Manaan Nights

This was supposed to be a quick little palate cleanser before I got back to working on the big thing, which is (meant to be) emotional and sad and tense and all that and I wanted something fun and light to knock out to test a few things of how I want the main characters' relationship to be like when things aren't weird and the plot gods aren't messing with them and just something quick and easy for me while I'm in the middle of work. That was three weeks ago, so you can guess how that went... I'm not even finished it yet!

It's very bad and I'll probably rewrite it or scrap it completely but here it is. What I've written of it anyway.

***

“Do we really have to go in there?” Bastila glanced apprehensively at the lurid neon lights adorning the blackened shopfront that Sera was leading her towards. They were blinking on and off, spelling out suggestive phrases and detailing… techniques to the general public so boldly and shamelessly that she wondered what purpose the opaque transparisteel discreetly shielding the shop’s wares from innocent eyes truly served.

Sera turned back to face her, the light sea breeze coming off the water surrounding Ahto City ruffling the soft strands of her short dark hair. Her lips twitched into a crooked smile. “I’m afraid we’ll have to if we want to have any idea what this contains.” She held up a small container, bright pink and studded with fake diamonds. “We find out what Elassa was drugging Sunry with, we make an argument against her character,” she tossed the item up in the air and caught it with a flourish, “we win the case! Be nice to have something go easy on this planet…”

“Ugh, fine. I still don’t understand why I have to come with you,” Bastila grumbled sullenly, not wanting to take a single step closer to the shop of ill-repute.

Sera, the asshole, smiled beatifically. “Because we’re partners, remember? Wherever I go, you go,” she said, throwing Bastila’s own words back in her face.

Bastila glared at her, wishing that she had never allowed Sera to learn that she was in l-- that she fonder than usual of her stupid face and her stupid hair and her-- “I hate you!”

The object of her loathing let out a delighted laugh, making her temper flare and her heart thud happily in her chest. “I know,” Sera said with a wink and sauntered off towards the den of licentiousness, whistling and tossing and catching the pink container like a ball. Bastila snarled and stomped after her, trying not to notice how good Sera’s ass looked this morning.

The door made a soft tinkling sound as they stepped over the threshold not the, well, Bastila wasn’t quite certain what she expected from the entranceway to the domain of sin but it wasn’t that! She blinked away the momentary blindness from stepping inside on a bright day and glanced furtively around the shop with equal parts trepidation and curiosity. At first glance, the shop seemed to be nothing more than just that: a shop with rows and rows of shelving filling the small space in front of a cramped counter with a till where the salesperson would stand. But she didn’t have time to examine her sense of disappointment at the mundanity of the space as her brain processed the shape and purpose of the… implements for sale and heat flooded her body.

Sera, with her cool and confident attitude of worldly experience, was unaffected by their surroundings to Bastila’s annoyance and relief. She glanced around at the abandoned till point and the seemingly empty shop and hmmed in thought.

“Doesn’t look like anyone’s in at the moment…”

“Does that mean we can leave?” Bastila said hopefully, trying to scrub the image of Mon Calamari tentacle enhancements from her mind.

“Nah, I wanna find out what this thing is,” Sera said, to Bastila’s complete lack of surprise. “Let’s browse a bit and see if we can come up with anything on our own.” And she moved off into the maze of racks before Bastila could voice her protest.

Bastila stood awkwardly in the entrance, contemplating just letting Sera get on with it herself, before muttering darkly and joining her partner in the midden. Sera was standing in amongst several crowded lingerie displays, carefully searching through the items. Folding her arms tightly against herself, Bastila took up position against a revolving display of boxed items that Bastila refused to let herself identify. She quickly scanned their surroundings, hoping that the item that they were searching for would leap out at her without her having to actually touch and examine the sordid things around her.

“I don’t think this is very safe.” The suddenness of Sera’s voice made Bastila start. She was dangling a pair of flimsy-looking fuzzy pink handcuffs off her finger for Bastila’s appraisal.

“I don’t think they’re meant for active use,” she said dryly, desperately trying not to picture what they would be used for.

“Yeah, but what if you’re…” She tugged on the handcuffs as though she were trying to break free. “And the metal bends and you cut yourself? Or the lock deforms to the point where you have to get someone to cut them off for you? That doesn’t sound like good ti--”

Bastila stopped her with a hand to the mouth. “I don’t want to know.”

Sera grunted and tossed the item back on the sales pile from whence it came.

“Why are you even looking there? Shouldn’t we be looking with other creams or… whatever the hell that thing would be?”

“I don’t really know my way around this place,” Sera said, continuing to poke through the pile of lurid femininity. “I guess I’m searching more by general feel or colour… Oh!”

“What? Did you find something?” Bastila leaned forward with interest.

Sera was holding a small length of chain with a tiny metal device hanging off each end. “They’re nipple clamps.” She compressed the levers on each end, causing the clamps to snap open and shut like tiny sets of jaws. “I read a thing where they were mentioned but I didn’t actually know what they looked like. I wasn’t expecting something that looked so much like jumper leads...” She let go of the levers, watching the jaws snap shut. With a wince, she dropped them back on the pile. “The thing that I read was more painful than I thought!”

