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Hera has the lounge to herself for once – yes, it's because she'd sent everyone else off the Ghost on errands, but it was also time she needed alone. Her last conversation is replaying itself over and over in her mind, as she takes stock of the ship's supplies, runs through her datapad, calculates their next flight path.

A holo image of a blue-green planet glows above the dejarik board, rotating slowly. She's left the projector on top of the table, every so often looking back to it as she works, reaching for her datapad again and flipping through it.

Maybe preparing for her next conversation. Though she's used to it by now, she never really likes having to give 'I can't tell you how I know, but this is what we're doing next' news.

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Kanan moves into the lounge, pausing with one foot raised up above the ground as he notices the holo image above the dejarik board.

"I can come back if you're working, or if you're not ready to talk about what's going to happen next."

Holos of new planets generally mean one thing, these days. And while Kanan's fine being kept in the dark about the bigger picture (and it's in no way an accident) -- sometimes prep helps with everyone else.

Edited 2017-06-17 17:32 (UTC)

"I'm ready," she says, only briefly looking up from her datapad.

But after a few seconds, she seems to finish whatever work she's doing, and sets it aside. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Okay, now I'm worried."

But he smiles as he says that, even if it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

And then he settles down into a seat across from Hera, making himself as comfortable as a man about to be given mission specs possibly can be.

"Hit me."

Hera smiles back, maybe meant to be reassuring, before turning her eyes to the holo.

"This is Lothal," she says, quietly. "Outer Rim, mostly farming and mining. Have you heard of it?"

Kanan frowns, rubbing his chin for a second as he thinks it over.

Lothal, Lothal, Lo --

"The Moffs were fighting over it at one point, weren't they? Or a Moff. I did hear scuttlebutt about that. Was that real?"

"There were rumors about it."

Nothing she can confirm, and it's not really important at the moment.

"And the Empire's definitely set up shop there. Previous governor was charged with treason and replaced and its mining operations have all been seized. It's a lot of activity for one Outer Rim world."

"Do they have doonium deposits or something? Because that might make all that activity make sense."

Maybe. But if it were true there would have already been a high Imperial presence on Lothal, and the world would be a lot more rich than he thinks it is.

"Recently discovered deposits, if the info is right."

Hera shakes her head. "And the Empire took over not long after."

"How -- "

Kanan cuts himself off, shaking his head.

"Never mind. Is the Imp activity too high even for doonium?"

Is that why they're going in? Or maybe that many Imperials together run a loose ship, which means supplies for the taking . . .

"It looks like they're making Lothal their foothold in that sector of the Outer Rim."

She hesitates, then lets out a breath. "This isn't a one-off job, Kanan. It's long-term, disrupting Imperial operations there."

"If that's where we need to be . . . "

He trails off, spreading his hands.

"We might have a time selling it to the rest of the crew, though."

She looks at him through the hologram.

"How are you feeling about it?"

Edited 2017-06-18 15:42 (UTC)

He's quiet for a couple of seconds, thinking about the real answer to that question.

"I'm not sure, exactly. It's the job, so there's that. And it'll be harder to keep hidden if we're sticking around, but . . . I think we can handle that."

"It'll probably be harder to stay unnoticed," she agrees. "But it'll also let us dig into a place for once."

Get to know it, make more connections. Hera waits a moment, and then -

"Do you feel anything else about it?"

"Wh -- "

Oh, yeah. That.

"Nothing loud. Nothing -- give me a second."

It's easier than it used to be, to stop hiding himself from himself and reach out with his Force-sense. Nothing bowls him over, though there are storm-clouds on the horizon, but after that, the barest sliver of light.

"It's where we need to be. I'm not sure why, not yet. But -- there's work that needs us to do it."

Hera waits, and after he speaks, she finally reaches out, and turns the holo off.

"I guess that's our answer, then."

Kanan exhales.

"I'm pretty sure it was going to be our answer regardless of what I felt, since the job needs doing, but. It's nice to have the extra support."

