Meetings

                                    

                                          
      The first night was dizzying for Ahsoka. There were too many people, too many noises, too much commotion. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had been forced to stay at the edge of the crowd of party-goers with real servants, trying to catch glimpses of Anakin and Padmé without drawing attention. The young couple had been swept away with many others, mingling, dancing, and laughing.
                          
     Anakin would have enjoyed it more without the crowd, but there were advantages, such as being able to really act like lovers. He could tell Padmé she looked beautiful, tell her how much he loved her, even finish their conversation from earlier...
                          
     The first night did pass by without any noticeable concerns though, and the crowds seemed to help them blend in. The official who owned the house used for the party really seemed to know a great number of beings from all over the galaxy.
                          
    The second day was to be a lot quieter, as they were to attend a private luncheon with a few other important guests. Anakin had sent a coded message to the troopers in a nearby system to be redirected to the Council early that morning, saying that everything was going fine for the moment.
                          
     Despite the smaller gathering, the four were more on edge, as they had no idea as to who would be eating with them, and they had to hope no one would recognize them. They wished in some ways they had really changed their appearances before coming on the mission, but the tech that could transform them was being repaired at the Council, and if they had gone somewhere else, they were risking discovery as well. Hopefully no one would suspect a Jedi being in love.
                          
     The couple in custody had said that they had never met the people at the luncheon before, but that any attendee could be there to keep tabs on them. That information was enough to make them all a bit wary.
                          
     The time came for the four of them to leave, and they decided to leave R2 at the apartment to look out for anything suspicious. They rode a small shuttle to the apartment building for the luncheon, and they made their way to the top floor as instructed. As the lift opened, Padmé took Anakin's arm. Obi-Wan shared a glance with Ahsoka, and together, they walked to the correctly numbered door.
                          
     "Here goes nothing..." Anakin sighed as he knocked.
                          
     The face that greeted them was unfamiliar, and they found themselves relieved it was not a recognizable enemy. It was a human woman, with chocolate skin and amber eyes.
                          
     "You must be the Thornes. May I ask who your guests are?" she said with a quick glance.
                          
     "These are our servants, newly acquired: Sasha and Vinorin," Padmé said in a casual tone. "We thought they might be able to lend a hand with the luncheon."
                          
     Ahsoka and Obi-Wan bowed deeply in unison.
                          
     "Come on in," the woman said. "My name is Alyndall, but you might know me by 'Doll'."
                          
     Instead of responding to the name, Anakin nodded solemnly and they filed into the room. Doll closed the door behind them, then led them through the apartment.
                          
     "So, Doll," Padmé began apprehensively. "Are we early?"
                          
     "Actually, you're just on time. The others arrived just moments ago."
                          
     Anakin and Obi-Wan shared a glance, preparing for the worst. However, when they rounded the corner, they were quite surprised.
                          
     It was worse than they had imagined: instead of a room full of enemies, the room contained some friends.
                          
     The faces they instantly recognized were Duchess Satine Kryze, Korkie Kryze, and Lux Bonteri. Three guests remained unknown.
                          
     Satine had been speaking to the group, but she stopped mid-sentence when she saw her friends. Luckily, the pause and stares were thought to be apprehension rather than recognition, so Doll began to introduce the new attendees.