"Escape to What and With Whom?
By Ennon
Disclaimers: Same as before
"Bail, Yuermina? What are you and the children doing back so soon?" asked 35-year-old Lady Tia Organa as the Alderaan Royal Family entered the Reception Hall where Lia Tia and 6-year-old Crown Prince Osric were greeting the guests.
"Leia forgot her bantha cub toy,"53-year-old Senator/Prince Consort Bail Organa sighed.
"I'm sorry, Papa, but I can't sleep without it?"the nearly 3-year-old Princess Leia Organa whined.
"Cutting short our archeological trip for that. The things we do for you!" 36-year-old Queen Yuermina groaned while shaking her head.
"She's not even three. Don't blame her," Tia sighed.
"You're right! Mamie should have packed it with everything else before we left. We'll have a word with her before we take over the Subject Loveday greetings," Bail proclaimed.
"Where's Mamie anyway?" Yuermina asked.
"She's been napping two days," Osric shrugged.
"Napping?" Yuermina asked.
"I noticed she was out of sorts and she confirmed it was 'that time of the month' for her so. ." Tia started to explain.
" She'd never taken any time off since she had. . um .broke her ankle around the time Leia was born! Why would she let something so mundane . ..?" Yuermina asked.
"I felt sorry for her and. . ."Tia sighed.
"C7, summon Nursemaid Mamie to the anteroom so I can find out why she didn't pack Leia's sleeping toy," Yuermina snapped- referring to a room apart from the main Reception Hall not visible to outsiders.
A few minutes later. . .
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Lady Tia, we can find no trace of Nursemaid Mamie in her bedroom or anywhere in the Royal Palace Grounds,"C7FO droned upon re-entry.
"What!" Yuermina and Bail exclaimed.
"An analysis of the security holographs reveal no trace of her since early this morning," C7FO.
"I knew it was a mistake leaving you in charge! You're as stupid as you are clumsy!"Yuermina boiled.
"I'm sorry, Yuermina but we can always interview new nursemaids for the children," Lady Tia sobbed.
"Oh, it's not that simple,"Yuermina snapped.
"What do we do now?" Bail asked (in Royal Alderaan).
"I was hoping you could tell me. Why couldn't your sister have inherited your brains instead of your build?" Yuermina sighed(in Royal Alderaan).
"Forget her. We need to get Padmé back here before any Imperials get near. ." Bail groaned (in Royal Alderaan).
"What do you have in mind?" Yuermina asked(in Royal Alderaan).
"We could have the Aldera City Police do a citywide search and inspection of all spacecraft," Bail pondered(in Royal Alderaan).
"But how do we keep the Imperials from. ..?" Yuermina asked (in Royal Alderaan).
"I'll think of something," Bail pondered (in Royal Alderaan).
" So you wanna go to Dantooine,eh?" 16-year-old Han Solo laughed.
"Won't 3500 units cover it?" 29-year-old Padmé sighed.
"Yeah, but ya seem kinda antsy about things here. Alderaan's too dull for you?" Han laughed.
"That's it," Padmé gulped.
"How about we leave tomorrow morning? I never got a chance to look things over here," 16-year-old Lando Calrissian groaned.
"No, we must leave tonight," Padmé insisted as they and Chewbacca walked towards the docking bay.
Chewbacca opened the space dock doorway then roared to Padmé when they came within sight of the Millenium Falcom.
" Well, I can see this could use a woman's touch," Padmé gulped.
"Hey! We put a lot of work in it!" Han whined.
"Just kidding. If Chewbacca is proud of it then so will I be," Padmé sighed as she walked onto the loading ramp.
"Come on, we haven't seen the Royal Alderaan Palace yet!" Lando groaned while Chewbacca started warming up the Falcon for takeoff..
"Hey, we've got a passenger whose fee covers more than the fuel! I say we blow this planet," Han exclaimed.
"No way, buddy! It's MY ship and. .." Lando exclaimed.
"Your ship?" Han asked.
"I know you found it in the used lot but I paid for it with my Academy tuition units," Lando snapped.
"So that makes it your dad's ship!" Han laughed.
Chewbacca laughed with Han.
"Laugh it up, scholarship boy! We both dropped out but at least I have a plan!" Lando snapped.
Chewbacca snarled at Lando.
"No, Chewie! I'm not dissing Han doing that for you. Do we have to hear the whole story again?" Lando groaned while Chewbacca repeated how Han rescued him from the slavers.
"That's a wonderful thing you did for him," Padmé beamed while kissing Han on the forehead.
"Hey, a little lower and. ." Han whined.
"Why did you have to spoil the moment?" Padmé sighed.
