The Bittersweet Mission

This Should Be Interesting

     After the events of the previous night, the four undercover operatives were relieved to have a day of rest. They had no plans for this fifth day except to bide their time. Tomorrow, they were scheduled to attend some races, and the day after, the real mission would begin.

     In the morning, they ate a nice, quiet breakfast, but soon found themselves with little to do.

     Though, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, or at least, that's what Padmé and Anakin thought as they sat curled up together on the apartment couch, watching yet another episode of some holodrama as Ahsoka and Obi-Wan sat towards the back of the room playing a strategic board game in silence.

     Padmé wished it could be like that back on Coruscant: the four of them enjoying their time altogether, only with no disguises.

     Just before they had gone to bed, Obi-Wan had found a planted listening device in a lamp beside the door and warned the others discreetly.

     It wasn't exactly unexpected; after all, that's why they maintained their cover in the apartment prior to finding the device. It was just annoying to have to leave it in place to make it seem as though everything was normal and convince whoever was listening that they weren't from the Republic.

     However, their silence was interrupted when Padmé's secure comm went off.

     Everyone waited with bated breath as she answered it, only to sigh when they heard Duchess Satine's voice in a recorded message, asking for Shiemma to go out to the market area of town with her for the afternoon. Yet, not one of them missed the ending to the message where Satine explained that this would be her last day on the planet, meaning that there would be no telling when they would see her again.

     Padmé looked around at the others. "So... she asked for me. I take it someone should still accompany me?"

     Anakin glanced from her to Obi-Wan, who then looked to Ahsoka, as she was the more obvious choice for a women's excursion.

     "I suppose it wasn't really intended for me to go with you," Anakin responded to Padmé begrudgingly. "But yes, I believe it would be best if Vinorin went with you."

     The three of them looked at Anakin in shock, but slowly the pieces clicked in the two young women's minds.

     "You're right, Myn. It will be good to have someone who can watch out for us," Padmé replied with a knowing smile.

     Obi-Wan then realized what they were doing as well, and his face turned slightly red.

     "With all due respect, Master, I'm sure Sasha could handle this."

     Anakin stood, helping his wife to her feet. 

     "Well, Sasha and I have other matters to attend to. You just need to take good care of Shiemma and the Duchess for the rest of the day."

     Obi-Wan opened his mouth again, but Anakin was already waving him off, telling him to get dressed to go out.

*****

     Padmé couldn't hide the grin on her face as the two of them approached Satine outside a small café just after having had a light and early lunch.

      Satine was unaccompanied when they arrived, but Obi-Wan could sense that she was much safer than they were at the moment, and he was sure she had plenty of contacts to keep an eye on her on this unfamiliar world.

     As the Duchess stood to greet them, her surprise was less noticeable than his had been when he'd been told he was going.

     "Shiemma, it's good to see you."