Well, This is Terrible [D10 MM]

[Niall Organa]

"Yes, I just..." He laughed again. "You shot me. It's a big galaxy. What are the odds of that happening? That on that backwards sandball of a planet, an undercover SIS agent gives a Republic Captain his first serious combat injury by shooting him through the chest."

He looked at her, smiling, his grey eyes bright. "And then that we'd meet again here. And that we'd be friends. Really, what are the odds of that?" He broke into a fresh round of chuckles.

Finally, it subsided. "But yes, Luth. I really am okay." He smiled at her again, reassuring.

[Luth Khalan]

She starts to giggle herself, looking over to him with a warm smile. "That... is kind of funny." Her smile turns more sad, and she reaches out, touching the tips of her fingers gently to his chest, to where she knew the scar would be, looking at it and then up toward him. "Peace is very important to me, and yet I leave behind a trail of bodies wherever I go. I'm glad it's one fewer."

She pulls her hand back a little. "Sorry, I should've asked."

[Niall Organa]

Niall held perfectly still, letting Luth touch his chest as she willed. He was warm, even through his uniform jacket, and his heart beat steadily, rhythmically under her fingers.

"It's okay." He said softly, returning her smile. Gently, he shook his head. "Luth... I am compelled by my obligation, but also seek peace. And while I have my ghosts, we're generally okay with each other. I hope you can be okay with yours, too."

[Luth Khalan]

She lets out a small chuckle and leans her elbows on her knees again, looking out at the city. "It'll take some time... But I'll have to learn to be eventually, or it'll go badly."

[Niall Organa]

"I suppose so." Niall matched her pose, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees as well.

He turned to her suddenly, smiling. "You know, if you're an SIS agent, this makes the logistics of you coming to Alderaan much easier, doesn't it?"

[Luth Khalan]

She laughs. "I had actually been thinking about that... even before I extracted," she agrees with a smile, then pauses. "... The fact that I wanted to go there someday helped strengthen my resolve, actually."

[Niall Organa]

"Oh." His smile grew a little. "I am rather pleased to hear that."

He sat back. "I may be biased, but I think there are a number of things Alderaan does well. One of them is peace. If you're looking for a place to learn how to do peace, there really isn't a better one. And since my offer before seemed unlikely, let me repeat it now. If you visit while I'm there, I'd be pleased to show you what Alderaan has to offer."

[Luth Khalan]

She smiles and nods. "I'd be happy to go and visit someday. We'll have to keep in touch and make sure it's when we're both there."

[Niall Organa]

"Yes. Let's." Niall smiled. "I should like very much to stay in touch." He let things rest there for a few moments, enjoying her company.

His expression turned curious once again. "Luth... before, right before you told me that you may have shot me..." He smiled and shook his head again, "-you mentioned something about being trained by the Jedi. Ummm... does that mean what I think it means?" Having had a bit more time to process, his mind was putting the pieces together.

[Luth Khalan]

She glances over a little nervously, then looks down. "Yeah. I found out the other day. Still... kind of processing it."

[Niall Organa]

"I see." Niall smiled. "As though you didn't have enough to process already."

He looked at her. "I don't think I should congratulate you. From what I know of, you probably have a very long journey ahead of you. So I'll wish you good luck." He gave her a nod. "As it happens, I have a very dear friend who is a Jedi. She may have some insights, if you'd like to speak with her. Although her gift was discovered when she was very young, so it may be less relevant." Niall sighed, remembering that day once again.

[Luth Khalan]

"They tend to recruit young... I think probably is a strong word." She said. "More likely it'll be a matter of learning enough not to be a danger or a target, then... I don't know. Maybe going back into intelligence work... It's something I know how to do, at least..."

[Niall Organa]

"If that's something you want to do." Niall said. "It seems to me that if you wanted to change direction, you could."

His lips twisted. "But... I've often felt that if one has a gift, one should try to use it. It just so happens that my gifts lie in inspiring people. Perhaps I would feel differently if my gift was ending people, instead." He shook his head. "I wish I could be more helpful. But I do understand the desire to... to stick with what you know, so to speak."

[Luth Khalan]

She nods slowly. "I have a gift. Not the Force, though... also that now, I guess. I'd like to use it to help people instead of misleading them."

[Niall Organa]

Niall gave her a look. "You do have a gift, don't you? I trusted you before, when I thought you were Imperial. And I trust you now, when you're..." He trailed off, frowning thoughtfully.

"Do you think you can get along well with Mandalorians?" He asked suddenly.

