Chapter 34: Vacation and Negotiations

Summary: Aayla and Izuku get some downtime...

Warning! Chapters 34-36 were posted back-to-back! Make sure to catch them all!

Lemon Warning! This chapters contains a lemon! It is clearly marked with -Lemon Starts Here- and -Lemon Ends Here- for those that prefer to skip such things!

Chapter 34: Vacation and Negotiations

Izuku normally wasn't very good at relaxing and he knew it. This time, however, he admittedly had the spectacular view of Aayla in a very small bikini to keep his mind from fretting over all the more useful things he could have been doing instead. It wasn't a method of distraction he'd ever thought he'd get a chance to employ, particularly as nothing more than a method of getting him to properly relax for a vacation, but it was certainly proving an effective one. Doubly so as his ever-athletic girlfriend had thrown herself into swimming, diving, and even a beach-volleyball match that had added an enjoyable bounce to certain assets on a regular basis throughout the day. All with a gleefully childish smile on her face that, to Izuku, only made her more beautiful. Though it probably didn't say good things about the Jedi Temple that she didn't seem to have had a chance for much recreation that wasn't also training. Still, he was guilty of that himself, and he's mostly done it to himself. So perhaps he shouldn't judge.

The resort moon of Dorumaa, satellite of the planet Almas, might seem like a very strange place to end up. In truth, however, their presence here was something they'd planned since before their first anti-slaver raid. All of them, even Master Tholme, had known that their pace of operations was not sustainable. Even Jedi needed downtime, and their entire little semi-conspiracy had been pushing hard for the last several months. Almas and Dorumaa were, as it happened, not too far from New Cov. And, just for good measure, there was a Jedi Academy on the planet of Almas. One of the very few such places outside Coruscant, in point of fact. Unlike a few of the other such, which weren't actually directly connected to the main Jedi Order, the reason the Almas Academy was so separated was quite simple. The Academy was, simply put, a controversial experiment kept so quiet that even Aayla had possessed no idea it existed until Tholme had mentioned it.

Unlike the main Jedi Temple, the Almas Academy accepted older students, as in actual adults at times. Those it accepted were very carefully screened and treated with a little bit of suspicion by the Jedi Council. But the Jedi Council was aware of them and fully sanctioned the Academy to exist, even granting knighthoods to those from Almas that passed the extra-rigorous demands the Council placed on them. It was a small and virtually unknown Jedi praxeum, but Izuku actually thought it said something at least a little positive about the Council's mental flexibility that it did exist. Not a lot, given how suspicious of those Knights that came from the program they apparently were, but…something.

As it happened, that was where Master Tholme was, at the moment. Almas existed for more than just training Jedi. It also watched over an old Sith fortress, and Tholme had informed the council he would be checking in on said fortress as part of his ongoing efforts to track down leads on the Sith that had been killed on Naboo. It was an ongoing, legitimate, mission that Tholme and the few other modern Jedi Shadows were assigned still assigned to, and Tholme really was going to check on it. Even if the chances of a lead turning up on something that happened the better part of two years ago was now a bit remote. He was also, however, going to get a feel for some of the Jedi at Almas, to see if they might be a future resource to tap in their operations against slavery.

As for Izuku and Aayla…they had been firmly told to relax. They had begun to crack just a little under the monumental efforts they were, effectively, acting as the spear-tip of. So Tholme had insisted they use some of the plentiful credits now starting to flow in to spend a week not working or plotting at the Dorumaa Resort, a relatively new and rather luxurious resort built within the last couple of decades. It was rapidly becoming a popular tourist destination for the Expanse Region, and Izuku had to admit that the facilities were top notch. Though, to be fair, he'd probably have been happy with any beach that allowed Aayla to get away with the micro-bikini she was currently wearing.

Izuku didn't even pretend not to be staring when Aayla bounced up to him a moment later, intent on dragging him into trying some sort of zero gravity swimming experience. Life, he decided, wasn't so bad…

... ...

Water features were one of the main themes of the Dorumaa Resort. Everything from beaches and zero-gee swim tanks, to Deep Sea Fishing and ocean swims with whale-sized giant turtles. Yet, despite how much he'd enjoyed some of those things in the last few days (particularly the ones that put Aayla in that barely-there bikini of hers!), he had to admit that the current experience was blowing them all away.

