Kira's Bar
Coruscant
Zur spotted her immediately, sitting at the table at the rear of the club, in the corner, in the shadows. Appropriate he thought. With her back to the wall and a view of the whole place, entrance and exits, including the back room, she was learning. He would have to be more careful. He assumed she was checking on him as well, that seemed to be the norm now, no one is free, everyone is under suspicion. There had been a few unexplained disappearances in the ranks that he had noted.
He walked straight to the bar and bought himself a drink, then turned, leaned back on the bar, and looked around the room, checking over the clientele, as he took his first sip. It was the usual miscreants for this area.
Satisfied there was no one else in the bar he should be worried about, apart from her, he walked over to her.
Leaning over he said, "I saw you as soon as I came in. May I join you?" He asked as if he had never seen his handler before, as if he was hooking up with her for the first time. Her odour told him she was still anxious, whether or not it was about him he was not sure. He would soon find out.
"I'm flattered." She was playing along; she smiled. "Please sit. We can have some privacy?" The privacy screen hummed as it sprang into life, obscuring them and their conversation from prying eyes.
"So has anything happened recently?" She was straight back to business, "Those in charge were not happy about Krennic. He was easier to watch, easier to keep tabs on when he was with her, and she with him. His ambition means he can be a bit of a loose cannon."
"I can't dictate who she does and doesn't like, I can only influence."
"Did you influence her against Krennic?"
"No. I didn't need to, he managed all that by himself."
He observed the small frown on her face, anyone else would have missed it; there was also a change in her odour. More anxiety.
"You have to understand her. She's what some people would call a diva. She's the principal singer at the Galaxies Opera House and acts like it a lot of the time. She can't cook or even shop for food. The service droid continually picks up her clothes after her and tidies up. She expects everyone to cater to her whims and plans. Krennic didn't. He was too ambitious, too engrossed in his own work, his own plans."
"Have you finished?"
"Yes." He took a sip of the liquid that passed for Corellian brandy; although it had neither seen Corellia nor was it brandy.
"Is there anyone new in her life?"
He stared her directly in the eyes. They say it's difficult to lie if you're looking at someone face on. He never had that trouble.
"No! No one."
There he had done it.
"Good. Our superiors just want her to be watched at the moment. You know who is interested in her. It would not do to anger him. Any developments I want to know immediately. This concert she did, whose idea was that?"
"Hers."
"I understand that Amidala helped facilitate it?"
"She smoothed over some red tape. They know each other from Naboo."
"Will there be more?"
"She wants to."
"Hmm! And you will be with her?"
"Always. Will that be a problem?"
"No." She leaned forward, "I'm leaving now, just follow my lead." She switched the privacy screen off.
His handler stood up and threw her drink over him, before stalking off.
"Bitch!" he shouted, and it wasn't just for effect.
.
Zur leaned back in the taxi he caught to The Outlander and once seated inside the bar, he looked for the Twi'lek but he wasn't around and no one else took his fancy. He had promised to make himself scarce for the night, for Hela and her clone.
Ordering himself a drink, p he made himself comfortable at an empty table before he exuded fear pheromones, to keep people away; he did not feel like talking. He had finally realised something and it was going to be difficult for him to cope with it but it was a known phenomenon of long term deep cover work.
He had developed feelings for Hela.
He tried to tell himself that he hadn't but this thing with the clone confirmed he had. His feelings were not romantic— nothing like that he told himself; she just reminded him of his little sister. He hadn't seen her in years.
Now he was getting maudlin.
He downed his third corellian brandy of the night.
It was going to be a very long one.
His fourth brandy was just reaching his lips, when he heard the familiar voice, with the deep Ryl accent.
"You never contacted me!" The voice said but it held no anger, "I expected better from you."
He put the glass down and looked up to see the equally familiar figure standing across the table from him.
"Sorry!" He muttered, "Work!"
"She works you too hard." The Twi'lek sat down and his hand stretched out across the table to Zur, "Has she actually let you have the night off?"
