| abstract
| - Padmé didn’t want to say anything, but the sooner Anakin returned the better. She still didn’t know what she was going to say if Obi-Wan contacted them. With a sigh she left the terrace and went inside the villa to where Senator Nalanda sat surrounded by files and flimsies. “The vote was deferred again,” she told Padmé. “Ask Aak pushed it forward saying we can’t trust the Separatists to be decent, Bail interceded.” She paused, looking past Padmé with a frustrated expression. “I should have been there.” “The assassins would eventually have succeeded, m’lady,” Padmé reminded her, sitting down on the couch opposite. “You’re safe here, the Republic needs you alive.” “But I can’t do much good hiding,” Nalanda protested. “I've worked for nearly a year against this vote and much longer to set up the summit and I won’t even be there when either of them happens.” “I am sure Representative Pela can manage in your stead,” Padmé said. “M’lady,” Preya the housekeeper entered with a holocron, “it’s your handmaiden Riané from Coruscant, she says it is urgent.” “Thank you,” Nalanda cleared some space on the table for the holocron, Padmé rose to follow the housekeeper out but Nalanda waved her to remain. “This is somewhat unexpected, Riané,” she said to the hologram. “My apologies, m’lady,” Riané said in a nervous voice, shifting uncomfortably. “But I would not have contacted you if it were not urgent, Representative Pela has disappeared.” Nalanda was stunned, as was Padmé. What is the reason for this? Padmé wondered, Danta’s not the type to abandon his duties. “He was last seen in Senator Organa’s office,” Riané continued, “that was yesterday morning. I didn’t realise anything was wrong until several of his appointments contacted me and asked where he was. The Jedi are assisting Coruscant Security with the investigation, but I knew you would want to be informed.” “Yes, yes, of course, thank you Riané,” Nalanda replied, recovering herself. She paused for a moment as if to decide something. “Inform Senator Organa and the others that I will be attending the summit as originally planned.” “But m’lady—” “Thank you, Riané,” Nalanda interrupted, “that will be all.” And before her handmaiden could protest again she deactivated the holocron. “M’lady, I must inform you that you are taking an unnecessary risk,” Padmé said. “Your life is still in danger until the assassins are uncovered.” “Then you will have to come with me then,” Nalanda replied, piling up what was on the table and placing it in a case. “I intend to leave within the hour.” She started to leave the room. “I can only do so much to protect you,” Padmé persisted as she followed her to the back of the villa. “I am sure you will find yourself equal to the task, Master Naberrie.” The senator retorted, deliberately resorting to formality to remind Padmé of her place. “That’s not the point,” Padmé argued. Nalanda slowly turned to face her and Padmé could sense no fear at all in the young woman. “Master Naberrie,” Nalanda said in a controlled, patient voice, “as I told you I have worked hard to set up this meeting with the Separatists and I intended all along to have a voice in it. If you plan to protect me, you will just have to come along.” It slowly dawned on Padmé as Nalanda finished her packing that she had no choice. “The transmitter is working but we are not receiving a return signal,” Obi-Wan said, scratching his beard as he studied the small dish on the wing of his fighter. He was risking everything by informing the Jedi Council of what happened here, there was a reasonable chance that his transmission could be intercepted but Obi-Wan knew that it would be well worth it. “Arfour, can you boost the power?” Arfour gave a chattering noise that Obi-Wan interpreted as negative. “Coruscant’s too far, we’ll have to try something else,” he pressed slipped into the cockpit and a few keys to change the transmission point. “I’ll send it to Anakin on Naboo, it’s much closer.” Soon enough the signal of Nalanda’s ship appeared on his screen. “Anakin, Anakin do you copy? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi.” But instead of Anakin answering, it was Padmé. “Is there something wrong, Obi-Wan?” She asked as he got out of the cockpit to send the transmission. “My long range transmitter has been knocked out,” he explained to her. “I need you to transmit this message to Coruscant.” “One moment,” she said, and at her signal he continued with his message. “I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis,” he began. “The Trade Federation is to make a delivery of their droid army here,” Obi-Wan continued as Nalanda and Padmé watched him, “and it appears that Viceroy Nute Gunray is behind the assassination attempt on Senator Nalanda.” At this moment Nalanda caught Padmé’s eye, should they have been surprised? “Both the Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance have pledged their allegiance to Count Dooku. Yet, there seems to be something going on that I haven’t yet been able to place, all I know is they plan to combine the droid armies and are forming an—Wait! Wait!” He ignited his lightsaber and deflected a few blaster bolts, after he stepped out of the hologram a droideka came into view. In Chancellor Palpatine’s office the same message was being played watched by the Chancellor and several senators. Watching also was Yoda, Mace Windu and Renust Nju. “More happened on Geonosis I fear than has been revealed,” remarked Yoda. “I agree,” Mace replied, he stepped into the transmission. “Padmé, we will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing you for and Anakin is to stay where you are. Protect the senator at all costs, that is your first priority.” “Understood, Master,” Padmé said, bowing her head in respect. The hologram dispersed and Padmé and Nalanda were once again alone in the cabin of her starship. “We need to get moving,” Nalanda said, calling for the pilot to make the jump. “But senator!” “I’m not changing my mind,” Nalanda reminded her. Padmé knew better than to argue further. “I’ll just send this to Anakin, he needs to know what’s going on and where we are going.” “Perhaps he could rescue Obi-Wan then meet us at Imbroglio,” Nalanda suggested. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Padmé said, imagining the telling-off Anakin would get from his Master. “Yes, but Geonosis is only a parsec from Tatooine,” Nalanda told her. “They have to come halfway across the galaxy.” Padmé hesitated, she did have a point. “I’ll just tell him what has happened,” she said. “He can take it from there.” Back on Coruscant, there was still deep debate in the Chancellor’s office. “The Commerce Guild are preparing for war, there can be no doubt in that,” Bail Organa said. “Count Dooku must have made a treaty with them,” remarked Palpatine. “The debate is over,” said Ask Aak in is growling language, “now we need the clone army.” “Unfortunately the debate is not over,” Bail countered, “not has it even begun with the Separatists.” “Master Windu, how many Jedi can be sent on such short notice?” Palpatine asked. “Out of the thousands of Jedi in the galaxy, two hundred can be sent,” the Jedi Master replied. “But surely is it not premature to act before the summit has begun?” Renust Nju interjected. “Very true,” Bail agreed. “Any action taken now will be taken as an act of war, something we are all trying to prevent.”
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