Across the Stars: A tale of Beauty and the Beast
By Serena Kenobi
Author's note: Yes, yes, I haven't updated in months. Very, very bad. But THANK YOU for all of your reviews! I know you all loved Across the Stars: A Cinderella Story, and I hope to make this one even better!
The reason Sola isn't all that nice is because I'm taking a few elements from the original fairy-tale as well as the Disney version, so it'll kinda be a mix of those two plus my own additions. But I decided to make Sola a little nicer in this chapter.
Disclaimer: Me no own Star Wars or Beauty and the Beast. You no sue me.
Chapter Two
Ten days later, Padmé stood outside the house while her father finished strapping his invention to the speeder. He owned a small cruiser that would take him from Naboo to Rutan. "Be careful," she warned, though a small grin lighted her face. "I've heard that competing inventors can be very dangerous."
Ruwee laughed heartily. "Maybe I should take you along so you can fend them off, huh?" He ruffled her hair. "I'll miss you, sweetie."
Padmé hugged him. "Likewise. Good luck!" She waved as he got into the speeder and drove off for the shipyard.
Ruwee traveled long and far from Naboo through the galaxy, unbothered in the vastness of space for many hours. The planet of Rutan was far from Naboo, practically on the other side of the galaxy, but it was the main competition planet for inventions such as his.
Around a day after traveling nonstop, Ruwee was jolted from his peaceful thoughts by the sound of a beeping panel. He pressed a few buttons and groaned. "Blasted pirates," he sighed. Pirates were notorious for attacking smaller vessels such as his, alone and relatively unprotected. His vessel, unfortunately, was both small and unprotected. He was in the middle of nowhere, and a much larger pirate ship was gaining on his tail. Frantically he tried to see if there was any way he could speed up his ship, but he was already going at full lightspeed as it was.
"Oh no," he moaned as the pirate ship began to fire on him. The vessel rocked and shuddered precariously under the heavy barrage, and Ruwee tried to return fire, but his small turbolasers were no match for the firepower of the much larger and heavily shielded pirate ship. Well, I can't outgun or outrun them. But maybe I can outmaneuver their ship until I can find a planet to land on.
Ruwee swung his ship around and ducked under the vessel, trying to pilot and search for nearby planets at the same time.
However, he didn't have much luck. Although his ship was more easily maneuverable, the pirate ship shot him down with their heavy fire, and wounded, the small vessel turned tail and began to run.
"Emergency code 397," Ruwee said, panting as sparks flashed out from a nearby console, "I'm being attacked by pirates – I don't think I'll make it. Please, help me!"
As if on cue, the console before him began to beep, and a large red planet appeared as he dropped out of hyperspace.
"Roses are red, violets are blue…" Sola was reading through a poetry book.
"And my sister's for sale, come over and get her, too," Padmé joked, plopping a basket full of flowers on the table in front of her older sister.
Sola glared at her. "Ha ha, very funny, Padmé."
Padmé threw her a grin. "I am, aren't I?" She rejoined, feeling rather mischievous. "Oh, before I forget – if Palo comes to answer the door, don't let him in."
"Been bugging you again, huh?"
Padmé nodded miserably. "I think he's getting a little dangerous. I can't take his attention much longer."
Sola shrugged. "I'll take him off your hands if you don't mind."
"I don't. Be my guest." Padmé shuffled the datapads into both hands and left the room. As she was passing the front door, the bell rang. Padmé dropped the datapads, startled, and they went clattering all over the floor. "Blast," she muttered, and knelt down to pick them up. "Sola, could you get that?" She shouted.
After a momentary pause, she heard faintly her sister's voice saying, "I'm leaving for Theed Plaza! Just avoid Palo! Bye now!" The back door slammed shut, and Padmé put her head in her hands as the bell rang once more. Clambering to her feet, she peeked through the small hole to see who it was that was at the door. She slammed her head into the door as she saw it was Palo, grinning from ear to ear. "This is not my day…" Padmé opened the door a tad and said with forced politeness, "Hello, Palo."
Palo flashed her a smile. "Hello, Padmé. I just stopped by to say hi."
"Well, hi. Bye." Padmé began to shut the door in his face, but Palo stuck his foot in the door and leaned forward.
"Now, Padmé, that's hardly fair. We've barely talked!"
"We're talking plenty. Bye now." She tried to close it, but he was far stronger than she was.
"Would you just allow me to enter the premises?" He leaned even closer. "I just want to catch up, see how you're doing."
"No. I'm… uh… sick," Padmé said, then coughed loudly for added emphasis. "You'd better – cough – leave before you get my – cough – germs."
Palo frowned. "C'mon, Padmé, you can do better than that." He pushed the door open and strode in confidently. "Wow, nice place you got here. Decorate it yourself?"
Padmé said quickly, "Uh, yeah."
"LOVE what you've done with the place," he continued, looking around only half interested. "Maybe you should come over to my house." He flashed her another, more sleazy smile that made Padmé sick.
"Uh, then you should ask Sola to do that. She did the decorating."
Palo frowned in confusion. "I thought you just said that youdid all the decorating here."
Padmé blinked. Dang. "Uh, what I meant was that I did the… uh… dancing around here. Yeah, dancing. I like to dance." Brilliant, Padmé, pure genius you are.
"Oh." Palo looked very bewildered, but then his confusion turned into slyness. "So, you like to dance, huh?"
"No. That's Sola."
"But you just said–"
"I said that I didn't like to dance. I actually hatedancing," Padmé laughed nervously. "Sola's the dancer of the family."
Palo blinked but had no reply. "Well, Padmé," he finally said, "You know there's not a girl in town who would loveto be in your shoes." He leaned forward. "This is the day your dreams come true."
"And what, pray tell, do you know about mydreams?" Padmé asked dryly, moving subtly away from Palo, who had drawn extremely close.
"Lots! Here, listen to this: a large manor in the city. Lots of kids running around. And you, massaging my feet after a hard day's work." He grinned.
"You've never done a hard day's work," Padmé shot out at him.
"Of course I do! I play Holo-ball all the time! That's a lot of exercise!" He whined.
Padmé rolled her eyes. "Wimp."
"I'mnot a wimp!"
"Wuss."
"Don't you dare call me a–"
"Chicken."
"How dare you!-"
"Baby."
"All right, that's en-"
"Pansy."
"One more word!"
"Fruitcake."
Palo stood there, seething, his face red, his fists clenched. "You little witch! Here I am trying to get you to marry me and all you do is insult my honor!"
"What honor?" Padmé asked, growing angry as well. "I've had it with you and your self-righteousness, your arrogance, and your disdain for everyone else's feelings and privacy, especially mine. Get out of my house before I call the authorities!"
Palo stood there, his mouth hanging open. After a few seconds, he turned and stomped out of the house, saying over his shoulder, "You willmarry me, Padmé, if I have anything to say about–"
Padmé slammed the door in his face.
I have to admit, I really enjoyed writing the conversation between Palo and Padme. Let me know what you think!
MtFbwy,
- Serena Kenobi
