Landing on Tatooine was a lackluster affair. Despite the Qui-Gon's insistence at landing away from the spaceport, Hawk successfully argued landing within Mos Espa. If they landed on the outskirts of town, people would notice, and people that noticed tended to gossip, for better or worse. Gossip traveled faster than most starships, and no matter how hard they tried to hide the Queen then, someone inadvertently would slip up (Wolf put her money of Jar Jar or one of the handmaidens), leaking vital information.
Cost them some trade, but Wolf definitely preferred it to having to hike to town and back. Plus, they were much closer to the cantina. Even if Hawk didn't quite approve, taking a job right now would give them good cover.
"Thank you." Wolf looked up at Padme, the injured handmaiden/queen/decoy. She came in to check the bandages to find the younger girl up and dressing in very plain blue and brown clothes. Definitely not the garb of a handmaiden or a queen.
"Not a problem," she said, smiling as her hair fell into her face. She tucked a black lock behind her hair. Her hated helmet rested nearby, waiting to be placed back on her head. "I'm just thankful I could minimize the scar."
"That's-that's my fault," Padme said. "I shouldn't have tried to help."
Wolf tucked the bandage back around her chest, letting the blue shirt fall back to cover her. "The urge never really goes away. You know?"
"You've…your people aren't dying on a planet lightyears away," Padme said. She tried to glare at Wolf, but her eyes moved off to stare elsewhere.
"Technically, they are," Wolf said, smiling through the painful memories. A long way from home and no way to return. The maps held no reference to Earth, and all interstellar examination of the planet were thousands of years old. So even if they found a way back home, there was no guarantee it would be the Earth they remembered. Everyone could be dead for hundreds of years or maybe not even born.
The shadow in the Force kept growing larger, looming in the distance but never going closer. In her dreams, the shadow haunted her, draping and lofting as if an unseen wind ran through it. Just on the other side, she swore she heard voices. The similarities between the shadow and the Veil of Death back at the Department of Mysteries scared her more than she'd admit. "I've just…if I can't do anything now, then why worry about it?"
"But I could be doing something now," Padme said. She started to stand, trying to push off Wolf's hands. Royalty were always difficult to deal with, but oddly the Naboo elected their queen. So technically, it wasn't a monarchy, or at least, not in the sense that Wolf understood them. Still, Padme was used to getting what she wanted, even if it meant playing as a decoy to protect her. "I should be with them –"
"In the camps? Held hostage?" Wolf offered, stopping whatever thoughts she may have had. "We've dealt with situations like that. Not on this level, but hostages are a lot harder to deal with than aiding runaways."
"So what then," Padme flopped back down onto the makeshift bed. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Pouting only makes you look cute," Wolf said, smirking at the now blushing queen/handmaiden. "It solves nothing, so stop that."
"Giving advice you can't follow?" Both of them turned to see Hawk in her armor leaning against the doorway. Her helmet must be back in their quarters, so either she didn't care if they were going to be noticed or wasn't expecting trouble.
"Well, you just have to know when the pout works," Wolf said, winking at Padme. She turned back to Hawk, standing from her position at the girl's side. "Did the men decide something?"
Hawk snorted, standing upright from her position at the door frame. "Apparently, Jinn is going to go in search of new parts."
"New parts?" Padme asked. She looked between them, silently imploring for more.
"Right, your doctor sequestered you away," Hawk said. Wolf shot back a smile at Padme. Captain Panaka expressed his displeasure with Wolf making Padme rest and with the queen being sedated. Even when she calmly explained to him the queen needed to rest if she wanted to get out of it without any more damage to her ribs or a large scar, the Captain still postured and blustered about. Obi-Wan stepped in at that point to calm the man down, else Wolf may have followed through on the threat to remove the dick he felt the need to keep waving in order to get his way. "The hyperdrive generator's busted. Barely managed to make it here. On top of that, we've got nothing to trade."
"Trade? Why would we need to trade?" Padme asked, finally leaving the bed.
