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Emmo's optics whir as the droid scrutinizes her. Ren's arm around her waist has paralyzed her lungs. All she can hear is the pounding of her pulse inside her ears. Ren begins to whisper something against her neck and she blurts out "I'm really on a date with Ren!"
"Very suspicious." Emmo's head spins around and clicks at Ren and then rotates toward Cady. "Your profile depicts you as a dilettante wastrel. Not someone I'd expect to socialize with petty criminals."
<span class="mu-i">
Too harsh!
</span>
The power droid rocks sideways. "Gonk."
"Yeah, who are you calling petty?" Ren puts a hand on Gonky's top surface.
Emmo ignores them both, focusing and refocusing its optics on Cady. "What's the real reason you're in a dark alley this late at night, Princess Omega?"
(She was looking around for Jorma Gon but it just looks suspicious to Emmo.)
<span class="mu-i">
I can't say anything about Jorma Gon in front of Emmo in case Jorma is still hiding close by. I guess I don't want Ren to get in Jorma's way, either. As long as Jorma doesn't think they saw anything, they should be safe, right?
</span>
Cady swallows and nods her head against Ren's shoulder. "He's... we..." She swallows again and looks up at Ren as he glances down at her and then she grins at the police droid. "It was love at first sight!"
Ren coughs in surprise and Emmo's optics whir again as Cady grins and sweats, but then the droid's head spins to face the mouth of the alley. "I've heard enough. All of you, go loiter somewhere else."
The gentle pressure of Ren's arm around her midsection disappears and Cady takes a breath of cool night air but then Ren seizes her hand in his and she halts mid-breath as he grins. "Let's not disappoint Emmo, right, Princess?"
<span class="mu-i">
Did he have to phrase it that way?!
</span>
Ren leads Cady by the hand back down the cobbled slope while the power droid shuffles behind.
<span class="mu-i">
Power droids are so slow!
</span>
She glances back between them at Gonky and slows her own footsteps. As she looks forward she catches herself beginning to smile and straightens her face but then she glances down at her fingers entwined in Ren's hand and allows her mouth to arc back up again.
<span class="mu-i">
But I guess I don't mind...
</span>
Ren looks back at the droid and squeezes her hand. "We were lucky the Princess showed up!"
He has no idea I almost got beheaded by a lightsaber! What were they doing there anyway? Was he really going to commit burglary?
"Um, by the way..."
Before Cady can ask anything, her stomach interrupts with a loud gurgling and she snatches her hand out of Ren's grasp and covers her mouth. "I should get back to the academy, um... in case they do a room check!"
"Wait!" Ren holds out his hand toward Cady. "How about something to eat? It's the least I can do."
<span class="mu-i">
Now that he knows I'm a princess his attitude has totally changed! I can use this to my advantage!
</span>
(Her stomach just gurgled again.)
>I will allow you to dine with me!
>Is it on the way to the academy?
>I think I'd rather go hungry...
