Dropped in a Fanfic

Chapter 20

The second time there was a knock at my door, it was late the next day and I was actually expecting a visitor. Swinging it open, I found an expectant gaze and beaming smile that immediately soured on sight of me.

"Heavens and stars, have you only risen now?" Pipla crossed her arms, twin trunks as tall as her hips sitting at her sides. There was no one else in the hall. The idea of her heaving the luggage alone as she found her way here wasn't unbelievable.

A smile tugged my lips. "I got up early."

The council hadn't wasted any time with my 'treatment', which mainly consisted of medical tests. Some to ensure the effects of Bane's truth serum were truly flushed from my system, and more to begin the indefinitely long task of figuring out my kyber condition.

"That doesn't sound true," she wrapped her hands around the trunk handles, crossing into the threshold, "your hair styling tells me so."

A hand reflexively went to my head. "I didn't do anything with my hair."

"Exactly," she tsked, "this isn't the Alderaanian palace my lady."

I dropped the limb, my face scrunching. "You say that like I'd forget."

"If you know, then you'd also know that there's no sense in not trying to dress appropriately," Pipla continued, tipping back a trunk between her hand and foot. "I didn't have much time to prepare but I managed to bring everything necessary for our time here.

I walked over, getting curious. "What's in there?"

"The essentials of course," she made quick work of the locks, throwing open the trunk to reveal its contents: neatly organized, packed to the brim stacks of clothing.

"Why does most of it look like it's mine?"

"It is," she swung me a glance, bristling when my jaw dropped. She had to have stuffed a third of the contents of my closet.

Pipla turned to the clothes, unclipping the safety belts and smoothing the fabric that was somehow still wrinkle-free. "You're an official guest of the temple-- you can't go around representing your planet in wrinkly worn gowns."

"I doubt they're concerned about wrinkles."

She sat back, her eyes fixing on me with her particular Pipla stare. "Do you mean to tell me that dress isn't the same as the one you wore yesterday?"

I tried not to visibly shrink. "So what if it is?"

She sighed like a mother of a child that decided to take a bath in peanut butter. "Maker give me strength."

"It doesn't smell, and it wasn't like I had anything else." I crossed my arms, resisting the urge to take a sniff of my sleeve to make sure. Personally, I'd been hoping someone would offer me Jedi robes. It was their standard clothing so it maybe would be wrong of me to wear them, but it would've been nice to just throw a pair on. Maybe even grab a training stick and swing it around a couple times.

"Her majesty sends her love, along with her mild disappointment that you haven't contacted her," she continued.

I plopped down on the edge of the bed. "I figured she'd be busy."

"Of course, the interdisciplinary meetings were extended. But you know she would make time for your messages," she swung me a look. I fiddled with my hands, then smoothed out my skirt.

"How are the girls?"

"Zemi thinks she's found herself a new husband. Carisan, that secretarial aide to one of her majesty's advisors?" She walked over to the closet, her voice echoing from within. "A bit of a plain man, but attentive. They've only been seeing each other for two months."