Shadows and Shades (#4 Post-Order 66 Series)

Shadows and Shades - Part 11

A/N: Heads up for some pretty significant "Reunion" spoilers in this chapter, so if you're wanting to read that fic spoiler-free, I'd recommend pausing and coming back.

"ABAN!"

Crosshair felt his shoulders tense, his toothpick clamping tighter between his teeth. He supposed he should have readjusted to Ba-Ran's shouting in the few weeks they'd been back at work, but somehow, he still found the Gran's voice grating. He sighed deeply, setting the blaster he was inspecting back in its crate and rolling his neck a bit before straightening and plastering the closest thing to an indifferent expression he could muster onto his face.

"Yes, Ba-Ran. What do you need?" he asked, trying to keep the sarcasm from his tone.

If there was any annoyance in his question, the Gran never noticed, not even averting his eyestalks from the datapad he was staring at. "Come with me."

Crosshair pulled the toothpick from between his teeth, flicking it into the nearest waste bin. "To where?"

"My office."

Crosshair's pulse began to accelerate, the hair on the back of his neck standing up. He's never asked that before. "May I ask why?"

The Gran didn't answer, continuing to walk towards his office. Crosshair glanced over at Iden. She was watching him carefully, an inquiring look on her face as he slowly started after the foreman. Her eyes flicked back and forth between him and the Gran, concern knitting her brows together. He waved his hands at her to go back to work.

Could be nothing. Most likely nothing.

He glanced around at the others on the floor. The prisoners were still working alongside them, but there was no one watching him too carefully.

It's probably nothing.

His gut tightened with nerves nonetheless, his fingers twitching at his sides as a tingle shot up his spine.

Wish I still had my blaster on me.

"ABAN!"

"Yes, I'm coming." He didn't bother to keep the irritation out of his voice this time as he fell into step behind Ba-Ran. His boots clanged against the durasteel stairway that led to the foreman's office, which overlooked the manufacturing floor. Casting one last glance over his shoulder, he caught Iden's gaze. She was still watching him, clearly worried. He winked at her to try and reassure her. She rolled her eyes in response, but she still didn't avert her gaze until he lost sight of her around the corner.

Ba-Ran was muttering to himself as he fumbled with the keypad to his office door, mistyping the code once or twice with his large fingers. Crosshair had to stifle the urge to snort in amusement when he noted the passcode was the default "1234".

Maybe that'll prove useful at some point.

As they pushed through the door into the office, he froze in his tracks at the sight of a woman in a grey Imperial uniform seated in front of the rusty desk. Ba-Ran also appeared surprised to see the visitor, jumping visibly before trying to recompose himself.

"Commodore Vena, what a surprise! I hadn't anticipated you dropping by today."

Anisia.

Sweat broke out across the back of his neck at the realization, and his fingers flexed nervously at his sides.

Kriff.

The woman waved at the Gran absently, not even bothering to look up from the datapad she was reading from. "It's fine, Foreman. It was easy enough to let myself in."