Chapter Text
Coruscant
1 year, 5 weeks after 1st Battle of Geonosis
Neea couldn’t keep her heart from pounding as she moved through the Coruscant marketplace. She was being followed, and in her line of work that meant arrest or death was imminent. Around her shoppers moved between kiosks in groups of twos and threes, couples and families doing their shopping, and clone troopers in their red fatigues out on leave. The Coruscanti citizens had been nervous when the troopers had first started appearing, dozens of identical young men popping up in groups everywhere was unusual enough, but they were also a reminder of the war the citizens preferred not to think of. Still, weeks of exposure had caused the troopers to become part of the scenery, as unnoticed as the calming music piped into the air among the open-air kiosks and stalls. Neea noticed though, weaving through them all with her senses extended, alert for anyone who didn’t feel like they appeared to be.
Pausing at a kiosk selling jewelry Neea pretended to browse the wares, angling to see behind her in the mirror. She pushed back long honey-blonde hair to hold earrings of silver and turquoise up to her face but used the mirror to scan the concourse. Tucked behind a planter several meters back was the Gran she suspected of following her. He wore a cream tunic and appeared to be looking in a shop window, but Neea had noticed him several minutes ago and despite slowing several times to look at windows herself, he was still behind her. He hadn’t gone into any of the shops and was staying within 20 meters of her at all times. She considered stepping into a shop to see what he would do, but was hesitant to allow herself to be cornered. Neea’s last job had been for an ARC trooper named Mereel, but the equipment they were moving was Republic property and he wasn’t acquiring it through the right channels. That meant her tail was likely from Republic intel. She needed a way to throw him off of her trail, but without alerting him that she’d realized he was there. If he figured he was made he may enlist the market security to help detain her. She knew Gran had several different senses, but she wasn’t sure what those entailed, so throwing him off her scent might not be possible.
Placing the earrings down she glanced at the clone troopers were still conversing nearby. Except for variations in hairstyle and a few with scars or tattoos, they all looked exactly like the ARC trooper who had gotten her into this mess. One of them could be Mereel, except none of them felt like him to Neea. None felt as intense and dangerous as the Null, outwardly charming and sociable, but a capable killer. They felt like what they appeared to be, a group of young men let free in the metropolitan city for the first time after months of hard service across the galaxy. She couldn’t explain why she was able to differentiate the identical clones, but Neea had always been able to sense feeling and intent from others, something that had been helpful in her career as a smuggler. It was because of those skills Mereel had sought her out to help acquire some high-grade med tech off the Republic’s books, and Neea would bet credits that was why the Gran was following her. He has to be Intel, if it were a cartel or a gang they wouldn’t bother following me, I’d just get a blaster bolt in a dark alley.
Nervous, Neea wiped her hands on her hips, smoothing the open-fronted ivory over-skirt and tightly fit brown leggings as she moved through the crowd. She needed to lose him and then get out of the marketplace. She had a go-bag always ready at the apartment she rented under a false name, and her ship The Varactyl was fueled to make for a quick departure. She would lie low somewhere in the mid-rim for a few months while the attention died down before returning to the capital planet and leasing a new flat using a different name. It would be better not to get involved in any deals around Coruscant for a while anyway, although pay for the top-of-the-line tech from the center of the Republic was always better on the black market in the mid-and outer-rims.
Unfortunately, most of the groups between her and the landing where she had left her speeder were made up of clones. While she was shorter than them her sea-foam green top would be easy to follow in the sea of red fatigues. Neea rubbed her thumb against her first two fingers, a nervous habit she’d always had trouble suppressing, as she weaved through the shoppers, trying to appear unhurried and casual. If she couldn’t lose him she needed some other way to throw her pursuer off. If the Republic had something certain on her she’d be arrested already or they would have picked her up at the apartment. Scanning the crowd of red-clad young men laughing and shopping in small groups, a thought struck her. If they were looking for someone who had robbed the GAR, maybe she could create doubt by mingling with the soldiers. I just need the right opportunity. Spotting a lone trooper she veered towards the man. He stood near a clear window, the same six feet of disciplined muscle with short cropped dark wavy hair as all of his ‘brothers’, but he was the only one she could see who was alone. He looked as if he was waiting for someone, and Neea could take advantage of that by appearing to be his someone. Reaching out with that mental sense she could ‘feel’ the same strong sense of loyalty that was reflected in all other clones she had encountered, but also a focus and an extra sense of violence that she didn’t feel from most of the troopers around her. That might have given her pause but she could also feel his intelligence and curiosity, like he was people watching. It was that spark of curiosity that made her decision, he might be open to a little adventure and she suspected he could hold his own if it came down to a fight. She just needed to get him on her side.
