I'm Your What (A What-if) -- continued

Hmmmm.....In here it says the last post was at 12:06am, but on the list it says 11 something pm! where are the posts??? That's a pretty big gap in time!

 

Well, I'm a litte busy with school just ending... I promise to post tonight though.

 

Lando shrugged as he tuned out Han's plan. Han had landed not long after Amidala's cryptic announcement of Anakin knowing "something".

The old smuggler had promptly demanded that Lando to get in the ship, they had something to do. Amidala had insisted, saying, "If it involves my friends, it involves me."

After a few minutes Han just let her on, mumbling things about royalty who talked too much. They were currently trying to find Leia because Han thought that she would know something.

Or something like that, Lando was too busy watching Han fly to listen. There was no way he was letting a formerly blind man fly without supervision.

Deciding to tune back into the conversation, Lando realized with a start that Han and the Queen were in a debate.

"It won't work." Amidala paused. "You need a better plan."

"Look Queenly, you're a kid. What do you know about grown-up things like these?"

Bad move, old buddy.

"More then you. Besides, what have you done with your life, little smuggler, that's so grown-up? Hiding from the law and delivering spice strikes me as a bit immature. And don't even deny it, this is a smuggler's ship." Amidala crossed her arms in a smug 'I'm better then you' fashion.

Was that a move that just came inherent to royalty? Or was there a class, 'How To Behave Like You're Better Then Everyone 101'.

Or maybe, 'Looks and Phrases That Will Get You Your Way Everytime'.

"Listen, I'm not a smuggler any more--" Han was interrupted before he could even begin to deny Amidala's claims.

"One, I don't believe you. Two, pretend that I did believe you, why would it matter? You still did the crime. See, no one said you were part of the Rebellion, so I'm guessing you quit when it got too tough but decided to use your old connections to your advantage. Seems like a Smuggler thing to do." The Queen's voice was angry and her face was blowing a little of her cool.

Lando grinned a little absently as he noticed that the two's body language screamed out, 'I'm extremly pissed, so watch out'. This was getting good.

"You don't know anything about me or my situation so just back off." Han's voice wasn't at his strongest but with all he'd been through in the last few days, Lando didn't fault him.

"Neither do you with mine. It isn't fun to be stereotyped, is it?" Amidala's voice had serenity again and the face had slacked to normal. It was eerie, the sudden change really reminded him of one of his contacts. A woman about five years older then him named Sabé.

Sabé had a thing for masks. Not real ones, figurative. She needed to keep people away for some reason, so she would just kide all her feelings under one. Pretend to be having fun, pretend to hate you, whatever it was, it was fake. No one saw the real Sabé.

Lando crinkled his brow. Now that he thought about it, Sabé was from Naboo. Also, her voice sounded remarkably similar to that of Amidala's. With a slightly more bitter twinge to it but that wasn't uncommon these days.

They seemed to be around the same height too, Lando knew that from his flirtings with Sabé. All in fun, of course.

It all added up. And what it added up to didn't make a mathematical equation. No, it added up to some bizarre TV plot.

Without thinking, Lando just blurted out his thoughts, quite uncharacteristically. "Sabé?!"

 

Okay, I've finished reading this from page 1 of the first thread. Need I say this story is awesome?!? tongue.gif

 

Ooooooh....the plot thickens! Good job!

aa

 

Sabé glared at Calrissian. How far had she fallen in the world, if she was associating with someone foolish enough to --

He grinned.

Her glare had confirmed his suspicion. She chastised herself mentally, but not for long. She didn't intend to stay here one more minute. She drew herself up into Amidala's most regal stance. "Baron Calrissian, whatever conclusion you believe you've reached, I assure you, I have the full power of the throne of Naboo behind me."

"Oh, I don't doubt it." He shook his head. "I should have known you right off. So where's the real queen?"

"Real queen?" Han Solo asked. "Wait a minute..."

