(Star Wars) Gangsta #TheRiseAwards

Chapter Six

"Padmé, sweetheart, you need to wake up."

Padmé hummed, cracking her eyes open to see her mother standing over her. "What's up, Mom?" Jobal shook her head, taking a seat on the side of her daughter's bed. "Honey, I've let you sleep in until ten-hundred. I really need you downstairs, we open in less than an hour." She insisted, brushing back some of her daughter's curls. "Shoot, Mom, I'm sorry... Let me shower and then I'll be right down, okay?"

"Alrighty." Jobal gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then left her to do her thing. Padmé slowly dragged herself out of bed and into her bathroom, quickly turned on the shower. She yawned, stripping herself of her pajamas and jumping in. Little did she know of the visitors waiting downstairs already...

~

"I'm serious, Jobal. Your daughter's in danger with Vader."

Jobal had let in Qui-Gon Jinn and his son, Obi-Wan Kenobi (or simply Ben to Thule and her daughter,) before the diner would open for brunch. "Padmé's been my friend for years, Miss Thule. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to get her out of that mess." The younger man chimed in after his father. "First off, Ben, you know you can call me Jobal. Secondly, she's working at an establishment that just so happens to be over in Sith territory. It's not like she's joining their gang." The girl's mother reasoned, filling Qui-Gon's mug with coffee. "She's twenty-two years old and able to make her own decisions." Ben scowled, looking down the empty bar. "Still... I don't like it."

"Truthfully, dear, I don't either," Jobal confessed, leaving forward onto the counter with her arms crossed. "However, the position itself is what Padmé's always dreamed of taking. Plus, her annual salary is more than the diner and myself make annually combined. That Vader boy promised her close to half a million credits a year, can you believe it?" Qui-Gon shook his head, taking a long drink of his coffee. "Jo, most of his money is illegally obtained by means we don't want to think about."

"Don't even try to say that." She interrupted him, holding a hand up. "Whether you want to admit it or not, that club is one of the most popular places in the Trinity Isles. They make a million credits easily in just a few days, let alone a week." Ben shrugged. "Well, it's one of the biggest entertainment hotspots and a lot of tourists spend their money there. Everything's overpriced and getting inside is enough to burn a hole in anyone's wallet... So what if he actually has the money? She's still not safe there - especially when she's required to be there at night." His father jumped in, swallowing a mouthful of coffee. "Think about all the scum that wanders in that place - and I'm not just referring to the Sith. There's felons, perverts, scam artists, criminals... It's not a place for a beautiful young lady like your daughter." He reached forward a laid a hand on her arms. "Jo... We only worry because we care about you, both of you."

"I know." She smiled at him, laying a hand over his. "I can't stop her though, it's her decision and life. I may be her mother but I can't control her any more than you can."

"Ben, you're back!"

The trio turned their full attention to the back staircase, seeing Padmé had emerged from her shower. Ben got up from his seat, a grin on his face when she started running towards him. "Hey, Tweety!" He laughed, picking her up in a hug. "That's odd..." He set her down, stroking his goatee thoughtfully. "Did you get shorter?"

"Of course not, idiot!" Padmé punched him in the arm, grateful her best friend was back. When she and her mother first moved to Scarif, Qui-Gon and Ben had quickly become a part of their lives. Granted, his son was ten years her senior, the two children became kindred spirits to the point they almost acted like siblings. Ben had gone off to another world for schooling, leaving Padmé behind to miss him and wait for his surprise return.