Chapter Nine

Padme felt foolish and very exposed, even for a Twi'Lek on Tatooine. She was amazed that Dorme was acting so at ease, especially in the outfits they were now wearing. The single strap of material that started at her waist, went up around her neck and across her chest and back down to her waist, barely covering her breasts, and was semi-transparent. Padme had never considered herself modest, but she found herself blushing deeply as she looked at her blue-skinned reflection in the ship's restroom mirror.

Dorme, who had chosen to be green and wore a similarly revealing outfit, approached her from behind.

"We look great."

Padme looked at her in the mirror as if she had totally lost her mind. "This is not going to work." She almost hated to be so pessimistic.

"Sure it is. Just let me handle everything." Dorme patted her twice on the back.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

The two disguised women made their way into the town just as dusk began to fall. They skirted just outside most of the main buildings in order to avoid the crowds that seemed to be huddled everywhere on the streets. Dorme walked as if she knew exactly where she was going and Padme had to walk quickly to keep up with her, occasionally swatting at the tentacles attached to her head that kept blowing into her face.

"Do you know where you're going?" She questioned Dorme when they stopped to peer around the corner of a shop.

"There." Dorme pointed down a dusty road toward an expansive domed building, surrounded by large crowds of beings entering and exiting at a steady rate. "That's Jabba's palace."

Padme wasn't about to ask how Dorme knew that. She half expected her to answer that her mother was married to him at one time or another. So, she just kept her mouth shut. She was almost too frightened to speak anyway. In fact, she was scared out of her wits.

Dorme began heading toward the building when Padme reached out and grabbed her arm. "Just how do you suppose we're getting in there?"

"Easy. We'll just blend in." Dorme then strolled confidently down the street.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Padme mumbled before she hurriedly joined her friend.

"There." Dorme's head motioned to a group of Twi'Lek females who had gathered just outside the main entrance to the palace. They maneuvered themselves until they were part of the group, causing only a couple of curious glances shot at them.

After a moment, an announcement in Huttese caused the group to begin to move toward the entrance. Padme and Dorme simply moved along with them.

"I wonder what that message meant?" Padme whispered into Dorme's ear.

"Trust me. You don't want to know." Dorme shot back.

The group of eight Twi'Lek women including the two Coruscant imposters, were soon ushered onto a large marble floor surrounded by shadows of darkness. Padme could hear sounds around the perimeter of the room, but she couldn't see anything. Just as she was about to ask Dorme something, several spotlights in different hues, matching the skin tones of each Twi'Lek shone onto the group, and then two more white spotlights illuminated a stage on which was set up a band, and to the right of the stage sat Jabba the Hutt. A rumbling command from Jabba and the band began playing.

Every Twi'Lek in the group began twirling and moving to the music, except for Padme and Dorme. They stood still, completely mortified.

"Dance!" Dorme hissed out of the side of her mouth.

"No way." Padme shot back.

"Dance! Or our cover is blown!"

Dorme attempted to mimic the moves of a Twi'Lek she was watching out of the corner of her eye. Padme was still too frightened to move until Dorme twirled close to her, grabbing her by the hand and twirling her along with her. The tentacles whipped around, slapping Dorme in the face, to which Dorme retalitated by spinning and slapping Padme with her own.

Jabba the Hutt watched the entire scene with a touch a humor. Never had he seen two Twi'Lek women dance so badly. He was intrigued. He leaned over to his interpreter and issued another command. The music suddenly stopped and the interpreter, speaking the language of the Twi'Lek, motioned the rest of the group away, leaving Padme and Dorme standing in the middle of the floor all by themselves. Jabba grunted out another command and the music began playing once more.

"Oh my gods!" Padme hissed between clenched teeth to Dorme who stood by her side, wide eyed and thinking as quickly as she could. "What do we do now?"

"Remember the fourth level Nubian combat drill?"

"Yes."

"Start doing it now. Nubian combat, fourth level, phase two. Follow my lead."

Dorme turned and performed a sweeping kick to Padme's flank, to which Padme responded with a sudden drop to the floor, legs splitting beneath her. Padme's legs then twirled around her head, and she was immediately back on her feet. Padme's hand came up flat toward Dorme, which she repeled with a crossed arm block and a swipe of her opposite arm, reflecting the blow that followed. A sweeping leg by Padme was easily jumped and Dorme blocked a front kick executed by Padme.

No one seemed to suspect anything and Jabba appeared to be pleased. His grumbling and moaning echoed throughout the room. Everything was going well, until Dorme performed a high sweeping kick, and completely knocked off Padme's foam tentacles. They went skidding across the black marble floor. The band stopped playing, the crowd stopped clapping, and Jabba started shouting.

They were both grabbed by two of Jabba's guards and dragged away from the main chamber. Padme could hear Dorme wrestling and yelling threats behind her.

"Ouch! Hey, get your hands off of me!" Her final words were blocked out by the sound of a large iron door being shut in their faces. "You creep!"

She turned to Padme who had a look on her face she had never seen before. It seemed to be a mixture of anger, shock, embarassment, disappointment? Maybe all of the above. Whatever it was, it scared her and she tentatively approached her.

"You and your dumb ideas! Why do I listen to you?" Padme's fists were clenching with rage.

"Okay, okay Mi'Lady. I know." Dorme was holding up her hands and speaking as gently as she could. "This didn't quite work out like I planned, but don't worry. We're not in trouble yet."

"What do you mean? You are crazy. When we get back...IF we get back to Coruscant, I'm having you checked into the med facility."

"I've got a backup plan. I told you. Don't worry. I've handled everything."

Padme was not convinced. "What are you planning? Tell me now!" She was nearly shouting.

"Shh Mi'Lady!" Dorme looked to the small barred window in the iron door. "I've just got to contact Ric and tell him to go ahead with Plan B."

Padme started shaking her head. "And how do you expect to contact Ric?"

"I've got a comlink on me."

Padme looked her friend up and down, incredulation on her face. "Where?"

She couldn't imagine how with this outfit, Dorme had managed to conceal anything. When Dorme started rummaging through the thin material of her semi-transparent skirt, Padme held up her hand and turned away. "Forget it. I don't want to know."

"Ric." All that returned was static.

"Ric!" They both waited anxiously.

"Yes, my dear handmaiden!" The man as always, was way too happy.

"Shhh! Listen to me! Things didn't quite go as planned. I need you to execute Plan B."

"Plan B. Gotcha."

"Dorme, over."

Though she was afraid to ask, Padme just had to know. "What's Plan B?"

Dorme smiled sheepishly at the Senator, her next words growing louder with every syllable. "Contact Anakin and Obi-Wan to come and GET US THE HELL OUTTA HERE!"