Author's Note: Extreme silliness. AU. Very AU. Hooray for Happily Ever After AU's! Also, beware shirtless clones, alcohol and innuendo. Blame Jade-Max.
Smile
Beach.
The concept of a vacation was still a novel one.
Jedi simply didn't get time off for fun, much less clones. But the last several years had changed a great many things about the state of the galaxy, and this was, Barriss had to admit, one of the changes she rather liked. A sunny beach, warm sand, a clear sky - and half of Torrent and Ghost Company playing a massive game of limmie, topless.
Yes, discovering the Chancellor was a Sith just in the nick of time, along with Ahsoka's former Master declaring himself a married man and soon-to-be father, had changed a great many things around the galaxy.
It took about six years for the whole "vacation days" concept to kick in, but considering they'd all fought a massive, costly war for years on end, followed by clean up and various peacekeeping activities, getting a week or two off sounded pretty fair. She hadn't expected Ahsoka to drag half of the 501st (much less a sizable chunk of the 212th) along with her (if Barriss knew the boys were invited, she'd have suggested it to Gree) but she wasn't particularly saddened - apparently the destination of choice for most the 41st was Zeltros.
Barriss reclined in her lounge chair and watched as the ball went soaring up into the sky, and a dozen men charged across the sand to intercept, while a dozen more did everything possible to get in their way. She was in a simple black bikini, her hair up in a long ponytail. Ahsoka was sprawled out a meter away in a sky blue one-piece, thoroughly engrossed in the game. Barriss had to admit, it was pretty fascinating to watch. She didn't know most of them, considering they were all 501st or 212th, but she'd gotten relatively good at picking some of the more familiar faces out of the crowd. Cody, for example, was the one in the orange shorts and about halfway to getting a severe sunburn, judging by the fact he was red as a sunfruit.
Poor Cody. He'd need a healer soon. She'd have to slather bacta salve all over his back.
Oh, how she suffered for her calling!
A loud whistle from Ahsoka signaled the 501st getting the ball back, and judging by the continued cheering and particularly delighted look on her Togruta friend's face, Rex had the ball. Barriss suppressed a grin. Ahsoka had always been unconventional, and she'd adapted to the variety of reforms still sweeping through the Jedi Order much more easily than she herself had. Considering her former Master was the one to initiate most of them, (claiming his family gave him the strength to resist Sidious' machinations) that did make a certain amount of sense. Of course, Ahsoka wasn't really able to talk to Anakin about certain things ("Snips, you can come to me about anything – but I really don't want to know what you do with boys. Just don't get into trouble. Well, at least not the kind of trouble where I'd have to run someone though with a lightsaber. Actually, just stay away from boys until you're forty. What? Don't look at me like that. Leia's going to have the same rule.") and over the years, Barriss ended up hearing most of Ahsoka's romantic troubles ("Ahsoka, I know you like him, but dragging you off to spend time with Death Watch is not a very good date."). She seemed to have the oddest quirk towards men with three letter names that ended in "x".
For the last several months, however, Ahsoka seemed to be focusing on the more muscular, soldierly of the two. Considering Rex would literally prefer to be shot than take her to visit with a bunch of terrorists for the weekend, Barriss was quietly supportive of this.
She was fairly sure Ahsoka was aware she was settling on Rex, but she'd yet to admit it. Her Togruta friend was watching the boloball game with a bit more interest than a woman who just liked limmie a lot. Considering the nice, exotic atmosphere and several more days off that lay ahead, it was as good a time as any to give Ahsoka a final nudge – or at least get her to finally fess up to her decision.
Barriss sighed and leaned back, reaching out for her water bottle, which proved to be empty. There was a cabana with a wet bar not too far away, and a Twi'lek waiter in board shorts was making his way across the beach towards the waterline with a tray full of fruity looking drinks. She and Ahsoka weren't the only women who'd apparently decided to settle in to watch the game, and there were consistent squeals rising above the sound of surf and male shouting. Fruity drinks, though, sounded perfectly refreshing, considering the tropical climate.
"I'm going to get something to drink," Barriss said, standing. "Want anything?"
Ahsoka looked at her for a moment thoughtfully, spied the Twi'lek waiter and the drinks, and nodded. "Something sweet and cold. Thanks, Barriss."
Barriss waved quickly and headed towards the cabana, feet squelching in the sand. The few tables under the shade of the roof were full, and there were several people milling around drinking and chattering. Most were women of various humanoid species, and all were watching the game. There was a menu hanging over the bar, and a female Twi'lek tending it. "What can I getcha?" she grinned, pausing from cleaning glasses.
