There's a Mirror On the Wall

"Who are your new friends, little one?" The woman smiles, glancing over them all a moment. Evaluating them, and Qui-Gon feels as if she's dismissed them - unimportant or harmless.

"They came to Watto's shop for a part for their ship, and they can't find it. I thought we could take them where they need to go?" Anakin tilts his head, his smile never fading.

"Perhaps." The woman looks up, looking them over a moment. "Where did you need passage to?"

"Coruscant, for nine passengers. Can your ship handle that many?" Qui-Gon folds his hands in the sleeves of his tunic, avoiding any appearance of using a mind trick, in case she is familiar with that technique.

A smile quirks up the corner of the woman's mouth, her eyes crinkling at the corners in some private amusement. "If you're very familiar with each other, I think that can be arranged." She pauses, tilting her head in an echo of Anakin's earlier gesture, watching Qui-Gon for a long moment. "You don't have a lot in the way of luggage, I hope?"

"There are several dresses my lady needs to bring with her." Padmé speaks before Qui-Gon can confirm the lack of luggage. "We cannot leave them behind, Master Jinn."

"Hmm." The woman purses her lips a moment. "That will cost more than just the passengers, child. There's not going to be a lot of cargo room with as many people as your Jedi intends."

"We can bring fewer people, but the wardrobe must come. My lady will require them on Coruscant." Padmé gives Qui-Gon a long look, and he smiles, tilting his head. She can keep her ruse, and he will leave it to her to determine how many of those in her party will accompany them, and who will remain with their crippled ship.

"If the lady agrees to a reduced entourage, and there is room for her wardrobe." Qui-Gon looks at the pilot again. "How much will it cost us?"

"Expenses incurred by leaving my apprentice behind, any fees Coruscant charges for docking and customs, and five thousand Chomar or ten thousand Republic dactariis." The pilot glances at Padmé a moment, a flash of curiosity crossing her face. "And if I have to make repairs because I'm transporting someone important and someone gets ideas, the cost of those as well."

"That's expensive, especially for cramped quarters."

The pilot grins, showing off sharp canines - filed or natural, Qui-Gon isn't certain. "You won't find a better price, not if you want to make it to Coruscant from here with such a pretty companion. There are a lot of people who'll pay more than that to have her delivered into their hands, and people who won't care that you're a Jedi."

"That's the second time you've named me Jedi." Qui-Gon still has no sense that she's Force-sensitive. "What makes you think that?"

"I don't just make runs in the Outer Rim, Jedi. I know when I see one." She shrugs. "You don't hide very well, anyway. Now, you can pay the price I named, or you can try some other pilot, but as I said, you won't find a better price, nor a safer ship."