A/N: Huge thanks to Buttercup for her excellent beta! My apologies for this chapter being so late - as with my other WIP, I'm going to try to get back on track with a biweekly posting schedule, give or take a day or two. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Feedback is always appreciated :).

The Dutiful Wife

WendyNat

Chapter Five
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There was little conversation in the speeder as Natrie and her husband traveled home from the Admiral's event, and Natrie could clearly hear the engine's low whine as it sank to the landing pad outside of their home. She glanced at her husband, wondering at the tension that remained in his face. Something rather extreme must have happened at this most recent meeting, for it to still be worrying him even now. He'd hidden it well – it was one of his gifts, really – at the Admiral's function; though she'd noticed a stiffness about him on occasion when she'd passed him on the dance floor, she doubted any of the other attendees would have noted it.

Except for Vrindo, perhaps. She frowned slightly, her mind on the man who had convinced her to work for the Rebellion. After their dance, some of the junior officers had worked up the nerve – or had enough of the potent drink – to claim her for a round or two. As the night wore on, she'd caught sight of Vrindo speaking with her husband and some of the other officers, and when he'd noticed her stare he had winked at her – a quick movement, barely discernible, but the effect on her had been dramatic.

She was a fool.

Wondering what they had been discussing, she accepted her husband's hand as he helped her from the speeder, and almost jumped when her husband spoke, his words answering her unspoken question. "I spoke with that holonet reporter - he wants to get some last minute footage. Pickups, I think he called it. He'll be by tomorrow evening."

"Oh, all right." She had known Vrindo would need to interview her husband, also, and had wondered when it would happen. Her voice was casual when she added, as if it had slipped her mind before now, "Did you know that he's Sera's brother?"

"Lieutenant Saan mentioned it. I believe they've been friends for some time," her husband said, his tone distracted. She was glad that he wasn't paying a great deal of attention to it – it was best that Vrindo remained a background figure in his mind, but now the connection was established; if her husband noticed she was more familiar with Vrindo than a typical reporter-interviewee relationship would allow, it was already explained.

He palmed the lighted panel beside the door, and it slid open without a sound. "I should be home by the time he arrives."

"Home? But… tomorrow's a restday!" The protest wasn't sincere, but it was expected, and she would play her role well. Especially now.

"Something's come up. I have to report for some meetings tomorrow – luckily they'll be held here, at the Imperial Center, but they could run long."

"What-"

He cut her off with an imperious gesture, nodding towards the curved chair where they could see the back of Mierie's head. "I'll tell you later, Natrie. I don't want to worry Mierie."

What would worry Mierie? Disquieted, Natrie crossed around to the front of the chair, nodding at the sitter, Freya, who was seated in the next chair, watching a holonet program.

"I think she's asleep," Natrie whispered, smiling down at her daughter, the light from the still-running holonet projector casting Mierie's features in a soft glow.

Freya shifted and blinked sleepy eyes at Natrie and her husband, who had come up behind. "I almost followed her to sleep, I do believe. Your chairs here are too comfortable."

"Thank you, Freya," Natrie said with a smile. Freya wasn't one of their normal sitters, but she was one of Mierie's favorites, and Natrie's, as well. An older woman, calm and dependable and sharp-witted, she reminded Natrie very much of her grandmother. "Was she any bother?"

"Of course not," Freya stated, waving her hand dismissively. "Lovely young woman, she is, very obedient."

"Probably more for you than for us," Natrie said with a smile. "Would you like-"

"Thank you, Miss Abelar, for agreeing to watch her." Her husband's voice was stiff and formal, and Natrie withheld a sigh. He wasn't one to 'waste' his charm on those he viewed as beneath him, but there was no need to use that sort of tone with the woman. "I'll just show you out."

"Good night, Freya, and thank you again!"

As her husband led the woman to the door, Natrie debated calling him on his rudeness… but it wouldn't do any good, and she couldn't afford to needle him this evening. With a sigh, she touched Mierie's arm to wake her and move her to her own bed.

When she finally came to their bedroom, he was already there, taking off his boots. She stood in the doorway for a moment, preparing herself… it was much like she used to prepare for a performance on stage when she was young, but this was a familiar role, and easily donned. Entering the room, she took off her own shoes and sat at the dressing table. "When are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Well, the morning meetings will be over the secure channel, so I'll be here for those." Both boots removed, he stood to place them precisely in their normal spot under his hanging uniforms. Order was everything. There was no tired flinging of footwear for her husband – not even a passionate tossing away of clothing when the mood took him. She had admired that discipline, once. "I won't be leaving until just before lunch for the Imperial Center meeting."

