a long, long time ago

[diplomacme]

Who: padmé amidala naberrie & you!
Broadcast: text
Action: everywhere!
When: right now

action

[ Padmé isn't sure when the smooth lines of the Queen's transport turned into the sharp utilitarian lines of an unfamiliar ship. She's dressed in an orange robe with the hood pulled forward to hide her face as much as possible. Padmé is trying to blend in, but without the other handmaidens, she sticks out. She forces herself to remember to be a handmaiden-- quiet and unobtrusive. In reality, she wants to stomp right up to the pirate captain (for surely this must be a pirate's doing-- they would be foolish enough to try to capture her ship).

She needs to find Sabé-- Amidala at the moment-- and ensure that she is safe. And, if needed, guide her through negotiations. Finding the Jedi master and his padawan is another priority. To that end, she'll be jumping from ship to ship as she can.

Padmé can be found in the cargo bay, assessing the surprisingly easy-to-access shuttles. She'll need an out if things go south and negotiations fail. She'll also poke around in the crew quarters, quietly and carefully opening any closed doors-- locked doors are especially suspicious but she won't be able to open them.

If she happens to open the door with someone in the room, she'll apologize to them in a quiet tone: ] I apologize, I was not aware anyone was in here. Please excuse me.

[ Eventually she'll find her way to the Iskaulit. Padmé has no experience with pirates but, given what she saw on Tatooine, they're not usually this thoughtful about their captives' well-being. The ships seem to have all of the necessities for each member of the crew and the Iskaulit has everything from a garden to an interfaith center.

But if it's not pirates, what is it?

As a last resort, she sends a message through the network: ]

text

Does anyone know our destination? I would like to know how warmly to dress. My former destination only required formal robes.

[ There. A carefully-coded message to Sabé and the others cased in a real question that could help her. All of those lessons in caution and patience are paying off.

Even if she still wants to scream-- she has an entire planet's worth of people who are relying on her and she's already wasted too much time! ]


(I grabbed her from the time between leaving Tatooine and arriving on Coruscant, so she'll be a little impatient, what with her people's safety hanging in the balance.)

Comments

[ iskaulit ]

[beardstrokes]

[ When someone enters the interfaith center, Obi-Wan rises to greet them.

And halts to a dead stop because that certainly was Padme, but a Padme he knew a long time ago. For a few minutes, he does not speak at all. ]

[diplomacme]

[ Padmé recognizes those robes. A Jedi. There's something about his eyes that are familiar, but it's possible that he just has one of those faces. Her instincts say otherwise, but the logical part of her tamps it down. She has to stay focused. ]

Master Jedi?

[ Might as well go out on a limb. ]

[beardstrokes]

[ He clears his throat to disguise his faux-pas, though he has no idea how he's going to approach this situation. ]

It's Obi-Wan.

[ He almost says Padme but that would be a breach of familiarity. ]

[diplomacme]

[ Padmé frowns and approaches him slowly. She sees the resemblance more clearly now, but it can't be. ]

That's impossible. Obi-Wan is in his twenties and certainly doesn't have a beard.

[beardstrokes]

[ He sighs. ]

Well, it is me regardless. Should I prove it?

[diplomacme]

[ She purses her lips, clearly impatient. ]

That would solve things quite neatly, wouldn't it?

[ Maybe she shouldn't be snappish at a Jedi master-- she might need his help later-- but she's not in the mood to indulge their oddities. ]

[beardstrokes]

[ Obi-Wan takes that calmly before he replies. ]

You revealed yourself to the Gungan leader Boss Nassa at the Gungan Sacred Place. You needed to form an alliance with him in order to defeat Nute Gunray.

[diplomacme]

I have no idea what you're talking about. The Queen will not go to war-- there will be negotiation, not winning or losing.

[ She's clearly not lying, though she did stiffen slightly when he says that she revealed herself. Nobody outside of her current party would have even the slightest suspicion that she's Amidala. ]

[beardstrokes]

[ Was that too early? He runs a hand through his beard. ]

I believe the Queen might see no other alternative.

You also met Anakin on Tatooine. Him and Shmi, his mother.

[diplomacme]

[ She frowns, stepping forward slowly. There are others aside from Obi-Wan who know that, but they're mostly confined to her ship and even fewer know Shmi's name. Then there's the matter of the similarity. ]

If that really is you, Obi-Wan, I'm in a lot more trouble than I had thought.

[beardstrokes]

I'm afraid I don't follow.

[ What kind of trouble? Obi-Wan runs through his memories but it has been a long time to recall minute details. ]

[diplomacme]

It means that this is more than a kidnapping.

Have you seen the others? [ She's especially worried about Sabé, as she's the biggest target. ]

[beardstrokes]

They're not on this ship but they're safe.

[ Well. For a period of time. Obi-Wan isn't going to unload the future on her. ]

[diplomacme]

How do you know?

[beardstrokes]

Because I've already long seen the end of what happened with the Trade Federation blockade on Naboo.

[diplomacme]

[ She presses her lips into a thin line. His answers aren't satisfactory, but anything less than a return to her original ship will satisfy her.

And she's still having a hard time wrapping her head around it all. ]

I'm having a hard time understanding the 'time travel' aspect of all of this.

