Stealing the star cruiser had been the easy part. Now Morolan had to figure out how to get it out of the hanger. His master stood behind him, growing more agitated with each button he pushed. Finally, one resulted in a small screen lowering itself from the cockpit's ceiling, blocking the frontal windshield. Camain was about to slap the young man when a face appeared on the screen. It was in the middle of an announcement, and the pair listened as it finished.
"…has been killed by two unidentifiable individuals who have crash-landed their ship on the northern grasses on the Naboo Palace grounds. Citizens in the area are warned to stay inside for fear of further confrontation."
"It looks as if your little handmaiden has alerted the authorities that we are here." Camain said with a sneer. "It will be more difficult getting out of here than planned, but not impossible."
The message then looped back to the beginning, playing in its entirety.
"We have just been informed by former queen Padme Amidala that Queen Fortia has been killed by two unidentifiable individuals who have crash-landed…"
Camain did not wait for the message to finish, immediately realizing her mistake.
"Damn your compassion!" She yelled, hitting Morolan sharply across the head. He recoiled, but she quickly grabbed his collar, pulling him from the captain's chair as she dragged him out the of the cockpit heading for the door.
"M'lady!" He cried, choking as he tried to pull the fabric from his throat. "It will do no good going out there!" She paused, and threw the small man down on the hard metal floor.
"What do you mean?"
"Padme has already reached the palace to inform them of our presence, so she is a bit inaccessible now. Furthermore, I'm sure she told them what we look like, and that we are looking to kill her. If she were smart, she'd be on her way off planet at this very moment." He rubbed his neck as he spoke, trying to get rid of the burning sensation.
"Fine. We'll wait just outside the planet until she leaves, then destroy her ship." Camain started back down the hallway to the cockpit.
"But what if she doesn't?" Morolan called after her. Camain spun back, her tattered hair flying about her face.
"Make up your mind! Is she going or not?!"
"I don't know… you go and wait outside the gravitational pull, I'll make my way back to the palace to find Padme."
"And you will kill her this time?" A hint of unusual sarcasm was in Camain's voice.
"Yes."
* * * * * * *
"Master! There it is!" Anakin pointed out the windows as they rapidly approached a small planet.
"I know what Naboo looks like, thank you. Sit down." Ben laughed as he finished. He was amused by Anakin's child-like interest, but behind the humor he was truly concerned for Padme. Something did not seem right, and he had a terrible feeling that it had to do with her.
As the two came closer they saw a small cruiser leaving the planet, but it stopped and hovered just outside the pull. Anakin hailed them, hoping it was Padme. When a dark pink-skinned woman's face appeared on the screen, he was disappointed, but took no chances.
"I am Anakin Skywalker, and Padme Amidala is my wife. Is she aboard your ship?"
The woman looked frantic, squirming in her seat as if it were hot.
"No, Sir Skywalker. I am sorry to inform you, but she has been assassinated in only these last few minutes." A plan was hatching in her brain. She did not care if this was Sidious's poster child, she planned to destroy him. He could ruin everything.
"No!" Anakin cried. He switched off the screen, and looked over to Ben, who's face was contorted in thought.
"She is lying." He simply said.
Suddenly their small craft bounced and jolted with rapid gun fire from behind. The cruiser they had just spoken to was firing at them. Anakin quickly grabbed the controls, and swung the ship around to go head-on into their attacker. He fired, ignoring his master's complaints behind him.
"Don't! She may know something, don't shoot!"
The small Naboo ship flew over the top of the much more cumbersome ship, heavily leaning to port from damage. She made one more pass, and Anakin did not hold back as he fired at her. He caught the ship dead center, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks and fire.
"Great!" Ben huffed, falling back into his chair. "Now we don't know anything."
"I don't care." Anakin said as his turned the ship about again and headed straight for the planet. And he truly didn't care. He was going to find Padme, and could not be stopped.
"…has been killed by two unidentifiable individuals who have crash-landed their ship on the northern grasses on the Naboo Palace grounds. Citizens in the area are warned to stay inside for fear of further confrontation."
"It looks as if your little handmaiden has alerted the authorities that we are here." Camain said with a sneer. "It will be more difficult getting out of here than planned, but not impossible."
The message then looped back to the beginning, playing in its entirety.
"We have just been informed by former queen Padme Amidala that Queen Fortia has been killed by two unidentifiable individuals who have crash-landed…"
Camain did not wait for the message to finish, immediately realizing her mistake.
"Damn your compassion!" She yelled, hitting Morolan sharply across the head. He recoiled, but she quickly grabbed his collar, pulling him from the captain's chair as she dragged him out the of the cockpit heading for the door.
"M'lady!" He cried, choking as he tried to pull the fabric from his throat. "It will do no good going out there!" She paused, and threw the small man down on the hard metal floor.
"What do you mean?"
"Padme has already reached the palace to inform them of our presence, so she is a bit inaccessible now. Furthermore, I'm sure she told them what we look like, and that we are looking to kill her. If she were smart, she'd be on her way off planet at this very moment." He rubbed his neck as he spoke, trying to get rid of the burning sensation.
"Fine. We'll wait just outside the planet until she leaves, then destroy her ship." Camain started back down the hallway to the cockpit.
"But what if she doesn't?" Morolan called after her. Camain spun back, her tattered hair flying about her face.
"Make up your mind! Is she going or not?!"
"I don't know… you go and wait outside the gravitational pull, I'll make my way back to the palace to find Padme."
"And you will kill her this time?" A hint of unusual sarcasm was in Camain's voice.
"Yes."
* * * * * * *
"Master! There it is!" Anakin pointed out the windows as they rapidly approached a small planet.
"I know what Naboo looks like, thank you. Sit down." Ben laughed as he finished. He was amused by Anakin's child-like interest, but behind the humor he was truly concerned for Padme. Something did not seem right, and he had a terrible feeling that it had to do with her.
As the two came closer they saw a small cruiser leaving the planet, but it stopped and hovered just outside the pull. Anakin hailed them, hoping it was Padme. When a dark pink-skinned woman's face appeared on the screen, he was disappointed, but took no chances.
"I am Anakin Skywalker, and Padme Amidala is my wife. Is she aboard your ship?"
The woman looked frantic, squirming in her seat as if it were hot.
"No, Sir Skywalker. I am sorry to inform you, but she has been assassinated in only these last few minutes." A plan was hatching in her brain. She did not care if this was Sidious's poster child, she planned to destroy him. He could ruin everything.
"No!" Anakin cried. He switched off the screen, and looked over to Ben, who's face was contorted in thought.
"She is lying." He simply said.
Suddenly their small craft bounced and jolted with rapid gun fire from behind. The cruiser they had just spoken to was firing at them. Anakin quickly grabbed the controls, and swung the ship around to go head-on into their attacker. He fired, ignoring his master's complaints behind him.
"Don't! She may know something, don't shoot!"
The small Naboo ship flew over the top of the much more cumbersome ship, heavily leaning to port from damage. She made one more pass, and Anakin did not hold back as he fired at her. He caught the ship dead center, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks and fire.
"Great!" Ben huffed, falling back into his chair. "Now we don't know anything."
"I don't care." Anakin said as his turned the ship about again and headed straight for the planet. And he truly didn't care. He was going to find Padme, and could not be stopped.