WPRT CH. 18 (Updated 2021)
Stepping on the Beach
Jo:
Our crew made it back to Padmé's ship and we all boarded in a neat line.
Aaron, Boba, Barris, and Bossk all sat in the lounge area drooling over the new sets of armor, save for Barriss, and I followed Anakin and Padmé to the cockpit. I slumped back into one of the passenger seats as the ship lifted up off of the arena floor and blasted through the atmosphere.
After my heart stopped pounding and my stomach stopped churning from take-off, I looked at our keepers.
Anakin wasn't half bad looking, but he looked incredibly young in his uniform. His face was unlined and relaxed, as if piloting ships was part of his normal routine (I didn't know that it was). His hair was consistent in color, a dirty blonde. He had a rat's tail, braided, and to the side as opposed to the back. Of course, being nosy, I had to ask.
"Why do you have a rat's tail?"
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Your hair. It's all cropped short except that braid. Back on Earth, we call that a 'rat's tail.' You like it like that?"
"Well, as Barris said, we are both still technically padawans or apprentices. That's what the braid and hair is for. Once I'm knighted, I'll have more leeway as to what I can do with my hair. You get a good look at Obi-Wan's hair?"
I shuddered.
"Yes. Yes, I did."
"I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that my hair never looks like that."
"Thank goodness," Padmé murmured.
Then I was able to actually study her.
Her hair wasn't nearly as messy as it should be- considering everything that transpired within the last few hours. Her white outfit, though dusty, was still cute, though I didn't think much of her bare torso...okay, I was jealous of her flat torso. Her deep brown eyes and long thick lashes emphasized her beauty.
"So, how do you people know each other?" I asked, and automatically started kicking myself for starting small talk.
"We met ten years ago, actually," Padmé said with a smile.
"That's exciting," I said.
"It really was. I was the queen of my home planet at the time, and we were suffering at the hands of the Trade Federation. They had blockaded our planet, keeping shipments of food and other goods from getting in or going out. It was quite frightening."
"You were Queen of Naboo? Was I supposed to curtsy or something when we met?"
She giggled a little, taking some of the stress off of her face.
"No. I was elected. I was actually quite popular. I don't say that to brag, but to make a point. I was only fourteen years old, but I knew what I was doing. I selected my advisors carefully.
"Anyway, we needed help, so we contacted the Senate to ask for help. They sent two jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi to meet with the Trade Federation to maybe find out why this was happening. Unfortunately, the meeting did not go well, and they escaped to my planet's surface. They made their way to me and my entourage, helping us escape certain doom."
"They made it out of the fire-fight, but the hyperdrive was damaged, and they had to stop on Tatooine," Anakin picked up the story. "I was a slave, along with my mother, working for a junker, Watto. Qui-Gon, Padmé, Jar Jar Binks, and R2-D2 all came in looking for that part, and Watto had it. Unfortunately, all they had was Republic Credits, which Watto deemed worthless. So, instead they made a wager. Well, two wagers.
"The first wager was if Qui-Gon's pod won the race, then Watto would supply the part, and if Qui-Gon's pod lost, he would have to surrender the ship he arrived in. The second wager was if he won, he also got to take me or my mother with him when he left. Watto used his own cube. Red was my mother, and blue was me. The die rolled blue. Watto was angry, but he was convinced that there was no way that Qui-Gon's pod would win."
"Anakin was the pilot of Qui-Gon's pod. Against the odds, he won. And he went free, and we continued to Coruscant, where I appealed to the senate for help. It was denied. Thankfully, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, my handmaids, and guards were all willing to help regain control of the palace, and we made a successful appeal to the Gungans for help as well, who lead an offensive in the Naboo planes away from the palace in Theed."
"I ended up in space and taking out the command ship of the blockade on accident. R2 was a great help with that...a nine year old flying a full fledged weaponized ship was not ideal, but as I was already a pilot, it over all went very well, and it is a fond memory now… Though at the time it was beyond frightening."
"In the hangar, we met a Sith warrior, and Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon engaged him," Padmé continued excitedly.
"Qui-Gon was killed…Obi-Wan defeated the warrior. Obi-Wan was then knighted and took me as his apprentice."
Anakin bowed his head respectfully when speaking of Qui-Gon's death.
"We took back the Throne Room, allowed the Jedi to burn Qui-Gon's body on our holy grounds, and then had a ceremony celebrating peace and the reunification of the Gungans and Naboo people."
"So that's how we met," Anakin finished.
"That's quite the adventure," I said with a smile.
"We didn't see each other again until a few days ago, because-."
