.
~~~
After putting up with them for about an hour, I decided to go out and see Tatoonie for myself and I must say, I wasn't impressed. There were some rocks, then some sand, then some more rocks, then a lot more sand. I shook my head. The whole planet is one giant dustball. You could probably not find a planet more different from Naboo.
"What a waste of rock." I muttered aloud to myself.
"You got that right." I must have jumped two meters in the air. I turned to find Padawan Kenobi leaning against the boarding ramp, a smirk on his face.
"Padawan Kenobi," I said, trying desperately to regain my dignity, "you really must learn to be louder in your approach." I smiled politely at him. I really wasn't that impressed with either him or Master Jinn. So far, all they had been was trouble, distractions, and long detours.
"I'll remember that." He said, walking towards me. "I've just heard from Qui-Gon. The junk dealer he was working with, Watto, won't take Republic Credits."
My smile fell from my lips. "Oh no." I paused, then asked kind of delicately. "Did Master Jinn attempt to, ah," I waved my hand in his face.
A genuine grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Yes. Qui-Gon tried to mind-trick him. But somehow, Watto resisted."
"And we have nothing else of value to barter with." I said slowly, running the inventory of the ship through my head at lightspeed.
"Unless you have a hidden cache of spice, or would be willing to sell yourself as a slave, that is correct."
I gave him a faint little smile. Yeah, right. You try selling me as a slave and I'll hurt that pretty little face of yours. I thought. He gave me a sudden look. Shavit. I have to stop thinking in front of Jedi. I thought, frustrated. I sighed and cleared my mind. "Have you told Captain Panaka yet?" I asked politely.
"No. I was on my way to tell him, and I saw you come down here. I figured I would tell you first."
Again, I gave him the faint little smile. "I am honored." I said. The sarcasm I had originally planned to be in there was gone. Mostly.
He returned the faint little smile and squinted at me through the glare of Tatoonie's twin suns. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."
"Oh?" I asked innocently. "How so?"
"You know my name, and I have no idea of yours."
I hesitated. Handmaidens are anonymous. They are unknown, unseen and only window decoration to the Queen. This misperception will give you your advantage. Panaka's voice rang in my head. I lifted my head high, I was feeling rather defiant. I stuck my hand out at him. "Rabé Napola."
He took my hand and kissed it. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Handmaiden Napola." He released my hand.
I laughed slightly. "You are supposed to shake my hand, not kiss it." I reprimanded him gently. "You are quite the gentleman." I was quite surprised by his behavior. No one had ever kissed my hand before. I started to smile at him, then caught myself. Whoa there Napola. Get a grip on it. You don't want to be obsessive-compulsive stalkers like Sabé and Eirtaé; he's just a stupid Jedi.
He shrugged, a slight smile on his face. "Bad habits die hard." He said. A sudden gust of wind came up on us unexpectedly and nearly blew me over.
"Another reason to hate this blasted place." I growled as Padawan Kenobi helped me regain my balance. "Thank you. I should be getting back to her highness." I hastily pulled my hand out of his. Careful. You're a Handmaiden, you're a handmaiden, don't you dare get distracted.
"Of course." He bowed and I went back into the ship, passing Panaka on my way in, and pausing only to dump the sand out of my shoes that had accumulated there. Well, that was a strange encounter. I thought.
I went to the Queen's chamber, Eirtaé and Sabé looked at me, looked at each other and then back at me.
"We've heard from Padmé." Eirtaé said.
"Really?" I said, apparently uninterested, as I picked up some of the things they had gotten out and put them away.
"Yes." She continued a bit smugly. "They couldn't find a hyperdrive."
I let a small frown crease my forehead. "Really? Padawan Kenobi told me that they found one, but the dealer wouldn't take Republic credits." I said in an innocent tone. Both of their mouths dropped open. Okay, so I'm petty. Big deal. Everyone is entitled to a little pettiness every once in a while. This was my ration for the past three years and the next two. The intercom buzzed, and I answered it. "Yes?"
"There is a sandstorm outside, which prevents Master Jinn and Handmaiden Naberrie from returning today. We are also receiving a message from home. We are requesting her highness' presence in the Throne room to see it."
"We will be there in a moment." I turned off the intercom, and turned to find Sabé and Eirtaé still gaping at me. "Well, don't just stand there." I scolded them. "Where did the headdress go? Eirtaé, fix Sabé's make-up and pull up your hood. Sabé, you are queen, act like it, and smooth back your hair for forces sake."
Both of their mouth shut, and within two minutes we were back in the Throne room. Sabé sat on the throne with Eirtaé and me on either side of her. Panaka, Padawan Kenobi and another Security Officer came in and sat down on the retractable benches. Panaka and the Security Officer leaned back, but Padawan Kenobi spread his legs apart, leaned forward on them and watched intently. Sio Bibble's angst-ridden face shimmered into view, and my heart nearly broke.
"The death toll is catastrophic. We must bow to their wishes. You must contact me." Sio Bibble flickered from sight. I could feel Eirtaé and Sabé's distress. Padawan Kenobi jumped to his feet.
"It's a trick." He announced tersely. "Send no reply. Send no transmissions of any kind." And with that, he walked out of the door. What does he take us for? I thought. Of course we won't send any transmissions! Did he take us for fools just because we are still not legally adults? Argh! Some people can be just so arrogant. All respect that I had previously held for him suddenly dissipated into thin air.
However, he was right about the trick. How did Bibble get hold of a holonet station unless the Neimoidians let him? Or unless the kept him in the Palace, and he snuck and got to one. Even then, though, if we contacted him back, what are the odds that he would answer it? He was a prisoner, and prisoners are usually not allowed access to holonet stations in their cells.
Still, seeing Bibble reminded me of Joss, and Joss reminded me of Riv, Dek and Yané, and they remind me of Natan, who reminds me of Coruscant. Coruscant. Why must I face it now, when there is a crisis going on? Sabé got up and she, Eirtaé and I went back to our quarters, where Sabé announced that she was going to contact Padmé. I asked Eirtaé and Sabé if they wanted something to eat, and they both said yes. I had learned to cook when we went to Coruscant, and I was the only one on the ship who could cook.
I went down to the small galley and started to prepare some food for them. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled the nerf I was preparing for Sabé and Eirtaé. Even though I am a vegetarian, the meat had a delicious aroma. I wondered about Yané, who had been a vegetation before me, and if she was starving with the rest of the Naboo. I then came to the realization that my sleeves were dragging in the pan, so I swore and pinned them up around my shoulders, cursing the Naboo fashion sense, all the while wishing for a sensible pair of pants and a tunic.
The aroma worked its way around the ship, which had been sealed off because of the sandstorm, and pretty soon I had visitors, begging for food like scavenger birds. I promised them all food and made some quick calculations. Six Palace guards plus three handmaidens plus two Security Officers plus four Security Guards plus three pilots plus Captain Panaka plus Padawan Kenobi equals a lot of work for me. Twenty people minus Sabé and Eirtaé equals eighteen. I sighed. I was going to be cooking for a long time.
~~~