"She's not like that."
"I don't know. I've never met her."
"You should. You'd like her."
Zur couldn't for the life of him think why he said that.
The Twi'lek inclined his head and his lekku indicated he was interested.
"Anoon would be honoured to meet Hela."
.
Hela's Apartment
Hela cracked open her eyes, well the right one, the left one obstinately refused to open.
She struggled to focus and had a splitting headache; she looked around, wondering how she got to the bedroom, because she could not remember actually going to bed but then it came back to her, in a rush of memories; Mayday had finally arrived, late. She sighed, he read her message, written in the heat of the moment, it pulled no punches. She was hazy about what happened next having finished at least one of the bottles of wine she had bought but she had obviously undressed as she was wearing a cotton shirt—and underwear.
But there was no indication she had sex with him again.
She tried to lift her head from the pillow but struggled and slowly laid it back down; then she heard noises coming from outside her room. She took a deep breath and pushed herself up before dragging herself from the bed and walked slowly in the direction of the offending noise, in the kitchen.
Mayday stood hands on his hips, staring at the caf machine, certain Hela would need some, considering the empty bottle which was on the table. He had looked at the label, it was a stronger version than normal.
He pressed the button after choosing large and then four beans, he hoped; it started grinding then hissing. With the GAR he had only one choice of caf—GAR special brew. Sometimes limited choice was best, he decided.
"Mayday!"
He twisted around to see Hela standing at the door, with the remnants of a black eye.
"I thought you'd left." She continued, the caf machine beeped, "It's ready." She winced before nodding towards the machine.
"Hope it's okay!" He handed it over the full mug, "I changed the settings."
"Thanks." She took a sip, winced, and put it on the side, "It's a bit hot but good. Have you got one yourself?"
"It's brewing now."
"There's leftovers in the conservator, I think." She vaguely remembered putting some of the food away before she finished nearly all of the wine.
"Thanks. I'll get some. Do you want any?"
"Not yet." Hela took a step forward, closer to him, "Last night…."
"Nothing happened."
"I know. I know when I've had sex— but thank you."
"For what?"
"Not taking advantage. Some would."
He opened his mouth to say something, when—.
"Good Morning boys and girls, I'm back." Zur shouted from the doorway.
Hela winced, "Kitchen!" She shouted.
What happened next was a blur; she felt a hand push her to one side and when she regained her balance, Zur was holding a carving knife to Mayday's throat.
"You couldn't help yourself, could you?" He hissed in Mayday's blank face.
"What?" Hela pushed in, hangover dissipating slightly in a rush of adrenaline.
"Your eye!"
Her hand went straight to it and she winced, "It was an accident."
"Accident? How?"
"Mayday woke me. You know how I sometimes wake up with a jolt, he was too close. Look at his nose."
Mayday's face was blank, she had never seen him look like that, totally still, like stone.
Zur saw the clone's split nose and slowly moved the knife away, leaving a trickle of blood running down Mayday's throat.
"Glad you did that." Mayday lifted his hand holding a paring knife in it, "This was aimed at your femoral and I know exactly where that is located in a Falleen's anatomy. Our training was thorough."
Zur backed off and they put the knives on the counter simultaneously, whilst continuing to watch each other warily.
Hela stood there mouth slightly open for a few seconds.
"Now that you've both finished that testosterone filled display. There are leftovers in the conservator."
"Good!" Muttered Zur, "I'm hungry." he opened the door and poked his head in, retrieving a plate with some kind of meat on it.
Hela turned to Mayday; he shrugged before she could say anything, "It was an automatic reaction, I didn't expect to have a knife at my throat here."
"I'm getting a shower." Hela said.
"Good. Last night's makeup isn't a good look on you." Zur replied.
"I'll let Zur explain his actions." she said as she ignored him.
They watched as she left the kitchen.
Mayday leaned back on the kitchen counter, arms crossed, eyebrow arched, "So—I'm waiting."
