Star Wars: Episode 1—A Retelling
The Phantom Menace
By: Tellemicus Sundance
#11: Return to Naboo

Dandy Eagle, passenger quarters
Hyperspace, en route to Naboo

Shortly into their trek back to Naboo, Obi-wan was finding himself rather surprisingly impatient. Not because of fearful nerves or overeager excitement, far from it. But because he wanted to talk to young Anakin and had thus far been unable to due to the boy constantly disappearing, whether on Coruscant or even in the freighter. Though Obi-wan's own obligations to other matters didn't help things much either.

Obligations like the meeting that the Queen was hosting in the passenger quarters. He stood to one side of the rather small room with Master Ti, Captain Panaka was glowering towards the young royal, who was seated majestically on one of the bunk beds. Even Jar Jar was there, hugging the farthest wall in a vain attempt to disappear into it because of his obvious awkwardness at being included.

The Queen's face was composed and her gaze cool as it met the two Jedi, but there was fire in the words she spoke. "When we land on Naboo, it is my intention to act on this invasion at once. My people have suffered enough."

Panaka could barely contain himself, his dark face tight with anger. "When we land, Your Highness, the Trade Federation will arrest you and force you to sign their treaty."

Shaak Ti nodded thoughtfully, curious as to the Queen's thinking. "I agree. I'm not sure what you think we can accomplish by doing this with just us."

Amidala might as well have been carved from stone. "There are more than 'just us.' And the Naboo are going to take back what is ours."

"There are only nine of us!" Panaka snapped, unable to keep silent. "Your Highness," he quickly added belatedly. "We have no army!"

Her eyes shifted to Obi-wan reflexively, having known him longer than Shaak Ti. The Togruta woman serenely glanced at the Padawan as well, awaiting his response with interest. "The Jedi cannot fight a war for you, Your Highness. We can only protect you." Though she was probably somewhat disappointed, it was clear that she'd anticipated such an answer as she didn't let it show on her face.

"I am aware we have no army," she said, only a slight amount of her disappointment in that fact could be heard in her voice as she admitted it. But the faintest upward twitch of her lips didn't go unnoticed as she continued, "However, we are not really so defenseless. Our fleet is amassing as we speak." There was definitely a twinkle of amusement in her eye as she watched everyone get confused over that statement. As her gaze drifted from them, they settled upon Jar Jar. The Gungan was studying his toes with great interest. "Jar Jar Binks!"

Jar Jar, clearly caught off guard, stiffened. "Me, Your Highness?"

"Yes," Amidala affirmed. "I have need of your help."

A short time later, Obi-wan finally found his chance to speak with Anakin. He had first looked for the boy in the cockpit, which had been seized by Ric Olié. Then he went to the cargo hold, hoping to find the boy once again exercising his swordsmanship. But again, it was not to be. A he was leaving, he finally found the boy wondering into the portside engine compartment.

Following the boy inside, Obi-wan beheld the large contraption that was the mighty engines. He noticed Anakin was on his back buried under a floor panel that exposed yet more circuitry and gadgets and was evidently working on something that was obviously in need of attention.

"I thought this ship was brand new," Obi-wan stated, loudly so the boy could hear him over the rumbling of the engines. "Yet you sure do seem to do a lot of maintenance on it."

"One of the compression coils was getting a little loose," Anakin called back as he continued his work. "If either one of those comes loose or breaks, the engine stops and we're practically dead in space."

"I've heard that many of these freighters have their own quirks," Obi-wan said, his brow raised at the information he just got. "But I've never heard of them happening on a ship this new."

"The CEC rushed its construction and just jammed everything together with only a vague set of blueprints to guide them," Anakin explained, not all that bothered by the fact. It just meant to him that he had an even better reason to practically rebuild the Dandy Eagle from the ground up in a fashion that he much more preferred. "Still, it's better than Captain Havoc's other ship, the Ruusan Relic." Anakin stilled as he shuddered, remembering that flying rust bucket with disgust. He quite strongly believed that the only thing holding it together was Havoc's irrational sentimentality towards it.

