The following is a work of fan fiction. The character of Admiral Motti and the Star Wars Universe belong to George Lucas. I'm just playing in it, and will make no money from my little endeavor.

Quintus Motti was exceedingly pleased by the way his career was progressing. He was already the first officer of the Imperial Star Destroyer Revenge. Granted, his family name had probably aided his rapid progression through the naval ranks, but still it was an extremely impressive achievement at his age.

Motti had excelled at the Academy, and gained his first deep space assignment a week after graduation. He had been steadily gaining rank ever since. Another promotion was expected within the next few months; a reward for the capture of several Rebel spies (stationed aboard his own ship!) and for obtaining useful information from said prisoners. He smirked to himself, considering how easily Rebel fanaticism had crumpled in the presence of a black, floating interrogator droid.

The smirk gradually disappeared as he considered his current situation.

Quintus was stuck in a speeder with his parents, going to visit his fiancée. The first part was bad enough--his mother seemed to think it was her sacred duty to ruin his life, which had led to the second part. His "fiancée" was someone he had never met before. Nor was he looking forward to seeing her.

Arranged marriages were not uncommon in the upper echelons of Imperial society. Aria Sorenson's family owned Sorenson Enterprises. A worthy match for a Motti, his mother assured him. No comment on the girl herself, he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad sign. The only saving grace in this whole debacle was at least he didn't have to marry her for another decade or so. His father's influence--his father, the lifesaver.

Looking over at his father, Quintus considered the similarities. He looked like a older, warmer version of himself. The once reddish-brown hair was now mostly grey, but the face below it was still relatively youthful, the only lines located at the edges of his eyes--from smiling so often.

Quintus then turned his attention to the other occupant of the luxurious speeder--his mother. She was the antithesis of her husband. She could have been a beautiful woman, but instead was cold and harsh, the many lines around her mouth and eyes indicative of her constant frowning expression. How his father tolerated the woman was beyond Quintus—proof enough that arranged marriages were a bad idea!

He remembered the conversations some months previously. His father's argument was that Quintus was too young to marry, that he should be allowed time to gain rank and therefore provide properly for his bride--a thin argument, considering he was from the House of Motti and therefore had more money than he could ever possibly spend already--but his mother had, surprisingly, yielded the point.

His father had then winked at him conspiratorially and told him to enjoy his freedom, implication clear.

Now here he was, going to meet the girl he would one day marry.

Casting a fleeting glance at the rapidly approaching Sorenson building, he thought she must be terrified. The building itself stood out from the surrounding structures, although of a similar height. Its colour scheme was a much paler grey than most other Coruscanti buildings.

He wondered how much her parents had told her. His sister Alyce had met with her a few times in the past. Alyce reported back that she was shy, but polite, articulate and seemed quite intelligent. Alyce had also commented that she thought she would be very pretty when she grew up.

That was the problem--when she grew up. She was a child. He didn't know how to talk to a child. What on earth was he supposed to say to her? "Hello, I'm Quintus, we’re going to get married when you are old enough. Stay away from other men!" Oh, Krath!

The speeder landed on the docking platform of the Sorenson building. The apartment was located on the top few floors. A glass-domed structure graced the very top of the structure allowing light to flood into the famed Sorenson solarium--a ballroom of sorts used for private parties attended by the Imperial Elite.

Quintus' father climbed out of the speeder, then assisted his mother. He climbed out last.

His future father in-law was there to meet them. Motti was surprised at the youthful appearance of the man with dark blonde hair and intelligent green eyes. He was of medium build, but had a presence which made him seem much larger. He was probably only a few years older than Quintus himself, being trained to take over the family business.

They exchanged polite greetings and were ushered inside.

The sitting-room they entered was a large room located two stories down from the solarium. The colour scheme was predominantly cream. At the far end of the room was a sitting area comprised of three large sofas arranged to form a square, the final side made up of a huge floor-to- ceiling window.

Closer to the entrance, his future mother in-law was sitting at a table. Beside her was a girl.

More polite conversation followed; the weather, recent scandals from the Imperial court, and how the recent increase of Rebel activity in the Rim would affect Sorenson's latest line of star ships.

