~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ CHAPTER FOUR ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tiffany Ariella slowly awoke several days later to find herself bound and caged in a small cell with one barred window overlooking a vast green forest. At the edge of the woods, she could see a few fairly large quadra-peds with fierce teeth and long tails staring intently in her direction. She felt the dark cold presence of the Sith Lord moving close, then the faint click of the door's electronic lock. The dark lord walked in, but he was not alone. Closely behind him followed another dark robed figure. The two stood silently for a moment Darth Maul a step behind the other Tiffany knew enough of Sith Lords to understand that this other figure had to be Darth Maul's Master.
Suddenly it dawned on her that if this Dark Master had chose to reveal himself to her that probably meant they would not be letting her live to tell about him. The master stared for a moment at her "Normally that would be exactly what happens...but this time you shall see me but you will not remember having done so", the dark master hissed reading her thoughts and pulling back the hood of his cloak.
Tiffany stared in shock "Chancellor Palpatine.....you...you're Sith", she stammered hardly daring to believe her eyes. The man known galaxy-wide as the head of the Republic gave her a quiet venomous glare, "Yes that's right, but as I said do not for a moment think you will be telling anyone about me", he said interrupting her moment of shock.
Tiffany's eyes roamed over the cell taking in every detail, in many ways the cell seemed to simple to hold anyone for long, "Could Palpatine be unaware of my abilities, or are they planning to kill me before I have a chance to escape?"
she wondered. "Come now your highness you really don't think you're that important do you? You my young fool, are merely bait. Soon Darren Darken will come to rescue you....and when he does he will be mine", he admonished her in his typical gravelly tone.
Thoughts ran rampant through Tiffany's mind, as she tried to make sense of all of this.....many things suddenly falling into place...the trade embargo of Naboo a few years ago, the Sith Lord presence, Qui-Gon's death, Chancellor Palpatine's becoming the head of the Republic, and his subsequent amassing of armies to protect the Republic....Darren Darken could only be one person, the Jedi she had been dreaming about; who no doubt is probably on his way.
She focused her thoughts trying to remain calm, and failing ,"You're trying to take over the galaxy", she stated. Then barely in uncontrolled fury, she spat, "And I swear if you do anything to Darren Darken I'll make you pay."
Tiffany paused a moment wondering why she had so quickly jumped to defend the unknown Jedi. Contrary to her dreams she thought, "I cannot get involved with a Jedi, they are far too reckless! My life is not my own, and the people will not accept him as my mate and as their Prince of Naboo. Once again, I just put aside my feelings for my people. At least they cannot say I am not dedicated."
Palpatine dismissed the outburst as if her threats were insignificant. Turning , the Sith Master walked out leaving her alone with the intimidating figure of Darth Maul. He moved close, pulling from his robes some type of remote and twisting a knob on it sending waves of pain throughout her body.
She tried not to scream...tried valiantly even, but in the end her screams echoed through the surrounding forest. The Sith came day after day torturing her until she collapsed into exhaustion. On the few days she could muster enough energy to search for a way to escape, she came up empty-handed. Tiffany was not about to give up, even if she had to take her chances with the beasts in the forest. It was still far better than being pumped so full of electric she could pass for a human glowrod. "Perhaps if I could get out, I can buy enough time till the Jedi arrived," she thought. "No, not that again! I didn't become the ruler of a planet by depending and relying on others."
She was beginning to become desperate and thinking no one would come, that she would never find a way out, or that the Sith might kill her soon . She finally caught her break after another horrendous torture session and fell to the floor, feeling a distinct click and the pressure of something pushing up against her.
The Queen managed to ignore it long enough so as not to alert Darth Maul. Once he was gone, she discovered a small hidden compartment in the section of the floor she was laying on. Inside was three tightly bound power packs from a blaster and a holo-cube. Tiffany pulled the items out finding herself drawn to the cube. "This is odd," she thought. "Why would anyone store a holo cube here? What's so important that it had to be hidden here, and for that matter WHO hid it?". After studying it for a few moments, she inhaled sharply upon recognizing the markings. It was the crest of the Royal House of Naboo!! "How did it get here?" she wondered.
