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The trip to Naboo passed peacefully if quite busily as Harry and Aayla kept working on the electronics of the expanded loading bay. On Naboo they went down to the palace and were greeted by Padme there, while the parts and technicians were dropped down to the center that Naboo's citizenry had built for the new planetary shield generator.
Padme was not in her formal garb, thankfully. Instead she was wearing a formfitting dress of black that didn't hinder her movement at all along with a small circlet on her head, her hair falling loosely straight down her back. She stood slightly away from the other workers in the palace hanger area, several Wookie bodyguards standing nearby even here, massive and imposing to most.
Seeing Padme, Aayla quickly stepped forward, pulling the younger girl into a hug as Padme's arms went around her, automatically squeezing back just as hard. Leaning back, Aayla studied her friend's face, frowning a little as she saw the dark marks under Padme's eyes and the slight slump of her shoulders. Yet there was a gleam of confidence and a feeling of accomplishment that Aayla caught through her Force-based empathic powers. Though exhausted, Padme looked far better than she had the last time Aayla had seen her in person.
"Jedi who give hugs, that will never catch on, I swear!" Mak said with a chuckle, moving down the landing ramp after his friends.
Harry shrugged, pulling him into a one armed hug even as Mak tried to get away. "Yeah that is kind of weird…" he said after second, letting the other boy loose before looking at Kass.
She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't even think about it!"
Master Fay coughed delicately. "Children, can we get on with it, please?"
Padme smiled at Master Fay over Aayla's shoulder, then surprised the older woman by pulling her into a hug in turn. "Thank you for whatever you did too. Getting rid of my tiredness wasn't even the main issue; my emotions were all over the place, and I couldn't actually force myself away from work." She looked over at the others, then added quietly so that the Wookies and others nearby couldn't overhear what she said next. "I was actually becoming addicted to sleep suppressants."
"I knew that at the time, your Highness," Master Fay said smiling slightly. "I wouldn't have said anything, but you were indeed."
"Well, ahem, thank you anyway," Padme said, blushing now and stepping back quickly to regain queenly poise, gesturing around them. "I've already had my people begin the unloading process at the site. And as for the smaller parts being offloaded here, my people can handle it at a much lower level than my august personage, so I…" She paused, looking back at the Jedi. "I've actually planned the rest of today as a day off. It'll be my first in a while. I was, I was hoping you could all join me?"
The padawans all looked to Master Fay, who sighed, but nodded acquiescence, her lips twitching into a warm smile. "In fact, I think a day off of training will do all of us quite a bit of good."
She looked up at Lily, who smiled brightly at her, leaning down and whispering. Fay rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "No, I'm not that interested in shopping. Hiking, perhaps."
"Hiking works too," Lily said with a smile. "Unless Padme has specific plans she wants you along for?"
When Fay relayed this question as her own, Padme shook her head. "No, not really. I've asked my family to let me stay at one of their two houses. It used to belong to my aunt, but we rent it out these days. It's got the most amazing view over this small lake, and I thought it would be perfect for a day off."
"You know what that means!" Aayla said with a mental giggle. "Better get those fingers of yours ready for some transfiguration, Harry," she said mentally.
Harry chuckled, but couldn't stop the image of Aayla in a bathing suit coming to his mind. He couldn't quite decide if she would look better wearing a black bathing suit or a pink one.
Once she picked up the image from his head, Aayla replied in no uncertain terms. "Pink, Harry. Dark pink for preference."
Kass looked at Padme and was about to speak out, but Aayla quickly shook her head, gesturing to Harry and leaning in. "Don't worry about it. Harry has us covered; you'll see!"
Mak looked over at Harry, nudging him in the shoulder. "You know, I get the distinct impression this is the kind of thing the Jedi aren't supposed to enjoy…or, um, look for? Something like that, anyway."
"I'm not as interested in what normal Jedi are supposed to do as you might think," Harry replied mildly, causing Mak to laugh.
Chewbacca, the leader of Padme's security detail, growled and snarled for a moment in the Wookie language, a small box on his bandoleer translating his words automatically. "I realize with several Jedi padawans along you won't need us, but I feel the need to ask if you want us to come along."
Rolling her eyes so much the others could tell she was doing it for their benefit, Padme turned to look at her towering bodyguard. "You're right, Chewie, I won't need a bodyguard today. You may also have the day off." She paused then, adding wickedly. "Besides, no offense, but I bet Wookie fur smells horrible when wet."
Chewie and the other Wookies near enough to hear her laughed at Padme's joke, and Chewie patted her shoulder in response, nearly knocking her to her knees. "In that case, Malla and I will drive you over there and then go exploring. We haven't had any time to look at the rest of this beautiful planet of yours, Padme." The Wookies rarely used Padme's title, which she rather liked.
The group of young people, truly acting their ages for once, boarded a small suborbital ship with Chewie at the control. It took them out of the capital city to the lake side house swiftly. Lily and Fay did not go with them.
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