That was a disappointment; she'd hoped that he would be gone early, so she could report in to Sera as soon as possible. Standing, she began to unfasten her dress. "Mierie was invited to a friend's tomorrow morning – she was going to cancel, but I told her to wait just in case you didn't make it home in time or had things to do tomorrow."

"You're forever anticipating me, darling." He walked over and kissed her forehead, then reached up to loosen his uniform. "I hate to leave you two on my first day back, but it can't be helped."

"I'm sure I can find something to occupy myself."

His hands stilled on the fastening. "Sera mentioned a lunch tomorrow."

"Oh, that's right! I'd forgotten, in all the excitement," Natrie said, impressed with the ease at which the lie fell from her lips. He searched her face and then nodded, returning to the closet to put away his uniform.

She stared at him as she peeled off the dress and threw on her dressing robe, wondering at the tension in his form. Whatever had happened must have been big. Trying to decide the best way to broach the subject, she hung her dress and then moved behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders. "What happened, darling?"

His shoulder muscles tensed under her fingers before he turned to face her. "It was a… contentious meeting. The Commander refuses to see what's right under his nose."

"Still?" She kept her eyes on his, though his fingers were sliding along the neckline of her robe. Maybe if he was distracted, he would say more than he intended.

"Still. I don't know how long he'll last in this position." She stepped forward, slipping her own hands around him. Keep talking. "I was called away, actually. I've been appointed to a special security committee, headed by the Admiral."

Natrie raised her eyebrows. "That's quite an honor, isn't it?"

"It is."

"Then why are you worried-" She stopped when he bent and kissed the side of her neck, his breath hot against her skin. Biting back a sigh, she settled herself to wait until morning for more information – it would seem out of place for her to continue asking about his trip now, while he was urging her towards the bed. She wasn't enthusiastic about it, but she was used to feigning interest, and it was an expected thing when he returned from a trip away. If she closed her eyes tight enough, she could imagine she were with someone else….

The next morning, her husband took Mierie to her friend's house before his comm meeting. While he was gone, Natrie took the opportunity to contact Sera. When the blonde's face appeared in the projector, Natrie smiled.

"Good morning, Sera. I was just confirming our lunch plans. I have a lot to talk to you about!" she said brightly, hoping that her face conveyed the urgency of the situation. She dared not speak more openly over a public channel, and using a private channel would only raise questions if her husband noticed the extra usage. Contact Vrindo, she urged silently.

It seemed that Sera picked up on it, because she nodded sharply. "I can't wait to hear it. Oh, my brother might be over, if that's not a problem."

"Of course not!"

"Good. I'll see you then."

When her husband returned, he went straight to the comm panel and set up the connection, though it was still a bit early. He was nothing if not punctual. Over the next couple of hours, Natrie occupied herself with housework as her husband attended the comm meeting. To judge by the look on his face when she passed through the room, it wasn't going very well.

She wondered as she picked up Mierie's room whether she ought to bring up the subject of the security committee before she left for Sera's. If he was even off the comm before she left. With a frown, she waved her hand in front of the closet sensor, letting out a low growl when the door stuck a finger away from the opposite side. "Can the girl not put anything up?" she muttered, bending to retrieve the datapad that was blocking the door's progress.

Her husband was still in the meeting when she went to get dressed for lunch. She shook her head, wondering why it was going on so long – from what she was overhearing, it wasn't a very interesting meeting, or even a very pivotal subject.

Finally, as she was finishing organizing the desk in the sitting area, he signed off and stalked to the curved chair that Mierie preferred. She watched with concern when he sat with a sigh and rubbed his eyes. "I'll have to leave soon for the meeting – Commander Haffel seemed to want to keep us as long as possible. Of course I couldn't tell him why I was in a hurry-"

"Why not?"

"It's a secret committee."

"But isn't he involved-"

"No."

No? "But-"

"That fool would have been, had it not been for him ignoring obvious suspicious activities right under his command."

She froze. "Suspicious activities?"

