The morning before the auction was not something that I had ever thought I would experience, especially as a Jedi. Our suite had been transformed into a dressing room of sorts... Lando had sent down two garment racks that now stood by the window, loaded with fabrics, dresses, coats, pants, and whatever else that shimmered whenever the light shifted a little around them. And people wear these? Haaah... Apparently, they do, because Vila stood in front of the mirror, one hand on her hip, the other running along the silk that curved around her waist, while her lekku were also adorned with golden accessories. It was the sixth set she tried on.
The gown she'd chosen as her last was deep violet, close to her skin tone but laced with thin silver threads that caught every light, reflecting it and making her shine. The cut was bold at the shoulders and narrow at the waist, with a big cutout at her back, flowing down into a wave of cloth that spread out at her feet. It was... Elegant, provocative, and impossible not to stare at.
"You're staring," she said without turning, reading my thoughts.
"I'm meditating," I shot back, "Practicing self-control."
"That'll be a short meditation." Her reflection smiled in the mirror, "I can see you are hungry."
"Hmph..." I pouted, looking away, but she was right.
"How's yours coming along?"
"Well..."
My own outfit was hanging half-zipped... I just chose the first and was done with it. It was simple, a black, high-collared jacket that fit tighter than any robe I'd ever worn, silver piping tracing the seams. The trousers were tailored the same way, and the boots were polished enough to see my reflection. It was... simple and nothing extra, but it was also uncomfortable as hell, so after choosing it, I immediately got out of it.
"Feels strange," I said, shrugging, "I won't like it."
"Pretend you're a noble again," she teased, making me roll my eyes, "You've got the posture for it."
[Observation: Organic mating displays involve excessive preparation and inadequate armor. Useless.] HK's voice drifted in from the doorway where he was standing with his arms folded and his head tilted to the right, [Judgment: Too much exposed flesh. I rate your tactical readiness at seventeen percent.]
"This is not about that, rustbucket," Vila smirked at him, "Seventeen's better than yours anyway! You're not even allowed inside."
[Complaint: Speciesist policies. Clear anti-droid sentiment. I will remain in the vehicle, fuming productively.]
"Do that," I shrugged, "Just try not to blow up the car."
[Reassurance: Only if provoked. Addendum: I will survey the premises.]
In the end, after noting that Vila finally settled on the dress, I also changed into mine, and Lando met us at his private hangar an hour before the start of the auction. The airspeeder waiting there was a masterpiece of arrogance and luxury. It had sleek curves, mirror-bright chrome all over its body, and golden underlights glowing across its belly, lighting up the hangar floor. When he activated it, the doors lifted upward like wings, revealing the cream-colored leather interior.
"Now this," Vila murmured, "is my kind of meditation."
"Glad to provide for such a beautiful lady!" Lando smiled at her, making me shiver at the way he flirted like that. "You two look spectacular." He added in the end, looking at me too, "Try not to upstage the merchandise." He handed me a small datapad.
"Very funny," I muttered while taking it.
"Here are your papers and a private transponder, unregistered." He continued while I put the comm into my ear, Vila copying me. "This will get you through any checkpoint without drawing notice." He pointed at the speeder, "The destination's already set, you just need to show up, produce the invitations on the datapad, and you will be in."
"You're sure no one will track us?" I asked.
"I never said that," He chuckled. "But they won't know you are Jedi and your actual names." Then, becoming a bit more serious, he looked at both of us, "Good luck. May the Force be with you."
With that, he stepped back, his cape swishing behind him, as we climbed into the speeder, sitting in the back while HK became our pilot. The interior was as if it were brand new, with soft seats and hologlass panels glowing faintly with navigation data as the speeder rose smoothly into the air, the repulsors barely audible within the car.
"This is something else," Vila leaned against me, her dress brushing my sleeve, looking down at the glittering cityscape, "Admit it," she chuckled, "You like dressing up."
"No, not really," I shrugged, "It's just easier when you're next to me. No one looks at the guy in black when there's a violet goddess beside him."
"Ooooh, that was goooood!" She laughed, sitting back properly, "Flatterer. Please, do tell me more~!"
[Interruption: If you two begin mating rituals in the back seat, I will activate the emergency eject protocol.]
"HK," we said together, "Just pilot the damned thing."
[Annoying Grumble: A simple warning. Do carry on, but wrinkles and splotches won't come out of your dresses in time. Helpful Advice: Try not to drool.]
In the end, the flight went without incident, and after about a ten-minute flight, we arrived at our destination. It took us to a terrace that looked like a maintenance platform until the speeder's sensors pinged a hidden signal. A section of the floor lit up in response and then unfolded into a gold-lined landing pad. After we touched down, it lowered us into a brightly lit, luxurious hangar, where two attendants in silver masks approached the airspeeder as the engines cooled. They may have been hiding their looks and gazes, but I could feel that the two of them were trained professionals, because they not only measured us as we climbed out but were constantly on edge and alert for any possible trouble.
"Guests of the Consortium," the one on the left said, his voice muffled by his mask, "Your identifications, please." When I handed it over, they both checked it independently before nodding to each other, gently bowing towards us, "Your booth awaits. Please, this way."
Of course, HK started to follow, but a red light blinked, appearing across his chest panel, as I could immediately sense multiple snipers, hiding somewhere in this underground hangar, locking in on him. Huh... I also had the sudden feeling he did it so he could also note where they were.
[Indignation: Denied entry?]
