Rapunzel turned from the cubic model of Corona she had been surveying with her father with a gasped “Oh!”, Nigel scribbling away in his book as they volleyed ideas back and forth to manage the evacuation (or rescue of the stranded) until the torrential rains passed and floodwaters had receded from the outer banks.  

Corona’s roads occasionally became saturated and impassable during big storms, as a normal occurrence.  But the past winter’s heavy snowfall melting away and the subsequent early spring rains meant there had been no place for the water to flow.  Streams had quickly been overrun, roads had disappeared, bridges swallowed, and one of the levies was at the brink.

This was her latest and greatest worry - she’d sent Varian (against her better judgment and his insistence - more rain was threatening) to survey the stress points and come up with a plan to reinforce the lesser structures and perhaps re-route the rising floodwaters. Then lookouts had reported that a family was trapped on an unstable bridge near the levy, but that Varian was precariously working his way across the failing structure to get them to safety, and she’d been horrified.  The family made it to the banks with the help, but the remnants of the bridge had soon crumbled and Varian had tumbled into the rushing water below.  Only the rattletrap safety line he had concocted managed to keep him from being swept away, but it was a matter of time before that gave, too.  Until help could reach him, he was stuck in the frigid water, just trying to hang on.  

Eugene and Lance, recently back from their latest relocation and rescue efforts, had quickly raced back out, taking a few Snuggly Duckling recruits with them.  Now, as they marched in, Varian in tow, Rapunzel could see that he was in one piece, at least...but looked decidedly less than “all right”, absolutely soaked through with dark hair plastered against his pale face and shivering beneath Eugene’s coat. 

“Varian!” she exclaimed, equal parts relieved and dismayed as she rushed toward the crew, the King and Nigel trailing her.

“I’m alright, Princess,” he assured her, sounding exasperated and shrugging away from the two hands steadying him.  “We’ve got work to do.”

“With all due respect, short stuff, ‘we’ doesn’t include you right now…”  Eugene began, but the teenager spun to look at him.

“No?  Got a schematic ready to go, Eugene?”

“I...er...no,” Euguene huffed. “But we can figure something out!  We can!”  

Varian raised an indignant, haughty eyebrow, crossing his arms over his chest.  While there was no spite in the gesture, he looked less than impressed.

Eugene acquiesced. “Okay, fine.  But, I could take you more seriously if you weren’t standing there looking like a freezing, drowned rat.”

“So, stick me in front of a fire and I’ll dry out, but there’s a lot more at stake than being cold,” Varian shot back, reigning in silence a full beat before a cough wormed its way up to his throat. He swallowed hard, and to his credit did not let his determined gaze falter.

Kanan and Ezra had spent time helping with the severe triage, but Hera expected they were probably taking a moment to bond and meditate now that they were out of immediate danger.  She could speak with Zeb about their supplies before conferring with Dodonna and Rebel Command in the temporary briefing room they’d set up in the galley.

She didn’t expect the sight of one Agent Kallus, in the corner - ex-agent, she reminded herself - to disarm her, but there he was, his physical presence in the passageway triggering a flight response.  Her only interaction had been with Fulcrum, encrypted messages, data drops, and modulated recordings.  She hadn’t much had the opportunity to put his face with his double-role; it would take some time to earn her full trust, despite the others’ endorsements.  

Hera took a deep breath to say something out of formality as she passed...and frowned.  

Despite her reservations, she did not like the way he was huddled against the durasteel, looking dead on his feet. 

Uncomfortable.