Cantina adventures that take a turn

[notallofus]

For all that the climates of different regions and planets are vastly different, there's something comfortingly the same about every cantina Kanan's been in.

Maybe it's the smell.

Maybe it's the grumbling of pilots and criminals the galaxy over, insults and friendly banter jumbling in and over each other until a body can't tell which is which.

Maybe it's the drink.

And the drink -- and the cheap food that isn't protein paste -- is what gets Kanan to leave his seat at the table with Hera to go fetch them some more of both.

"I'll be right back."

Comments

[notallofus]

Kanan scowls, reflexively.

"This is a private conversation."

. . . . it occurs to him, belatedly, that what he just said is most definitely not going to help. Damn.

The sandy-haired human grins, a flash of teeth that he doubtless thinks is charming.

"Oh, I bet I can make it worth your while. How's about it?"

[for_everyone]

"No, we're really not interested."

"Ha!" The man slams the table, his hand coming so close to Hera's that she flinches back. Yet she doesn't move when he leans in, closer to her. "Look, Twi'lek, I have a bet going on with my crew -" He thumbs toward another table, where two humans and a Pantoran are drinking and occasionally glancing in their direction. "- that I can get some decent entertainment going on in this place."

Hera props her elbows on the table, folding her hands again and resting her head over them. "You can leave now."

[notallofus]

"Look, human," Kanan says, resting one hand flat on the table. Just in case he needs to get to his feet really fast.

"She said go."

The other human's smile remains pasted on, caught between jocular and frustrated. "I'm just trying to be friendly. And everyone here's starved enough for entertainment you could make a pretty pile of creds real easy."

[for_everyone]

"I'm not trying to be friendly," she says. "Go."

The man taps his foot on the ground, still leaning close to Hera, perhaps trying to think of something else to say. His gray eyes turn to Kanan.

"Your Twi'lek's not much fun, is she?"

[notallofus]

"Hey, guys," Kanan calls, to the asshole's friends a couple tables over.

"Come pick up your human, he's making a mess."

[for_everyone]

Hera lowers her arms, leaning back in her seat, her hand moving close to but not touching Kanan. She keeps watching the man, but she doesn't speak again, merely lets the seconds pass until at least, he seems to get bored.

"Eh, whatever." He rises from the chair, hooking his left hand around its back to pull it with him as he leaves. But as he does, he reaches out to Hera, dragging two curled fingers quick across her collarbone. It's over before she can jerk away, and the man doesn't even glance back at them.

[notallofus]

It's funny how he trips just as he gets back to his table, slamming his chin down hard as he goes.

Looks like he bit through his lip.

"You wanna introduce him to Chopper?"

[for_everyone]

Hera shakes her head, her eyes on the table now.

"He couldn't get anything out of me, so he tried to start a fight with you."

It's not a rebuke, but there's a shade of warning to it.

[notallofus]

"And I'm still sitting right here."

It's kind of a promise, because the last thing Hera needs is someone else handling this for her. Probably the last thing, anyway.

"It's not my fault if he can't walk in a straight line."

[for_everyone]

"All right." She definitely believes you, Kanan.

Hera reaches out, her fingers tapping the side of her glass, curling around as though she might lift it, but instead she shakes her head again.

"It's no use, I can't concentrate anymore."

[notallofus]

"Yeah."

Hey, she's met him before. Plausible deniability only works on other people.

Anyway.

"Want to work on tuning up the shield generator when we get back? It's going to involve lots of banging stuff with wrenches."

And then scrubbing corrosion off the connectors. The wrench part seems like it might be cathartic. That, and this maintenance task has been slipping down the list because it's not that urgent. But it'll be nice to have it done. It's probably the only peace of mind he can try to give her.

[for_everyone]

"Sounds like a good idea."

Her eyes are still down. It does help, as she imagines the steps she'll take, the systems she'll work on. But she's still glancing across the room, checking that the path the door is clear, that no one's approaching them again.

[notallofus]

Kanan sticks behind Hera and a little to one side, just to keep her sight lines as clear as he can.

And, maybe, to keep any other assholes in the cantina from staring at her. Not that it isn't too late for that.

"I may need two hands to count my ideas soon."

Maybe after the next three . . .

[for_everyone]

Hera closes her eyes for a moment, then looks up at Kanan.

"Let's just go now."

She knows she shouldn't have to leave. That maybe it's 'giving in.' But she also doubts she's going to be able to relax as long as she's still in here.

[notallofus]

"It's a shitty cantina, anyway."

Which is to say, yes, it's time to get gone.

[for_everyone]

Hera seems content to leave her drink mostly full.

But as she rises, she cups her hands, and lifts the remaining walda blossoms from their bowl. They've really been the highlight of the night.

[notallofus]

Kanan gives the blossoms a quick, sideways look as they start heading out.

"You know, I bet we can figure out how to make these."

Eventually.

[for_everyone]

"I'm betting it's not that hard."

Hera looks up at him, but she still keeps the other tables in her peripheral vision. "If we can find the blossoms."

That's the tricky part.

[notallofus]

"Good thing we have all those contacts of yours."

He's keeping a mental eye out with the Force, too, or maybe it's more accurate to say he's got a light hand on it, to nudge negative emotions down. Hera really doesn't want a fight, and he'll do his best to oblige her.

"Call in a few favors, borrow Chop to stir the frying oil . . . "

[for_everyone]

Hera relaxes the moment they step out into the cool moonlight. There are still plenty of reasons to be wary - the dark walk back to the ship, the drunken stragglers that could be heading to or out from the cantina. But having the sky above her always calms her.

"There are places where Imperial secrets are easier to get than a decent meal."

[notallofus]

Hopefully they'll get a mission soon. The sky above is great, but being in it (and also away from this place), will be a welcome relief.

"Must be a hot market for bribing with edible food."

What?

[for_everyone]

"'Edible' and 'decent' aren't always the same," she points out.

Hera raises her eyes. This stretch of land is desolate, only the thin glow of landed ships and shuttles and a few farms spread out across the distance. The cantina is good for an out-of-the-way rendezvous, or a drink undisturbed by the Empire, but now the little light on the ground means the stars shine clear in the unblemished sky. She smiles, briefly, listening to their steps on the rocky ground, feeling the soft, crisp petals of the blossoms between her fingers.

But then, she says, "Maybe we should talk about it."

[notallofus]

He turns to look at her, a too-quick motion rife with startlement.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

It happened to her, after all.

[for_everyone]

"I don't want to have to talk about it."

Her smile has faded. Hera looks from the stars down to her hands, the white moonlight highlighting the pale blue of the flowers in her hands. "But I think it might - help if we ..."

She sighs. Nothing sounds right. "... thought about our strategy."

[notallofus]

He's already missing her smile.

"I can do that," Kanan says promptly. (Is he relieved at the thought that maybe there's something he can do to make this less awful? Or to make his contribution . . . something that doesn't make everything worse? Yes. Yes he is. Theoretically.)

"Do you . . . do you have a strategy in mind? I can come up with some, but I'd rather do what you want, with this."