'I swear,' grumbled Roje, 'you tell anyone about this, I will gut you like a fish.'
'Quit whining, Rowdy,' Amoya scolded him, though she was grinning as she said it. Roje ignored her, instead focusing his glare on the three Nexus behind him.
Luna had no idea how she did it. Amoya seemed to enjoy a unique position in their group, where she could do anything she wanted, say anything she wanted - even goading the evidently very prickly Roje - and suffer no consequences. Luna shoved the man in the back, sending him stumbling into the dirt. Amoya snickered.
'One more word,' Mara growled at him. It was good that it was night time, otherwise Luna might not have been able to look at the Inquisitor's helmet that Mara had once again donned for this mission. She had long made her peace with Cora's mother, even started to feel just a little bit of idolisation for her history with Luke. That felt wrong on so many levels, she would have preferred to like Mara for the person that she is, for her abilities, her bravery in walking away from the First Order, from everything she'd called home, and to go back and fight against them, and lastly, though definitely not least, for the woman that she raised. But, no. She knew Luke, so she was a celebrity in her eyes and she had to fight not to turn into a blathering idiot, asking but what was Luke really like. Face was fine with that. Mara, in Luna's experience, was most definitely not.
'She's doing it again,' Mara scowled.
'Luna, stop staring at my mom,' Cora leaned closer to whisper in Luna's ear. 'Stare at me instead,' she winked at her through the eye slits in her helmet. Cora walked ahead and shoved Amoya, urging her to walk faster. Luna blushed. She was no longer looking at Mara, that was for certain.
The prison loomed large ahead of them, a great dark grey wall, ominous, impenetrable. The guards, two stormtroopers, one at either side of the door of the entrance watched them as they approached, their blasters at the ready. When they were in talking distance, one called out, 'stop right there. That's close enough.'
Mara stepped around the two Nautolans and addressed the guards. 'We've come to collect the bounty on these two pirates.'
'Bounty hunters,' one of the stormtroopers said scornfully to his partner. 'Who are these lot?'
'I am the lord of the pirates of the Trench,' Roje puffed up his chest.
'Never heard of them.'
'Hey!' Roje said, affronted.
'Must not be too important.'
Mara took another step, raised her hand. 'These are deadly pirates, and they must be taken into custody at once,' the words were so silky smooth that even Luna found herself half believing them.
'Of course,' said one of the stormtroopers. 'Bring that scum inside at once,' he tapped his helmet as he called it in on his helmet's comm.
Luna smiled to herself. This was why Face had wanted both Cora and Mara on the infiltration team. Two Force users make for a very persuasive argument.
As they stepped through, Luna rushed up to walk beside Cora. Leaning in, she whispered, 'can you do that, too?'
'More or less,' she replied. 'I'm not so good at it. Besides, it only really works on the weak-minded.'
Mara smirked wickedly. 'So that time when we were in bed and you asked me to-'
'Uh, Luna?' Cora's eyes widened. 'You know the Force can augment our senses, right?'
'Yes?' Cora frowned, feeling like she's missing something.
'That includes hearing,' Cora nodded ahead of them. Luna looked to where she was gesturing and saw Mara scowling at her. She shook her head and turned away.
'Oh, Force,' Luna whimpered. 'Kill me now.'
Cora patted her gently on her back. 'Yeah,' she said sadly. 'I'm going to miss you, after this.'
Luna's next words were cut off as they passed through the interior gate and stepped into the reception.
A First Order officer stepped up to them, her face severe as she looked over the two Nautolans. 'More mouths to feed,' she grumbled.
'Who says you need to feed them?' Luna did her best rough bounty hunter voice as she shoved Roje again.
The officer, a lieutenant, stepped back, as if worried that she would be contaminated by contact with a non-human. 'Take them into processing,' she waved at two nearby guards, who stepped in and grabbed the Nautolans so roughly that they fell to their knees. The guards continued to drag them away.
The officer looked at the three Nexus for a moment, then turned away as if to leave.
'Wait,' Mara called after her. The officer sighed and turned back around slowly.
'We would like to speak with some of your inmates,' Mara said, slipping into that same silky voice.
'No, I don't think so. Thank you for your service to the First Order, now begone.'
'No, you didn't hear me,' Mara said, and this time there was an edge to her voice. 'You will let us in. We need to speak to your prisoners.'
The officer looked frozen with fear for a moment, then her eyes glazed over. 'I will let you in,' she said, dazed, and then walked away. She spoke to the stormtroopers guarding the entrance to the prison interior, who then opened the door. She walked away, her posture hunched in on itself, her movements lacking all energy, all life.
Luna looked at Mara, more than a little fearful.
'You first,' Mara ordered her.
Luna had no desire to argue. She led them in to the prison.