Part of that, of course, was still due to his companion. Aayla looked just as ravishing, albeit in a much different way, in a gorgeous cocktail dress that clung to her curves. Its flowing, shimmering silvers and gold accents were a stunning compliment to his lover's blue skin and bright hazel eyes. The way it clung and swirled as Aayla moved, her graceful movements half-predator and half dancer, was just as enthralling to him as the bare skin and bouncing flesh that had been in view on their first day of beachside fun.

He had to admit, however, that the current atmosphere was truly something special, too.

The designer of the undersea restaurant had taken full advantage of the glorious bioluminescence of the deep-sea flora and fauna of Dorumaa. Built 200 meters below sea level, the water outside would have been pitch dark, if not for the blue-green glow of a dozen types of algae, the reds and purples of living coral, and the golden glow of a beautifully scaled species of fish. Given how recently the moon had been terraformed, Izuku knew the entire thing had to have been planned. Non-native species that would complement the few existing tougher ones of the formerly barely-hospitable seas had to have been imported for this display. Yet, despite that knowledge, or even perhaps in appreciation of the artistic view of those who'd worked the display out, Izuku was mesmerized by the final effect.

It didn't hurt, of course, that a few touches that only technology could achieve had been added to this restaurant under the sea. Instead of one grand seating area, each set of diners were enclosed in their own little floating bubbles. An effect achieved by a mix of carefully modulated shield generators and grav plating that could exactly negate their weight, leaving their floating bubbles of peace to drift on no-doubt carefully planned currents through the biofluorescent paradise.

The food, seafood of course, in keeping with the theme, had been just as exquisite as both the view and the company. Well, as good as the view, at least. It was hard to compete with his company. Doubly so as they both soaked in each other's awe and delight, empathy and their bond allowing them to share their enjoyment of both the atmosphere and each other's company. Conversation had been light for most of the meal, both of them largely content to just bask in the golden glow of fuzzy feelings flowing between them. It was Izuku who finally broke the silence as the mealtime portion of their date coming to its end was signaled by their bubble drifting in to 'dock' with a far larger sphere. They could both feel the presence of the many other happy diners, most of them couples, as other bubbles docked to the larger platform. Music filled the air as their bubble fully merged with the larger platform, and Izuku stood to smile at his lover, hand out to lift her to her feet as he spoke.

"May I have this dance, milady?"

Aayla's smile was beatific as she accepted the courteous gesture and followed him onto the ballroom dance floor. As they fell into the rhythm of the gentle orchestra music, quickly picking up the local variant of a waltz, Izuku was once again very happy he'd ended up with the mentor he'd had. He would never forget the discovery that Miruko not only knew how to dance, but insisted he learn as well, the adorably blushing Rabbit-Heroine adamant that it was an incredibly good way to improve your grace in motion.

It was a cherished memory. One of the very rare times he'd found the softer side of the Battle Bunny. Somehow, he thought his memory of this night, with a woman who was rapidly coming to mean just as much to him in a very different way, would become just as cherished in time…

... ...

-Lemon Starts Here-

Aayla's dress fell to the floor in a cascade of cloth as they continued to make out. Passion built on the dance floor flooded both of them as they made their way to the suite's bed, Izuku's arousal only spiking higher as he realized his lover hadn't been wearing a bra. Instead, a simple set of pasties had been concealing her nipples, and he toyed with the edge of one of them even as he backed her up against the bed. She gasped as he tore it away in a single, fluid, motion, the adhesive just strong enough to tug firmly on her nipple as he did. What might have been painful in a less fevered state was pure pleasure to her now, and a second mind-warping jolt occurred a moment later when he repeated the process with the second pasty. Already riding high on the feedback loop between them, Aayla came from the second jolt of pleasure, her knees going weak…then being swept out from under her entirely as Izuku broke the kiss and half-tossed her onto the bed.

Naked save for a thoroughly-soaked thong, Izuku raked his eyes over her body as it splayed on the bed, enjoying the way her chest heaved and jiggled as she sought to catch her breath. Not wanting to give her the chance to recover fully, he dropped down half on top of her, reaching out with his telekinesis to summon a pair of items from their resting place in a drawer halfway across the room. As they sailed through the air toward them, he latched onto one nipple with his lips, even as he rubbed firmly at her pussy through her sodden panties with one hand, ensuring his soon-to-be 'victim' was thoroughly distracted. Not that she would care about what he had planned. But he'd already learned that not knowing what was coming only made Aayla's reactions to events stronger. Grinning, he stripped her thong, removing her last defense, but denying her any pleasure for a few moments at the same time...

