that time they were undercover married

[notallofus]

So imagine there's a woman. You love her, and you want her, and you're partners in everything, and there's very little you hide anymore, and it's good that way, the greatest, but you're not . . . You're not together. Like that.

Now imagine that there's a mission, and it involves a sudden opening in someone's social calendar, and this opening involves a fancy party for married couples where lips are guaranteed to be loose, wine and spice flow like rain, and some very valuable materials and information will be less guarded for six hours than they ever will be again.

Imagine that the person who provided the opening is a Twi'lek, and she has a husband, and it's their slots that someone has to be prepared to take at this shindig.

"I think whoever made these pants cut them a little too tight."

Uh.

"My dear."

Comments

[for_everyone]

"Well, sweetheart -"

Hera shifts, trying to relax as she loops her arm with his, though she knows she has no way of hiding her own nerves from him.

"- we're all making sacrifices."

She has eye shadow on, after all.

[notallofus]

"Tell that to my feet."

Kanan manages to keep his smile pleasant, nodding at someone passing by them on the right.

"Please tell me we won't have to dance."

[for_everyone]

"Tell it to mine."

Her own smile never flickers. Though she'll still feel tense, as they keep walking, she shows little outward sign of it.

"But I doubt there'll be much talking on the dance floor."

[notallofus]

"That's a relief."

For a couple of reasons.

"Though I don't know how good I'll be at talking, either. I never did get far with diplomacy."

Back when he was Caleb, that is.

Kanan keeps his hand on Hera's elbow, grip gentle and only pretending at being guiding. This could go really badly, and they both know that. But it might also be the easiest job they've ever had. It all depends on how good they are at acting.

Well. It mostly depends on that.

[for_everyone]

"Then maybe you can focus on listening."

Hera tightens her hold on his arm briefly, guiding-but-not-obviously-guiding him toward a corner where a droid is serving glasses of emerald wine. It's as good a place to start as any.

"At least at first."

[notallofus]

A faint thread of tension in Kanan's frame relaxes. There's still a lot of other reasons to be nervous, and worried, and on high alert.

But --

"That I can do. Thanks."

He'll get to the talking, he swears. But a bit of time to listen to how people talk here . . . that'll be welcome.

"Here, let me get you one of these."

Kanan snags two glasses of the wine, one for each of them. And look, now they're blending in!

[for_everyone]

"Thank you, dear." Hera accepts the glass, pressing it to her lips but not sipping from it.

She leans into his shoulder as she does, tilting her head closer to his. "So, who looks interesting?"

[notallofus]

"There's a Moff at 0.8."

Kanan doesn't look in that direction, instead putting his own glass to his lips and glancing idly over the crowd in the other direction.

[for_everyone]

Hera's gaze sweeps over the crowd, as she turns her face toward his, like she's whispering in his ear.

"At 0.3, she's a naval chief, Mid-Rim."

[notallofus]

"Which one of them looks more soused?"

Or maybe it's early days yet, for that. Hmm. He turns his mouth toward her cheek, close enough that it might look like a kiss.

"Are we trying to avoid planetary nobility, darling?"

[for_everyone]

"Are we?"

She turns back to the crowd. "There's a rumor Duke Ilesar is sleeping with an ISB chief."

[notallofus]

"I hope you don't think I'm sleeping with an ISB chief."

Just in case anyone is listening.

[for_everyone]

"Don't give me any ideas, dear."

She smiles up to him, and takes another false sip of her wine. "Maybe we should -"

"Look at you!" A middle-aged human appears behind Hera, wobbling as she approaches and grabbing Hera's shoulder for balance. "You look so beautiful, you know, I have always envied you Twi'leks, you're always so lean -"

"That's so kind of you," Hera interrupts, switching to her Rylothian accent. She doesn't miss a beat, her voice earnest, though Kanan might notice the strain in her smile now, or her slightly tighter hold on him.

"I'm Rihn, and this is my husband. It's nice to meet you."

[notallofus]

"Zak," Kanan says, smiling and taking the woman's hand from Hera's shoulder to hold it in his own. He presses an air kiss above the back of it, waits a moment to make sure she's not going to fall over, and lets her go.

"I'm the decorative one."