Tiffany Ariella slowly awoke several days later to find herself bound and caged in a small cell with one barred window overlooking a vast green forest. At the edge of the woods, she could see a few fairly large quadra-peds with fierce teeth and long tails staring intently in her direction. She felt the dark cold presence of the Sith Lord moving close, then the faint click of the door's electronic lock. The dark lord walked in, but he was not alone. Closely behind him followed another dark robed figure. The two stood silently for a moment Darth Maul a step behind the other Tiffany knew enough of Sith Lords to understand that this other figure had to be Darth Maul's Master.
Suddenly it dawned on her that if this Dark Master had chose to reveal himself to her that probably meant they would not be letting her live to tell about him. The master stared for a moment at her "Normally that would be exactly what happens...but this time you shall see me but you will not remember having done so", the dark master hissed reading her thoughts and pulling back the hood of his cloak.
Tiffany stared in shock "Chancellor Palpatine.....you...you're Sith", she stammered hardly daring to believe her eyes. The man known galaxy-wide as the head of the Republic gave her a quiet venomous glare, "Yes that's right, but as I said do not for a moment think you will be telling anyone about me", he said interrupting her moment of shock.
Tiffany's eyes roamed over the cell taking in every detail, in many ways the cell seemed to simple to hold anyone for long, "Could Palpatine be unaware of my abilities, or are they planning to kill me before I have a chance to escape?"
she wondered. "Come now your highness you really don't think you're that important do you? You my young fool, are merely bait. Soon Darren Darken will come to rescue you....and when he does he will be mine", he admonished her in his typical gravelly tone.
Thoughts ran rampant through Tiffany's mind, as she tried to make sense of all of this.....many things suddenly falling into place...the trade embargo of Naboo a few years ago, the Sith Lord presence, Qui-Gon's death, Chancellor Palpatine's becoming the head of the Republic, and his subsequent amassing of armies to protect the Republic....Darren Darken could only be one person, the Jedi she had been dreaming about; who no doubt is probably on his way.
She focused her thoughts trying to remain calm, and failing ,"You're trying to take over the galaxy", she stated. Then barely in uncontrolled fury, she spat, "And I swear if you do anything to Darren Darken I'll make you pay."
Tiffany paused a moment wondering why she had so quickly jumped to defend the unknown Jedi. Contrary to her dreams she thought, "I cannot get involved with a Jedi, they are far too reckless! My life is not my own, and the people will not accept him as my mate and as their Prince of Naboo. Once again, I just put aside my feelings for my people. At least they cannot say I am not dedicated."
Palpatine dismissed the outburst as if her threats were insignificant. Turning , the Sith Master walked out leaving her alone with the intimidating figure of Darth Maul. He moved close, pulling from his robes some type of remote and twisting a knob on it sending waves of pain throughout her body.
She tried not to scream...tried valiantly even, but in the end her screams echoed through the surrounding forest. The Sith came day after day torturing her until she collapsed into exhaustion. On the few days she could muster enough energy to search for a way to escape, she came up empty-handed. Tiffany was not about to give up, even if she had to take her chances with the beasts in the forest. It was still far better than being pumped so full of electric she could pass for a human glowrod. "Perhaps if I could get out, I can buy enough time till the Jedi arrived," she thought. "No, not that again! I didn't become the ruler of a planet by depending and relying on others."
She was beginning to become desperate and thinking no one would come, that she would never find a way out, or that the Sith might kill her soon . She finally caught her break after another horrendous torture session and fell to the floor, feeling a distinct click and the pressure of something pushing up against her.
The Queen managed to ignore it long enough so as not to alert Darth Maul. Once he was gone, she discovered a small hidden compartment in the section of the floor she was laying on. Inside was three tightly bound power packs from a blaster and a holo-cube. Tiffany pulled the items out finding herself drawn to the cube. "This is odd," she thought. "Why would anyone store a holo cube here? What's so important that it had to be hidden here, and for that matter WHO hid it?". After studying it for a few moments, she inhaled sharply upon recognizing the markings. It was the crest of the Royal House of Naboo!! "How did it get here?" she wondered.