After a moment of silence, Kenobi finally asked the question he'd been wanting to. "Why did you turn down the Jedi Council? Why don't you want to be trained as a Jedi Knight?"

Anakin paused in his work as he gazed up towards where he could see the young man's boots. After a moment, he sighed before giving the compression coil one final twist that adequately tightened it back into place. Working his way out of the floor crawlspace, Anakin climbed out and tossed the hydrospanner into the nearby toolbox. Absentmindedly kicking the floor panel shut as he looked up at Obi-wan, he said, "I don't want to be a Jedi. You know they'd never accept my code. They would want me to conform to their wishes, to become like them. But I can't do that. It's not me."

"What do you mean?" Obi-wan asked, somewhat unable to understand why the boy wouldn't want to be a Jedi. He knew his opinion was very biased since he'd literally grown up in the Order and had known only its ways and mannerisms until he was finally accepted by Qui-gon as a Padawan.

Anakin looked to the side, trying to think of a way to explain himself. Obi-wan clearly didn't have Qui-gon or the Council's experiences, so he couldn't really compare himself adequately. Looking up as a thought came to him, Anakin asked, "How were you trained in the Force, Obi-wan?"

"Like any other Padawan," Kenobi answered. "They kept us in very quiet and calming environments. Helping us to feel the Force through serenity, as it's supposed to be."

Anakin couldn't help but lift an eyebrow at that as he let out a grunted hum. "I first touched the Force whenever I was working in a shop on an engine part, or when I was racing on Tatooine. I was in very loud, energetic places. And the best times I could feel the Force the strongest were when I let myself be taken by my excitement, anger, and enjoyment of what I was doing."

Obi-wan couldn't help but jolt slightly in surprise at this revelation. And as quickly as it came, it was followed by another revelation. Anakin's experiences were so far different from what was taught at the Temple that he'd probably have a very difficult time learning to touch the Force as a Jedi. He let his emotions establish and dictate his connection with the Force, something that was expressly forbidden as a Jedi as they could lead to passion. And who knows what kind of issues the boy might develop by being forced to conform to such a strict set of rules when compared to what he'd grown accustomed to.

"I see," was all Kenobi said as he watched the boy fiddle with some of the controls and gauges on the engineering station on the bulkhead and walls. Once everything checked out to his liking, Anakin turned and exited the engine room with Obi-wan following in contemplation. They walked into a rather peculiar scene in the hallway outside of the passenger quarters.

"—find you, Mommy!" Ahsoka cried out, hugging Master Shaak Ti's legs as tightly as her small arms could.

"Eh…What'd we miss?" Obi-wan asked loudly, gaining both Togrutas' attentions.

"Ani, I found Mommy!" Ahsoka yelled out happily, as she snuggled closer into Shaak Ti's robes. The action earned her a confused gaze from Shaak Ti and a silent cry for help towards the two humans when she looked at them.

Moving forward quickly, Anakin gently grasped Ahsoka's shoulders. "Ahsoka, this is Master Shaak Ti. She's a Jedi. She's not your mommy."

"What?" Ahsoka asked, looked back at Anakin with wide eyes, pleading him to rephrase his statement. "But…But she looks like Mommy!"

"She does?" Anakin asked, looking up at Shaak Ti with a raised brow. Shaak Ti met his gaze levelly. From what little he remembered of Ahsoka's mother, he had to quietly admit that the little girl's mistaken assumption was forgivable because there definitely was a surprising resemblance there. "Huh, what do you know?" Still, he didn't let up on his grip of Ahsoka, gently prying her now confused form off the Jedi Master.

Kneeling down before the younglings, Shaak Ti offered a sad smile to Ahsoka. "I'm sorry, little one. I'm not your mother and I've never had any children."

"But…But…Mommy!" Ahsoka stumbled, her eyes instantly watering as tears fell. In a burst of speed, she lunged away from Anakin and ran down the hallway to Anakin's quarters, wailing piteously the whole way. Her cries were only silenced when she closed and locked the door, isolating herself from the rest of the ship.