Bastila shook her head, losing the battle against the smile creeping across her face at getting to see the wonder on Sera’s face, her public facade dropping as she learned something new and Bastila got to see the curious, thoughtful person she was underneath. “You and your books!” she said with exasperated affection.

“How else are you going to learn anything?” she said, poking at a thick silicon rod with a… “hole” in the end.

“Don’t touch that! You’ll catch something!”

“I don’t think they sell second-hand goods here, Bastila.” She did stop poking at it.

“Your immortal soul will catch something from associating too closely with something destined to only be used for dark and furtive passions!”

A surprised laugh burst out of Sera as they moved down the aisle, more penises than Bastila ever wanted to see, in all shapes and sizes, every colour in the known galaxy, hemming them in on either side. She cast her eyes to the ceiling only to find it had been painted with a delightful fresco of the beings of the galaxy in all their naked glory engaged in a massive, energetic orgy with the phrase “Love Conquers All” painted in bold letters across it. Bastila pulled her gaze from the merrily cavorting beings, face flaming, and started reciting the Jedi Code under her breath as they navigated the Corridor of Cock. And walked straight into Sera’s back when she pulled up abruptly.

“Are you…?”

“...there is no Passion, there is Serenity… Shut up.”

“I just thought Jedi had more fortitude, is all.”

That earned her a hard smack on the ass.

“I think the BDSM section is over there, Bastila,” Sera said, gesturing with a nod of her head.

“Shut up! Have you seen the ceiling?” She said while surreptitiously rubbing her stinging hand against her leg.

Sera glanced up. “Oh, wow!” A tiny laugh bubbled out of her lips. With a muttered “what the fuck?” she stuffed her hands into her pockets and started wandering around, head craned up as if she were in an art gallery.

“Urgh!” I don’t know why I thought her reaction would be anything other than that. Letting out a huff, Bastila cast her gaze around products for sale around her, looking for anything similar to the suspicious tub of cream they’d found in the wastebasket where Elassa was murdered. But another item caught her eye. Its deep red colour seemed to set it apart from its more garish neighbours, standing proud and beautiful amongst a sea of violent pinks and neon. Glancing quickly over at Sera to make certain she was still occupied, Bastila hesitantly moved towards the object of her interest. It was a… Bastila blushed even just thinking about it. It was cylindrical, with a slight curve along its shaft ending in a discreetly bulbous tip at one end and a wide, flaring base at the other. It was neither the largest nor the smallest among its compatriots and not anatomically correct in any but the most vague sense, at least as far as Bastila’s admittedly limited knowledge of sentient physiology went. On closer inspection, it was obvious that there was a shimmering gold lustre underneath the most gorgeous shade of red that Bastila had ever seen. Whatever it was made of looked so silky soft that Bastila was just about to reach out her hand to touch it…

“But I thought that I was your one and only, darling?” The backhand to her stomach, a little harder and faster than Bastila intended, caused Sera to cough and splutter directly into Bastila’s ear from where she was standing behind her.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!” Bastila could feel her entire body starting to turn red from getting caught looking at the… thing.

“You’re a Jedi. I literally can’t sneak up on you.” She rubbed at her stomach. “Ow.”

“Despite all evidence to the contrary…” Bastila tucked a strand of hair behind her ear to hide her embarrassment. “Have you ever used one of those?” The words popped out faster than she had time to consider the consequences. Bastila growled at herself. That was the problem with having a deep sense of respect and trust between you and another. You said things.

Sera looked equally surprised at what Bastila had said. “Once or twice,” she said noncommittally. “You use it with that,” she pointed at a contraption constructed from strips of sturdy black fabric, “which passes over you like this,” she lightly ran her fingertips over Bastila’s hips, showing her how the harness was worn, “and the ring holds the dildo in place like this,” she held her fist level with Bastila’s crotch as if she were grasping something, “and then you look like that!” she finished, helpfully pointing to the photo on the harnesses packaging displaying a naked woman standing proudly with a colourful cock protruding obscenely from between her legs.

“Yes, thank you, I understand perfectly!” Bastila rubbed at her eyes, trying to blot out the image of deep red silicon against soft olive skin, sliding into hot wetness, her body buzzing with desire. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

Sera deposited her chin on Bastila’s shoulder. “No.” A voice called out to them from the direction of the till point. “Ha-ha! Now I do!” She strode off, looking far too jaunty for someone who had just been insinuating thoughts into Bastila’s head. Bastila walked after Sera at a more sedate pace, ignoring the… sensations that had lodged themselves in her nether regions, curious what the salesperson had to say.

The salesperson was a rather ordinary-looking woman about her mother’s age - now there was an uncomfortable thought! - with honestly very beautiful tattoos covering all of her arms. Thank the Force she isn’t some sleazy old creep! Bastila didn’t think her temper or patience would be able to withstand such an ordeal. But the woman seemed fairly pleasant and she was almost able to forget the exact nature of the shop as Sera quickly explained what they were after and why, editing out a few of the more gruesome details so as not to alarm the poor woman. Bastila leaned against the counter, watching Sera work her magic, enthralled, taking in the high cheekbones and quick smile as the woman gave up the information they wanted without so much as a complaint. She was just wondering why anyone would ever want to hide that face away from the world for so long when she heard the salesperson say the words “penile engorgement” and decided that Sera didn’t actually need her help all that badly. Wandering as far out of earshot as she was able to in the small space, Bastila contemplated simply waiting outside until Sera was done until she realized that she would be swapping waiting inside a sex shop, away from prying eyes save for fellow customers, for waiting outside a sex shop in the middle of Ahto City’s red-light district in full view of the general public. Being surrounded by a myriad of sex toys no longer seemed so bad!