Zur carefully finished chewing.
"She was twelve when she lived through the Battle of Naboo, losing her parents and sister. She was in the camps for a while after and then some kind of school until she came here. Sometimes she has problems sleeping."
"I knew she came from Naboo and that she knows General Kenobi."
"That's where she met him. It doesn't help that she lives in the equivalent of a fishbowl now. There are reporters out there who would, if allowed to, follow her every move, taking holographs and recording every conversation. Prying into every aspect of her life, even in here."
"We have holocams recording some of our battles." commented Mayday.
"She has them record her shows thats fine. But yours don't try to follow you into the barracks, or the fresher do they? And they are holocams, not people behind them."
"No!" Mayday snorted, "If they did all they'd see would be a squad of mucky smelly men all looking the same pulling off grimy bodysuits and fighting each other in the rush to get to the showers first."
Zur looked him up and down, "I'm sure there would be a lot of beings willing to pay to see that footage."
Mayday huffed, "Why do they do that to Hela?"
Zur turned, "Come on lover boy." He called over his shoulder, "I'll show you something."
He switched on the large screen in the lounge and flicked through several holo channels until he found the one he wanted. Mayday was continually surprised at the amount that was on there and he heard General Kenobi say you should never believe what you hear or see on a holo channel, especially from a politician.
"These are celebrities that court fame. Hela does not. She is also close the Chancellor."
Mayday watched the footage, lots of good looking people going to beautiful places being mobbed by other people.
"It's even spread to the Jedi." Zur continued.
He pulled up a picture of Skywalker scowling at the camera, with Rex standing next to him looking equally uncomfortable, even though he had his helmet on. Skywalker's hand squeezed into a fist and one of the holocams disintegrated. Mayday lipread what he said, and from the look of Rex's body language, he thought the same.
"That was language unbecoming a Jedi." Zur said, obviously he could also read lips, "and that was a pirate holocam. Not sanctioned in the field."
"So they try to follow her everywhere?" Mayday asked, he had no choice in the matter when they were in a battle.
"Yes. Which is why she dresses down and often wears wigs. Its also part of her heritage. The Nubians are renowned for their wigs and headdresses."
Mayday studied the pictures that rolled onto the screen, "I have a question for you."
Zur inclined his head,
"That was a good move you pulled."
"I said I took lessons, and now you're wondering why."
Zur pulled out a small data drive and inserted it into his datapad, before displaying it on the screen.
"All Hela wants is to sing and live a reasonably normal life. But this is what happened at the end of her first successful run, at the Opera House. I had only been with her from the beginning of that first season and was packing the costumes away. Luckily there were a few Senators attending, so the Senate Guard were present."
Mayday watched as the unremarkable man appeared from nowhere and talked to her, demanding her attention, as if he knew her as some long lost friend; pulling her back when she turned away. She nodded politely, giving him some time and then she turned to go, his face changed, he grabbed her, dragging her away.
Mayday felt a surge of anger, as he saw her struggling.
"It was only a few minutes before the Senate Guards were on to it, Captain Jayfon, but it scared her, and me. So we took lessons. We're more wary now and try to avoid crowded places like that, when we can. Only go to places we know."
"And shes close to the Chancellor?"
"His protegé."
Hela stopped at the door, seeing what was on the screen and hearing the conversation; she moved back into the corridor. That day reminded her why she lived as she did, with very few friends and a hard fought privacy. Why she did some things the way she did.
She let her head drop back to rest against the wall. Mayday was not going to be coming back, not after seeing that, not to be involved in something like this; she couldn't blame him, he had enough dealing with the war. So far he had been head butted then attacked with a carving knife by a deranged Falleen and now he found out she was linked to his Commander in Chief; it would be too much for anyone.
It had happened before and she supposed it would happen again. But she would still have her singing. She took a deep breath and walked out.
"Watching anything good?" She asked in all innocence, struggling to keep a cheerful face in the reality that Mayday had already probably decided she was too much trouble to bother with. The screen had already changed.