"I say it's my ship so we wait until tomorrow after I've seen the Palace to leave," Lando proclaimed.
"You sure about that? I can think of some good bars on Dantooine I'd like to spend those units on," Han pondered.
"Not happening. We're staying!" Lando insisted as he banged his boot onto the floor.
"You sure you don't wanna beat me? How about a game of sabaac. I win, I get the Falcon. You win, you get Chewie AND Maddie's units!" Han exclaimed.
"What!" Padmé yelled while Chewbacca threateningly growled in agreement.
"Don't worry, I've got a plan!"Han smirked.
"Last round and if I win this hand, I've won! You roll!" Lando exclaimed.
Han rolled the twenty-facetted dice then. ..KISSED Lando on the lips- causing Lando to drop his cards.
"What!"Lando asked- as he started to spit.
"Hey, you can't beat that hand!" Han laughed.
" No fair! You cheated!Damn!" Lando boiled.
"Hey, all's fair in love and sabaac! You know the rules!" Han smirked.
"Man, I'll get even with you if it's the last thing I do!" Lando exclaimed as he stormed out of the Millenium Falcon.
"Are you sure that was so smart?" Padmé asked.
"Don't worry, Maddie. He won't stay mad. He'll wheel and deal another ship in no time,"Han shrugged.
"Attention! All space cruisers are to be inspected for a missing personal affect of Her Majesty, Queen Yuermina's!" the spaceport announcer blared.
"Um, could we just take off?" Padmé asked.
"Not before the inspection," Han exclaimed- as Chewbacca yelped in agreement with Padmé.
"What?" Padmé asked
"Yeah, you want us to get arrested and/or blasted out of the sky?"Han added.
"I just don't want to stick around and. .." Padmé gulped.
"You couldn't have taken anything. No bulges in your slack pockets," Han laughed a bit leeringly while raising his eyebrows.
Chewbacca growled a bit.
"Secret compartments under the floor?" Padmé asked.
"Chewie, I don't think our passenger. . ." Han sighed.
"I don't care how cramped it is! I'd rather be there than be found," Padmé exploded.
Chewbacca roared in agreement.
"Alright already!" Han gulped as he lifted the floor and helped Padmé climb below just moments before they were boarded.
"Destination is Corellia? Okay, we'll let you go," the Aldera police officer proclaimed after he and his collegue marched up and down the Falcon's halls finding no trace of Padmé.
"Hmm, I know our passenger's hot but I didn't expect her to be that hot!" Han gulped to Chewbacca after the Aldera City police left.
Chewbacca pulled up the flooring and growled a bit.
"Yes, Chewbacca, I'm okay! Can we take off now?" Padmé asked.
"Yeah, tell me why do you wanna amscray Alderaan so bad?" Han asked.
"Let's just say there's something I need to find out for myself," Padmé sighed.
"Great you're leveling with us," Han sarcastically replied as they took off and soon were out of Alderaan's upper atmosphere.
Padmé looked out the window as the planet disappeared from view shortly afterwards and sadly blew a kiss downwards. As much as she was anxious to leave the restrictions of Alderaan Palace life and find out what had become of Luke, she was sad to have to leave Leia behind for the time.
At that very moment in the Royal Alderaan Palace Throne Room, Leia looked towards the window and blew a kiss upwards towards the empty sky but, thankfully, no one noticed her doing so or thought to ask her why- for she wouldn't have been able to explain it.
"I know it ain't much to a nurse like you but Dantooine has some of the best bars and party spots in the galaxy and. .." Han laughed.
"You're sure you won't get zapped for being underage like in Alderaan?" Padmé asked.
"Just need to short circuit those Age Droids," Han smirked.
"No need to rush things! You're only a teen very briefly but you could be old for a long time,"Padmé sighed.
"You know! It won't be too long before I get to my manly prime and you're getting close to your womanly one so. ." Han said leeringly.
"I'm much too old for you. Besides, I'm spoken for," Padmé proclaimed.
"Oh, I get it now! Runaway bride thing. Don't worry. There ain't nothing your old man could do to me that I couldn't handle," Han laughed.
"You couldn't even begin to imagine how WRONG you are," Padmé groaned.
Chewbacca laughed a bit.
"Yeah, right. It won't be too much longer before we get to Dantooine . Til then, think I'll get some rest. Chewie stay at the controls," Han shrugged while Chewbacca gruffly growled.
Soon Han was in his bunk bed getting some rest.
Chewbacca started talking to Padmé about different things.
"No, I don't hate Han but even if I were available, he has a great deal of growing up to do," Padmé sighed while Chewbacca growled in agreement then barked a question.
"No, I'm not offended. It's understandable you'd be curious. I'm NOT meeting my lover on Dantooine. I'm trying to find out about someone I DO love, though," Padmé sighed.
