PLEASE NOTE: In 2012, the Youtube user, Belated Media, put up a video with the basic concept that he was a story producer when George Lucas was writing the Star Wars Prequels and that he reworked when George had in a way that was more streamline, maintained the integrity of the Original Trilogy, and left fewer plot holes. I saw this video a few years ago and loved the concept, but I just couldn't get it out of my head. What WOULD a Star Wars like that look like? Specifically? Since I'm not a director, I decided I would attempt to novelize what the Star Wars Prequels COULD HAVE BEEN, based on the ideas presented by Belated Media. The original video can still be found on Youtube under Belated Media's channel and while I do deviate a bit from some of the concepts presented (he goes on to do Episode 2 and 3 in later videos and makes a few tweaks that aren't mentioned in the first video) much of the ideas and concepts presented belong originally to him. Thank you to Belated Media for providing the idea, and thank you to the readers for taking the time to explore these concepts with me. Cheers,
-Katerinaki
Prologue:
Long ago, the Jedi knights were the guardians of the Galactic Republic. Their skills with a blade was matched by none, and only surpassed by their knowledge and control of the Force. For many thousands of years, they used their skills to fight for peace and prosperity in the Republic.
But those years are passed, and now the Jedi serve as diplomats, travelling from system to system to ensure the continued peace their predecessors sacrificed so much for. Two such Jedi, Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, journey to the Republic world of Alderaan.
There, they expect to find a thriving Core world, and the continued peace of the galaxy…
Part 1:
Obi-Wan sighed and tugged at the stiff collar of his diplomatic robes, fidgeting in his chair. Across the table, his Master, Qui-Gon, frowned.
"You're restless today, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon commented. He sat upright in his own brown diplomatic robes, looking every inch the venerated Jedi Master. Obi-Wan felt like he just looked stupid in the formal robes they used for these "diplomatic visits". Where his Master was tall and leonine, his brown and gray hair pulled back and his beard neatly trimmed, Obi-Wan was shorter and looked like a boy playing dress-up. He was twenty-four years old, and yet his face was round and he still toted the thin braid of an apprentice resting over his right shoulder. The rest of his reddish-brown hair he kept short in the style of a Jedi padawan.
"I'm sorry, Master," he replied. And he was sorry, though perhaps not for being restless. Really, he was sorry that they were sent out on yet another of these boring missions. Obi-Wan knew the moment his Master had told him to pack his dress robes that they were not going on a true mission. They were going to glad-hand politicians and assure the people of Alderaan that the Jedi were still very much alive and protecting them. Though, from what?
The last true mission they'd gone on had been to chase down a group of pirates. Before that, a Hutt smuggling ring. All of it was certainly useful and important to maintaining peace in the galaxy, but none of it held the true purpose of the Jedi. Because a Jedi Knight was not meant to fight petty crime lords and Hutts. They were meant to protect the galaxy from the true evil, the Dark Side, the Sith.
Only it had been centuries since anyone had seen a Sith. Not since the last war where one thousand Jedi and Sith had clashed in a battle that every youngling in the galaxy knew of. The Battle of Korriban. The Jedi had brought the fight to the very heart of the Sith homeworld and they'd emerged victorious, ultimately winning the war for the Light.
That was the mission Obi-Wan longed for, and what he dreamed of as he sat in his uncomfortable robes and tugged at his collar. His lightsaber called to him from its place on his belt, and Obi-Wan felt the urge to clash blade with blade, and not just in a sparring match with his Master.
"Obi-Wan!" Qui-Gon's rebuke was stronger and Obi-Wan jerked upright out of his daydream.
"I'm sorry, Master," he repeated, only this time he was truly repentant.
"Where is your mind today, Padawan?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I had a dream last night, Master," Obi-Wan admitted.
"Oh? What of?"
"The Battle of Korriban."
His master's face tightened. "Obi-Wan," he said warningly.
"I know, Master, a Jedi seeks peace."
