Danger with a Twist
The two maids below are the two women who create a distraction for Ashoka and Padme in Heroes on Both Sides. Enjoy :) The three other clones are my own characters, made up just for this story.
Chapter 1: All to Coruscant!
I was almost asleep when Tina ran through the door, squealing about something or another.
"Guess where we get to go now... ARE YOU SLEEPING AGAIN?" I was never surprised on how easily her moods could change. One moment she was squealing in my ear, next she's yelling at me. Poor little old me, stuck in bed with another hangover from the other night.
"Not my fault," I murmured. "Blame Hangover." My head was still pounding from the previous sentence. "Be quiet. Small house."
"THAT'S WHERE YOU WERE LAST NIGHT? Berth! Have you had your tea yet?"
"No," I grumbled. And the nagging resumes in….3….2…..1….and…
" BERTH! If you are going to go out drinking and partying every Friday night like this you have to drink that tea!" I grumbled some words that I had picked up the night before and got up then started to sludge my way to the kitchen to get this tea Tina was nagging me about.
"So, who did you hook up with this time?"
"No one. They were all as ugly as hell."
"I'm telling you, Berth, you aren't going to find any respectable guys at those night clubs you go to."
"Mmmhhhmmmm. Talked to Sherab lately?" That always shut Tina up about my ways with finding a husband on this sith forsaken rock. I had entered straight into the kitchen.
Our apartment was small, it had one refresher, one bedroom, a small (I mean SMALL) living area, and a even smaller kitchen area. We had a sink and stove that came with the apartment; we supplied our own freezer, and we had a small 1 foot by 1 foot counter space all jammed up taking up one whole wall. Only a small square table separated the kitchen area from the our living area, which consisted of a love seat( the only thing that could sit both of us and still fit in the small area we had), and a small holo-vision, with a small rug separating the 3 feet between the two. We kept the dishes under the sink, along with a waste bucket.
I sighed, my head pounding. I squeezed past the table and started digging around for a kettle to start my tea. Tina walked in after me, standing on the other side of the table, between the table and the couch. Since we didn't have much counter space, and no cabinets to speak of, we kept everything on top of the small crummy freezer, which was actually not as bad as it sounded, because the freezer only came up to my belly button. I turned the stove on and filled the kettle up with water. I set the kettle on the stove, then sat down on top of the table, waiting for it to come to a boil. Tina, seeing that I was done, tried to start up the conversation again.
"Anyway, we have another "mission" from Senator Bonteri."
"Why does she give us these? They weren't in our job descriptions as her personal maids! When did you find that out?" I snapped at her. I wasn't in the best mood to be told that we were going to have to go off traveling. Again.
"I was at the market, and she commed me."
"And...?"
"She said to come over and pick up the package we are to take with us to Coruscant."
" Where, exactly in Coruscant?"
"Uh," Bad Sign. Tina was hesitating. "The Republic Senate."
"And HOW will we get there?"
"Take a ship to Mandalore, then another to Coruscant."
"Don't they I.D.?"
"Fake I.D. chips, a gift from the Senator. Remember, we were born and raised on Mandalore, and we are visiting our cousins who moved to Coruscant when the war started." I turned around and Tina tossed me one. "They don't turn Mandos away."
"We don't look like Mandos though."
"Neither did Jango Fett. You've been on Mandalore. What's your point?"
" Nothing. It's fine with me. On one condition."
"What is it?"
"You go to some clubs with me."
"WHAT?"
"You NEED a night to relax and forget about Sherab for a night."
"I told you. I'm COMPLETELY over him."
"That's not what you told me last night in your sleep at 1 o clock in the morning."
"HEY!" My ears ringed and my forgotten about head ache come back with a vengeance.
"Ow. Keep it down will you?"
"Sorry."
The kettle whistled and I reached over to turn the stove off. Seriously, the kitchen was so crammed I didn't even have to get up to reach the stove to turn it off. But, unfortunately, I did have to get up to reach under the sink for a cup.
