Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
AN: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the great reviews. I was a little lax on replying to them this time, but I will promise to get all individual replies done in a more timely manner next time. For now, enjoy a new chapter and let me know what you think:)
Dinner, Dancing...and Danger?
Part 2/?
Malachai observed his guests, as he sipped at his brandy. His eyes rested on Padme, as usual. The other two women at the table were very beautiful as well, but Amidala had always entranced him in a way no woman ever had. Machius had always considered himself every bit the ladies' man and was rarely, if ever, turned down. Except by Padme. She'd been rejecting him for years; even before she'd met her dashing Jedi. And perhaps that was why she entranced him so, because he knew he couldn't have her. He wasn't a stupid man and would never pick a fight with the legendary Chosen One that sat beside her. But Malachai could fantasize about her all he wanted...even if the Jedi could sense it. Anakin couldn't kill him for his personal thoughts, as long as he did not voice or act upon them.
"I hope you don't mind my saying so, milady, but you look devastatingly beautiful tonight. You are a very lucky man, Jedi Skywalker," Malachai said smoothly. Anakin suppressed a lethal glare he had for the man, as he watched his eyes roam over Padme's body. He could sense his impure thoughts and sadly, there was nothing he could do to the sleamo just for thinking about her. He clenched his fist and kept his anger back, knowing it would pay off in the end to keep his cool. He looked to his wife and let her presence calm him. He was the man she loved, always and forever.
"I know. She's the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. You're right. I am a very lucky man," he replied, his icy gaze piercing the Senator, making him squirm in his seat.
"Yes...well, I am delighted that you all accepted my invitation to the resort. I think you'll find many things to do here," Malachai said, as the waiter came back to take their order. When they had placed it, Malachai continued.
"Master Kenobi...I've been told that you fancy a bit of gambling every once in a while. I have to tell you our casino is quite impressive. Perhaps you and your wife would enjoy touring it later," Malachai said.
"Perhaps," Obi-Wan replied.
"And how about you, Master Skywalker?" he asked.
"No thanks. The gambling tables aren't my thing. And Padme despises them," Anakin replied.
"To each his own. We have many more things to offer here, such as a ballroom, if you'd like to take your lady dancing. There's also a spa and a state of the art gym. The spa is always a big hit with the ladies. And the gym for the men, as well as the bar of course," he said, with a slight smirk.
"It all sounds very intriguing. I'm sure we'll all find plenty of ways to enjoy ourselves during our stay," Bail said neutrally, as their food was brought to them. They enjoyed dinner, as idle conversation wafted around the table, some of it drifting to the subject of their children. After dinner, Anakin ordered a chocolate shuura desert for him and Padme to share, knowing how much his wife loved anything with chocolate and shuura. To her, putting them together was the greatest culinary marvel in the galaxy.
"Are you guys really going to go to the Casino? You should come dancing with Ani and I," Padme said, as her husband fed her another bite of desert.
"You know I have two left feet. You got all the coordination between the two of us," Sola joked.
"And you're going to gamble too, Bail?" Padme asked.
"Well, Senator Iblis is here after all. A game a Sabaac with him can always be a thrilling experience," Bail replied.
"Excellent, your majesty. There is nothing quite like a game of Sabaac, if I do say so. Shall we proceed to the tables?" he asked. Bail nodded, as they all rose from their seats.
"Are you sure you will not give the tables a chance, milady?" Malachai asked. Padme gripped her husband's hand.
"Perhaps later. My husband and I find our thrills on the dance floor, rather than at the tables," she said, smiling at him. He offered his arm and she accepted, as they headed off toward the ball room.
"Well, if you'll all follow me, we'll be off for the Casino," Malachai said, as he led the other two couples toward the loud, flashy, and massive Casino contained within the resort.
Garret Wells sat behind his desk, a glass of Corellian scotch in hand, watching the various surveillance cameras positioned throughout the luxurious resort. The first few hours had already been immensely profitable. The restaurant drew Coruscant's elite here for fine dining and expensive liquor. The Cantina drew the men, especially the seedy ones looking for a good time. The strippers under his employ were available to fulfill the services of an escort if the right price was paid. And for the rich, seedy Senators, no price was too great for the company of a beautiful woman in their bed willingly. The Casino, though, was where he was profiting the most. In the first few hours, they had already had dozens of winners of quite significant amounts of credits. But this did not anger Garret in the slightest, for each person that had won was under his employ. The Imperial Underground would rotate a new set of agents each night to play the tables. All games were rigged and the winners of each were already decided. All the agents were different sorts of people with no identifiable traits to link them to one another...or him for that matter. He smirked, as he saw Malachai leading two couples into the Casino.
"If you think you're Jedi powers will help you determine how these games will go...I think you'll be quite surprised, Master Kenobi," he laughed to himself, as he filled his glass with more scotch. His attention swerved to the cameras observing the ballroom. His stare on the young couple dancing in the center of the room was devious.