She meandered down the aisles, studiously ignoring the silicon siren every time she passed it, but the space genuinely wasn’t that big and there were only so many times a person could walk the length of the store and back. She slowed her pace and started examining the contents of the shelves around her. The racks of faux phalluses were still a bit much for her in all their erect glory but other parts of the shop seemed more subdued. There were the lingerie displays where she had found Sera, most of it looking far too uncomfortable and impractical to ever be meant as more than a gag gift as far as Bastila was concerned. Although, a few of the items… She forced herself to move on before she could complete the thought. There were several hanging contraptions, things of straps and loops that were so thoroughly incomprehensible to Bastila that they aroused nothing in her besides utter confusion. Below them were more of the boxed items that Bastila had refused to identify before. Looking at them now, she wasn’t entirely certain why they weren’t grouped together with the dildoes other than generally being smaller and having a greater variety of shape. She picked up one box, an oddly misshapen three-pronged thing, and turned it this way and that, trying to visualize how it was meant to be used. Until she did, which she regretted. Blushing, she glanced over the lewd drinking games and cheap sex dolls that were so bawdy that they were almost inoffensive. Almost. Next were an assortment of creams and lubricants and massage oils. Bastila picked one of the bottles up. Hmm, I wonder if these could be used for more general purposes? An image popped into her mind of her working the fragrant oils into Sera’s skin, of soothing the tiredness and tension from her limbs and muscles, trailing her fingers down Sera’s naked back…

A sudden laugh from the front of the shop jolted her out of her reverie. Holding a hand to her pounding heart, she turned to see that Sera and the salesperson were still deep in conversation. Bastila dropped the bottle back on the shelf and she was just… not going to think about it. Ever! She cleared her throat and squeezed her tingling hands into fists behind her back. Definitely not going to think about what Sera’s bare skin felt like beneath her touch!

She wandered on, not really paying attention to where she was going until she found that her feet had carried her back to where the red and gold dildo stood, looking inexplicably, well, cocky. Her eyes dropped to the price tag. While it was nowhere near the obscene amount of money that Sera had spent on weapons and armour to keep them all safe, it wasn’t exactly an impulse purchase either, not when you included the cost of the harness as well. Although, it’s not as though you would ever need more than one. It would only be a once-off payment and then you could-- No! She was not going to even countenance such an idea! The very thought that she longed to be held down and filled to bursting… Bastila blushed and turned her back resolutely on the seductive shaft, closing her eyes and centring herself in the Force, casting all base passions from her mind before venturing forth once more, never to return to this site of temptation again.

There wasn’t much of the store left undiscovered. She walked past all that she had already seen, flipping through the items to see if there was anything she had missed until she happened upon a small corner slightly hidden away from the rest of the store behind a wobbly display laden with condoms fit for every species in the galaxy. Bastila suspected that it was supposed to be in another section of the store. Behind it was… well, Bastila presumed it was the BDSM section that Sera had jokingly directed her towards before. That hadn’t been the first time Sera had made such a reference either and she didn’t quite know what to make of that. She’d always assumed… she wasn’t quite certain what she’d assumed. It always seemed like such a dark, violent thing and she didn’t like that someone whose opinion she valued above all others saw that in her. But Sera never mentioned it as a bad thing, per se. As a joke, perhaps, but she never said it with any genuine censure. Feeling a little lost, Bastila fingered the bundles of rope dyed in every colour of the rainbow, the sturdy leather cuffs with a soft fur lining, choking a little at the cost. There were several collars with metal rings attached, perfect for hooking your fingers through when you needed to make certain that someone was paying attention. On a small table lay a set of metal claws that were just sharp enough to be very pleasant to run over someone’s skin and a riding crop that made a satisfying swishing sound as it cut through the air. She tested its bite against the palm of her hand, her whole body tingling with electricity at the pleasing crack it made and the sting it left behind. Much better than swatting at someone’s backside with your bare hand, although that had its own visceral pleasure.

Setting the crop down, she turned her attention to the datapad cycling through the various titles on offer from the store’s catalogue. Most appeared to be guides on how to tie some very intricate ropework. Some of them made her blush a little, books on masturbation techniques and sex positions, fostering intimacy with your partner through physical intercourse. Bastila snorted a little, imagining the alternate universe where Sera had decided that that was the best way for them to handle their bond without killing one another. Then had to pretend that she wasn’t disappointed that that wasn’t the case. The titles cycled round, more of the same, when a familiar name caught her eye. Fumbling with the controls until she got it to stay on the relevant title, Bastila grabbed the store’s datapad and marched to the till point.

“Excuse me!” she said, interrupting Sera and the salesperson’s riveting conversation about pets. “What is this?” She held the offending datapad up for all to see.

