— Atom —
"Whatcha doin'~?" Ani asked me, innocent and curious and sing-song.
"I must concur with that question," Her Master joined the inquiry, more wary than innocent. "What exactly are you doing, Atom…?"
"Fucking with my body through the Force," I answered honestly. "Nothing you Jedi would approve of."
I didn't care much for the censure that would undoubtedly come from my honest answer. The Jedi had a very specific view of the Force. It was their way, or the hyperspace-way. And they had a… half-decent reason for thinking like that. Their philosophical polar opposites in the Sith ruined just about any gray area or middle ground that might be found when it came to the Force. Nuance was possible… but very much the exception under the current Order.
That was what happened when one side of the Force had a thousand-year monopoly in the galaxy. Things got… strict. Rigid and unbending. Brittle in some ways, and stronger in others. But also… very, very stagnant, close-minded, and downright stupid at times.
So far, I'd had the good fortune of being surrounded by Jedi exceptions to the Order's rule. Aayla had known chains, fallen to the Dark, and returned to the Light in her life. Quinlan had shared much the same, and he was a Jedi Shadow to boot. And Fay…
Fay was pure Light. That much couldn't be denied. But she also predated the Order in its current form and had remained mostly disconnected from its stagnating core during her travels throughout the galaxy.
That made her flexible and wise, where the Order was rigid and stubbornly ignorant. She was true to life, not some lofty ideal in an ivory Temple. Her Light had been tried and tested by a thousand years in every corner of the galaxy, and was stronger, more solid, for it. I couldn't say the same about the Order as it now stood in its 'shining' temple at the heart of the galaxy.
Their presence, continued commitment to my cause, and overall acceptance, if not always approval, were what made me so uncaring of potential censure from the rest of the Order. Fay, particularly, wouldn't have stuck with me if I was goin' bad. She was the only Jedi whose thoughts I considered worth a damn
Not that I thought it was likely for me to Fall completely to the depths of dumbass evil some Sith reached… Or Rise to the damningly disconnected 'peace' of some Jedi, for that matter. There would be no turning away from my Spite Side, not after I stuck metaphysical middle fingers up at both preestablished aspects and declared, 'Fuck off, I'll do it myself.'
Furthermore, Mighty Leia, in all her freeing Force divinity, had chosen me as a champion of her chain-breaking purpose. That wasn't arrogance on my part; it was just kind of… fact. Anyone with eyes in the Force could see she was real — though not even Fay was completely sure what she was — and that she had her attention turned to everything happening on Free Nar Shaddaa.
Her favor, though, served to ensure I wouldn't immerse myself too deeply in either side of the Force, for all-consuming peace and passion could both become chains, and yet, both were needed to set her siblings free…
I watched with some amusement as Obi-Wan tensed at my honest answer, "Bio-alchemy…? That's a Sith technique."
"If you're blinded by Jedi dogma, sure," I rolled my eyes. "But if you, ya know, stop just repeating shit and think for yourself, you'd realize that it can be used to create a cure just as easily as it can be used to create a plague."
Fay, beside me and watching to check my work, clicked her tongue at Obi-Wan in some disapproval, "There are very few powers in the Force that are inherently Sith. Just as there are very few powers that are inherently Jedi. They exist, yes, but tend to be… specialized. The Bleeding of kyber crystals for the Sith, and its Purifying counterpart for the Jedi, are perhaps the best examples, for they, through one's lightsaber and crystal, are tied to identity, not cause or effect.
"The vast, vast majority of the time, the 'alignment' of a Force power comes down to application, intention, and the user's internal state. Both Jedi and Sith can use Force Telekinesis, no? Even something as traditionally Dark as Force Drain can be used to heal, and something as traditionally Light as Force Healing can be used to… hurt. Heed this well, juniors: the powers don't make the Force User. That is down to them — identity, action most of all, and… sometimes, unfortunately, circumstance."
Obi-Wan sighed, "I will, Master. I know a lesson when I hear one. And I would be a fool to turn away your wisdom. If this power in Atom's hands has your approval… who am I to question it?"
"Oh, question all you wish, young Obi-Wan," Fay tittered. "A curious mind is a healthy mind. Just don't go leaping to conclusions with your eyes closed."
"So… what is it?" Ani asked curiously.
"Nanomachines," I said, focused on the project at hand. "'Ganic nanomachines."
"Nano… machines…?" Obi-Wan wondered warily.
"Nanomachines, son," I confirmed.
"Forgive my continued discomfort with the subject," He deadpanned. "But that sounds rather… fraught with unintended consequences. Please, at least, tell me that they aren't self-replicating."
"They're not," I rolled my eyes. "I'm not being stupid about all of this. The last thing I want is to start a not-so-grey goo flood."
"Pink goo?" Ani half-joked. "'Cause they're organic?"
"Something like that," I snorted. "Don't worry, I'm keeping my head in the right place. They won't self-replicate out of control, and they're quite literally made of my genetic code and tuned to my Force presence alone. They won't go jumping hosts like some plague."
"I'm here to check his work, as well," Fay added. "It's an utterly fascinating process, even to me, but I haven't seen anything I've objected to so far.
"And the actual purpose of your nanomachines?" Obi-Wan asked.
"See, This isn't the first time I've been fucking with my body with Bio-alchemy," I said. "I've got this thing goin' on that I like to call my Upgrade. It began as a beneficial and targeted virus that I injected myself with.
"The base Upgrade was programmed to improve myself on an inherent and holistic level. A sort of… biological supercharger. Faster, stronger, better in just about every field, from my metabolism and bodily efficiency to my muscles and bones, even my senses, speed of thought, and neural plasticity. Then came the… experimental features. This tail I've got swangin', along with the ability to use pheremones and echolocation. Then, I went cell by cell through my whole body and superimposed the qualities of beskar upon myself. That was a project and a half, but I'd like to see a motherfucker try to cut me now."
Ani and Obi-Wan both just stared.
"That's where these markings come from," I continued as if I hadn't said anything amiss. "They aren't tats. They're beskar ripples."
"Wha-…?" Obi-Wan tried and failed to find his voice.
"It's absolutely unprecedented, what Atom has done to improve himself," Fay shared. "But then, many things about him are unprecedented."
"You made yourself, what…? Superhuman or something?" Ani asked. "Like, inherently superior…?"
"Yeah, if you're an asshole about it," I scoffed. "Just because I gave my 'ganic frame a permanent boost doesn't make me superior. Fuck that. Anyone who would claim that is a cunt amongst cunts. Really, it's the same as chrome, just 'ganic in my case. No matter what he says, you wouldn't call Smasher 'inherently superior', would you?"
Ani recoiled at that question, "FUCK NO! Oh… I see."