"My Masters have many plans for you, Chosen One. And sooner or later, they will succeed in eliminating you and your troublesome little wench," he sneered.
Anakin led Padme into the elegant ballroom. It was lit by an array of beautiful crystal chandeliers that adorned the ceiling. It cast a romantic glow to the room, as music played.
"Shall we, milady?" he asked playfully, kissing her hand.
"I'd be honored, Master Jedi," she answered, as she held out her hand. He took it and led her onto the dance floor, sweeping her into his arms, as they began to slowly sway.
"Alone at last. My plan is working," he said, playfully wriggling his eyebrows.
"So...you have a plan, do you?" she asked.
"Always," he replied, as he carefully dipped her, before bringing her back up, to twirl her. He brought her back to him, this time so her back was against his chest. He placed several kisses on her neck and shoulder, as they continued to sway. He twirled her again, bringing them face to face again. She stared into his love filled eyes for the longest time, as everything else seemed to melt away. For the moment, she forgot that this place was owned by someone she despised. And for the moment, she managed to forget that this place was likely also a front for the Imperial Underground. At the moment, all that mattered to her was the man holding her in his strong arms. He caressed her cheek and his touch made her knees weak. He tilted his head and lifted her chin, bringing their lips together with a tender gentleness that a man of his power wouldn't be expected to be capable of. He moved his lips in a gentle rhythm over hers, before gently tracing his tongue over her bottom lip. The small squeak of pleasure she made in her throat, as she opened her mouth to him, made his heart swell with love. His tongue sought hers, curling around it, as he moved his lips, kissing her ever so deeply. Padme responded to his kiss eagerly, gliding her tongue along his the passion swelling between them. He broke the kiss, leaving them both breathless. He pulled her close and she rested her head against his chest, as they swayed to the slow, romantic tune.
"And the lady wins again," the dealer announced, using his baton to sweep the credits chips to the young blonde woman at their table. She had offered only the name Kylee. Her male companion, offering only the name Nate, patted her shoulder affectionately. For the first few hands, Obi-Wan truly thought he was losing it. He was probing the Force to see how the game would go. To his conclusion, the first hand should have belonged to Bail. When Nate had won, Obi-Wan thought perhaps he had just been mistaken. Usually he was not wrong when he did this, but he admitted that his father was always much better at this. But once he'd been wrong on the next two hands, he wondered what was going on. The feelings he was getting were not matching up with what was happening on the table.
"And the newcomer wins this hand," the dealer announced, as the new young man that had joined them scooped his credits toward him.
"Darn...I thought for sure no one could beat my hand this time. I was sure I had that one," Sola said.
"You did," Obi-Wan whispered.
"What?" she asked in confusion.
"Deal us out," Obi-Wan said to the dealer.
"Us too. I believe we will retire for the evening," Bail said.
"Of course, your excellency," the dealer responded with a bow.
"Are you two going to the lift?" Breha asked.
"Not yet. But we'll see you for breakfast in the morning," Obi-Wan replied, with a smile.
"Very well. Good evening to you both," Bail said kindly, as he and Breha left.
"Ben...what is going on?" Sola asked.
"I have no evidence, but I do have a theory. Come on," he said, as he looked for a secluded place to use his comlink.
Padme giggled, as he twirled and dipped her, before lifting her off her feet and spinning her around. She smiled, as they danced to the still romantic, but slightly faster beat.
"Do you remember the first time we danced like this?" she asked.
"Yeah, at that ritzy club. That night didn't turn out so well, but before that was incredible," he said, remembering how they'd danced close in a sexy sway, their eyes never leaving the other's that whole night.
"It was incredible, but that's not the time I was referring to. It was our official first date and we were at the Senatorial Gala," she replied.
"Oh yes, I definitely remember that night. I asked you if you were an angel and it turns out that you were...and are," he said, making her blush. He smirked and kissed her softly.
"But I have to say that I think that my favorite time we ever danced was on our wedding night in our room," he said seductively. She blushed at the memory, but then gave him a sultry smile.
"Well, if you liked that so much, maybe I can be convinced to give an encore later tonight," she said, her gaze lustfully roaming his body up and down.
"Well...how about I start convincing you by buying you a drink. Shuura twist?" he asked.
"You know me well," she replied, as they walked to the bar. The bartender's eyes widened in recognition, as they approached.
"Master Skywalker, Lady Skywalker, what an honor," he stuttered. Anakin resisted the urge to shake his head. Being well known, or famous, if you wanted to go that far, wasn't all it was cracked up to be
"I'll have a shuura soda and rum. And a shuura twist for my wife," he said.
"Right away," the bartender replied. As they found a quiet corner table and sipped at their drinks, Anakin's comlink chimed. He pulled the device from his pocket and raised it to his lips.
"Skywalker," he said.
"Anakin, are you and Padme still in the ballroom," Obi-Wan asked.
