Star Wars_ Young Jedi Knights 03_ The Lost Ones - Kevin J. Anderson [15]
His new formal clothes were stiff and exceedingly uncomfortable, but he knew that this dinner was an important occasion. He silently vowed not to embarrass anyone. He especially didn't want to disappoint the twins.
Before old Peckhum had departed for his lonely mirror-station duties, he'd helped Zekk select a few items of formal clothing, and - the young man had also gone out trading, bartering some of his best trinkets and artifacts for a particularly slick jacket. Now he felt like a dandy as he rode the turbolift up to the higher levels and wound his way through the maze of corridors to the Chief of State's quarters.
The protocol droid See-Threepio met Zekk at the doorway and hustled him inside, dismissing the soldier escort. "Ah, there you are, young Master Zekk. We must hurry-you're late! We have preparations to make."
Zekk tugged at his uncomfortable formal suit. "What do you mean,
'preparations'? I'm all ready, I'm dressed... what more could you want?"
Threepio tsked through his mouth speaker and brushed the front of Zekk's shirt. "Dear me. These clothes are indeed fine and they are most...
interesting. According to my files they were quite fashionable some decades ago. Quite an historical find, I should say."
Zekk felt a stab of disappointment. He had worked so hard, doing his absolute best to prepare for this special event-and in the space of a few seconds the prissy droid had dismissed all of his efforts.
Leia Organa Solo hurried out of the back room, her dark eyes widening as she saw him. "Oh... uh, hello Zekk. Glad you could make it." Her gaze seemed to dissect Zekk; he clenched his teeth and tried not to show any embarrassment, though he was sure his cheeks were flushed crimson. His fine suit now seemed as ridiculous to him as a clown's costume.
"I hope I'm not being too much of bother," he stammered. "I didn't mean for Jaina and Jacen to invite me-"
"Don't worry about it," Leia said quickly and smiled. "The ambassador from Karnak Alpha has brought her own brood of children. So please relax.
Just do the best you can."
Threepio returned with a kit of grooming implements. "First, we'll comb your hair, young Master Zekk. Everything must be presentable. This is a matter of diplomatic pride for the New Republic, though I do wish I could have located those old files about the customs on Karnak Alpha. The place seems to have been forgotten by my protocol programmers." He fussed over Zekk's hair. "Dear me, you could certainly use a trim! Hmmmm, I wonder if we have time..."
Jaina and Jacen came out to greet their friend as he stood soundlessly enduring the golden droid's over-attentive ministrations. Jacen's hair seemed awkwardly straight, his face scrubbed so clean that Zekk barely recognized the boy.
"Hello, Zekk!" Jaina cried with sincere delight, but when she noticed his outfit she covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. He felt his cheeks burning with fresh shame.
When Zekk struggled against the buzzing device, Threepio said sternly, "I am a protocol droid, you know, fully trained in grooming techniques."
Zekk didn't argue, but winced as Threepio cleared a snag in his dark hair.
"I'm not sure this is such a good idea," Zekk said. "I don't know anything about diplomacy. I don't know any manners or etiquette."
Jaina laughed. "That is not important. Just use your common sense and watch what the rest of us do. It's a big diplomatic banquet, and you have to follow all sorts of boring ceremonies, but the food's good. You'll enjoy it."
Zekk didn't point out that it was easy for Jaina to say such things, since she had been brought up in this high political society and trained in the proper responses for so many years that such actions were second nature to her. Zekk, though, had no such instruction. This whole dinner was going to be a disaster, he just knew it.
See-Threepio finally gave up on his attempts to comb out Zekk's hair and shook his gleaming head