It has been over a day since you first started your mission to collect data within the Senate. Thus far it has been quite anxiety provoking, and you're feeling nervous about how people will notice your continued presence in the senate. Riyo on the other hand, has been delighted to have you along.

This particular morning, now that she has confirmed you are staying for the duration of the hearings, she demands to take you shopping. You do have some credits to spare, even if Riyo wants to pay for it and you decide having an excursion wouldn't hurt.

What you wear has a focus on being functional simply due to your circumstances but you do enjoy dressing up and feeling good about yourself by putting in the effort. The boutique you visit is one of Riyos favorites and the staff smile and greet her by name. Clearly she favors this place. The dresses, suits and other garments displayed follow a more modest but decorative style with beading, embroidery and elaborate fabrics. What makes these dresses stand out is not the revealing nature but the careful structuring and fit of the garment. You must admit you are getting excited to try things on and even spot a few that remind you of your flowing Jedi robes.

Riyo and you are escorted to a room with two changing rooms attached to it, along with a large luxurious couch, a wall of mirrors and a pedestal to stand on. {Think of 'say yes to the dress' type rooms/ dress stores}. No food or drink is allowed but there is plenty of comfortable seating and a room with snacks that you can visit if you so desire.

Riyo starts with a private conversation directly with the stylist while you nervously sit on the couch. The more you think about the extravagant pieces you are around the more you worry about paying for them or making Riyo pay for them.

"Alright, please come stand over here, miss Y/N" the twi'lek stylist requests, gesturing up to the raised part of the floor. She held a tape measure in her hands and a kind smile on her face. You stood on the pedestal for a few minutes while she measured different parts of your body, from waist, to height, to inseam, every now and then asking "is this too tight?".

After she had thoroughly measured you, you were put into the changing room and told to undress. This room was completely sealed in, which made you wonder how they would get any clothes in to you, but you decided to push past your nerves and undress.

There was a small standing mirror in this room and you did your best not to look into it for long. Your hair was pulled together but you could easily find flaws in your face and body. Your undergarments were whatever you had left Felucia with and whatever you had managed to buy on Ord Mantell. Usable, comfortable and shaping for what you needed, but not flattering on their own.

You heard a bell and turned to see that one of the walls had rotated. Previously it had been just a plain wall with a hook, now it held a few dresses of varying shades and shapes for you to try. You were a little surprised but pulled down the fist dress and started to pull it on. --Hopefully we can find something I can keep-- you think to yourself as the process begins.

There were only a few that didn't fit or were leaning too far into a style that you didn't like. For the most part it was actually very challenging to pick any and narrow them down. Riyo was having a blast critiquing each dress with you and you eventually made your way down to a final few.

The colors you leaned towards were green, blue, purple and gray, in an effort to blend with Riyo and not stand out. You found a green suit pants and top set that was loose and flattering with a v neck and short flowing sleeves that went to just above your elbow. It came with a cape and shoulder-neck piece similar to one you had seen in Riyos closet.

You were also trying on a variety of floor length dresses and settled on three you had a particular fondness for. The first had been a medium blue covered in texture from beaded embroidery on the bodice and skirt. It had a sweetheart neckline and its sleeves loosely flowed around your elbows. You had never felt so elegant and princess-like in your life, and continued to think about this dress even when you tried on others.

The second dress was similar to the suit you had been wearing and buttoned up your front left side to a short collar like a military jacket. This dress was a dark gray with reflective silver embroidery on the shoulders, and hemlines. It was a long sleeve top but the skirt had a slight train and it came with a chiffon cape that could be attached at the back of the neck and shoulders for added drape.

The last dress you felt was a bit revealing because it was an off the shoulder piece. Again you had the buttons down the left side of the chest, sleeves to the wrist, with the top of the collar being a V shape exposing your full collarbone and shoulders to the world. The dress came with bust support already sewn in, but not wearing your undergarments made you feel even more exposed to the world. But you couldn't deny it was lovely, and its lavender color and fluffy skirt did make you feel pretty. There was darker purple embroidery on the bodice around the waist and in other artistic places but it was otherwise a comfortable solid fabric. Riyo had particularly liked this one because it was more poofy.

"The other two will do well. '' You comment out loud as you look at yourself in the mirror. "But I'm worried about this one".

"It's lovely" Riyo reassured you "Lavender is a healing and peaceful color, I think it suits you".

"I won't be able to wear my boots with it" you chuckle.

"I've got some other shoes you can borrow" Riyo laughs and comes up to join you on the pedestal.

