[ in the entrance walks a short, dark-skinned man with a high-collared jacket. unlike the rest of the patrons of canto bight, this man wears only one ring. one that hides a symbol of the resistance. he glances around, uneasy, then makes his way for ben's position.

he never makes it that far. into his path steps a woman. she has the kind of presence that makes it easy to mistake her as taller than him by a mile, although they're actually quite close in height. kira rests her hand on the man's arm, and pure panic overtakes his expression. ]

The prodigal stormtrooper, returned to us at last. [ she keeps her voice low, and it is lost in the din of the casino well before it ever makes it to ben. she leans in. the impression of intimacy to anyone who wasn't looking at his contact's face. ] You caused us quite a bit of trouble, leaving the way you did. [ her grip tightens. ] Where is it?

[ the panic turns to pain. kira digs her fingers into the meat of his arm as she digs into his mind. abandoning his post would be enough to get this stormtrooper killed out of hand. but stealing what he had, trying to find a way to smuggle it to the resistance. that deserved something more—

something more. no, not in the stormtrooper. she pulls back, suddenly aware. a ripple, elsewhere in the casino. she turns slowly, her eyes dark and searching. her hand loosens and slips, and finn is quick to take advantage. she barely marks the signs of him retreating.

what is it? that feeling. someone else touching the force. slight. so slight they may not even have noticed ... ]