The salesperson barely glanced at it. “Sex manual,” she said, rolling her eyes with a shrug.

“The Sensual Force: Erotic Secrets of the Jedi Code: Ninth Edition,” Sera read out, squinting a little.

“By Jedi Master Odan-Urr!” The datapad shook in Bastila’s hand. “Do you have any idea the kind of slanderous trash--”

“Libelous…”

“--that you’re selling in your shop?” Bastila finished angrily.

The salesperson looked one thousand per cent done with Bastila’s shit. “It’s just a sex manual written by some old fart. If you don’t like it, then I’m very happy for you.”

“This book goes against the very Code--!”

Sera clapped a hand over her mouth. “We’ll take a copy, thanks.”

“Terrific!” The salesperson’s voice was thick with sarcasm. She retrieved the relevant datachip and deposited in a packet with a few brochures. “We have a wonderful range of personal massagers. I’m sure they’ll be able to help you out, hun,” she told Bastila with a fake smile, holding the packet out to her. “That’ll be sixty credits.”

Sera made a strangling noise out the back of her mouth, then hurriedly cleared her throat. “Thank you very much for your service,” she said handing the money over. “You’ve been a great help.”

“Sure thing. Have a nice day,” the woman called flatly after them as Sera hurried a fuming Bastila out the door.

Sera sighed as they made it out into the open air before snorting quietly.

“This is no laughing matter, Sera! I need your datapad.” Bastila started digging in the pack slung on Sera’s side before she had time to reply. Retrieving the datapad, she tore the new chip from its case and inserted it into the datapad and proceeded to flick through the lewd images as she walked, unmindful of where they were.

“Give me that!” Sera wrested the device from Bastila and stowed it safely in her pack. “You’re going to get us arrested.”

“We need to inform the Council immediately! People cannot be allowed to spread such falsehoods among the general populace!”

“Look, there are three possibilities here,” she said, holding up as many fingers to demonstrate. “The document is completely accurate, in which case, wow! The information is accurate but taken wildly out of context, which is kinda boring. Or it’s completely false, in which case…”

“We get to sue someone for their slanderous words?” Bastila said with dark glee.

Sera started laughing helplessly, a warm golden glow radiating out through their bond to envelop Bastila. Sera looked at her with shining eyes, a soft smile on her lips. “You’re amazing. I can’t believe I get to be around you every day.”

Bastila blushed and looked away, doing her best not to melt into a happy little puddle right there in public. She cleared her throat. “Why were you so long in there, anyway?” she said, hoping to get away from dangerous subjects. “Did she have to read you the entire ingredients list?” she said tartly.

“No, I, uh, thought you needed a moment to yourself back there, so…” Sera scratched her cheek and shrugged. Bastila wrapped her arms tightly around herself, not wanting to be reminded of her momentary vulnerability and uncertain whether she liked Sera knowing about it. “Uh, anyway, the cream just helps with…” She pantomimed a lifting motion with her hand. “And it sounds like even that might be mostly a placebo. I don’t know, I don’t like where this case is going.”

“So it was a complete waste of time,” Bastila said flatly.

“I mean, we still have to check every avenue of inquiry. This is a man’s life on the line.” She smiled wryly. “At least we know that Sunry has trouble getting it up. That still tells us something.”

Bastila rolled her eyes. “Urgh.” They made a turn and the love hotels and places of negotiable affection gave way to more normal cafes and banks, walkways filled with couples and families walking hand in hand making her heart twinge in envy. Bastila glanced back and shivered. “Glad we’re out of there.”

Sera glanced back as well. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“It is a lewd and licentious place where people go to fuel their base desires!”

Sera chuckled. “Yeah.”

Bastila glared at her. “It is improper. It tempts people with forbidden fruit.”

“And what about you, Ms Shan?” Sera leaned in close as they walked, sending a delicious tingle down Bastila’s spine, her voice low and seductive. “Were you tempted to take another bite of that forbidden fruit? Do you long to taste its succulence on your tongue once more?”

“I…!” Warmth pooled low in her stomach, her groin twitching in anticipation. She swatted Sera’s backside, hard, causing her to burst out laughing. Should have bought that crop! “I meant Sunry, you idiot!”

“I don’t think a sex shop is what made him cheat on his wife, Bastila,” Sera said, still laughing. “Ow, my poor ass…”

Bastila rubbed soothingly at the beleagured body part, snatching her hand away, face flaming, when she realized what she was doing. “W-well, why else would a man cheat on his wife of many years?” She narrowed her eyes at her partner. “We only went to that shop because you thought that Elassa had done something underhanded with that… lotion.”

“Yeah, but he must have already been willing to have her rub weird shit all over his penis for the lotion thingy to even work. You can’t just go around with gobbets of lotion, sticking your hands down old men’s pants. You’ll get arrested!” she said, illustrating her point with helpful gestures. “Meaning that he was already cheating on his wife by the time Elassa got any kind of illicit substance near him, which…” She ran a hand through her hair, clearly at a loss for words. “I just, I don’t know how you forgive yourself after doing something like that. Go to fucking therapy or at least invite your wife along before you start fooling around with some Sith chick, for fuck’s sake. But the point is, the lotion and the shop it came from are pretty neutral themselves. Like, it could have easily been Elora using it to get Sunry off instead.”