"In all likelihood, heading from one danger into another, trying to return to a ship which, in case you have forgotten, is still not functional."

Lando's smile faltered. "Damn. I did forget. They got captured before that miserable old Toydarian delivered the parts."

Han threw his hands in the air. "Great. I know where he's got 'em, but the Empire's going to be combing the sand for anyone who was in there before."

Sabé sighed. "Baron Calrissian and I weren't in there before."

"Yeah. Sure. You tell us where the stuff is, we'll get in and out without making much of a fuss, and I'll con old flapwings into giving me the parts."

Han briefly gave them directions to Watto's shop, and told them precisely where the parts were located, so that Watto wouldn't be able to claim they weren't around. Then he glanced at Sabé.

"Your highness, or whoever you are, that's not the most inconspicuous thing you could show up in."

Sabé glanced down at herself. The Queen's battle gear really was... conspicuous. "Very well," she said. "Lando, I note that you're wearing a Hutt guard's uniform. Is there another available? Perhaps for -- " she blanked on the name for a moment " -- for Leia to wear? I believe we're roughly the same size."

Han shook his head. "Leia snuck in a different way. And she was captured. I don't know what happened to the bounty hunter costume."

"It's probably at Jabba's," Lando said. "But don't you still have that tin contraption he put her in?"

Sabé groaned, remembering it from her brief glimpse of Leia earlier. But it made sense... she wouldn't be inconspicuous, but she would look like she belonged in the company of one of Jabba's guards.

Lando shook his head. "I really am sorry, Sabé. I know it's not your style."

"Oh, all right," she said. "Don't get sentimental."

She reached over to where Han was handing her a small box, and took it from him. It shifted, and she could hear the dancing girl's costume clinking inside. She shook her head, and went into a small room to change.

"'I know it's not your style,'" she muttered, pulling it on. Who did he think he was, and how did he know her? The uncouth, overdressed...

She stopped, and rolled her eyes.

Of course he knew her. She'd spend the next few years thinking of a hundred poisonous things to say to him, and she knew herself well enough to know that she wouldn't miss an opportunity to say them.

She'd already changed Calrissian's world.

She didn't let the magnitude of the idea hit her too hard; after all, you couldn't very well walk through a world without changing someone's life, could you?

 

wheres the post?

 

Great post Galadriel
***********
Lando blinked a little as Sabé came back into the cockpit. Wow. Too bad she's not a little older.

Shrugging off that thought, he still had to admit Sabé looked good. But, if she was anything like the Sabé he knew, she wouldn't take kindly to staring. Still... "Nice clothes."

"From a man with your fashion skills, I consider that a compliment." Sabé smiled sweetly as Han snickered.

Some old friend he was!

The ship came down with a jerk and Han pressed the button to release the doors. Sabé looked a little annoyed with the rough landing but she had enough sense to realize that Han's eyesight still wasn't 100%.

"Okay, we're as far as I'll go. 'Bout a ten minute walk if ya walk fast. You remember the directions, Lando?" Han's voice still had a trace of laughter in it.

Lando's eyes narrowed a little. "Yeah. I have a good memory for details," he brought his voice down a little. "I still remember how much you cheated me out of when you won the Falcon."

"Vent another time Lando. Look, as soon as you get to the transport, I'm expecting a call." Han was worried. About who, Lando wasn't certain but he was placing bets on Leia.

With a nod, Sabé and Lando left, throwing semi-subtle insults at the other for the first couple minutes.

"Nice hair style. Really, I didn't know that you knew what slave-girls did with their hair."

"And how would you know? Wait, let me guess, you were guarding the slave-girls at Jabba's."

Lando suddenly decided it would be safer if they started to plan. "So, what do we do?"

"Is it my job to think of everything?" Sabé rolled her eyes and gave a look that just radiated exasperation. Or it would have if she hadn't been in an outfit that was enough to make a Courscant school girl blush.

