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Ahsoka Tano was having a good day. She’d woken up with her girlfriend in her arms, worked out, eaten lunch with the boys from Torrent Company, and spent the afternoon sparring with Obi-Wan. She was tired, sweaty, content, and eager to relax with Barriss for the evening. She lay in wait outside the Halls of Healing, waiting until she sensed Barriss’ presence to ambush her with a tackle-hug. Barriss would definitely be done with her duties soon, and then her girlfriend would be all hers. It would be the perfect end to a day that had been just about perfect.
Ahsoka’s Force bond with Barriss pricked, and she jumped out to accost her. Barriss shrieked as she was taken into an unexpected and very tight hug—loud enough that Knight Eerin came running down the Halls to check if she was okay, sighing and returning to her business once she saw Barriss had only been once again caught in an aggressive public display of affection.
“Why do you do that?” asked a frazzled Barriss.
“Because it’s fun. And I missed you.” Ahsoka planted a kiss on Barriss’ cheek. “Wanna get latemeal then go back to your place?”
“Actually, Ahsoka, I have to go; I’m going out to dinner with a friend tonight, and I need to get ready. Sorry.”
Ahsoka took a mental inventory of who Barriss might be referring to by “friend,” apart from Ahsoka herself. The list seemed pretty short; a social butterfly her girlfriend was not.
Barriss gave her a nonplussed look, apparently detecting her thoughts through their Force bond—or perhaps just intuiting what Ahsoka was probably thinking. “I do have friends other than you, Ahsoka. The galaxy doesn’t revolve around you, you know?”
“Hmm… Is it the kid from the medstation who had the hots for you?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Okay, Barriss, you’ve gotta tell me. Please?” Ahsoka pleaded, giving Barriss her best tooka kit eyes.
Barriss gave her a soft, innocent smile—an expression Ahsoka knew from experience to mean anything but innocence on her girlfriend’s part. “You know what? I don’t think I want to. I think it’ll be far more entertaining to tell you afterward.”
“Do I know them, at least?”
“You do, and you would fully trust me if I told you their name. I promise.” Barriss projected honesty-trust-respect through their Force bond.
Ahsoka sighed. “I hate you. I fully believe and trust you, but I do hate you. Just for the record.”
“No you don’t,” stated Barriss firmly. “I’ll see you later, dearest.” Then she kissed Ahsoka’s cheek and walked away briskly.
Hey Ani, I’m sorry I won’t be home for dinner. I’m going to dinner with a friend—a real friend, not a politician friend, by the way—so I’ll be back late this evening. I truly, deeply love you, as always. See you tonight!
Anakin Skywalker sighed in disappointment as he played the comm message from his wife. Sure, dinner with Padmé was nearly every day now, but it still was the highlight of most of his days. He knew from his time in the Clone Wars, and from having to hide his marriage from the Jedi Order prior to Grandmaster Plo making him a Jedi Wayseeker, how precious those moments of calm, domestic life were—but besides all that, Padmé was just the best. She lit up every room she was in like the angel she was, and she always had interesting and thoughtful things to say about practically any topic. He could handle not being with her for the evening, and knowing she was with another friend—that was something he had made a lot of progress on, thanks to his weekly mind healer sessions, as well as having friends to turn to for advice now who weren’t secretly Sith lords trying to isolate and corrupt him—but he would still miss her, a lot.
Well, there was only one thing for it; he would have to fall back on his lineage’s old haunt. Anakin couldn’t remember the last time he stopped in at Dex’s anyway—it might actually have been before Darth Sidious died, which would mean at least two years. It would be nice to catch up with Jettster, actually. You know what, he thought, this evening might not be so bad after all.
“Whaddaya know!?” exclaimed Dexter Jettster as Anakin walked through the door of his establishment. “Long time no see, Skywalker. Tell me, boy, how goes the life of our hero?”
Anakin smiled at the Besalisk as he took a seat at the bar. “Oh, you know. A lot less going on now that there isn’t a war, but I’m keeping myself busy. My Padawan graduated and I don’t have to keep my wife secret from the Jedi anymore, so that’s pretty exciting.”
