Red blade on Red Blade, sweat pouring down the owners of the blades. Anger, Betrayal, Pain. As the two are forced back from each other.
"Why turn your back on Mistress Kai?!"
"I was made a slave, I will not enslave another to my will."
"Then you will die here."
One blade flickers and fades, the other strong.
"I may die," a sickly green blade slowly forming in the hands of the speaker as they ready themselves. "but it will be on my two feet, and on ground of my choosing! Come, Lomi Plo and finish me if you dare!"
The duel begins as it always does, Lomi Plo leaping for an overhead strike, trusting in her strength to overpower, but a red male with horns connects red blade with green.
"Greetings, Nightsister."
Eyes open wide as Callera's body jolts to consciousness. Unwrapping the blanket from around her shoulders, to slowly stand against bulkhead she napped against, sleep forgotten. 'Maul was a red-skinned and a Zabrak from Dathomir in my timeline, he must be here as well to recognize…but why call me Nightsister…" Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, she gazes on Jar Jar still asleep in his own corner of the maintenance bay. 'The unknowing enabler of Sidious. Such a well-meaning gentle soul.' Snorting softly as the thoughts continue, 'But does any sentient ever truly 'deserve' its destiny?'
Padding softly to the middle of the room Callera slowly starts her routine. A mix of stretches from her educationsto limber body and mind. The Force flowing through her body from her center to the end of each stretch and back, feeling its power running through her muscles and nerves, and then beyond. As stretches turn to slow katas her senses brush the crew and her fellow passengers; the anxious energy of crew, the calming presence of the Jedi meditating in their room, the sadness and frustration of the Queen and her handmaidens, the snoring Gungan in the corner oblivious to the worries of the now till he awakens. The closing presence of…
"You're good." The voice of Captain Panaka softly echoes in the room as Callera brings her motions to a close. "I haven't seen anyone able to hold a form that well at such a slow speed in a long time, Echani trained?
"And a few others thrown in for good measure Captain." Callera stops her motions to look full at the man, "I've had many different teachers with different styles and philosophies, but they all drilled into me the importance of self-mastery, however I doubt that's what brings you to me."
"You are right. I agree with the basic disguise plan you have, but I want you to help me convince the handmaidens that Padme is not the one who should go on this mission."
'Padme' 'Amidala' 'Padme Amidala?!' Callera's brain struggles to cope as her brain finally connects more dots of her situation. "Why shouldn't she go?" Callera's voice far calmer than her emotions, feeling the Jedi starting to sense her shock she slams down on her feelings in the Force.
"She's had the least amount of training the skills that might be useful on Tatooine; Rabe and Eirtae are the two most likely to help the mission succeed."
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, "I'll recommend it to them, but the choice is theirs and the Queen's."
He nods, "They're proud and headstrong young women who want to the best for Naboo, trying to convince them to do something other than what they've set their mind to is a challenge; but your help will be appreciated."
Callera bows slightly, "Regardless of who goes Captain Panaka, the only way they'll fall is if the Jedi and I fall first. On that you have my word."
It took a few hours from the end of the conversation before one of the handmaidens poked their head into the room. "The Queen and the rest of us are ready for you."
Getting up from her now-familiar bulkhead, Callera follows the young lady into their part of the ship. Opulent for a spaceship yet small, the perfect room for a royalty on the go, the two other handmaidens sitting next to the queen at her desk, all deep in thought.
"What's wrong your Highness?"
"With how fast we took off, there is very little we have to work with for trade." Handing the datapad to the closest handmaiden, they bring it to Callera. She reads it briefly before looking back up at the gathered women.
"What about jewellery?"
"A few minor pieces, but nowhere near the amount we'll need."
"That's okay, we can take them. Maybe a story about one of them being an heirloom and credits for collateral will get us the hyperdrive and just need to come back with the rest of the money. Doubtful, but it's a start."
"Do you think we can get a hyperdrive Callera?" The handmaiden closest to her speaks up.
"Possibly. We might also just be able to secure transport for a few of us to Courscant and the rest of us wait here for pick up. No matter what we are getting her highness off-world as fast as possible. And for that we need what's in there." Pointing at what looks to be the closet. "Start pulling out every pair of pants, leggings, and skirts designed to be worn over leggings."
"What about shoes?"
"We'll start seeing what works with the rest, but comfy and sturdy shoes and boots, place next to the desk for now."
The whole monotony of trying on clothes, for fit, form, and function was punctuated by few moments of conversation.
"The Jedi said you had been brought to Naboo from Dagobah, how?"
"Only the Force knows if I knew how I'd have probably tried to reverse it the moment I showed up in the lake."
"So there are others than the Jedi that can use the Force?"
"There must be hundreds of small cults and tribes across the galaxy with members who can touch the Force, the Jedi are just the biggest and most important to Republic life."
Silence for a few minutes as everyone puts some of the 'known failure' items into a corner for the time being. The same handmaiden to ask about her on Naboo speaks up again, "It was one of those cults that saved you from being a.." fumbling for a polite word the girl stops.
"Concubine, sex toy, kept woman," Callera smiles slightly at the attempt at being polite, "all are acceptable because they are true. Taught etiquette and social skills as soon as I could speak. I was lucky in that the one they were grooming me for wanted someone who could mentally stimulate him, so I was given a broad range of topics to learn from while keeping myself in his 'ideal form' as he grew up as well." Eyes staring through the bulkhead as she continues, "I was thirteen when I found out my purpose, 'to make sure Phelan never cheated on his wife to be, except with me.' And that burned."
"And that's when your Mistress found you?"
"That took another year. My resentment called out to Mistress Kai, and she and a few of her followers came calling. With the right words, I was sold like cattle to her, and she pushed me to develop myself. But not for anyone else, for myself and my survival. Her 'school' was about survival of the strong, to get anywhere I had to push and prove myself. As I said on Naboo; I'd traded a master for a mistress, as much as I have come to abhor her teachings, she did set me on a path of learning about the Force and myself."
Reaching towards the bed, she grabs the one pair of leggings that stretched to fit her. "But enough history for a bit; we've got the outfit one of you will use ready, time to try and finish mine." The four young women nod in agreement.
The dark blue blouse and grey tunic they'd picked out was perfect for a daughter of a traveling merchant , an inclusion of one of the smaller necklaces to the outfit as something the girl 'could never part with' was added for an intentional 'mistake."
Callera's oufit was snug and tight on her; the girls were younger and smaller than she was, but she made do. Brown leggings with a red off the hip sash leaving her right hip exposed for holster and blaster she'd be getting from the guards. She choose a white shirt, but had only buttoned halfway, any higher and she'd risk strangling herself.
The Queen looks at the three handmaidens and then towards Callera. "We shall take our own counsel on the matter at this time, thank you for your assistance in preparing us."
Knowing a full dismissal when she hears one, all Callera could do was to bow and withdraw, shuffling out in still bare feet with a pair of boots in hand to stretch. Captain Panaka waiting outside the door, steps in beside her as she heads back to the bay to try and heat up and stretch the boots just a little more "I wasn't able to voice my opinion Captain. I was never asked who should go, and when I asked; I was dismissed to make these boots comfortable."
Panaka's frustrated grimace is all the answer she needs, no peeking in the Force necessary. Staring him clear in the eye with her icy blue orbs, "Whoever is chosen will return alive, I stake my life on it."