Chewbacca mournfully growled.
"You have family in Kashyyyk you haven't seen in a while? That's sad. I'm sure they're okay," Padmé proclaimed.
Chewbacca roared a bit.
"I guess it's okay if I tell you who I'm looking for. A Jedi Master named Yoda. You've probably never heard of. .." Padmé started to say.
Chewbacca made noises of protest and got quite insulted.
"You have? I'm sorry. I should have known there's a lot more to you than having been a slave and ship's first mate!" Padmé apologized.
Chewbacca barked a bit of explanation.
"Degobah? Never heard of that place- and let's just say I used to be in the business where I SHOULD have heard of just about everywhere in the Galaxy,"Padmé beamed.
Chewbacca growled a bit more.
"Are you sure about this? From what you're saying, it's over 10 thousand light years in the opposite direction from Dantoine. No wonder the Empire can't find him!" Padmé gulped.
Chewbacca barked then laughed.
"Yes, it's likely Han will be upset but he'll get over it like he'll forget about me before too long," Padmé wryly shrugged.
In a few hours, Han awoke from his nap and started to walk over towards the cockpit.
"Oh, Ani. How I miss you!" Padmé sighed as she was half asleep.
"Annie! You're into. . ?" Han said a bit puzzled.
"No, it's actually short for. . .never mind," Padmé groaned-as she re-awoke.
" I mean, not that there's anything wrong with it but I wouldn't have expected such a hot supernova like you to. ." Han gulped.
"Good to see you're rested up!" Padmé replied.
"Yeah, but what the. .Chewie! We're nowhere near Dantooine according to these co-ordinates!" Han boiled.
Chewbacca growled.
"Oh, she did,eh? How soon you forget!" Han sneered.
Chewbacca snarled and blocked Han from the controls.
"Yeah, she pulled the metal shard from your foot but I freed you from . ." Han boiled.
"Look out!"Padmé pleaded as they came out of hyperspace just moments before the Millenium Falcon was ready to ignite from the friction of Degobah's atmosphere.
"We've come in at too steep an angle! Chewie, angle us a little shallower," Han shouted while Chewbacca did so.
"You'd better throw on the atmospheric brakes now!" Padmé pleaded while Chewbacca did so
"What the Hell do you think you're doing!" Han asked.
"I've piloted enough to keep us from crashing,"Padmé explained.
"Come on, Chewie! Pull us out of here!" Han ordered.
"We're too far away from any inhabited star systems to not replenish the oxygen supply here,"Padmé pleaded.
"There's not a clearing big enough to land a probe droid in this swamp!" Han boiled.
Chewbacca steered the Millenium Falcon to a spot less densely covered with trees than the others then carefully set the Millenium Falcon atop four sets of sturdy branches- 100 meters above the surface of the trackless, perpetually foggy swamp.
"What is this place!" Padmé and Han asked Chewbacca at the very same time.
Chewbacca growled an explanation.
"A Jedi Master lives here! Even they couldn't be that clueless," sneered Han.
"What do you have against Jedis?" Padmé asked.
"Who'd want that Spartan celibate deal?" Han sneered.
"Not all were celibate," Padmé sighed.
"How would you. ..?" Han asked.
"Never mind,"Padmé snapped.
"Great going, Chewie! We're stuck at the top of this forest with no way down. How are we going to get the Falcon out of here?" Han whined.
Chewbacca growled a bit.
"When you've taken Maddie to her destination, then you'll get the ship out? How are you going to get Maddie down from. .?" Han asked.
Chewbacca snarled some.
"On your back? She doesn't look like she'd like. ." Han scoffed.
"It will do. Open the top hatch and we'll make our way down," Padmé sighed as she jumped onto Chewie's awaiting back.
"You expect me to just wait here and do repairs or something?" Han asked.
Chewbacca barked in the affirmative then laughed while he climbed up the hatch with his hands and feet.
" I cheated Lando fair and square to win this ship and I wind up here? Great,"snapped Han as he heard Chewbacca make a Tarzan yell and saw him and 'Maddie' disappear into the lower tree limbs.
A/N-
I hope you all aren't too put out by these new acquaintances of Padmé's!
cm1000- Yeah, it's not been easy for Padmé to have to raise Leia among another family and be clueless about Luke but things may be changing soon.
Doreen- Glad you think this story's 'pretty good' and I'm doing my best to continue.
Toni- Yeah, I prefer that ROTJ version of Padmé's fate to the ROTS one but I think it could still be tweaked just a bit without losing the story's essence. True about Yuermina's treatment and, ironically, it's likely spurring Padmé on her quest!
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