Nar Shaddaa

Luth Khalan hurried down over to Uptown. She'd managed to sleep purely out of exhaustion and woke up to find Shaisha's message and Nar Shaddaa in more chaos than usual. She had to get in touch with the Republic, and not knowing who else was alive, Arali and Niall were the first people she thought of.

So she went up and waited, tapping her foot nervously.

Despite the events of the previous night, all of them, Niall was still punctual. He showed up roughly on time, stress lines visible on his handsome features.

He looked around, his forehead creasing further. Where was she?

A thoroughly freckled woman woman with short, dark hair waves and hurries over to Niall. "Niall, thank goodness," she said, stretching out a hand. She takes out her Club Vertica access card. "Do you have this with you? I need to see it if you do."

Almost automatically, Niall's hand reached out, although it slowed as he failed to recognize the woman. "I don't, actually." He responded. "It was in my room last night. Fortunately, I wasn't." He frowned, confused. "I'm sorry, but you have the advantage of me."

Recognition flickered in his grey eyes though, just a moment later. The clues were there, the similar height and build, the freckles. And, of course, that he was expected to see her, and she greeted him. "Asra?" He said, blinking. "Goodness." He smiled. "I scarcely recognized you." The smile thinned, his expression becoming serious as he recognized her urgency.

"Good... we need to let people know those passes are bugged, but after things settle down a little," she smiles slightly, still looking a bit haggard for her young features. "Since someone isn't listening, I can introduce myself properly. Luth Khalan, SIS. The Republic Compound was hit, as well, so I've gathered."

"Oh. Oh my." Niall blinked. Then he blinked again. Once didn't cover it.

"But yes, it was, or so I gather. I wasn't there. Ummm..." He shook his head, giving her a wan smile. "Okay. Sorry. This is rather a lot to process. So, you're SIS. I gather there must be a reason for you breaking cover?"

"Mm, to put it precisely, it's more akin to extracting myself. My extraction was already in the works, but between the barge going down and the compound explosion, Asra will be listed as missing, presumed dead in one of the two incidences," she explains, keeping an eye out around her. She looks over toward the compound, running a hand through now-short, unevenly cut hair. "I need to head over soon and see if there's any intelligence coordination happening. We need to find the source of this. Actually, any coordination at all."

"Okay. Right. Very good." Niall shook his head, doing his best to clear his confusion.

"So..." He gave her a smile. "When we talked before... was that you? I mean... I felt as though I had a real sense of you as a person." He spread his hands. "Was that who you really are?"

She smiles a little bit. "That was me." She closed her eyes briefly. "I was a bit evasive, though, I admit. I couldn't answer all of your questions well. My thoughts and opinions were my own real ones, as much as I could give them."

"Oh." Niall thought about it for a few moments. Finally, he smiled. "Really, it wasn't the answers so much as how you answered them that mattered. And... I liked how you answered them. I think that's why I'm not having any trouble accepting that you're on my side after all."

Still, he looked a little stunned. "So... was your origin story true? You were a slave, and were rescued? It's just that your rescuers were Republic, yes?"

She smiles warmly at that. "Yes. I really was born in the Empire as a slave, and the Republic rescued me. That's why I'm so serious about my obligation. The Republic didn't just save my life, they gave me a life. The life of a slave is hopeless... you might as well be a tool or a piece of furniture. Or, in my case, a gun."

"I see." Indeed, Niall's eyes light with understanding. "Yes, I do understand. That's... sort of how I feel, being an Organa." He chuckled. "Goodness, I sound stuck up when I say that."

He shook his head. "The point is... I think I understand about obligations. Especially ones that feel like they can never be repaid." He shot her a wry look. "I hope you don't feel too... bound. That would seem unfair."

"You're fine, Niall. You work really hard not to sound stuck up, and I think you're successful," she assures with a smile. "No..." She sighs. "I don't think there's an obligation high enough to justify continuing this. I don't like violence at all, never mind the times it's been against allies... That's just something you don't get over."

