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"Attention buyers! Starting now, Level 16, Aisle 16-A-57 is having a sale on Stargood brand imitation Kessel spice flavoring. This marvelous condiment ..."
Leia needed something to perk up the protein brick she’d bought on Level 1019, so she caught an elevator on level 31. Fifteen floors later she was squeezed out of the compartment and swept along by the mob that was descending on aisle 57. By the time everyone stopped grabbing, the only containers left were on the very top shelf. As she stretched for one she was reminded once again that the old flightsuit just didn't fit like it used to. Feeling dowdy, she looked over her shopping list and ticked off the items stacked in the tote-'droid. The bottle of Kasva hadn't been in the budget (it was difficult to eat well on the tiny salary the Alliance paid) but she wanted to give him something special for their anniversary. She caught an elevator to 35.
As she waited in line to have her groceries credited, she shifted her weight to her good leg and frowned. Her various scars were forecasting a change in the weather and she thought sourly of the ten blocks that she had to walk to their economy cubicle. With my luck all hell will break loose the minute I step outside.
Finally, it was her turn. She put her asset card into the slot and watched dispassionately while her purchases were mashed together and packaged into a cube. We can travel faster than light, she thought, but we still haven't come up with a way to keep food-bundlers from mangling our packages. Oh well.
She held out her hand to take her asset card, but it was spit out of the slot so fast that it shot through her fingers and fell to the floor. When she stooped to retrieve it she banged her elbow on the corner of the 'tote-droid; when she stood up she felt her pinned-up hair start to sag. Take heart, she thought wryly, nothing else would possibly go wrong today after all of this. She caught an elevator down to street level.
She had taken no more than a dozen steps before a long-nailed hand dug into her shoulder and a half-familiar voice shrieked, "Leia Organa! I haven’t seen you in ages, just ages!"
Leia turned, groaned silently. Alleson Giselle, of all people. Fun-loving, tactless, devastatingly ageless Alleson, looking like she'd just stepped out of a partyscene in Holocelebrity magazine. Leia unconsciously sucked in her stomach and wondered how her hair looked.
"Alleson. How nice to see you." Liar, she thought.
"It's incredible running into you again after all these years! Maker, it's been, like, twenty years!"
"Oh, not that long," Leia said with a forced laugh. 'Ten? Twelve?"
"It seems forever! I really meant to keep in touch, but, well, ever since, it's been, you know, this and that. Oh Leia, you're not mad at me for not really sticking with the alliance? But it really did take up too much of my spare time."
Leia smiled. "No, of course not. So what have you been doing with yourself these past few years?"
"Oh, nothing much. I've been in a few quaddy films, sold my autobiography, Memoirs of a Wild Giselle, broke a few hearts, well, actually, broke a lot of hearts, helped several of my friends to greater personal freedom by having education affairs — oh, I think that's such a clever phrase, don't you, 'educational affair?' — with their husbands. Really, though, it's sad; even I couldn't save most of their marriage-contracts from being canceled. A few of them actually got vindictive, accused me of causing trouble — oh, my last lover was a dear, he was a rejuvenator, he was absolutely mad for me, let me tell you. I should ask him if he could do anything for you. He works wonders, Leia, he's very exclusive and only takes referrals from former patients.
"But I really shouldn't be going on like this. I want o hear about all of the fun and exciting things you've been doing these past twenty years. You'll have to hurry a bit, though, I'm waiting for Ja-quel, he's my latest — Oh, Leia, you wouldn't believe! He can do the most amazing things with his — "
"I'm married," Leia said.
"That's nice," Alleson gushed, "I can see you married. There always was a streak of old-fashioned-ness in you." Her eyes sparked naughtily. "Though you were also pretty rambunctious in your younger days, weren't you? Active, I mean. You know what I mean. Why, I'll bet that between running the Alliance during the day and wedded bliss at night you’re exhausted. It’s a wonder that you have the strength to do your own shop�ping."
Leia shifted her groceries so that they rested on her hip and glanced up at the darkening sky uneasily. "I’m not actually running the Rebellion anymore. My husband didn’t like the idea of me running around the galaxy blowing up Imperial installations and dodging blasterfire. He feels that a wife’s place is in the home having babies."
"You must miss all that excitement."
"Luke does as good a job running things as I ever did," she replied wistfully. "Maybe even better."
"I simply adore children, although I don't want any of my own. It would restrict my freedom of movement, if you know what I mean. How many do you have?"
"None yet," Leia said, "but we keep hoping."
Alleson laughed and waggled her finger at Leia. "Several times a night, I'll bet!"
If I stand here much longer, Leia thought, my groceries will rot from old age. "Well, it was nice seeing you again, Alleson. but I have to run. Wifely duties..." She shrugged.
Alleson said, "I understand, Leia. Bet there’s some you enjoy more than others, hmmm? Oh, there's Ja-quel!" Oblivious to Leia’s tight smile, Alleson said, "Listen, we'll absolutely have to get together sometime so that I can meet your husband."
Over my dead body, dearie.
Alleson rushed off and got into a very long, very expensive vehicle and zoomed off, waving madly from the rear window. Leia waved and looked up at the sky. Thick black blankets of cloud were unrolled overhead a moment later. a titanic thunderclap crashed and mumbled through the suddenly muggy air. Fist-sized raindrops splat on the ground and Leia cursed. Hugging the package and starting to jog. After a few blocks her hair slid into a soggy, lopsided tangle behind her ears.
At home Leia dumped the package on the counter and looked at the chronometer. Dyet! He'd be home in less than half an hour! She dug out the Kesselspice flavoring and the squashed protein brick; threw the pathetic looking bargain cut into a pan and recklessly doused it with the powder and shoved it into the cooking unit. The pan bounced off the back wall of the cooking unit and almost clattered to the floor. Dyet!
Scurrying into the bedroom, she ferreted out the hairpins buried in the dripping mess of her hair with one hand while peeling off the clammy flight suit with the other. She grabbed a slightly wrinkled white shift that was still draped over the bedpost where it had been tossed the night before and yanked it over her head. The garment was cool, loose, flattering — and most of all dry.
In the bathroom she dried her hair with the infrared then made up her face meticulously, frowning at the faint wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. A touch of lip gloss, some of his favorite perfume — and she heard the familiar rattle from the front door. She turned to go — but noticed another grey hair! She yanked it out vengefully as indecipherable mumbles and weary footsteps went into the front room.
In the kitchen, Leia checked the brick while the compucook mixed him a large drink. Poor dear, she thought as she padded out to the front room. He looks so tired. She handed him the drink and sat on his lap, leaning her head resting comfortably against his shoulder. "Rough day?"
Chewie just growled.