CHAPTER 2

Palpatine was still the same mousy looking man, with piercing eyes and iron gray hair. He did indeed wear those big, ugly, puffy, outfits that looked like lady's dresses. He was also shorter than he looked in the movies. Because of all these fragile like features he hardly looked the part of the plotting, scheming, sneaky Sith lord who would soon take over the galaxy. But I knew and I had a feeling he knew that I knew.

"Hello Jedi Masters," he said in greeting, getting up from behind his desk and walking toward us. "Ah, I see you've brought the girl I have heard so much about."

He grinned at me. I glared back and stuck my tongue out at him. Palpatine's face filled with startlement and his smile faded for a second.

Kit noticed and poked me in the side with his finger. "Stop that," he hissed in my ear.

I rolled my eyes but did as I was told. I sucked my tongue back in my mouth. I looked like a snake.

"So why did you want to meet this Padawan, Chancellor?" Mace Windu asked, getting right to the point of the meeting. (Fortunately he hadn't seen what I'd done)

Palpatine stepped back behind his desk and sat down in his chair. I guess he likes to conduct meetings that way. "I heard she had gone up against Count Dooku and almost captured him," he looked right at me and tried to meet my eyes. I wouldn't let him. "Is this true?"

"Yes," I said looking away from him. "But I got distracted after I beat him and he got away."

Palpy nodded. "Indeed," he said, leaning his chin on his intertwined fingers. "But you had nearly captured him?"

"I just said that," I shot back, annoyed at his probbing. You already know how it ended, Sidious! I bet Dooku had a heck of a time telling you how well the Void Jedi Padawan could fight!

Palpatine ignored my snippy attitude and continued to speak. "It was good you were able to defeat him but what were you all doing on Geonosis anyway?"

"Dooku summoned us there," Kit replied.

The Chancellor looked at the Nautolan. "He did?" he said, looking surprised. "Why?"

"Taken young Stephanie prisoner he had," Yoda explained. "Summoned us to get her back he did. Setting a trap he was. Using her as bate."

"Oh," Palpatine said as if he understood. "So you were all trying to get her back from Dooku?"

Yoda and Kit nodded. I rolled my eyes. These weirdos were lying to Sidious to save face. I could understand why, sorta, but all the same... I could tell Palpatine knew they were lying as well but he didn't give any sign that he did. All he did was nod and say. "Well, good enough."

I won't bore you with the rest of the meeting but I will tell you they did and didn't talk about me. All the time they conversed I noticed Palpatine wouldn't take his eyes off me. I can tell you he creeped me out and I looked away. Finally, after about an hour of talk, the Jedi said they had to be heading back to the Temple. I was relieved. It took all I had to keep from sprinting out of that office.

Instead, I walked outside a bit faster than the Jedi people. When we reached the parking lot and got to our speeder I said, eyeing it lustily. "Can I drive?"

Mace bristled. "No," he said firmly. "You cannot."

"Why not?" I demanded, glaring at him.

"Because it's not aithorized to be driven by Padawans," he replied, heading for the driver's side.

"Pa-lease!" I scoffed. "That's the lamest excuse I have ever heard!"

"Why don't you let her drive it?" Kit asked. "She is eighteen. She should be able to handle it."

"Yeah!" I agreed. I put out my hands. "Hand over the keys, cueball."

Mave looked like he wanted to argue but Yoda gave him a look and he handed over the keys.

"Thank you," I said taking them and jumping into the driver's seat. "Everybody in!"

They did so. Kit and Yoda in the back and Mace in the front next to me. I didn't like the seating arrangements very much (I would have prefered sitting next to Kit or Yoda) but Mace insisted, quite forcefully I might add. When I sat down I suddenly realized this was the perfect time for revenge anyway. You see, I cannot drive. I'm still studying for my permit and I've driven only once in a school parking lot.

"Okay, dude," I said puytting the keys into the ignition and starting the engine. "Your funeral."

I put my foot on the gass petal and roared off into traffic. Or was my intent. Instead of going into traffic and staying in traffic the car/speeder/whatever went off in a totally different direction.

"Stephanie!" Kit screamed, clutching the sides of the speeder. "Get back in traffic!"

"Okay!" I shouted, pulling hard on the steering wheel.

This time the speeder veered sharply to the left and into the wrong traffic lane. Another speeder came at us, its horn blaring loudly.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" we all screamed.

"STEPHANIE!" Yoda shrieked. "RIGHT!"

I yanked hard on the steering wheel. The other speeder missed ours by inches. This sudden yank on the wheel caused the speeder to start spinning.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Mace screamed, looking ready to grab the steering wheel from me. "STEPHANIE!"
I jerked on the steering wheel and the speeder stopped spinning. Only when it did it was upside down. I'm glad everyone was buckled in, otherwise one of us would be plummeting to the surface hundreds of feet below. Just one look at that drop would give anyone the fear of heights, especially me since I'm already scared of it. (heights I mean)

"STEPHANIE!" all three Jedi screamed at me.

"Oops..." I jerked on the wheel and the speeder righted itself.

"That's it!" Mace screamed. "I'm taking over! You don't know how to drive!" he made a grab for the wheel.

"Screw you!" I growled at him, not about to hand it over. "You let me drive so that's what I'm going to do. If you have a heart attack it's not my fault!" I pushed down hard on the gas pedal. "Let's just get back to the Temple."

With a neck snapping jerk, the speeder shot toward the Jedi Temple in the distance.

When we reached the Temple the three Jedi practically dived out of the speeder the second the engine stopped running. It actually looked comical. They looked like big frogs.

"Alive we still are!" Yoda said in relief as he practically kissed the parking lot.

Mace and Kit were just as relieved to have lived through such an ordeal but they didn't kiss the pavement. Mace's eyes were as bit a supper plates and Kit's tenticals were all ascew. It looked hilarious and I felt like cracking up.

"Let's never let her drive again," Mace said, walking stiffly back into the Temple. Yoda finally got ahold of himself and followed but now my good mood was gone, thanks to Windu's comment.

I glared at the Korun's back. I was just contimplating whether to make the bucket someone had left outside fall on top of his head when a hand fell onto my shoulder. I looked up startled. Kit Fisto was staring at me thoughfully.

"What?" I demanded "Are you going to tell me I can't drive too?"

He shook his head. "Not while you're driving that bad anyway," he added as a foot note. "I think you should learn to drive properly though. Driving like a nut will only get you in trouble or killed. Know what I mean?"

I nodded. "So..." I said, waiting for the punch line.

He didn't beat around to it. "I'll teach you to drive better if you want."

I stared at him a moment then said. "Sure."

A/N

Here we are. Chapter 2. One little note. I am not eighteen anymore. I just am in the story. The bucket was on the parking lot because someone was cleaning the pavement incase you might be wondering.