The villa was quiet the next morning, though the tension hanging in the air seemed thicker than ever. Kal’Sarha’s capital simmered on the surface, a city divided between opulent luxury and brewing rebellion. And at the center of it all stood Senator Yama'ii—a woman caught between her duty to the Empire and the growing unrest on her planet.

  Cassandra, though still haunted by the visions of the mysterious girl, had put her mind to the task at hand. The insurgency needed to be crushed, and Yama'ii was the key to controlling the city. If the senator couldn’t maintain her position, it wouldn’t just be Kal'Sarha that fell—Cassandra’s mission would fail, and with it, her standing with the Emperor would be threatened.

  She would not allow that to happen.

  Cassandra and Na’la entered the senator’s private quarters early, finding Yama'ii draped across a wide chaise lounge, sipping something hot from a delicately carved cup. She looked regal, almost untouchable in her lush surroundings, her robes of violet and gold spilling around her like liquid fabric. But there was an edge to her demeanor this morning—something in the way she shifted her weight, the way her fingers fidgeted slightly around the cup. Cassandra noticed everything.

  The senator looked up as they entered, her smile thin and carefully controlled. “Ah, Lady Cassandra. I didn’t expect you so early.” Her voice, as always, was smooth and sweet, but beneath it lay a subtle anxiety.

  “Your expectations are irrelevant,” Cassandra replied coldly, her gaze locking onto Yama'ii’s. “The situation in your city is deteriorating. You need to explain why.”

  Yama'ii set her cup down on the side table, folding her hands in her lap as she sat up straighter. “We have been doing everything we can to suppress the insurgents–the Rebellion, my Lady. But the people... they are easily swayed by the Rebellion’s lies. It is...difficult to control.”

  Cassandra’s eyes narrowed. The senator was hiding something—she could feel it, taste the deceit in the air. Yama'ii’s words, her body language, the way she avoided Cassandra’s gaze for just a second too long—it all betrayed the truth. The Force does not lie.

  “I’m not interested in your lies, Senator,” Cassandra said sharply, taking a step closer. “You’ve been given the resources of the Empire. The Emperor himself has a personal interest in this planet’s stability. Yet, the insurgency grows stronger by the day.”

  Yama'ii’s composure cracked, if only slightly. Her fingers twitched in her lap, her eyes flickering with something—fear? Guilt? Cassandra couldn’t be sure, but she was certain there was more to this senator than she had originally thought.

  Na’la, standing silently beside Cassandra, could sense it too. The senator wasn’t just struggling to maintain control over her people—she was trying to keep something hidden. Na’la’s lekku twitched slightly, but she kept her gaze fixed forward, waiting for Cassandra to act.

  Yama'ii sighed softly, her shoulders slumping ever so slightly. Her eyes darted to the side wanting to avoid eye contact with the other two. “There are... factors at play, my Lady, that are beyond my control. I—”

  “Spare me your half-truths or I will not hold back.” Cassandra interrupted, her voice icy. “I don’t care what you think you can hide from me. The Emperor will see through your lies just as easily as I do.”

  At the mention of the Emperor, Yama'ii visibly paled. Her lips parted as if to speak, but no words came out. Cassandra took another step forward, her presence looming over the senator like a dark shadow.

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  “Tell me what you’re hiding, Yama'ii,” Cassandra pressed, her tone low and dangerous. “Before I decide you’re no longer useful to the Empire.”

  The room fell into a suffocating silence. Yama'ii’s eyes darted toward the window, as if contemplating escape, but there was no escaping Cassandra—not now, not ever.

  Finally, Yama'ii’s facade crumbled. Her voice was quieter now, more vulnerable, as she spoke.

  “There are...certain individuals,” Yama'ii began, her words halting. “Powerful individuals... who have influence beyond what I can manage. They are tied to the Rebellion, and to other...forces. I tried to keep them at bay, to maintain control, but...”

  “Who?” Cassandra demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. “Give me names.”

