Rain stepped off her speeder bike, frowning at her surroundings. Traffic raced overhead, filling the streets with its ceaseless buzzing. Rain started off somewhat uncertainly, navigating her way through the sparse crowds. Her eyes swept up and down the buildings lining either side of the thoroughfare before coming to rest on one. She paused, then moved toward it. The door of the two-story structure stood open, but there was no sign or marker indicating what sort of establishment it was. Rain's brows furrowed.

Is this the hotel?

Upon stepping through the door, Rain found herself in a bar. It was mostly empty except for a few odd characters sitting around talking or just drinking by themselves. Rain spied the bartender standing behind his counter cleaning glasses and she strode over to him.

"Excuse me," she said, "Is this a hotel?"

The bartender waved his towel at a set of stairs in the corner.

"The rooms are upstairs," he said without giving Rain so much as a glance, "But you're a little late. We're booked full."

Rain pondered that for a minute.

"Did one of your clients say anything about expecting someone?"

The bartender shrugged, "Might have. Can't remember." He rested his elbow on the counter, leaning forward and finally catching Rain's eye. "Tell you what, missy, how 'bout you stick around, buy a couple drinks, and see if your beau shows up."

Rain felt her face turning red.

"I-I didn't say anything about a beau," she protested, flustered.

The bartender shrugged again.

"Usually when a pretty lady comes in here expecting to meet someone, it's a beau they're looking for." He reached for another glass. "And usually they leave disappointed. Well, it was just a guess. Not my place to pry."

Rain sighed, "The person I'm looking for is pretty recognizable. He's Duros, wears a wide-brimmed hat, and is kind of obnoxious."

"Oh, yeah. I remember him."

Rain had to stop herself from uttering a breath of relief.

"Is he here?"

"Nah, he popped out after booking the room."

Rain's eyebrows lifted, "Room?"

"Yeah. Haven't seen him since. Sure you don't want that drink?"

She sighed again, "No, thanks. I think I'll just wait until he gets back."

The bartender's shoulders rose and fell in that noncommittal gesture, "Suit yourself."

Rain picked a table and sat down, resting her chin in her hands and letting her gaze roam. She'd never ventured so far below Coruscant's surface before, and the only time she'd ever been in one of the bars on the lower levels was when she and Master Aayla had been called to deal with a skirmish.

That was before the war started.

Aayla had handled the scrimmage. Rain was supposed to observe, but she had gotten distracted by all the other typical ruckus that one found in a cantina. She hardly remembered how it had happened, but she had gotten her hands on a couple drinks and had ended up very drunk. Secura had been furious. Rain couldn't help but smile at the memory. It certainly topped all her latter pub experiences. Her time on Trandosha seemed like nothing more than a dark dream now, but it still haunted her sometimes.

"Well, hello there, gorgeous. You all by yourself?"

Rain glanced up to see a dark-skinned Twilek male looming over her, a crooked grin on his face. Rain remembered him being one of the lone drinkers she had spotted when she'd come in. She frowned.

I'm not in the mood for this.

The Twilek leaned closer, resting his hands on the tabletop, undeterred.

"What's with that face? No need to play strange."

Rain was about to tell him to buzz off when she heard a voice behind her.

"I suggest you give the little lady her space."

Rain didn't need to turn to know who it was. The Twilek pulled a sour face.

"Hey, listen—" he tried to argue.

"Look, pal, I don't like to repeat myself so I'll only say this one more time. Get lost."

Rain saw a flicker of fear in the Twilek's eyes. He backed off, raising his hands.

"Whoa, look, no need to start a row," he said with a nervous laugh.

He turned quickly, making for the exit. Rain watched him leave before pushing herself to her feet and turning to face Bane.

"Where were you?" she asked.

A toothpick bobbed at the edge of Bane's mouth.

"Taking care of some business, pet. Nothing you need to worry about."

"Right. Is there any particular reason you chose a cheap hotel with a bar as our base of operations?"

"It's not cheap, sweetie, and it's not a base of operation." Bane strode over to the bar, Rain following in his footsteps. "It's just a place to sleep. We're gonna be here for a while."

"What?"

"I'll fill you in later." Bane ordered a bourbon, waiting until his drink was in hand before turning his attention back to Rain. "I'm gonna be heading out again."

"Well, can I go with you?" Rain asked, "I'd prefer that to sitting around here waiting for you."

The bounty hunter took a swig of his drink, pausing a moment to think it over.

"I suppose," he said, downing the glass and slamming it back on the counter.

Rain's eyes rested on the empty glass for a second.

Maybe I need one of those.

Cad dug around in his pocket for a bit before depositing some credits on the counter.

"Okay, let's go."

"What, right now?"

"Yes, and quickly before I change my mind."

As Rain sprinted after him, she couldn't help feeling like she was a little out of her element here.

This is Bane's turf, not mine.

Dooku's words sprang to her mind, unbidden.

"Don't trust bounty hunters."

I DON'T trust him, Rain thought, Not entirely, anyway...

