In Command (#1 Post-Order 66 Series)

In Command - Part 11

After obtaining some kind of fried food on sticks and some fresh cut fruit, they made their way to a bench that was a little ways away from the throng. Senna joked as if Rex had never asked her the question, and he played along despite still wanting to know. What about now, Senna? After a few minutes, he found them slipping back into their usual conversations, and it was comfortable and safe with no threat to the balance between them. They quietly talked about the remaining bits of the conference.

"I'm concerned," Senna said, taking another bite out of the fruit slice in her hand. "I fear we're not going to get the information we need out of this and that maybe we should consider that one thing I proposed when we first got here."

"What thing?" Rex asked, trying to feign ignorance. Senna shot him a withering look, and he caved. "Alright, alright. Fine. I'm still not comfortable with it though. How exactly do you plan to get him to meet you without giving yourself away?"

Senna grinned, reaching beneath her cloak and pulling out a beat-up data pad.

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"I might have noticed it in the trash while you were paying for our food. It still works, so I'm not sure what the owner was thinking. Must have just gotten a newer model."

Rex let out a groan. "You have GOT to stop going through people's garbage."

"I didn't go through the garbage. It was sitting on top of the bin," she snarked, setting the remainder of her food down as she punched the data pad's keys. "Besides, would you have me use my own for this?"

"Can't you mask the signature?"

"Of course I could, but I'm not sure with what kind of security protocols the Empire's working with, so that's risky. They still might be able to work around my mask. With this, they'll never be able to trace it back to me. Better safe than sorry."

She quickly punched out a message and sent it. "And now we wait."

"What did you say?"

"Something along the lines of 'We know you're the largest security threat on Lothal and if you don't come meet me, I'll tell your superiors and let them teach you about proper protocol.'" She grinned, taking her last bite of food and wiping her fingers on her trousers.

"Think he'll take the bait?"

A soft chime of the datapad answered his question. A wicked grin spread across Senna's face. "Oh, he's mad, and definitely wants to meet up. You think the market is the best location?"

Rex had been studying maps of the city during the week, and he did like the local market for the meet. It was large, public, and there were plenty of rooftops he could provide eyes in the sky from. "Yeah, I think that's the way to go. Plenty of outs if needed. Make sure he understands he's to come alone."

She punched a few more buttons in response. "That settles it then. I'm meeting him tomorrow afternoon. That'll allow us to listen to the morning sessions of the conference. I'll have to come up with a disguise or something, but that shouldn't be too hard."

Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion on the east end of the festival. Rex stood and looked out over the crowd. He could see the distinct glint of stormtrooper helmets. "Time to go. We've got company." Quickly, Senna pulled her hood around her face and Rex tipped the brim of his hat lower. They started moving away from the impending line of stormtroopers at as normal of a pace as possible. An announcement boomed over a loudspeaker somewhere.

"This is an unauthorized gathering that is in direct violation of curfew. Disperse immediately or you will be arrested." There were shouts of protest from various onlookers, but most people were moving away.

"We hold this festival every year. Why would they do this?" Senna heard one woman ask.

"Because they can," another grumbled in response.

Rex took Senna's hand and they wove back through the crowd. Slipping into an alleyway, he led her away from the main street. They could hear more and more loudspeakers and the modulated voices of the stormtroopers demanding people move. "This way," he whispered. "It should dump us right in front of the inn."

"I'm really glad you were looking at those maps this week."

"Yeah, well a good Captain is always prepared," he smirked.

Senna felt like she was holding her breath until they got through the front door of the inn and were safely back in their room. "That was close. Why would they even do that? Why clear a harmless festival?"

Rex turned to look at her. "It's a control thing. They're normalizing compliance for these people. I've seen it before, although on a much smaller scale. If you normalize small things, it makes the more terrible things they do seem more trivial. It's only going to get worse." He leaned against the window, listening to the sounds of the street being cleared below. "That's why we have to stop the Empire."