POST 56
Queen Amidala, dressed in her combat fatigues, rushed into the huge hanger, where engineers and scientist were giving the final tests to the new star fighter 'The freepios-24' or F-24, named after the sleek and graceful bird that soared high in the Naboo skies, its jet-black plumage radiating in the sun. The F-24 would be the ultimate fighter that she hoped would give her small defense force a tactical advantage over numbers.
Her booted steps echoed in the unusually quite, cavernous hanger. 'Maybe its afternoon and most of the personnel have taken a break from the hot clammy weather that is typical of Tahl weil this time of day.' She thought to herself.
She had dressed earlier and had informed the handmaidens only as she left their quarters about her plan to check on the freepios project. They tried to protest but she was off before they could stop her.
She stopped suddenly as she caught sight of a man stooped over a console in the middle of the great hall. He was naked from the waist up, the upper half of his flight suit hung down below his waist the empty sleeves flip flopping aimlessly as he moved.
He wore oversized black gloves, which had connecting wire to the console; a pilot's helmet with black visors covered his head and face completely. More wire led from the console to patches on the man's chest, arms, hands and sides.
Several long lengths of thick cables snaked away from the terminal towards a fighter that stood hovering in mid air about ten feet of the ground, the light in the hanger gleaming off its black body.
She watched for a moment as he motioned his hands back and forth and then side ways, simultaneously the small craft too yawed and banked smoothly, dancing to the young pilots commands.
Amidala watched impressed by the little display. But she was more intent on the man as he bent over the monitor and made some notes on his datapad then he proceeded to flip some switches on the console.
"That's an impressive display, Anakin," She said in a cool modulated tone that echoed through the empty hall.
His head snapped up and around, when he saw who it was he deliberately stood up to his full height, removing the helmet, he shook his tousled head.
She almost gasped at the sight of him, standing there straight as a rod, his feet apart, one hand around the helmet as it sat on his hip, his muscular chest raising and falling in tandem with his breathing. They stared at each other for a long time.
There was no need for words
Amidala waited for him to show some emotion, but he just fixed her with his blues eyes, which seemed to be devoid of any expression.
"Oh! Your majesty, what brings you here…Unescorted? Are you not mindful of the scandal it may cause, being alone with a young man-a half dressed young man?"
She was silent, was he being sarcastic, she thought. She had expected him to be happy. But now she saw the pain reflected in his eyes. She knew how difficult it must be for him.
"Anakin I…" she began,
"How did you know it was me under the helmet?" He said interrupting her.
"I can't miss that label, which proclaims you to be mine. Can I?" Anakin sighed as a reluctance smile tugged at one end of his mouth. He looked at the tattoo on his arm then shrugged.
He tore out the patches from his body and was about to move towards her, when a flurry of footsteps alerted him to company. Quickly he shoved his arms into his sleeves and pulled up his suit over his body, zipping up the front and becoming presentable just as the groups of handmaidens and some guards led by Panaka walked in.
Panaka seemed pretty miffed," Your highness it is unwise to rush around unescorted,"
"Captain, Jedi Skywalker would like to demonstrate to me the excellent maneuverability of the new ship." The Queen said in reply.
Panaka nodded knowing that the subject had been changed and due to protocol, he could not force it back; at least not in the presence of subordinates.
"I am impressed with what I have already seen." She said. "I see that our investment has not been wasted. With such an advanced ship we can at last overcome the disadvantage of our smaller numbers."
"Ye…es, your highness!" Anakin said tersely as he turned to the control console. After pressing a few buttons, he sat in the seat in front of the screen; he unzipped the front of his suit and attached the wires to the patches on his chest and neck. Then he wore the over-sized gloves. The onlookers stood well behind him, their eyes on the little craft as it suddenly came to life at the wave of his hands.
Anakin had the little craft dancing to the 'ooh and aahs' of those present. The little ship banked, yawed, rolled and bobbed like a champion swimmer, all without touching the controls.
"The new breed of Naboo fighters are interfaced to the human body so they can be controlled by mere actions." Anakin explained, "Mere movements of a particular hand, finger or even the head could convey actions which are processed by the onboard computer-hence making the craft respond more swiftly and accurately to the pilots every wish."
Amidala listened patiently, she had heard all about it before, during their brief honeymoon, after all it was her husband's pet project-at times he'd almost driven her up the wall talking incessantly about his beloved freepios. Naturally, the only time he was not talking about it was when they were in bed together. Fortunately, she had discovered this early on after the wedding; whenever he'd slip into this subject she'd know how to distract him.