[for_everyone]

"You do have such a pretty face," the woman coos.

Before actually reaching up and patting his jaw.

Hera exhales, a little loud, but the stranger doesn't seem to be paying them much attention, now turning over her shoulder to call to another human a short distance away. "Delian dear, come here, aren't they such a pretty young couple?"

The woman she's beckoning looks older, stress lined in her face and watery eyes, and in temperament could not appear more different from her companion. Her white hair was tied back in a tight bun, and she wore an Imperial uniform, her plaque indicating a rank of Lieutenant General, though the uniform looked faded and slightly wrinkled. Her mouth was pinched into a tight frown, and only seemed to sour further when she blinked to them, her eyes lingering on Hera.

[notallofus]

"Ah, Lieutenant General," Kanan says, trying to draw the woman's eyes away from Hera. At least it isn't hands, this time.

"I hope we're not intruding."

This could be a real problem. Somehow he'd never expected the former Moff of Ryloth here. Thank the Force Hera doesn't really look like Cham to most non-Twi'lek eyes.

[for_everyone]

Delian Mors' eyes stay on Hera for a few more seconds, her mouth twisted in undisguised bitterness, but no hint of recognition passing her eyes. Hera only smiles back at her, earnest and patient, her eyes flickering between Mors and her partner with a nervousness one might expect when silence stretches too long. Then, Mors turns her eyes to Kanan.

"It's not my party," she answers, her voice gruff. Her partner pats her shoulder.

"Oh, dear, but don't they look lovely? Delian used to work in the Ryloth system, you know."

"That's ancient history, Elsi," Mors snaps, undertone. Hera presses her glass to her lips again, this time allowing herself a very small sip.

"I'm afraid I haven't returned to Ryloth in many years," she says, once she's lowered her glass again.

[notallofus]

"I don't really like going back to planets, myself," Kanan says with a smile.

"There's always another one to drop down on, investigate, check out the night life . . . "

Elsi smiles conspiratorially.

"For me it's the shopping. Any world with fancy enough good, and I'd be there in a heartbeat."

[for_everyone]

"Oh, don't get him started," Hera laughs, rolling her eyes.

"Anywhere we stop near a decent galleria, he's gone for the day, and who ends up with the bill?" She playfully nudges his shoulder.

Mors, meanwhile, stands stiffly by, hands tightly folded behind her back. Her bitter expression hasn't change, but her eyes are unfocused, and she doesn't seem to be paying any particular attention to this conversation.

[notallofus]

"I don't even need to be started in order to never stop," Kanan says with a wink, directed more at Elsi than at Hera.

"But it keeps me out of the house, right?"

His gaze twists to Mors for a moment, and he looks shamefaced.

"Oh dear, are we boring you, Lieutenant General?"

[for_everyone]

Mors blinks to him, her mouth twisting again. "Nothing I'm unused to."

"You'll have to forgive Delian," Elsi wraps her own arm around Mors, made somewhat more difficult when Mors makes no shift in her stiff stance. "She's always thinking about work."

"I'd imagine you must stay busy," Hera says, with a tentative glance at Mors.

[notallofus]

Kanan's smile remains on his face, though the wink does not make a reappearance.

"I always forgive for that, my dear. Where would the Empire be without such devoted officers?"

Ugh. Here's hoping his tiny sip of drink doesn't come right back up.

Elsi tugs Mors in a little, then lets her go almost immediately.

"You see? Some people do appreciate devotion to duty!"

[for_everyone]

Mors' mouth stays in a tight line. Her eyes turn to Hera again. "You're both so appreciative?"

Hera's smile fades slightly, though her eyes don't flicker. "I am only interested in business, and thanks to the peace of the Empire, my business has been thriving."

[notallofus]

Kanan's smile remains charming and a little bit . . . light.

"And that business is what lets us travel as much as I like, so there you go."

Elsi pats Mors' arm again, still smiling.

[for_everyone]

Mors keeps her eyes on Hera, even as Kanan speaks. Her tight expression never changes.

Then -

“I need a drink.”

“Oooh, I saw a droid with Toniray over by the windows.” Elsi takes Mors’ arm again, beaming at Kanan and Hera. “It was so nice to meet you!”

“You as well,” Hera says, her smile returning.