Even if it doesn't feel all that more comfortable. Being necessary is . . . . not new, but heavy.

Ah, well.

"The Force is with us."

"Not regardless."

If his answer had been a resounding negative, Hera wouldn't have ignored that.

"But I appreciate the support."

"Not regardless?"

He raises an eyebrow, just for a second.

"We really get to make that call? Well. You get to."

Edited 2017-06-19 03:15 (UTC)

Hera waits a moment, watching him.

"Do you think I'd ignore you?"

Kanan's eyebrows go up in surprise.

"Wha -- no! I figured we'd change our strategies, keep out more of a weather eye, be a different kind of careful than normal. You know, if I felt anything bad. But someone's got to do the job, right?"

She goes silent again, still watching him. She doesn't look angry, or irritated, only thoughtful.

"Someone doesn't have to be us," she answers, nothing particular in her voice.

Kanan swallows, leaning back against the wall, legs crossed in a falsely casual position.

"I'm not . . . I don't know that I would be comfortable having a feeling of impending catastrophe, and then handing it off to someone who wouldn't even know what to watch out for. And how could we warn them without -- "

He waves his hand at what is, basically, himself.

"So I guess the question is, if it ever comes to that, should we? Let people in on my . . . what I can do?"

Finally, her eyes flicker down.

"I think that's your decision, love."

He takes a breath. It's hard to think about, terrifying, even (because some things don't change, and the feelings of Caleb Dume often feel like they're frozen in glass), but --

Lately it's started to come down to that 'but'. But what about other people? What about what he can do for them? What about -- a lot of things.

"We're still going to need to be prepared. If I -- once the Empire knows, the way they go after us is going to change."

Hera hesitates a moment, then moves slightly closer to him.

"Do you know how it will change?"

Kanan looks back at her, a rueful -- and pained -- slant to his mouth.

"They'll come harder, and they'll send special operatives -- I can't believe they don't have any. They won't be put off by time, or inactivity. We could stop working for months and they'd still be looking. It'd be dangerous."

He takes a deep breath.

"But I think -- I think there might come a time when it's necessary, finally. And we need to be prepared."

Another breath.

"Or I can go, but I don't want to, and I don't think you'd want that, either. So here we are."

Now, Hera reaches out to take his hand.

"You're not going anywhere, Kanan."

Kanan reaches back, holding tight.

"I know. But I had to make the offer."

He isn't the only one with choices, here. It's important to him, to make that keep being true.

"It was always going to get harder."

Without thinking, Hera puts her other hand over his, as well, holding Kanan's hand in both of hers.

"You'll know when it's worth the risk, but - we're already taking plenty. We can take this, too."

Kanan takes a deep breath, though he doesn't relax, not exactly. But the thrumming tension he was holding within himself has lifted, just a little.

"All right. Just -- so you know."

Another breath.

"I just really hate the thought of people dying for me."

Again, is what he does not say. Master Depa . . . there's guilt for that, still.

Hera's eyes stay down, watching his hand in hers.

"I wish I could tell you no one will get hurt."

Let alone, that no one will die.

"Me, too."

Another soft exhale.

"But I wouldn't believe you even if you did. We know too much, the both of us."

"Then I can't tell you no one will die for you, either."

Now she does look up, and back to him. "But if it happens, we'll walk into it with our eyes open."

"That's all I can really ask for, isn't it."

There's not much of a question in his voice, and he manages to get one corner of his mouth to curve in a rueful almost-smile.

"We'll make it work, as long as we can."

Until they can't anymore, but that day is, Force willing, very far off.

"Yes."

Hera blinks down. She thinks of moving closer to him again, maybe wants to, but then hesitates. Instead, she tightens her hold on his hand, for a moment.

"We will."

As the grip of her hands on his tightens, Kanan brings up his own free hand to cover the top of hers, as well.

He holds on.

"The Empire won't know what hit it."

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