  Yama'ii hesitated, wringing her hands together. “I can’t. They’re holding against my will, I cannot act so carefree without someone noticing. There are eyes everywhere—my Lady, you must understand...”

  Cassandra’s expression hardened, her patience wearing thin. “Then you’re a coward as well as a failure.”

  Yama'ii’s eyes widened, the insult cutting deeper than Cassandra had anticipated. For the first time since they had met, the senator’s composure broke entirely. Her voice trembled with emotion, a sharp contrast to the calm facade she had maintained thus far.

  “I’ve done everything the Emperor has asked of me!” Yama'ii snapped, her tone laced with desperation. “I have kept the city under control for years, despite the growing unrest. I have used my influence, my connections—everything at my disposal—to keep this Rebellion from spiraling out of control. And now you—you—come here and tell me I’ve failed?”

  Cassandra’s eyes flared, a spark of anger rising in her chest. She had no tolerance for weakness, especially not from someone who had already proven themselves unworthy of the Emperor’s trust. But there was something in Yama'ii’s words that caught her attention—something more than just desperation.

  “You think the Emperor’s favor is guaranteed because you’ve pleased him in the past?” Cassandra’s voice dripped with contempt. “Do you think your position, your... connections with him will save you from his judgment?”

  Yama'ii’s face flushed with a mix of anger and shame. “I have been loyal to the Empire,” she said, her voice softer now, more pleading. “I have been... loyal to him.”

  Cassandra’s lip curled, the disdain clear on her face. She had long known of Yama'ii’s secret relationship with the Emperor. The senator’s allure, her beauty, had bought her time and influence, but it was a fragile power—one that Cassandra despised.

  “Loyalty,” Cassandra said, her voice quiet but filled with venom, “is earned through strength, not seduction.”

  Yama'ii winced, but she didn’t deny the accusation. She knew Cassandra was right. Her rise to power had been as much about her ability to navigate the Emperor’s personal interests as it had been about her political skill. And now, with the city falling into chaos, she was losing control of both.

  “I’m trying to keep the peace,” Yama'ii whispered, her voice barely above a murmur. “I’m trying to keep them safe.”

  Cassandra scoffed. “You care more about your own position than you do about your people. And now, because of your weakness, the Rebellion has spread. But I’ll deal with that myself.”

  Yama'ii looked down, defeated, her hands trembling in her lap. “If you expose the insurgents now, the city will burn,” she whispered. “There are too many. They’re embedded everywhere—within the workforce, the trade unions, even among the senator’s guard. It will be an all-out war.”

  “And what do you propose?” Cassandra asked coldly.

  “We need to gather more information,” Yama'ii said, her voice faltering. “If we act too soon, we’ll lose any chance of controlling the narrative. Let me find out who the leaders are—let me uncover the web. Then, when we strike, we can cut them off at the root.”

  Cassandra remained silent for a moment, considering the senator’s proposal. It wasn’t without merit. A targeted strike would be more efficient than launching a campaign of brutality that would only lead to further rebellion. Still, she couldn’t help but see Yama'ii’s plea as another attempt to buy herself time, to keep herself in the Emperor’s good graces.

  But there was one thing Cassandra couldn’t deny—the Emperor had taken a personal interest in this planet. Whatever Yama'ii was hiding, it went beyond simple politics. And Cassandra would not be denied the opportunity to uncover the truth.

  “Very well,” Cassandra said finally, her voice cold but measured. “You have a brief window to prove your worth, Yama'ii. Fail, and I will ensure the Emperor’s wrath falls upon you first.”

  Yama'ii exhaled, relief flooding her features. “Thank you, my Lady. I will not fail you.”

  Cassandra’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not the one you should be concerned about.”

  As Cassandra turned to leave, Na’la lingered for a moment, her gaze lingering on Yama'ii’s trembling hands. There was more to this senator than met the eye, but Na’la couldn’t decide if Yama'ii’s desperation came from her loyalty to the Emperor or from something deeper. Perhaps both.

  When Na'la caught up with Cassandra in the hallway, she remained silent, her mind whirling with questions she knew she couldn’t ask.