"An extreme example, yeah," I chuckled. "But it gets the point across. Regardless of differences, born or made, we're all just people at the end of the day. All… — well, most of us — doing the best we can in this galaxy we share."
"Well said, Atom," Fay proudly smiled at me. "All things, all beings, are equal before the Force. Some are more blessed, some are more damned, but we all share the same spark of sentience."
"I see…" Obi-Wan visibly contemplated the idea as he recovered his speaking faculties. "And now, nanomachines…?"
"They're machines, as the name says, that'll act as programmed to enhance my body's function and processes," I explained. "The original Upgrade put itself to work immediately, and did so all at once. And everything after was either an update to it or a parallel project of permanent change. All essentially 'one-off' programs I put into my body.
"The nanomachines, on the other hand, are supposed to stick around in my body until they're needed. Then, when triggered, they'll do their duties. They can be a more active healing factor, a way to purge poisons and the like, a general backup for my immune system, an emergency supply of bio-energy, and so on. If they're needed, something's gone very wrong. But then, that's why I'll have them.
"Mostly, they'll be designed to enhance already occurring functions and processes in my body. They could be used for more… esoteric programs… but I'll leave that to the second generation."
Obi-Wan hesitated, "… I dread to ask, but 'esoteric'?"
I shrugged, "I've got ideas to give 'em each a tiny bit of, essentially, 'ganic RAM, so they could be linked together when not in active use and multiply mental processing power. Or, with just the right tweak of Force, they could act as a sort of pseudo midi-chlorian network to reinforce my connection to the Force."
"That… is a terrifying thought…" Obi-Wan muttered.
"Wizard…" Ani was of a different mind. "You can do that?"
I smirked, "Force Bio-alchemy fucks."
Obi-Wan sighed, "Please don't encourage my impressionable young Padawan."
"Just try and stop me," I scoffed back.
Ani just rolled her eyes, "C'mon, Obi-Wan, you know I won't go leaping without looking for this. I'm just curious. The Order doesn't teach anything like this, does it?"
I gave a chuckle, "Just wait until you figure out Mechu Deru."
"Mechu Deru?" Ani's head cocked.
"Using the Force to commune directly with machines," I explained. "It's how I pilot my steel."
Ani's eyes went wide in an instant, "I could be my ship…! I could be Speed!"
Obi-Wan shot me an exasperated look, "Thank you for that, Atom."
"Someone of her power and skills?" I shrugged. "She was probably doing it already and just didn't have a name to put to the power."
"But now she'll be trying it purposefully," He deadpanned back. "I won't have a comfortable flight with her as the pilot ever again, and that was already a rarity."
"My flying is perfectly safe. You've quite literally never been in danger with me on the sticks, Master," Ani grumbled.
"Safe? That's true. Comfortable? Never."
"Tch, almost flip your Master out of an open-top speeder one time and you never hear the end of it…"
"I stand firm that there was no reason to be flying upside down in a skylane. Ever. There wasn't even any traffic!"
"You saw that punk challenge me!"
"The one flying with his aging grandmother? I did not!"
"Whatever… He totally did. She was egging him on, too."
Chuckling at their familiar back and forth, I put the finishing touches on the first prototype nanomachine. I was only working with one for the design phase, but I'd already made the free-standing bio-forge that would make them en masse. I fed the prototype into it and watched it print an ounce-sized batch. Then, I triggered their programming manually.
Beside me and watching my test, Fay hummed, "Hmm, it's very pretty. Are you trying to make yourself glow from the inside when they activate?"
"… No. That's a bug."
The ounce-sized batch was shining with brilliant light like liquid gold, a million microscopic stars floating freely. Which, it shouldn't have been. I hadn't included anything bioluminescent in the nanomachines' design. Where were they even pulling the energy to shine like that…?
"Well, I think you should make it a feature," Fay giggled.
"And give any enemy I'm up against a visible sign that I'm actively healing?" I questioned with a raised brow.
"Pragmatically, you're correct," Fay nodded. "But it's very pretty. And feel? The Force seems to like the idea of some inner gold to go with your beskar ripples."
… Dammit, she was right. In fact, that's where the nanomachines were getting the energy to glow. The Force was shining through all of them like gold. Showing no reaction, I fed the still glowing test batch back into the bio-forge.
"Still a bug," I said to the Force's pout. "Still gonna try and iron it out for the next batch."
Fay was pouting, too, "Oh, pooh~…"
Unwaveringly, I got back to work on nanomachine design. The next batch glowed, too. And the next. And all the ones to come. I would never manage to rid myself of the Force-encouraged feature. But by the time the Republic's delegation departed Free Nar Shaddaa, I had gold within to go with my beskar without, just waiting to shine as it worked.
IIIII
— Sasha —
"C'mon, Padme-girl~…" Sasha cooed and teased and tempted. "It's the tour! All official-like! Just play along! You've gotta!"
"I do not," Padme shot back, glaring half-heartedly. "You're just trying to get me rolled up in your night out! And in the Red Light Sector, no less! That's hardly a tour, and certainly not what I would call official!"
Sasha's assistance came from an unexpected place as Bail chuckled in amusement, "It does fit, though, Padme. The Red Light Sector is an important part of Free Nar Shaddaa, both its economy and its culture. As visiting dignitaries, we can't simply ignore it."
The 'betrayal' sent Padme into a sputtering flurry, "Wha-! But I-! It's hardly appropria-! I mean, a Senator, seen there-?! How scandalous, how wicked, how-! How would my reputation ever survi-?! What if someone got a holo-vid of me loose and tipsy and dancing dirty?!"
Bail simply raised an eyebrow, "Do you think that's likely to happen?"
"I-! Ahem," Padme cleared her throat and recovered her composure with an upturned nose. "Now, how could I predict something like that, Bail? I believe it's been quite credibly established that anything can happen on Free Nar Shaddaa."
"Don't worry, I'll drag Ani and Atom along as our escorts," Sasha reassured. "They should keep your upstanding, perfect ass in check, neh?"
Padme paled at the mention of Ani and Atom tagging along for their 'tour' (read: night out, Padme wasn't wrong about that), "O-Oh… Oh no… Both of them…?"
Sasha was left giggling up a storm. Miss Senator was adorable in person~! Just as good as she was over DMs. Sasha had struck chrome-gold when she'd convinced Padme to message her. Even before meeting her, Sasha had spent hours helping her 'research'…
Bonding over Atom, Sasha's favorite activity~! She'd shared all the good stuff. Stories and holo-pics and even a few holo-vids from her personal collection. What kind of input would Sasha be if she didn't save a few memories? And when she found Padme 'researching', how could she not help?
