AN: Sorry for the delay. When I finished up "Force Passage," I went on vacation. I'm back home and getting back into this story. If you're like me, you might have to back up and re-read the first three chapters! Thanks for the patience. You should be seeing a chapter a day for the next few days. And as a side note – I have already outlined a sequel to this story: )
Chapter Four
"Now would be a good time for your lover-boy to show up." Rabé whispered to Padmé as the palace staff was escorted by the Trade Federation droids down the stone Theed street.
"He's not my lover-boy!" Padmé whispered back.
"Sh!" They were hushed by Sabé who, disguised as the queen, was leading the throng down the middle of thethoroughfare.
"Well, whatever he is, we sure could use his help." Rabé answered.
Just as the young handmaiden spoke the words, Eirtaé glanced up to an arched walkway that crossed above them. "Hey! Do you see movement up there?"
"Hush!" It was Governor Bibble who quieted the group, but Eirtaé had gotten the handmaidens' attention and they all glanced up to the walkway just as two individuals and what appeared to be a gungan leapt from the overhang and onto the street below.
In a flurry of blaster bolts and swinging laser swords, the droids were quickly eliminated and the group escorted to safety.
Padmé stared at their tallest rescuer, immediately recognizing the bold nose, the flowing mane, and the radiant blue eyes.
"Qui-Gon Jinn." She whispered to Rabé as they moved to their place behind the queen.
The Jedi Master was addressing Sabé and Captain Panaka at the moment, and Padmé thought it was a good thing she was disguised as a handmaiden, because she didn't want to look like an idiot. She was in such awe of the man, she was certain she would have said something stupid had he spoken to her.
Their group was moved under the protection of the Jedi to the hangar where their ships were being safeguarded by more droids, but once more the Jedi disposed of the threat and they were taken aboard a transport.
Padmé noticed that Qui-Gon went one way toward the cockpit, his young apprentice and the gungan went the other, and the queen and handmaidens were directed toward the conference area. They sat in silence in that area, feeling the shuddering of the Trade Federation's attack on their vessel.
When Captain Panaka announced over the ship's com that they had cleared the blockade, only then did Padmé breathe a sigh of relief. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she looked up, each one of her young bodyguards were staring at her. Rabé was the first to break into a grin.
"I'll be the first to admit that he is much more handsome in person."
"Yeah, but he's still too old." Eirtaé commented.
"What about that younger one?" Rabé noted with a suggestive movement of her brows.
"No. I agree with Padmé. Jinn is a much better choice. Did you hear what the younger one said to the gungan after we boarded? I don't think he's very compassionate. The older one. Definitely."
Padmé smiled as she listened to Sabé's approval. Jinn was not only nice looking, but strong, brave, and so very tall. And that hair. She grinned again as she imagined herself running her fingers through it.
Her daydreaming was interrupted as Captain Panaka appeared in the room, announcing that the Jedi wished to discuss their current situation. Sabé nodded for them to enter and to Padmé's surprise suggested that she clean up the little astromech droid that had saved their ship from disaster. Padmé looked confusedly at Sabé at first until Sabé winked and then she quickly moved to stand next to the little Artoo unit, who just so happened to have positioned itself next to the Jedi Master. She stood as close as she couldand still be discrete, and then breathed deeply.
He smelled like blaster smoke and some type of musky scent she did not recognize, but quickly memorized. She smiled as she filed the scent into her memory under the label of "Qui-Gon Jinn." However, her smile quickly faded as the Jedi Master moved toward the queen and began explaining that they would have to make an emergency landing on a remote planet called Tatooine.
At first, Padmé didn't like the sound of that, especially after Captain Panaka voiced his disapproval, but Qui-Gon dispelled all of her doubts with one sentence.
"You must trust my judgment."
Oh, yes, Master Jinn. I trust you, and I'll do more than that, if you'll let me, Padmé thought to herself with a wry grin.
She glanced up toward Sabé and gave her an approving wink and supervised as Sabé made a verbal agreement with the Jedi.
Padmé then happily patted the little astromech droid on its top and began to move out of the room in order to clean it up as she had been requested to. On the way, she looked up toward the Jedi apprentice, who had yet said a word to any of them, and frowned as she noted the young man glaring at her.
"How rude." Padmé said to herself later as she scrubbed away at the grime that seemed to be encrusted into every pore of the metallic surface of the droid. Didn't that young man's mother teach him how rude it is to stare?
Padmé laughed quietly to herself. Of course not. Jedi don't have mothers. Well, not that they remembered anyway.
"How about you, little Artoo? Do you have a mother?"
Padmé smiled as she received a confused bleep in response.
Qui-Gon seemed so dignified and mature. She wondered why none of that had rubbed off onto his apprentice. They must have been together for at least ten years, she figured. He must have had some influence. The young man appeared to be in his early twenties. Not bad looking, but nothing compared to his master.
Padmé scrubbed away as more visions of long legs, a broad muscular chest and big, strong hands filled her mind.
She was startled out of her fantasy by the approach of the gungan who had accompanied them on board.
After introducing himself as Jar-Jar Binks, Padmé listened to the strange creature's tale of how he came to be with the Jedi, and then she remembered the conversation she had overheard when they got on board. They were moving down the hallway when they distinctly heard the young apprentice speaking with Jar-Jar.
Padmé knew little of the gungans, but understood that they were not the most intelligent creatures. However, even the most simple-minded beings deserved respect, and from the tone of the young man's voice and the words he had spoken to Jar-Jar, she didn't think he cared much for the gungan; especially when she had overheard him mumbling the word 'pathetic' as he had passed them in the hallway.
Padmé smiled once more as she finished cleaning the droid. She had made a good choice. Now all she had to do was figure out a way to be alone with the Jedi Master.
Maybe the handmaidens would help her.