Wolf's grin fell. Padme lived a sheltered life, and in all likelihood, this was the first time she'd ever gone to a non-Republic planet. Not everything rotated around the Republic, and the life of a politician meant life in the upper echelons of society. Two things Wolf avoided, despite the money and the political power she could weld (if they ever got home).
"They likely won't accept credits here," Hawk explained. "Even if they did, the cost may be more than worth trading for."
"Even if we had something they wanted, it may not be something you'd be willing to give up," Wolf added. She thought of the slaver's ring they broke up on Ylesia system.
The job seemed simply on its face: Head to Ylesia, meet with some religious dudes and escort a young girl from there to a nearby orbital station only a couple dozen parsecs away or so. Turns out the religious dudes, not so religious and more of the slave owner types than anything else. The girl? Kidnapped from her family on Hutta as 'insurance' against reprisals from one of the Hutt lords. And the distance? Like half the galaxy away when things boiled down to the nuts and bolts. The route the kidnappers wanted to take pushed pasted Republic patrols and scans. So all and all, great choice in job.
Picking up the girl, a young Twilik named Eli're, was simple enough. At the time, they had their own spacecraft, The Old Marauder, an old cargo ship retrofitted with several blasters and a cache of rockets. They landed on Ylesia at the rendezvous point, where Eli're was escorted by several large humans and zabraks. Hawk stayed silent, letting Wolf handle the initial interaction. Hawk's gaze swept over their 'employers,' judging them and no doubt finding them lacking on numerous criteria (including hygiene). The initial control stated only Eli're would be traveling with them, but Reacher, the human in charge, changed it on the landing pad: Instead, three grunts (two of the zabraks and one human) would be going with them. At the time, it only served as a point of irritation for them, and Wolf promptly negotiated an increase in their payment, much to Reacher's displeasure. After his posturing, Reacher relented to their demands.
Reaching out with the Force, Wolf felt Eli're's fear as they brought her on board. The accompanying guard started to make their own demands when Hawk escorted her to their lodging area (really just modified cargo holds, but the beds were newish and everything was clean). The same fear rang out through the Force even louder. The new sensations brought on through the Force nearly crippled Wolf. She collapsed against the bulkhead, trying to maintain a calm through the emotional storm coming off of Eli're.
A hand on her shoulder broke the memory. "Calm down love." Hawk whispered. Wolf turned into her, wrapping her arms around Hawk's neck. She let herself be pulled up, barely standing on her tip-toes to tuck her head against Hawk. Arms held her close, tightening a bit as she worked to center herself.
Reaching out to the Force, Wolf tried to bleed out the anger and rage. She tried to let go of the fear she felt rolling over her when she met Eli're. Unlike magic, the Force freely accepted her negative thoughts. It opened its arms wide, surrounding Wolf as surely as Hawk's arms. Magic crackled and spat back the emotions, letting them gather into a storm she couldn't control. A warmth settled inside her as she let go of the pain from the memory. In time, maybe she would be able to handle the memory in full, but for now she would just have to accept that her inability in the past did not translate to failure in the present.
Hawk laid a kiss on her head. "Better?" She whispered into her hair. Wolf nodded into her chest, focusing on her heart beat and letting that carry her fear and anger into the Force. Her breathing settled as she focused back on the present. "You up for working?"
"Always," Wolf said into her breastbone before pulling back. She pulled herself the last few inches up to kiss Hawk fully. Their lips touched in a short brush before a long slow drawl. Wolf nipped her lip, pulling back and dragging Hawk down with her. Releasing her fully, she caught Hawk's stunned face, smirking to herself even as she reached out through the Force to caress the energy within Hawk.
"Wow." Wolf turned to catch Padme's blushing face. "That was…I'm so sorry for intruding on that."
"It's okay," Hawk said, recovering but staying close by. "We tend to forget that other people aren't quite used to such public displays of affection."
Padme shook her head, her blush deepening. "No, it wasn't that. It's just – you looked so – I mean, I've never seem two people so free like that."
"Do you mean two women?" Wolf asked, trying to ignore the irritation that arose at the thought. Even in a so-called civilized galaxy, bigots would be bigots.
