The prison was exactly as Luna expected it to be: plain, utilitarian. The kind of place where you'd die of boredom long before your sentence was completed, even if that sentence was two words long.
She wasn't sure what kind of mind trick Mara had pulled on that lieutenant, but it had caused all the guards to essentially ignore them. That, or the stormtroopers figured that, once inside, you had a blanket clearance to do whatever you want. Either way, she wasn't going to question her good fortune, and the three women mingled among the prison population, who were allowed to roam freely in some sort of interior recreational area. Exactly what kind of recreation they could do, she had no idea, as no one seemed to be doing anything. A few talked in ones and twos, some walked up and down the large rectangular space, but most of them simply sat at the number of tables spread around the room.
Luna looked at Cora, who was grimacing slightly. 'What's wrong?'
'Them,' she replied, nodding towards the mass of Nautolan prisoners. 'They all feel so...defeated,' she shuddered.
Luna realised how hard it must be for Cora to be here, with her deep sense of empathy to what others were feeling. She had asked - many, many times - what it felt like to feel what others feel, and Cora had tried her best to explain, but she had had difficulty putting the sensation into words, and Luna had struggled to understand from her explanations. On one level, she wished that she could understand, but on another level, she didn't really need to understand. She could tell that the mass of pain weighed heavily on her lover's heart, and she felt helpless, wishing that there was something she could do.
Cora turned to smile at her. 'It's okay. You just being here helps.'
Luna risked a quick one armed hug, then stepped back, all business again. 'Can you read their minds? Help us find who we need?'
Cora shook her head. 'It doesn't work like that.'
'Oh,' said Luna. 'How come? You read my mind just now,' she paused, then looked fearfully at Mara. 'Can she read my mind?'
''You're safe,' she reassured her. 'You ever know someone so well you know what they're going to say before they say it? It's like that. I can sense the general...tone? Of your thoughts? But it's not like I hear words or anything. I just know what you're thinking because I know you. Mom wouldn't be able to get exact thoughts, just a general idea.'
Luna nodded. That was some relief. 'So is there any way we can apply that to these people?'
Cora shook her head. 'I've been thinking about that, and no. It's hardly something they'd be thinking about. Besides, it's not like we have any solid line of questioning, beyond, 'hey, do you know what happened to Zatt's parents?''
'What do you want with Zatt?' a young Nautolan man, taller than Luna and as broad as Vix, walked up to them. Luna had to fight the urge to step back and into a defensive posture. He did not look at all defeated. Grimly determined, maybe, like he was just waiting for his moment.
Luna looked at Cora, hoping for some sort of signal, but she was busy concentrating on the man. 'You know Zatt Fenndy?' Luna asked him.
'What's it to you, bounter hunter?'
Luna grimaced and took off her helmet. She was hoping to use her position of authority as a bounty hunter to leverage information. Looking at this man, almost feeling his hostility, she hadn't realised until now that pretending to be a bounty hunter would work against her. It was a stupid oversight and she mentally kicked herself for it. She looked around her, seeing where the closest guards were. She steeled herself, then leaned in. 'I'm not a bounty hunter,' she said quietly.
'Sure, and I'm the king of this here island,' he replied scornfully.
'It's true,' Cora took her helmet off, too. She had evidently picked up on Luna's idea, for she added, 'we're New Republic military.'