"I'll find another way to serve."

"Thank you." Niall grinned at that. "And good. From what you've said, before and now, you've done enough. Few are the debts that can never be repaid."

"Hmmm." He smiled. "I wish I could offer you a place with me. But if there's peace, I don't know what form that will take yet, and if there's war, I'd just be offering you more violence. Still... if there's any doors you need opened, don't hesitate to ask. I'll do what I can."

"By the way... I meant to ask, were you on Tatooine?" She shrugs. "As to that, I might stay in intelligence... I need some training with the Jedi as well so I'm not a danger, too."

"Yes, I was, in fact." Niall's lips twisted. "That's where I got my dislike of sand. And this." He pointed to one of the awards on his uniform jacket, issued for being wounded in the line of duty.

"Errr..." Niall frowned. All these surprises were too much for him. "I don't follow. Training with the Jedi?"

"I was there, too... The wound... what was it?" She turns red at that. It was the part she couldn't get used to. The rest was expected for her. "Mm. Yes."

"Okay. Well... we'll come back to that." Niall said.

"As for your question..." He cleared his throat. After a moment, his right hand came up, gently touching near the center of his chest. "A blaster shot from long range. I didn't even see it coming. It only grazed my heart, but that was enough to stop it." He swallowed, his eyes closing for a moment, forcing down the memory once more. "Luckily, my sergeant was able to pull me to the medics. They were able to stabilize me."

Luth's gaze grew distant as he spoke, the memory replaying as though she were there. She felt the hot wind and the sand hitting her environment suit, looking through multiple layers of lenses through the desert, homing in on Casna's directions. Young, handsome features. It had felt like a shame to cut his life short.

She'd heard something to the side and felt Casna's hand on her shoulder. Someone was coming, they needed to make the shot now. The E-11S she'd had at the time was heavy in her hands as she fired. There was gunfire, the had to make a fast escape. But she hadn't felt the death. There was no time to check.

Luth blinked a couple of times and focused back on Niall's face, a little paler. "I-I'm glad for that. That you lived."

Niall smiled. "Me too. Recovery was difficult, but it's over now. There's a scar, but it's barely there." His hand touched the spot again. "Just a little red mark, right below the heart."

His gaze on her grew more concerned, his brow creasing. "A... Luth... are you okay? Is anything wrong?"

"I'm sorry..." She inhaled as suddenly as if he'd surprised her. "That it took so long. I mean." She rubbed a hand over her face, willing her breathing to calm.

Niall's concerned look didn't fade. Down at his side, his hand twitched, starting to move towards her. He forced it back to his side, smoothing his pants leg.

"Luth, it's okay. I'm fine now." He gave her a smile. "Entirely healed. Here, let's... let's sit down." He offered her his arm, in fine courtly fashion, leading her to a nearby bench, seating them both. "It's clear you've been through a lot. If there's anything you want to tell me about, that you can tell me about, I'll listen. Everyone needs that, sometimes."

She took the arm automatically, not really thinking as she sat down with him. After a long pause, she finally said, "Flashback... sorry, it's not normally... uh, this bad. Maybe it's the, uh... change in situation." She released his arm and leans her elbows on her knees. "... I think I might've shot you."

"Oh." Niall's lips twisted. "My sympathies. I get those too, although I fancy not quite that bad. Not being subject to the same stresses."

For a moment, after the admission, Niall just stared at her, blinking, the same pleasant smile on his face. "Come again?" He said. It wasn't really necessary, though.

Slowly, he sat back, his expression stunned. "You... shot me...?" He sat there, his eyes dark, his expression unchanging.

Finally, his shoulders shook. A chuckle escaped him, his lips curling upwards. He shook his head, the laughter slowly building.

She looks depressed at first, then blinks, looking up toward him as he starts laughing. "Are... you okay?"