On the Wings of Valkyrie

Chapter LXXXVIII

Luna wasn't wrong. The twins were walking danger magnets.

And Ahsoka had thought Anakin had been bad.

For now it appeared as though the people who thought something may be wrong were going to lay back and wait. Apparently the dance with partner switching had been a test of some sort that Solo and Skywalker had managed to pass. Ahsoka, of course, never needed to worry about Leia as she had been trained in such things from a young age. The Grey Jedi would have been more worried for herself if Luna hadn't already gone through about a dozen dances with Ahsoka to ensure that if she was asked to dance, she had the option to say yes should she need to.

For a Sith apprentice not allowed to dance, she knew more than enough waltzes.

They had ended the dance with different partners. Ahsoka had started with Han Solo and now was partnered with some fancy Imperial. A courtesy glance informed her that all the other Rebels had found themselves in similar situations. Leia, the smuggler, and Luke Skywalker were clearly not completely comfortable with it, though they hid it decently.

Luna, the master manipulator she was, had all but draped herself over a foregn prince and was slowly but surely beginning to surround herself with men, who Ahsoka would have imagined thought of themselves as potential suitors. The way she held herself and spoke all but marked the once Sith as royalty despite the seductress role she was playing, and they were acting accordingly. The things people did for titles.

"Attention! Everyone please make your way to the action hall. The presentation is about to begin," announced one of the masked servants....or perhaps slaves.

"Are you looking for something in particular?" Ahsoka's yet to be named masked partner asked. He was dressed in a costume that was clearly meant to be an akk.

"Excuse me?" she questioned.

"The auction."

"Oh, no, I plan on just watching. Perhaps if something catches my eye I'll join in."

"I see. Would you mind me escorting you then?" he asked, offering an arm. Ahsoka felt a warning from the Force, but knew now was not the time to refuse and draw attention to herself.

"It would be a pleasure," Ahsoka answered, taking the man's arm and letting him guide her through the double doors to the Auction Hall with the rest of the many guests. It took some time milling around before seats were found and numbers had been handed out to everyone. The Grey Jedi found herself seated uncomfortably far from both Leia and Luna, though she knew that they both could take care of themselves. Skywalker was seated two rows behind the Togruta while Solo was a row ahead.

There were guards on every door and snipers hidden in parts of the ceiling above them. The Force found the presences, though that was not completely necessary considering Luna had already discovered the security layout and possible flaws the day before. The two of them had several dozen plans developed for when (not if, Luna fully believed it was a when deal) things went south for Skywalker and company and therefore everyone else.

As the room quieted with the last stragulars settling down, the lights dimmed and the auctioneer, dressed as some sort of fox, entered the stage. Ahsoka listened as he welcomed everyone before promptly beginning the main event. She watched, bored as the first things went, jeweled necklaces, old artifacts, paintings, a few small businesses. It was rather dull, were Ahsoka to be honest. She was waiting for when Leia made a move.

It had to be Leia. Luna was off manipulating her suitors into buying her anything she appeared to take a glimmering of a fancy to—it was a part of her act and one Leia would have likely employed herself (minus tricking people into doing it for her) if she had the funds to do so as it ensured that it didn't look like she was actually there for anything in particular. Similarly, if Ahsoka was to, for whatever reason, attempt to make use of the respectable amount of fun money she'd been given for the purpose of keeping up an act, it wouldn't be on the painting Leia was going to target in an effort to make it look as though they were present for different purposes and not at all connected.