Shaak Ti couldn't help the painful pang in her heart as she watched the child flee in despair, Togruta communal instincts and her compassion warring savagely with her Jedi training and conditioning. Turning back to the young Skywalker, she asked, "Did something happen to her mother?"

Anakin looked distinctly uncomfortable despite the lack of any hostility from Ti. "She lost her mother in a pirate attack about five months ago. She's been looking for her ever since."

Though she didn't comment further, Shaak Ti's gaze pierced into him as though she were fishing for the truth. Then, after a moment, realization seemed to dawn on her as she nodded to him in acceptance. Seeing that gesture, Anakin quickly scooted around her and hurried over to his locked quarters, using the Force to open the door and let himself inside to comfort the sobbing youngling.

"That was strange," Obi-wan said in a soft voice. He would freely admit that he didn't know the young boy very well, but what he did implied that he never hesitated. He was very much a headstrong and rather proud boy with an unwavering faith in his own beliefs and abilities. The fact that he was not only hesitant but seemingly guilty to answer Shaak Ti's question seemed highly out of character.

"What he said was the truth," Shaak Ti said, looking at her young partner. Her expression was soft and quite mournful. "From a certain point of view."

"A certain point of view?" Obi-wan asked, not quite sure what the Togruta Master was implying.

Turning, she waved him towards the main hold. They had much to speak about, on a wide variety of subjects. And whether Obi-wan knew it or not, Shaak Ti's report would ultimately determine whether or not he was ready to ascend to full Knighthood after the Council reviewed it.

Naboo, Swamps

Like they'd suspected all along, a single battleship had orbited the planet. It was all that remained of the Trade Federation blockade. Housed within was the control station responsible for directing the droid army that occupied Naboo.

Deep in the swamps, at the edge of the lake that bored downward to the Gungan capital city of Otoh Gunga, the fugitives from the Trade Federation were grouped at the water's edge, waiting for the return of Jar Jar Binks. It was safe to say that even now no one but the Queen knew exactly what it was she was attempting to do. All she had been willing to reveal to those in a position to inquire was that she wished to make contact with the Gungan people and Jar Jar would be her emissary. She had insisted on landing in the swamp, even after both Panaka and the Jedi had advised against it.

Anakin stood apart from the others with R2 at his side. They were finally getting to work on that set of sensor connections that were misbehaving back on Malastare. Just as he'd expected, the wiring was a half-assed job and was something of a wonder that the sensors had remained as operational as they had.

While the two were working upon that, Padme broke away from the group and moved over towards them. But instead of heading to Anakin, she squatted down to where Ahsoka was morosely fiddling with a clump of grass in the mud, her expression very unhappy. "How are you doing, Ahsoka?"

The little Togruta looked up at her with red, tear-stained eyes. After a moment, she just looked back down at the ground. "I thought I…found my Mommy." As she said this, she glanced over at the group for a split second.

Padme looked over at the group as well. It took her only a second to figure out what she meant. Turning back to the girl, she pulled her up into a warm hug, surprising Ahsoka for a moment. But after that initial surprise, Ahsoka clamped down on her tightly with her own hug, seeking reassurance and warmth. "I'm sure you'll find her again one day, Ahsoka. Just have faith."

As she glanced up, Padme caught Anakin's eye. The boy had paused in his work to watch their interaction. He had a rather peculiar look of pained guilt and uncertainty on his face. But after a moment, he mustered up a slight smile as he nodded in gratitude at her attempt to cheer up Ahsoka. Anakin had found that he wasn't all that good at cheering people up when they really needed it. He quickly averted his gaze as he returned to his work with gusto.

Finally, a dark shape broke the surface of the water with a splash and Jar Jar Binks climbed from the lake, shaking water from his amphibious skin onto the assembled group. Long ears dripping, billed mouth shedding water like a duck's, he shook his head worriedly.

