Dorn: A Star Wars Story

36. Negotiators, Part II

"Kriff," Shenna and I both muttered at the same time, and she grabbed my elbow and quickly dragged me off to one of the small side vestibules where she promptly gave me a quick hug before grabbing me by the arms, "Do you know Vesanne?"

"We..." I hesitated, and she gave me a look that told me that she would know if I was lying to her. And she would. "I did. Once upon a time. I figured she and I were going to meet after the war, but she obviously had other plans."

"By plans, do you mean Pol? Her husband?"

"Is that his name?"

"Yeah. He's annoying mostly, always trying to win Venn's favor. Never figured out why she likes him as much as she does... Knowing she downgraded from best godfather ever to my dad never hugged me is making me more disappointed in her than her worshipping Venn's every decision did originally," Shenna frowned before she gave her head a shake and held up her hand, "Not that seeing you has made me upset, but why are you even here?"

"Shen, I can't tell you that."

"Dorn."

"Please don't press me, alright. It's better for all of us if fewer people know why I'm here," I shook my head and she reluctantly seemed to accept the answer. Stars, did I want to tell her...

"Because he left me for dead, I'll tell you why bantha fodder extraordinaire is here," she jerked her chin back to the ballroom and frowned, stepping in closer to me and dropping her voice. "He's teamed up with some black market antique dealers. They're trying to find this old artifact - Sith, very dangerous according to the Jedi. So dangerous that they all left and are following after Jall. They want to talk to a specific merchant here, goes by the name of Rathan. Rumor has it that he knows where to find the artifact."

I glanced around and stepped in, "What is it?"

"No clue, but after your Sith ghost assaulted the team on Moraband, the group has been infighting about this mission of Venn's for months."

"Shen... I think you know who I work for, so why...?"

Shenna sighed and looked up at me, her face grave and serious, more so than I had ever seen it before, "Because I believe in our Resistance. I know that I could never support the First Order, but I can't support Venn now either. Not anymore. I won't stop fighting for this Republic. I know you and dad have your reasons, but the Republic has been my home. It's all I've ever known. I know you well enough to know that even if the guys you work for are the bad ones, you won't ever use those artifacts for evil. Venn, though? He wants to annihilate the entirety of the First Order off the map and everyone who supports them. Everyone. You and Dad especially. He's lost it." She reached out and took my free hand in hers, "You're my family, Dorn, and my best friend. I know you better than I know anyone else, and I trust you to do the right thing."

I smiled at her and felt that knot in my chest that I thought had gone away a long time ago. That guilt. "I'm sorry," I managed the words out as I squeezed her hand. "For everything."

"Don't be," she hugged me again after she set both of our plates down on one of the little side tables, squeezing her arms around my neck. "You just... Finish your fight and come home, okay? Mom and I are worried sick about you and Dad, so..."

"When you mentioned your godfather, I had my suspicions." Shenna and I bolted apart and turned to the voice to see Vesanne. She was standing there holding her arm, face a mix of emotions. "Can we... have a minute alone, Shen?"

"Oh, so you can just break his heart again, you two timing shrew?" Shenna snapped, coming immediately to my defense so quickly that I had to grab her arm to get her to not follow up that comment with something else equally biting. That remark hurt Ves. I could see it on her face.