A few minutes into our journey, the hyperdrive broke down just as we were about to make the jump to hyperspace. Great. The Trade Federation fired at us as myself, Qui-Gon, and Captain Panaka ran to the hyperdrive. It was completely broken.

"We're not making it out of the Trade Federation lineup with that!" remarked Panaka. I went to one of the nearby maps and checked for a planet we could fix it on.

"Here's a nearby system on the Outer Rim," I told them. "Tatooine."

"We're not taking the Queen there! Its ruled by the Hutt lords!" protested Panaka. Qui-Gon gave him a look that I'd received often. It said: "I know that and let me think, okay?" Qui-Gon came to a decision.

"The Queen doesn't have to leave the ship. The generator can get us far enough so we can go to Tatooine, and some of us will find a generator there." Panaka reluctantly agreed, and we went to tell the Queen.

----------

"...And that's our plan. What do you think, Your Highness?" said Qui-Gon after he'd told the Queen the idea. She nodded, contemplating. I noticed that she looked at one of her handmaidens an awful lot. Must be a close friend or something, I thought. My attentions were again drawn to the Queen. Stop looking at her! Stop it, stop stop stop-

Too late.

She'd seen me watching her, and gave me a little smile. "Alright. Follow through with your plan," she said. We turned to leave. "Master Jedi?" Qui-Gon and I turned back around. "May I speak with your Padawan for a moment?"

"Yes, milady," Qui-Gon said, and left. I turned to the Queen, nervous.

"You can sit down," she said, and gestured towards a chair nearby. I cautiously sat down. "Handmaidens, would you leave us?" The handmaidens left, bowing and scraping. The Queen sighed and looked at me.

"I've seen you looking at me when you thought no one was looking," she began. I think my heart actually stopped for a minute. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry, I was just...um..." I said, speechless. All the lessons Master Yoda had taught had never touched on what to do when a noble finds an embarrassing habit of ours. The Queen laughed, and I reddened.

"I said don't worry about it, remember? I was just going to ask you if you might sty on the ship with me when we get to Tatooine? There's nobody my age here to talk to, and the only ones I can talk to are my handmaidens. So, would you?"

"Yes, of course. I'll ask my Master now. Excuse me for a moment?" I said, rising and reaching for my comlink. Qui-Gon picked up his and I asked him. He approved.

"Then that settles it! Come and visit me sometime, okay?" she said, and I nodded. I left and had to control myself from shouting. The Queen wants me-me! to stay and talk to her? YES!! I was happy the rest of the voyage to Tatooine.