“What do you mean “invite your wife along”?” Bastila asked, scowling.

“Just what I said! If you see an attractive young person that stirs your loins, why would you want to keep that to yourself and not share the experience with the person you’ve spent your life with?” Sera threw up her hands in frustration. “That’s just basic etiquette!”

Bastila counted to ten. “Sera, I really don’t think most people want to sit by and watch their loved one have sex with some stranger.” They can keep their filthy, grasping, greedy hands to themselves!

“I wouldn’t want to watch you having sex with someone else either but I would do it and I would be happy about it if I knew it brought you some pleasure.”

Bastila started. “Who the hell said we were talking about us?”

“Why the hell did you get so angry when I suggested a threesome then?” Sera glared right back at her.

“I wasn’t angry at the thought of you having sex with someone else,” she said through gritted teeth, “I was angry at the concept of you thinking that that was even an appropriate suggestion in the first place.”

“I never want to touch anyone but you ever again, so it would never come up between us.” Sera’s voice was steadily increasing in volume. “But for an old geezer who can’t get off without some blonde rubbing cream on his dick, it might have helped to save his marriage! And for the record, I will happily rub any kind of weird substance onto your wrinkly pussy when you’re old and grey!”

“How dare you!” Bastila snarled, body thrumming with the energy from their fight.

“It’s what people do when they care about each other, Bastila, and I’m not ashamed to admit to it,” Sera growled, her dark eyes flashing, poking Bastila in the chest to emphasize her point.

Bastila saw red. “Are you implying that there are things that I am ashamed to admit to, Sera Khan?”