Aayla whimpered and bucked up against him in protest as he withdrew, only to gasp a second later as he used that bucking motion to his advantage, flipping them both over. He wasn't entirely sure when he'd lost his own clothes along the way, only vaguely remembering Aayla practically tearing them off him as they made their way through the suite to the bed. But the result of his deft maneuver left Aayla straddling his lap, her pussy pressing his erection down against his stomach and her mind a little dazed by the sudden spin, just in time for the two items he was telekinetically pulling across the room to reach them.

Capturing the first item, a pair of padded binders, he shifted his mental grip to pull Aayla's hands behind her, not incidentally thrusting her chest out delightfully toward him. From this position, he was just able to reach behind her by doing a half-crunch, and quickly snapped the binders around her wrists. They beeped as they locked, Aayla blinking away her daze away just in time to tug at her new restraints. She began to squirm as she processed them, not in distress but pleasure, as she ground into his cock.

The resort, perhaps predictably, had possessed a catalog of a certain nature they could discreetly order items from, and the binders were the first thing they'd tried. Both of them had been fully aware just how much Aayla enjoyed it when he held her wrists helpless above her as he worked her over during the leadup to their first time, and it had been no surprise at all to either of them when she'd enjoyed the binders even more.

The second item, now held in his hands as he smirked up at her, hadn't been used until now. But it had been Aayla who suggested it, and as she spotted it now her eyes widened and she actually stopped squirming. For a moment, Izuku feared he'd ruined the moment and she was having second thoughts. But then, with a playful smile, she eagerly leaned forward and presented her neck.

"Oh, Master~! You spoil a girl so…"

Reassured by the wave of complete trust and extreme arousal flowing over their bond, Izuku quickly snapped the collar around her neck. It was a simple thing, a padded metal ring pointedly lacking a lock. It did have a reasonably secure latch, of course, and a D-ring at the front that already had a short chain. The chain, too, was hardly sturdy. Thin links of relatively weak metal that were far more symbolic than practical.

It was a costume piece, deliberately chosen for a bit of roleplay with minimal risk of triggering any sort of unexpected flashback in his lover. Aayla had actually argued for something stronger, apparently sure she could trust him completely. But Izuku had erred on the side of caution for now. As Aayla shuddered with pleasure at the sound of the latch clicking shut, showing no signs even in their bond of discomfort, he admitted he'd apparently been worried about nothing. Perhaps next time they got a chance to play, he'd find something a little more substantial. For now, he grinned and pushed her back upright, shifting his hips to grind his cock into her folds as he did so. She moaned and whimpered as she gained her balance, instinctively grinding back in turn.

"Well, well, well. If I spoil you so, then I think it's about time you did some of the work. Don't you, pet~?"

Aayla's nod was eager, as was her motion as he rested his hands on her hips and lightly tugged upward. Despite a momentary flash of disappointment as she lost contact with his cock, she clearly knew what he was planning and went without protest. Within moments, she was up above his erection, waiting impatiently for him to line himself up, unable to use her bound hands to do it herself. He smirked, drawing the moment out a bit as he teasingly ran his fingers through her folds first, causing her legs to quake in place. She whimpered and pouted, causing him to laugh lightly but get on with it. Reaching down to his dick, he carefully lined it up for her…and groaned out his own appreciation as she instantly sank down his length.

She was tight, incredibly so, despite how many times they'd had sex just since getting to the resort. Another feature of Twi'lek anatomy or just the result of a lifetime of extensive, full-body muscle training, Izuku neither knew nor cared. His mind was too busy trying to hold back the desire to cum already as she took him all the way to his base. She stopped there for long, long moments, shuddering and adjusting once again to his considerable size. Then, jerkily at first without use of her arms to aid her balance, she began to raise and lower a few inches.

As with all things physical, Aayla was a quick study, and had the rhythm worked out in just a few dozen thrusts, rising to nearly escape his cock, before plunging back down to take in his entire length. Desperate to hold out a little longer, Izuku took the distraction literally swinging before his eyes, letting go of her hips to grab and grope her breasts. Her movements stuttered for a bare moment as the new sensations and the shift of weight distracted her…but then she only sped up, now desperate to reach her second peak. It came just a few thrusts later, her pussy clenching around him and dragging him forcefully over his own edge, his hands instinctively back at her hips as he thrust up to meet her and pumped hot cum into her depths.

