Chapter Text
"So, what you're saying is, a relationship is fine, as long as there's no attachment?" Dom persisted, much to his master's chagrin.
"I think that you are missing the point, young friend," Master Wolfe replied, her eyes narrowing on an object in the distance. The wind picked up on the ridge where they had taken a break. Radiant hues cascaded from the sun as it set against the mountain range in the distance, a mosaic of greens, yellows, and browns splayed before them in the agricultural landscape that dominated the valley below.
"After all," she continued, her tone lightening, "You won't need to worry about anyone attaching themselves to you if we don't get rid of that smell."
She jumped up from her perch on the large rock, avoiding Dom's expression of mock offense. Though she was decades his senior, Master Wolfe was nimble as any Jedi Guardian Dom had ever seen, and he could barely match her pace as he followed her down the steep incline towards the signal below.
"The thought of a shower is too decadent to entertain," he laughed, "and I'm not the only one who smells." He shifted the heavy pack he carried to his other shoulder, taking care not to bend the slender antenna that jutted out from the drone's side.
Master Wolfe cast a quick smile over her shoulder, wishing she could entertain the thought of a hot bath. The weeks and months exploring planets along the Outer Rim had led to good results, but it felt like a grain of sand under a desert of woes. She knew Dom's good nature was a gift, no padawan she had ever met had such good grace under such trying circumstances. Her throat tightened as her mind added: or ever will meet . She cleared her throat, and picked up her speed. She would give him as much time as she could to rest at the Xasei Junction, he had earned the simple luxury of feeling clean again.
Upon their arrival at the Junction, Dom handed the pack to his Master and tucked a protein stick in her hand. "Don't forget to eat, " he reminded, "I'll see if there are any rooms left." He was rewarded with an awkward smile, as Master Wolfe gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze, and turned towards the drop location, her navy robes swirling behind her.
Making her way through the waning markets, Bernie Wolfe shifted her robe to cover the pack, not wanting her prize to attract any unnecessary attention. She and Dom had thwarted the Sith drone for weeks, keeping it as far from Tatooine as they could without giving any indication of their motives. She had no idea what Obi Wan was protecting, but she knew that there were more than moisture farms and sandcrawlers on the planet's surface.
The orders to drop the drone had come in late last week, and the trip to Dantooine had taken a few days. She was a few hours early for the rendezvous, but knew she would not wait. She sensed her contact's presence in the cantina a few hundred meters ahead. Parting the entry curtain to one side, she let the smells and sounds of moonshine and raucous laughter wash over her as she scanned tables along the periphery. She approached the lean figure in the far corner with a smile, "Master Hanssen." Standing to his full height, Hanssen towered over her, extending his arm to clasp hers, a tight smile on his face the equivalent of exuberance on any other.
She handed him the pack with a nod, and watched him tuck it carefully against the mud wall before inviting her to join him on a worn wooden bench. Breaking convention, he poured a double shot of clear liquid into waiting glasses and then poured another on the floor. Bernie raised her glass to meet his and tossed back the shot, closing her eyes and pressing the back of her hand against her lips as the alcohol seared her throat.
"Master Wolfe," he started, "Your success brought a much needed win for our weakened Order." Bernie's smile now reflected Hanssen's, her mouth tight at the corners, her eyes hinting at the depth of their shared sadness.
"It was the least I could do," she paused, "Felt good to finally put all that time in the Outer Rim to good use."
Hanssen nodded, "Your knowledge beyond the Western Reaches has been invaluable, though I do fear that you have been out of the Core for far too long." He weighed his next words carefully, "However, your long absence may have created a useful opportunity."
Bernie raised an eyebrow, looking through the blonde fringe strewn messily across her eyes, "How so?"
"We have received a formal request from Senator Bail Organa, who is working to secure relationships that will ensure the survival of the Alliance."
Bernie barked a laugh, "Certainly the Senator has no use for my political skills," she stated as she grabbed the bottle to pour another round, "Wasn't our last conversation focused entirely on your disdain for my disregard for protocol? I believe your exact words were 'un-Jedi-like'."
Hanssen's gaze shifted subtly, and he leaned forward, voice lowered, "We have entered times in which protocol has been wielded as a weapon of the enemy, the many-tentacled arms of bureaucracy suffocating the voice of the people." He waited, letting his words sink in. "Not only are we adjusting to the new order, but our diminished presence requires that we operate on Coruscant only when circumstances allow for our members to remain undetected."
Bernie reacted, "But how? How in the world can we support the Alliance at the heart of the Imperial Center when a Sith Lord walks openly among us?"
Hanssen saw the edge of fear in Master Wolfe's eyes reflected in his own, which surprised them both. He took a sip from his glass and regained his composure. "We are fortunate that the Empire values science and technology as highly as it does. Research has not yet experienced a purge. As we speak, a gifted young scientist is working with one of Alderaan's last healers to create what they are calling a Force Veil. From what I understand, their technology will mask all but the most powerful shifts in the Force, allowing Jedi to walk among the Sith undetected."
Bernie's eyes widened at the news, the revelation replaced quickly with dawning realization. She leaned back, "You need someone who can walk undetected on Coruscant, unrecognized by face or by Force."
Hanssen nodded in approval. "Your stubborn refusal to do the Council's bidding has turned into our good fortune. I doubt there is anyone on Coruscant who would recognize you."
Master Wolfe's eyes clouded, brow furrowed and lips turned, as she slowly swirled the clear alcohol in its glass, "Not anymore," she mused and then drained the glass.
Hanssen's gaze softened one last time as he pushed a wrapped object towards Bernie. "A young child found this and returned it to Master Yoda before he left. I believe Master Windu would have wanted it in the hands of his most difficult apprentice."
Bernie tugged the parcel string, pulling back the fabric. A worn silver handle appeared in the dull bar light. She rubbed her thumb against the metal, remembering the last time she saw its purple blade. Blinking back tears, she uttered a "Thank you, Master Hanssen," and then, "What is my objective?"