For Valentine; Movie Night at Nar Shaddaa Stronghold

[freedomevades]

It had been a harrowing handful of days for Oberon and Natirru both. But more than anything, more than even the threat of his master’s wrath, Oberon was afraid for Natirru’s safety. He had known they both had business in the area - their meeting at the spaceport had been enough proof of that. But when the agent had shown up to a mission they had both signed up for looking like death warmed over and had said it was cover, meant to obtain a sample of a drug, Oberon realized just how dangerous Intelligence work was for its own assets. It was not merely a makeup job, whatever had been done to him had made him feel like his body was coming apart from the inside out, and it didn’t take Oberon’s Force sense to see it wasn’t an act.

When he appeared again, healthy but clearly unsettled, with tales of even more invasive disguise measures - these being implants meant to mask his bio readings, from someone who expected enough distrust to offer to do so without anasthesia, and Natirru had declined - not that Oberon was particularly ungrateful, mind, for less suffering or chance of an unfortunate movement permanently paralyzing him. But even the knowledge that he’d had a companion to watch over him did nothing to dissuade him from all the paranoia his father-figure had seemingly ignored or never had. They stepped out of the automated taxi still debating this point.

“What if they...don’t do only what this madman advertised, Natirru? What if they have trackers?”

“She would have recognized listening or tracking devices.”

“All right, but what about injectors? They’re on your spine, for stars’ sake! They could have been made to do anything, and do it directly to the majority of your body!”

“We’ll cross that bridge when the path leads us there, if it ever will. You’re catastrophizing, Oberon. I can take care of myself.”

“I’m starting to wonder if you can. Val will be able to look out for you.”

“We’re here for his hospitality. Just a place to rest. I don’t want to drag him into this.”

Oberon folded his arms, watching Natirru walk with open worry. His voice came out smaller and weaker than he intended, betraying every bit of the fear he had been letting out under anger’s mask. “I can’t lose you.”

Natirru stopped cold, radiating deep pain. “Don’t. You won’t lose me. I promise. But even covert missions have potentially lethal risks. I will do everything I can to ensure I’ll come home safe, but I can’t compromise my mission or my morals.”

If Val had been planning to come out to meet them, they’re both putting out quite a lot of tension and uneasy fear.