[ Her younger self is a little less open-minded when it comes to the impossible. ]

[beardstrokes]

As you should be.

[ He runs a hand through his beard. ]</small But those are the best answers I can provide. It's been ten years for me. I am no longer a Padawan. Can you accept that?

[diplomacme]

I suppose there's no other explanation.

[ Maybe, just maybe, she sounds a little sullen. ]

What are we to do here?

[beardstrokes]

There isn't much you can do. This place is transitory, especially for the . . . current time period you're from.

[ He looks vaguely apologetic. ] I'm afraid there's little I can offer or do.

[diplomacme]

Then we sit and wait? Hope that our captors will tire of us and return us to where-- and when-- we were?

[ Padmé tenses. There's fury written in every line of her body, but especially in her eyes. She holds in the anger, reminds herself to cool her anger. But there's no hiding it. The discipline of Amidala has slipped.

The sharp tongue, however, always belonged to Padmé. ]

Forgive me if I have little faith that it will happen.

[beardstrokes]

You're forgiven.

[ He's unmoved. While Obi-Wan has sympathy for her situation, he knows this place now. He's been here nearly a year now. ]

This is a glitch. This is not your end, not even close. You've surpassed yourself. My advice is to handle this situation with your grace.

[Action]

[leftonjakku]

[The quiet, polite voice intrigues her and Rey looks up from her meal.]

You don't need to apologize. Are you looking for someone? [She offers the young woman a seat, frowning in concern.]

[diplomacme]

[ She sits, trying to look as natural as possible. But there's tension in the way Padmé sits-- an anxious need to do something to fix this situation. ]

Several someones, actually. Perhaps you've seen someone in a headdress?

[ She's loath to say 'a queen' for fear of putting Sabé in more danger. ]

[leftonjakku]

I...haven't. I think they would stand out. [She pushes some food towards Padmé.] Are you certain they followed you?

[diplomacme]

No, but we were on the same ship before I was captured.

[ But it's a good sign; perhaps, Sabé hadn't been captured after all. ]

Have our captors made any demands?

[leftonjakku]

I've never actually met our captors. I'm not sure they have a physical form. [She shifts uncomfortably.] We've all been brought here to serve the fleet.

[diplomacme]

[ Shadowy, hidden captors. If this is pirates, they must be one of the bigger and more sophisticated groups. ]

In what way?

iskaulit cargo bay -- 1/2

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka is underneath one of the shuttles, tinkering around with the engine. She rolls out from underneath and sits up, smiling brightly. Wrench in one hand, and both hands are covered in black smudges, with one or two on her cheeks as well. Airily:]

Oh, no problem. I'm easy to miss down here anyway.

2/2

[resnipstance]

[And then, a double-take. Ahsoka's eyes are wide as saucers, and her expression is visibly confused.]

... Padmé?

[diplomacme]

[ She looks a little startled. ]

Yes?

[ Padmé isn't used to being recognized, especially by someone she's sure she hasn't met. ]

[resnipstance]

... What's up with your outfit? Never mind that-- what's up with your face?

[Ahsoka has probably never seen Padmé without makeup on before, so she thinks that's why the other woman looks so strange.]

Uh. No offense.

[diplomacme]

[ Padmé looks quite taken aback. Nobody's ever asked her about her face. ]

My face is the way it always is.

[resnipstance]

[Wait. Never mind her face-- what's wrong with her voice?

Then it hits her.]

... How old are you right now? Humour me.

[diplomacme]

Fourteen. You never introduced yourself.

1/2

[resnipstance]

Fourteen?

[Ahsoka's eyes boggle in shock again. Sure, she looks young, but-- Padmé always holds herself well. Ahsoka would have guessed seventeen, maybe eighteen.]

Wow... that's. Wow.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka rocks back a bit, processing that, then rubs the back of her neck a little sheepishly.]

Ah... sorry. I'm Ahsoka. Ahsoka Tano.

[diplomacme]

[ 'What a strange girl,' Padmé thinks, but is prudent enough not to say. ]

It's... nice to meet you, Ahsoka.

Why did you seem so surprised to see me? I'm sure I've never met you before.

late to the party, but action;;

[reconstitution]

[ Things have been out of sorts over the past few months between gaining and losing crew, others falling asleep or reawakening after too long a stretch. Even though he's been properly awake again for a few weeks now, it feels like Bucky can't seem to get back into rhythm. Or even get on top of his crew to get up to speed.

He's doing one of his routine rounds of the ship when he spots an unfamiliar girl poking her head into his quarters. She doesn't move with an air of a thief, because if she were, she should probably look into a different profession. Bucky gets as close as he can without her noticing before speaking. ]

The Captain isn't in there.

[diplomacme]

[ Padmé jumps. She turns around, eyes wide with surprise before she schools her expression into something more neutral. She bows her head slightly, trying to seem submissive. Just a servant, nothing to see here. ]

I apologize. I never intended to intrude. Do you know where I may find the captain?

[reconstitution]

It's fine.

[ He takes a moment to really look at her, and Bucky berates himself a little bit for not recognizing her right off the bat. How many people are going to run around as their younger selves? ]

[ He takes a softer tone. ] What did you need?