"I really don't know how I let you talk me into these things," Winter grumbled, slipping the mesh bodysuit across her body, glaring at Leia when she realised just how little of her body was covered by the garment. "When you said we were going to be infiltrating a smuggling ring operating through a podracing franchise, I assumed we would pose as interested investors. Not this!"
"This is a male dominated sport, Winter. Two women claiming to be potential investors would have set off all sorts of warning bells," Leia slid her arms through the sleeves of her sheer body stocking, fanning out her voluminous brunette hair to enhance the sultry look she wanted to achieve. "There was no way this mission would succeed if we tried to approach it from any other angle."
"Do you mean to tell me that you couldn't think of any alternative to dressing up as a two-bit Outer Rim schutta?" Winter slid a pair of gleaming white enamel thigh high boots across her legs, only stopping when she couldn't find so much as a wrinkle or a crease. "And why couldn't you send in someone else to do it? One of the advantages of being the Minister of Defence is that you have countless spies and agents at your disposal, why not use them?"
"Because I wouldn't expect anyone to do something that I wouldn't. Plus, it's been a while since we've gotten our hands dirty together, I thought it might do us some good to get away from the Senate for a break," Leia rolled a tube of lipstick across her soft lips, coating them with a layer of hot pink gloss, adding to the effect created by the dusting of pink blush on her cheeks and a matching coat of paint covering her eyelids, ensuring she would stand out amongst the densest of crowds.
"You've always had a funny idea of relaxing," Winter inspected the skimpy synthex outfit Leia had provided her with, unsurprised by how risqué it was. Having spent more time with the Princess than any other being, she had grown used to her eccentricities, along with the sexual cravings that would have caused an immediate scandal if the activities she had engaged in ever became public knowledge. "This is hardly as important as taking down a Moff or regional governor. Who cares if pod racing is being used as a front for Spice smuggling? I'd be more surprised to discover that there was any facet of this infantile sport that wasn't corrupt in some capacity."
"For one, it's an issue that's spread like wildfire, with Spice shipments spreading faster than even the Hutts could compete with. Secondly," Leia winked, running her tongue over her full lips, "it's been a while since we've done anything dangerous."
"In other words, you want a cheap thrill that the life of family, work, and dealing with petulant senators can't offer you," Winter rolled her eyes, listening to her friend snickering behind her. "What about the children?"
"I love my children dearly, just as you do. But even I find it difficult to balance motherhood and my work, this felt like the perfect opportunity to unwind. And that haughty act doesn't work on me, Winter, I know you've grown incredibly bored of safety and stability," Leia stood back and swept her hands along her flat stomach, looking to Winter for a second opinion. "What do you think?"
"Well, knowing how much you just adore emulating Coruscant's Undercity streetwalkers, I'd say you hit the mark," Winter shivered, never failing to feel a stir in her loins whenever Leia donned one of her provocative disguises. Their countless escapades over the years had seen them launching into repeated lustful clashes, exploring every inch of each other's bodies both in and out. Despite the trashy nature of the costume Leia had handpicked, she didn't look any less delectable to her closest friend. "You look ravishing."
"Ravishing? That's quite a strong word," Leia grinned coquettishly, placing a hand on her hip as she approached the ivory-haired woman. "Any other opinions? Any critiques?"
"I'd struggle to conjure up any critiques of you. You're guaranteed to draw eyes wherever you go, though I'm concerned that you will cause a crash," Winter brought her hands to Leia's hips, moving them across to her divine rear, feeling her lust rising by the second. "Even now, you are still one of the most stunning women in the galaxy, there's a reason why Jabba coveted you above anyone else."
"And he was quite thorough in his demonstrations of his lust for me, I rarely had a moment to rest before I felt him tugging at my collar. Alderaanian women have always been renowned for our beauty, even more so given how few of us are left in the galaxy," Leia shivered, desperately wishing they had enough time for an intimate moment, especially when Winter's fingers traced down to her daringly stringy thong. "You're still as breath taking as ever, Winter, and I can't thank you enough for agreeing to accompany me."
"Mmm, and let you have all the fun by yourself? No chance," Winter leaned in and kissed the nape of Leia's neck, reluctantly breaking the connection before she found herself in an uncontrollable state of mind. "But are you sure we should be the ones to do this? There's always the risk of someone recognising you. After all, you do rank amongst the most famous women in the galaxy."