"Now, Natrie, I really shouldn't-"

"What suspicious activities?" she pressed, tilting her head.

He shook his head. "I don't want you to worry…"

"Just tell me, darling." She forced a small smile to her face. "Or I'll worry even more."

He chuckled. "True enough," he said, then his face grew more serious. "There is a more urgent need for this security committee than the Admiral had expected, at first. We've reason to believe that one of our own officers is…" His face hardened. "A Rebel spy."

She didn't have to feign the horrified gasp. She swayed slightly, putting her hand out to grip the edge of the desk. The metallic surface was cool under her fingers, the sharp corner biting into her palm. She clung to the sensations, a steadiness that she needed at that moment. Finally, she found her voice. "That's… that's hard to believe. Who?"

"They're not certain who, exactly, but it's been narrowed down to three possibilities-"

"How?" The word burst from her before she could stop it, but to her relief, her husband didn't seem surprised by the interruption.

"The timing of some incidents, who was on duty." A small crease appeared between his brows. "It could be one or all three – my personal opinion is that it wouldn't make sense to install more than one spy in the same area, but we can't be certain."

"It's just so…. Who are the three?"

"Junior officers. Lieutenant Bala. Ensigns Jorin and Chireth."

"I don't know Ensign Chireth," she said, her mind working feverishly. She knew the other two, of course – they had both been to a number of the functions. She didn't know them well, but-

"He's fairly new. I have some suspicions that he could be the one. He's a bit too enthusiastic about the Empire…" He rubbed his chin, his expression thoughtful.

She gripped the desk harder, a sinking sensation tugging at her. "What will happen, once they're caught?"

"They'll be killed."

So matter-of-fact, so cold, so unemotional. No reluctance, no regret. You knew this, Natrie. You knew the answer. Why did you ask the question?

Then another thought occurred - what if she hadn't asked the first questions? What if she hadn't pressed? An icy snake slid down her spine. No one would know that a blaster was cocked and ready, pointing at the spy in the trenches. The ugliness of the term hit her, then, as the weight of this new knowledge threatened to crush her, and she suddenly appreciated Sera's insistence on the term 'informant'.

She was still reeling minutes later when her husband asked her to call a transport before heading to the bedroom to prepare for his committee meeting. She'd put up a token protest when he insisted that she take the speeder, but she was too distracted to offer more resistance. She remained outwardly calm when she notified the transport and slipped on her boots, but that surface layer of serenity was thin. Very thin.

Her mind swirled with emotion, tension threatening to overcome her, and she bit her lip as she waited for the transport to arrive. She couldn't handle this. She couldn't. There was too much at stake, too much on the line, too much for her to handle…

She was shaking, she realized, staring at her hands as if they belonged to someone else. If felt like they did – her mind was curiously blank, disconnected from the tension that caused her breathing to be so unsteady, and her hands to tremble. Not wishing to raise his suspicions, she pulled on her cloak and thrust her hands deep into the pockets, her timing eerily opportune – the transport arrived just after she'd put on the cloak.

Natrie was somehow able to force a smile to her face when he kissed her cheek, and she wished him luck with his meeting with a sincerity that surprised her. The mask she wore was heavy enough to hide her true feelings, but once he left the weight of the mask left with him, and she began to tremble once more as the transport took off. How quickly would the committee move? How quickly?

She was shaking so badly that she had to try twice to open the door. Her brain tried to make her nerves calm themselves, but emotion ignored logic, and still she shook. With great, gasping breaths, she rushed to the speeder and climbed in. Not wanting to waste any more time, she ignored the cold feeling in her stomach at the thought of piloting this craft and took off, hoping that no one got in her way.

The flight was a blur. Luckily there weren't many other craft on the back airways that she took to Sera's place, and she stayed low in the skies to avoid the higher-speed vehicles. Before she realized what she was doing, her hands were automatically maneuvering the controls to lower the speeder to the pad outside of the Saan home. The landing was uneven, but successful.

She almost tripped climbing out of the speeder, and her heart pounded as she hurried along the covered path leading from the landing pad to the private entrance. There must have been some sort of signal when she neared the entrance because, as soon as she reached the door, the panel leading inside slid open and Sera, wide-eyed, let her in.

"Natrie, are you all right?" The other woman's bright red cloak drew Natrie's gaze, and she stared at it, transfixed. So much energy in that color… so much danger….