"I'm just worried about it being too scandalous with how much skin you can see" you reply, turning and looking at your shoulders in the mirror. Your skin was far from clear with some bacne and a few sunspots. Normally they don't bug you but if you were trying to make an appearance you wanted to make a good one.

"There is not really a dress code for the senate since there are so many differing cultures. This doesn't break any of the rules on formal wear, plus it's fun to wear something more playful once in a while. Those structured suits can get so stuffy."

"Are you going to get something like this?"

"I actually have dress similar to this already, it's one of my favorites"

"Well, if you think so ... Technically you will be getting all these outfits once I leave".

Riyos face looked a little sad at the thought "I wish you could take them with you".

"Me too" you reply looking at the dress in the mirror.

"I've noticed you are leaning towards lighter fabrics" you comment as you step down off the platform "The suit I tried on earlier felt much warmer than yours".

"My apologies," Riyo said, following you down. "I forgot about that part of my clothes. You see, pantorans have more immunity to the cold. Thus I wear thinner fabrics to keep myself from overheating".

"I hadn't known" you respond "That makes sense. Your moon is a snowy planet right?"

"Yes, it's usually below temperatures that humans prefer. Now go ahead and change, I'm voting we keep that one".

You smile back at Riyo and go into the dressing room to change. You return dressed in the maroon suit, holding the dress gently before handing it back to the attendant.

"Alright" says Riyo "We've got another hour or so to spare but I think we've got all we came for".

"There is one more thing" you add on with a smile "Just something I'd like to look at"

* * *

Riyos guards help you carry out the multiple bags of clothes and you two are quickly ferried to the Senate hall.

"I think she will love them" Riyo giggled with a smile "it's a shame I have a meeting this evening. You'll have to tell me how she reacts".

"Of course" you reply, matching her smile. "What are we in for today Senator?"

Riyo gave you a knowing glance for using her formal title, and the two of you walked up a flight of stairs holding hands as she explained. "I believe the senate will be discussing more of our trade relations today but since the bill passed two days ago there should be more discussion about its implementation. Plus they will be officially introducing the new imperial representative today"

"Only one?" you ask, remembering that Tech had used plural words when referring to the new representatives.

"Well, one who is the speaker. I believe they are bringing two lower ranking escorts with him. I've heard his name but I don't know who he is or who is accompanying him. No doubt there has been movement within the ranks after Admiral Rampart's arrest".

You nod in response and you both continue walking the rest of the way to Riyos pod. In some ways you wonder what has happened to Admiral Rampart. There is a high possibility that he has simply been 'redistributed' as he himself called it. They arrested him publicly, but took the otherwise intelligent Admiral elsewhere to continue his service.

Or, if this was an insider operation and he is considered compromised....You shudder at the thought. There is no doubt in your mind that Admiral Rampart is an evil man, and he has done evil things. But he did not do so alone, and a part of your heart demands mercy for the Admiral. He may already be dead.

With this on your mind the senate hearings begin. This time, after attendance is taken, the Vice Chancellor Mas Amedda calls the Imperial pod forward. --As new attendees of the Senate it must be regular for them to introduce themselves-- you think to yourself as a pod containing three people floats forward towards the middle of the room.

Each of the men is dressed in what you can only assume is the traditional uniform for the Imperial Navy. One of them stands at the speaking pedestal with the other two on either side. One of them you notice is an Arkanian because of his pale gray skin, and white hair which stood out against the dark gray uniform. You had been around an Arkanian padawan during your time named Tethri Maltan, and your heart pains a little as you remember reading that he was now dead. This Arkanian had a strikingly similar resemblance to Tethri and must be what the padawan had mentioned as a 'offshoot' of Arkanians considered to be lesser then the 'pure' line of the species.

The other two officers were human, from what you could tell and the man standing behind the speaking officer had striking bright blue eyes. For a moment you questioned if he was pure human from how bright they were, and as you observed him he turned and looked at you. You felt your face blush a little and you quickly looked away.

"It is my pleasure to introduce-- Mas Amedda gestures towards the pod now hovering towards the middle of the room- "Commodore Daliv, hailing from the Imperial Naval academy who will now be representing the military units of the Empire within the Senate".

There is a round of clapping to greet the new speaker and after the noise dies down he begins to speak. His voice is rough and gravelly but his wording is highly professional "Thank you for welcoming me into the senate. It is an honor to be present and involved in these hearings with you. I would like to introduce my escorts who are moving up the ranks of the Imperial Navy.-- He gestures back with his right hand to the Arkanian-- "Lieutenant Arkos Nac"--He then gestures with his left hand to the other man " and Lieutenant Vohdan Handsky". Each man nods in turn as his name is said but the room does not clap for them. "They are present to participate in these hearings and implement the wishes of the senate into the new ranks of Imperial Stormtroopers. Thank you for granting me the floor Vice Chancellor-- he finishes with a nod towards Mas Amedda and then floats his pod back into the wall.