"Yeah, we just sat down at a corner table," he replied.
"Okay, we'll be right there," Obi-Wan said.
"I wonder what that's about," Padme wondered.
"Who knows. Maybe Ben has discovered something already," Anakin replied. Sola and Obi-Wan entered and after ordering two drinks, they joined Anakin and Padme.
"What's going on?" Padme asked.
"I was wrong on every bloody hand," Obi-Wan griped.
"What are you talking about?" Anakin asked.
"I'm talking about how I was wrong on every winning hand. What I was sensing did not match who should have won. I would have understood if it had just been a couple times. Dad is better at feeling out the gambling tables than I, after all. But I was wrong on every one," Obi-Wan said.
"But how can that be?" Padme asked.
"I have a hunch," Anakin said.
"So do I," Obi-Wan replied.
"Well...will you tell us already," Sola demanded.
"They may be planting people in the Casino. The games could be rigged, which means the dealers already know who to declare the winners, despite what the holo chips say," Obi-Wan said.
"Do you think they're working for Malachai?" Padme asked.
"They're probably working for whoever Malachai is working for," Anakin replied.
"The Imperial Underground," Padme concluded.
"Most likely, but proving it will be the difficult part. We all need to keep our eyes open," Obi-Wan said. Anakin agreed. The two couples finished their drinks, before heading to the lift that would take them up to their rooms on the top level.
Here it is," Anakin said, as they arrived at their room. They had already said goodnight to Obi-Wan and Sola at the lift. Anakin swiped his access card and the door slid open. Their bags were already in the room, as Padme could see, as he raised the lights. It was a very spacious suite with plush, charcoal colored furniture.
"Very nice. You did well, Master Skywalker," she said sultrily, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. She smiled, as their lips parted.
"Let's play," she said seductively, as she began unbuttoning his shirt. He smirked and raised his hand, dimming the lights to a soft glow. The stereo switched on, soft romantic music wafting around them. The space between them was squelched, as they came together, passion's spell quickly consuming them whole...
She finally collapsed against his glistening chest, as they bathed in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Their lips collided in a searing kiss, as they continued to feed their hunger for each other.
"Let's go get in the Jacuzzi," she suggested, as she got up, pulling him with her. Anakin pulled her form against his own and captured her lips again. There was an unwelcome known at the door and Padme groaned.
"Ignore it," she said, continuing to assault his lips with her own. The knock came again and Anakin growled.
"I'm going to get in the Jacuzzi. Get rid of whoever it is and join me," she said, as she sauntered to the fresher. Anakin pulled his pants on and answered the door at the third known.
"Room service, sir," the bellhop said, as he rolled the tray in. Anakin rolled his eyes.
"We didn't order room service," Anakin replied.
"Compliments of Mr. Malachai, sir. He's sending trays to only his most prestigious guests. You'll find a bottle of the hotel's finest wine and a tray of delicious treats. Mr. Malachai hopes you'll enjoy," the bellhop said. Anakin stuffed several credit chips into the man's hand.
"Thank you. See that we're not disturbed again," Anakin said.
"Yes sir," he said grateful for the lofty tip.
"Ani...I'm getting lonely..." he heard Padme whine playfully, as he set the lock on the door. He smirked, forgetting about the tray.
"Coming angel," he called. Unfortunately, inside the tray's decorative centerpiece, was a very small camera...
"The cameras should be in place," Malachai reported to his boss.
"Very good. You're not so useless after all. Skywalker and Kenobi must be watched. They cannot gain proof to any of their suspicions. We will keep an eye on the Senator too. She is far too nosy for my liking," Garret said.
"I'll take great delight in watching her," Malachai replied. Garret rolled his eyes.
"Whatever...just don't screw up. Get out of my sight," Garret ordered, as he finished another glass of brandy.
"Yes sir," he bowed, before leaving.
"Who was that?" Padme asked, as she was already comfortably nestled in the bubbles of the Jacuzzi.
"Room service, compliments of Senator Slimy himself," Anakin replied, as he stripped off his pants.
"He's really knocking himself out trying to keep tabs on us," she said.
"That's because he doesn't trust Obi-Wan and I," Anakin said, as he slipped into the water.
"Which means he's definitely hiding something," she replied, as he sat next to her.
"Whatever it is, he won't get away with it," Anakin said, as he tilted his head and began kissing her neck.
"Mmm...I was just going to ask where we left off, but I see you've found it," she replied. He smirked at her, as turned and straddled her, pressing her against the side and kissing her deeply. Words ceased and the only sounds were that of passionate lovemaking...
After another bout of passionate lovemaking, Anakin climbed around behind her and pulled her into his arms. She leaned back against him, as they let the relaxing jets of the whirlpool soothe their muscles.
"I love you so much," she whispered.
"I love you too, star nymph," he replied, as their lips met again. They cuddled together for almost another hour, before they dried off and went off to bed...
