Queen’s Hope by E. K. Johnston

Author:E. K. Johnston [Johnston, E. K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Novela, Ciencia ficción, Fantástico
Publisher: ePubLibre
Published: 2021-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

The Namrelllew was an old ship, but being of Wookiee construction and design, it was very well built. The air-filtration systems in particular were noticeably superior to anything Naboo could manufacture. There were no particulates in the recycled air at all, and it somehow almost smelled fresh. Padmé quickly decided it was her favorite part of their new accommodations.

The rest of the ship was strangely luxurious, if a bit unusual for humans. Though they had been warned that their cabins would be cramped, Padmé’s berth was hilariously long. She was able to keep her entire suitcase at the end of her bed, freeing up the limited floor space. Captain Typho, who had the cabin across from hers, reported that it was larger than any barracks he’d ever lived in, and perhaps the Wookiees were on to something. The refreshers had full-body hot-air dryers instead of towels, and Padmé needed a stool to reach the back of the sink.

The mission to Hebekrr Minor wasn’t going to be uncomfortable. At least, not until the espionage parts of it heated up. The Namrelllew was much more livable than the shuttle Padmé and Typho had taken to rendezvous with it. They’d stopped at Kebro station to take on more passengers and finally disembarked at Emoh terminus, where they met up with the merchant vessel that was going to be their home for the duration of the trip.

Although the ship was Wookiee-owned, there were only two on board. The pilot, Naijoh, and his wife, Rayyne, who was the navigator. Both understood Basic, and the ship’s protocol droid, an aging bipedal unit designated G-1FY, took care of the rest. The fourth member of the permanent crew was the engineer. Padmé didn’t meet her at the beginning of the voyage, and then almost tripped over her the following afternoon in the mess.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Padmé said. She’d gotten so used to looking up for things at Wookiee height, she’d forgotten to look down, too.

“It’s all right,” chirped the engineer. She spoke Basic with short, high-pitched syllables but was easy to understand. “Must be the new guard.”

“I’m half of it,” Padmé replied. “My partner is inventorying our cargo.”

“Droid for that,” said the engineer. “But guards must guard. Must check first.”

“Something like that,” Padmé said. The mission was clandestine, after all. They would both prefer it if there weren’t any surprises in those crates. “My name is Padmé.”

“Idda,” said the engineer. She turned to look at the table where the afternoon’s rations were laid out.

Idda was a Mriss and rarely left the engine room except for food. She was incredibly small, and Padmé wondered how she managed to reach anything on the Wookiee-sized ship. As she watched, the diminutive engineer acrobatically climbed onto the table, selected the food she wanted, and then gracefully descended holding her tray in one hand and a can of meiloorun juice in her beak. She was wearing coveralls that restrained her wings, presumably for safety. Padmé’s keen eye for design spotted what she thought was probably the coveralls’ escape hatch.

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