The next day, they hit planet side, Gert rode with the other techs to the ambassador hostile. She wasn't too sure about the security. The building was open and her sharp eyes noted minimal surveillance and a strikingly short supply of plain cloths security. Sitting gornts if anything happens. She just hoped General Rieekan had brought his own people along with the squadrons. She'd been left out of such details. The gardens did look pretty when they passed over them she decided. She hadn't been in a really nice garden in a couple of years. She didn't suppose they would be letting her play in the dirt much. Leia would probably have fits over her ruining her fresh manicure. It had taken some time to get the grease out from under her fingernails and make them reasonably resemble the hands of the lady she once was as opposed to the spanner monkey she'd become.
Her shuttle touched down around the same time as the Rogues were landing. She followed Pirgi out of the shuttle and caught herself unconsciously looking for an already familiar checker board helmet. She looked down and quickly feigned interest in her pockets when he caught her eye and winked. The Falcon landed next and most everyone's attention shifted openly or covertly to it's occupants. Leia and 3p0 came down the ramp first followed closely by Han who Gert suspected was doing so mostly to enjoy the view as Leia was wearing pale blue slacks and a short darker blue tunic with bell sleeves. Gert was amused by Leia's deliberate casual but not too casual outfit of similar style as their hosts would wear. Chewie had finished shutting down the Falcon and barked a comment at Han who turned around annoyed.
"I don't know, why don't you ask?"
"Ask what?" Leia asked him over her shoulder.
"He wants to know where dinner is."
Leia chuckled and so did Gert for a different reason. Chewie had reprimanded Han for ogling Leia's back not asking about food but she doubted very many people knew enough Shyriiwook to know he'd actually said something along the lines of why are you checking out her rear again not where is the food. She herself only partially understood the question.
Other ships started landing on the pad and most of the Rogues, Han, Leia and Gert's crew moved away to give them room. The Senali delegation walked in surrounded by Prince Leed's personal guard. "Good afternoon Princess, General, Captan." He said, bowing to Leia General Reekan and Han who were standing together at the edge of the platform. "I trust your flight went well?"
Leia plastered her professional smile on and turned to the prince. "Good afternoon Prince Leed, our flight went well and your moon is truly lovely."
"Ah Princess Leia, you grow more beautiful every day." He bowed formally, the warm afternoon sun gleaming off his dark red shimersilk tunic.
Han looked off to the side and rolled his eyes at Chewie who chuckled softly.
"And you grow more handsome every day Prince Leed." Leia gave the prince her best professional politician smile.
"Shall we discus the coming events here in this cold hanger of the comfort of my home princess?" Prince Leed's tone indicated it was not in fact, a request.
"I would enjoy seeing your lovely home Prince Leed, I'm sure it is every bit as beautiful as reputed." She smiled engagingly at him though anyone that knew her knew her eyes had gone cold. "Please allow me to assemble my security and we will join you." There had been recent reports of pirate unrest in the area and General Rieekan had requested Leia to take no unnecessary risks in spite of her extensive self defense training.
"That will not be necessary princess, as you can see, I already have security present." Again, the prince's tone seemed a more a warning than an offer.
"Of course Prince Leed, Han, please com Commander Skywalker and ask him to join us." Her professional smile stayed in place but Han and Rieekan could hear the chill in her voice. She would not be out maneuvered that quickly. "Captain Solo and Commander Skywalker will be coordinating the arial display tomorrow afternoon."
"Very well Princess, please follow me once your staff is assembled." The prince seemed aware that he'd been out maneuvered by the former senator and nodded again.
Luke joined them at that moment. "Leia?"
"Commander Skywalker, I am pleased to introduce you to Prince Leed of the Senali. He was named for his great great grandfather who once saved his system from civil war."
"Ah, nice to meet you sir." Luke noted Leia's formal tone and stood a bit straighter than usual, causing Han to once again roll his eyes.
"Shall we proceed then princess?" The tall prince asked, his head tilted in a Senali version of exasperation.
"Of course."
Han, Chewie, Luke and Rieekan formed up around Leia, effectively blocking any of Prince Leed's two meter tall security entourage from pulling any funny business. Leia openly grinned when the prince wasn't looking, he was too busy giving a history lesson about the buildings they were passing that she already had not only studied, but could probably tell the prince more about their defensibility and structure than he could himself. She glanced around at her honor guard and grinned again. Corellians she though drolly. Luke wasn't one but he spent so much time around Wedge and Han he was starting to act like them as more time went by.
"What a piece of work."
Gert started. Wes had come up behind her without her actively noticing. She heard him chuckle at her much to her chagrin. "Who?"
"The prince. That one likes to play power games just for poodoo and giggles."
Gert nodded in agreement. She was glad Leia was so extremely good at them. In spite of her father's insistence that she possessed natural talent at maneuvering people, Gert had always felt somewhat out of her element dealing with slick oily posturing politicians and envied Leia's poise. "I think they are supposed to be like that."
"Who are?"
"Politicians, I believe it's one of the rules."
Her tone was so dry and mater of fact Wes laughed. He'd only known her a couple of days but he'd figured out Gert had the same dry sarcastic sense of humor Leia did. "Leia is sharp enough to handle him."
"Makes you glad she's on our side isn't it?"
He grinned and chuckled again at her dry tone. "Gerty, you have a unique view of the universe."
Gert turned and looked up at him, her heart did a happy little back flip when she met his eyes. "You don't know…" She never got to finish that sentence. Wedge, Tycho and Hobbie had walked up to join the conversation.
"Wow Wes, I think we finally found someone with a bigger ego than you." Wedge grinned. "Or were you too busy making eyes at Gert to notice that bloated wind bag prince?"
"I noticed." Wes said defensively, he almost had not. He'd locked down his fighter as quickly as he could, always keeping an eye on her position in the crowd of people and gone to where she was standing by some equipment crates as quickly as he'd been able to without looking too obvious about it or so he thought. Of course, half the squad had noticed and nudged each other.
"I wouldn't have noticed." Tycho smiled down at Gert. "Not with something so much more beautiful to look at."
"Why Tycho," Gert said with a warm smile, "You have the soul of a poet."
"Yah and the brain of a mynock." Wes growled.
"You're just mad because he's making moves on the girl you staked out" Wedge said grinning.
"He has to share. We all saw her at the same time." Hobbie had wandered into the conversation just because it looked interesting. Dax was right behind him.
"Yah Wes, you didn't get to call dibs this time." Dax's tone was mockingly whiny and a rather fair impression of Luke."
Wes and Wedge chuckled at the impression.
"Why do I suddenly feel like a bantha bone in a rancor cage?" Gert asked none of them in particular and was not surprised when they didn't pay any attention either.
"I know," Hobbie said enthusiastically, "we'll call rock flimsy vibroblade for her."
"Good idea Hobbie," Dax said. "Wes is bad at that game."
"I am not!"
"Ok, one… two… three…"
Gert threw up her hands and walked away muttering.
"Was it something we said?" Tycho asked no one in particular.