I cut Anakin off and said, "Because of attempts made on Padmé's life by the Separatists. I've gathered that much information in the past few days. So, why is everyone so bent on taking you down, if you don't mind my asking?"
Padmé furrowed her brow and turned to me.
"The only reason I can think of is that I opposed the Military Creation Act. I honestly believed that we didn't need an army to protect us, and this is what it 'hath wrought.' I'm afraid that someone wanted a war so badly, that this would get me out of the way to create one. Who would want this but people that hate the Republic and the peace it stands for?"
Neither of us had an answer for her question.
I cleared my throat and asked, "We are going to Naboo first, right?"
"Yes, we are." Anakin said.
"How long will we be there?"
"A day or two, depending on when we get there and how long it takes to tie the k- er, up loose ends," Anakin said.
"Okay. Well, is there any kind of...family activity that Aaron and I can do with Boba? I mean, since we are his family, we'd like to try and make a memory with him that he can tell his kids about someday."
"Well, where we are going has a nice, lovely beach that you can go to on a freshwater lake. I can arrange a picnic on the beach with the kitchen."
I smiled at the senator.
"Thank you, Padmé."
XxXxXxXx
After exchanging some more small talk, I rejoined the big group in the lounge area.
"What's the sitch?" Aaron asked.
"Well, as promised, we are going to Naboo, which will take about twelve hours. Depending on when we land, which for now is set for around mid afternoon there, will determine when we leave. It seems like there is more than just the couple things they implied to their friends."
"What do they expect us to do during that time? Sit on our rears and twiddle our thumbs?" Bossk asked.
"No. Padmé said there is a nice beach where we will be staying, and that we could have a nice beach picnic."
"I've never been to the beach," Boba said.
"I'm not so sure that I am comfortable with tomfoolery," Barris commented firmly.
"Are you always this uptight?" Aaron asked, while giving her the evil eye.
"All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy," I said smugly.
"I don't like the sound of that," Boba said.
There was a pregnant pause, before Aaron tried to revive the conversation.
"So, a beach picnic, huh? Steppin' on the beach DO DO DO DOOO!"
"Aaron, I don't think that that's quite what-."
"What's that?" Boba asked, eyes watching Aaron intently.
"It's from a show back home. It's about a sponge that lives in the ocean. There's an episode where he goes to the beach and sings that as he's walking along the sand."
"A show about a talking sponge?" Barris asked, rolling her eyes.
"Actually, Barris, it's not half bad, and quite enjoyable. 'A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men,' after all," I smiled.
Barris only humphed at that. Then, she opened her data pad and pretended to read. It was rather unconvincing.
Boba interjected with a question, "How did they get the sponge to talk?"
That question made me laugh inside. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have to explain SpongeBob SquarePants. It's not something that can just be explained. One has to experience it to understand.
Aaron jumped in, "It's a cartoon."
"Cartoon?"
"It's what we call animated videos, specifically moving drawings."
Bossk interrupted, "Oh! You mean like those educational HoloVids that the Republic broadcasts? Those are for babies."
I chuckled.
"In this case, far from it. While yes, the target is children, it is enjoyed by adults as well. The show has run for nearly twenty years, so people, such as myself, have grown up with him."
"That's highly irregular," Bossk said.
"It's just a shame we can't watch some while we are traveling," I said.
"Yes, we can," Aaron laughed.
I gave him my "What are you talking about?" look.
"Laptops. For 'homework.'"
"No Wi-Fi, no way to charge them, forget it," I mumbled.
"I may have some episodes on a flashdrive," he said, while giving me a winning smile.
"And no way to charge it after. We need to conserve power."
"Just let me, please?"
His puppy eyes won me over.
"Fine! But if we get zapped back to Earth and you didn't finish your homework and your professor gives you an auto-F, don't come crying to me," I said.
"You are too worried. Besides, it's either SpongeBob or be bored for twelve hours," he said.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Maybe someone can help us rig up some way to charge our laptops."
I grunted as he pulled out his laptop.
"Boba, I have much to teach you," Aaron said while he lifted the screen.
XxXxXxXx
Aaron showed Boba and Bossk some of the SpongeBob highlights over its twenty year run.
While Bossk and Boba were laughing it up, Anakin stepped in and watched for a little while. I don't think he quite understood, but I did see him crack a few smiles.
Barriss eyed the boys enviously, longing to see what the amusement was, but also too stubborn to cave to their antics.
While I listened, I tried to nap, but only drifted in and out for a couple of hours before giving up for while.
Anakin and Padmé switched places, and she tried watching SpongeBob, but that didn't last long.
"I don't get why it's so funny," she said as she sat down next to me.