"Then why do you constantly long for war? The Sith Wars were a terrible time in the history of our Order. Many Jedi Knights sacrificed so that the galaxy would be free from the grasp of the Dark Side."
"I don't long for war," Obi-Wan protested. "I just—don't see what these diplomacy missions have to do with protecting the galaxy from the Dark Side."
"Our continued presence is reassuring to the people of the Republic. They rest easy knowing that we are still patrolling the galaxy, ensuring the peace of the Republic."
"It's overkill, Master."
Qui-Gon sighed heavily. This was a conversation he'd had many times with his padawan learner and each time, Obi-Wan still didn't seem to understand. Perhaps that was why he still refused to place Obi-Wan up for the Trials of Knighthood. He simply did not believe that Obi-Wan understood the true purpose of the Jedi.
"Regardless, it is our mandate," Qui-Gon said at last. "Prepare yourself, we should be coming into Alderaanian space soon."
The two Jedi stood and Obi-Wan straightened out his robes before they joined the pilot and co-pilot in the ship's cockpit. The ship they travelled in was not a large ship, with only a crew of the pilot, co-pilot, and engineer. It was a diplomatic vessel and carried no blasters or munitions of any kind. The wings and saber of the Jedi Order with the eight-spoked circle of the Galactic Republic served as protection enough as they moved through Republic space.
"Good afternoon, sirs," the pilot said as they stepped into the cockpit. "We should be dropping out of hyperspace momentarily."
"Thank you, Captain," Qui-Gon replied.
"Captain," the co-pilot said, "Approaching our re-entry point in three, two, one."
The long streaks of hyperspace coalesced into familiar pinpoint stars and the ship decelerated and dropped back into real space. Before them, hanging in space was a green and blue, mountainous world. Obi-Wan remembered from his briefing that Alderaan was well-known for its natural beauty and its people lived in cities and towns that were architecturally designed to fit in with the environment.
The Captain immediately opened a comm frequency and began trying to hail Aldera, the capital city and the seat of power for Alderaan's royal family, the House Organa.
"Aldera Control, this is the Radiant VII. I am carrying the two Jedi Knights on a diplomatic mission. Requesting landing vectors, over."
Obi-Wan expected to hear the usual boring traffic control talk, directing the pilot to turn here and descend there, but the frequency remained silent. He frowned, looking up at his master for guidance, but Qui-Gon was still as serene and unperturbed as usual.
"Aldera Control, this is the Radiant VII. Requesting landing vectors, over."
Still, nothing.
"Aldera Control, are you receiving, over?"
The pilot tried for a good two minutes, but no response came from the planet below, and Obi-Wan was nervous.
"Perhaps they are experiencing an outage," Qui-Gon said at last. "Land on the outskirts of the city."
But something wasn't right. Obi-Wan could feel it in the Force, like a tunic that was cut poorly or a dish that was cooked improperly. It simply wasn't what it was supposed to be, and that is what the situation was now.
"Master?"
"Walk with me, Obi-Wan." The two of them left the cockpit as the pilot began entering Alderaan's atmosphere. The two of them returned to their shared quarters.
"Master, I have a bad feeling about it," Obi-Wan said when they closed the door and were alone.
"I don't sense anything," Qui-Gon replied, but he still began removing his formal robe and changing into a more practical tunic.
"What are you doing?"
"We will likely be hiking into the city," Qui-Gon explained simply. "It would be better to wear something more durable. Change."
Obi-Wan quickly stripped off his robes, glad to be rid of the horrible things and was just fastening his belt over his own tunic when there was an explosion and the ship suddenly pitched. Only their Jedi reflexes kept Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon from falling and the two of them sprang into action, racing back for the cockpit. Only the way was sealed shut by one of the ship's blast doors, meaning not only was their ship damaged, but likely their pilots were injured. The ship lurched again and began shaking as Obi-Wan grabbed onto the nearest seat. Qui-Gon took a seat across from him and strapped himself in.