The Selkath peace officer was surprisingly understanding and only issued them a warning, saying that plenty of couples argued in public (Bastila gasped at this. Who is he calling a couple? There’s nothing of the sort going on here!) but asked them to please keep it in private and away from the kids. Bastila bristled at the implication that she was old enough to have children, but Sera hustled her away and they walked back to the ship in contrite silence. Sera even bought Bastila a steaming cup of caf from a vendor as an apology for being rude and causing a scene. Bastila sipped at the aromatic liquid as they walked in the warm sun, restless energy throbbing within her.

~~~

Bastila took a deep breath and clicked her communicator on. For a long moment it seemed as though no one was going to answer and she was about to cut the connection and spare herself further embarrassment when a familiar voice came over the comm.

“Khan here.”

The tired sound in Sera’s voice gave her pause. “Sera, are you alright?”

“Hey, I wondered where you’d got to.” Bastila’s heart skipped a beat at the way Sera’s voice brightened the instant she realized who she was talking to. “I didn’t see you when Jolee and I got back from more witness questioning.”

“And? How did that go?” She wasn’t stalling for time. Jedi didn’t stall for time.

There was a weary sigh on the other end of the communicator. “Does it answer your question if I tell you that I’ve been plumbing the depths of Manaan’s legal code for the past several hours?” She paused. “On your datapad, by the way, because mine has been mysteriously pilfered by a rogue Padawan and I cannot find it.”

Bastila rolled her eyes. “How did you even access it? I know I locked it before I left.”

“Uh, same way you always use mine? I know your passcode. Nice wallpaper, by the way,” Sera teased.

“Shut up.”

“Where the hell are you anyway?”

Her breath caught. “I, uh…”

“Bastila, did something happen?”

“I need you to come right now.” The words came out with a more terse edge than she intended but they were out now and there was no taking them back.

Silence. Then the scraping of a chair against metal flooring and the rustling of a jacket being put on. “Okay, tell me where you are and I’ll be right there.” Sera’s voice was calm and businesslike, soothing in its steady confidence.

Bastila quickly rattled off the address. “There should be a keycard for you at the front desk.”

“Got it.” There was more rustling, the sound of lockers being opened. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Just be discreet and don’t take too long.” Bastila was unable to keep the slight tremor out of her voice.

“I’ll be there soon. Khan out.”

And then Bastila was all alone in the hotel room with nothing to do but wait. This is really happening now. She swallowed. Smoothing down the front of her dueling leathers with both hands, she tried to quell her rattled nerves to no avail. Casting around for something to do while she waited for Sera to arrive, she glanced around at the sparse room. There really wasn’t much in there at all, just a decently-sized bed with the packet with her purchases, a fairly basic viewscreen, and a door that Bastila presumed led to a refresher. Gingerly pushing the door open and peeking inside, she was mildly disappointed to find that her presumption had been correct. The bath and shower units were maybe a little larger than standard but anything would look bigger than the miniscule coffin that passed for a shower in the Ebon Hawk. She closed the door and sighed. It honestly didn’t look that much different from a normal hotel room, although she had selected the first and most basic option from the automated console at the front desk, not daring to look any further in case she lost her nerve. At least it’s clean.

At a loss for anything better to do, she plopped down onto the edge of the bed and called the viewcreen’s remote to herself and flicked it on. The screen was on long enough for her brain to register naked flesh pounding into naked flesh before her reflexes kicked in and and her thumb stabbed into the off-button. Bastila felt herself grow hot. Right. Of course. Not a normal hotel room. Her heart was pounding and her breath grew short in her lungs. She caressed the button with her thumb. It couldn’t hurt, could it? After all, how was she to know that that was truly all that the screen would show if she didn’t check? She ran her thumb once or twice over the button, contemplating, then very deliberately pointed the remote at the viewscreen and switched it back on, not letting herself look away.

The… performers were still going at it, strong hands grasping soft hips, mouths hanging open in passion, sweat dripping off their bodies as they moved rhythmically together. Bastila swallowed and crossed her legs together, squeezing them tightly against the sensations stirring between them, not certain if she was trying to block the sensations out or satisfy the need for pressure and friction. She changed the channel. An impossibly plump pair of breasts were being soaped up for her pleasure, the tugging and twisting of the woman’s nipples causing her own to tighten beneath her clothing. Next channel. A sea of bodies writhing and thrusting against each other. She cleared her throat, flicked away to the next channel hurriedly, then flicked back. Just to make sure that she hadn’t been mistaken. Ahem.

She made her way through the channels like this, loosening her suddenly constrictive collar and wriggling against the mattress, seeking relief. She cried out in triumph when she found one channel that seemed to be a simple, if poorly acted, school drama, a rebellious student seeking guidance from their teacher as was proper. But no. Out came the penis. Bastila flopped back on the bed in frustration, groin throbbing with desire while the student on the viewscreen did their very, very best to prove how sorry they were. She covered her eyes with her arm. What am I doing with my life?

The main door slid open. Bastila frantically stabbed the off-button but she wasn’t fast enough to shut the images off before her partner stepped into the room. Sera’s eyes went wide as she took in the pornographic images and Bastila lying sprawled across the bed, face flushed and clothing in disarray. An odd mix of emotions played across Sera’s face. She let out a small laugh. Bastila covered her face and prayed for death, regretting every decision she’d ever made in her life.

Sera slid the door shut. “Where’s the body?” she said quietly.

“What body? What are you blathering on about?” Glaring at Sera seemed to help with the embarrassment. Although, I would not be in this situation at all were it not for her and her smile and her gorgeous body… Bastila glared harder.

Sera dropped the bag on her shoulder to the floor and leaned back against the door, hands in her pockets. She had the audacity to look even more delectable than usual, her sturdy boots and workman’s trousers and the bright print of her shirt beneath her jacket suiting her better than Jedi robes ever did. “When you told me to “come right now” I thought you’d landed yourself in some kind of trouble. Clearly I was mistaken,” she said, raking her gaze slowly over the length of Bastila’s body, sending shivers chasing across her skin. “You’ve gotten yourself quite worked up, haven’t you?”