“Oho,” Dex laughed heartily. “A wife, he says? Let me guess—” he held one hand up to his chin while continuing to tend the bar with his other three arms—“Amidala, right? The Chancellor?”
Anakin blushed with embarrassment and laughed softly. “Got it in one, Dex,” he said. “I’m realizing now that we weren’t nearly as subtle about it as I thought we were. We’re being quiet about it outside of the Order while she’s still in office, just so she doesn’t get accused of being a puppet for the Jedi or something, but it’s still such a weight off both our shoulders.”
“You’re a very lucky man, Skywalker,” said Dex. “She’s a remarkable woman. Smart as a whip, that one, and a good heart as well. A damn sight better than skeevy Sheev, that’s for sure. I tell people here all the time, if it wasn’t for Amidala, we wouldn’t be in a Republic anymore, ha!”
Anakin nodded. “You have no idea how true that is.”
Jettster leaned in conspiratorially—“not to mention, she’s quite easy on the eyes as well, heh.”
Pretty crude way of saying “the most beautiful woman in the galaxy,” but whatever, thought Anakin, but he held his tongue.
“So, you and Amidala thinking of welcoming any little Skywalkers into the household?”
“Eventually,” said Anakin, taking a sip of the drink Dex had poured for him in the middle of their conversation. “We’re waiting until after she gets out of office, but we do both really want kids. She’s going to be a wonderful mother, I know it.”
“I’m really happy for you, son. Sounds like you’re living the dream.”
A pair of orange fingers snapped in front of Anakin’s face, and he turned to see Ahsoka slouching on the barstool adjacent to him. “Hey, Skyguy, quit daydreaming about your beautiful wife and talk to me. I’m bored.”
“Oh, hi Snips.” Anakin took another sip. “Didn’t expect to see you here. Where’s Barriss?”
“She ditched me to get dinner with a friend, so I came over here for dinner. As is tradition.”
Anakin nodded. “I expect Obi-Wan to show up any minute, provided he’s not on one of his ‘diplomatic missions’ to Mandalore.”
Ahsoka laughed. “Anakin, he’s just trying to ‘improve relations’ with the Council of Neutral Systems, you know,” she said mischievously.
“There’s some kind of ‘relations’ going on, that’s for sure.”
Dex turned back to the two of them. “Kenobi’s back with Duchess Satine, then? Good, for the both of them.”
“He refuses to admit it,” said Ahsoka, “but yes. He’s worse at hiding it than Skyguy was with Padmé, somehow.”
Dexter sighed. “You would not believe how many nights I spent listening to that boy pine after his forbidden love, back in the day. I’m glad they’re making it work.”
“I forget sometimes how much Obi-Wan has told you over the years.”
Dex nodded. “That’s how I knew it was Amidala. Kenobi was practically tearing his hair out some nights, telling me how he had to run interference with the Council or something because you two had decided to suck each others’ faces at an inconvenient moment.”
“He did that for me?” Anakin looked genuinely touched, albeit also mortified. “I spent so much time thinking I could never tell him anything or he’d go to the Council. Come to find out, not only did he know, but he was actively hiding us from the Council? I’ve gotta thank him for that sometime.”
“He really loves you, you know,” said Dex reassuringly. “Has the whole time. Always told me that you drove him up the kriffing wall, but he wouldn’t trade you for the galaxy.”
“Sounds familiar, huh?” Anakin poked at Ahsoka, who responded with a glare that could etch glass.
“How about you, then?” Jettster turned towards Ahsoka. “What’s your life looking like these days?”
“Well I just got back from my own ‘diplomatic mission’ to Scarif with Barriss, so… that was fun.”
“Stop,” said Anakin. “We are not talking about Scarif. The less I know about you and your girlfriend’s sex life, the better.”
“We’re all adults now, Skyguy. Don’t be a prude.”
“Ahsoka, you’re always going to be like a little sister to me. I’m glad you and Barriss are happy, but I really don’t want to think about what you two get up to behind closed doors.”