"You have to be dumb to like it. Well, not dumb...it's not quite the right word. We are looking more for...relaxed, maybe. Lower standards for humor, we'll say."
"Apparently much lower," she mumbled.
"So, how do you want to do this?" I asked.
"Do what?" she replied.
"We get to Naboo, sure you let Boba and our crew go for a picnic on the beach, but how are you going to keep us contained?"
"Barriss will help with that."
"And she's going to be able to handle all four of us alone?" I asked.
"Do you have a habit of wandering off and exploring?"
"Sometimes," I answered and grinned sheepishly.
Her brown eyes sparkled and she gave a smile of familiarity.
"Of course I end up in custody of people too much like myself."
"Back home, we refer to that as karma," I replied.
"Well, I can always ask the queen to assign some guards to keep tabs on you," she said.
"Wait, wait. If we PROMISE to be good, can we do a tinsy bit of exploring? I mean, we don't break anything or try to escape?
"While it's not wise, I trust you for some reason…."
I gave her my best innocent face, knowing full well that this only had a 50/50 chance of working.
"I suppose it's okay- If, you agree to try to make up with Anakin. I don't think he much cared for your joke."
"I will."
XxXxXxXx
After a few more hours, I finally approached Anakin alone.
"Hey," I said.
"Hey."
"I owe you an apology. I didn't know what to say to seeing you...erm...disarmed, and I panicked. I'm not much of one for social situations, nor do I like people in general. I'd much prefer to stay at home curled up in a blanket reading a book as opposed to an outing like a park or zoo. I just don't like dealing with the public. So, I'm sorry I hurt your feelings."
"I'd like to say it's okay, but that was tasteless."
"It was. I just sometimes have a hard time judging when to use dark humor and when not to, and obviously upon re-examining that situation, I should NOT have said what I said."
Anakin only ignored me.
"Well, then. I'll be seeing you," I said as I backed away.
Anakin only grunted.
Great. You don't even know him and you blew it.
XxXxXxXx
From space, Naboo looked similar to Earth, and for a moment, I was relieved of all stress. The familiar Earth tones made my heart flutter with love, but it did not last, and I remembered this was not my beloved home.
I shook my head and braced myself for landing.
That was the easy part.
We were met on the platform of the palace, and were greeted as we disembarked by Queen Jamillia and some of her advisors.
It was mid afternoon by the look of the sun.
Anakin and Padmé bowed to the queen, and all of us followed her example.
"Bringing back more people than you left with, Senator?"
"Well, erm, we had some unexpected happenings. I will explain them to you now, Majesty," Padmé explained as she and Anakin walked with the queen.
"Should we follow?" I asked Barriss.
"I don't know."
"Just stay right there!" Anakin called over his shoulder.
"We should just stay right here," Barriss said.
I looked at her and she was smiling a bit.
So she DOES have a sense of humor afterall.
"Can we play the dice game until they get back?" Boba asked.
"I don't see why not...Barriss?" I turned to her.
"Dice game?"
"Yeah, I have some D&D dice that we threw yesterday. Just to see who can roll the highest numbers. No real gambling or anything," I explained.
"What's D&D?" she asked.
"Oh, well, it's a game called Dungeons & Dragons that we play back home. You create a character and go on adventures together. But certain movements or speech things need to be rolled to be successful. So, dice are that determining factor. High numbers win, low lose."
"So you were just rolling dice?"
"Yes," Aaron said.
"I suppose it's alright. Just keep it on the platform in plain view."
"I've got three of the d-20s. Do you or Bossk want to play?"
"I'm not interested," Barris said.
"I may as well give it a try," Bossk said.
I handed out the dice.
"Highest number wins," Aaron reminded Bossk.
"One...two...three...Pitch!" I said.
They rolled the dice across the landing pad.
"Ha! I won!" Bossk said after the race to retrieve.
XxXxXxXx
We did this for over an hour, and even Barriss got into it a little before the end, especially after the silly bets started up (cleaning weapons, cleaning freshers, loser misses dessert, etc.), and it was all in good fun.
Anakin and Padmé told us to round up our gear and meet them at the air-boat down on the river. It would take us to the lakehouse.
"Cool."
"And clean up for dinner. We will call for you when you need to come in to get ready. After you leave for the beach, do not return until I say. Anakin and I will be knocking some very important things out of the way. I know I said you could explore, and you still can, but you have to keep it out of the lake house until we say. Okay?"
I eyed her.
"No, you promised," I said with a strained smile.
"Okay. But you can explore the house, but you have to keep it off the back porch, okay? Anakin is going to try and help me find my...memory chip that I dropped."
"We could help you," Barriss said.