"Tis nobody dere!" Deys all gone!" His eyestalks swiveled. "Some kinda fight, deys have. Maccaneks, mebbe. Very bombad. Otoh Gunga empty. All Gungans gone. All gone."

"Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Obi-wan asked quickly, glancing around the group.

"More likely they were wiped out," Panaka offered in disgust.

But Jar Jar shook his head. "Me no think so. Gungans too smart. Go into hiding. When dey in trubble, go to sacred place. Maccaneks no find dem dere."

Shaak Ti stepped forward. "A sacred place? Can you take us there, Jar Jar?"

The Gungan sighed heavily, as if to say 'Here we go again' and beckoned for them to follow.

Two hours later…

They traversed the swamp for some time, first skirting the lake, then plunging deep into a forest of massive trees and tall grasses, following a water-screened pathway that connected a series of knolls. Somewhere in the distance, Trade Federation STAPs buzzed and whined as a search for the landed transport commenced in earnest. Jar Jar glanced about apprehensively as he picked his way through the mire, but did not slow.

Finally they emerged in a clearing of marshy grasses and stands of trees with roots tangled so thickly they formed what appeared to be an impassable hedge. Jar Jar stopped, sniffed the air speculatively, and nodded. "Dissen it." He lifted his head and made a strange chittering noise through his billed mouth. The sound echoed eerily in the silence. The group waited, eyes searching the misty gloom.

Suddenly Captain Tarpals and a scouting party of Gungans riding kaadu emerged from the haze, electropoles and energy spears held at the ready.

"Heydey ho, Cap'n Tarpals," Jar Jar greeted cheerfully.

"Binks!" the Gungan leader exclaimed in disbelief. "Notta gain!"

Jar Jar shrugged nonchalantly. "We come ta see da Boss!"

Tarpals rolled his eyes. "Ouch time, Binks. Ouch time for alla yous, mebbe."

Herding them together, Gungans on kaadu providing a perimeter escort on all sides, Tarpals led them deeper into the swamp. The canopy formed by the limbs of the trees became so thick that the sky and the sun almost disappeared. Bits and pieces of statuary began to surface, crumbling stone facades and plinths sinking in the mire. Vines snaked their way across the broken remains, dropping down from limbs that twisted and wound together in vast wooden nets.

Pushing through a high stand of saw grass, they arrived in a clearing filled Gungan refugees—men, women, and children of all ages and descriptions, huddled together on a broad, dry rise, many with their possessions gathered around them. Tarpals led the company past the refugees to where the ruins of what had once been a grand temple were being slowly reclaimed by the swamp. Platforms and stairs were all that remained intact, the columns and ceilings having long ago collapsed and broken apart. The massive heads and limbs of stone statues poked out of the mire, fingers clutching weapons and eyes staring sightlessly into space.

At the far end of the ruins, Boss Nass appeared, lumbering out of the shadows with several more of the Gungan council to stand atop a stone head partially submerged in the water. Amidala and her retinue approached to within hailing distance over a network of causeways and islands.

"Jar Jar Binks, whadda yous doen back?" Boss Nass rumbled angrily. "Yous suppose ta take dese outlanders and no come back! Yous pay good dis time!" The fleshy head swiveled. "Who yous bring here ta da Gungan sacred place?"

The Queen stepped forward at once, white face lifting. "I am Amidala, Queen of the Naboo."

"Naboo!" Boss Nass thundered. "No like da Naboo! Yous bring da maccaneks! Dey bust up our homes! Dey drive us all out!" A heavy armed lifted, pointing at the Queen. "Yous all bombad! Yous all die, mebbe!"

Anakin noticed suddenly that they were completely surrounded by Gungans, some on kaadu, some on foot, all with electropoles, energy spears, and some sort of throwing device. Captain Panaka and the Handmaidens were looking around nervously, hands straying toward their blasters. The Jedi flanked the Queen and her handmaidens, but their arms hung loose at their sides. Despite the Jedi's apparent calm acceptance, Anakin couldn't stop his own hands from slowly drifting to his own lightsabers, just in case.