They both locked up for long moments, then collapsed to the bed, panting and riding the combined high. It took nearly a minute for either of them to move…and when Izuku managed it, his first action was to roll them over so he was on top again. He'd lost their connection in the process, but reestablished it with a thrust that woke Aayla from her own afterglow, drawing a moan as he pulled her legs up over his shoulders.

He still had plenty left in the tank for Round two. And possibly rounds three, four, and five as well…

-Lemon Ends Here-

... ...

It was on the fifth day of their 'enforced' weeklong vacation that a weak pull from the Force drew the attention of the now-slightly-restless couple. Izuku and Aayla had been enjoying their alone time together, as well as the chance to unwind, but the simple truth was that both of them were individuals of action. The weariness from somewhat overworking and overtraining had fallen off in the first few days of their vacation, and only the fact that they were still very much enjoying the benefits of their alone time to continue exploring their relationship was keeping them from going a bit stir-crazy. It was thus that, despite knowing they were supposed to be relaxing, the pair was quick to investigate the minor pull.

Said pull led them not into danger, but to a jovial male Twi'lek who was clearly celebrating something as he lounged alone in one of the many small bar areas around the resort. Despite it only being midday, he had a fruity cocktail of some sort in hand, relaxing as he watched a holo-display of Starship Racing being broadcast from somewhere Coreward. When he noticed their approach, he gave Aayla, currently clad in skintight leather pants and a belly-baring crop top, an appreciative once over. Despite that, there was no overpowering lust radiating from him, the man giving off a feeling of someone simply appreciating beauty when he saw it. He'd caught both of them looking at the ship races in momentary curiosity, and jumped to a conclusion that they didn't rush to correct, still not sure why the Force was pulling them toward him.

"Oh! Don't tell me someone else is interested in the races, hmmm? Rare out here. Everyone seems to follow those dreadfully violent Pod Races instead! Sit, sit, this is the quarter finals of the Castilon Sub20! I tend to prefer Sublight Endurance races, rather than snubfighter sprints like this, but it's admittedly quite thrilling to watch! Almost as likely to crash as Pods, but much more survivable when they do!"

It was exciting to watch. Aayla and Izuku had shared only a single glance, not even bothering with mental communication, as the settled into a pair of loungers near the older Twi'lek. Even a few seconds of watching the small fighters dance through hazards at incredible speeds, jockeying for position as they rounded each waypoint, was enough to enthrall both of them a little bit. Izuku because there were Starships racing, and he still hadn't quite gotten over the little boy reactions to concepts like that being real. Aayla because she had enough starfighter training to recognized just how good those pilots had to be. Even with the Force, she wasn't at all sure she could duplicate some of the tricks and tight maneuvers they were pulling. She noted one such, where a lightning-quick flicker-flutter of one engine added extra tightness to a turn by one racer, and wondered if the same trick could be pulled in combat.

"Ah! This is the way to celebrate a successful contract! Glorious beaches, fantastic drinks, a race to watch, and no nattering minions for a few days!"

The man's good mood was contagious, and the race really was interesting. Even so, the pull of the Force was still there, and it was Aayla that was silently elected between them to do a bit of verbal poking. She'd caught a name she actually recognized as a popular racer in a quick flash of the standings, and used the name as a segue to start a conversation.

"Oh! Glee Amberson is in this one! I didn't realize she flew Sub20s! I've seen a few of her races in the class 100s."

The still-unnamed man blinked, then smiled enthusiastically.

"Yes! This is her first season trying the Sub20s, I believe. Good to know there's still some people that have an interest in proper racing! Must not be a rim-worlder, eh?"

Aayla leveled a brilliant smile his way, which widened the man's own.

"Nope! Well, technically I was born on Ryloth, I guess. But I grew up on Coruscant itself, actually. Izuku and I just came from some business on New Cov and felt the need for a break. It went well enough that we felt treating ourselves to a week at the resort was a nice reward. A bit of our own celebration, you could say. What are you celebrating? A new contract, you said?"

The man looked intrigued, clearly not having expected his new pair of young companions to be business types. Which, given their ages, was honestly fair. He also seemed perfectly happy to talk about his own achievement, however. Not with the air of bragging, so much as one of satisfaction he hadn't had a proper audience to voice his accomplishment to yet.