You had already put the chip into Riyos pod terminal and hoped that it was recording the new entries of these officers. It could be useful to learn more about them, or even to speak with them. However, at this point in time you didn't want to chance getting found out, especially since your group currently has tension from internal team drama.

Riyo leans over to you and whispers "Not as charismatic as Rampart, but he is carrying a more professional tone"

"Doesn't seem to be 'holier than thou'" you whisper back "but I'm not sure he will be as persuasive as Rampart was".

"What about the Lieutenants? I have not seen a sub-Arkanian for quite some time.--she gestures with her hand to another pod-"Senator Drathaks of Arkania is up there, but you can see how different they look".

"I also have not seen a sub-Arkanian in quite a while" you reply, trying not to allude to anything but noticing that the two people didn't look anything alike except for white hair, "although I am interested in the other Lieutenant".

"He appears to be human, I believe the records within the hearing state he is Curosanti" Riyo replies thoughtfully, "What sparks your interest?"

"His eyes" you reply, now looking back across the way at the Imperial pod. Even from this distance the blue could almost be seen. His eyes did not glow, or shine, but they were incredibly striking. "I've never seen such a bright blue before".

"I've heard it's a natural occurrence for humans to have blue eyes," Riyo added "even for there to be bright blue variants' '.

"Yes, but I had never considered just how bright they could get. This is the first I have ever seen someone with eyes like that" You continue saying.

Riyo grins and gently nudges you "Maybe you should go see them up close".

You snapped out of your mental trance by her words and you feel your face get red as you stutter "wha-what? No, no I think this is the best distance".

"If you say so" Riyo chuckles with a knowing glance in your direction.

You and Riyo continue to chat and listen as the hearing progresses and you continue to keep tabs on the new imperial representative and his escorts. Lieutenant Handsky in particular seems to be quiet and withdrawn compared to his Arkanian cohort Lieutenant Nac who is clearly interested and observing the room. There are a few moments when Lieutenant Handsky looks around the room and you find yourself caught in his gaze again, but the pods are so far away he could be looking at anyone on your side of the room. You didn't want to give yourself that much credit for his attention.

The rest of the session runs smoothly, with little to discuss related to imperial information. It's a bit disappointing but there were some other good talking points so Tech would have something to look into later. As the session is wrapping up your mind wanders back to Tech. You wish it had been him who came onto the balcony a few mornings ago, and you wanted to talk to him about your nightmares again. You were thinking that you should tell him because he has helped the others in the group heal from trauma and night terrors but another part of you knew it was the best reason you could think to talk to him.

As you grabbed your chip, hiding it away on your person and then followed Riyo out a feeling of anger stirred in you. --Why can't Tech just be straight with me? Why can't any of them just talk to me?-- you think to yourself --It's like they are making decisions about my involvement without me.--

"Good evening Senator Chuchi, Miss Y/N" came a familiar voice that drew you out of your thoughts. Senator Organa, accompanied by his droid, had come around the corner. "A pleasure to see you are continuing to attend these hearings" he said to you "it's refreshing to have a new face in the Senate."

"It is an honor to be present for such important discussions" you nod with gratitude, knowing it was mostly due to his help in providing your room that you had been able to stay.

"Senator Chuchi, I wished to invite you and Miss Y/N to brunch before the next full council hearing. If I have your confirmation I can make the arrangements as needed".

Riyo looks at you and you nod. With your confirmation she replies "Thank you Senator Organa, it would be wonderful to join you".

"Excellent, I shall plan on meeting you here that morning Senator" he replies before walking away.

"I'll pick you up from your hotel as usual for that day" Riyo said to you as you began to leave the hall.

"Riyo" you ask "is it true that the next hearing I will be at is not for three days? I had thought these would be much closer together".

"It is true, the gapping is to allow for other Senator duties as well as researching and refinement of tabled discussions. It's annoying in many cases, but it does have its uses. If you get too bored I'm sure I can work something out" Riyo explained.

"I'll contact you if I start getting desperate" you chuckle "It gives me time to prepare as well". --And time to figure out what's going on with Tech--.

* * *

You have a few moments while flying in Riyos private ship to gaze out over the view of the citadel but you are quickly back at the Bermua hotel. Riyo sends a guard with you to help carry in your new outfits and you dismiss him with a thank you after you get everything dropped off in your room. You shut the door, and as soon as your hotel room lock clicks shut the middle door opens.