The childwas terrified. You could see that just by looking into her eyes. Motti studied her for a moment: dressed in a school uniform, her bright blonde hair curled and neatly clipped back. She was small. Although he knew she was eight standard years old, she seemed tiny. He looked back at her face and found her studying him. She raised an eyebrow and looked away. He wondered what her opinion of him was.

Later that afternoon, back at his parents' Coruscanti apartment, Quintus spoke with his father. His mother had, thankfully, disappeared off to some society ladies' gathering. The two men reclined in the deep chairs of his father's study, drinking vintage Corellian brandy.

"What do you think, Quintus?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, but I would like to think you approved of the young lady. I want you to be happy, son."

"She's a child, father. I can't approve or disapprove of her until she is older."

"A lot of effort went into finding the right girl for you, Quintus. She’s a child now, but that will change quickly. I promise. She has the proper family connections for your mother to approve. She will be pretty when she ‘s grown, according to Alyce anyway, and she is apparently very clever. She was very quiet today, but by all accounts she is quite articulate. I think you frightened her."

"Hmmm." A noncommittal sound issued from Quintus. "We will see, I suppose."

Eight years later…

Chapter I, “An Arranged Wife”

The newly promoted Admiral Quintus Motti readied himself for a party. He was in his apartment on Imperial Centre, waiting for his new jacket to arrive. The tailor had promised him his new Admiral's uniform would be finished for tonight, otherwise he would have to attend his sister Alyce’s party in his Commodore's dress uniform. Not an appealing idea.

Motti heard a groan issue from the bed behind him. Glancing in the mirror he saw the woman stirring. She stretched, giving him a wonderful view of her naked form. He smirked. Did he have time before the party? He could be a bit late, couldn't he?

He moved over to the bed to hover above the woman. She was beautiful. Unfortunately she was also far too clingy. The chit seemed to think that because he allowed her a place in his bed that she automatically had a place in his life. She didn't seem to understand that she was bed-meat, nothing more. She would have to go, but he could have some more fun with her first.

An hour, one dress uniform, and one very messy break up later, Quintus was in the speeder with two of his closest friends and advisors from the fleet, heading to Alyce's party.

"You finally got rid of her, then? She didn't seem amused," Captain Jas Hears commented, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

"She must have had some redeeming features, Jas. He kept her around for almost two months," Commodore Lucius Knox commented, eyebrows wiggling suggestively. Jas was laughing outright by this point.

Motti shrugged. Women fell over themselves to get into his bed. The combination of his rank, his name (and the power and money it entailed) and his attractive appearance, especially in uniform, seemed to win over most women with very little effort from him.

For a moment an image flicked into his mind (green eyes, blond curls and a simple school uniform worn by a scrawny child) that he hadn't thought of in years.

Maybe it was because he was back on Imperial Centre, or Coruscant as it was still called by many in high society. He wondered briefly if he should arrange to see the child. She would be, what, sixteen now? She might have taken on more of her adult personality. Maybe he would get a better idea of what type of woman she'd turn out to be.

Drifting into the ballroom, after greeting his sister Alyce and receiving a lecture on punctuality from his mother -- and a knowing smirk from his father – Quintus picked up a glass of wine from a tray and set about mingling.

The room was impressive -- a high ceiling covered in deep red and green silk streamers, the floor a highly polished dark wood, which should have contributed to form a dark room, but there were so many artificial candles dotted about the room, in sconces on the walls, from the chandeliers above the dancers heads, and in intricate floral arrangements on every table, to alleviate that problem.

Four hours later, the party was in full swing. Motti had received several steamy looks from various women in the room. He wasn't interested, except in a girl in a fitted green dress who had caught his attention earlier that evening -- and had not fallen into his arms as he had come to expect. A challenge. Excellent.

Jas and Lucius were both on the dance floor with a pair of extremely nubile young women. Alyce was inebriated and was receiving a reprimand from their mother. He stopped briefly to watch -- it was always entertaining to watch mother hissing at someone else. As if Alyce could care.

He then continued his search. He had seen the girl in green earlier in the crowd, then lost her before they had the opportunity to "talk”. Where the hell could she be? He then noticed a deep green shadow out on the balcony. Ah-ha. Success.

Opening the doors, he slid out into the cooler night air, coming up beside her at the balcony rail, looking at the city spread out before them.