"Nah! Just scrolling through the channels, so he has something to do if he ever has to wait for you to get dressed." Zur replied.
"I do not take long to get dressed!" She retorted with feigned anger.
"No, perhaps the choosing of the clothes, if I'm not here." Zur rose. "I'm going to get a shower." He added as he left the room. "Be seeing you." He nodded to Mayday.
They stood watching each other.
"I suppose you have to go now?" She asked.
"Yes but it looks like I'll be on Corrie a few days longer. I've been allocated a squad, a company of sorts. I need to organise it, get the boys together. Its different to what I'm used to."
"I'm glad for you." Her voice was polite, bland.
Mayday frowned and walked towards her, "Is everything alright? Have I upset you?"
"No. I'm fine."
He stood in front of her.
"In my experience, when someone says they're fine. They are anything but." He pulled her to him and tilted her face up.
"You'll be busy from now on won't you? So this is it, isn't it?" she asked.
"Who says? The other night was good, we were good together. I'd like to see you again."
"We were, weren't we." she reached up to adjust the collar of his fatigues, turning it down.
"I'll schedule a break for tonight, if you're free. I never had that meal. Unless …unless you don't want me to come over." The last part he whispered into her ear, as he blew along her neck, feeling her shiver in his arms.
"I have rehearsals this afternoon so I may be late."
"I'll wait."
"Yes, or Ill wait for you," her arms stretched up and reached around his neck, her fingers playing with the short hairs at the back of his neck; as he kissed her, he enjoyed her touch and it had been a long time since he felt anything like this, if ever.
He pulled away.
"Tonight then?"
"Tonight."
She watched him leave.
.
Hela sat waiting for Zur, her fingers drumming the table, "Why did you show him the film of that maniac? And tell him about the Chancellor?"
"He needs to know what he could be getting into."
"What do you mean?"
"You're not exactly a normal girl, are you?"
"Do you want to put him off me?"
"I want him to stop now before you get involved and get hurt."
"I'm not too involved and I won't be."
"Okay! If you say so."
Hela flounced off, too angry to say anymore.
"But it's for your own good!" He shouted after her.
He received an obscene gesture for his trouble.
.
GAR HQ
212th Barracks
Mayday walked into the barracks designated for his squad, cheers surrounded him, until he turned around.
"Enough lads! We've got work to do."
The room went quiet and a trooper walked up to him from out of the darkness at the back of the room, "Sergeant Tank reporting for duty, sir." He came to attention and executed a perfect salute.
"Sergeant Tank. It's good to see you out of the bacta." Mayday slapped his arm in greeting.
"Heard you got laid, sir?"
"Is nothing sacred?"
Mayday turned to face Veetch; who shrugged his shoulders, "You know the GAR sir. If someone knows when Palps last pissed, it's around the barracks within the hour."
"So the way I heard it," continued Tank, "it was that singer, the one that did the concert on Ord Mantell. Damn I missed that. I was in Bacta then. How did you manage that?"
Mayday rolled his eyes.
"In spite of my love life, we still have work to do."
"You mean we don't get a blow by blow account."
There were groans.
He picked up the pile of datapads from his desk; technically he was still eligible for an office but for the time being he wanted to be close to his new squad.
"These are our mission parameters. We could be sent anywhere to plug gaps; a highly trained, rapid response team, reinforcements. So we need a team with a wide range of skills. Look at transfer requests first. There aren't many, then squads and companies that are being split up as they've lost too many brothers."
He handed the datapads around.
"All of us sir?"
"You know your brothers. Working together we can get it done quicker. I'd like a couple of medics in there too. Then we'll need procurement."
He stood back, looking at the brothers in front of him.
"Cody's got some shinys lined up for us. We need to find the experienced troopers."
"Yes sir."
"Sir?"
"Yes, Tank?"
"We'll get jet packs won't we sir?"
"Good idea Tank. Yes we'll requisition jet packs."