"What's going on?" Obi-Wan shouted over the blaring alarms and the roar that meant their ship was falling through the atmosphere.
"We're going to crash," Qui-Gon told him. "Brace for impact."
Obi-Wan had only a second to strap himself in before what remained of their craft collided with something, throwing Obi-Wan against the bulkhead. His chest screamed and his vision blurred, just as another crash came and metal crunched. Obi-Wan's head slammed against the collapsing roof and a trickle of blood ran down his eye as he fell unconscious.
Obi-Wan swam into consciousness to the firm voice of his Master.
"Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan, wake up."
He groaned, but opened his eyes. His right eye felt thick and was caked with something. His hand swiped at it and came away red. So, it was blood.
"Careful," Qui-Gon coached as Obi-Wan sat up. His chest burned with each breath and his ears were ringing. He felt like he'd just been trampled by a nerf cow.
"What happened?"
"We crashed," Qui-Gon explained. "The ship's crew is dead." He removed a bacta-soaked bandage from the nearby ship's med kit and swabbed away some of the blood from Obi-Wan's eye. He blinked, able to see better. Behind his master was the twisted remains of their ship, still burning and sending a tower of black smoke rising over the treetops. Obi-Wan could see where the ship had impacted trees and other things on their crash, but he could also clearly see the burning, gaping holes, the work of torpedoes.
"Someone attacked us."
"Yes, and they will likely be coming to finish the job. Are you able to stand?"
Groaning, Obi-Wan began to push himself to his feet. He swayed against his Master's firm hand, but managed to get upright. The pain was immense, but he released it into the Force, breathing through his injuries to nod.
"I'll be okay, Master." With a few fortifying breaths and no small amount of help from the Force, he gathered his strength to take a few steps. It hurt, but it wasn't impossible.
"Aldera is north of us, I believe," Qui-Gon said, gesturing off into the trees. "If we move now, we should make it there by nightfall."
"How do we know we'll be welcomed?" Obi-Wan replied. "Someone attacked our ship, and there was never a reply from Aldera Control. Are we sure the Alderaanians will welcome two Jedi?"
"In this situation, we can't be sure of anything. But it is too dangerous to be out in the wild at night and our ship is damaged beyond repair. Aldera is our only choice."
The two Jedi set off through the woods, Qui-Gon leading the way with Obi-Wan staggering behind him. Their pace was slow with Obi-Wan's injuries, but Qui-Gon did not comment on it once, instead taking the extra time to listen to the Living Force to guide them through the unfamiliar forest. Night began to fall, but Qui-Gon assured his apprentice they were not far from Aldera when suddenly both Jedi froze. The warning in the Force came just moments before the scream of a starfighter coming in low and fast could be heard overhead.
"Take cover!" Qui-Gon ordered, diving behind a tree as Obi-Wan struggled under a rocky overhang. Seconds later, an unfamiliar starfighter appeared over the trees, flying very low. It was likely the pilot was looking for the two Jedi, as the starfighter had come from the direction of their crash.
The starfighter was almost out of sight when suddenly a cannon fired from the treetops and blaster fire ripped through the starfighter, sending it careening into the forest. A moment later, a second fighter, likely the first's wingman, came down, cannons blazing. Qui-Gon had to dodge out of the way as his cover was destroyed. The fighter pilot saw him and circled back around. Qui-Gon turned and ignited his green lightsaber, standing ready. Obi-Wan sprung from his own cover, standing side-by-side with his Master and his own blue lightsaber.
"You're injured, get to safety," Qui-Gon growled.
"Not on your life, Master," Obi-Wan replied, preparing to face the oncoming fighter.
But just before it reached them, a second cannon fired, this time from on top of the rocky outcropping. It was joined by blaster fire from the treetops on either side of the Jedi and the fighter was quickly overwhelmed. It crashed into the trees and disappeared in a fiery explosion, just beyond the ridge. Whoops and hollers echoed from the treetops and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan looked around in surprise as the fighters slipped out of the trees, disguised in a shifting brown and green patterned uniforms.