Not like Atom had much shame. He knew what he had, and while he didn't go around flaunting it, he wasn't afraid to, either. His breakout broadcast proved that much. Baring it all to the galaxy while flatlining a Hutt? Atom's introduction to the galaxy couldn't have gone better if Sasha had planned it!
She hadn't shared the full extent of her Senator DM campaign with him, though. That was a surprise of the best sort, best saved for when the fun began… In this case, what Atom didn't know…? Well, it certainly wasn't hurting him; it just upped that fun to be had, in Sasha's very professional opinion~!
Sasha may or may not have saved those DMs. Padme's reactions and curiosity were too fun to do anything else with 'em. The way she'd been sputtering out denial over DM, and always coming back for more? Yeah, she'd been a great student. Still was, too, only now the 'lessons' were applied and practical and done in person.
It wasn't like Sasha had given Padme the idea for this mission. That'd been firmly in her mind since the beginning. But Sasha would bet good creddies that her encouragement and aid in research had helped make it feasible.
Padme wanted to know more about the man she'd be meeting. Sasha had helped with that. Girl had been thirsty as a joytoy who loved her work. And even all professional-like, the messages had been productive. Ignore Sasha's shared sneak shots and sinful selfies and the straight-up sex vid that Padme had demanded she delete from their DMs (but only after saving it for herself, Sasha had checked), and Padme was still left more prepared for her mission.
Thanks to Sasha's campaign, the Senator had gone into her mission with a feel for Atom already. And… ideas likely imprinted in her mind. Now that she was here, though, Padme was… mostly professional. To be fair to her, important things and not-so-fun awakenings were on the table. Their time together couldn't be all fun and bonding and sexy, sexy Atom. But now, with the course going forward all but set, Sasha was determined to bring that fun back into the mission!
Thus, she was co-opting Sstala's suggested tour of their domain. Their guests needed to see Free Nar Shaddaa and the cartel's place at the top of its new order. But it didn't need to be all boring and formal and whatever, bleh~! They could make showing off and the necessary public appearances spicy, and Sasha would!
The more formal, Core-World standard events for the Republic's delegation had already come and gone. Guests of their station needed to be seen, Sstala, Suunri, and Gloria advised; it added to the legitimacy they were working towards. And they had been. A second visit to the Freed Refuge, a public-ish tea ceremony in the Arasaka gardens, a nice-and-neat meet-and-greet with the Gonk vassals, a quickly arranged flyover by the Gonk Fleet, and so on; those kinds of events had been the name of the game so far, coming up on a week that the Senators and Jedi were staying with them.
But they'd run their course. The Core-Worlders would see them in those events and be satisfied. Now, Free Nar Shaddaa needed to see the delegation, and also see that the cartel wasn't going too 'Core'. The Smuggler's Moon needed a kind of public appearance that they could relate to.
So Sasha had taken over. She was making the rest of the mission's itinerary fun, and that started with making a 'night out' of it. That was much more true to the Night City and Free Nar Shaddaa way of things, anyway.
It'd be almost insulting if their guests didn't take the time to enjoy the moon's nightlife and true culture. They weren't Core-Worlders out here in lawless space, and they wouldn't want to be. They were a den of scum and sin and a damn-near sacred freedom of good times to be had. A diplomatic public appearance on — for — Free Nar Shaddaa without any of that spice to be found just wouldn't fly!
Padme — not-nearly-as-innocent-as-she-tried-to-claim-Padme, Sasha knew — could protest all she wanted, but Sasha was dead set already. She'd charted them a course for the night through the best the Red Light had to offer. And if that course showed off every flourishing inch of the sector's recovery from the tyranny of Hutt Rule, that was just for the best.
No sector of the Smuggler's Moon had suffered like the Red Light… Many a Hutt had built their personal empires on sex, slavery, and depravity unmatched. It was the little people there who suffered for their masters' success. Now, it wasn't like the Red Light's depravity had disappeared with the Hutts on the moon; it'd just become depravity on their terms — a gloriously sinful celebration of freedom, not a normalized suffering of sex and intimacy chained.
Sasha wouldn't let her new friend get out of seeing it — the lingering scars or the new life in the Red Light. So she herded Padme out for the night to immerse themselves in the freeing nightlife. They picked up Atom and Ani on the way — Atom with only a slight huff from him (he was happy for the break, Sasha knew), and Ani with bewildered excitement (after Sasha convinced her Master that she should be allowed to tag along).
"What visit to the Smuggler's Moon is complete without a trip in the Red Light~?" Sasha had cooed.
"A healthy and productive one," Obi-Wan had retorted.
He still let her come, though, with Bail reassuring him that things wouldn't get out of hand. Soon enough, they were ready to have some fun. Spicy, spicy fun~…
Upon arrival, they entered a world of neon sin. Holo-ads that would've been considered pornographic in the Core were the norm under Red Light, the holo-giant gods of this lust-filled Elysium. The projected, gorgeous men and women seduced passersby on loop in massive proportions — flexing muscles and swaying sensually and even giving some lucky souls personal attention with their limited VIs.
Golden statues openly depicted circles of orgiastic sex, the Hutt figures they'd once been centered on having now been torn down. Only representations of the actual people of the Red Light were allowed to remain, frozen in acrobatic ecstasy. Each sculpted 'O'-face seemed to shout freedom as much as they shouted orgasm.
Open nightclub doors pulsed with light and sound, each a gateway to good music and good times. The discordant tracks that leaked out should've clashed. They didn't, not in Sasha's mind. Every one of them represented free people having fun.
People of every stripe, color, and species walked the streets and platforms of the sector, all looking to make the most of their nights. In the variety, the only constants were bared skin and skimpy clothes, a modern mating display for any preference.
There were curves and muscles and slender, androgenous figures. There were bright colors, painted on or borne naturally. There were hairstyles done up every which way, or lekku and plummages to serve the same sex-attracting purpose. There were costumes and figures revealed, and so, so many more accessories: jewelry, tattoos, chrome, and often nothing at all.
The air was alive. Sights and sounds and scents, a feast for the senses. Perfumes and pheremones, laughter and lascivious moans. An undeniable current ran through the Red Light, sweeping everyone and everything up in its good times. Overwhelming in the best of ways, everywhere Sasha looked, she saw people living free.
Strangely, amusingly enough, Bail seemed the most chilled with it all. He was confident and self-assured. Almost completely unfazed. His eyes didn't even wander all that much, more focused on their party's reactions than the open buffet of sex the sector wore on its sleeve.
"That queen of yours is one lucky lady, Bail," Sasha giggled.