"We've got it. Besides, I also promised a beach picnic. And as Jo reminded me, I should keep my promises to the best of my ability."
"As you wish," Barriss said with a huff.
XxXxXxXx
The boat ride was rather uneventful. We made it alive to the house, Padmé took us to our rooms, and she told us to put on beach attire.
We had none.
Thankfully, Aaron and I each had shorts, which Boba said he had spare underwear, and Bossk said he did, too.
So, after a few minutes, we met Padmé down the hall, who escorted us to the beachfront.
Bossk led the way down the steps, happy for a chance to take a dip, Boba followed him, I was situated behind him, Barris was behind me, and Aaron behind her.
"Just trust me. I won't run away," he said when she tried to protest.
We walked down the marble steps and all stepped on the beach.
I was wearing my sleep shorts and a cami, and stepped off to the right when it was my turn.
Aaron cleared his throat and as he stepped onto the sand, he said, "Steppin' on the beach Do Do Do DOOOOO!"
Boba and Bossk burst into a fit of laughter at the ridiculous display. Barriss did her usual eye roll. I chuckled.
After things calmed down, our picnic was underway. There were some tables and chairs set out, as well as some lounge chairs, like one would find on Earth. Aaron had his phone in one hand and a small stereo in the other.
"Are you sure that you should be wasting your battery on music?"
"Don't worry. We will get something figured out with Anakin in that regard. You worry too much," Aaron said.
I scoffed as "Surfin' USA" blasted through the speakers.
"What is this?" Boba asked.
"This is the Beach Boys, Boba. He thinks he's being funny," I answered.
"Oh. That's the style?"
"No, that's the name of the band. The style is Rock'n roll. Specifically from the Sixties."
"Rockin Roll? The Sixties?"
"We have so much to teach you about our music."
Bossk butted in, "Well whatever it is. I. AM. LOVING IT!"
He gave us a very bemusing sight of him trying to dance to the music.
XxXxXxXx
I waded a little into the lake about an hour after we arrived. Barriss joined me after a while.
Aaron, Boba, and Bossk were taking turns to see who could run and then jump the farthest (Bossk was winning).
Barriss asked me some questions about our lives back on Earth. There was no reason to tell her everything yet, we'd be telling the Jedi Council everything anyway.
"So, your planet has its own way of doing things without the galaxy? And you just get along?"
"No, definitely not. Most have a mutual understanding that people operate differently than others. What does happen is that they interfere with others' affairs the wrong way. It's all a means to see who is on top."
"So it is no different than the galaxy then."
"In a way, but our world is much closer than it has been within the last hundred years. And not just in transportation, communicating has become one big roller coaster."
Barriss sighed in frustration, "I don't even know what that is."
"It's a type of fun ride that you would find in an amusement park. I assume you have those?"
She rolled her eyes, "Yes, we do. But Jedi have no time for such things."
Bariss sounded slightly disappointed as she finished that statement.
Is the life of a Jedi that boring? That you can't have fun?
"That still boggles my mind that you can't have a love life."
"Such things, as I have said, lead to our own destruction. We forget when we seek after our own desires. It can compromise the mission, our Order."
"Well what happens when your Order asks you to go against what is right? They are people after all."
Bariss's face scrunched up with a hint of annoyance, "I would be careful about what you say about our Order."
I raised my hands in the air, "Alright, I was just asking."
But my mind still raced with that thought.
Anything made by man will be destroyed, most of the time by man. Just like my bridge of friendship with Barriss… Great… Another one gone.
Before I could say anything else, a glare caused me to turn my gaze to the lake house and look up. As I was about to move my head back, I noticed a hooded figure was on the balcony.
"Umm...Barriss, please tell me that is a guard or something."
"I don't think so." she said, moving out of the water.
"Aaron, come on. You too, Boba and Bossk," I said.
No one put their shoes back or or anything. We all slunk slowly up the steps, leaving trails of sand with each step.
Once at the top, Barriss held out a hand to stop us.
Then, she cocked her neck for me to peek behind the pillar with her.
The hooded figure stood there, as well as the two droids from the ship. Standing in front of the hooded figure was Anakin, and a woman dressed in a white silk dress and beaded and lace veil.
Oh my gosh, it's Padmé.
"What's going on up there?" Aaron hissed.
I turned back and whispered in a bad New York accent, "They're getting married."
"WHAT?!" he whispered a yell just as the lovers kissed.
Barriss stormed onto the porch, and I tried to grab her, but it was too late. We all managed up on the porch with them while the kiss lingered.
I finally got a hold of Barriss's hand.
The kiss ended, and we were seen.
END CH. 18