"Ah! Now that's something I could talk your ear off about! I manage one of the Allanteen VI major shipyards, and we've just secured a new contract that will make us a mint! With KDY no less! They want quite a number of a brand-new system defense cruiser design built. Can't say much about the ship itself, of course, as its design is still hush-hush. But I'm due for a massive bonus for helping convince them to use the Allanteen yards to do some of their construction run! Quite a coup for me, I have to say, even if I'm going to have a hell of a headache filling the manpower needs once things get up and running!"

The man's smile turned rueful at that, though his overall mood didn't dip in the slightest.

"Oh! But where are my manners! My name is Vic'votus. Or Vic Votus if you prefer the more typical standard-basic form. Who are you two? And what success did you two have that brought you to celebrate like I am?"

The man's smile was kind and he seemed genuinely interested as they introduced themselves. He became even more so when Izuku, having been present for and critical to their New Cov business setup, outlined the basics of their new Transport Company and its program for ex-slaves. When they explained they'd just added the first batch of freed slaves to their new training program, his focus turned fully to them.

"Well now, there's an idea, I have to say. Hmmm, and you say you're hoping this program is only the first of many? That you want to spread out to offer training for all sorts of jobs ex-slaves might be interested in, huh?"

There was both sharp calculation and a positive glow coming from Vic as he hummed and considered them.

"You know…I've never been a slave. But my grandmother escaped that life by chance. It was her willing to work hard, to put in the time and brutal effort to overcome that poor start, that put my family on the path upward. She started as just a laborer at one of the many Allanteen VI shipyard docks. Worked her way up all the way to being a logistics manager for that whole dock, and got my father an education and his first job working on design for shipyard upgrades. His own successes set me up for my own chance to rise all the way to management of one of the largest orbital yards! Yet, I'll always remember gran's stories about how hard it was…and I'll also remember forever how she died when I was but ten. A lifetime of back-breaking hard work taking her young."

Following an urging from the Force, Aayla admitted just a touch of her own past.

"I was a slave myself, for the first few years of my life. It was chance alone that brought a Jedi to Ryloth and I helped him with his investigation. I was freed afterward and given a chance to be something more. I want to give others that same chance, if I can. I was lucky to find Izuku, who is sympathetic to that desire and has the money to make this sort of thing happen. Him and his business partner Celeste."

Vic's eyes softened, the glow of positive thought getting stronger as the sharp calculation blunted a bit. A moment later, he mused aloud, obviously intentionally, and the pair realized what that mix of emotions was all about.

"Well now. That's a cause I can appreciate, as I say. I imagine my gran would have lived a lot better a life if a program like that had existed, and I did say I was going to have a labor issue coming up, now didn't I? Perhaps we can help each other out? I wouldn't be adverse to helping fund a similar academy on Allanteen, if we can add a caveat that graduates work at least a year internship with the shipyards afterward. It could really help me fill the plethora of positions in administration, logistics, and yard infrastructure. Laborers are easy enough to find and train. But to fill all those slots that need a bit more training…"

Izuku smiled as it became obvious why the Force had drawn their attention to this man. They hadn't been intending to expand into another business so soon. But getting in on the ground floor of training for an untold number of people in the ship construction business? Not only would it massively diversify the types of jobs and training they could offer ex-slaves. But if they could steal even a few of them away after their internships, it could really help them in the long-term. Mei, as brilliant as she was, couldn't design every aspect of their ship construction projects herself…

"Well, that certainly sounds promising! So long as you don't mind losing an hour or two of your vacation, Vic'votus, I'd be happy to work out a few basic concepts with you. See if it might be workable. We can follow up on once we're both done properly relaxing!"

The older Twi'lek laughed at that, and cheerfully agreed they could talk about it over a drink or two…after the race finished! There were only two laps to go, after all!

... ... ... ... ...

A/N: Downtime, fun times with Aayla in a bikini, as well as a kinky lemon with her in even more fun things. What's not to love ;-)? That said, this and the next chapter do double duty of mentioning Almas Academy. Almas was originally created for one of the tabletop games, which means a lot of you might never have heard of it. I certainly hadn't until I ran across it in a few bits of fanfiction. I like the idea of it, and have a plan involving them that we should see in the next release.