VIII. Flight of the Angel pt. 2
"We have just received word that the Galactic Senate Building has been attacked, subject to a massive explosion sending it crashing down to the surface. No word yet on the fate of individual beings, but it is believed that Chancellor Palpatine was not on the scene when the bombs went off..."
The taxi pulled into a back alley facing away from the main thoroughfare in Coco Town, and as prescribed, the Bothan flopped down like a ragdoll on the steering controls, out stone cold and sucking his left thumb. Hurling herself out of the cab as quickly as her belly would allow, Padmé now had no doubts that the news on the radio blaring from an apartment window above was only the beginning of Palpatine's plans. Clutching her hidden blaster over her middle she rapped on the door shouting Dex's name.
A voice came from inside the door. "Alright, alright, I'm comin', I'm comin'! What can I do for ya, missy?"
"Dex Jettster?"
"Yeah. What's it to ya?"
Padmé thought for a split second. "Ellé Pooja. I need to know if there ever was a man named Skywalker here who asked you to keep his special for him."
"Traffic was tied up today in the midlevels in a twelve speeder pileup believed by bystanders to be caused by a large screaming metallic fiend on the back of an unregistered speedbike. The fiend seemed to be insane and screaming something about Human Cyborg Relations programming in seven known languages and swearing at someone invisible called the Maker in at least 15 different dialects of Huttese..."
"I can't tell ya that. Even if there was a man by that name I wouldn't tell ya, but I would want to know why it is important!"
Unconciously, Padmé fingered her necklace in her other hand. It seemed to attract the Besalisk's interest. "What's that y'got there in your hand?"
"Nothing. But look, I still need to know about the-"
Jettster looked closer and caught another glimpse of the necklace: this time he was sure of it. Skywalker said if a brown eyed lady ever showed up wearing a carved piece of japor it was better not to argue with her and just show her the '"special." He remembered the instructions vividly Skywalker left for just a situation: it either meant trouble for the Jedi or it meant danger. Looking over towards the front of his diner he noted the smoke coming from the general direction of the Senate district. There was the faint sound of chaos in the background. "Sure thing, lady, follow me."
Lumbering along, Jettster lead the Senator where there was an old, unused shed with a rusty lock on it. Fiddling with a set of keys, Dex opened a door to reveal a long winding flight of stairs. "Lights on."
The way lit up and down the stairs both pregnant woman and gentlebeing went. "I noticed this thing a coupla years back and figured the old owner must've not wanted anything to be seen. What he was doing I ain't gonna say in front of a lady, but it sure weren't legal. When I told Skywalker what was down here, boy, he went off somewheres and came back with this big ugly brooch, real old, expensive like. Said it was payment. Looked like it were from Naboo."
Padmé grimaced. Whatever was down here, Anakin had payed for it with her great-grandmother's brooch, the one he said "disappeared" on Life Day. She made a mental note to kill him for this, because yes, that brooch WAS very old and WAS worth a lot of credits. Was being the operative word.
Further down the staircase, the Besalisk abruptly came to a stop. "You should stand next to me missy. We're about to drop."
Doing so, a transparent violet force field capsule enclosed them and the steps plunged down like an elevator down a shaft, about 30 feet in a second. "We ain't far now. This thing should take us down to the lower parts below Coco. Just watch yer step as we stop about...now."
Once they stopped, Padmé caught first glimpse of what Anakin had been hiding, and couldn't say she wasn't surprised...or more thankful. She waddled around to survey her prospects, her arm absent mindedly supporting the arch in her back. In front of her was a tricked out Y-T 1251 with double quad laser cannons, a violet trimmed R-3 astromech droid sleeping soundly in its perch, and what appeared to be compartments for blaster cannons. Her name was Avenger Angel.
The baby kicked. Apparently another eager seal of approval.
