Give Me Love

chapter thirty nine

You had been to one too many of these damned high-end events.

You didn't mind the atmosphere of twinkling fairy lights paving your way up the steps of the Capitol building, the local law enforcement ushering you inside as if you were the important one here, and not Padmé. Nor did you mind the upbeat waltz vibrating through your chest from the front stage, or the rows and rows of cloth-covered tables set with sparkling silverware and bubbling glasses of champagne.

You also didn't mind the dresses-- some so big and poofy you had to step clear over them so your heels didn't snag the frills hanging off the ends. Some of them were quite interesting, and you were glad that you had picked the golden dress after all-- a little simpler compared to the rest of the choices here, but still eye-catching.

You didn't mind all of these things.

But what you did mind were the people behind everything. The ones with the status, and the money, and the arrogance to believe they could each individually rule the world.

Maybe their own worlds. But there was a whole galaxy out there, one that was being torn apart by a war right now. And they were upset that the crumpets were overbaked.

It was a whole lot of bullshit, mingling with these sorts of people. You'd been able to pick up on that from a very early age. Most of them were here for their own agenda, trying to find any way to manipulate their way into the good graces of those they wanted on their team, and to dig up dirt on those in their way that they wanted to crush. It was sort of like a war in itself, you thought, the bloodbath of being in a room full of politicians.

Of course, you had never been just a 'guest' at one of these events. Usually you were one of the main attractions-- the future of Noxella, the biggest medical researcher and producer in the galaxy-- your fathers legacy.

They had treated you like a princess as a child, and you'd loved every second of the attention until you realised they weren't applauding you; they were applauding the fact that you were just a small, naive girl and it would be easy to crush you and take your place as soon as your father handed the business over.

Problem solved: You left before any of them could lift a finger; to pursue your own dreams.

Now, you were just Padmé's 'plus-one', which you didn't mind at all. It still garnered you a bit of attention, but nobody knew your name, or asked how your studies were going, or sucked up to you just so that they could maybe land a grant from your mommy and daddy.

Nope, you did not mind it one bit that you were no longer that prize on a pedestal. You were just some stranger in a gold dress, snagging some champagne from a table and scanning the room for Ahsoka.

"Don't stray too far," Padmé touched your elbow with a friendly smile, and then she was disappearing into the crowd of extravagant dresses and tuxedos to begin the bloodbath, leaving you to stand by the edge of the crowd awkwardly.

"Y/n," Ahsoka saddled right up to your side just then, thankfully saving you from having to actually make small talk with someone. She was wearing a soft blue gown, her lekku sparkling with a diamond headpiece she had borrowed from Padmé. "Thank the maker I found you. The guy over there was trying to get me to dance with him."

You followed her gaze over the man off to the side, on the outskirts of the crowd. He was already looking at the two of you.

"Eugh. He's creepy. Just punch him if he gets too close," you shivered.

"I'm supposed to be undercover."

""Soka, your lightsaber is literally poking out from under your dress," she scrambled to cover it up with some of her skirts, and you chuckled at her attempt. "You look hot by the way."