| abstract
| - Garbed in black, with a silver-ornamented mantle around her shoulders, Queen Nalanda, her guards and her handmaidens were led before the Viceroy by battle droids. Gunray smiled indulgently at them from his seat on Nalanda’s throne. “We caught them trying to flee,” said the droid sergeant. “Now, Your Highness,” said Gunray, gesturing silently to not only the droids but to the cloaked Maxah who stood to the side, “we will discuss the terms for the treaty.” “There will be no treaty,” Nalanda replied, anger flashing from her every move, “your invasion is unlawful and I will not cooperate so you can justify it.” “Don’t be so hasty,” the Viceroy asserted, again he indicated to Maxah, “surely you have seen the devastation so far. This is how you can prevent it.” “And if I don’t?” Nalanda challenged. “We have…other ways of persuading you,” Gunray said, smiling indulgently, “my offer is still open.” He turned to the droid. “Process them.” A group of ten droids escorted Nalanda and her retinue through the courtyard, the handmaidens in grey hooded cloaks closely flanking their queen. But when they turned a corner one of the handmaidens gave a signal and Panaka drew a concealed blaster and started firing at the droids. The handmaiden ignited a lightsaber, the blue blade and her body forming a shield for Nalanda as the other handmaidens forms a barrier around their queen. The handmaiden threw back her hood to reveal the face of Padmé Naberrie, after the death of her Master the queen had amiably let her disguise herself as a handmaiden. Since then she had been playing the mission by her instincts, trying to think what Master Shakya would have done. “What now?” Panaka asked Padmé when the last of the droids were in pieces, to Padmé it seemed incredulous that he deferred to her. She glanced at Nalanda, behind the black veil she wore her expression was of grim determination. It was perfectly clear now, there was nowhere safe. “Your Highness, we should get you to Coruscant,” Padmé said quickly, she continued before the queen could disagree. “I know it seems like abandoning your people, but in the end you may be forced to sign the treaty.” “My decision will not change,” Nalanda said firmly. “It may at the cost of seeing your people suffer,” Padmé pressed, “on the Capital the Jedi can guarantee your safety and you can plead your case.” Nalanda seemed to consider this then conferred briefly with her handmaidens. “I will take my case to the Senate,” Nalanda said firmly. “Where are the transports?” Padmé asked. Before Panaka could reply the sound of blasterfire in the courtyard made them all turn. It was a curious spectacle that left them all speechless. Three very large birds were flying towards them, very close. Yet they came no nearer and at the far end three figures jumped from the backs and fell about ten metres to the ground. Two of them looked suspiciously like Jedi as they each had a lightsaber and started to finish off the droids. The third was unidentifiable other than the fact he was orange and carried a long spear. Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi walked rather nonchalantly up to them, but while Obi-Wan’s face looked deceptively neutral as he paid his respects, Qui-Gon looked perfectly at ease with his surroundings as he smiled and bowed to Queen Nalanda. “I am impressed, Master Jedi,” said the Queen. “We like to make an entrance, Your Highness,” he said lightly, “I hope we are not too late.” “We were just leaving,” Padmé said with a smile and quickly filled him in on what had happened. He makes it sound like we’re about to go off to the theatre, she thought, or a leisurely afternoon drive. “And who was this assassin you saw?” Qui-Gon asked Padmé, then he quickly silenced with a gesture. “No, there’s no time.” He quickly conferred with Panaka and they were on the move again. Padmé began to relax—just a little—pleased that someone more capable was in control. She stayed by Nalanda’s side while Obi-Wan trailed just behind his Master. Danta trailed behind, glancing at everyone with barely veiled suspicion. They came to the hangar at last, the Royal Starship, resplendent in its chromium plating stood silently. Padmé noticed its ramp was down and at the end was a pair of battle droids. They stopped short of the doorway, lurking in the shadows. Almost unconsciously Padmé reached out with the Force—or tried, to as her control of the Force was not yet complete—in case that creature in black decided to show. “We’ll need to free those pilots,” Qui-Gon said, his voice cutting into Padmé’s thoughts, nodded to a group of men in orange suits surrounded by battle droids. “I’ll do that,” Obi-Wan said and confidently walked over. “Stay with the Queen,” Qui-Gon said to Padmé and she didn’t argue, though she smiled as the Jedi Master strode over to the ramp of the starship as if he owned the place. When questioned by the droids, he politely informed the droid he was escorting Queen Nalanda to Coruscant. At the droid’s hesitation he drew his lightsaber and before the pieces had hit the ground Padmé was running forward with Panaka next to her and the queen behind them. Her lightsaber a shield between her body and the approaching droids. Nalanda and her handmaidens raced up the ramp to the ship with her guards forming a screen so the women could pass behind them. Padmé whirled around to give them some protection just as several droidekas rolled into view. “Get on board!” Qui-Gon shouted, deflecting blaster bolts with his lightsaber as Obi-Wan ran into view with the pilots. Quickly, she retreated up the ramp, flashing her lightsaber to block the blaster bolts. The pilots entered the hatch. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were fighting side by side, Padmé stepped back until she was in the doorway. The ramp was retracting, the ship’s engines started to rumble to life and the hatch was closing. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ducked under the closing hatch as the repulsor engines started to hum. Quickly, Padmé put a hand against the wall to steady herself just as the ship started to rise. In the cockpit, Ric Olié was checking readouts and making any adjustments that would add to their speed. With the Trade Federation blockade it was going to be a combination of skill, good timing, and sheer luck to get into hyperspace. “Angle the deflector shields forward,” he shouted as he fought the controls, “and check for a spare spot we can squeeze through the blockade.” “Yessir,” the co-pilot said, giving orders to the second officer and scanning his datascreen frantically. “What’s the chance of getting out of here in one piece?” Qui-Gon asked lightly, but the situation looked a lot more serious since he and Obi-Wan had entered the planet s short time ago. “Tight, very tight,” replied Ric with clenched teeth, a course came up on his datascreen. The large circular battleships loomed nearer. “It really depends on our shields.” Which will probably last all of five minutes, Obi-Wan thought pessimistically as the ship began to shudder from the laser cannon fire. Despite his dislike of flying he was itching to get behind the console, to have some sort of control over what was happening. Yet he stood obediently behind his Master and said nothing.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)