"We wish to form an alliance with you," Amidala tried again.

"We no form nutten wit da Naboo!" Boss Nass roared angrily.

Abruptly Padme detached herself from the others and stepped in front of the Queen. "You did well, Sabé. But I will have to do this myself," she said quietly and turned to face Boss Nass.

"Who dis?" the head Gungan snapped.

Standing next to Anakin, R2 beeped softly in recognition. Anakin couldn't help but glance at the droid for a split second in confusion. Did R2 know something he didn't? Particularly why Padme would just cut off and speak to the Queen so casually like that?

Padme straightened. "I am Queen Amidala," she announced in a loud, clear voice. "Sabé serves from time to time as my decoy, my loyal bodyguard. I am sorry for my deception, but given the circumstances, I am sure you can understand." She turned to the Jedi, who merely smiled knowingly at her, then her eyes shifting momentarily to Anakin's surprised wide eyes. "Master Jedi, I apologize for misleading you."

Her eyes returned quickly to Boss Nass, who was frowning suspiciously, clearly not understand any of what was happening. "Although our people do not always agree, Your Honor," she continued, her voice softening. "We have always lived in peace. Until now. The Trade Federation, with its tanks and its 'meccaneks' has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. The Gungan are in hiding, and the Naboo have been imprisoned in camps. If we do not act quickly, all that we value will be lost forever."

She stretched out her hands. "I ask you to help us, Your Honor." She paused. "No, I beg you to help us." She dropped abruptly to one knee in front of the astonished leader of the Gungans. There was an audible gasp of surprise from the Naboo. "We are your humble servants, Your Honor." Padme said so that all could hear. "Our fate is in your hands. Please help us."

She motioned, and one by one her handmaidens, Panaka, Anakin and Ahsoka, and the Jedi dropped to their knees behind her. Out of the corner of his eye, Anakin saw Jar Jar standing virtually alone in their midst, staring around in wonderment and shock.

For a moment, no one said anything. Then a slow, deep rumble of laughter rose out of the throat of Boss Nass. "Hohohoho! Me like dis! Dis good! Yous no think yous greater den da Gungans!" The head Gungan came forward, reaching out with one hand. "Yous stand, Queen Amidoll. Yous talk wit me, okay? Mebbe we gonna be friends after all!"

Royal Palace

The senior Sith Lord appeared in a shimmer of robes and shadows as his protégé and the Neimoidians walked slowly down the corridor leading from the throne room back to the plaza.

"We have sent out patrols," Nute Gunray said, concluding his report to the ominous figure in the projection. "We have already located and destroyed their starship in the swamp. It won't be long until we have them in hand, my lord."

Darth Sidious was silent. For a moment, Nute Gunray was afraid he hadn't been heard. "This is an unexpected move for the Queen," the Sith Lord said at last, his voice so low it could barely be heard. "It is too aggressive. Lord Maul, be mindful."

"Yes, Master," the other Sith growled softly, yellow eyes gleaming.

"Be patient," Darth Sidious purred, head lowered in cowled shadows, hands folded into black robes. "Let them make the first move."

In silence, Darth Maul and the Neimoidians continued on as the hologram slowly faded away.

Swamps

Boss Nass was as mercurial as he was large, and his change of attitude towards the Naboo was dramatic. Once he decided that the Queen did not consider herself his superior, that she was in fact quite sincere in her plea for Gungan help, he was quick to come around. The fact that his dislike of the battle droids was every bit as strong as hers didn't hurt matters, of course. Perhaps he had been hasty in his belief that the 'meccaneks' wouldn't find the Gungans in the swamps. Otoh Gunga had been attacked at daybreak four days earlier and its inhabitants driven from their homes. Boss Nass was not about to sit still for that. If a plan could be put together to drive the invaders out, the Gungan arm would do its part to help.

He took Amidala and her companions out of the swamp to the edge of the grassy plains that ran south to the Naboo capital city of Theed. Any attack would be mounted from here, and the Queen had come to the Gungans with a very specific plan of attack in mind. The first step in that plan involved sending Captain Panaka on a reconnaissance of the city.