Obi-Wan shifted, putting his back to his master and not lowering his lightsaber as they were surrounded by the forces in the trees. They were men, but their faces were painted or covered with dark cloths. Each was heavily armed with blasters, though they didn't seem to be training them on the Jedi.
"Peace, Jedi!" one of their number called. "We are not against you."
The speaker broke away from the group, lowering the cloth over his face and revealing a young man with tanned skin, dark hair, and a familiar face, though Obi-Wan could not recognize how he knew him. His blaster was slung over his back and as he gestured to the others, they followed his example, slinging their own blasters. Obi-Wan heard Qui-Gon deactivate his lightsaber and he reluctantly followed his master's example. In the distance, they could hear more starfighters coming nearer. The leader seemed to hear it too.
"Come," he said, "We have a safe place. The Federation patrols heavily around the capital."
The Federation? Obi-Wan's confusion only burgeoned the longer they spoke. He didn't think it was a particularly good idea to go anywhere with this band of…mercenaries?
But, obviously his master didn't feel the same.
"We would be most grateful for any help you could provide."
The leader nodded and slipped the cloth back over his face. "This way."
They formed up into a rough line with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon near the front as they weaved through the trees. Where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had moved slowly, uncertain in their course, this group knew these woods well and didn't hesitate even once until they came to a river at the base of a tall cliff face. Roaring water tumbled over the cliff face, feeding the river below. Vines and moss protected the rock face, blending it with the greenery around it. Their group came to the base of the cliff, not far from the river's head, a wide pool at the base of the waterfall.
At first, Obi-Wan saw nothing to indicate why they'd stopped here of all places. If they expected him to climb the rock face, they would be sorely disappointed. Had he been uninjured, he would've been able to do it easily. But between his throbbing head and his stiff chest, not to mention the likely cracked ribs, Obi-Wan would not be climbing any cliffs today. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to. The leader of their group felt along the rock face, pushing aside the vines until he seemed to find what he was looking for. There was a small, metal plate set into the rock and he flipped it open to reveal an old keypad that was weathered, but still appeared operational. A few seconds later, there was a low grinding and, to Obi-Wan's surprise, part of the rock face moved aside, revealing a small, low entrance.
"Everybody in," the leader ordered, and his fighters filed in one-by-one, ducking under the doorway. Qui-Gon followed as well, but Obi-Wan hesitated, to the leader's obvious amusement.
"There's nothing inside to hurt you, Master Jedi," he assured him.
Obi-Wan nodded jerkily, but still hunched over, hissing in pain as he squeezed through the door. The leader was just a moment behind him and then the door closed, throwing them all into momentary darkness. Then lights flickered on either side, revealing a rough-hewn passage way deeper into the mountain. The fighters were already proceeding down it to another door, this one of thick durasteel. A blast door. Again the leader punched a code into an old keypad and the door slid open, with a grinding screech at the end.
"Must fix that," he muttered as he gestured Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan through. This time Obi-Wan made a point to step through confidently, just a half-step behind his master. He did not expect what he saw.
Inside was a control room. It wasn't a state-of-the-art operation, of course. Everything, like the keypads and the doors they'd passed through so far, seemed at least a few centuries old. But lights flickered as sensors monitored the surrounding woods and fighters in the same green and brown camouflage uniforms sat at the stations, monitoring the incoming information. It was quite the set up.
"Welcome to our base of operations," the leader said as he shed his cap and camouflage jacket. Beneath the uniform, Obi-Wan was surprised to find a pale blue tunic bearing the gold, heart-shaped insignia of House Organa, the ruling house of Alderaan. Standing before him, dressed in the livery of his house, Obi-Wan at last recognized their host, Bail Organa, Prince of Alderaan.
"Your Highness," Qui-Gon said, bowing his head respectfully. Obi-Wan followed his master's lead but the prince was already shaking his head.
