Reunion (#3 Post-Order 66 Series)

Reunion - Part 22

A/N: Heads up for some canon-typical violence in this chapter. Nothing too graphic, but did want to give a warning.

"Have you ever been back to Coruscant?"

The question snapped Senna out of the trance she'd been in, blinking rapidly as she turned towards Echo. "Hm?"

"I asked if you've been back to Coruscant since the fall of the Republic," he repeated, nervously picking at his glove.

The four of them were in the hold of the freighter they'd hitched a ride on. Rex and Fives were dozing, Rex stretched out on the floor with a rolled up cloak tucked under his head and Fives leaning against a cargo crate, his head tipped back as he snored loudly. Senna finally met Echo's gaze.

"I haven't," she said quietly. "Wasn't really sure how I'd feel seeing the Coruscant skyline without the temple. I know it was destroyed when the order was carried out. I've just...I've spent probably too many nights imagining what that looked like, but the separation has always helped."

Echo nodded wordlessly, reaching over and giving her shoulder a squeeze. She reached up, covering his hand and squeezing back slightly. The ship shuddered, rousing Rex and Fives, who wiped drool from the corner of his mouth as he grumbled.

"Just came out of hyperspace around Coruscant," the pilot's voice buzzed over the ship's comm. "We'll be on the ground in about ten minutes."

Senna stood, stretching her spine and working some of the stiffness from her joints. The cargo hold hadn't exactly been the most comfortable ride, but it had been the quickest ship to Coruscant they could find. All in all, it was incredibly fortunate that they'd been able to pull things together so quickly. Tech had gotten them chain codes in record time, and the freighter's flight plan from the base had been a most fortuitous coincidence, giving them the ride they needed to Coruscant.

After this, we're on our own though.

Senna couldn't deny that her stomach was twisted with nerves. We're so close. He has to be there. She knew her anxiety wasn't entirely focused on Wolffe though. She'd spent the night before laying awake and thinking about the Sith lord. As much as she had told herself Anakin was dead, that her dream was an impossibility, something about it nagged at the back of her mind. She was relieved they'd left Omega behind. At least that much of the dream can't come true. No...none of it can. He's dead. Anakin is gone. The thoughts persisted. The Sith may not even be there. She knew the chance of that was slim.

Perhaps fortunately, Senna had been so distracted by the impending mission that she hadn't had time to worry about Tech and the age deceleration treatment. His conversation with her and the knowledge that they wouldn't know anything until the two week period was fully up somehow had put her mind at ease. There's no way to make it go faster, so just put it out of your mind. You'll know when you know.

Rex's hand resting against the small of her back snapped her out of her thoughts, and she whipped her head around to meet his eyes. He was watching her carefully, as he had been for the last few rotations, and she struggled to not be unnerved by it. It's like he can see everything in my mind.

"You alright?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," she lied. "Just ready to get this going."

His eyes searched hers for another half a second before he seemed to come to the conclusion that was as much as she was going to reveal. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to her lips, and she sighed into it, feeling some of her nerves melt away. He pulled back, resting his forehead against hers.

"Just in case."

She giggled. That phrase had become sort of an inside joke between the two of them, or at least an excuse to kiss one another before plunging into danger. It had started when she'd frantically kissed him on Lothal as they were preparing to drive a speeder bike through an Imperial squad that had surrounded the dwelling they'd been hiding in. The night I first admitted I loved him. How far we've come.