Quickening her pace Neea called out “You’re back, I’ve missed you so much!” loud enough that most people in the vicinity looked up at her, including her startled target. She wrapped her arms around him and felt his arms close around her reflexively. She stretched up to whisper in his ear “Please play along,” before angling to kiss him. For a moment his whole body was hard lines of shocked surprise and Neea was afraid her gamble was over, but to her relief, he began to relax and return the kiss. He smelled clean, like soap with a light hint of oil, probably from the weapons he handled daily. She broke off the kiss and looked at him, his eyes were wide, a bemused look on his face. He lifted an eyebrow, but she cut him off before he could say anything.
“I’m being followed and I think I’m in danger” Neea raised her face to his for another kiss. He hesitated a moment then seemed to mentally shrug and he was kissing her, taking control as he slid one hand across her hips and up her ribs and back, the other cupping the nape of her neck. Quiet alarm bells went off in Neea’s head, but the feel of his hands on her body and his mouth on hers left her breathless and slightly dizzy. She knew most clones had never seen much outside of Kamino and the battlefield, and had expected her approach to make him a bit nervous, however, this man seemed confident as he turned and pressed her back against the glass of the shop. She pulled away, slightly out of breath, in a half-hearted attempt to get her plan back on track.
“Mereel-”.
“-I’m not Mereel.” his voice was a deep gravel that vibrated against her skin, and she felt him shift from curious and open to something more reserved. Neea became dimly aware of how tightly she’d clenched her hands in the back of his shirt and a desire to bury her fingers in his hair, to tilt his face back up to hers and regain his trust.
“I know, I know, I didn’t think you were, but I need your help. Do you know Mereel?” A man's voice from behind caught both their attention.
“Uh, Sev, who’s your new friend, and who does she think you are ner’vod?” Three men identical to the one she was wrapped around had approached them and now stood in a close semi-circle with varying degrees of amusement and concern in their dark eyes. The tone was joking but their posture was wary.
‘Sev' stiffened as one of them set a hand on his shoulder saying “Let the nice lady go Sev. I’m sure we can sort this out.” His tone was more serious, she wasn’t sure who they thought was the danger though, her or their friend. All three were the same height and wearing red fatigues. They were clean-shaven and their hairstyles were similar, the biggest difference was their posture and the feel of them to Neea’s extra sense. They were all confident and strangely young, but that was where the similarities ended, each giving off a very different emotional fingerprint in her head.
Neea found herself biting back a sound of protest as Sev pulled away and she mentally shook herself. This was supposed to be just for show, to convince the Republic intel officer she reminded herself. As he turned to face his brothers Sev tucked her against his left side, trailing a hand across the exposed skin of her lower back but leaving his right free for the blaster on his belt. She recognized it as a habit from a lifetime of training as a soldier, and she shivered a bit at the thought of the violence this four-man squad was probably responsible for. Time to get this back on track and back in control, she thought. Quit thinking about where you’d like those hands to be.
“I’m Neea, Sev said you’d be surprised to meet me,” She leaned into Sev as she said it, going for the girlfriend-meets-the-friends vibe, and reached out mentally to the group. It took a while to get more than a surface read but she felt skepticism from the brother she’d mentally labeled the quiet one and the one she sensed was the older brother of the group. Or more likely, considering their background, the squad leader. The one she’d labeled the joker’s mouth nearly fell open from shock as she continued,
“Mereel introduced us”. In for a credit…She hadn’t planned on trying to convince more than one person, but experience had taught her the best cover is to stick close to the truth. Easier to remember too.
