In the End {1}

xviii: The Bar

***Mature themes in this one. I cannot express this enough: just because a character chooses to act a certain way does not mean I agree with it or think it is acceptable behavior!

Nyx sat across from Ahsoka at a small booth at the bar on level 1315. The timing had worked out perfectly; she could mend her relationship with her boyfriend while keeping an eye out for Barriss.

Anakin was outside, waiting for Ahsoka's signal. Once she found Barriss, Anakin would go after her. Hopefully, she wouldn't blow her cover with Nyx. He still had no idea who she was, and knowing his opinion about the Jedi, she wanted to keep it that way.

She took a sip of her drink. It occurred to her that she had never asked exactly what it was he did for work. Or if she had, she didn't remember.

"What was your project?" she asked.

"A presentation, of sorts," he said. "About some of the research I've been doing. I had to run some errands yesterday, so it's a good thing you left."

"What kind of errands?" She got the sense he wasn't telling the whole truth, and she really hoped that "errands" didn't mean something else. He was furious with her when he found out she had kissed Lux, and to think that he could've been doing the same thing behind her back didn't sit well with her. 

"I had to pick some stuff up on Myrkr and deliver it to my boss in person."

"Oh," she said. She knew he wouldn't want her to press further, so she let the subject drop.

"Where have you been all day?" he asked. "I stopped by the shop, but it was closed."

The shop had been closed for a while now. Ahsoka didn't have time to worry about fixing speeders until Barriss was off the streets and behind bars. "I was actually at a funeral today," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "That had to suck. Who died?"

That wasn't very considerate of him, but she didn't say anything about it. "A good friend's brother. He's taking it pretty hard."

"That's tough," he said. "Did you know him well? His brother?"

She shook her head. "I met him, but we weren't close or anything."

"That's good, right? Less sad for you, anyway."

"I suppose. I'm really worried for my friend, though. He's lost his entire family now to murder, one way or another. His life hasn't been easy. He carries a lot of anger in him, and when it gets to his head, he doesn't think clearly. I don't want him to blow up and do something he'll regret like he did when his mother died."

He ordered another round of drinks while she spoke. "Poor guy."

Ahsoka looked around the room, still not sensing Barriss's presence. It had already been at least an hour. She'd done everything Barriss wanted, and if this turned out to be a wild Bantha chase, Ahsoka was going to be very mad.

She glanced around. There wasn't anyone that looked like it could be her.

"You looking for someone?" Nyx asked.

"Not exactly," she lied.

He shrugged and scooted over in his seat, gesturing for her to sit beside him. She slid out of her seat and sat next to him. It sacrificed her view a little bit, but she could still sense if Barriss came.

His arm crept around her waist, pulling her closer. "You seem... tense today."

"Do I?" she said, forcing her attention back to the present. 

"Yeah. What's on your mind?"

She didn't know how much to tell him about the case or what she'd been up to, but it was comforting to see that he cared that she was upset. "There's just a lot going on right now. I've been helping out an old friend with some things lately, and it's been stressful."