He looked sideways at her: mid brown hair, slightly lighter than his own and cut off at jaw level, obscured her face from his view. She was slim but curvy, nice, he thought. Her deep green dress was elegant and simple, far more attractive than the fussy monstrosities that seemed to be the fashion at the moment.

He noticed the goose-bumps on her exposed arms. Idiot, he chided to himself, she's freezing. He promptly slid his new Admiral's jacket around her slight shoulders. She turned to him then, surprised, as if noticing his presence for the first time.

"Sorry, I was parsecs away. Thank you," she smiled shyly. Her voice was soft. He suddenly felt unsure of himself. That was ridiculous; he was Quintus Motti. Women never made him nervous. She was looking at him as if expecting him to say something.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Admiral Quintus Motti."

She looked at him for a moment, several expressions quickly flashing across her face -- surprise, understanding then something that looked almost mischievous. "I know."

Several seconds passed and it didn't seem like her name was forthcoming. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," he said politely.

Again, that mischievous smile. "That's because I didn't mention it." Now she was smirking.

"Are you going to?"

"No."

He was surprised now. Playful and pretty! All right, this could be fun. "So, what am I supposed to call you?"

She shrugged prettily and turned her attention back to the cityscape, leaning on the railing. He was definitely interested now.

A few minutes passed in silence while she took in the view and he struggled vainly to think of something witty to say. She straightened suddenly, startling him slightly, and handed him his jacket back. "I should be going. My friends will be wondering where I disappeared off to."

"Tell me your name!" He sounded slightly desperate, even to his own ears, and was momentarily angry with himself.

'Why?" She sounded amused, as if she knew something he didn't.

"So I can find you later."

She looked serious for a moment and he thought she would finally relent and give him what he wanted to hear. She bit her bottom lip, giving him the opportunity to admire them. They were thin, but somehow he didn't think fuller lips would look right on her angular face.

"You won't need to find me, Admiral. I promise." She then smiled, her bottom lip slightly swollen from its recent chewing, and disappeared through the doors back into the ballroom.

He slipped his arms back into the sleeves. They were still warm. He hadn't noticed how cold he was until she had left. What had that girl done to him? He didn't notice the cold and all he wanted from her was her name. When did that happen? He could smell her perfume on his jacket.

Looking back at the scenery, he tried to find what had captivated her attention so fully that she had barely acknowledged his presence. The view of the city was impressive, but no more so than from anywhere else on the planet. He could see the Sorenson building in the distance and felt a momentary flash of guilt. Maybe he should visit that child...

His thoughts shifted back to the girl in green. She was an enigma, one he would take pleasure in unwrapping. A devilish smirk crossed his lips as he considered the other meanings of his thoughts. Unwrap her indeed.

The image of her slightly darkened, swollen bottom lip flashed back into his mind--certain that they would look just like that when he was through kissing her.

**

Quintus re-entered the ballroom and his eyes were again quickly drawn to her. The girl in green was standing near the bar among a group of humans about her age. She looked even lovelier in comparison to the other girls around her.

Unfortunately the males in the group seemed to have noticed this point as well. He watched as one of the males – a mere boy, he thought contemptuously – asked her to dance. His expression morphed from frown to scowl to outright glare as their dance progressed.

Lucius and Jas finally joined him. After a few attempts at conversation, the two followed their friend's glower to see the girl in green being swept around the dance floor, safely enclosed in the arms of some politician's or entrepreneur's young son. Privately, Jas thought it was healthy for Admiral Motti to not get what he wanted for once, and threw an amused glance at Lucius.

When the dance ended, the girl was rapidly approached by another of the simpering idiots. After half an hour of watching her dance with other "friends" the Admiral Quintus Motti grumpily retreated to the bar.

By the end of the party both he and his sister Alyce were well and truly drunk. Their mother's frequent scoldings had absolutely no effect whatsoever on either of her children.

Lucius was being rather attentive to Alyce, Quintus noticed somewhat sourly. It wasn't that he disapproved. Lucius was a gentleman, a good officer, and not fool enough to try to take advantage of a Motti heiress. What he disapproved of was the fact that he felt like a third booster engine.

No use looking to Jas, who had disappeared about twenty minutes ago to stars only knows where, or more accurately with stars only knows whom.

Quintus snorted inelegantly into his Corellian brandy.

The lady in green had also left the party with most of her friends.

To Be Continued…