Maybe they'll save that for last, then.

Mmmm yeah.

All the everything is just - amazing, and Anakin clings on to higher brain functions for most of it, but Elesse's hands on her neck send her over the edge. She loves every moment of it - loves Elesse - this is probably her favorite feeling yet, and she's lightly dazed and incredibly cuddly once Elesse stops, her emotions warm and content and adoring.

"Perhaps we won't be demonstrating that to others," Elesse says while administering cuddles.

Snuggle!

Mmmm yeah. Elesse's smart. Anakin had only kind of formed the thought of how incredibly intimate it felt, but - she does want it to be for just Elesse.

(Anakin's vaguely aware she might ever find someone she trusts as much as Elesse, and then she might be okay with them seeing that, but - for the purposes of the near future, that more than rounds off to 'just Elesse.')

Pat pat.

"How about the rest of it?"

It was all very good.

She thinks it's okay to have other people see, too, if Elesse wants to show them off. (Show Anakin off, and that's a very nice thought, especially with how pretty Elesse's made her.)

"This has certainly expanded our options."

Giggling hurts right now, oh no.

"There, there, Anakin."

Snuggle.

(Elesse: the best.)

Ani keeps fighting over the next few days; Elesse gets more and more bits of gossip - more invitations to private meetings, more hints or trusted ins. Ani's doing very well, well enough she's having to tamp down her successes, feign more tiredness - and still she's winning more often than not. But, so far, no one seems suspicious that Ani isn't even a slave (though there's definitely suspicions that Elesse's participating in some gambling con or another; she can turn those to her advantage, though, or just ignore or diffuse them).

(Anakin gets her own chances, too - speaks to other slaves and gets information from them, kicks into gear tiny sabotages that get particularly nasty individuals and then small groups caught or exposed or down on their luck after they've left the planet. She's progressing fast in her use of the Force - and in her ability to remain calm under pressure, to think clearly and plan for the future, to prioritize in ways she'll endorse later. It's rather dramatic, actually; Anakin's always been a fast learner, but this is something new that's been unleashed in her, like something clicked into place in a droid she was repairing and it suddenly runs smoothly and perfectly. Her prescience and ability to nudge future events is progressing fastest, followed by her fine control over the physical world - abilities she uses to their full extent when she can.)

There's a sense in the air, a feeling - they're getting close.

They are. But... close to what?

Elesse is the first to pick up the signs, the Black Sun representatives are jumpier, especially the more highly-ranked ones. Anakin sees the other fighters getting held to higher standards, rules that were loosely enforced are tightened, the ready rooms are cleaned for what's probably the first time in at least months.

And over it all, a tinge of darkness like the bite of frost in the air as winter sets in.

After about two weeks, Elesse's politicking and Anakin's performance in the ring see her offered the headline spot for the next night.

In private that evening: "It feels like there's something building," she says. "Something about to break."

"Do you think we should accept the spot?"

"I sense it as well," Elesse says. "At this point... we cannot decline without risking our cover."

Serious nod. "Yeah. It'd contradict basically everything..."

"We'll keep our eyes open, though."

"And be ready to abort if we need to. The mission is a failure if we die, as well."

"Absolutely."

"And - we've gotten a lot already, even if we need to back out." (That's something she's been struggling and gradually coming to peace with - that all this effort might still culminate in aborting the mission. They have enough to do massive damage to operations in this area though, so long as the information gets into the right hands, even if they don't have a full coup.)

"We have. It may be approaching time to wrap this up, in any case."

That thought makes her - sad, in some ways, but relieved in others. 

"Maybe..." she says. "We've been at this a long time, haven't we?"

"As these things go, yes."

"I think there's still a bit more we can get - but, yeah, I think we could start looking for chances to exit gracefully..."

"You've done well so far, Anakin. I'm very proud."

Blush! "Thanks."

"I - there's things I'll miss, actually, even if I'm overall glad about the mission ending..."

"We can revisit some of those when you graduate."

Wiggle! "Yeah."

"And some of it - I might start hurting myself for some meditations? I'll need to be cautious, but - the pain actually does really help clear my head, and if you don't mind just - supervising - I think it'll be safe enough?"