"It's even better inside. Skywalker said he made big improvements to the hyperdrive, put in a lot of deflector shields, and stuff I don't even wanna know what the parts were for. C'mon in, I'll show ya." From his back pocket, he took out a remote and acitvated the hatch; scratching at the crack in his shorts with the other once the remote activated. Very gently he guided her up the gangplank until they reached the cockpit.
"How did he manage to get all this? Most of these modifications are extremely illegal and that astromech certainly didn't get picked up at the local commerce sector."
The Besalisk avoided her eyes. "I may know a thing or two about where to come by that sorta stuff."
The interior was adapted for at least a pilot and co-pilot, she noted. "Anakin..where did he manage to find time for all this?"
"I dunno. I never figured it out, but I always did come back to the diner in the morning to find all my pickles eaten on Fridays-and the back door unlocked."
The world rumbled from far above. A cloud of dust shook down from the roof."Are there enough provisions to leave planet?"
"Should be."
"And you know the way out of this warehouse?"
"Uh-huh. Up."
"You've flown this thing before?"
" Umm, may have tested it a few times."
Padmé surveyed the Besalisk. It wouldn't be fair to just leave him here. "Then strap in. We should really get going."
"Was hopin' you'd say that. Been hearin' weird stuff for a few days anyways and I ain't been eager to stick around much longer." Reaching for the controls with one enormous arm, he activated the main thrusters and booted the computers. "Arthree Tenbee, this is Twenty Fingered Co-Captain of Avenger Angel requesting flight pattern Tango, Zulu, Rover, Alpha. Situation codex 3987. Captain in absentia, run program Gundar Nine."
Awakened from a long slumber, Arthree sprang quickly into action, beeping ecstaticly. A mission at last! An emergency she was programmed for!! Program: Gundar Nine. Actions required: Maker's lifemate aboard; fetal development approximately at 6 months, 2.5 weeks, 2 days and 13.09 hours. Detect health status of crew using heat, sound, electrical, and oxygen sensors. Female human respiration rate: slightly elevated. Male Besalisk: Normal. Sweating again, presence of Republic investigative soldiers negative.
Fetus: Active. Dual heart rates confirmed, elevated status. Equates to two primagravida life forms. Store implications of data for future reference. Mandate: Protect female and symbiotes from termination at all costs; ensure shields up and running within .2 seconds. Ensure all systems go. Status of galley: overfilled larder. Situation codex: 3987. Synopsis: enemy combat probability high. Evasive needs. Enemy combatants to be terminated upon command. Flight pattern: Leave planet at extreme speed. Prepare for hyperspace upon entering central thermosphere. Await further instructions thereafter. Seek low population density area. Duration until hyperspace: 20 minutes.
Like a bullet out of a gun, the Avenger soared through a tunnel and into the sunlight, crashing through the debris of a dirty disused construction site. Rising through the mesosphere, Padmé glanced at the message from Arthree on her screen:
"Welcome to the Avenger, Mistress.I am Arthree Tenbee, Republic Military Grade Astromech, (Modified Heavily by Ani.)"
Padmé allowed herself a slight smile. If only the same could be said of poor Threepio, wherever he might be by now...
"The Maker programmed me to guard you and the fetal life you carry inside you. Have no apprehensions. My sensors can detect no tracking devices upon us and the status of our shielding devices are functional and at maximum performance. Presence of Twenty Fingers affirmative, and my programming indicates you are to be told he is trustworthy at this precise juncture."
"Thanks Arthree. And thank your Maker."
Negative, Twenty Fingers. Situation codex prohibits me from contacting him at this time but I am certain he would be pleased Padmé found her youngling shower present ahead of schedule."
Dexter turned towards the captain's chair. "So, it's Padmé and not Ellé? Thoughtcha looked familiar, Senator. Ani mighta mentioned something about this bein' a surprise for a pregnant pal come to think of it, but I never woulda guessed he got this fine ship for a fine ladyship like yourself. "
Rubbing her stomach, she couldn't help herself. "Actually Mr. Jettster, Anakin Skywalker and I have known each other for quite some time, and I can honestly say some of the greater gifts he has given me would shock you."