It was certainly making every other male on the street stop and stare.

"Well, what is a Psuedo-Queen's job?" He really wanted to hear the story on that. Later, when this stupid mission was over, Lando wanted to hear about.

"To protect the Queen," she sighed. "I suppose we should just go in and tell him the parts are ours."

Lando raised an eyebrow uncomfortably. "Slave-girls don't really talk... Just stand and look pretty. We should just go in, say the ship is ours, Jabba's death probably isn't out yet and take it."

"Fine with me." The walked in silence until they came upon Watto's shop. The slimy little whatever the hell he was, was grinning.

"What can I do for you, good sir?"

"We need the parts for the Nabooian fighter. You know what parts, I believe."

Watto's grin turned into an uncomfortable smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Lando took out his blaster and grinned. "Really?"

You betrayed my friends, you're messing with me. And anyone who has ever made that mistake will warn you not to mess with Lando Calrissian.

Watto flew over to some shelves and very slowly handed over the missing parts. Sabé grabbed them, glaring at Watto fiercely enough to kill.

"What does Jabba wants with these?"

Yeah, he was stupid enough to tell him that and have whatever answer he gave be all over the town by nightfall.

"You'll get what you deserve someday, Watto." Sabé smirked, giving her face a sinister feel. With that said, Lando and Sabé exited. I guess Jabba's death hasn't gotten around after all... That's good, that can probably be used.

Sabé turned to Lando, seemingly oblivious to all the stares she was getting. "So, what do you think the next step is?"

Lando was quiet for a few minutes, as he tried to think of something. "Fixing your ship. After that, let's leave the problem to the Jedi. They always have a plan, right?"

Lando was a little uncertain about that but it was a better idea then anything else he had come with.

"Right."

 

tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif GREAT!!!! My apprentice rocks All you other people have to get bad apprentices 'cause I snagged the best one!

 

Leia watched as everything just seemed to unfold. It seemed that all she could do was watch.

It wasn't a very pleasant feeling.

"So, where are we going?" Obi-Wan's voice was carefully controlled, he probably didn't want to set Luke off. Well, if she knew her brother half as well as she would have said she did yesterday, he wouldn't like being talked to as a fragile doll.

Today.. Well, Leia wasn't so sure she did know him as well as she had but that would change. Soon.

"To the transport. Look, I can sense the other's nearby it and we need to get them out of there before the Emporer recovers and comes after them. I still have some friends on Tatooine who'll take them in. I hope." Luke gave a small smile.

"So we just send them off?" Leia raised an eyebrow though she took all the smugness out of her voice.

Qui-Gon spoke up, patronizing in the extreme. "Leia, it might be best in you stayed behind. After all--"

"After all, I'm just a leader in the Rebellion. After all, I'm just someone the Empire has on their Most Wanted List because I'm helping to win the war. After all, I'm just someone who was elected as Senator to Alderaan at eighteen. After all, it's only my twin brother who needs help. Is that it?"

I am so tired of being pushed around and not being taken seriously. I spent these last few months getting pushed around in the hopes that I could save Han! Now that he's free, I still don't get the respect I deserve!

"Leia--"

Obi-Wan interrupted his Master softly. "Master, I think it would be best if she went."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan." Leia sent a smile his way and with that, she started leading the group to the transport.

After all, you never got anywhere by just watching. It was about time that she remembered that.

 

I've been following this story for a long time and I'd just finally got up the nerve to complement you all. This story is fantastic. The reason I finally got the nerve is because I haven't really been...lets say....really welcome in some forums but you all were doing such a good job I just HAD to say hi and great job!

 

Thanks much for the compliment, Leia Walker!
***********
Anakin looked at Amidala covertly as they shifted to help Rabé stand better. He didn't want Amidala to think he was a, ya know, a stalker or something.

But still... Amidala being the Queen? Wow! I'm friends with a Queen!

