. She forced her mind to go back to the show and Castor, turning her face to him and dedicating a knowing smile. She had now idea how things were going to go from then on. At least in that uniform Harris would be able to follow them safely, or at least, that's what she hoped.
Harris pretended to behave casually - he didnât say much in the com channel, just nodded and stood where he was expected to. The concert finally ended and a round of thunderous applauses followed. During the next three minutes, the room was clapping hands - thatâs exactly when Castor Legolas took Iris by the hand and left the room quickly. The six bodyguards, including Harris, formed a human corridor to protect Iris and above all, Castor Legolas in their way to the armored car. 6 men joined the others in the speed bike and the remaining four, Harris included, entered the armored car.
âIris, I know this may sound unpleasant, but those men are here to protect me...â, he let the words in the air. It was always unpleasant to see the woman being touched and searched by another man.
"It comes pretty advertised that you must have a good body of security, Mr. Castor", she nodded, not trying to hide her annoyance, this time it was only proper.
One of the bodyguards who seemed to be the leader hesitated to move forward. They looked at each other, as if asking who was going to search the redhead beauty. Of course, all of them were excited by her looks, but at the same time they feared Castor Legolasâs jealousy. None of them wanted to touch his woman. Harris realized there was some hesitation in the air and stood up inside the car.
âMaâam, I believe I must search you. Itâs just standard procedureâ, he said looking at Castor and the leader for approval.
*She looked at Harris, her mind debating between relief and embarrassment. "If you must" *she muttered, standing in front of Harris.
Harris knelt in front of her and started to touch her pair of shoes, pretending to look for anything suspicious. His hands roamed over her feet, ankles, thighs, which were well toned and strongly built - there he found something suspicious but pretended it was nothing. His hands went for her groin and just for his surprised, she was wearing nothing. He gasped for air and his hands moved to her rear, pert and muscular. By then, the dress was rolled up, exposing her strong legs.
âAre you a fitness teacher, Iris?â, Castor asked spontaneously as he admired her body.
Her eyes opened wide in surprise. One thing was allowing someone to touch her body only so far, she was usually able to extract any information before things went beyond comfortable, but something very different was being forced to allow her partner in crime search her body. She did all she could but she felt the heat of blood up her cheeks and ears. She could never be more embarrassed, or angry.
"I don't need to be one to punch you somewhere you wouldn't like", she growled, being convincing didn't take any effort.
Harris stopped. Her rude reply left everyone surprised - none of the former female escorts displayed such aggressiveness. The leader motioned for Harris (or whoever he thought it was Harris to further search her. He rolled up her dress, revealing her impressive abs - his fingers touched her tummies and moved up towards her breasts - she didnât need to wear a bra to keep them firm and tight. His gaze crossed hers - he made an effort not to look apologetic. Anyway, he had done it in a way far less disrespectful than any of the other men would do. His hands went for the small clip on her hair, taking it out - he examined it and returned to her.Â
âSheâs clear, Sirâ.
Castor smirked as Iris replied. âI like your stubbornness, Iris. Youâll be treated accordinglyâ, he waved at her, asking her to seat on his lap.
The redhead sighed, she had already taken more than she could be comfortable with. "I'd rather wait to have privacy so I can enjoy all of you", she said with a seductive smile, she expected it to be an acceptable way to say no. She sat next to Castor and held his hand, squeezing it and gazing into his eyes. Then she looked out the window and briefly at Harris, trying to express an apology with her face, but mostly failing. She didn't mean to be rude to him, but she was far too anxious and uncomfortable. She reached into the Force trying to taint Harris's emotions, then quickly backed away. Why in the galaxy was she so damned worried about what he thought or felt?
Harris begged for Mara not to stare at him. âDamn itâ, he thought to himself as their gazes crossed momentarily. He hoped that no one else had realized. Castor was a crook and as such, he was suspicious of everyone. He could not ruin the disguise before it was necessary.
âYou have a point, Irisâ, Castor said as his hand roamed over her bare back, wrapped around her firm breast on the opposite side. He felt it hardened and wondered whether the search made by the body guard had that effect. After some minutes, the armored car entered the mansion which was actually a bunker.