Rion

[notallofus]

Come to Rion, they said.

See a tropical paradise, they said.

No one ever mentioned a monsoon season.

Meeting their contact in the open is going to look both suspicious and stupid, so he and Hera have taken refuge in a nearby cantina that mostly serves a billion varieties of caf. Seating by the window has just cleared out, and from there they can make visual contact with the Pantoran they're here to meet.

At least that's the current hope.

And hey, the chairs are pretty comfortable.

Comments

[for_everyone]

"I spent a lot of time growing up in a desert."

When she looks back, it's down to her cup. Her fingers tap the side of it.

"We didn't always have… regular supplies, so when it rained it was like some kind of miracle."

[notallofus]

He smiles a little, crookedly.

"I can understand that. If you want to stand out in the rain later, once we've eaten, I promise not to laugh. Or look."

[for_everyone]

She waves her hand.

"Maybe. If there's time later."

[notallofus]

"Isn't that always how trips go? You have everything planned to the minute, then you get distracted in a museum and there's a whole day gone. Or, you know -- "

He waves his hand at the window, water-smeared and a little foggy as the cool air in the cantina hits the moist heat from outside.

"It rains."

[for_everyone]

"I usually manage to stick to my schedule," she answers.

Which is true, but. Sometimes the schedule has to change.

[notallofus]

"That," Kanan says, smirking a little. "Is because you're better than the rest of us."

Clearly.

[for_everyone]

"Or maybe," she says, her voice mockingly patient, "it's because I'm always in charge of the schedule."

[notallofus]

"Well, you've seen what happens when you put me in charge of it."

Mostly Chopper refuses to obey it in any way. Loudly.

[for_everyone]

"Well, dear, when you're in charge, we don't usually get much done."

This is totally about Chopper. Yes.

[notallofus]

"I wondered why I got demoted to box-mover. At least now I know."

He only smirks a little, most of it is self-directed.

He really is not great at timetables and scheduling. Improvisation, yes. But that's . . . not the same.

[for_everyone]

"You can't say I never take you anywhere nice."

Weather aside.

[notallofus]

He widens his eyes just a little.

"I would never dream of saying that. We've seen every cantina this side of the galaxy, and you've only made me buy the drinks in half of them."

She's his favorite. Obviously.

[for_everyone]

"I do fly you to those cantinas," she points out. "I think it's fair."

[notallofus]

"But I never get to pick the cantinas."

Keeping a straight face with that line is tough, but Kanan tries manfully.





"Though, yeah, I'd probably never find the nice ones."

[for_everyone]

"Sometimes, Kanan, we need to go cantinas where we won't eventually be chased out by an angry crowd."

Not every time! Just. Sometimes.

[notallofus]

"But how else are we supposed to get our exercise in?"

He asks you, Hera.

[for_everyone]

Hera just smiles, and lifts her cup again.

"I can think of other ways."

[notallofus]

Kanan does not choke on his coffee.

And his face has not turned at all pink. Nope. Not this man.

(Thank the . . . . someone for the goatee. It helps. At least in his head it does, so that's something.)

"Yeah? Uh. Maybe we can compare notes later."

[for_everyone]

Keep on thinking that, Kanan.

"Maybe," she agrees.

"But we're a little busy right now."

[notallofus]

"Yeah, drinking all this wonderful caf."

Kanan is going to bury his face in his, giving him time to get his expression back under control.

He definitely does not want their contact witnessing any of this.

[for_everyone]

"Who knows? The weather might clear up."

Nothing about the view outside is cause for optimism on that score, but that's not where Hera's looking at the moment.

[notallofus]

Kanan finally emerges from his cup of caf, mouth quirking in a tiny smile.

He meets Hera's gaze for a second, and the smile gets a little bigger.

"Yeah? Well, I'll keep my hopes up."

[for_everyone]

She shrugs. "There's always desert planets if you really want to get out of the rain."

But they're also usually not much to look at.

[notallofus]

"Hey, some of the best times of my life have been the result of desert planets."

Best times, best people, best times with the best people . . .

[for_everyone]

"Well, love, I'm sure we'll find a reason to go back to one."

Probably not coincidentally, desert planets tend to have the best black markets and under-the-radar rendezvous spots.