"Oh, no, it's the other way around," Bail replied without missing a beat. "I'd call myself one of the luckiest men in the galaxy, for I have a woman who loves and trusts me as much as I love and trust her. If anything, she'd be more disappointed that she missed this party than angry or jealous. Royalty so rarely gets the chance to cut loose."
"Goals, man," Sasha said. "You've got it."
Bail smirked, "I know."
Atom was the next best off in their little 'sightseeing' group, but Sasha still saw his eyes wandering~… She didn't blame him. There was so much eye candy to enjoy! On a platform above them, for example, a pair of perfect tits hung over the railing. They were attached to someone, too, Sasha supposed… But she could've been forgiven for missing them with those beautiful blue babies!
The gorgeous Twi'lek woman they were attached to was working, it seemed, 'cause Sasha saw a bold Human man walk up to her and ask something. Credits exchanged hands, and they got down to 'closing their contract' right there for all to see!
Brilliant, beautiful, blue babies began to bounce as the working girl was railed from behind… and loved it, if her almost instant screaming orgasm was anything to go off.
"Yes, yes, yes! Human cock is the best cock! I should be paying YOU!"
"Woah…" Ani muttered, eyes glued to perfect bouncing tits. "They're… hypnotizing."
"O-Oh my…! Ani, don't look!" Padme, adorably, tried to cover her eyes and Ani's. It didn't work so well when she left such peekable gaps between her fingers, though.
Atom sighed, "… This is going to be a long night, isn't it?"
"Not if you let go, baby!" Sasha chimed. "C'mon, let's have some fun!"
"N-Not that much… fun, I would hope…?" Padme asked, still peeking through her fingers at the public sex scene above and sounding like she didn't know what she wanted the answer to her question to be.
"Probably not. But we'll see," Sasha teased. "After all, 'anything can happen on Free Nar Shaddaa', can't it? Isn't that what you said, Padme~?"
Padme worried at her lower lip as she asked, "I'm… I'm in danger, aren't I?"
"Only in danger of having too good of a time tonight!" Sasha grinned. "Now, let's get the drinks flowin' so you're all nice and loose and tipsy!"
"-And dancing dirty?" Bail joked.
"Huh? Dancing dirty?" Ani's head cocked.
"It's nothing!" Padme hurriedly denied. "I would never-!"
IIIII
"Woooooo~! Grind that thang!"
"O-Oh my… Atom, do you know you're very… firm…?"
"Positively. Fucking. Stiff."
"Ye-ohhh~! Y-Yes, I can feel that…"
"Nooouuuuu~… Musht… ssaive… ma Anghel…!"
"I don't think she needs much saving at the moment, Miss Ani. Come now, let's get you some water."
"And another round for the rest of us, Bail!"
"That 'Atom's Freedom' one was rather tasty…"
"… Just bring me a whole bottle to help me get over the fact that every place we've visited has had a drink named after me."
"Oh, new song! No, no, Pads~! Ya gotta move your hips like this! There, feel the difference?"
"I'm… certainly feeling a lot of things, yes. Atom, do you have two…?"
"One's my blaster."
"And the other-…? Oh! I don't think blasters are supposed to flex and jump and… throb like that!"
"Different kind of blaster, Pads~! Just as ready and able to slammit on, though, I can promise you that!"
"Eep~SLAM?!"
"Yeah, ya know, stuffit? Stuffit real good~?"
"Sex. She means sex."
"I know that! Or, err… I figured it out… I-I'm not slow or completely sheltered, Atom."
"Could've fooled me for the latter."
"That's just 'cause you don't know her like I do, baby! If you did, you'd never make that mistake, hehe~!"
"N-Never…? I like to think I'm a bit better than that, Sasha…"
"… Girl. Babe. Pads. Do I need to dig up the very first message you sent me?"
"NO! Aren't-… Aren't we having a good time here, dancing and such? S-So there's no need for… that…"
"Now, I'm almost curious."
"Please, don't be, Atom. I think I would spontaneously combust right here on the dance floor… You'll just have to trust me when I say that my first message to Sasha was perfectly reasonable, sane, safe for my office and station, not about you, and-! And none of your business if it was!"
"… That bad, huh?"
"I can assure you that I couldn't begin to know what you mean by that. It was a perfectly normal first message to a stranger who'd invited me to a perfectly normal conversation. Nothing amiss at all."
"Keep going. You've almost convinced me."
"Why, convinced you of wha-… Oh, look! A distraction!"
"… Did you just try to use grinding your ass against my crotch as a distraction, Senator?"
"… Maybe. Did it… Did it work…?"
"It's a very nice distraction."
"Good. Very good. Then just focus on that instead of-eep~! Don't focus that hard, Atom! Or… maybe-? Focus a little harder-? Oh, Stars, yes, just like that…!"
"Noooohhh~… Ma Anghel… Shhses fallin'… ahnd ish sho beauti-hrk-zzzz-mimimi…"
"That's one down for the night. Padme, will you be fine with our generous and honorable hosts while I put our Jedi escort to bed?"
"Bail? You're leaving me alone with them-?! O-Oh no…"
"You're in danger, Pads~."
"Hnnh~… Yes. Yes, I think I am."
IIIII
By the end of the night, Sasha had Padme crawling into her and Atom's bed. It wasn't to 'seal the deal', unfortunately. Not yet. Just drunk comfort and companionship tonight. But Sasha could be… patient. This was still very good progress~…
Padme was all sex and seductive 'innocence' poured into a silk and lace, not-quite-chaste white dress, almost like it was their wedding night. Preem as can be, the fit hugged her figure. Every curve, every line. In places, the lace was almost see-through, glimpses of perfect skin that tempted and teased and tantalized. It was a feast of Padme~…
The dress hung off her shoulders almost lazily, the cut dipping low from the center of her flawless back to her sternum to show more cleavage than Sasha would've expected from Pads. She seemed so slim and petite and noble, at times, in her usual fancy dresses. Dignity and grace incarnate. But she certainly had the curves to fill out something more… daring.
Atom must've had fun with all that to work with on the dance floor. Sasha certainly hadn't heard him complaining. Or Padme, for that matter. Her mission, it seemed, was a great success! Get the new chooms and her output out for the night and get them to cut loose. If Atom and Padme had gotten closer as a result? Well, that was just good business, as far as Sasha was concerned.
The drinks had been flowing, and the good vibes had been coming hot and heavy (but not 'heavy', ya know?). Sasha's tour had taken them through recovering spaces of flourishing, freeing depravity and debauchery. They'd seen whole shows of sex, made cultural, not just hedonistic for Hutt's sake. They'd watched people revel in every which way, just for the good times to be had. They'd glimpsed art in action — seductive dances and bodies intertwined, sweet and savory libations of ambrosia and spice, pulsing beats and ecstatic moans, invigorating incense and pheremones to tease the nose, so much freely shared love and sheer lust for life unchained.
