The Lie (Captain Rex)

(II) - Grievances

Preface:
After the long, strenuous adventure on Pantora, everyone gathers for a lavish official dinner in the Senate to recover--and, possibly, negotiate.

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"How many dead?"

Faint but present, the clinking of glasses and forks upon plates reminded you of raindrops. Pale golden light from the crystalline chandelier hanging overhead glinted off all the fine silverware.

It was beyond you, how Kenobi had managed to find and book a room this lavish for a meeting; it stood smug and flashy with its golden frames and gleaming rims, but remained muffled by the extravagant silence of the starry blue-carpeted floor and the fine wine-red curtains covering the crystal windows--wait, was it night already? Coruscant's lights blinked sleeplessly back at you, the city now shadowed under a starless sky blinded by light pollution. There were no moons in the sky, not tonight.

You took a deep inhale, scenting the freshly cooked fish, herbs and oil on it; the tangy wine and the earthen smell of well-polished, expensive wood in the faux rafters overhead.

"Four," Cody replied quietly. He was out of his armour tonight, having chosen a simple officer's fit. His armour was being repaired and cleaned. "and twelve injured, myself included." He had not eaten a single bite of the fish throughout the whole meeting.

Next to Anakin, who was eagerly eating the fancy fish dinner, Ahsoka's wide, sincere eyes implored Cody. "What were their names?"

Shut eyes on his scarred, reluctant face. Honoring their loss. "Boil. Spike. Bolt. Mixxen."

"You have my condolences, Commander," Obi-Wan said over his wineglass. "You fought bravely with us against the creatures in the cave; but please don't blame yourself over our impriso-"

Cody glanced back up from his dinner, stone-cold eyes boring into Obi-Wan's. "I should have fought harder. If I had, then you wouldn't have been drugged and taken hostage by the droids. I should have expected the ambush; I am a fool."

"And Anakin," Obi-Wan said over him.

"What?" Cody furrowed his brow.

"Anakin also got taken away," you said in between bites of the fish. "Weird that you forgot to mention him."

Cody coughed into his fist, threw you an uneasy glance, and promptly excused himself from the dinner.

Padme, who was sitting beside you, listlessly put down her wineglass. She wore a feathery purple gown; nothing too flashy, but still quietly gorgeous. Her hair was without headdress tonight, going for simple white line markings around her eyes and dark, jewel-like lipstick.

It seemed like literally everyone at the table noticed every time Anakin glanced at her, and pretended not to see him do it.

"Poor boy. He's probably still guilty about everything," she said in a kind voice, to which Captain Rex, sitting opposite you, did a sort of indignant double take.

"I assure you, Senator, that Marshal Commander Cody is no boy. He is, with all due respect, designed to withstand things like- like this," he said, keeping his voice respectfully low.

He hadn't eaten much himself, politely refusing the drinks when offered. Rex maintained sobriety to compensate for the 501st's lack thereof. You could only imagine how gleeful Fives would be at all this real food--not to mention the vintage champagne.

"Even then," Padme said sympathetically. "He must feel terrible."

You paused in eating to say, "I think he's just worried about Master Kenobi." All heads turned to stare at you, even Senator Chuchi's from the far end of the table. Uncomfortable, you added, "well- uh, we all know how much he cares about his friend the General. Y'know."

"What really worries me," Obi-Wan hastily said, changing the subject, "was your vision. If I might inquire, was it true that, were it not for your arrival, Ahsoka would have been shot by a battle droid?"

Eager, Ahsoka nodded, and a ripple of admiration passed throughout the gathering. A mild twinge of embarrassment in your chest--you didn't really like being the center of attention.
"Yes, more or less, Master--but I'm positive that without me, she still would have sensed it and stopped the blaster."

"Oh, you," Ahsoka giggled lightheartedly beside you and punched your shoulder. "C'mon, you still did a great thing!"

"Erm- yeah, I guess. Yeah..." you murmured. A silence passed permeated by the din of clinking plates and cutlery; you had finished your fish and politely left your fork on the plate, waiting for everyone else to finish.

An odd prickle formed on your neck; a feeling that you were being observed made you glance over and- yep, the Captain had his gaze absentmindedly fixed on your own the entire time.

You slowly raised your own eyes to his across the table, raising an inquisitive eyebrow, to which he hastily averted his own, seeming to come to his senses. Hmm. Strange. What does he want from me now?

You kept your face relaxed and stony, not hostile but still keen. His gloved fingers were lightly tapping the table, his gaze fixed down on his plate despite the food already having been eaten. You needed to know.

"Master Kenobi," you said. "Er- how exactly did you manage to get this room booked?"

Sitting on your other side, Obi-Wan smirked and his eyes twinkled. "Oh, it's a very nice provision by the Lady Amidala herself." At this, Padme turned to listen. "She graciously agreed to let us use it for the dinner meeting, despite its usual usage of--other means." He glanced pointedly at Anakin.

Skywalker looked up from his meal. "Hey, why's everyone looking at me like that?" Padme gave his wrist a light, barely perceptible slap that might have otherwise been seen as a stroke.

Obi-Wan brought the rim of the wine glass to his lips. "Not to mention that there is a double bed in the other room," he added merrily, and threw back the shot with a mirthful wink at Anakin.

Rex's eyes widened and his brows knitted like the most dazed and confused child to ever set foot in Coruscant. Poor guy, he had no idea just how far it went. He glanced horrifiedly from Anakin to Padme, and back to Anakin again; he then gave you an utterly bewildered look and you shook your head.

"Well, I must say, this was quite the- er, eventful mission and I thank you on behalf of the freed Pantoran province," Riyo Chuchi finally chimed in, gently swirling her drink. Her dazzling eyes gleamed at you, then glanced at a Shock Trooper guarding the doorway. "But I had best be going to sleep, now. I don't drink often and I prefer to wake up early, so please excuse me," she said, getting up from the table and gracefully drifting to the doorway. A trooper took her arm gently and accompanied her out the door, escorting her just as the doors clicked shut.

Finally Anakin snickered and threw Obi-Wan a smirk. "So she's like the opposite of Obi-Wan," he said.

Kenobi raised his eyebrows. "Really. In what sense?"

"She doesn't drink."

Obi-Wan snorted in a very ungentlemanly fashion and threw you an eyeroll. "Sometimes I cannot believe I managed to train him for all those years. He's a good fighter, just make sure you don't follow his example when it comes to following orders. A good soldier is usually brave and courageous, and maybe a little unorthodox, but most good soldiers also follow orders," he lectured.

"Hey, I'm RIGHT HERE!" Anakin said indignantly.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "I know."