“I didn’t… I mean, that’s not…” Bastila panted. It was difficult to think straight when Sera was looking at her like that. She grabbed a pillow from behind her and hurled it at Sera’s smirking face. “Don’t make fun of me!” This was a stupid idea! She screwed her eyes up and covered her face, hoping that Sera would just go away and forget that she’d ever seen anything.

Bastila felt the bed shift as Sera carefully climbed on top of her, straddling her hips. A warm hand gently plucked her hand away from her eyes and she stared up at her partner’s concerned face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make fun of you,” Sera said softly.

Bastila responded by threading her fingers through Sera’s hair and pulling her down until their lips met, warm and soft as they moved against each other. She gasped into Sera’s mouth as her partner settled her full weight on top of Bastila, moulding their bodies against one another. She slid her hands down Sera’s torso, thrilling at Sera’s little hum of appreciation as she grasped that gorgeous ass and pulled Sera’s hips against herself, grinding her center against her partner. But it wasn’t enough. She needed, she wanted more. Bastila felt blindly around the bed next to her until her hand connected with what she was looking for.

She thrust the packet into Sera’s side. “Put this on for me,” she whispered against Sera’s lips.

“Did you buy me a sexy nurse’s outfit to objectify me in or something?” Sera teased, undoing the laces of Bastila’s clothing and trailing her fingers down her throat.

Bastila shuddered under her partner’s teasing fingers. “If you do as I say, I’ll make it worth your while.”

Sera chuckled and tenderly kissed Bastila’s exposed skin. “You are always worth my while, babe. Just being here with you is more than I could ever hope to ask for.” She stole one more lingering kiss and sat back, looking deliciously dishevelled. “And I am very open to you objectifying me in whatever way you feel like.” She winked and reached into the packet. Bastila held her breath, suddenly nervous that she’d made a fool of herself in the midst of her blind lust. But she didn’t think she could last another moment without feeling Sera’s skin against hers once more. She didn’t think she wanted to. So she’d returned to the store and, well…

“Oh, wow,” Sera breathed, eyes growing dark with desire. She turned the dildo over in her hands, the gold shimmer against red looking even more brilliant in the bright light of the hotel room. “Aren’t I the luckiest girl in the world?”

“You don’t think it might be a bit big?” Bastila was finding it difficult to breathe. The way Sera stroking the length of the dildo’s shaft was doing things to her and she couldn’t stop herself from squirming beneath Sera’s weight.

“Not at all, sweetheart.” Sera set the cock aside and resumed stripping Bastila. “We just have to make absolutely certain that you’re ready to take every single inch of me.” She nuzzled at Bastila’s breasts while her hands worked on the belt around Bastila’s waist, pulling her clothes down past her hips, leaving her in nothing but her underwear and her boots. “Not that that should be hard. You’ve been thinking about having me inside of you since we set foot in that store, haven’t you?” Bastila gasped, body arching into Sera’s touch when she slipped her hand between Bastila’s legs and pressed the heel of her hand against Bastila’s aching clitoris. “I’ll bet your pussy has been begging for relief for hours.”

“No, don’t! I won’t be able to… Ah!” It was too much and she bucked helplessly against her partner’s hand, grinding into it shamelessly as she came.

“Don’t worry, baby.” Sera pressed a sweet kiss to her skin. “I know you have plenty of orgasms for me left in that beautiful body of yours.”

Bastila rolled her eyes, chest still heaving from the ripples of pleasure washing over her. “Not to spoil your fun, darling, but we only have,” she twisted Sera’s arm around to check her chrono, “a little over two hours left before we have to leave here. So stop faffing about and get to it!”

Sera let out a delighted laugh. “Yes, ma’am!” She slipped out of her jacket and pulled her shirt over her head, revealing herself to Bastila’s hungry eyes. Hopping off the bed, she kicked off her shoes and socks while her hands undid her belt and pulled her trousers down, unceremoniously bundling them together and shoving them out of the way. “You know, if I’d known what to expect, I would have put on some sexier underwear before I left.”

“Do you even own sexy underwear?” Bastila said distantly, her eyes roving over the expanse of smooth skin on display before her, the subtle movement of muscle in Sera’s legs and stomach making Bastila’s mouth water. She leaned down to unclip her own boots and remove the rumpled clothing from around her ankles, drinking in the glorious sight of her bondmate and partner’s naked limbs. It wasn’t as if she didn’t get to see flashes of skin on a daily basis. The Ebon Hawk was so small that they were all intimately familiar with the physical reality of each others bodies, whether they were changing into different armour or robes or if they caught sight of another on their way to or from their daily ablutions. But those few precious flashes were not the same as being able to trace the lines of Sera’s form whenever she wanted to, to memorize every dip and curve, every hollow and scar on her body.

“That’s a good point.” Sera casually stripped off her underwear and tossed them on the pile with the rest of her clothes, calling the packet containing Bastila’s purchases to her. “Maybe I should buy a set, just the one, and wear it without telling anyone when,” she said while she fiddled with the straps of the harness. “And you’ll never know whether I’m marching into battle, breasts cupped lovingly in lace and satin just for you, babe,” she winked as she spoke, stepping into the harness, tightening and adjusting it to her liking, “unless you instigate randomized equipment checks to make sure no-one’s secretly wearing non-standard issue kit.” She fitted the dildo through the ring over her crotch. “It’s good for morale.”

She looked… Bastila didn’t have the words. But she knew that the sight of Sera Khan standing naked as the day she was born, red and gold erection strapped to her hips, lit by the flat light of a cheap hotel room in Ahto City would stay with her for the rest of her days. Bastila chuckled, a warm, happy feeling in her chest. “Are you going to stand there, nattering on about whatever nonsense pops into your head,” she reached behind herself to unhook her bra, discarding it, then stripped her now sodden panties off herself, “when I’m right here waiting for you?” She rested back on her hands, offering herself up for the taking to the most precious person in her entire world.

Sera’s eyes roamed over Bastila’s naked body, hand unconsciously stroking the length of her cock, her open admiration making Bastila even more wet than she already was. Then a mischievous grin touched Sera’s lips, her eyes twinkling and an adorable blush painting her cheeks, and she pounced on top of Bastila. They tumbled backwards onto the bed, limbs tangling, breathless laughs intermingling as the kissed and touched each other, revelling in the feel of each other’s skin against theirs. Their touches became more heated, desire echoing through their connection. Bastila raked her nails down Sera’s back and was rewarded with a helpless groan from her partner.