"Regulations," the attendant replied calmly, "Non-sentient assistance units must remain outside. It is our rule to keep it fair for everyone."
[Indignation Cubed: I am more sentient than—] he began, but I held up a hand.
"It's fine, HK. Stay with the speeder and keep it safe. We don't need anyone to come and snoop around it anyway. It's not cheap waxing it, so don't let anyone touch it."
[Dark promise: They will regret underestimating me if they try to do so.]
In the end, he folded his arms and stood guard as the attendants led us through a golden, gilded doorway. Deeper inside, the obstinate opulence hit me like a physical force. These people were even worse than the Christopsis nobles! Ten times worse! Everywhere I looked, velvet carpets, sparkling chandeliers spinning, mimicking slow constellations on the simulated starry sky across the massive, oval ceiling... The air was filled with the scent of who knows how many perfume samples, the raw smell of money, and the feeling of... power. I never felt it anywhere else like here, not even back at home; alas, my family wasn't the kind of collection of people either. But this? Ugh... No... This was not the kind of power the Force usually had to it, but... A nasty one. One that made me almost recoil. As we kept walking, I noticed multiple holoscreens along the walls displaying the evening's highlights, including rare crystals, ancient armor sets, and art that could bankrupt entire colonies. Passing by them, the crowd, who were probably here to bid but not high enough to get their VIP booths, murmured in a dozen languages, and I could barely make out one or two that I could recognize... Ugh... the more I looked, the worse it got... By the time we were walking up a set of stairs, I was drowning in the feeling of bottomless greed, a kind of perverted curiosity, and impatient anticipation. It was hard to decide which was worse, the Rakatan death arena or this...
"We have arrived," Our usher bowed at us, "Your private booth, honored guests."
We were at the top of a curved stairway, leading us into a glass-walled alcove overlooking the central floor from above. Inside, a table was set with chilled drinks, a fruit platter carved into some absurd shapes, probably another art piece, and a console listing the lots for the night. Huh... This is too much for me, but oh well. I am thirsty, so I walked in and sat down, lifting the somewhat sour yet refreshing, bubbling drink to my lips.
"Hmmm," Vila ran a hand over the seat's fabric, "If the food's poisoned, at least we'll die in style."
"I'll sense it before then," I said quietly, but my eyes kept roaming the place from our vantage point.
Wherever I looked, discreet-looking guards stood at each door and entrance, blasters hidden under their formal coats. Probably some body armor too, because a few of them seemed too bulky compared to the size of their arms. As for the main stage, it was empty for now, a single spotlight waiting for the auctioneer. From here, we could see nearly everything, including the bidders, the exits, and the movement of everything and everybody. Holding my drink, I focused, letting the Force spread out and wash across the crowd, brushing against the minds of the others present. The moment I did, threads of similar intent were tangled together on the tip of my tongue. Once again, they were mostly about excitement, deception, and somewhere in the distance, the faint echo of something darker... Oh... What's this...? It was... hm... It had the undertone of cold metal. The same type of feeling I got from HK. I had a guess we were not here for a Jedi's lightsaber...
"Was Lando right?" Vila picked up the other sparkling drink in the second cup and clinked it against mine. "Here's to pretending, too, while you answer."
"Yeah, he was," I said, looking around to make sure we were alone. "I felt it."
Then, just as I finished, a soft buzz came directly into my ear, our comm line coming online.
[Transmission: Connection established.] HK's quiet but clear voice spoke directly into our ears. [Explanation: I have interfaced with the building's local network. Security firewalls are primitive... I am monitoring transmissions between several guests and multiple external relays. Conclusion: It is apparent that all of the guests are just a pair of middlemen, like you. The true licting power comes from afar.]
"Good work," I murmured, ignoring his unimportant extra detail, "Can you trace them? We may find some clues about our friends in one of their chats..."
[Acknowledgment: Working on it. Expect progress before the appetizers are gone.]
"That would be good," Vila arched an eyebrow. "But it would feel too easy."
"I won't worry about that," I shrugged, "I feel that this place is way too dangerous," I said honestly.
"Good," she smiled at me, "Then maybe I will also have some fun by the end of the day."
Just as she finished, the lights dimmed all around us, and a single tone resonated through the hall. As if it were a spell, the crowd settled, conversations fading into anticipation, every booth like ours filling up, along with the seats around the main stage. A moment later, the auctioneer stepped into the spotlight, bowing gracefully as a twi'lek woman with bright orange skin, barely wearing anything, stood at attention. Well... She wore something, but it was matching her skin way too well... at least it looked that way from where we sat.
"Don't stare too much, my skin is prettier," Vila whispered, making me exhale through my nose as I saw her grin.
"Ladies and gentlemen," her voice rang out, smooth and enchanting, with an audible air of age and experience. This was not her first time... "Welcome to the Concordia Exchange. Tonight's treasures promise a little bit of history, a pinch of mystery, and grand fortune for the discerning few…"
"Tsk..." Vila leaned closer, her breath brushing my ear. "She is good... but don't fall for her just yet."
"I am Jedi," I whispered back to her, "Don't think I will... I can resist your species' mind tricks..."
"You mean body tricks?" She asked, winking at me, "Let's see what this auction is about... I wonder what else they will sell. Maybe we should buy some things on the side, so as to not stand out."
"That..." I wanted to argue, but... thinking about it, damn. She had a point. "That is a good idea." I nodded in the end, "Lando will understand. Hopefully."