No way in

Tatooine's twin suns were slowly travelling across the sky. Drash stayed back, staying in the shadow of the palace, and unable to keep from jumping when she heard the gate move again. Carefully, she stuck her head out, drawing back as soon as she saw the Rodians leave.

It vaguely occurred to her that if she wanted to get inside, she could rush them. Embarrassment just made her stay back, butt and back pressed to the sun-baked wall as she listened to vague, displeased sounding mumbling. By the time they were back at the speeder, the gate was closed, and by the time the aliens were gone, Drash had no shot of getting in.

Her arm and clothes were still in the palace, she told herself. She knew Fennec wouldn't have taken them anywhere else; she was on duty, at Fett's side, for a while yet. You could always rely on Fennec's dedication.

Which left getting in as Drash's priority. She slowly took steps forwards, around the side of the palace, ears pricked for any sound of new arrivals.

"Ah!"

Crossing around a rock, her feet touched sand that had been in the suns for a little longer. Quickly, she pulled back. Hot! Taking a deep breath, Drash darted around a rock, making it to the front gates of the palace.

She fidgeted constantly, quickly glancing back over her shoulder every couple of seconds. Even if the area was quiet for now, it felt all too public for her, especially with the realization that she was very limited in how far she could go. There was no walking away from the palace, and as the day went on, an ever-shifting area where she could stand.

"Hi?" Drash said, lifting her voice, tightly clutching her breasts with her arm, shifting her weight from one foot to her other.

The gate stood solidly in front of her. Drash grimaced; she waved at it, trying to trigger the droid they had to watch - then yelped as the metal eye shot out of a hatch, covering her chest again.

It burbled aggressively at her.

"Drash," she said. "Mod gang, let me in!"

It burbled again, and swiftly withdrew. The gate stayed shut; Drash scowled. Normally she was invited in at set times, or in someone else'scompany - apparently Fennec or Fett hadn't decided to let the mods have free entry to the palace just yet. Drash could take a guess as to whose fault that is.

"Please?" Drash said nervously.

Nothing. Naked on the doorstep of the palace, and very firmly locked out. She swallowed, and turned around, eyeing the dunes.

The entrance wouldn't stay quiet forever. And if she couldn't get in...

She could still wait, she told herself. If she crouched and hid somewhere, sooner or later the gate would open, and once she was inside she could at least grab a rug or something until she found Fennec. Sooner or later.

Though she remembered how annoyed Fennec had been at the idea of her sunbathing nude even just in vague proximity to Fett's business. Being caught might be her idea of a punishment, but if she was seen streaking, she shuddered to think of Fennec's idea of a punishment for that.

Okay. Maybe that wasn't the best idea. More tentatively, Drash looked back out again, then started to move, squirming with a few more nerves than before.

Her bike was parked on a rocky outcrop, just under an awning to keep the metal from getting too hot. Drash hurried over to it, hopping onto the stone, then moving faster to the bike. The saddle was artificially cooled, the sudden cold against sun-warmed bare skin making her squeak and jerk up, before she made herself sit down anyway. She took a breath, and moved her arm to the handlebars, poised to steer.

Anywhere seemed better than the palace. The dunes were usually quiet enough, with few travellers and fewer that took the routes only hoverbikes could, though the question of destination lingered in her mind. There was Freetown, but it was further away - and there was Mos Espa, which was closer and came with a guarantee of clothes, but busier.

Drash started up the bike, revving it once, drawing her bare legs up to straddle it tightly. The metal stayed cool, pressed against the tender skin of her inner thigh, a constant reminder of her total exposure.

Well, she'd better pick a destination fast, before anyone else came to the palace...