In some places, there'd been stories for them to hear. Tragedies overcome, tyranny rebuked, and terrible times put in the past. But they didn't dampen the night's mood. For every sad story, there was ample evidence of new life to be found.
It was a new era for the Red Light now, one of hope for Free Nar Shaddaa and the Gonks who'd made it happen. That paradise of sex and spice and sin was living. It was making depravity its own, a culture reclaimed. As one, the Red Light stood from millennia of Hutt-enforced obscenity and declared, regardless, 'This is us. And we're proud to be Free.'
The sector had kept the parties of Gonk victory alive and thriving, even weeks later, a constant celebration of all it meant for the Smuggler's Moon to stand free. Atom's name was exalted everywhere they went, along with the calls of 'Free Gonks!'. They hadn't paid for a single thing; the whole Red Light seemed determined to show them a good time.
It all culminated in this: Padme crawling into Sasha and Atom's bed as they both watched (and tried not to drool…). She and Pads were preemly drunk, nice and loose and tipsy and feelin' themselves. Atom was less so, thanks to his 'ganic chrome or whatever. But he must've let something get through, 'cause Sasha knew he was having a good time.
It was just unfortunate that they wouldn't get to the real good times tonight. Sasha wanted Padme to be completely sound of mind when she finally gave in. Otherwise, her denials, while adorable and hilarious, would be relentless, and she'd be more likely to push herself away from them than accept her own desires.
That was fine, though. Padme was still in their bed. Drunken cuddles, comfort, and companionship were a step in the right direction, and an easier one for Padme to accept in the morning without panicking.
Padme sprawled prone on the bed, humming, cooing, and moaning in that effortlessly sexy way of hers, "Hmm~mhmmm… You're bed is so nice and soft… And big! It feels warmer than mine back on Coruscant, too… Why is that?"
Gonk-dammit! So pretty and innocent and outwardly repressed, with that hidden core of fun! Sasha just wanted to corrupt her~!
"I'm sure that's just the drink speaking," Atom said.
'It's not!' Sasha wanted to shout. She kept herself to just a giggle, though, "I think it's 'cause our place is, like, lived in, ya know? Full of life and love and all? And still open for more~…"
"Hmm… More," Padme hummed, already half-dozing off. "I like 'more'."
Sasha smirked at that, but turned her attention to Atom, "Baby? Can you give us a moment to get ready for bed?"
"Sure," Atom nodded easily. "Just don't go stealing the bed. It's mine, too, and I'm not about to sleep on the couch."
"Didn't even cross my mind~," Sasha singsonged.
As he left, Sasha took a moment to strip down to her undersuit. It might've been made tough enough to resist glancing blaster bolts, but it was also silky and clinging and perfect to sleep in. She and Atom usually slept in the buff, but she was willing to make concessions for drunken cuddles with Pads.
Padme was malleable and willing to follow her lead as Sasha stood her up. She peeled her new cuddle partner out of that silk and lace dress, enjoying the view and feel of utterly flawless skin revealed as she worked. Sasha… mostly… succeeded in keeping her hands to herself. Padme, however, didn't.
"Boop," The drunk and happily drifting Senator absently said as she laid gentle fingers on Sasha's peaked nipples through her undersuit.
"Careful, Pads~," Sasha teased. "Don't go pressing buttons you can't un-press."
Padme nodded matter-of-factly, as if she were still completely lucid instead of very, very loose, "They're very pressable."
"I could say the same for yours," Sasha noted.
Padme giggled and stepped out of her pooled dress at Sasha's direction. She'd gone without a bra under that glorious thing, but not without panties, a pair of pure white lace that matched the dress. Bared, her figure was slim, slender, and smooth — petite in all the right places and not-so-petite in equally right places. Pink pebbled peaks stood proudly on perky breasts, and there was a noticeable wet spot on her panties, evidence leftover from the night's dirty dancing.
Sasha enjoyed the view vicariously, mostly imagining how Atom would eventually — inevitably — enjoy it… Mmm~… Now, wasn't that a thrilling and tantalizing thought?
Padme's sleep-and-cuddle-wear ended up being one of Atom's spare muscle shirts. Sasha recognized it as the one that'd slipped into the wash with her stuff and gone slightly pink. Not that the new color had stopped Atom from wearing it. Sasha did so love her man in pink.
Sasha confirmed, supremely satisfied, that the commandeered shirt smelledof Atom. Something even Padme's drifting mind was quick to take notice of.
"Ohmu~? It smells like Spite… But… in a good way…?"
"It helps with sweet dreams," Sasha told her, amused. "Knowing that all that Spite is there to defend you as you sleep."
"Mmhmm… I feel safer already," Padme cooed.
"Thatta girl," Sasha chuckled before calling out through the bedroom door. "Atom? We're ready!"
Atom returned and immediately paused to take them in. Sasha smirked as his eyes lit up at the sight of Padme in his shirt and just lace panties beneath it. She led Padme into bed with her, making sure the latter half of her sleepwear was flashed Atom's way as they crawled and made themselves comfortable. Sasha ended up behind Padme, practically molded to her back and with her cuddle partner pushing back even more. The space in front of Padme was naturally and clearly left open for Atom.
Padme missed his fitting, single-word reaction, but Sasha sure didn't, "Damn…"
Sasha made a little motion with her finger, still smirking his way, "Strip and get your ass in here, Atom."
Atom rolled his eyes, but began doing just that. Shirt over his head, revealing abs and pecs and biceps and tempting beskar ripples over all of them.
"Oh? A show before bed? How generous!" Padme giggled and ogled.
Atom's pants came off, but unfortunately, his boxer briefs remained. A necessary concession for cuddles, but still a shame in Sasha's mind. They only covered the prize, though, not really concealing it. Thank Gonk. That bulge was needed for the night's wet dreams.
"O-Oh my…" Padme exclaimed softly and breathlessly.
"Settle," Atom ordered, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate the whole bed as he slid into the open space. "We do actually need to sleep tonight. Tomorrow, we make history."
Padme's response seemed to come instinctively, her last words of the night before drifting off into the sweetest dreams~…
"Yesh, Daddy~zzzz…"
IIIII
— Padme —
Padme awoke late the next morning, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
She'd been drifting in and out, steadfastly refusing to face the insistent, aching tension that started behind her eyes and radiated through the rest of her body. Each time it tried to rouse her, she stubbornly returned to the realm of fading, already half-forgotten dreams. All that lingered from them was warmth, a liquid heat that pooled unconsciously in her core and left her both content and wanting more…
Even then, impressions penetrated into her drifting awareness. She remembered something so pleasantly, temptingly hot that she was resting her head on, a pillow unlike any other she'd slept with. She remembered a pair of somethings embracing her from both front and back, and that she was safe. She remembered something oh-so-soft pressed against her back and something oh-so-hard settled in her sleepy, questing palm.