"What's wrong?" The smooth, familiar voice was a welcome sound, and she almost gasped in relief. Tearing her eyes from Sera's cloak, she looked at the man who moved to stand in front of her, saw the concern in his gaze, and her trembling intensified.

"Vrindo! I can't do this. I can't-"

"Shh." Vrindo gripped her arms and looked over at Sera. "Sera, do you have any more of that-"

"Right away." Sera left in a swirl of color, her cloak flaring behind her as she exited the room.

His hands still firm around her arms, he stared down at her, studying her closely. "What happened? Did your husband find out-"

"No, no, not that. It's-" She took a deep, shuddering breath, and didn't protest when his arms snaked around her.

"Just relax. Wait a minute before you try to talk." His arms were warm, almost hot, and she pressed against him, trying to still her shivering. The impropriety of their position didn't hit her until Sera returned, and she almost pulled away. Before she could, Sera shook her head quickly and, without a word, set down a bottle and two glasses. Sending a soft glance towards Vrindo, Sera shook her head again and left the room.

"Natrie, tell me."

"I heard him slip… and I asked… and he told me… oh, Vrindo, what if I mess up? I can't do this. I can't. Someone could die."

She felt him go still, not even breathing, and then he slowly pulled back, keeping a tight grip on her arms. As if she was a bird, a scared little bird that might take flight at any moment. It wasn't far from the truth.

"What's happened, Natrie?"

"A spy, they know there's a spy. There were suspicious activities, he said, and I asked and asked…. It's either Lieutenant Bala or Ensign Cherith or Ensign Jorin, and they're going to find out, get evidence…" The story was incoherent, she knew, but Vrindo seemed to understand, his eyes darkening as she spoke. "It's one of them, they know it. One of the three."

"Natrie, how-"

"And it just hit me, now. What if I hadn't asked the right questions? What if I don't next time? It's too much… someone could die, someone-"

His eyes softened. "Relax, Natrie. You may have just saved Bala's life."

So it was Lieutenant Bala. Natrie knew him, only on the periphery, but an image sprang immediately to her mind. Reddish hair, freckles. Young, unmarried. An enthusiastic recruit, he had worked his way to Lieutenant quickly. The facts were cold and plain, and did nothing to capture the man's true nature. Quiet, but with a ready smile. Shy. She could remember, at one event, how some of his colleagues had been teasing him for being one of the few bachelor officers, and he'd said he would work on the issue. What if she hadn't pressed her husband to tell her more? His death would have been on her head. Even with this information, it still might be too late. It was too much.

"But next time, what if I don't-"

"If you ask the wrong question, at least it's a question being asked. Without the question, they have no chance."

"I'm not supposed to question him so much-"

"Remember the truth, and the goal, and forget the false duties that you have been taught were yours."

She shook her head, her mind frozen. She'd been too long playing the obedient wife, too long wearing a mask of simpleness, that the mask seemed to have melded to her and slowed her ability to reason.

"Here," he said, pressing a glass into her hand. "Drink."

She blinked. She hadn't even noticed him leave her side. "But-"

"Drink." He smiled slightly. "I'll take care of everything."

Obediently, she complied, wincing when the sickeningly sweet liquid touched her tongue. When she frowned at him, opening her mouth to speak, he shook his head and gestured for her to take another sip. Scowling, she did so, and it wasn't until after she'd swallowed the syrupy stuff that she realized she'd stopped trembling and her mind had cleared.

"Better? I thought so. Have a seat," he said, touching her cheek lightly before stepping back and calling for Sera. The blonde entered immediately, and Natrie knew she'd been listening at the door. On any other occasion, it would have irritated her. "Sera, stay with her a moment. I have some comms to make."

He disappeared through another door, and she was left with Sera. The other woman stared at her evenly and then, without a word, poured another glass and handed it to her. "Drink."

"I'm fine, now."

"You're not." Sera's expression was durasteel and, rather than argue, Natrie took the drink from her. "I hope you were calm enough around your husband."

"Yes, I was." Natrie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Too much, maybe. After holding it in, I was… so wound up, when I saw you, it just-"

"When you saw Vrindo, you mean?"

Natrie looked at her and shook her head mutely, and Sera smirked. "Drink it." When Natrie complied, Sera continued, "Wound up. I suppose that makes sense. You're new to this, and I'll admit I didn't expect you to find out anything so… heavy… right at first."