“Is that so? Feels like something you might have mentioned, Sev”. Sev shifted slightly and wouldn’t meet his squad leader’s eyes. He didn’t say anything but he kept a hand on her waist, and she took it for a sign he was going along with her.
“Wait, ARC Trooper Mereel? The null? This is one of Mereel’s women?” The joker’s voice still held that note of amusement “She’s mistaken you for him, psycho.”
Neea thought about the Mereel she knew, the same athletic build, handsome and confident, just a bit of a bad boy…she could see how he’d be popular with the ladies. He would flirt with her during their interactions, but she had been able to read him like most people wouldn’t. While he was saying I like you, do like me? With his words, body, and eyes, she could feel him with her other sense, and he hadn’t been interested in her at all. Mereel would have been fun, but he would also have been using her, and Neea always tried to avoid being in that position. She had managed to keep their relationship strictly business.
“Cut the hysterics six-two,” the quiet one said evenly. He looked from Sev to Neea and back again, evaluating the situation but the skepticism was clear. “Sev, we’re with you every hour of the rotation. When would you have met a girl?”
They were all talking quietly and Neea was glad the squad seemed to have a habit of being discreet, she looked past the three athletic young men to see the Gran was still lingering, far enough away she didn’t think he could hear what was being said, but within sight. He hadn’t lost interest yet and she wanted to get this party on the move before he had time to call in help or get enhanced audio on the group.
“I can explain everything, but this isn’t a good place. Let’s get to my speeder, I can even call Mereel to vouch for me. You do know him?” she dared to take a step away, tugging on Sev’s hand and hoping he would follow. These men knew each other well, whatever passed between them was imperceptible to Neea but after a moment they moved forward as one. The quiet one said,
“Speeder lot is as good as any place. Boss?”
“Fixer, give her a quick pat-down and contact Mereel.” The one she’d thought of as the squad leader, Boss? fell in behind, and casually scanned behind them. “What’s she gonna do against four commandos anyway?”
“Vibroblade on each hip, under the skirt.” Sev’s voice was deeper than his brothers, and Neea felt a flush of heat across her face as she remembered his hands all over her body. She hadn’t even recognized the search for what it was. Fixer held out a hand, and with a sigh, she removed the two short blades and turned them over. He slid one from the sheath and flipped it over before tucking both into his belt. He powered her com link off before doing the same.
“You guys aren’t regular troopers, are you?” It was becoming increasingly obvious to Neea that she was in over her head, and she had to admit with hindsight her ‘plan’ had been poorly thought out. What were the odds a random trooper would know who Mereel was, and would be willing to help her? She could almost hear her father’s voice in her head. If you panic logic goes out the window. You’ve always got time to center yourself and then make a plan. Somehow she was never able to remember the advice until after her ‘plans’ had flopped.
“No ma’am, Delta squad. Although if Mereel sent you to us you already know that, right?” She didn’t need any special sense to know that Boss didn’t think she was on the up and up, all four men were discreetly scanning their surroundings as if they expected an ambush. Their posture said casual but she could feel them in the back of her head, alert and defensive. Sev had a tight hold on her hand that said he wasn’t going to risk her pulling a runner.
“I didn’t say Mereel sent me, just that I was a friend.”
“We should meet more of Mereel’s friends if they all say hello like that.” Six-two, the joker, very nearly winked at her, she could still feel amusement rolling off of him. Someone has to be the funny one in the group. He still had that strong sense of belonging, but six-two was not as satisfied as his brothers with their lot in life. Both Boss and Fixer seemed total content at their core. She could tell Boss was a bit bothered by her, he hadn’t figured out what she wanted yet and he wouldn’t be satisfied until could put her in a box; friend or enemy. Fixer didn’t seem disturbed by her at all, he seemed to be completely by the book-whatever way Boss told him to jump, he would. His total indifference to her drew her attention to another flaw in her plan, Mereel. She knew that Mereel also saw things as black and white, friends or enemies. If he thought she was a possible weak link, that the Republic’s interest in her was a risk to him and his people, he would kill her himself.