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| - Renust Nju quickly turned in response to this, on the opposite side of the room with the gallery between them was Padmé Naberrie. She was disguised, of course, but the recognition was unmistakable, after all she had been one of his students. He had known she was on Imbroglio, but had not expected to see her so soon. He had figured she would be sticking close to Senator Nalanda. Yet now she would pay for her curiosity for she could no longer be allowed to live knowing what she now did. He walked towards her. “How long have you been standing there?” he asked, stepping very close so as to intimidate her. “Long enough to know that you are a traitor,” Padmé spat, stepping back to a defensive position. “No more than traitor than Dooku, young Jedi,” Nju taunted. “At least he left the Order first,” she snapped. “Why have you done this? Why have you sold out to the Sith? I trusted you!” “You’re trying to stall me, aren’t you?” Nju asked, ignoring her questions. He parted his cloak to reveal the twin lightsabers on his belt. “You know you can’t win against me, and I can kill you as I know how you fight.” “Not entirely,” Padmé challenged. She had begun her training with him, remembering well the patient, methodical way he had shown them the various moves and positions. But since training with both Shakya Devi and Kuan Yin Nevu she had developed considerably since she had been in his class. “I still intend to kill you all the same,” he told her as if the matter was of no consequence. “Of course,” he added dryly, “you can promise me to give you a reason not to. That’ll you’ll side with me—” “Never!” Padmé said, her voice was quiet but her tone firm. “I’ll never turn to the dark side, and I will never betray the ones who taught me.” Renust Nju smiled sadly, he summoned his lightsabers to his hands, the blue blades crackling as they ignited. “You were a fine student, Padmé,” he said in the same sad, disappointed tone, “I only wish you could be more practical.” “Like you?” Padmé challenged, igniting her own weapon and bringing it before her. He came upon her with such speed that she staggered back to deflect his blow, yet just gave Nju more room to attack. She ducked out of his way, swerving to avoid the flashing fury of his attack. I need to concentrate, she told him frantically, sooner or later someone is going to see us up here, I just need to hold out until then. After all, the Jedi needed to know that they had a Sith in their midst, even if it took her to the end of her strength. Flanked by his Kameel bodyguards, Kanesh Dijoro inspected each of the Loyalist’s suites to make sure they were secure. He got merely a nod from the guards outside, no one had discovered yet that the politicians within were actual prisoners and those doors were as solid as anything. Yet he was surprised to see Count Dooku leaving his suite, surely it was too early to implement the plan? “Do you have any reason to be about so late, my lord Count?” Kanesh asked, his pointed teeth visible through his blue lips. “The plans have changed,” Dooku told him, leaving the corridor and heading into the bowels of the city, “we need to start now and not wait another moment.” “What brings this sudden change?” Kanesh felt himself sweating. “The Jedi have responded far more swiftly than we have anticipated,” Dooku replied, then looked around distractedly. “In fact, three are here right now.” “Jedi? Here?” Kanesh started and glanced around as if expecting them to jump out at him at any moment. “Not to worry, I shall take care of it,” Dooku said and Kanesh was immediately reassured. “But tell everyone else that the plan has moved up a few hours, we need to get into position.” “Yes, yes,” Kanesh said, fluttering away in the most distracted way. Dooku walked in the opposite direction, the fact that the Jedi arrived early was no great embarrassment. Once Mace Windu and the others arrived all they would have to do was close the net and watch everything be destroyed. When the hammering on her door grew louder, Senator Nalanda threw on a robe and ran to answer it. Yet the door was bolted from the outside and wouldn’t budge. “It’s locked!” she shouted, banging on the door with her fists. “Senator Organa’s is locked as well,” said someone from the other side. “Step away from the door, Senator, we’re going to try and blow it down.” Nalanda backed away from the door and sank into a chair below the window. A scuffle at the door that led into the next suite made her start. “Rhadé, get away from the door!” There was a pause then the sound of a blaster being fired. A few moments later Bail Organa emerged from his suite. “What’s going on?” Nalanda ran to him, all her composure gone. “Your security says that we’re locked in. Is Padmé out there?” “No, she said she had to check on something,” Bail said, he tried his comlink but couldn’t get a signal. “Jammed? But…why?” Yet Nalanda wasn’t listening, his words took her back another time when she had faced almost the same situation. But there she actually did something, she managed to get off planet and plead their case. Here, what else could she do but wait? “We need to stay strong,” she found herself saying, pacing in front of the window in her dressing gown, “but first we need to know what’s going on.”
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