TATOOINE

After the commotion had settled down, and they were in the safety of deep space, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan found themselves in the presence of Queen Amidala.

"...An extremely well put together little droid. Without a doubt, it saved the ship, as well as our lives." Captain Panaka said, regarding the little blue droid beside the Jedi. "But of course, we couldn't have done it without Shasta Eve. The strength she had shown in that moment was truly…admirable," he said with awe.

"I heard she is ill," Queen Amidala said solemnly while bowing her head. She had seen Shasta in action and never would've guessed that she was burdened with poison. The young Eve was exceptionally good at hiding it. "Is there nothing that can be done to help?"

Qui-Gon shook his head. "Unfortunately, there isn't. And Shasta had already asked us to not worry about it. That it was her burden to carry…and no one else's."

Queen Amidala remained quiet for a time, weighing the words on both her heart mind. "If that is what she wishes…then it is what we shall do." She closed her eyes and took a breath. "Captain, what is the number of the droid?"

The little droid let out an erratic series of beeps as Panaka leaned over to get a look at its numbers.

"R2-D2, Your Highness," he replied.

"Thank you, R2-D2. You have proven to be very loyal...Padme!" Amidala called out. Padme walked out from behind the queen and bowed in front of her. "Clean this droid up the best you can. It deserves our gratitude..." She ordered and turned back to Panaka. "Continue, Captain."

Captain Panaka became slightly nervous as he looked over at the two Jedi.

Qui-Gon spoke up first. "Your Highness, we are heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It is a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation. There we will be able to make needed repairs, then travel on to Coruscant."

"Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous," Panaka interjected. "It's controlled by an alliance of gangs called the Hutts. I do not agree with the Jedi on this."

"You must trust my judgement, Your Highness." Qui-Gon said. "Shasta has experience on Tatooine, and she had already agreed to be our guide. I do believe we'll be fine if we follow her lead," he said, despite the skeptical looks some of the crew members were giving him.

Complying with her orders, Padme took R2 into the main area where she began to scrub the scorch marks off his surface. It was harder than she thought though, and no amount of scrubbing could get the grime off. It wasn't until Shasta came up from behind and waved a can of oil in front of her eyes.

"Use this. It'll help," Shasta said. She took a seat across from Padme and grabbed a nearby rag to start helping.

Padme offered a polite and sincere smile. "Thank you. This little guy is quite a mess."

Shasta nodded, running her oil-covered rag across R2's joints. "Oh, he is. lucky little droid too," she agreed

"How are you feeling?" Padme asked, noticing how much better Shasta now looked. She wasn't deadly pale anymore and had at least some color back to her skin.

Shasta gave a so-so manner. "Throat still hurts but only because of the medicine. It'll eventually pass, and I'll be fine afterword's." she said halfheartedly.

Padme grimaced. "but…you'll still be…"

"Poisoned, I know." Shasta said sternly before looking up and meeting the young woman's eyes. "Padme, right? Here's the thing. I've been living with this condition since the moment I was born. It wasn't ever something for me to be sad about. It was just…unfortunate really."

"That's awful though."

"Yeah, but it's not all bad." Shasta huffed and leaned back in her seat. Her attention soon drifted, turning into a thousand-yard stare filled with remembrance. "My mother lived with Evergaol poisoning longer than anyone else. She had a natural resistance to it that held the worser symptoms at bay. Because of that, I'm hoping I can live just as long as she did…" her words drifted off as she slowly came out of her trance. She blinked a couple times before smiling and reaching out her hand. "But thank you for the concern."

Like a mirror, Padme smiled back and shook Shasta's hand. "You have quite a good attitude, despite your situation."

As their hands connected, Shasta's face slowly morphed from slight shock to a smirk of realization. Her bright eyes sparked with mischievous curiosity as she opened her mouth, speaking in hunched tones. "As you…apparently."

Padme looked puzzled. "Sorry?"

"It's nothing," Shasta said, shaking her head. "Besides, I thank that Gungan behind you wants to talk."

Padme turned perplexed before looking over her shoulder. She saw Jar Jar half standing in the doorway, almost like he was hiding. He only fully came out when Shasta gestured him over.

"Hi," Padme started.

Jar Jar gave an awkward wave. "Hi. Mesa Ja Ja Binksss..."

"I'm Padme, I attend Her Highness," she introduced. "You're a Gungan, right? How did you end up here with us?"

Shasta chirped up, snickering to herself. "Now that's a long story." she said quietly.

"Me no know...mesa day starten pitty okeyday witda brisky morning munchen. Den boom...getten berry skeered, un grabbed Shasta, and before mesa knowen it...pow! Mesa here." Jar Jar gave an exasperated sight and sat down on the floor in front of them.