“It’s definitely not any grosser than what you and Padmé get up to, but fine, whatever.” Ahsoka took a sip of the—non-alcoholic—beverage Dex had surreptitiously poured for her during their banter. “Why aren’t you with Padmé tonight, actually?”
“Same as you, dinner with a friend—she said it wasn’t a politician friend, though, so I have no idea who else that leaves.”
“Honestly I have no idea who Barriss’ other friends are, either. Is that bad?”
“Probably. Either we haven’t paid enough attention to our significant others’ social lives, or they don’t really have anyone other than us. Either way, I feel kind of oblivious.”
Gears turned in Ahsoka’s head. “You don’t think that they might have—”
“Together? Nah. What would Padmé and Barriss even have in common?”
“...Anyway, that’s at least the surface level of what interests me so much about Master Vernestra Rwoh. High Republic history is so fascinating to me, I could go on for hours—not that you’d want to hear it.”
Padmé looked across the table to Barriss, realizing she had been so invested in their conversation that she had neglected her food. “No, I’d be very much interested in hearing more from you about that. My knowledge of that time period has a lot more to do with the politics in the Senate, but I agree that it’s fascinating—not to mention aspirational.”
Padmé had chosen a restaurant that was a bit upscale, but nowhere near the high-society establishments she was frequently forced to attend dinner with other politicians at; she figured such a place would make Barriss very uncomfortable, and in all honesty, they made her uncomfortable as well. It seemed like she had chosen well, judging by Barriss’ nearly-empty plate.
“Yes, I really do think that was the ‘Golden Age’ for the Jedi, as people say. The Order’s never been perfect, obviously, but the Jedi of the High Republic have always been the version of the Order I want to emulate in my own work. And of course, I can’t deny there’s a bit of cultural pride involved in my admiration for Master Rwoh.”
Padmé smiled. “It’s a similar situation with my interest in Senator Sahen Idane. Believe it or not, until the Trade Federation invasion, my homeworld was considered a fairly unimportant Mid-Rim backwater, so major political figures from Naboo in that era are few and far between.”
“I know that was within my lifetime, but it’s hard to believe, between you and, well…”
“Him,” said Barriss and Padmé simultaneously.
“Yes, unfortunately I do owe… him a lot for my political career. I owe you for the survival of our democracy, though, and that credit I’m happy to give.”
“I just stabbed an old man in the back, Padmé. You saved the Republic.”
“You stabbed the most evil old man in the galaxy in the back, Barriss.”
“I would have preferred not to have killed him, still.”
Padmé nodded. “I understand, more than you know. In this specific case, however, I think his death was the only possible way to end his manipulation.”
“And the only way to save Ahsoka’s life.”
“That too. It’s good that you still question whether it was right to kill him, though. If you start believing that some people deserve death, it can easily lead to making… allowances in your morals.”
“Yep, that’s what I try to avoid. Obsessively, and to a concerning degree, if my mind healer has anything to say about it. It’s nice to get professional certification that I’m neurotic, you know?”
Padmé sighed softly. “Believe me, I’ve been through similar humiliation with my therapist. I worry that I’m driving that poor woman to drink, honestly.”
“You mean, apart from the fact that they’re both massive nerds? I dunno, Skyguy, what could two incredibly intelligent women with no social lives have in common?”
“Padmé is not a nerd!” said Anakin emphatically.
“Search your feelings, you know it’s true,” said Ahsoka. “You’re married to the galaxy’s biggest politics nerd. I mean, for Force’s sake, the girl was running for elected office at fourteen! You don’t end up as an elected official before you can legally drive a speeder unless you’re way too into it.”
“But she’s—”
“Kriffing gorgeous? A literal goddess? The hottest woman in the galaxy not named Barriss Offee? Yeah, it’s 7959, Anakin. You can be a huge nerd and also the five-time winner of the Coruscanti Enquirer’s ‘Sexiest in the Senate’ poll. That’s allowed now. She probably voted to legalize it, actually.”
“Ahsoka, stop talking right n—
Wait—how did you know the Enquirer thing?”
“Oh, I keep a collection of embarrassing facts about Padmé specifically to tease you with. It’s really funny to watch you get flustered.”
