Hey, I've been meaning to update for a while but my Arts class requires us to write two papers a week (why I'm even in there idk, I'm a geography major not a painter), and now my dog is being put down tomorrow morning. It's two weeks until fall break, so I promise I will definitely make up for it then. Until then here's a relatively short chapter. Again, I'm so sorry, I've just had a lot going on.

Caibideil 26

How beautifully the walls of Middlesex crumbled under Gràinne's assault. She pulled down the southernmost wall as her army of Highlanders rained arrows upon the soldiers, her night-sky blade cutting through men like they were not even there. The Celtic-Sith Alliance would see the former overlords of their islands fall and be driven to the Germanic lands from whence they came all those years ago. Dooku was handling the civic duties of empire management in Inverness and had sent her with the required legions to deal with the English in the south. Pipes sang and men screamed, metal clanged and flesh tore with their clothes. Peasant levies had been assembled to bolster the semi-professional soldiers who made up the royal and city guards. They were easy enough to discern by their lower quality arms and armor, and she mostly tossed them aside, not wanting to harm her fellow peasantry.

"Master, I'm sure you'll do fine," Ahsoka reassured Anakin, as he tried to get one stubborn bit of hair to lay down. Water, gel, mousse, nothing was working. He had been trying to get that damned hair to lay flat for the past ten minutes.

"I hope so, especially since you won't tell me who it is." Finally he looked at where it was, right at the top of his crown and muttered "Screw it!" and grabbed the scissors.

"I won't tell you because I don't know."

"So for all you know it could be a guy?" Anakin joked.

"Well Master Ti kept saying 'She' so either it's a woman or she needs an anatomy lesson… or a mirror."

"There!" Anakin called in victory, "How do I look?"

"Minus the bald spot you just gave yourself?"

Despite the mini-heart attack Anakin scowled, "I know for a fact I did not give myself a bald spot snips. I'm looking in the mirror right now."

"You look fine. Although, seeing you in dress clothes is a little weird."

"Feels weird too," he admitted, "But hey, you did say it was some high-end place, right?"

"That's what it said on the holo-site."

"Alright, and you have Jinn and Leia's schedules?"

"Yep!"

"And you remember which foods which twin will eat?" he had started them on semi-solid foods a few weeks ago, still mostly bottle feeding but at least trying to give them some puréed fruit once per day.

"Leia likes meiloorun and Jinn likes Jogan. Remember it by the first letter of their names."

"And where I keep their diapers?"

"Mm-hm."

"And-"

"Master, you have literally shown me absolutely everything I could possibly need for the next two or three hours. Stop worrying. Go have fun… Responsibly."

"Have you ever known me to be responsible?"

"Well you're a complete worry-wart when it comes to your kids. Mention that too by the way, she might like that."

Anakin nodded. "Alright. Call me if anything happens. Don't even think about hesitating."

"No problem Skyguy," Ahsoka smiled. "Good luck!"

"I'll need it," he called back.

Shaak couldn't stop blinking at the sight of Luminara's dress. "When. Did. You. Buy. That?"

"Just before the Kenobi date. Barriss insisted on it."

Pulling her mouth a little to the side, she parted her lips, "Huh. For somebody as quiet, innocent, and modest as your former student she seems to know her way around seduction."

"Well she's the professional here when it comes to romance. Also, she's far from innocent. I never told you about that drawer, did I?

"I don't think I want to hear about it."

"You would be right. You don't." Luminara replied as she fluffed her hair a bit more. Looking herself over in the mirror, she could hardly believe that she allowed Shaak to talk her into this, or that she actually had to wear this extremely revealing thing twice in two weeks. "Do I look ok?"

"Well I'm not a man but I think you'd be quite the head-turner if I was," Shaak answered, "You have the address?"

Luminara held up the print-out with the directions.

"Alright then, let's go."

"What do you mean 'Let's?'"

"Do you honestly think I'm letting you do this unsupervised?"

"I'm and adult thank you very much!" Luminara quipped, quite insulted that her friend thought she needed a babysitter.

"Who is going on her first real date with a man who isn't married."

"Ouch."

"I'm going to keep an eye on things and help you get out if things get a bit dicey."

"How bad could a date possibly go?"

"Ever heard of roofies?"

After a bit of hesitation, Luminara replied, "Sounds familiar… That's the one where you kiss someone so hard it leaves a bruise, right?"

"One, those are hickeys. Two, you don't kiss, you suck on a hickey. Three, roofies are date-rape drugs that men will spike a girl's drink with to rape her unconscious body, sometimes for several hours afterwards. Apparently, some people also use them to get high… somehow… I will never understand half of what I saw in my time working the narcotics corps."

Luminara involuntarily gulped, "Those wouldn't be used in public, right?"

"Where do you think the 'date' part comes from?"

Visibly shaking now, "Well I'm sure whoever set us up would know if he would do that."

"I trust her judgement. But you never know."

"Do you know who he is?"

"Nope."

"Wonderful."

"Well surprises can be fun."

"Says you, you're not the one who has to try and make small talk with a complete stranger."

"I thought you were good at that sort of thing?"

"I can talk to Jedi and politicians. People I either know or can learn about beforehand. This, this is completely the opposite."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. If you want to bail just signal me. I'll be sitting within line of sight."