“I need you inside me,” she purred into Sera’s ear. “I want you to fuck me so hard, I feel you inside me for weeks.”

Sera shivered and kissed Bastila forcefully. “Leave it to me.” She reached into the packet for Bastila’s final purchase, the bottle of lubricant that the salesperson had snottily recommended. She squirted a generous amount onto the dildo, making it glisten wetly, then some into her hand, which she spread on Bastila’s sensitive folds, tracing her fingers over every detail, causing Bastila to twitch pleasurably.

“I think I’m wet enough as it is, darling,” she gasped, the feeling of Sera’s slick fingers an exquisite torture.

“I know.” Sera grinned. “I just like touching you.” She playfully flicked her fingertips over Bastila’s clitoris.

Bastila laughed, hips jerking under Sera’s attention. “I think you like teasing me, love.”

Her eyes sparkled. “That too.” She maneuvered the dildo until the tip pressed against Bastila’s entrance. “Let me know if this hurts.” And she pushed it in, stretching Bastila deliciously with its fullness, making her moan and throw her head back in ecstasy.

It was… It was heaven. Having Sera on top of her, their naked flesh pressed together, a thick cock buried deep inside her, no other demands on their time except each other. Even if it was only temporary. Bastila wrapped her legs around Sera’s waist, drawing her deeper in. “It feels perfect. Don’t stop.”

“That’s right, baby. Open yourself up to me. Let me give you what you need.” Sera kissed her tenderly, her lips tracing a path of fire down Bastila’s neck, while her hips pumped slowly in and out of Bastila, stoking the heat building low within her belly. She ran her hand down Bastila’s thigh, caressing her skin and reaching down to squeeze her ass. “I love seeing you like this.” Bastila cried out as Sera increased her tempo, Sera’s arousal fueling her own, an incandescent thread of lust quivering between them. “All that poise and elegance fallen away to reveal the passionate woman underneath. I don’t think you even realize how magnificent you are, baby,” she said, her eyes dark and intense, love shining in their depths.

Pleasure engulfed Bastila’s mind in an erotic haze. Giving herself over completely to the fire of their shared passion, she nipped and licked at every inch of Sera’s skin that she could reach, her hips rising to meet Sera’s thrusts stroke for stroke. Bastila ran her hands over her lover’s body, moaning her approval as she fondled Sera’s breasts and ass, enjoying the way she trembled and grew wet under Bastila’s touch, her self-control crumbling until she fucked Bastila with animal intensity. Distantly, Bastila was aware of the headboard thumping against the hotel room wall, their lustful grunts and groans filling the room.She knew she should be ashamed of their lewd display but she simply couldn’t bring herself to care when the sweat on Sera’s skin tasted so sweet to her tongue, the cock her beloved so masterfully wielded felt so unbelievably good as it penetrated Bastila’s core, obliterating all rational thought, leaving her a quivering mess of ecstasy. The tidal wave of their bliss built, the swell carrying her higher and higher. It was almost unbearable, the sweetness and the pressure. Then it broke, crashing over Bastila, making her eyes roll back in her head and her body stiffen and quake, the pleasure pulsating deep within her.

And then it was over and they lay tangled together, weak and breathless. The aftershock of her orgasm still echoed through Bastila’s boneless limbs, warm and golden, the weight of Sera’s body on top of hers feeling comforting rather than erotic now. Sera tightened her arms around Bastila and nuzzled the skin just behind her ear.

“Okay?”

Bastila nodded, not wanting to break the stillness of their afterglow. Sera slowly pulled out of her, the thick silicon sending a few stray shivers down Bastila’s spine as it rubbed against sensitive flesh. She wriggled out of the harness and snuggled back down next to Bastila, pulling the comforter over both of them and drawing her close. It felt… nice. Intimate and safe. She could stay like that forever in Sera’s arms. Bastila sank into her embrace, inhaling her lover’s scent and doing her damnedest to hold onto the feeling of peace that enveloped them as the daily concerns of life pressed in on her.

“We can’t stay long, you know,” Bastila said, regretting not booking the room for the night, then cursing herself when she remembered that they wouldn’t have been able to spare so many hours from their duties anyway.

Sera sighed and Bastila could feel her reluctance as she pulled away to lean over the edge of the bed, rummaging through her pile of clothing for her chrono. “Yeah, I guess so. I have a fairly early meeting at the Embassy tomorrow…” she checked the time, “this morning and I’ve heard the Selkath move pretty quickly with their proceedings, so I might be in court in the afternoon.” She rummaged around a little more. “And then it’s back to the business of the Jedi Order!” she said with a grin, offering Bastila what she’d been searching for, which seemed to be a half-empty roll of some kind of candy.

Bastila grimaced. “Please don’t talk about the Jedi Order when I can still smell you on me.” She popped a piece of candy in her mouth, enjoying the burst of fruitiness as she chewed. “If the Council knew what we’d just done, that I was the one that asked…” She slammed a pillow over her face, the full implications of what she’d done, of what she’d asked, almost begged, to be done to her proving a little too much to stand at the moment.

She felt Sera’s fingers tracing soothing circles on her inner thigh. “What we do in private is none of their damned business.” Tender lips kissed her naked shoulder and she could feel the vibrations of a low chuckle against her skin. “And if they ask, we can just tell them we got caught up discussing the case of a Republic war hero and their Sith lover.”

The pillow did an admirable job of muffling the scream that Bastila couldn’t contain any longer. “They’re not going to even bother to expel me. They’re going to call on the spirits of the ancient Masters of the Order to create a special hell just for me and they’re going to banish me there for my transgressions!”

Fresh air kissed her face as the pillow was lifted away from her and she looked up into the gently smiling face of the root of her consternation. “If they damn you to hell, I’m certain I’ll be right there waiting for you, babe,” Sera said, her eyes glowing with the depth of her regard. “You wanna get out of here? I’m sure there’s an all-night eatery around here somewhere. I can treat you to the best meal fifty credits can buy.”

Bastila’s heart warmed and she reached up to press her lips to Sera’s, concerns about the Council melting away in the heat of her feelings for this woman. “Later.”

***

It's finished!! (ToT) That took so fucking long, I thought it would be done a month ago!

This is very rough. I haven't even read any of it back to myself to check for typos or anything. But it's done and I'm glad.