Except Padme looked too distraught over Wolf's assumption. "No. I just mean – It's not that you love each other, I'm just…. I'm so sorry."
"Wolf, leave the poor girl alone," Hawk said, shaking her head. Wolf tried not to jump from the finger sharply poking her side. "We're sorry. Normally we are a little more restrained, but it has been a hectic day."
"No, I understand," Padme said. Her shoulders slumped a little, a sheepish smile on her lips. "Being a-a-a handmaiden to the queen means I have given up my life for both her and the people."
"You know you're not fooling anyone in this room," Wolf said, staring at her. Padme shuffled underneath the gaze, trying to avoid eye-contact with both them. For all the trappings of her office, it was easy to see her as a young teenager. She might have found her place in the world, but, as she now knew, the world wasn't as kind to her as she was to it. "For a queen, you have a very bad Sabaac face."
"S'not my fault. You're the one giving me painkill – " Padme stopped mid-sentence, her hand covering her mouth to prevent any more words come out. Wolf started to giggle, and even Hawk managed to laugh.
"Relax, we're not going to go blabbing it," Wolf said, smiling a little more freely. "Though, you should have trusted us."
"Wolf," Hawk growled lightly.
"I'm just saying, we are now her security force and should have been made aware of this," Wolf said. She tried to look innocent, bring her shoulders in to make herself smaller and shuffling back and forth on her feet. Hawk wasn't buying it and only intensified her glare. "Fine, I shouldn't have blabbed it to the Jedi."
"There, was that so hard to admit," Hawk said, kissing Wolf's head again. She pulled her to lean against her body before focusing on Padme. "Now that we know, it actually will be easier to hide you in plain sight. Just going to need all the handmaidens in garb like you."
"Really? Why?" Padme asked. Hawk stepped to the side, letting go of Wolf to leave the room. Wolf tried to keep her whine soft. Losing contact with Hawk didn't mean losing their connection, but whenever they touched, Wolf felt the Force sing through them (even if they had to have their clothes on).
"Guarding one person makes it obvious who is the target," Hawk said as they walked to the common area where the others probably were waiting.
"Add in the decoys, the security can play three-card monty all we want," Wolf added from a few steps behind them.
"But if you didn't know who I was?"
Wolf responded first, "Then we run the risk of protecting the wrong person. Ah, see, we weren't running late, and your queen is fine." She spoke the last part to Captain Panaka who glare at him from the other side of the common room.
"We agree with their assessment, your Highness," Qui-Gon said. "We will be working on resupplying while we are here, as well as attempting to get a hyperdrive generator."
"Given the number of markets in close proximity, it should not be too long," Obi-Wan said. He held up a hand, stopping Wolf from interrupting. "Provided we have the necessary funds to pay for it."
"Yes, I've been made aware of our situation," Padme said. Wolf caught the subtle shift in her behavior. Despite her small stature and young appearance, the Queen stood straight, held her head higher. Her voice firm in cadence, never faltering or even breaking under the strain. The painkillers skill coursing through her system only held her in check. "I will be accompanying one of the groups heading toward the market." This time, she held up a hand, stopping any more interruptions. "I will not be sidelined in the name of protecting me. A moving target is less likely to be struck, and if anyone were to stay on the yacht, then the guards our protectors paid off will likely talk."
"They better not," Hawk muttered. Wolf looked up, catching the smile on Hawk's lips. They traded a few gems, not very large ones but enough to get them appropriate cover for the next few days. If they needed more, then Wolf definitely needed to line them up a job or two.
"One of us will be with her at all times," Wolf spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to them.
"As will Obi-Wan or myself," Qui-Gon said. "I would like to you understand you are exposing yourself to a larger threat by moving out in the open, your Highness."
"I have exposed myself to threats since taking the throne," Padme said, countering his argument. "As you stated earlier, the only difference is no one is looking for me here."
"You will not wander off?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Any more than I would with my own guards," Padme said, nodding toward the captain of her guard. Wolf tried to catch her eyes, offering the queen her vote of confidence. "I will not be sidelined, here or at the Senate."