Barriss hummed for a moment, reading the menu, then said, "I'll have an Astral Gateway, and my friend will have…." she paused, then quirked a brow at the holographic image of one of the drinks framing the list, then laughed. "One of those." She pointed at the hologram, which was of a colorful, primarily reddish drink. The bartender grinned and went to work, and a moment later, Barriss had two drinks in hand, one in shades of scarlet and orange, one blue with a ring of yellow at the top. "How much?"
The Twi'lek laughed and waved the question off. "On the house, sweetie! We've been booming ever since you brought that horde out here!" She folded her arms and leaned against the bar, nodding towards the game, the clones, and their general state of sweaty, buff shirtlessness. "Can you bring them out here tomorrow too? Hubby and I are making a mint today."
Barriss smiled, flushing, and headed out of the cabana with a small bow, replying over her shoulder, "I can suggest it. Thank you for the drinks."
"Enjoy, hon!"
Another round of cheers went up just as she reached her chair again, and Ahsoka was letting out a loud whistle; someone had scored this time, though it was hard to see where the goals were, since they seemed to consist of a couple larger pieces of grey driftwood and a pile of white, powdery sand.
Barriss handed the reddish drink to Ahsoka while taking a sip of the Astral Gateway. She sighed. Cool, with plenty of ice, tart from the limon juice and sweet from the blue liqueur with something slightly fizzy mixed in. Perfectly refreshing in the heat.
"What is this?" Ahsoka asked, peering at her drink curiously. "Looks good."
Barriss bit her lip, then hid a smile behind the rim of her glass as she sat back down. "What do you think is in it?"
Her voice was wry, and Ahsoka gave her an arched white eyebrow and a dry look, clearly suspecting there was some sort of joke to be had about whatever Barriss had provided her. Then she took a sip and considered it for a long moment, cheeks puffing a bit as she swished it in her mouth. "Tart and orangey red - sunfruit?" she guessed, and Barriss nodded for her to continue. Ahsoka gave her a suspicious look, then took another drink. "Tangy, a little dry – and a little sweet." She sniffed it. "Smells good. Sihan peach, and…hm. Can't smell the actual alcohol, but it packs a punch, whatever it is. Has a bite. Kashyyyk vodka?"
It was hard not to start giggling, and Barriss finally caved in, smothering a laugh with a hand as she tried not to spill her Gateway. Ahsoka was watching her expectantly, white brows lifted and dark lips twisted in amusement as she waited to find out what the joke was. Barriss giggled one last time, then braced herself. She said, with a very sly smile, "It's called a Rex on the Beach."
Ahsoka blinked once, looked down into her drink as though that would confirm Barriss' statement. Apparently it did, because Ahsoka promptly began laughing, "It is not!"
Barriss laughed again, took another cool sip of her own drink, and admitted, "No, but almost. I only changed one letter. It's called a Sex on the Beach." She let her eyes get a little large and feigned an innocent look while glancing towards the herd of sweaty, athletic men charging around the beach after a ball. Though there was no sex, there was certainly a lot of sexy going on at the beach. Considering the amount of attention the boys were getting, though, that might change by nightfall.
"Well," Ahsoka sighed dramatically, and Barriss returned her attention to her friend, who was doing an impressive fake-innocent look of her own. "One letter was enough of a change."
Barriss tilted her head to the side in query, and Ahsoka's face melted into a wicked grin for a moment, before she took a slow sip of her drink and said, sweetly, "Rex doesn't taste anything at all like this."
It took several seconds for the entirety of Ahsoka's implication to sink in, and when it did, Barriss flushed a deep viridian and burst into laughter, trying not to spill her drink as she resisted the urge to double over with giggles.
Apparently Ahsoka's long, Rex-ward glances denoted anticipation for more, rather than anticipation for anything at all. No nudging necessary.
A gale of feminine laughter (in voices more familiar than the giggles of some of the other spectators) caught Cody's attention on the field as he took a moment to catch his breath. Reaching out, he tapped Rex on the arm and nodded towards the pair of swimsuit-clad Jedi (and damn but that was a lot of green skin usually covered up). Knight Offee, at least, met his eyes, while Knight Tano seemed more preoccupied with smiling in Rex's direction.
"You ever get the feeling they're laughing at us?"
Rex tilted his head in the direction of the women, and gave a small wave, which Ahsoka promptly returned. He grinned. "All the time."
Decided to go ahead and post this, since it's my birthday today. Smile is now back on its regularly scheduled hiatus!
Sex on the Beach is a real drink, as I'm sure most of you are aware of. It consists of vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, and orange juice. Astral Gateway is apparently also a real drink, which I discovered while looking for fun, GFFA-sounding drinks online. It consists of vodka, blue curacao liqueur, lemon juice, ginger ale, and ice.
~Queen