“You’re a menace to society, Snips.”
“Let’s get back to some lighter conversation, shall we?” asked Padmé. “Give me the latest on you and Ahsoka.”
“Nothing much to report, honestly. We’re still deeply in love, she’s still a chaos gremlin with an absurd libido, and I’m still incredibly happy.”
“Good. How was Scarif, by the way?”
“It was beautiful and we had a lovely time. Thank you once again for doing that for us; it was very kind of you.”
Padmé smiled softly. “Don’t mention it. I love you girls, and I really don’t have anything better to do with a Chancellor’s salary than doing nice things for my loved ones.
—I want to be clear, that’s after the significant portion I donate to charity. Just because I know you would worry and feel guilty if I didn’t clarify.”
“Thank you for that. I would have, you’re correct.”
“It still doesn’t feel real, holding the highest office in the Republic. Partially because I have to fight the Senate way harder than Palpatine ever did, on account of being young, a woman, and having morals, but also, it’s just such an absurd position to be in.”
“I feel a bit guilty for my role in putting you there, I’ll be honest. If I’d known the Senate was just going to appoint you as Chancellor for playing my recording, I would have sent it to Organa or Mothma instead.”
“Don’t feel guilty. I wouldn’t have put my name in if I wasn’t prepared to take on the responsibilities of the job. I’ll tell you though, when my term ends, I’m quite looking forward to never setting foot in the Senate Dome again.”
“What do you plan on doing after your term?”
“Probably moving back to Naboo, starting a family with Anakin, and continuing to do activism when I can. I know Anakin is very interested in fighting slavery in the Outer Rim, and he’s been encouraged by Master Plo to pursue that, so we might be spending a lot of time on Tatooine in the future. He’s staying Coruscant-based while I’m in office though. We spent enough time apart due to the war. We’re not letting anything separate us again.”
Barriss nodded. “I have to say, for as much respect as I had for Master Yoda, I have been very impressed with Plo Koon as our Grandmaster. Things are changing for the Order that have needed to change for a while—such as bringing back the Wayseeker tradition, which you and Master Skywalker have obviously benefited greatly from. He’s encouraging us to be less passive and to take a more active role in helping the galaxy, which I have always believed is the way forward for us.”
“I know Ahsoka adores him, certainly. I’m not the most familiar with Jedi doctrine, so I don’t know what he can or can’t change, but it certainly seems like you and Ahsoka are able to be together more openly now, which I think is also wonderful.”
“I think Master Plo would let us get away with it even if it wasn’t an official change of doctrine, just because he loves Ahsoka so much, but I’m glad for that too. We’re talking to him about sharing an apartment once we move out of the Padawan quarters; Ahsoka’s basically never in her own room anyway so it wouldn’t really be a big change, other than freeing up an apartment for another Knight.”
“That’s good. How does all of that square with the no-attachments rule, though?”
“In my view, and Master Plo’s, attachment is about possessive feelings and inability to let go, and less so just having any special relationship with someone. That view is shared by many Jedi, but Masters Yoda and Windu both held the belief that close relationships would inevitably lead to possessiveness, which informed their doctrine as Grandmaster and Master of the Order.”
“That sounds like a load of nonsense, if you ask me. I think Anakin could have let go of his possessiveness much sooner if he hadn’t felt like he was doing something wrong by loving me.”
“From my observation of his growth in the past two years, I’m honestly inclined to agree. I used to be terrified of him, you know. He cornered me after I first started dating Ahsoka and gave me the old ‘if you hurt her I’ll kill you’ speech—he still apologizes to me for that basically every time he sees me. Nowadays he’s a lot less on edge, and less fearful, and I am proud of him for overcoming that.”
“He still seems to think you hate him. I take it you don’t?”
Barriss formulated her thoughts. “Anakin is… far from the profile of an ideal Jedi I was taught growing up. However, I have come to think that strict pursuit of that ideal blinded us to different understandings of the Force, and that for everything he struggles with, Anakin at his core just wants to help people, and there is nothing more Jedilike than that.”