Hunter walks through with Omega quickly dodging around him. "Your back!" she happily exclaims "wow! Did you get these today?"

"Yes, Riyo spoiled me this morning, although they will all be going into her closet once our time here is over" you explain with a glance at Hunter. You're sure the last thing he wants is formal gowns on his ship or clothing that ties them to this secret mission.

"Wait, isn't this too small for you?" Omega asks pulling one clothing bag away which contained a smaller orange and brown suit and a green dress.

"You're a quick one" you smile "I thought I should get you something while I was out. I'm not sure they will fit so we can take them back if need be".

Omega's eyes get huge with excitement and her face is covered in a giant beaming smile. She drags the bag behind her as she runs back into the other room "Wrecker! Y/N got me a dress!"

Hunter had just dodged out of her way and you came to stand in the doorway next to him as Omega took the bag around to everyone showing each of them individually.

"Looks really pretty," Wrecker said.

"I'm sure you'll look great in it," Echo added.

"Quite a complimentary color" Tech commented, looking away from his makeshift computer set up to give Omega his full attention.

"You should try it on" Hunter chuckled and Omega rushed back through the doorway a third time to go put it on.

"She's got a lot of energy" you chuckled with a smile.

"It's from being stuck in here all day with Techs lessons" Hunter replied.

"My lessons engage the mind, I unfortunately cannot do much else in this situation" Tech replied back, swiveling the chair around to face everyone. "However, I must state that taking Omega to the Senate would be unwise".

"I don't plan on taking her to every hearing. The next one isn't even for three days. She will be with me and Riyo or her guards the entire time. She has successfully navigated much more dangerous situations than this, and I wouldn't want to squander this opportunity for her".

The guys are listening intently, but you are mainly paying attention to Hunter and Tech. If Hunter agreed Tech couldn't disagree but if Tech agreed then Hunter would be more likely to agree. You can sense a hesitation from Hunter and Tech replies "It is not that this opportunity should be squandered, or that Omega would be unprotected. However, if she is recognized or identified we will all be in trouble".

You hold onto Tech's eye contact, wanting to know more about why this was the case, but also secretly delighting that he was speaking to you. "Why?" you ask curiously "What is different about Omega?"

Tech looks to Hunter, as do the others. You continue your question "This is clearly important information. I know her being a young female clone is already an oddity, but I can easily claim that she is my niece and she can go under a fake name. What is the danger in her being recognized?"

Hunter stops leaning on the doorframe and stands straight "you're right, you do need to know" and he then looks to Tech who launches into an explanation.

"Clones were created from one man, using what would have otherwise been his children should he reproduce. The caveat this man gave was that he wanted one unaltered clone to keep as his son." You are following along and your head leans to one side as you listen to Techs explanation "They gave him a few options and he chose from those. One of those options was Omega".

"I thought she was also enhanced?" you think out loud and Tech nods "yes, Omega was enhanced to prevent wasted material and continued to grow up in Tipoca City with the Kaminoans. Omega is possibly the only remaining original genetic sample of the original gene used to create clones. Part of our effort has been trying to keep her out of the Empire's hands."

Wrecker butted in "They kept chasing us for ages but eventually we blew up this huge ship and now they think we're dead."

"And we'd like to keep it that way," Hunter added on.

You pause for a moment, a thoughtful look in your eyes. "The only two people within the Senate that directly know Omega is a clone are Senator Chuchi and the past Senator Halle Burtoni"

"When did they find out?" Hunter asked.

"Omega told Halle Burtoni that she was a clone to convince her to testify. It worked." you explained, not wanting Hunter to get angry at Omega. "Otherwise no one looks twice in her direction because she is a child. We even had a run in with Rampart the first day we were here and he didn't say or do anything towards her".

Tech exchanged a look with Hunter, clearly they didn't know about these details.

You continue explaining, "Omega wouldn't be the only child there, I've already seen quite a few children of other Senators visiting or just student groups coming through. Omega's presence would be ignored just like them. She would be hidden in plain sight."

Right as you finish explaining Omega comes back in wearing her new dress. It's a simple dress with short sleeves to her elbow, a straight neckline, and a skirt that comes down past her knees. It's a green color with blue flowers embroidered all over the top. The sleeves and skirt are chiffon with ruffles along the edges and the main top is made of a matte comfortable fabric. To others at the Senate it would seem normal and basic but to Omega is it the first dress she has ever worn. She spins around happily laughing and the skirt poofs up a little.