They made each return to her dreams that much sweeter, and even the ache behind her eyes seemed to fade with those drifting impressions. But eventually, she couldn't ignore the coming day any longer. It was an important one, Padme knew. One to be remembered forevermore, for Mighty Leia's Laws would be signed into reality for the whole galaxy to see.
With a sigh that transformed into a pained whine halfway, Padme forced herself to wake. She didn't rise, though. Something-… no, someone was hugging her from behind. Memories from last night trickled in and Padme stilled as she processed them.
It'd been… an eventful night. She dearly hoped that she wouldn't see evidence of it appearing all over the holo-net when she returned to Coruscant. Padme found that she didn't regret a moment of it, though. She remembered drinks and dancing and debauchery, sure, but she remembered the fun she'd had most of all. Almost immediately, Padme realized she would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Something tickled her foggy, hungover mind, though. Sasha was behind her, holding her tight against feminine softness. But… there should've been another, a hard, heated masculine counterpart in front of her. Where… had Atom gone…?
Her question was answered soon after she forced herself to sit up in bed, bringing Sasha up with her to the cyberkitty's sleepy, complaining, wordless mewls. Automatically, Padme began stroking her hair as they sat there with Sasha clinging like a kitten. Then, Atom returned, carrying heaven with him.
The pair of glorious steaming mugs of caf floating above his hands with the Force had Padme rejoicing. But what awed her hungover mind most wasn't the blessed caf, it was the little fact that Atom was the one bringing it to her. The larger-than-life Head Gonk, the Slug Slayer, the Breaker of Chains… was bringing her caf to cure her hangover. It was surreal in the best of ways, and something inside Padme longed for more of it.
Atom handed her one mug and held the other for Sasha to mindlessly sip from, seemingly well-used to that adorable process. Padme took hers and drank without waiting for it to cool. Stars, it was perfect. The whole scene was. Padme didn't think she'd ever wanted something so badly.
They stayed like that for a while, words unneeded as they simply woke and settled. There was no tension between them, as Padme might've expected from waking up in bed with others after a drunken night out. Just contentment, just acceptance.
Somehow, Padme knew that nothing more needed to come of this if she didn't want it to. It could just be cuddles and companionship and fun. But… Padme did want something more to come of it, even if they lived such completely different lives on opposite sides of the galaxy in more ways than one. A traditional romance might never work between them, but she knew she wanted something.
Eventually, Padme broke the oh-so-comfortable silence with just a few words, all that needed to be said, "… Thank you. Thank you for last night. I don't think I'll ever forget it."
Sasha, now much more 'herself' after a cup of caf, smiled and squeezed her, "At your own pace, Pads. You'll always know where to find us, neh?"
"Alright, girls," Atom said. "Get up and get movin'. Mighty Leia's Laws aren't going to sign and proclaim themselves."
IIIII
"Ughhhhh, what the actual kriff did we do last night?" Ani groaned. "Did you let me stand in front of a speeder and let it run over my head a dozen times or something?"
Padme's younger friend had woken up much worse off than her, it seemed. Even now, much later in the day as they gathered for the signing of Mighty Leia's Laws and the press conference that would follow, Ani was suffering a truly nasty hangover.
"You do realize the Force can be used to cure-?" Atom began.
Obi-Wan cut him off, "Ah, ah. This is a lesson my Padawan needs to learn in full, I'm afraid."
Atom stared at him, "… She's the one who came up with the name of all this, the name that's gonna go down in history. And I fully intend to credit her with that. She needs to be presentable. Teach her the hangover lesson on your own time."
"Ah…" Obi-Wan winced, "No, I suppose you're right. Alright, Ani, breathe with me and circulate-…"
As Obi-Wan worked to make his Padawan presentable, everyone else focused on the history that was about to be made. Padme stopped to take it all in. She already knew that the galaxy was about to change…
The Gonk Cartel and its allies were there in force, a statement that they were united behind these laws. She and Bail were tangentially included in that statement and would be signing the document as witnesses, as would Master Fay, to give the document legendary weight. Professional news agencies and reporters from Night City, the rest of Free Nar Shaddaa, and even beyond would broadcast the signing for all to see.
Mighty Leia's Laws themself were actually rather simple. Much consideration had been given — many days' worth of debate and deliberation — but it was eventually decided that the Laws only truly needed to establish one thing: Freedom from chains as the unalienable, indispensable right of every sentient being.
Every point that followed was left open to change and adapt with differing times or circumstances, so long as that founding first, that primary principle, remained true and indelible. But here, at the beginning of Mighty Leia's Laws on Free Nar Shaddaa, those following points all came back to Freedom.
How to achieve it and at what cost: almost none was ruled too much. Where Mighty Leia's Laws would apply: everywhere in the galaxy, as far as this founding document was concerned. Why and how calls for aid citing the Laws would be answered: with the full extent of the Freest Legion and its allies to enforce the primary principle of breaking chains. And so on: all codifying the right to freedom in Mighty Leia's name, no matter the loopholes stubborn masters might seek.
When it came her time to sign, Padme didn't say anything. It wasn't her place to make speeches, only to witness. Bail signed the document after her with a similar solemn and silent witness. When Atom signed, he had just a single sentence for the cameras, for the galaxy, along with a glare directed at all who would dare to challenge Mighty Leia's Laws.
"Just try my conviction here; I wish a fraggin' master would."
Master Fay, upon signing, had much prettier, but no less striking, words to say, "With this, let a new Spring come to the Outer Rim and all who know the weight of chains. Rise, siblings of Mighty Leia, it is now your right."
Padme wasn't Force Sensitive. But even she felt the way the very fabric of reality seemed to bloom. Mighty Leia's Spring…
She couldn't begin to imagine all the ways the galaxy would react. All Padme knew was that nothing would be the same from here on forward.
Then, before the ink on flimsy paper had even dried, the questions began. Every reporter and agency there wanted a piece of the story of the decade, century, millennium. By Mighty Leia's authority, Freedom was being made a right. Straight out of the heart of chains and backed by Atom's unprecedented movement, everyone wanted to know where things would go from there.
Credit was given; to Ani for the name that represented her chained siblings and to Padme and Bail for pushing the proposal forward. The Right to Freedom was supported and sworn to be upheld by all who'd signed the Laws. And Atom answered the question of 'what will happen next?'
