Under The Cover Of Darkness

Chapter Eleven

"I'm sorry to say," Mara started, having just swallowed a bite of some sort of greenish tuber, "this is still better than the food you two managed to scrounge up for our last operation."

Volyn took a pointedly large bite of her breakfast as she rolled her eyes. "Relax," she drawled, talking while chewing in what was at least fifty percent an effort to irritate Mara. "Food is food. Sorry we didn't have enough courses for you," she swallowed, "but not all of us grew up in the Emperor's Court."

Volyn's class anxieties were one of her only weak spots. An Imperial loyalist though she might have been, she had still grown up in the Outer Rim, and thus was seldom seen as respectable by the officials of the Empire she wanted to restore.

"More's the pity," Mara drawled, cutting her next tuber into dainty pieces with the side of her plastoid fork—the Jedi had apparently not wanted to risk giving them knives. "It might have taught you not to talk with your mouth full."

Mara had tried not irritating Volyn. It hadn't gotten her anywhere.

"Who cares?" the Inquisitor snapped. "We are all united in service to the Empire—and the past ten years, Volyn has been far more dedicated to that effort than you."

Mara didn't let herself flinch. This was the first time either had let on any sign they'd managed a successful background check, impressively long for the Inquisitor if they actually had.

But had they, or was it a guess?

"It's nice that she's convinced you of that," Mara replied, smile sickly sweet.

Any background check couldn't have been that successful, because they hadn't found out about her marriage to Luke. Which had been a private ceremony and had stayed relatively private as news, but which wasn't exactly classified.

Volyn snorted. "Yeah, and your work for the Empire after it fell all just happened to be either top secret or for dead people."

Luke was staring down at his plastoid tray as he ate his tubers in an unassuming silence.

"Are you questioning my dedication?" Mara asked, brow raised. "You have proof of it right here: no one who wanted the pathetic excuse for a government that is the New Republic to remain would have corrupted Luke Skywalker."

"And a beautiful corruption it has been," the Inquisitor agreed, eyes narrowed. "But it doesn't answer for what you did in the meantime."

"You haven't voiced any questions about my loyalty or professionalism before."

"Yeah, I did," Volyn drawled, "and you threw a knife at my face."

"I threw a knife next to your face," Mara sniffed. "I provided you with a list of my involvements, and of the ways I used my smuggling connections to strengthen what remained of the Empire. But if you need more proof, well, you'll have it as soon as we get back to our own time and you set me loose on those children."

After all, Mara had a topic to keep circling back to.

At that, Volyn's mouth twisted into a genuine grimace. "If we ever get back."

"We will," the Inquisitor said, voice condescending. "The Force will provide."

"And if it doesn't," Mara said, "we will."

"All actions we take," the Inquisitor's voice started to lean into a growl, "will be through the guidance of the Dark Side of the Force."

"Right." Mara suspected that Volyn's eyes hurt from rolling that hard. "Because the Force is going to scoop up out of these cells and drop us back on Krant so we can have a go at those kids. Uh huh."