Dhel hurries through streets that haven't grown brighter with the dawn, thanks to the clouds that have settled in. She curses under her breath as the drizzle starts, not having remembered to grab an umbrella on the way out. Slipping into the gap between the decent noodle place and the Twi'lek run sandwich shop--both closed at this hour--she pauses to look behind her for followers, then makes her way through to the alley behind the Alley, hoping that she's not walking into a trap.

She left a note in her room, just in case. But maybe she should have left it on the fridge? Pulling out her comm, she taps a quick note to Sholua and peeks warily around the corner into the alley.

About a quarter of an hour after Dhel made her way to the location a young woman wearing an officers uniform of the Empire checks ahead of her, and then behind, moving with purpose down the alley behind the Alley. Kept rigid, she walks face forward with her boots making that tell-tale sound as they met the stonework of the ground.

Dhel kicks a rock out into the alley, the click-click-click-Whack!-click echoing as it hit the opposite wall and fell back to the street. Stepping out from her concealment at about the time it hits the wall, she glances up to the rooftops, and up and down the alley before stepping forward, tense with questions.

Catching the officers attention with the rock she watched and followed the sound, finding the rock. When Dhel revealed herself the officer's hand came up to their chest in fright. Catching her breath Clara looks up to her with a tense expression, "Good.. you're here, okay. I can't be long, I'm supposed to report in within the hour," she says, quickly approaching Dhel and reaching inside her coat.

The hope that's been driving her since the message came is far stronger then Dhel's extremely limited experience with people pulling out guns, so she continues forward without so much as a flinch. "You found her? Is she ok?" She stops, much too close for the comfort of most humans.

"Yes and no, and.. maybe," she shakes her head, pulling free a datavault she hesitates a moment with how close Dhel is but brushes past it. Taking one of her hands with one gloved hand and placing the datavault into her hand with the other. "Everything you'll need just.. be there, okay? Or- someone else she trusts. You should-" she shakes her head- "I have to go, be safe?" she says, still holding Dhel's hand with the datavault between them.

Dhel's hand closes around the datavault, her other coming around Clara's covering hand. "What was she arguing with you about, that night?" she asks softly. After two weeks of kicking herself for being too angry to ask, she's not skipping the chance to try. "What was so important she just had to risk herself like that?" She looks up, her eyes searching Clara's for...something...truth? sincerity? the nervous fear of her words and actions?

"It wasn't.." she looks to Dhel and then past her, there's a bit of sweat on her forehead and she seems pale, paler than the day some weeks ago. Best she could tell Clara seemed sincerely worried, panicked even. "Petra thought I called the Empire on her-" she shakes her head adamantly- "but I didn't. I swear I didn't. But- she wanted to meet with me because we haven't talked. She told me how scared she was and wanted to talk so I came out to see her. What's a big sister worth if she doesn't try, right? But-"

"If I don't go now- I need to keep suspicions low. Otherwise.. I might not be able to be there when I need to."

Bothan ears catch her own heart's echo in Clara's voice. "Yeah. you have to try...She's good at getting folks to try."

She squeezes her hand before withdrawing with the datavault, already impatient to find a place where it feels safe to examine it. Hope and fear shivering fur along her flanks, across her hips, the nervous twitch urging her to move faster. Two deep breaths and she ducks back into the little side alley, waiting before taking another way back out to head back to the ship...home.

Lingering she watches Dhel go and then remembers herself. Fixing up her uniform she continues through the alley and takes a corner sharply toward the Spire.

So much left to prepare.. she simply had to hope.

Hope, what a risky concept.