In Command (#1 Post-Order 66 Series)

In Command - Part 11

He turned to look at her, noting her cocked eyebrow and taking it as a challenge. "I may have picked up a few dance steps on Coruscant when I was there on leave. Don't know that I'm any good at any of them though."

"Well, why don't we find out then," she giggled, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the dancers.

He hesitated, pulling back on her hand. She whirled back around to face him, her eyes sparkling in the lantern light. "Come on, Lon. You owe me a honeymoon." He still was scanning the crowd nervously, so she stepped closer, whispering in his ear, "There's a huge dinner tonight for everyone at the conference. I doubt there'll be anyone here who would pose a threat. Every Imperial will be there and busy trying to impress their fearless leaders." As if to reiterate her confidence, she pulled her face mask down, revealing a mischievous grin framed by a few wisps of her hair that had drifted out of their confines under her hood. Giving one last cautious look around and not seeing an Imperial in sight, Rex sighed and allowed himself to be dragged into the dancing.

Facing him, Senna let her left arm drift over his shoulder. "You know the Coruscant Whirl?" she asked.

It was Rex's turn to smirk. "Can a Toydarian fly?"

"I mean, not always super well, but-" he interrupted her by pulling her close and whipping her around in a circle, and a loud laugh escaped her lips as he twirled her. They separated in time with the tempo, their finger tips grazing as they slid by one another until he stepped forward and firmly gripped her hand, spinning her back into him. Her hood fell down and her hair whirled around her, but neither of them seemed to care. Rex stepped closer to her, wrapping his fingers around her waist, lifting her easily as she whooped in surprise.

"Didn't expect that one, huh?" he teased in her ear as he spun her around.

"I must say, I'm pleasantly surprised," she said, her arms drifting to his shoulders as he replaced her on the ground. They were both laughing and panting as they danced, Senna almost daring Rex to keep pace, and him meeting the challenge at every turn. Whipping her around one more time, he pulled her back in and dipped her low just as the song ended, her hands wrapping around the back of his neck as her hair spilled over his arm. Senna tipped her head back and laughed. Gently, Rex pulled her back up, her hair sticking to her face and neck as she tried to regain her breath. "Very well done, sir," she said approvingly.

"I do what I can," he replied, a grin cutting across his face from ear to ear.

The band had moved on to a much slower song, and the couples around them had started to move together, holding each other close. Senna turned to look at Rex, the question plain in her eyes. He shrugged, pulling her a little closer to him. "It is supposed to be our honeymoon."

She smiled at him. "Indeed it is."

Senna slid her left arm back up over his shoulder and allowed the fingers of her right hand to intertwine with his as she let her face rest against his chest. She could hear his heart beating and smell the sweat on him as they swayed in time with the music. She felt the warmth of his hand on the small of her back, holding her close, and for the first time since before the war, she felt safe, and the entire galaxy seemed to fall away. She felt Rex let his cheek rest against the top of her head, and she pressed more into him. As they swayed, Rex pulled their clasped hands to his chest, running his thumb over the back of her hand. He turned to whisper into her ear, "Almost makes you feel normal, huh?"

She smiled sadly up at him. "You forget, this was never going to be my normal," she whispered back.

"What about now?" he asked.

She pulled back, her eyes boring into him, and he couldn't read the look on her face. The song came to an end, and an announcement about the night's scheduling was played over the sound system. Senna blinked, the moment and some unspoken thought passing without acknowledgement. She smiled back up at him. "We should get some food," she said as she tucked her hair back under her hood, striding off towards a food stand. Rex's eyes followed her for a few seconds before he decided to let it go, following her towards the food.