He knew what mattered most was that Amidala was a nice person, very caring and brave. But still... She was a Queen! How wizard!

"Look! The ship!" Amidala's voice broke into his thoughts sharply. He looked up and saw it was the transport. Plus, arriving at the ship from the opposite side was Captain Calrissian and the Other-Queen.

Ani adverted his eyes quickly. It was the same thing Leia had been in earlier and he hadn't liked seeing it on her either.

Softly, the girl that Jar Jar was carrying, Eirtaé he thought, spoke up. "Poor Sabé. Having to wear that must be awful.."

Okay. Sabé. I really should learn everyone's name... Maybe everyone can sit down and do a little 'name game' thing like Wald said they did at school?

"Wesa should justa be big-happy that she's alive!" Jar Jar nodded emphatically but made sure not to bounce Eirtaé around.

Amidala's voice was just a little annoyed. "You were tortu--" Then she threw a glance towards him and abruptly switched words. "Hurt by Palpatine and you feel bad because Sabé's in a shiny gold outfit?"

Rabé coughed a little. "Queen, what would you have us to do? Complain that we were hurt badly?"

"As we are on that subject, can we walk a little faster? I could really use some bacta pads." Eirtaé was trying to defuse the subject, it was the same tone Mom used when she was trying to stop a fight.

Mom...

After that, they walked a little faster and met up with Pseudo Queen Sabé and the Captain at the ship in a few minutes.

Sabé's eyes suddenly widened as she jogged over, handing a bunch of cool-looking parts to the Captain. "By the Gods... Eirtaé, Rabé, what happened?!"

Amidala broke in smoothly with, "Palpatine. Now what's that you were carrying, Sabé?"

"The missing parts for the ship." Sabe paused. "They know?"

Random but... Rabé. Sabé. Eirtaé. Padmé. The Naboo have a thing for fancy e's.

"They know. The whole point of the secret was pretty much ruined." Amidala tried to smile but it faltered after a few seconds.

Lando came up and spoke slowly. "Maybe it's just me but shouldn't we be getting the injured people inside? Here."

With that, Lando picked up Rabé and motioned for Jar Jar to follow him up the open ramp. They all followed them and Sabé and Anakin toward the back of the group.

Anakin couldn't help grinning as he heard Sabé mumble, "Is it just me or does the universe have it out for us?"

[This message has been edited by SithAbigail (edited 06-11-2000).]

 

Amidala sent Sabé to the wardrobe room to change as soon as they were all on board the ship. Ric Olie and Captain Panaka had apparently gathered most of her party.

"Into what?"

"It doesn't particularly matter at this point. We are nowhere that such distinctions count."

"And are we returning?"

"We will. But I believe we will circumvent Coruscant."

Sabé raised her eyebrows. "Then you don't plan to confront Palpatine?"

"With what evidence? A trip to the future?"

"Ah. I was beginning to wonder who I was dealing with here. I had the oddest thought that you meant to attack. Physically."

"I haven't discounted the possibility." Amidala glanced over her shoulder, to where Ani was helping Lando and Jar Jar tend to the other handmaidens. "Palpatine will steal far more from me than I am willing to part with. I will stop him. Somehow. But if it can be done without an explosive confrontation, then it will be better. A war will cost us dearly in the end."

Sabé was shaking her head. "Your Majesty, we may not be able to avoid it. If he plans to take the galaxy..."

"To do it as he planned would require our continued acquiesence for the next few years, I believe. I will not cooperate with him. I will sign no treaties and I will not... " She blinked. "I need to ask Leia what I originally did on Coruscant."

"Surely, you're not planning to bring her with us?"

"Sabé, we need to install the parts you and Lando have gotten us. We'll still need to find another safe haven to do so. Tatooine is no longer that haven. We do not know ourselves what the shape of the galaxy is now. We will still need their help to avoid flying straight into an Imperial fortress."