"So what exactly are we doing?" she asked curiously.

"Settling some debts."

Rain quirked an eyebrow, surprised.

"You're in debt?"

"Not my debts, sweetie," Bane corrected her.

"Oh."

There was a long silence. Rain felt suddenly awkward but could think of nothing to say. The quiet stretched on.

"So I got offered a promotion," Rain blurted.

"Really."

Bane sounded uninterested. Rain pressed on anyway.

"Yeah. Commander Callyn. What do you think? It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Anyway, it doesn't matter. I turned it down in favor of working under Grievous."

"Are you sure that was wise, darling?" Bane queried, "The General didn't seem very fond of you."

"He's not so bad now." Rain smiled gently. "He's actually taken to complimenting me." Her smile grew. "And he's not the only one. A little bird told me that you wanted to work with me, and coming from you I consider that the highest compliment."

The corner of Bane's mouth turned up.

"Well, don't let it go to your head."

They continued at a brisk pace down the street, passing numerous shops and other buildings. One particular display caught Rain's eye, causing her to blush. It was a lingerie shop. Rain glanced hastily at the figure next to her, but he gave no indication that he had taken any notice of the display. She kept walking, silently observing the ground passing beneath her feet.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

Rain blushed hotter, keeping her head down.

"I can't possibly imagine what you're talking about."

"Wherever did you get that outfit? I didn't think it was common for Jedi to be supplied with lingerie."

Rain lifted her head but still refused to meet Bane's gaze.

"If you learned anything from our first encounter, you'd know I wasn't a typical Jedi. Funnily enough, I got the outfit right here in the lower levels of Coruscant. Some idiot tried to distract me with it so his buddies could grab me. My impression was that his merchandise was actually stolen goods, so when he decided to cut and run I didn't want to leave them lying there. So I put them to better use. I don't have the outfits anymore of course. I assume the Jedi threw them out along with the rest of my belongings. I wish I could've seen their faces though."

She smiled, then sobered at the thought of Mira finding the scandalous attire shoved into the back of her nightstand drawer. What had she thought, Rain wondered. The corner of her mouth turned down.

Probably nothing worse than what went through her head when she was told her sister was a traitor.

"And what were you doing wandering these streets all alone, little lady?"

Rain shook off her gloomy thoughts.

"Actually," she said, "I wasn't supposed to be out at all that day. Whenever I did something the Jedi didn't like, they had this stupid habit of confining me to the Temple for weeks on end, and the day we met was one such occasion. But I snuck out and ran into you instead, and the rest is history. Though there's something I've always wondered about." She finally raised her eyes to meet Cad's. "My mask. You never took it off. Why?"

"That's how I wanted to remember you."

Rain felt the heat creeping back into her cheeks.

"Well, guess I botched that plan."

"I suppose. But I rather prefer it this way."

Rain felt the crimson hue of her face deepen and she quickly dropped her gaze, her thoughts pulling her back to that night on Geonosis. She wanted to say something, to explain herself.

I wasn't myself that night. I just wanted to forget, forget everything. But what we did was a mistake. I don't even know what I am to you, Cad Bane.

But the words wouldn't come, so she just stayed silent.

"In here," Bane said suddenly.

The building they turned into was dimly lit, but it was easy enough to figure out just what sort of place it was when Rain heard the music and saw the people crowding the dancefloor.

A nightclub, Rain thought, struggling against the impulse to cup her hands over her ears in an attempt to block out the deafening music.

Bane easily navigated through the throng to a secluded back room concealed by a curtain. There were tables and chairs dotting the area, a few of which were occupied. Seated closest to the entrance was a Quarren male laughing raucously, a drink in his hand and a pretty Togruta female at his side with an arm draped around him and sultry smile on her lips. The Quarren took no time in noticing and recognizing Bane. His laughter died, his eyes widening in alarm.

"Bane!" he gasped.

Bane immediately kicked out, sending the table crashing onto its side. In a snap, he had his blaster out, training it on the Quarren.

"Where's my money, Phob?" he hissed.

The Togruta had jumped to her feet, her eyes darting between Phob and the bounty hunter. Phob raised his hands, uttering a nervous laugh.

"There's no need for violence now." His eyes flickered to Rain in a panic. "You're not really going to kill me in front of your lady friend, are you? Come on, we can have a civil discussion."

"I'm well past civil. Did you honestly think you could swindle me?"

"I-I meant to pay you, I really did." Phob eyes found Rain again, almost begging her to intervene. "Come now, what must your lady be thinking?"

Rain felt a twinge of annoyance. She drew her lightsabers, leaning down to Phob's level and watching his eyes stretch even wider.

Trust me, you'll want to thank me for this later.

"I'm thinking you should stop calling me his lady."

"A Jedi," the Quarren whimpered, "It can't be!"

"You're right. I'm not, which means I won't hesitate to kill you. And trust me when I say a lightsaber could cause you a slower, much more painful death than a blaster bolt. So how about you pay up what you owe?"