"Awwww, does the poor wittle baby have to get up?" Tina teased when I groaned as I stood up to get the cup.
"Yes, the poor wittle baby does." I responded, mocking her tone. I poured the hot water into the cup, and got a tea bag out of the box kept on the top of the freezer, and dipped it into the boiling water, making tea. "So how long will we be on Coruscant?"
"Well, it was going to be 3 days…"
"Was?"
"I asked Mina if we could take two weeks and use our time off, you know, see the sights, window shop a little…."
"….Look at the nice clothing and pity our poor wrenched souls…"
"You know, you don't have to always be so negative."
I stuck my tongue out her. "Says you. Wake up and smell the Caf, Tina! We are poor, lonely, maids, whose lives will NEVER change."
"You never know, Berth."
I snorted. "Yeah right." I muttered under my breath. The tea had cooled and I sat down at one of the chairs placed under the table. "When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning. I have our tickets and the package we are supposed o deliver. Senator Bonteri also gave me both of our wages, a bonus, and a little spending money for Coruscant." Tina smiled at the idea to actually be able to go shopping for once. No matter what the press say, Senator Bonteri was quite generous, she was always looking after Tina and I.
"Fine. I'll go pack."
"It won't bother your hangover if I turn on the H.V. will it?"
"Just keep it quiet, k?" I slurped down the last of my tea , feeling much better. I sat the empty cup into the almost filled sink. "Whose turn is it to do the dishes?"
"Yours." I groaned. One more thing to do before we leave, just what I needed. "But if you pack for me I'll do it."
"Deal!" I squeezed past the table and entered our small shared room.
It was never hard to pack for trips like this. We each only had a single pair of shoes (not by choice), one pair of pants, two old tattered shirts that we bought at thrift stores, and one dress, that we only had because Mina required it, and had supplied it to us, and one night gown each. All this meant was that either we had to buy eleven new outfits, or do lots of laundry when we got there.
Our room was small, like the rest of the apartment. There was a window on the far wall of the room, accompanied by a twin sized bed crushed up against the same wall as the window, the bed stretched from one corner of the room to another. That bed was Tina's. My bed was shoved up against the foot of her bed width wise. Adjacent to my bed was a small closet where we kept all of our clothes. At the foot of my bed, up against the wall was a two shelf high bookcase, where we kept five books and some other knick-knacks. In the corner left of the entrance was the door leading to the only refresher in the apartment. The only thing between that door, and the door to the closet was a cushy seat that Tina liked to use for reading, while I preferred stretching out on my bed.
Our two suitcases were stored under our beds, since the closet was taken up completely by clothes, shoes, and undergarments. I bent down and dragged the two suitcases out from under the bed. It had only been a week since our last trip (Senator Bonteri went on a diplomatic mission the week before, we tagged along as her maids). I took them and tossed them on my bed. I snapped them open, and leaned their tops against the wall. All that was left was to fit our clothes in them.
I turned, took barley two steps, and was at the closet. I pushed the button, opening the closet, and grabbed all of the clothes hanging in one big swoop. Then I turned, took, again, barely two steps, and tossed them on the bed. I set aside the two nightgowns we had and the two dresses too, we were to wear those tonight and tomorrow. Everything else I folded up as neatly as I possibly could, and placed them inside the correct suitcase. Tina could do the rest for herself. I was NOT handling her underwear. Under my dead body was I EVER going to do that. I reached into the closet and grabbed a handful of bras and panties, all old and used, and threw them into my suitcase, then I snapped them both up and placed Tina's suitcase on her bed, and kept mine on my bed. Even if Tina didn't finish packing later tonight, then I would do it the morning we left.
I stood there for a second, listening to the noises the H.V made coming from the living area, and the occasional giggle or swoon of Tina, glad that my hangover seemed to have cleared up quite a bit since I had that tea.