She nodded. "'Padmé''s battle uniform is still available. As your current disguise is perfectly functional, I would greatly appreciate the loan."

"Take it."

"Thank you."

Sabé disappeared into the changing room, and Amidala went to join the others.

Rabé was sitting up already, looking tired and ill-used, but all right. Ani and Jar Jar were bandaging a burn on her arm.

Eirtaé was still lying down, and Lando was shining a light in her eyes.

"How is she?" Amidala asked.

Lando stood. "She'll be okay. But let her rest for awhile."

"Of course."

"Panaka?" Lando said into his comm-link.

The Captain's voice came back, covered with static, because the communications systems didn't sync up precisely. "Yes?"

"Head into orbit. We'll rendevouz with Han and lock the hulls. We can tow you into hyperspace if we decide we need to go."

 

Oo! May I just say that I absolutely love this story?!

 

This is a wonderful story! I can't wait to see what happens next!

 

More Soon! tongue.gif

 

More Soon! tongue.gif

 

There's a hidden post...

 

Han sighed as he turned off his commlink. One of the Jedi must have had one and contacted him from outside his ship. He guessed his surveillance scanners were broken, probably from the neglect the Falcon had suffered recently.

Lando had been taking care of the Falcon since Bespin. And of all people who could've gotten it, Lando wasn't even on the top 100.

He tore away himself away from the thoughts of his ship and grudgingly let the door down.

Han's personal slogan about Jedi was, 'You want trouble, find a bunch of Jedi.'

He remembered enough about Corellia as a kid to know that much.

"Hey Han." Han's head jerked up at the voice.

"Leia! I didn't know you were with that bunch! Where ya--"

Before Han could finish, Luke entered the cockpit slowly, holding his leg. "Hey, Han, do you think that we could set a course for Dagobah? Please?"

"Why would you want..." Han trailed off as Leia shot a look his way. It wasn't one of her 'You are so annoying' glares or anything else he'd seen on her.

It was begging.

She's begging for Luke's sake. The proud little princess is pleading for Luke.

"Sure kid. That is, if you know the coordinates, I've never heard of it. What is it, some long lost planet where Jedi lived?" Not hesitating for a second, Han cracked a smile and moved over for the kid to sit.

Luke began punching in numbers. He looked completely zoned out for a few minutes so when he spoke up, it was a shock. "No, that's Courscant."

Han mock-sighed, trying to cover up how worried he really was. By the look on Leia's face, it wasn't just him.

"I think I'll go get a med-pack for my leg. Obi-Wan has a few scratches, he can probably use something too." Luke stood up, winced and left holding his leg.

"Leia, you're going to tell me what's up." Han held up a hand before any outburst could start. "But first, I have to call the others, make sure everything's all right."

Leia tried to smile and failed miserably. "See, if my Mother's safe, will you?"

"Your Mother? The Queen, err, Sabé, whatever her name is and Lando didn't mention you had a Mother! Well, I knew you had a Mother but not down there... Oh, you get it." Han was getting confused here. What was next, was Obi-Wan her Father?

"The Queen's name is Amidala, Han. As for my mother, her name is Padmé. She's one of her handmaidens. I forgot you didn't know." Leia managed a shrug at the end but Han barely saw it.

Lando and Sabé had managed to say a few things after the truth was let out. One little tidbit was that the real Queen Amidala was pretending to be Padmé.

"Padmé is Queen Amidala, Leia. Your Mother is the Queen of Naboo!" Huh. It didn't sound quite as calm as it had in his head.

"She's the what?!" Leia's eyes were practically glowing and her every motion screamed 'take that back'. At least he wasn't the only one shocked out of his mind.

Not only is she the last Princess of Alderaan, she's the last Princess of Naboo! At that point his thoughts started swirling, not becoming concise until, I'm dating a double-Princess... came along.

"Our lives are such a soap opera." With that said, Leia sank into her seat, covered her eyes with her left hand and motioned for Han to call the others with her right.