"Not at the moment, I'm afraid," he told them. "Alderaan is not under the rule of my family. It hasn't been for some time."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged their confusion. As far as they knew when they'd left Coruscant on their mission, Alderaan had still been under the control of Queen Mazicia Organa. Their Senator, Bail Antilles, had been in attendance in a Senate session when they'd departed.
"My padawan needs medical attention," Qui-Gon said at last. "If we may use your med bay, perhaps you can also explain what has happened here? As far as the Republic knows, Alderaan is still at peace."
Bail took a look at Obi-Wan and his eyes lingered over the gash on his head and the way he was holding his side.
"Yes, I think that would be best," he agreed. "This way. Raymus?"
One of the fighters who'd accompanied them looked up from where he was giving a report to one of the technicians.
"Will you tell my sister we've returned and ask her to meet us in the med bay? Assure her I am uninjured."
"Yes, Your Highness," Raymus replied with a short bow.
"This way."
The base stretched further into the rock face and had obviously been built as some sort of bunker at one point. There were periodic blast doors that they moved through and the hallways were thin and low, meant for utility and not for comfort. Others moved through the passageways, but they always deferred to Bail, pressing themselves against the rock wall to allow him and the two Jedi to pass unimpeded. Bail, for his part, always nodded and greeted each person by name as they made their way towards the center of the base. The med bay was not much, but it had a bacta tank and was stocked with enough supplies to take care of most wounds. Obi-Wan removed his tunic at Qui-Gon's behest as he gingerly sat on one of the exam tables. His sternum was bruised from the restraints and his ribs were definitely cracked as Qui-Gon gently prodded his side to assess the damage.
"We saw your ship come down," Bail explained as Qui-Gon set about applying bacta to the various surface wounds.
"You said the aggressors are a group called 'the Federation'?" Qui-Gon asked. He gently lay his hands over the ribs, making Obi-Wan wince, but the apprentice relaxed as the warmth of the Force flowed through his muscles and bones, encouraging healing. It wasn't true Jedi healing, but it would speed things along and take the edge off the wound for the time being. When they returned to the Jedi Temple, Qui-Gon would likely insist Obi-Wan see the trained Temple healers.
"The Trade Federation," Bail explained.
That caught Obi-Wan's attention and distracted him from his ribs.
"The Trade Federation? How could they be responsible for this? Neimoidians aren't confrontational."
"We were caught by surprise as well," Bail admitted. "They came to Aldera under pretense of negotiating a new trade agreement. But while they were at the palace, they took my mother and father hostage and invaded the city with a droid army. My sister and I, with a few of the palace guard, managed to escape." Bail grinned. "It was her idea to come here."
"What is this place?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I should think you would know, Master Jedi," Bail replied. "This bunker was created by the royal family during the Sith Wars. It was meant as a hideaway for children and Force-users, should the Sith ever try to invade Alderaan. A lot of it was old and dysfunctional, but my sister is a force to be reckoned with when she sets her mind to something. She got this place going and recruited most of the fighters from outlying towns and the few who'd escaped the invasion of the city."
"And now you've formed an underground resistance," Qui-Gon said, at last removing his hand. Obi-Wan sighed in relief, glad that he could breathe freely again.
"If you could call it that."
Obi-Wan scrambled for his shirt when he caught sight of the short girl who barged into the med bay with aplomb. After some fumbling, he managed to get his head and hands in the right holes. The girl eyed him, unimpressed.
"Master Jedi, my sister, Padmé Amidala Organa," Bail introduced.
"So this is why you had Raymus get me," Padmé commented, shooting an unreadable glance at her brother. She was all of a meter and a half tall, but she seemed to loom over everyone in the room the way she radiated authority. Her brown hair, pulled into a bun at the base of her head, was a bit lighter than her brother's, as was her skin tone, but they shared the same brown eyes. Obi-Wan was used to meeting intimidating gazes. He'd attended plenty of negotiations with creatures of all types, many of whom wished to intimidate the Jedi, but none held a flame to Padmé Organa.