Meanwhile, some ways away on a Republic Cruiser…..
"Listen up boys!" Commander Cody shouted over the buzz of the 212th. "We have all been granted a little relaxing time on Coruscant while they make repairs and upgrades to the fleet." A cheer came up from the crowd. They had just come from a very long and tiring mission, it would be good to get some rest in. "It should take about two weeks-" Cody paused as a bigger roar came up from the troops- "and you will be contacted when it's time to get back. Am I understood?"
"Sir, yes, Sir!" The comeback came from all of the troopers, all in unison.
"Good. You are all dismissed. We will arrive at Coruscant in about 9 hours. Try to get some more rest in." The men filed out of the room, all chatting away with friends, happy to get some time off for once.
"Well, Waxer,"
"What?" Waxer turned to look at Boil, who seemed to have magically appeared behind him.
"Do you really think we're going to get two weeks off?"
"Sure sounded like it. I don't think Commander Cody is one to joke about stuff like this."
"How many credits have you saved up?"
"Only 200. You?"
"Ha! 400!"
"Yeah. But you cheat."
"Do not."
" Do too! How else would you get that much without cheating everyone on the ship?"
"Easy. I don't cheat myself." Waxer started laughing. He LAUGHED. Full out LAUGHED. By the time they had reached the turbo lift to get to their rooms, Boil had to completely support Waxer. "Waxer calm down. It wasn't THAT funny. Anyway. Do you have any civvies clean? Mine all….were uh…. lost."
Waxer sighed and seemed to calm down a bit. "How do you lose your clothes?"
"None of your business. Do you have any civvies or not?"
"Yeah, I have some you can borrow."
"Thanks." The turbo lift stopped, letting them and the rest of their brothers out. Waxer and Boil walked down the hallway until they had reached the door to their bunks which they shared with Fire, Shocks, and Grenade (a very interesting assortment of clones when you get to know them). They all were usually the ones that caused all of the food fights in the mess.
Right now they were the only ones in, the rest were probably eating, at least, that's what Boil assumed until he heard the muffled shouts that were coming from the shared refresher in through the door located in the back of the room.
"BLAST IT! GRENADE GET IT THROUGH YOUR THICK SKULL THAT NO ONE ELSE WANTS THE SHOWER THAT FRAKIN COLD!"
"SHOCKS GET OFF OF ME! THIS IS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND GAY POSITION TO BE IN!"
"NEVER! YOU STOLE MY RUBBER DUCKIE! I WILL GET OFF OF YOU WHEN YOU TELL ME WHERE MY RUBBER DUKIE IS!"
"BOTH OF YOU CAN IT! I HAVE A BOTTLE OF SHAMPOO AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!"
"OOF."
"OW!"
"Wow, Grenade, I never knew you felt so strongly about me."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? FIRE PUSHED ME ON YOU!"
"Are you sure….?" That went on for a while. Waxer and Boil just stood there, suppressing their laughter, giving each other looks. Then Fire walked through the door, wearing a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Hey! Guess who decided to do join us!" Behind him Grenade and Shocks walked in after him, both also wearing just a towel around their waists.
"HEY! Where have you guys been?" Grenade walked over to Waxer and Boil and wrapped his arms around his shoulder. "Just a heads up, Fire used up all of the hot water."
"Did not!" And the arguments started all over again between the two of them. Shocks just walked over and started to pull out clothes. Waxer and Boil started stripping. Waxer mumbling about how they're had better be some hot water left or Fire was really going to get it.
A moment later the fighting between Fire, Grenade, and Shocks stopped as they listened to Waxer and Boil let out screams as the ice cold water hit their skin.
"I warned them." Grenade shook his head and chuckled.
"Did you guys hear the great news?" Shocks turned. "We're going to get some time off on Coruscant!"
Please Review All comments appreciated! :) Thanks! I hope to update around weekly.