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]

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.

[notallofus]

"A real pleasure," Kanan says, again forbearing from winking.

He even offers a tiny finger-waggling wave as they go.

Then he leans down to tilt his cheek near Hera's, giving the impression -- to onlookers, of course -- that he's pressed his lips there.

"So that went well."

[for_everyone]

Hera laughs, quick and trilling and nothing like how she normally sounds.

Undertone, "It could have gone worse."

That sounds more like her.

[notallofus]

"Okay, true."

He lifts his head at that, smiling that same cheerful smile as before, with Elsi.

"Maybe we should wander a little, make small talk between ourselves, keep an ear out for anything . . . interesting?"

[for_everyone]

"Good idea."

She lifts her glass to her lips again, and then suggests, "Maybe we can head toward the Moff by that hoverfountain."

A current Moff will probably have more to say than a former one, even one lucky enough to survive with a demotion.

[notallofus]

"Of course a Moff's by that eyesore."

Kanan's smile doesn't fade off his face, though he does lift his own glass to his mouth, holding it there for a second.

"Shall we go admire it, then? Which one of us gets to be snobby about art?"

[for_everyone]

"It sounds like you already have the role down," Hera grins, and nudges him with her elbow.

[notallofus]

"I set myself up for that one," Kanan admits, sheepishly.

Then he rests his hand on Hera's arm and sweeps off in that direction.

"Art, they call this," he says, as they approach the hoverfountain. "It's certainly a novel application of the technology, but isn't that more engineering?"

He can keep this up for hours. He's not going to, but he could!

[for_everyone]

"I don't know, dear," Hera answers, returning to her Ryloth accent. "I think it's charming."

If 'charming' means 'gaudy and ostentatious.' But the Moff looks up from his drink, his eyebrows raised. He glances at Hera, but immediately turns to Kanan.

"Your... companion has taste," he remarks, his Core drawl halting briefly on the second word.

[notallofus]

"My wife? It's true, she does."

He can't help it, the whole . . . thing just makes his skin crawl, even here. Especially here.

"Rihn, darling, here's someone who shares your artistic sensibilities. I thought their like didn't exist elsewhere in the galaxy, and I am at last proven wrong."

It's fond as he says it, though, because of course it would be.

[for_everyone]

"It's always nice to know you're not alone," Hera says, offering the Moff her free hand. He glances over to her again, but only nods in response, and Hera quickly withdraws. The Moff takes another swig of his drink.

"And how did you two get in here?" he asks, voice already bored, as though he couldn't be bothered to find a more polite way to ask the question.

[notallofus]

"An invitation, just like anyone else."

Kanan smiles and smiles.

"Rihn makes a lot of influential business deals, and what keeps the credits flowing keeps everyone happy."

[for_everyone]

"It's an honor to meet you, Moff Laval."

At this point, Hera isn't expecting much response from the Moff. But that might not be such a bad thing.

"I've heard good things about your work in the Vorzyd Sector," she continues.

Very grudgingly, the Moff looks back to her. "You do a lot of business in the Vorzyd sector?"

"Of course," Hera smiles again. "And we're thankful the Empire has reduced our rates of delayed and lost shipments there."

[notallofus]

"Mmph," Laval says, not quite able to help the acknowledgment -- because who doesn't like being praised -- but not particularly overjoyed by who his giving it.

"We'll be eliminating more of it shortly."

Kanan's metaphorical ears perk up.

[for_everyone]

"That's a relief," Hera says, still smiling.

"I think we'll all be glad to see the last of pirate scum crowding the trade runs."

[notallofus]

"They always seem so dashing in the holos," Kanan puts in. "But in reality they are just vicious thugs."

And people keep conflating them with the various rebels against the Empire, which . . . no.

"I'll be glad to think our shipping runs will be safer, too."

[for_everyone]

The Moff scoffs. "Pirates are the least trouble we have."

Hera's smile fades, and she raises her hand to her chest, as though struck by this. "Really? There's something worse than pirates?"

[notallofus]

"It seems as if you haven't run into them yourselves, yet," the Moff says darkly. "Be grateful for that. Those who do not appreciate the work the Empire does, the peace we have brought, they seek also to remove that peace for others. They would steal your goods, your ships, and your personnel, and repurpose them to upset the Empire's good works on the planets of Mid-Rim, the Rim, and eventually the Core itself."

Someone, it seems, really needs them to be impressed with the oncoming terror.

Kanan grimaces. It's the best approximation of terror he can come up with. And he's not sure Zak would believe in such a threat, anyway.

Right?

[for_everyone]

Hera widens her eyes, her hand still over her chest.

"That's very troubling. We'd hate to see the good fortune the Empire has brought us threatened. But surely there can't be many of them."

The Moff takes a step closer to them, eyes now trained on Hera, clearly enjoying the effect he seems to be having on her. "You'd be surprised at how often traitors can be found in high places."

[notallofus]

Kanan, too, catches his breath a little, in the back of his throat.

This Moff is disgusting. Why a certain kind of person loves to see fear . . .

"But surely you'll rip them out root and branch, right? You and the rest of the Imperial officers and governors. The loyal ones, anyway, if there really are traitors that have gotten so far."

[for_everyone]

The Moff looks back to Kanan, and smiles, a sudden sharp movement that cuts across his face.

"Of that you can be rest assured."

Before another word is spoke, there's a commotion near the doors. A very elaborately dressed couple, who must be a king and queen of some planet or other, have entered the party. Their tall silver costumes, weaving around them like cocoons, glitter under the party lights, and many other attendees begin to head in their direction.

Including, apparently, Moff Laval. He lifts his glass to Hera and Kanan. "Until later."

Hera watches him as he leaves, leaning back into Kanan's arm. "That's someone to drop by later."

Maybe after he's had a few more drinks, at least.