"I assume you're the Jedi sent for our diplomatic visit?" she addressed Qui-Gon, ignoring Obi-Wan completely.
"Yes, Your Highness."
But Padmé, like her brother, waved off the title. "Padmé, Master Jedi."
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, and this is my apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Obi-Wan managed to drag his jaw off the floor long enough to politely incline his head at his master's introduction. So much for Jedi poise and serenity.
"We are grateful to have you, Master Jinn," Padmé replied, barely sparing Obi-Wan a sideways glance. "As you can see, our situation is a difficult one. With our parents imprisoned and long-range communication disrupted, we haven't been able to get word to our Senator to request aid from the Republic. The Trade Federation is in violation of several laws, not to mention their treatment of our people has been inhumane at best. Bail would never do this, but I'm afraid we have no other choice. I formally request the aid of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic in re-securing our sovereignty and putting a stop to the illegal, barbaric invasion by the Trade Federation."
Just a few hours ago, Obi-Wan had been lamenting this mission, positive it was going to be dull and a waste of time. But now he stood in the secret base of an underground resistance, on a planet that was invaded by the galaxy's largest trade conglomerate. A conglomerate run by Neimoidians who were green-skinned, simpering cowards at best and highly unlikely to seek out a conflict such as this. There was something more here, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel thrilled at the prospect of digging to the bottom of this and saving this world from oppression. It was the stuff of Jedi legends!
"I would immediately accept your request, Your Highness," Qui-Gon replied, "but I'm afraid it is not mine to accept. You must go before the Senate and plead your case, otherwise there is little I can do."
Obi-Wan stared at his master with incredulity. How could he refuse? This was precisely why the Jedi existed! They weren't there to wander around the galaxy appearing in peace parades! They were meant to fight for the Republic against oppression and evil. Padmé and her people needed help, and Qui-Gon wanted her to go beg the bureaucrats in the Senate?
"Master," Obi-Wan began to protest, but Padmé beat him to it.
"Surely you, as a representative, could plead our case. You've seen what is happening here."
"I cannot intercede," Qui-Gon replied. "The Jedi must remain neutral until the Republic commands us. We are keepers of the peace, not soldiers."
"Then keep the peace! My people are starving!" Padmé screamed. Her outburst caused Bail to place a hand on her shoulder, but she pushed him off. "Every second we waste, another man, woman, or child suffers in the Federation's camps. Our resistance is not strong enough to withstand the Federation's droid army. We need help. My father told me stories of the Jedi and their deeds. Surely there must be some way you can help us?"
Qui-Gon looked about to refuse her again, but Obi-Wan jumped in.
"We'll help you get off world," he blurted out.
Padmé turned on him, fixing that intimidating glare on him. "And how would that help?"
Obi-Wan's words stuck in his throat, but Bail seemed to understand.
"If you made it to Coruscant, you and Senator Antilles could secure the Republic's aid. Senator Antilles knows his way around the Senate better than anyone, and you could provide first-hand witness to the atrocities committed here."
But Padmé didn't seem to like Bail's suggestion any more than Qui-Gon's refusal.
"My place is here, with my people," she told him firmly.
"It is," Bail agreed. "But right now your people do not need you here. They need you to be their voice."
Brother and sister had some sort of silent exchange and Obi-Wan didn't dare interrupt it. Qui-Gon watched the interaction with interest, though his expression was otherwise unreadable. For the first time in a while, Obi-Wan really wasn't sure what was going through his master's head. They had never found themselves in such a situation before; this was entirely new ground. Obi-Wan was all for staying and fighting with the resistance, but Qui-Gon obviously didn't see that as part of their mandate as Jedi either.
After some time, Padmé at last growled in frustration.
"Fine," she conceded. "I will plead our case to the Senate."
"This is the right choice, Padmé," Bail assured her.
"We'll find out, won't we? I guess the question now is, how are we getting off Alderaan?"