[Luth Khalan]

"I spent two years with paranoid Sith who could read emotions. I'm still here," she said. The wan smile she gave with was rueful and guilty. His next question took her by surprise, though. Her eyebrows knit and she shrugged. "I... don't see why not. Why do you ask?"

[Niall Organa]

Niall nodded. "I've been working on a project. Integrating a unit of Mandalorians into the Republic. Allowing them to keep elements of their culture, but letting them into ours as well. I think it will be worthwhile, but it will be a challenge. Many aspects of their culture will be entirely unobjectionable, but there will definitely be some adjustments. Like, their attitude towards taking prisoners for example." His lips pressed together for a moment.

He went on. "I'm working with one of their leaders, and doing what I can... but I'm an officer more than a soldier, if that makes sense. I'd bet that most of the unit can outperform me in any number of areas. I may have some difficulty getting them to respect me."

He looked at Luth. "I could use someone who can outshoot them. Who can outsneak them; they're a rather strange unit. Who could kill better than them, but doesn't want to." He left it there, letting her fill in the rest.

[Luth Khalan]

She looks toward him mutely, her surprise slowly growing as she listens to him. Eyes blink once and she shakes her head a little to symbolically rid it of confusion. "Um... It's good not to forget that words mold thoughts in many ways. If you're going to work with them, it would be good not to think of it as you 'allowing' them to keep part of their heritage or not. It's going to be part of them, like the songs my mother raised me with are part of me and my heritage," she says, her voice kind. "But what we can do is encourage them to try and see things from our perspective and the advantages of trying to work with our society and find harmony between the two... You see what I'm saying?"

She sits back. "I'd have to learn more about Mandalorian culture, but... I'd be willing to give it a shot, if it works with what else is going on." With a little more resoluteness, she said, "Yeah. I'd like to try."

[Niall Organa]

Niall listened, nodding along as she spoke, his grey eyes flashing understanding. "Yes. You're right, of course." He grimaced. "I should know better than that. I need to watch myself." He gave her a smile.

As she gave her acceptance, though, Niall brightened. "That's terrific, Luth. I know you have to do the training with the Jedi first, but I can't imagine I'll find a better fit for the position." He grinned. "Well! Looks like I may have you in my unit after all."

[Luth Khalan]

She reaches over and puts a hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly. "Don't worry about it. Just a learning experience, right? I think it's an opportunity - the Republic can gain as much from learning more about them as they can from us," she says. "I think that's a good reason the Jedi may not be opposed to doing something like this. Just, uh..." Her hand tightened just a little and brow furrowed. "A lot of my commanders and leaders haven't seen me as much more than a useful asset at best. So... If it turns out it is something I can do and I agreed. I'd need to to promise on a personal level not to do that to me." Her face was an emotionless mask, but there was a subtle redness to her eyes and a little twitch to her eyebrows, a little unevenness in her otherwise calm voice.

[Niall Organa]

"That is my hope." Niall said, nodding. He smiled, turning his head to look at her. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

The feel of her hand tightening on his shoulder drew his attention. Even more so, the tight emotions that he could sense, buried just beneath the surface of her expressionless face. Niall met her gaze, his grey eyes serious. "Luth." He said. His hand came up, settling over hers as it rested on her shoulder. "You will always be a person to me. With your own wills and desires and needs. I will not ignore them, or reduce you to less than that. I promise." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

[Luth Khalan]

She opened her eyes, looking up and to the side to meet his eyes with her blue, dark like an ocean during a storm. She smiles a little. "Thank you."

[Niall Organa]

Niall returned the smile. There didn't seem to be anything to add to that. He just held her gaze, his grey eyes locked with her blue.

Finally, he looked away clearing his throat. His hand left hers, going back to his side. "Well." He said, clearing his throat again. "I'm glad. Very glad." He looked back at her, giving her a crooked smile. "Now we just need to figure out when to work in a trip to Alderaan."

[Luth Khalan]

She let go of his arm when he released her hand and coughed awkwardly. She looked a little embarrassed and found Nar Shaddaa's skyline very interesting all of the sudden. His reaction did make her giggle a little. "Yes... Sadly, it'll be a bit of time before we can figure it out, but we can stay in touch."

[Niall Organa]

"We should, yes." Niall nodded. "But you're right, it's going to take a bit of time to figure it out. I hope I'm not getting too far ahead of myself, planning for the future, when so much hinges on what happens tomorrow. For all I know, it'll be off to some new front in a week." He sighed, grimacing at the thought.

He looked back to her. "But I think it's an acceptable thing to hope for better. And to plan for better. So... we'll stay in touch. Both for the Mandalorian position, and for an Alderaanian vacation." He smiled. "When did you last have a vacation, anyway?"