"Not right at first. Yes." Natrie laughed dryly. "The timing's rather fortunate, really. The timing for when I joined, that is."

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, she realized she hadn't told Vrindo about her husband's new appointment. She took another sip, swallowing slowly. "My husband's been appointed to a secret committee… a counter-spy group."

Sera's eyes gleamed and she sat forward. "He'll be part of the spyhunters?"

Natrie nodded. "It's how he knew about the three suspected spies."

Sera sat back, tapping her chin, a smile on her face. "Oh, my. And I thought he would follow the rules to the letter."

"What do you mean?"

"The good Lieutenant Commander certainly shouldn't have told anyone about this new committee – even his wife. I wouldn't have expected it of him." A look of pure delight came to Sera's face. "I'm so glad Vrindo took a shine to you, Natrie. So very glad."

Natrie swallowed, looking down at her glass, blinking when she realized she'd finished the drink. How many did that make? Two? Three? She glanced up at Sera and quickly looked away, unwilling to endure that speculative gaze for long. Could she keep doing this? Her reaction wasn't typical… or perhaps it was, since Sera did admit she hadn't expected Natrie to run into anything so 'heavy' this quickly.

When Vrindo returned from the other room, Natrie quickly searched his expression for some sign of how his communications had gone. He appeared tense, but not frantic, and so she relaxed somewhat.

"Were you able to get through?" Sera queried, the tight grip she had on the arm of her chair belying the casual tone of her voice.

"Yes. It's under control."

"I'll update Oren later."

"Very good. And, like other husbands, he'll tell me everything."

Sera smirked at Natrie, and Vrindo followed her gaze. Shifting in her seat, uncomfortable under that dual regard, she cast her eyes around the room, finally focusing on the chronometer hung on a far wall. With a gasp, she read the time. "Oh! I've got to get Mierie, I'll just-" She leaned forward to place the drink on the table, absently noting that her hand was shaking again.

Sera watched her put the glass down, then raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think you're in a condition to pilot right now? Wait a few more minutes."

"I have to get her, I'm already late-"

"Where does her friend live?" Vrindo asked.

"Just past the Senate building-"

Sera frowned. "That's too far, and too busy."

"Much as I hate to admit it, Sera's right, you're still too shaky. I can take you to pick her up," Vrindo began, but Sera cut him off with a dry laugh.

"Oh, and that won't look suspicious at all, now, would it? I'm sure Mierie is picked up all the time by strange men alone with her mother." Sera shook her head and rose. "I'll fly you there, and we can bring her back here for tea. It's a logical enough reason for me to pilot."

Natrie opened her mouth to protest, but Sera cut her off before she could even begin. "It will give you time to calm down before you fly home, and anyway, how realistic is it that your very best friend has never met your lovely daughter?" There was an unpleasant gleam in Sera's eye, and a marked emphasis on the words 'very best friend'.

Natrie bit her lip. She didn't want Mierie involved in this, even on the periphery, but she couldn't think of a valid excuse. Either way, Sera was right. She shouldn't fly.

"All right," she said, standing. "We can't be too long, though. I don't know when my husband will be done with the security committee meeting – they're discussing the 'suspicious activities'. He didn't know when it would be over, and he'll expect to have Mierie home by the time he returns. It could be over soon…."

"It could be. It could very well be," Vrindo murmured, one finger tapping his chin. "And Sera, you might want to change that garish cloak before you scare the poor girl on sight."

Sera rolled her eyes but left the room without a word, and Natrie smiled when Vrindo winked at her. Just his presence was a comfort; no ill could come, so long as Vrindo still bore a teasing smile, could it? She hesitated before asking the next question, but even though she knew it to be a futile reach for reassurance, she couldn't stop herself. "Is… is it really going to be all right? With Lieutenant Bala?"

"It could be. It could very well be," he repeated. Then he stood and smiled down at her, and she was reminded forcibly of the flirtatious smile that he had worn at the Admiral's function when they danced, and the warmth of his arms around her when she stumbled into Sera's home, flustered and frightened. Her breath caught when he stepped closer and touched her cheek. "Thank you, Natrie. I know it isn't easy, but it is important, what we do."

She nodded, unable to say more than, "It is." Luckily, that seemed to be enough.