Turning on the communication system, Han had to agree.

 

Sorry for the double

[This message has been edited by SithAbigail (edited 06-16-2000).]

 

Up

 

First off, great post. You have to feel for poor Han, though.

You might want to edit one of the posts out though. It's a double. Probably during the forum hiccuping cycle.

 

I'll get something in here later today -- I think Amidala has got some explaining to do!

(Sorry about the neglect, RL and a couple of other fics.)

 

The ships blasted into orbit simultaneously -- Amidala hoped that they weren't being tracked -- then Olie followed Solo's lead, heading into a part of the binary system that was in the planet's "shadow," as far as the sensors went.

Ani came and stood beside her as the two ships performed the mechancial lock that would allow deep space passage between them. The hulls were locked in several ways; the corridor stretched between the engine room at the base of the Nubian and the top hatch of the mongrel ship that Solo was flying. Ani was watching with interest on a viewscreen, and tried to tell her what all the gadgets attached to Solo's ship were for, but she couldn't concentrate, and after awhile he stopped talking and just took her hand, as he had yesterday when he was leading her out of the storm.

It's no big deal. That's how it works, isn't it? He just takes my hand, and I take his hand, and we both feel a little bit better for it.

Leia came up the ladder first. She looked like she might put her arms out for an embrace, then she held back. "Are you... is everyone all right?"

"We're all fine, Leia. Where is Luke?"

"His leg was hurt. And Ben -- Obi-Wan, that is -- has a few scratches. But they'll be fine. Luke wants to go to a world called Dagobah."

Amidala shrugged; she'd never heard of it.

"Yeah," someone cracked from the opening in the floor, "I think it sounds kind of fishy, too." Han Solo pulled himself the rest of the way in. "I got the rest of the coordinates, but we all better sit down and have a long talk before we decide where we're going. I don't know if you folks want to go to this mystery planet with us. And, maybe it's me, your Highness -- " he used the title pointedly, looking straight at Amidala " -- but I'd at least like to know who's really who around here."

"Is it true?" Leia asked. "Are you really the Queen?"

Amidala nodded. "Yes. There's little point in disguising myself here. I had simply... not found the right time to break my disguise."

"Great," Solo said, rolling his eyes and kissing Leia's cheek. "I thought she was bossy when she was only royal from one side." He kissed her again; obviously, her "bossiness" was a running joke between them. Beside Amidala, Ani was squirming at the display, but he remained silent. He seemed to be picking up on a strong current of feeling from Leia -- Amidala herself could almost pick up on it -- that she would prefer it if she could simply pretend he wasn't there. Amidala would have to correct that, but right now, it was time to come up to the surface, and let things be for awhile.

She shook her head. "Alas, the bossiness is inborn. It doesn't come with the title, though it might lead to it." Solo looked puzzled. Amidala explained patiently; she'd had to do so many times. "Naboo royalty was hereditary long, long ago. But for centuries, the monarchy has been elected. My parents were farmers. My children, had they been raised on Naboo, would find their own places in society." She smiled at Leia. "Though you might have made a magnificent Princess of Theed. If I can get this fixed, would you like me to help you run?"

Leia laughed, then stopped, as if remembering that she wasn't supposed to enjoy herself, and said, "I prefer the Senate."

"Then the Senate it shall be."

"Mother... " Leia bit her lip. "Mother, if you 'fix this,' as you put it, it's possible that I won't be born at all. Or Luke."

Solo, who had been absently holding her, stood back as if struck. "What?"

Leia didn't answer him. Her question had been to Amidala, and Amidala had to answer it. She looked at Ani, who had been looking up at her, but looked away quickly, then looked back at Leia. "I will not allow that to happen," she said. "Some things are not an option."

 

GOOD GOOD GOOD GOOD

Hey, you guys (i say that since there's
so many of you) would you mind terribly
if I linked to this story on my soon
to be up website? Please?

aa