As they stood looking out from the misty confines of the swamp toward the open grasslands, waiting for Panaka's return, Boss Nass trundled up to Jar Jar. "Yous doen grand, Jar Jar Binks!" he rumbled, wrapping a meaty arm around the slender Gungan's shoulders. "Yous bring da Naboo and da Gungans together! Tis very brave thing."

Jar Jar shuffled his feet and looked embarrassed. "Ah, yous no go sayen dat. Tis nutten."

"No, yous grand warrior!" Boss Nass declared, squeezing the air out of his compatriot with a massive hug.

"No, no, no," the other persisted bashfully.

"So," Boss Nass concluded brightly. "We make yous bombad general in da Gungan army!"

"What?" Jar Jar exclaimed in dismay. "General? Me? No, no, no!" he gasped before his eyes rolled up, tongue fell out, and he fainted dead away. All to Boss Nass's grand amusement at his new general's antics.

Padme was in conference with the Jedi and the Gungan generals. And with Ahsoka off playing with the kaadu and various other Gungan warriors, Anakin was at something of a loss for what he could do right now. He eventually found himself seated upon a large boulder that overlooked the grassy plains, his mind in deep thought. He knew what his probable part in the coming battle was gonna be. He'd have to get a signal out to his 'friends' to tell them when to attack, but that was going to be difficult without the Dandy Eagle anymore. The memory of that loud explosion in the distance once again danced through his mind. He had spent so much money on that starship and it was already destroyed.

Wanting to think on something less depressing, he shifted back to Padme's shocking revelation. He was pretty sure that only he, Ahsoka, Jar Jar, and Panaka had been the only surprised ones among their group. During the revelation, he had caught Obi-wan and Shaak Ti glancing at each other with a slightly smug look of 'I told you so' in Obi-wan's expression. Anakin honestly wasn't sure how he felt about her now, knowing she wasn't just a girl but a Queen.

He had declared she was an angel and that he would marry her when they first met, and he had fully believed it so, but how could someone who had been a slave most of his life and just basically gutter trash the rest of it marry a Queen? He wanted to talk to her, but there wasn't any opportunity for that here and now. He supposed things wouldn't be the same after this, but he wished they could. He liked her as much now as he had before, and to tell the truth he didn't care if she was a Queen or not.

He glanced over at the girl and the Jedi Knights from his perch and thought of how different things were here than they had been when he was still just a young mechanic on the Early Harvest. Nothing had worked out the way he had hoped for any of them and it remained to be seen if not leaving to find his mother back on Tatooine when he had the chance on Malastare was a good idea or not.

A little orange and white blur below him caught his attention as Ahsoka raced past him. Following the little Togruta's path of travel, he saw her running up to Padme, calling out, "They're back!" Once she was close enough, Ahsoka quickly hid behind Padme as she watched Shaak Ti closely with wet eyes. Anakin quickly slid off the boulder and hurried over to the meeting spot as a squad of four speeders skimmed over the flats and pull to a stop in a concealing shadow of the swamp.

Captain Panaka and several dozen Naboo soldiers, officers, and starfighter pilots jumped down. Panaka made his way directly to the Queen. "I think we got through without being detected, Your Highness," he advised quickly, brushing the dust from his clothing.

"What is the situation?" she asked as the others crowded close to them.

Panaka shook his head. "Most of our people are in the detention camps. A few hundred officers and guards have formed an underground movement to resist the invasion. I've brought as many of the leaders as I could find."

"Good," Padme nodded appreciatively toward Boss Nass. "The Gungans have a larger army than we imagined."

"Very, very bombad!" the Gungan chief rumbled proudly.

Panaka exhaled wearily. "You'll need it. The Federation army is much larger than we thought, too. And stronger." He gave the Queen a considering look. "In my opinion, this isn't a battle we can win, Your Highness."