"Now, we get to enforcing it. By blood and broken chains, by righteous revolution, by the fire of every star that Mighty Leia calls kin. It won't be easy. But Mighty Leia's Laws will have teeth, and the reach to bite all who challenge her decree. Best get ready, for an Outer Rim Spring."
IIIII
— Obi-Wan —
Obi-Wan hadn't imagined this mission going anything like this when it began. Even by his and Ani's high standards, this had been an eventful one.
Anything, it seemed, couldn't just happen on Free Nar Shaddaa; it often did. And all it'd taken to become a part of history in the making was a short, eventful week in the center of change, and the natural progression of opening their eyes to reality, heeding what they learned, reevaluating, and pressing forward on a new, better course…
Mighty Leia's Laws, set forth by his own Padawan. A monumental legacy to call her own; her dreams of broken chains made manifest. But Ani, Obi-Wan knew, was firm in saying that Mighty Leia's Laws weren't for her. They were for the galaxy, and all her chained siblings throughout it. They were for the movement of Free Nar Shaddaa, championing all it represented and strived to be. The first definitive, unimpeachable, holistic Right to Freedom couldn't have come from a better place.
An unprecedented declaration for an unprecedented movement. The first of its kind, not in purpose, but in scope, scale, and soul. The galaxy now had one law to rule over and against its chains, and a large part of Obi-Wan couldn't help but think, 'It's about damn time…'
Seeing it all made real, Obi-Wan knew true pride in his Padawan. Ani, the young girl freed from her chains and with so many expectations on her shoulders, who'd been left to him by his own Master when he wasn't ready. Now, a beautiful and truly good young woman whom he'd helped raise and guide, whom he'd fought and faced death and darkness beside, whom he'd suffered all of her mischief and rebellion for, whom he loved like she was his own blood… and whom he'd failed often, but had always gotten back up to do right by her as best he could.
He'd scarcely been older than she was now when Ani was left with him alone in the galaxy, barred from her mother. Raising her had been… a learning experience, to put it lightly. But on this mission, he'd been forced to confront his greatest failing when it came to Ani.
Master Fay had taken him to task and made it very clear where and how he'd fucked up. Not by action, but by inaction, 'gifted' to him by the Jedi Council. But, Fay made clear, that was no excuse for the young woman born into slavery or her mother still chained.
And… Obi-Wan agreed. Leaving Shmi to her chained circumstances — while practically stealing her daughter, to boot — had never sat right with him. But the Council had ruled, and Obi-Wan hadn't questioned or resisted that ruling nearly as much as he should've.
Master Qui-Gon would've been ashamed… His Padawan hadn't been brave enough to follow in his maverick footsteps… Obi-Wan had been weak, too accepting. Qui-Gon, he knew, would've stopped at nothing to go back for Shmi and finish the job of breaking chains. In that, in following through as his Master would've… Obi-Wan truly had failed.
Now, however, after a chillingly calm lecture from Master Fay that would haunt his nightmares, Obi-Wan knew he had the chance to fix things for his Padawan. He'd decided to do the right thing — both objectively and morally — for Ani, and to ignore the Council's 'disasterously dissociated decision' as Fay had advised.
He had a responsibility to his Padawan to act, not in the Masters' best interest, but in hers. Ani's. And now, Obi-Wan swore he would. For he'd realized long ago that everything he did, he did for her.
Ani was his Master's final legacy. But more importantly, she was her own person, a shining soul of so much potential. She was wickedly intelligent, just as wickedly impulsive, quick-to-action, surprisingly introspective at times, lively and broody in equal measure, and frustrating like no one else he'd ever known. But she was also so, so very good at heart. For all that she'd been through in her life, she still wanted to believe that the galaxy could be made better. All it took, Ani often argued, was a single person to act.
Now, for the little sister figure he'd come to love, it was Obi-Wan's turn to act. To Hell with the Council. For all their traditional wisdom and experience, they didn't know Ani as he did. They didn't know what she needed. Despite what they preached, advised, ruled… leaving Shmi in chains was the greatest crime the Order could commit against Ani. And dangerous, Fay had made that much clear.
Obi-Wan… he wouldn't see his Padawan Fall. He couldn't stand to even imagine it. So he'd come to his decision. Now, for the little sister figure he'd come to love, it was his turn to act.
Their send-off from Free Nar Shaddaa was a quiet thing that didn't make many ripples. Not with Mighty Leia's Laws gripping the moon in a fervor. Their mission hadn't been successful in the way they'd first planned. But there was no denying that they'd still accomplished something truly special here.
"I have a feeling this won't be the last we'll see of each other," Obi-Wan told Atom as they all said their farewells.
Atom snorted, "Absolutely not."
Obi-Wan nodded knowingly, "Then, I'll just hope we don't end up on opposite sides of a battlefield, Atom. It's been-…"
"A pleasure?" Atom suggested, amusedly, as he trailed off.
"I wouldn't go that far, but it's certainly been something," Obi-Wan finished with a smirk.
"Get gone, Sith Slayer," Atom said, holding out a hand for him to clasp.
Obi-Wan did, "Until next time, Slug Slayer."
He said goodbye to his peers, too, with good humor. Aayla and Quinlan wouldn't be returning to the Temple with them, and Obi-Wan wouldn't even ask them to. They'd found a place here, and even if unofficial, it was good to have flexible, open-minded Jedi in what seemed destined to become a galactic fulcrum point.
Obi-Wan quietly thanked Master Fay for her wisdom and guidance, "Without you, Master, I fear my decision would've come much too late. It might've, still…"
Fay shook her head, "You're right on time, Obi-Wan. 'Late' is always better than 'never'. Take heart, you've set your course to rights. Now, when you have to make your report to the Council… do feel free to use my name."
The purposefully placid smile on Fay's face as she said the last sent chills down Obi-Wan's spine, "I-… I think I'll take you up on that, Master. Your support will be… welcome, to say the least."
… He almost felt sympathy for the Council for earning Fay's chillingly composed ire. 'Almost…They certainly have earned it, though.'
The rest of the goodbyes came and went fondly. It helped to be leaving things on a high, hopeful, and productive note. Ani was even given an open invitation to 'Run the Edge' if she ever came back to Night City.
"It's been fun, Skywalker," V said.
"YOU WERE… DECENT," Smasher rumbled.
"And you were and are an asshole, Smasher," Ani replied with rolled eyes.
Smasher just chuckled, "GOOD. I'VE STILL GOT IT, THEN. GIVE THAT BALD MOTHERFUCKER WINDU MY HATEFUL REGARDS."
'Master Windu…? How… odd,' Obi-Wan blinked and mused.