With the Bail's first hand intelligence from a recent reconnaissance mission, the four of them hatched a plan for slipping into the city and stealing a ship. The royal hangar would be under far too much guard, as would the main spaceport. But Bail had a few tricks up his sleeve and he told them of a secret hangar of House Panteer, a long ally of House Organa. Their seat was not in Aldera, but they maintained a small compound in the city, modest so as not to draw attention. House Panteer had not made it through the Sith Wars as unscathed as the rest of the Noble Houses, having fallen victim to a number of assassinations. Since their house was unmarked, the Trade Federation likely wouldn't have paid much attention to it, and they likely won't have too many guards around it.
"And you're sure Deris won't mind us borrowing his ship?" Padmé asked, amusedly.
"Under the circumstances, I don't think so," Bail replied, grinning.
And so Obi-Wan found himself with Qui-Gon, Padmé, and a handful of trusted guards slipping into the capital city under cover of darkness. Bail had opted not to come, stating the resistance would need leadership with Padmé gone. He would stay behind and continue to fight. Padmé had hugged him fiercely and murmured some sort of ancient blessing in his ear before they'd left.
Entering the city wasn't hard. Padmé had grown up in Aldera and knew every way in, from the largest vista to the tiniest side passage. They slipped into the east side of the city, managing to avoid the majority of the droids which were stationed around the royal palace and its lake to the west. Here, there were only a few droids and their party stealthily avoided their patrols with the help of timing and a few Force tricks by Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
At last they came to the compound, and Obi-Wan had to agree, it was indeed subtle. There was not even an insignia of House Panteer on the gate, but Padmé assured them that this was the right place. They slipped in through a servant's entrance and found the compound deserted. All around them were the remnants of the house's inhabitants. There was a meal, still half-finished in the dining room. Toys lay out on the floor and as Obi-Wan slipped through the house behind Padmé, he caught a glimpse of a bedroom where no doubt a girl slept. A wilting starblossom sat in a dry vase on the nightstand.
The deeper they went into the compound, the more Obi-Wan's heart ached for the people who lived there. It was obvious they were taken by surprise, likely having done nothing to provoke the invasion. It was wrong, and Obi-Wan began to grow frustrated that his master wasn't doing more to help. They could lead a party into one of the camps and free these people! Even a few dozen droids were no match for one Jedi, let alone two.
Obi-Wan was too busy in his resentment that he almost didn't feel the warning until they'd paused outside a door and Padmé announced, "This is it."
She activated the door, just as Obi-Wan felt the disturbance.
"No, wait!"
But it was too late. The door slid open, revealing a whole squadron of battle droids. They turned on them as one and opened fire. Obi-Wan activated his lightsaber, barging through the door with his master to deflect the fire as Padmé and her guards dived for cover.
"It was a trap," Qui-Gon declared as he ricocheted one of the blaster bolts back at a droid.
"Obviously, what now?" Obi-Wan replied.
"Get to the ship!" Padmé called. "It's our only way out of the city now."
They didn't have a chance to argue as she broke cover, quickly followed by her guards. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon moved forward, hurrying to catch up and try to shield them from fire. The small group was decisively outnumbered, but that didn't seem to faze Padmé as she fired off shot after shot at the droids, some missing, but a great deal finding their targets. They worked their way to the ship as a cluster with the Jedi providing their only cover. Their pilot, an older man Padmé called Jeremoch, activated the ramp and hurried up it to get the ship prepped while Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stayed outside to hold off the advancing droids.
"Any more bright ideas, Your Highness?" Obi-Wan called to Padmé, who stood between them, firing away.
"Get on the ship, before the entire droid army shows up," she retorted.
"After you!"
Padmé huffed, but she broke off, hurrying up the ramp with others of the guards. The ship's engines revved up and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan took that as their cue to leave.
"Go!" Qui-Gon ordered, and Obi-Wan parried one last shot before ducking up the ramp. His master was just behind him, punching the door controls shut just as the engine hummed beneath their feet and the ship rose. They scrambled for a seat in the cockpit as they shot off, out of the hangar and over the city.