"If we had been anywhere else in the galaxy, then I wouldn't even think about undertaking such a task. But Daiyu couldn't give two kriffs about off-world affairs, not since it finally wrenched its sovereignty away from the Imperial remnants. As far as anyone will be concerned, we won't be any different to the other girls in the pit. Besides, do you really think that anyone would believe that I would ever do something like this?" Leia assured her, feeling the corners of her lips twitch at Winter's sceptical look. "Well, we'll definitely stand out for other reasons."
"We always do. Is this going to end with us on our backs with a couple of egotistical pod race pilots between our legs?" Winter raised a white brow.
"Doesn't it always?" a devilish smile bloomed across Leia's comely face as she trotted towards the exit to the cramped changing room. "Ready to head off?"
"No, but I don't think waiting around here will help," Winter joined Leia at the door, feeling the Princess give her dainty hand a friendly squeeze.
"It really is good to be doing this again with you, Winter. I've missed our adventures," Leia said with an honest smile.
"As have I. Now let's go, we don't have long before the race starts."
They departed from the changing room and walked the length of the vast network of tunnels running towards the main stadium, avoiding the hover lifts and ever-shifting technical equipment being delivered to the pit lane. Leia gave the customary winks and seductive glances to the members of the support teams they passed, slipping into the role as though it was a made to fit glove. Winter did the same, but even she had to concede that she never had the knack that came so naturally to Leia.
As Winter had predicted, they both drew a decent amount of attention wherever they went, earning a number of catcalls in a variety of languages. It immediately brought the pair back to their days of spying for the Rebellion, doing whatever was necessary to ensure that they could gain valuable intel for the cause. Their illicit activities were always a source of discomfort for Leia's parents, both out of fear of reputational damage and concern for her wellbeing. But Leia rarely paid attention to such concerns, her unrivalled determination and sheer hard headedness made it almost impossible to deter her when she had her mind made up.
Despite both women being in their early thirties, Winter could tell that time and motherhood had done little to dampen Leia's rebellious streak. In fact, the Princess seemed more charged up than ever, eager to relieve the stresses that had been building for some time. As passionate as she was about the gritty nature of politics, Leia was hardly one to find comfort behind a desk, nor was she one to relish wearing extravagant gowns for both formal and social events. She was a woman of action, of passion. If playing the part of a racer's floozy could provide her with the outlet she needed, then Winter would gladly help her to achieve it.
They made it to the final stretch, staring out in wonderment at the vista before them. The Daiyu Raceway was an immense structure, stretching so far from one end to the other that the concourse of spectators disappeared behind a haze of intense lighting and flashing holographic signage. A circuit occupied the space surrounded by the gargantuan stands, complete with all the hazards and obstacles one would expect of a pod racing course, all designed to push even the most veteran of racers to their very limit.
In comparison to the venues that could be found across the Outer Rim, Daiyu appeared almost professional and far more organised than the guaranteed bloodbath that was the infamous Boonta Eve Classic. But the Alderaanian women were savvy enough to pick up on the inherently seedy nature of the Daiyu Raceway, seeing through the veneer of respectability that masked the sordid elements beneath. The track was designed to guarantee at least one or two fatalities during the course of the race, catering to the bloodlust of the crowds, with tampering and cheating almost encouraged by the owners of the vast venue.
Even from a distance, Winter and Leia could find the betting rings, every vendor was surrounded by their own crowds of braying gamblers. A number focused primarily on the odds of the winners and runners-up, but it wasn't tricky to spot those running dead pools, raking in extortionate sums of Republic credits and equivalent currencies based on who the gamblers believed were most likely to perish during the race and on which lap they believed the fatalities would occur.
Leia led the way towards the procession of exotic beauties waiting to disperse themselves amongst the many pod racing teams lining the pit. It was a sight that catered to the hyped up spectators, with large screens dotted around the roof of the arena showing off each and every scantily clad woman. Winter wasn't surprised to listen to the noticeably louder response that came when both she and Leia became the focus of the holo-cams, followed by resounding boos when the screens switched to stats and performance histories of the pilots.
The girls moved along the pit lane, breaking off to join the various crews, ready to carry out every duty the stars excepted them to. Leia and Winter arrived at the very last garage, occupied by the team Leia believed were using the competition to smuggle in drugs in unbelievable quantities. They quickly found themselves drawing the attention of a half dozen pairs of eyes, which quickly returned to their work. But the two pilots -- both of whom had been busy giving their pod racers their last few preliminary checks -- certainly found it difficult to drag their eyes away from the Alderaanian women.
"Well would you look at that," a dug dressed in fire retardant race suit jumped down from the worn orange Radon-Ulzer engine he had been working on. "I didn't know we were expecting any visitors so close to the start of the race. Must be our lucky day, Shelan."