Padme's face pushed up with confusion. "Is…is that so?" she asked, looking over to Shasta for some clarity.

Shasta shrugged. "Long story short, yeah. That's basically what happened." She laid her hand over R2's head as the droid gave a sympathetic beep.

"Shasta, you've been to Tatooine, right? What is it like there?" Obi-Wan asked, looking over Shasta's shoulder as she inspected the radar.

Shasta pushed her lips up into a frown. She stared at the desolate planet for a long time before speaking. "Sandy…" she said with disgust. Obi-Wan frowned and gave her an odd look, but Shasta only shrugged and gave him a teasing smirk. "Well, I'm not joking. It's a very hot and sandy planet. Nothing but junk there, but… it's a good place to go if you're trying to hide." She recalculated the scanner and zoomed in to see if there were any settlements nearby. "Here," she said, gesturing Qui-Gon over. "Looks like a spaceport here. We can land near the outskirts and head in to see what we can fine."

Qui-Gon nodded and patted the chair Shasta was sitting on. "Will you be joining me?"

"I said I would," Shasta responded while leaning back and crossing her arms. "Just make sure you follow my lead, and everything will turn out fine."

Upon hearing this, Obi-Wan's face cringed up a little. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You were, well…."

"Sick?" Shasta said bluntly, not fazed at all by what he said. She took in a deep breath and huffed. "Didn't I already say to drop the subject?"

Obi-Wan stiffed at her flat tone and nodded his head, stepping back a bit so Shasta could get up. "Sorry, you know I didn't mean to offend you. I just…"

"Don't be so stiff about it," Shasta said and offered a small smile. She walked on past him and patted his shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with being concerned for someone, but please understand that I am fine." As she slipped past into another room, she muttered her final words under her breath. "I kinda have to be…."

"Are you sure bringing the Gungan along is a good idea?" Qui-Gon asked while putting on his new ensemble. He had taken Shasta's advice and decided to dress in plain, dull-colored clothes to draw attention away from them. "I mean, he's quite…."

"Accident prone? Yeah, I know, but there's a lot of different species here on Tatooine, so having him in our party will draw less attention," Shasta said as she wrapped a long brown scarf around her head and neck.

The last time she was on Tatooine, her dark hair and light eyes attracted a lot of unnecessary attention. So she knew beforehand she had to cover up more.

They stepped out of the room and saw Obi-Wan inspecting the damaged hyperdrive generator.

"Master," Obi-Wan said when Qui-Gon and Shasta approached. "The Hyperdrive generator is gone. We will need a new one." He stepped to the side so Shasta could have a look. She kneeled before the generator and ran her fingers along the dark black scorch marks.

"You're right. I imagine it's gonna be pretty pricy too. Especially out in these parts." Shasta agreed.

Qui-Gon moved in close and suddenly spoke to Obi-Wan and Shasta in a quiet voice. "Don't let them send any transmissions. Be wary...I sense a disturbance in the Force," he warned him.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement, sharing a look with Shasta. "I felt it also, Master."

Qui-Gon and Shasta wasted no more time and exited the ship with R2-D2 and a reluctant Jar Jar. The heat of the twin suns was intense, and they could already feel sweat beading off their skin as they were exposed to the sun's heat. The sand was hot beneath their feet, and the air was dry and heavy.

Instantly, Shasta was reminded why she never liked coming to Tatooine. The intense weather was harsh, but it was worse for someone with her condition. Her throat was already sore, but the dry weather just made it worse. She knew she was going to be fine, but it was still going to be an uncomfortable trip for her.

"Ugh… let's hurry up and get off this cursed planet," Shasta grumbled as she took the lead.

They didn't get far from the ship until they heard Captain Panaka and Padme running to catch up with them.

"Wait!" Panaka said. "Her Highness commands you to take her handmaiden with you. She wishes for her to observe the local..."

Qui-Gon's face quickly became stern. "No more commands from Her Highness today, Captain. This spaceport is not going to be pleasant..."

"The Queen wishes it. She is curious about this planet," Panaka persisted.

"I've been trained in defense... I can take care of myself." Padme said while staring directly at Shasta, giving her a knowing look. "If… that's alright with our guide."

Shasta slowly raised a brow. "You'll never find a rougher place like Tatooine. Let's call it a learning experience and leave it at that."

"Are you so sure," Qui-Gon argued, not liking that Shasta was being so lenient. She knew better than anyone that Tatooine was a dangerous place. So why let Padme go? "We don't have the time, and this is not a good idea."

Shasta scoffed. "All we got left is bad ideas. Besides, she'll be with you and me. What's the worse that could happen," she said before turning around and continuing on, pretending not to notice the widening smile Padme had on her round face.