Qui-Gon nodded in approval, finally accepting her comprise. "Very well, your Highness, but be mindful of your arrogance."
Padme arched an eyebrow but said nothing in return. She signaled her handmaidens, moving with them to her chamber to change into something similar to her own peasant garb. Wolf watched them leave, waiting for them to be out of ear-shot before turning to the Master Jedi. "She's going with you, isn't she?"
"It would make sense, and given her age, she could pass as my daughter," Qui-Gon offered. "And we would not need you to guard us as well."
"We are more noticeable," Hawk said, conceding his point.
Wolf sighed. She liked Padme a lot, and being around other females would do the girl some good, especially ones not there to solely advise her. Plus, she kind of wanted to know what kind of life a queen lived. She might have time later to ask the questions in private, but it seemed like Panaka wouldn't leave them alone with her again. "Fine, but if we're off on our own, I'm getting us some work."
"Then it may be best if I went along with Wolf," Obi-Wan said, earning a smile from her and an amused look from his Master.
"You're not using this as a chance to hit on my mate, are you?" Hawk asked. Obi-Wan sputtered and blushed at the question, looking between her and his master for help. Wolf stifled her giggles as best as she could. Obi-Wan was cute, but he definitely wasn't her type.
Even if men found her sexually attractive, she never would respond in the same way. She'd known that much about herself after a brief encounter with a very hot Veela in her fourth year at Hogwarts. Said encounter might have involved the Veela bumping her impressive chest in her (apparently Veela magic helped them carry such an impressive weight despite her lithe body), and maybe she stole a kiss or two. Had Jen not been overwhelmed by the Veela's allure on full bore, she might have managed to say something. Thankfully, the encounter didn't last long, Jen consented to the kisses, and the Veela in question (the very attractive and very legal Fleur Delacour) apologized immediately for not maintaining control. Of course, Jen made her blush at that point too, responding with a comment about it being too bad.
Wolf never had a chance to explore it more with Fleur as the tourney got in the way, not to mention Ron's very awkward and loud attempts to ask her and Fleur out, Colin's awkward stalking, and well the whole trying not to die. Winning was kind of nice, and she did at least get a kiss out of Fleur, much to Hawk's jealous (only admitted after an offhand comment one night after caught their target, set fire to their room, and broke their bed – not necessarily in that order either).
"I think we'll be fine," Wolf said, through her giggles. "Not like we can get in a lot of trouble in the desert."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "Yes, because you've managed to get us thrown out of just about every bar on Corsuscant."
"Just, try not to draw too much attention." Qui-Gon said. Wolf nodded quickly, knowing that was the best offer she'd get out of the elder Jedi. She'd need to grab a handmaiden, maybe Sabe would like to join them. She'd seen the way the young girl looked at Obi-Wan when she thought not one else was looking. In fact, all of the handmaidens, real or fake, stared at the young Padawan at different points in their journey. She watched the younger man himself, the confidence and courage in his movements belayed his strength and kindness.
"No explosions," Hawk said before she could leave the room.
"No promises!" Wolf shouted back, pulling Obi-Wan with her.
"You're really not to going make anything explode, are you?" Obi-wan asked. She turned back to see trepidation in his eyes.
Wolf sent a smirk back at him. "Please, like we'd start off the trip with explosions." She stopped to knock on the door to the Queen's room. "We'll work our way up to that."
A/N: Thank you everyone for reading this story. As you can see, the time between posts is slowly increasing. I do not plan to abandon this story by any means, but I will be working slowly through it as I have other projects to focus on, including my dissertation. Still, any comments or concerns, please feel free to PM or leave a review.
Also, thank you for the reviews if you have left them. If you have constructive criticism, please feel free to leave it.
Note, the story line of Episode One is starting to diverge greatly here. I am doing my best to make sure Hawk/Hermione and Wolf/Jenna are stars of this story but not the driving powers behind everything. This balance is a bit difficult, but I don't want them to be the direct source of all the changes. Still, just by being there or around they are influencing events.