The plane rose and then fell, just seconds before hitting the floor it rose gracefully up, up, to the roof of the hanger. Sache and Eirta bit their nails, while Sabe and Rabe furrowed their brows expecting the craft to blow out of the roof. Suddenly it stopped and banked downwards then turned to face the group, some of them scattered and some of them ducked-except for Panaka who stood like a pillar as the ship rushed past him, blowing his cap away. Anakin turned around to smile at him; he returned it with a small smile and a raised thumb as he retrieved his cap from the floor.
"Don't know whether to be impressed with Anakin's piloting skills or Panaka's faith," Sabe muttered to the other handmaidens.
Meanwhile Amidala's eyes were glued to the screen or at least that's what the others were thinking as she stood a little behind and to the side of Anakin's chair.
In reality, she was drinking up the sight of her beloved as she watched him doing what he liked best. How much she had missed him. For five days now-it seemed more like five weeks-she had yearned and pined for him, the nights were especially cruel when the problems and worrying about her planet threatened to suffocate her. How she wished then to be with Anakin, to be held in his strong arms and assured that she was not alone. He was the only person in the world who could make the biggest of her problems just disappear.
She looked longingly at the little patch of rubber stuck to the side of his neck and wished she could kiss him there.
Anakin suddenly stood and turned around to face her. She was startled from her reveries.
"What!"
"He smiled, "I said will you like to try it out?" He said with a knowing grin as he slowly pulled off the patch from his neck. She nearly reached out to rub the small red spot that the patch left behind, but caught herself.
"Do you think I can handle it," She said regaining her composure.
"Absolutely! Your highness, it'll be like piloting a regular ship except you won't be holding onto any controlling devices. Besides I'll be with you." Her eyes widened, as did Panaka's and Sabe's at his last statement.
"You want us to squeeze in that one seater?" She exclaimed in disbelief.
"No! no!" He said shaking his head and smiling. Though he gave her a look, which said he'd love to.
Anakin went one step ahead and sent her a mental image of her sitting in his lap with the both of them cramped inside the small confines of the F-24's cockpit. She shifted uneasily as she gave him a stern, don't-you-start-that-again look.
Queen Amidala, dressed in her combat fatigues, rushed into the huge hanger, where engineers and scientist were giving the final tests to the new star fighter 'The freepios-24' or F-24, named after the sleek and graceful bird that soared high in the Naboo skies, its jet-black plumage radiating in the sun. The F-24 would be the ultimate fighter that she hoped would give her small defense force a tactical advantage over numbers.
Her booted steps echoed in the unusually quite, cavernous hanger. 'Maybe its afternoon and most of the personnel have taken a break from the hot clammy weather that is typical of Tahl weil this time of day.' She thought to herself.
She had dressed earlier and had informed the handmaidens only as she left their quarters about her plan to check on the freepios project. They tried to protest but she was off before they could stop her.
She stopped suddenly as she caught sight of a man stooped over a console in the middle of the great hall. He was naked from the waist up, the upper half of his flight suit hung down below his waist the empty sleeves flip flopping aimlessly as he moved.
He wore oversized black gloves, which had connecting wire to the console; a pilot's helmet with black visors covered his head and face completely. More wire led from the console to patches on the man's chest, arms, hands and sides.
Several long lengths of thick cables snaked away from the terminal towards a fighter that stood hovering in mid air about ten feet of the ground, the light in the hanger gleaming off its black body.
She watched for a moment as he motioned his hands back and forth and then side ways, simultaneously the small craft too yawed and banked smoothly, dancing to the young pilots commands.
Amidala watched impressed by the little display. But she was more intent on the man as he bent over the monitor and made some notes on his datapad then he proceeded to flip some switches on the console.
"That's an impressive display, Anakin," She said in a cool modulated tone that echoed through the empty hall.
His head snapped up and around, when he saw who it was he deliberately stood up to his full height, removing the helmet, he shook his tousled head.
She almost gasped at the sight of him, standing there straight as a rod, his feet apart, one hand around the helmet as it sat on his hip, his muscular chest raising and falling in tandem with his breathing. They stared at each other for a long time.
There was no need for words
Amidala waited for him to show some emotion, but he just fixed her with his blues eyes, which seemed to be devoid of any expression.
"Oh! Your majesty, what brings you here…Unescorted? Are you not mindful of the scandal it may cause, being alone with a young man-a half dressed young man?"