"You're just like a little princess" Wrecker smiles and Omega does a playful curtsy. Despite the tense discussion just before she came back Omega had gotten everyone smiling again. Even Tech, who you hadn't seen smile this entire time, relaxed a little and took some enjoyment in Omegas happiness. -These big brothers are all softies- you think to yourself with a smile and Omega finishes flouncing around and runs back to you.

"When can I wear it?" She asks excitedly.

"Well, you can wear it around here if you don't get it dirty. Otherwise Hunter might let you join me at the Senate sometime".

Omega seems a little displeased that Hunter may keep her cooped up but that displeasure is no match for the thrill of a new dress. She continues to play with the ruffle along the edge while she is seated next to Echo and keeps grinning at random while she inspects the dress.

It's not long before you and her head to bed bidding the guys goodnight and Omega gently packages the dress back up. You're glad you were able to bring some joy into today, and knew Riyo would love to hear about Omegas excitement. Also, it was good to know just why keeping Omegas identity hidden was so important. You hadn't thought about her special significance to the Empire much, but knowing they would hunt her down because of her genes made you feel protective of her.

That night as you both get into bed you cuddle up to each other. "Thank you" Omega quietly whispers as you drift off to sleep "I love it so much".

~~ Meanwhile in the other room ~~

Shortly after you had left Tech plugged in the chip from today's hearing and started to go through the data. "Looks like the new representative has made his appearance" he comments as his eyes skim over the data "along with two others. All of them on the lower end of the Imperial Navy"

"Must be new officers from the Imperial academy" Echo commented.

"Correct, their first set of graduates completed training a few months ago. Looks like they were waiting for the bill to pass before putting in more officers" Tech affirmed. He continues reading for a while before Hunter comments "You'll have the next three days to piece all that together. Give it a rest for tonight".

Tech acquiesced and turns off his projected computer screens, getting up from the desk. Wrecker is in the bathroom at the moment and Echo is laying down on his back on his bed near the door. Hunter is seated on his side of the bed that he and Tech are splitting.

"I feel the need to voice a concern over Y/N's frivolous purchases today" Tech begins, but Hunter sighs and cuts him off "She only bought the clothes for Omega, the others are on loan from Senator Chuchi. I see nothing wrong with their outing, especially since she was still present for the senate hearings"

"Remember Tech" Echo added on "She's a woman, and women enjoy shopping"

Wrecker came out of the bathroom and threw himself onto the pullout couch "what's Tech complaining about now?"

"I'm not complaining" Tech replied which got a few eye rolls in response "I just believe that Y/N needs to be cautious with how serious this mission is. The success of this mission depends on everyone playing their parts correctly, and any mistakes she makes will impact the entire team."'

"Then you should probably stop ignoring her," Echo said back with a snarky tone.

That was the end of the discussion. Tech got into bed and then laid on his side with his back towards everyone else. Wrecker was the first to sleep and soon the others joined him. Even after relaxing and removing his goggles Tech continued to remain awake as his mind buzzed.

This change in routine was not going as planned. He missed his coffee maker, and knew that you and him could operate more optimally then this. There was still a high possibility that you were attracted to Hunter and that any action he was taking was unnecessary if you already liked their captain. But perhaps that was the problem.

Tech had decided on this course of action because he didn't want to cause tension within the squad. It was quickly coming to his attention that the aforementioned issue was actually related to him. The others in the group, while having varying degrees of attraction towards their new female teammate, had remained consistent in emotional stability. Tech was quickly realizing that it was his own stability that had been compromised. He had become more attentive to you without even realizing the extent of his own fixation. It was natural for him to keep track of everyone, it was a key component to his planning, however he knows he has been attentive to details that do not perceptually matter to the plan at hand.

For example, something that had been plaguing him had been a small interaction between you and Hunter. It was only a few seconds that he saw it, but for whatever reason it had been haunting him without relent. Back at the garage Hunter had leaned in close to your ear and told you something, your face had blushed in a very cute manner and then everyone had redirected to Rex's news about his phone call. These details were not pertinent to the success of this mission, they did not even apply to the current situation given that you had not even been present for 90% of their time in the Hotel... yet, the way you reacted to whatever Hunter said irked him.

--I've got better things to worry about then this-- Tech had mentally repeated to himself most of the day but he was having a hard time focusing. His annoyance had become more apparent as his efforts to ignore you or emotionally distance himself from you were failing. At this point he just wanted to talk to you, to get some answers. But for once Tech was worried that the answer would not be satisfactory. --Looks like I need a change of plan--. 

~~ End of Chapter ~~