Other than that send-off, Ani was unusually quiet. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. Obi-Wan could sense his Padawan's emotional state, and it was supremely satisfied. She was hopeful, inspired, too. She'd done something truly meaningful here with Mighty Leia's Laws. And it soothed Obi-Wan's heart that he'd soon be adding to Ani's inspired and hopeful mood.
He broke the news of his decision right before they were set to enter hyperspace. Ani was flying, and while the mood between them all was good, the assumed destination did bring some tension into the ship.
"Back to Coruscant, then…" Ani sighed.
Bail sympathized, "It always feels too soon to be returning to the thick of it all. But always, duty calls."
"Not just yet," Obi-Wan interjected. "Change of course, Ani. We'll be taking a detour to Tatooine first."
Ani stiffened in her seat, "That sandy hell, Master…?"
Quietly, Obi-Wan shared some of his earlier thoughts with her, "To hell with the Council, Ani. It's a disgrace like no other that your mother has been left in chains for so long. I'm… I'm truly, deeply sorry for the part I've played in that disgrace. I won't ask you to forgive me, but we'll put it to rights now, regardless."
Ani just stared at him, silent and trying to judge whether he was being genuine. Through their Force bond, Obi-Wan invited her to feel for herself. All his regrets and failures, and just how firm he was in his decision now.
As Ani processed, Bail considered aloud, "Well, there is a rather recent lawful leg to stand on when it comes to breaking chains."
A bright smile bloomed on Padme's face, "Yes! Yes, there is! Ani, I can't think of anyone better than you to be the first to enact Mighty Leia's Laws."
Slowly, Ani realized this was real. And the surge of sheer emotion that came over her physically rocked Obi-Wan back in his seat. Years of frustration turned to vindication. Hope. The sudden realization that she had helped make this lawfully possible in Mighty Leia's name. Pure, pure, pure joy. And the shining, shining light of Freedom made manifest above it all.
Ani settled on an insistent, unbreakable determination to march back into the hell of her birth, take her mother's hand, and bring them both out without looking back. She spun the ship onto a new hyperspace vector and punched them past lightspeed.
Their trip to Tatooine took half the time it should've, and somehow, Obi-Wan knew that was due to Ani. With motivation like this, it seemed rather easy for Ani to crack that 'Mechu Deru' Force power that Atom had mentioned.
There was some cause for concern when, upon landing on Tatooine, Shmi was nowhere to be found. But Ani's determination was unwavering. She knew her mother could be found. They tracked her down through Watto — the man still as loathesome as Obi-Wan remembered — and found that much had changed for Shmi. She had a husband now, a step-son to be Ani's brother, and her own freedom in all but name.
But for all that'd changed, Ani and Shmi still recognized each other immediately, instinctively, and their reunion sent shimmering, shining, singing waves through the whole of the Force, the calm pond of destiny disrupted in the most beautiful way Obi-Wan had ever sensed.
"Mom…! Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom…! You're here, you're whole, you're safe! The nightmares lied…"
The mention of nightmares worried Obi-Wan, and his mind immediately went back to Fay's farewell words, 'You're right on time, Obi-Wan.'
"Ani, my Ani! I'm here! And so are you! My Starstrider has made her way back to me, and oh, how you've grown!"
"You have, too, Mom. Heh, I didn't know parents were allowed to do that."
"You don't… mind, do you? Oh, it must seem like I've moved on and forgotten about you. I swear, Ani, I never-…"
"I know, Mom. I know. You'd forget me when I forgot you: never. So I could never 'mind'. I'm just happy to see you happy, happy to see you living."
"You should meet Cliegg. He's… sweet. Good to me. He tries so very hard, and I love him for it."
"I'd love to, Mom. But I'm not just here to… visit. I've come to break your chains for good. Mighty Leia bids your star to return to her sky."
"Oh, Ani… My star returned to her sky with you. So long as you're free, I shine with her."
"But now-! Now, you can be truly free, too! It's written. It's law, a new right in Mighty Leia's name, straight from the heart of chains! I was there, Mom. I was part of it. Free Nar Shaddaa has signed and declared Mighty Leia's Laws."
"Mighty Leia's Laws? Free Nar Shaddaa? What have you been up to, Ani?"
"… A lot. Do you… Do you hate it?"
"Ani! Never! If you've truly done what you say you have, I couldn't be more proud! Ha, my heart's about ready to leap out of my chest, Starstrider!"
"It's real, Mom. Mighty Leia's Laws, the codified right of all our chained siblings to shine free."
"… I always knew you would change the galaxy, Ani."
"The change has just begun, Mom. And it should start with you. Mighty Leia's Laws apply to all of her siblings, and I came to you first. Mom… No, let's make this count.
"Shmi Skywalker… In Mighty Leia's name, will you be the first of our chained siblings to lawfully break your chains?"
"Oh, Ani… I would be honored. Yes, for there exists no chain that cannot be broken. It hasn't been forged now, and it never will be. Now, that is no mere tale, no simple dream at our darkest or whispered hope between the hopeless. You — my daughter, my Starstrider, my kin of chains — have made it law. You've made it real. And I will stop at nothing to ensure everyone on this blasted rock hears the news."
"And beyond, Mom. The whole galaxy. All of our siblings. Everywhere."
In the Force, something divine repeated the exchange between shining mother and daughter. It was as vast as the starry night sky, but not distant, not in the slightest. That Force entity, that deity, of shared stories and chained culture and tragic kinhood was intimately known by all who shared her sky.
Ani and Shmi's exchange echoed. Resonated. Slowly, softly, for now. But Obi-Wan knew that it would grow to a common chorus of unrivaled, unprecedented proportion. A shining song of freedom between all the stars for all of her siblings to hear. The first notes of that song had been sung on Free Nar Shaddaa, but the chorus…?
The chorus started here, between daughter and mother, vergeance and vessel, both so favored by the Force… but favored by their shared sister of shining stars most of all.
Obi-Wan felt, quite literally, blessed to witness it. And he knew Bail and Padme had to feel the same.
"Dear me," Bail commented quietly, taking care not to disturb the touching reunion or the chorus that began with it. "Even I can feel that. I imagine your Council will have… questions, Obi-Wan."
"They will," Obi-Wan nodded. "And I will answer them to the best of my ability. But for some reason, I don't feel very inclined to indulge or heed any more of their 'disasterously dissociated decisions' right about now."
"Quite the stance for a Jedi Knight — not even a Master — to take," Bail noted, not unsympathetically. "It won't be a popular one, or even one understood by many of your Order. Good luck, Obi-Wan. I think you may just need it."
"This…" Obi-Wan said, committing every moment of the scene in front of him to memory. "This is worth standing up for, no matter the cost. I'm willing to take all the fire that will come Ani's way. Anything for her. Anything for…this…"