"Well done, Jeremoch," Padmé commended, reaching over to thump the older man on his shoulder.
"We're not out of this yet," Qui-Gon warned, and a moment later alarms lit up the console as starfighters began to lock on.
"Hold tight," Jeremoch called and Obi-Wan had just a moment to grab onto the back of Padmé seat before the whole ship pitched right, blaster fire exploding harmlessly past their underside. Jeremoch took evasive action as he angled the ship on an escape vector, weaving as much as possible to avoid fire and target lock.
"Hey Jedi," he called, not looking away, "This ship have any guns on her?"
Obi-Wan looked around and spotted what was most likely the gunner's station. He collapsed into the seat, firing up the turrets. They had two, one on the top and one on the bottom. No torpedoes.
"Whenever you're ready, Jedi!" Jeremoch called, just as the ship was rocked by blaster fire.
Obi-Wan glanced over the unfamiliar controls, but managed to figure out the targeting system. He targeted one of their pursuing starfighters and fired. A moment later, there was an explosion to their port side and Jeremoch hollered.
"That's more like it! Keep going!"
Obi-Wan maneuvered the other turret and managed to catch another two starfighters before they began to get smart and avoid his range. Luckily, they were almost out of the atmosphere.
"Padmé, lock in our hyperspace coordinates," Jeremoch ordered. "We're just a few more seconds out—"
But in that moment the ship lurched and veered off course. Alarms lit up across Jeremoch's control board and Obi-Wan knew they'd been hit.
"Scratch that, we're there. You got those coordinates?"
"Give me a moment," Padmé insisted, her fingers flying over the controls.
"Moment is now, Princess," Jeremoch called as another explosion hit them.
"And…go!"
Jeremoch punched the controls and the stars stretched into hyperspace as they left Alderaan and the pursuing fighters behind.
But they weren't safe yet.
"Well kriff," Jeremoch swore, "Begging your pardon, Highness," he added.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Those damn fighters managed to hit the hyperdrive casing. She'll go on for a little while, but I don't think she's going to last to Coruscant. We're going to need to drop out of hyperspace and land to repair."
"Drop out? But we don't know how far the Trade Federation has spread. What if there are other worlds that are under their control?"
Obi-Wan was already pulling up the star-map, searching for possible landing sites. The truth was, many of the systems had already been aligned with the Trade Federation in this part of the galaxy. Alderaan had stood apart. However, there was one system that showed some promise. It was a stupid idea, but an idea nonetheless.
"Here," he spoke up, pointing out the system. "Tatooine," he read. "It's small, out-of-the-way, and the Trade Federation have no presence there."
"How do you know?" Padmé asked.
"Because this system is controlled by the Hutts," Qui-Gon said, looking at the map over Obi-Wan's shoulder.
"The Hutts?" Padmé repeated, incredulous. "We can't land there! The Hutts are gangsters. We're more likely to end up with our ship stolen than fixed! And the Hutts wouldn't hesitate to turn us over to the Trade Federation if they thought it would be of profit."
"Except, it's unlikely the Hutts know they are looking for us," Qui-Gon replied. "And on a back-world like this one, there are plenty that don't wish to be found. We would blend right in."
"It's just long enough to make the repairs," Obi-Wan added. "Qui-Gon and I can go into town, purchase the supplies, and then we can make our repairs and leave."
"And what would we use to buy these supplies?" Padmé demanded. "Do you have any money?"
"I have 50,000 Republic dataries at my disposal," Qui-Gon replied. "That should be enough for whatever we need."
Obi-Wan was surprised to hear that. Jedi didn't typically have much in the way of funds, unless it was given to them by the Republic. They lived simple lives, free from attachment.
Padmé growled, but she couldn't seem to come up with any better idea.
"Fine," she said at last. "Land on Tatooine. But I'm going into town with you."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Qui-Gon replied.
"It wasn't a request," Padmé retorted. "The fate of my homeworld depends on our success. I'm going into town with you."