Padme was undeterred. "I don't intend to win it, Captain. The battle is a diversion. We need the Gungans to draw the droid army away from Theed, so we can infiltrate the palace and capture the Neimoidian viceroy. The Trade Federation cannot function without its head. Neimoidians don't think for themselves. Without the viceroy to command them, they will cease to be a threat."

She waited from them to consider her plan, eyes fixing automatically on Obi-wan. "What do you think, Master Jedi?"

"A good plan, overall," Obi-wan admitted. "But you must capture the Viceroy or else he'll return with another droid army and you'll be right back in this same situation."

"There is great risk," Shaak Ti added solemnly. "Even with the droid army in the field, the viceroy will be well guarded. And there's a high chance that many Gungans will be killed."

Boss Nass snorted derisively. "They bombad guns no get through our shields! We ready to fight!"

"I also have plan to immobilize the droid army," Padme continued. "We'll send what fighters we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet."

"The control ship will have powerful shields," Obi-wan said, a contemplative look on his face. "The weapons of a standard starfighter will probably not be able to penetrate the shields. And then there's the fact that the ship probably has dozens, if not hundreds, of its own starfighters to defend it."

"Which is when our fleet will arrive," Padme said, drawing looks of confusion from her companions. Rather than answer them, she looked over at Anakin and asked, "Are they in position?"

Anakin nodded. "Last I heard, we were able to get at least two hundred to help us. They're in the next system over and on standby. But, without the Dandy Eagle, I can't contact them to send the attack order."

"You'll have to join the starfighters and fly out of the atmosphere then," Padme remarked, a look of concern on her face. However, seeing Anakin's face light up in surprise and excitement seemed to soothe her worry a bit.

"Your Highness?" Panaka interrupted, looking very annoyed that he didn't understand the contents of their discussion. "What fleet? We don't have a fleet."

Padme gave Panaka a slightly rueful grin. "When we were back on Coruscant, I asked Anakin here to call as many of his independent freighter and trader friends as possible for a 'special contract' with the Naboo system." Looking back at the boy, she said, "Two hundred will be have to suffice, I guess."

They moved on to other matters then, beginning a detailed discussion of battle tactics and command responsibilities. Anakin stood listening for a moment before he noticed that Ahsoka had slid up beside him and was gently nudging him to get his attention. The look in her eye said everything: what about me?

Anakin just grasped her shoulder and pulled her into a slight hug. Leaning over to her, he quietly whispered, "Stay with your 'Mommy' and you'll be safe." Keeping safe wasn't quite what the girl had in mind as her sudden massive pout hinted towards, but she let it drop. The knowledge that she'd be close to the lady who so closely looked like Mommy was enough to satisfy her. As well as the fact that she'd probably still be pretty close to the action!

Royal Palace

In the Theed palace throne room, Darth Sidious loomed in the hologram form before Darth Maul, Battle Droid Commander OOM-9, and the Neimoidians. Smooth and silky, his voice oozed through the shadowy ether.

"Our young Queen still surprises me," he whispered thoughtfully, hidden within his dark robes. "She is more foolish than I thought."

"We are sending all available troops to meet this army of hers," Nute Gunray offered quickly. "It appears to be assembling at the edge of the swamp. Primitives, my lord—nothing better. We do not expect much resistance."

"I am increasing security at all Naboo detention camps," OOM-9 intoned.

Darth Maul glared at nothing, then shook his horned head. "I feel there is more to this than what we know, my Master. The two Jedi may be using the Queen for their own purposes."

"The Jedi cannot become involved," Darth Sidious soothed, hands spreading in a placating motion. "They can only protect the Queen. Neither Master Shaak Ti or that foolish Padawan will dare break that covenant. This will work to our advantage."

Darth Maul snorted, anxious to get on with it.

"I have your approval to proceed then, my lord?" Nute asked hesitantly, avoiding the youngest Sith's mad eyes.

"Proceed," Darth Sidious ordered softly, a cold sneer pulling at his lips. "Wipe them out, Viceroy. All of them."

(Author's Note) Well, that's the prep work. Next begins the Battle of Naboo. What will happen?!