Phob hesitated, and Rain leaned a little closer, letting him feel the heat of her lightsaber.

"All right, all right!" he relented.

Rain pulled back, and Phob seemed to deflate, his shoulders sagging, his head hanging low.

"Get the case," he told the Togruta.

She hesitated.

"But, baby, that's—"

"Just go get it!" the Quarren snapped.

She tacked off in her heels, looking very unhappy. It didn't take long before she was back, a silver briefcase in hand. She opened it up, revealing rows upon rows of gold credits.

"It's not the full amount," Phob said, sounding weary, "But I hope you'll take it, as a down payment."

Bane took the case from the Togruta's hands, fixing Phob with a final look.

"You'd better hope you have the rest of it next time I see you," he growled menacingly.

He holstered his LL-30 before giving a cool nod and heading for the exit.

He waited till they were out in the street before speaking.

"Were you really gonna kill him? From what I remember, you preferred minimum casualties."

"If I hadn't intervened, he would've kept making excuses right up until you shot him, and then you wouldn't have gotten paid at all, so you're welcome."

"And if I'd shot him?"

Rain's anger flared.

"Am I supposed to apologize for not being able to kill as easily as you?" she snapped.

"It's your job."

"It's my job to do what's necessary to accomplish whatever task's been set before me."

"And if that includes killing?" Bane pressed.

Rain hesitated, struggling to find the right words and coming up blank.

"You feel sorry for them, don't you?" Cad said.

"Yes!"

"What've they ever done for you?"

"Nothing! It doesn't matter! I owe it to myself to try to protect them, and I'd do the same for you!"

The words tumbled out before she could stop them. She clamped her mouth shut quickly, feeling her face redden. There was a pause.

"Really?" Bane asked, and Rain could hear a hint of amusement in his voice, "This from the girl who was practically begging for my death back on Serenno."

"That was different," she insisted, "You were asking for it then."

"So maybe you don't hate me all that much then."

Rain allowed herself a gentle smile, "Don't let it go to your head."

Upon arriving at the hotel, Bane ordered another drink before requesting the keys to his room. As the bartender handed them over, he gave Rain a sidelong look.

"Enjoy your room," he said.

Rain frowned.

"I think you mean rooms."

"No," Bane spoke up, heading for the stairs, "He means room."

Rain spun on her heel.

"What?"

"I guess I forgot to mention there was only one room available when I arrived."

They reached the top of the stairs, turning down a long hall and stopping at one of the first doors on their left. Bane pushed the key into the lock, letting the door swing open. Rain felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

"Bane, there's only one bed."

"Yeah, it's a King."

Rain felt herself getting flustered.

I can't, I mean, I'm not—

"You can have the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

Rain stared at the Duros, stunned.

These are the moments when it's most confusing to be around you, she couldn't help thinking.

But as shocking as the bounty hunter's words were, more shocking still were the words she heard coming out of her own mouth.

"You will not," she protested, "I'm not going to sleep in a bed ten times my size while you sleep on a wooden floor."

Bane seemed taken aback.

"Look, little lady—"

"No, I will not be made a hog!"

"Aren't you overreacting a little?"

"Overreacting?" Rain strode over to the bed, yanking the comforters off. "Fine, now I have all the blankets, so you still get the worse deal, so screw you!"

Bane seemed to be struggling with himself, but in the end he said nothing, just pushed the door closed behind him and moved to the opposite side of the bed, shoving the briefcase underneath it before stripping off his hat and coat and tossing them onto the nightstand. Rain snatched one of the pillows off the bed, stretching out on the floor and bundling herself up in the blankets. Eventually silence settled over the room and Rain closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

It didn't, and after what must've been two hours of staring up at the ceiling, Rain began to debate whether or not she should just get up and look for something to occupy herself with. Sitting up, she peered over the edge of the bed, spying the shirtless form sprawled on the mattress. She pushed herself to her feet, gathering the blankets in her arms. Her eyes, which had long since adjusted to the darkness, easily found the long white scar on Bane's chest. She followed it down to his six-pack before pausing and blinking rapidly.

Stop it, she chided herself, shrugging off the thoughts trying to crawl their way to the surface.

Gingerly climbing onto the bed, she threw the blankets over the sleeping figure. She hesitated, letting her gaze rest briefly on Bane's face. Then, before she could slip off the mattress again, those deep crimson eyes opened and she felt a hand close on her wrist.

"Bane."

His fingers tightened, pulling her closer. Rain thought she'd feel embarrassed, even panicked, but she felt strangely calm.

Is it really so bad if we share the bed? I mean, as long as we're not DOING anything...

She unfolded her legs from beneath her, stretching out on the mattress. Bane released her wrist, pulling the blankets over her. He paused, his eyes never leaving hers. Rain thought she could see something behind those red orbs.

What are you thinking?

Then Bane turned over and she found herself staring at his back.

Even with the space between us, he feels warm.

She let his gentle breathing lull her to sleep.