Padmé, Bail, Chuchi, and Taa
"What sort of food is in this place, now?" asked Bail Organa as he walked with Padmé, Riyo Chuchi, and Orn Free Taa towards the entrance of another fast food joint.
"Well, the sign says Kentucky Fried Chicken, or the acronym KFC, so I suppose it's a restaurant where they sell fried chickens," said Padmé.
"And what exactly are 'Kentucky chickens' supposed to be?" Bail inquired further.
"I don't know who or what 'Kentucky' is, Senator Organa," suggested Chuchi, "But a chicken is apparently some kind of bird that's bred for farming and eating. I've heard that it, as well as its cousin, the turkey, both resemble and taste similar to the nuna birds found all over the galaxy."
"Maybe they really use nuna in this food, and just claim it's chicken," said Bail, "Because I've never seen a single chicken in my whole life, although I suppose I should have a vague guess, at least, because the Grand Army's AT-RT's and new AT-ST's are nicknamed 'the chicken walkers.'"
"I'm not so sure, Bail," said Padmé, "I don't see anything deceptive about this place, and if All Terrain Recon Transports and Scout Transports can be called 'chicken walkers,' then surely chickens exist somewhere. Maybe they just don't exist in great numbers on Alderaan, or Coruscant. But there are a sizeable number of them on Naboo."
"That's possible, I guess," Bail said.
"It doesn't matter so much to me where this food comes from," said Senator Taa, "But since you say that chickens are like nunas, the food here must be even better than McDonald's food. I love deep fried nuna legs!"
"Yes, we know how much you pine for good food, Senator Taa," remarked Chuchi with a sidelong look at him. She wasn't very amused by the corrupt senator, bloated in more ways than one. Sometimes she wondered why she and her friends spent time with him in the first place. He wasn't one of their idealistic numbers in their group.
They entered. Padmé surprised them by getting hot wings for herself, plus green beans and an iced tea. Bail wasn't keen on chicken, so he ordered a potpie with mashed potatoes. Chuchi and Taa wondered how they could stand to stomach such food. Chuchi got the original recipe fried chicken in a small bucket with potato wedges and a Mountain Dew, and Taa ordered extra crispy fried chicken with wedges and a Pepsi-Cola.
At their table, they ate with varying degrees of enjoyment. Padmé seemed to appreciate her hot wings, and Bail wondered if her actions and battles alongside Anakin Skywalker influenced that. He was eating his potpie while trying to ignore Taa, who was eating noisily, as usual, to say the least. As he ate, Taa smacked and licked his fingers and his lips more often than he used his napkin, and an Aqualish spacer sitting nearby, trying to eat a Chicken Little in peace, roared at Senator Taa. The fat senator gave him an innocent look, which only angered the alien even more. Bail finally got up and walked over to the Aqualish's table, whispering something to him than made the spacer quiet down, mostly and reluctantly, anyway. To Bail's relief, though, Taa decided to eat a little more quietly from then on. As for Riyo Chuchi, she was enjoying her fried chicken almost as much as Taa was, but she remembered her manners the whole time, and ate more silently.
"Tell me again why Senators Robb and Farr aren't here with us," she asked suddenly.
"Oh, they didn't want to come," said Taa, who had just finished a big bite and remembered to use his napkin. "Poor Kin Robb will no longer eat anywhere where I'm also present, after that meal at McDonald's with Duchess Satine, so she went to the Zothique instead."
"Well, that makes sense," Padmé surmised, "She always did prefer elegant and expensive restaurants to shabby fast food joints and greasy spoons."
"Yes, I believe that was it, too," confirmed Taa, "She loves fancy food over fast food. And she took Senator Farr with her. Farr informed me that a place where they sell only chicken related food is no place for a Rodian, because fish-and Rodians-simply do not eat chicken."
"That makes sense, too," Chuchi agreed, "Besides, I don't think his round mouth is fit to chew off this kind of meat."
"I'm sure Uncle Ono will enjoy himself wherever he chooses to go, just like us," said Padmé.
To their surprise, another fat, corrupt senator passed their table. He stopped to talk to them.
"Ah, senators," he said, "I'm surprised you can enjoy eating here during a time of great crisis and war!"
"Hello to you too, Ask Aak," Padmé greeted him nonchalantly.
"Padmé Amidala," Aak replied with a hint of sarcasm.
"Oh, no, Senator Aak," said Bail, already a little tense, "Don't you start with us about how we should be fully committed to this ugly war. We're just trying to enjoy a little meal here."
"Yes, I can see that," Aak said stubbornly, "And what are you doing, hanging around with these Jedi lovers, Senators Taa and Chuchi?"
"I am a 'Jedi lover,' Senator," Chuchi said forcefully, "And just because many Jedi have done questionable things during the war doesn't mean they're all guilty. Frankly, I just can't understand how you, your allies, and Chancellor Palpatine can make such sweeping indictments of a whole race. You should take some time out to examine your conscience, or what's left of it."
"I do so have a conscience!" said Aak through clenched teeth, "Why else do you think I care about the safety of Malastare?"
"That's not good enough in my boat," said Chuchi. "Now leave us alone, we're just trying to have a nice, friendly supper here, and you're disrupting it."
"Fine, then," Aak submitted, but then he said, "But remember this: Chancellor Palpatine is the leader of the Republic, and he's doing a much better job of fighting this war than any of your Jedi friends. I'll bet that by the time the war is over, the Jedi will be revealed as traitors and outlawed, and then where will the three of you be? Probably in prison, or even dead, and I surely hope that you do die before you get anywhere near my age, little Pantoran." He haughtily walked away.
"That's intimidation, Senator, and you know it!" Chuchi called after him, "And if you ever do it again, to me or my friends, I'll sic Padawan Ahsoka Tano on you!" Ask Aak glanced back briefly, but he only sneered patronizingly, and stalked out of the restaurant.
"Talk about a temper," said Padmé, "Chuchi, you could've gotten us in big trouble."
"I agree," said Bail, "We have enough problems with the Senate majority without you retaliating at them."
"I'm sorry," Chuchi said, "It's just how I am. You know I can't tolerate immature insolence from people, even my enemies, and even if I do get punished for my beliefs someday, I'd rather be tortured to death before I turn twenty-one than compromise my conscience any day."
Padmé found she couldn't argue with Chuchi's feelings, especially with her knowledge of Anakin's feelings. Bail felt similar. "Suit yourself, Riyo," said Bail, "Just be careful not to take any of us down with you. I'm not ready to receive your desired fate yet."
"Can we stop this heavy talk, senators?" Taa said, "My chicken is getting cold."
"He's right," said Chuchi, "let's continue."
"I heard someone say that another, more non-violent war is beginning because of all these fast food chains springing up seemingly out of nowhere," remarked Padmé.
"What sort of war?" Bail asked nervously.
"I heard them call it 'The Food Wars.'"
"Now, that's my kind of war," said Taa joyously, "It'll be a lot of fun to see which chain wins and gets whatever the reward is."
"Well, the Food Wars are certainly preferable to the Clone Wars," said Chuchi as she bit into another leg of chicken.
A/N: I didn't make up the Zothique restaurant; it's very briefly mentioned in MedStar II: Jedi Healer. It's a fancy restaurant that the battle surgeon Jos Vondar favored over Uli Divini's favorite, Dex's Diner. I don't own them, either.