She was silent, was he being sarcastic, she thought. She had expected him to be happy. But now she saw the pain reflected in his eyes. She knew how difficult it must be for him.
"Anakin I…" she began,
"How did you know it was me under the helmet?" He said interrupting her.
"I can't miss that label, which proclaims you to be mine. Can I?" Anakin sighed as a reluctance smile tugged at one end of his mouth. He looked at the tattoo on his arm then shrugged.
He tore out the patches from his body and was about to move towards her, when a flurry of footsteps alerted him to company. Quickly he shoved his arms into his sleeves and pulled up his suit over his body, zipping up the front and becoming presentable just as the groups of handmaidens and some guards led by Panaka walked in.
Panaka seemed pretty miffed," Your highness it is unwise to rush around unescorted,"
"Captain, Jedi Skywalker would like to demonstrate to me the excellent maneuverability of the new ship." The Queen said in reply.
Panaka nodded knowing that the subject had been changed and due to protocol, he could not force it back; at least not in the presence of subordinates.
"I am impressed with what I have already seen." She said. "I see that our investment has not been wasted. With such an advanced ship we can at last overcome the disadvantage of our smaller numbers."
"Ye…es, your highness!" Anakin said tersely as he turned to the control console. After pressing a few buttons, he sat in the seat in front of the screen; he unzipped the front of his suit and attached the wires to the patches on his chest and neck. Then he wore the over-sized gloves. The onlookers stood well behind him, their eyes on the little craft as it suddenly came to life at the wave of his hands.
Anakin had the little craft dancing to the 'ooh and aahs' of those present. The little ship banked, yawed, rolled and bobbed like a champion swimmer, all without touching the controls.
"The new breed of Naboo fighters are interfaced to the human body so they can be controlled by mere actions." Anakin explained, "Mere movements of a particular hand, finger or even the head could convey actions which are processed by the onboard computer-hence making the craft respond more swiftly and accurately to the pilots every wish."
Amidala listened patiently, she had heard all about it before, during their brief honeymoon, after all it was her husband's pet project-at times he'd almost driven her up the wall talking incessantly about his beloved freepios. Naturally, the only time he was not talking about it was when they were in bed together. Fortunately, she had discovered this early on after the wedding; whenever he'd slip into this subject she'd know how to distract him.
The plane rose and then fell, just seconds before hitting the floor it rose gracefully up, up, to the roof of the hanger. Sache and Eirta bit their nails, while Sabe and Rabe furrowed their brows expecting the craft to blow out of the roof. Suddenly it stopped and banked downwards then turned to face the group, some of them scattered and some of them ducked-except for Panaka who stood like a pillar as the ship rushed past him, blowing his cap away. Anakin turned around to smile at him; he returned it with a small smile and a raised thumb as he retrieved his cap from the floor.
"Don't know whether to be impressed with Anakin's piloting skills or Panaka's faith," Sabe muttered to the other handmaidens.
Meanwhile Amidala's eyes were glued to the screen or at least that's what the others were thinking as she stood a little behind and to the side of Anakin's chair.
In reality, she was drinking up the sight of her beloved as she watched him doing what he liked best. How much she had missed him. For five days now-it seemed more like five weeks-she had yearned and pined for him, the nights were especially cruel when the problems and worrying about her planet threatened to suffocate her. How she wished then to be with Anakin, to be held in his strong arms and assured that she was not alone. He was the only person in the world who could make the biggest of her problems just disappear.
She looked longingly at the little patch of rubber stuck to the side of his neck and wished she could kiss him there.
Anakin suddenly stood and turned around to face her. She was startled from her reveries.
"What!"
"He smiled, "I said will you like to try it out?" He said with a knowing grin as he slowly pulled off the patch from his neck. She nearly reached out to rub the small red spot that the patch left behind, but caught herself.
"Do you think I can handle it," She said regaining her composure.
"Absolutely! Your highness, it'll be like piloting a regular ship except you won't be holding onto any controlling devices. Besides I'll be with you." Her eyes widened, as did Panaka's and Sabe's at his last statement.
"You want us to squeeze in that one seater?" She exclaimed in disbelief.
"No! no!" He said shaking his head and smiling. Though he gave her a look, which said he'd love to.
Anakin went one step ahead and sent her a mental image of her sitting in his lap with the both of them cramped inside the small confines of the F-24's cockpit. She shifted uneasily as she gave him a stern, don't-you-start-that-again look.