“I’m glad to hear that from another Jedi, Barriss. That’s how I see it as well, but I worry my opinion isn’t worth as much since I’m not sensitive to the Force like you are.”
“Force sensitivity is overrated, honestly. Sure, I can move objects with my mind, but that doesn’t make me any better at running a government, you know? I couldn’t do your job, and you can’t do mine.”
“We seem to be incapable of having light conversation, huh?”
Barriss and Padmé both laughed.
“I still don’t see it,” said Anakin, in between bites of his burger. “I just don’t feel like Barriss is the kind of person Padmé would connect with. I feel like she’d be more into someone who was—”
“Intelligent, unfailingly polite, compassionate, selfless, deeply committed to making the world better, and mildly socially awkward? Yeah, I’m sure Padmé could never connect with Barriss over any of that.”
“Ahsoka—”
Ahsoka plucked a fry from Anakin’s plate, tossed it into her mouth, and sat back with arms crossed smugly. “I think you just don’t want both of the two most important women in your life to be obsessed with Barriss Offee.”
“Okay, that settles it. I’m comming Padmé. Ten credits says it isn’t Barriss.”
Ahsoka scoffed. “Only ten? Must not be very confident.” Anakin kicked her shin in retaliation.
Padmé’s comm beeped. “Hold on, this is Anakin, I have to take it. I’ve just got to make sure he hasn’t landed himself in any trouble, you know?”
Barriss nodded. “Our partners both have a frustrating tendency to be agents of chaos if we aren’t around to handle them.”
Padmé opened her comm. “Hello, Anakin? Do I have to bail you out again?”
Anakin’s voice came through the device, slightly tinny and muffled. “No, you just have to settle a bet for me. Ahsoka and I got into an argument about you. She thinks you might be getting dinner with her girlfriend, and I know Barriss isn’t the type of person you’d be that close with. Can you tell Ahsoka to hand over the ten credits, please?”
Padmé burst out laughing, and Barriss followed.
“Padmé, I think we might both be dating idiots.”
“No,” said Padmé, wiping tears from her eyes, “you’re dating one, I married one.”
“What’s so funny?”
Padmé slid her comm over to the other side of the table, still cackling. Barriss picked it up.
“Jedi Knight Barriss Offee at your service; Anakin, you owe Ahsoka ten credits.”
“Cheeskar nok. Fine, Ahsoka, you clearly know my wife better than I do.”
The sound of a scuffle followed, then Ahsoka’s voice came out of the comm.
“Get off me, Anakin! Sorry it’s not every day I get to talk to the Coruscanti Enquirer’s five-time winner.”
Padmé clearly knew exactly what Ahsoka was talking about, as she hid her face in her palm. She reached out and took the comm back from Barriss. “Ahsoka, please stop tormenting my husband with trashy tabloid articles about me. If that’s all, then I’m going to hang up now, okay?” She closed the comm and looked back to Barriss.
“What are you the five-time winner of?”
Padmé’s face once again retreated behind her palms. “‘Sexiest in the Senate.’ Your girlfriend is a menace, Barriss.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t say the readership of the Coruscanti Enquirer has bad taste.” Barriss wore her most innocent smile.
“Force, you’re almost as bad as she is. I’m flattered, but as you're aware we’re both extremely spoken for.”
“It was just a statement of fact. You’re very pretty, Padmé.
I… uhhh,
maybehadacrushonyouwhenIwasyounger.”
Padmé blushed. “Aww, that’s sweet! I love hearing about people’s childhood crushes. Don't be embarrassed about that.”
“Okay, I’m glad you’re not re-evaluating our entire friendship based on that. It was years ago, I’m very happy with Ahsoka now, and I really enjoy having you as a friend.”
“The feeling is mutual, I promise. Thank you for being excellent company, Barriss, though I fear now we should return to our respective partners before they set something on fire.”
“Agreed.” Barriss smiled as they both stood up from the table. “I’ll see you soon, Mrs. Five-Time.”
Padmé scoffed playfully. “You’re a menace, Barriss,” she said, bringing Barriss in for a hug. “Get home safe, and tell Ahsoka I said hi.”
“Will do.”