Chapter Fourteen

"Ric?" Padme yelled from the ship's restroom. "Can you bring up the docking schedule for platform 32?" It was the platform that Obi-Wan and Anakin were scheduled to return to, and by Padme's calculations, they would be arriving exactly two hours before them; just enough time to go home, get freshened up, and return to greet them with Shmi by their side. All they had to do now was to get changed back into their regular clothes and get this body paint off.

"Dorme? Where's the bag that has our clothes in it? I can't wait to get out of these Twi'lek tart outfits!"

Dorme poked her head into the restroom and smiled sheeplishly. "I'm afraid I threw it out of the ship."

Padme sighed deeply. Okay, change of plans. Now they really had to hurry home and change as well. "Ric? After you check the docking schedule, could you contact my personal driver and have him meet us at the docking platform?"

"Sure thing my lovely Senator!" Ric hollered back from the bridge.

Dorme still stood in the doorway, looking quite forlorn. Padme tried to ease her friend's discomfort. "It's okay Dorme. I'm glad we got on board in one piece. We'll just have to hurry home and change before Obi-wan arrives. Now come over here and help me get this paint off."

Dorme grabbed a towel hanging on a nearby rack, soaked it in the sink, adding some of the foaming hand soap for good measure, and then she began scrubbing on Padme's arm. She wiped away the suds, and began scrubbing harder. And then harder.

"Ow! Dorme! I just want the paint off, not my skin!"

"Uhm," Dorme paused, not wanting to be the bearer of more bad news. "It's not coming off."

"What?" Padme twisted her body to look at the spot on her upper arm where Dorme had been diligently scrubbing. It was now a bright red underneath, but the surface was still quite blue. "Where's thatcan of paint?"

Dorme left and momentarily came back carrying the now empty canister of body paint with her. She handed it to Padme, who turned it around, looking for any written warnings. One word seemed to jump off the can. Semi-permanent. "Dorme!" She turned the can towards her and pointed at the word.

"Oops." Was all that Dorme could think of to say.

This entire rescue mission had been one big catastrophe after another, but at least they had been able to get Shmi. That would make Anakin so happy, and Anakin would then make Dorme happy, which would make Padme happy. Even though Dorme's blunders on this mission had caused her much embarassment, no harm had been done, so Padme felt she couldn't hold a grudge against her friend. At least they would have time to get home and change out of these horrid outfits first.

She slowly revealed a small grin at Dorme's now worried complexion, but quickly lost it as Ric yelled once more down the hallway. "Senator! Master Kenobi's ship is two hours ahead of schedule. They should be docking at the same time we are! Isn't that great news?"