Chapter 11
Fourteen months later, Harry stood at his forge in the TAB putting the last few shaping hits on Padme's birthday present.
They were all invited to the big celebration of her sixteenth birthday at the end of the week, and Harry decided to make her present, a French rapier out of silver.
He was also paying for a very good blade master on Naboo to teach her how to use it.
He was hoping that one day she would be good enough with a blade, that she could carry a lightsaber. He was doing the same thing with Bail Organa.
It seemed like everyone was making something for Padme's coming of age party.
Obi and Siri were giving the young Queen a pair of enchanted wolf sculptures. They were hand carved from marble, and had eyes made from lightsaber crystals, one from black marble with yellow eyes; and one from white marble with purple eyes.
The enchantments were linked to two bracelets that she would wear at all times.
Normally the wolves would be small, furry and playful. The perfect pets, all the fun and none of the upkeep. But if she was in trouble, or scared, they would morph into their real size and become marble attack dogs.
Harry couldn't get Anakin to tell him what he was making for Padme, but he did ask Harry to lone him a lot of credit's a few weeks ago, and blushed when Harry asked if he was using them to buy something for his girlfriend.
Harry supposed he would see soon enough, they were heading to Coruscant to pick him and Qui up, before heading to Naboo.
Luminara on the other hand, was giving her a one of a kind tiara she had made just for Padme.
It was made from platinum and precious stones she got just two weeks ago, in the form of payment for protecting the Queen of Senden from a band of pirates trying to use the small outer rim planet as a staging ground for raids.
It wasn't her first protection detail, but it was her first solo detail. Harry stayed to the shadows and never needed to help her once.
He was very proud of her.
She was an established name in the world of illegal goods trading, and a regular at back room casinos, throughout the Galaxy.
As for her record, so far she was doing even better.
With a little of his guidance they were five for five on protection details, and they brought down two slave trading rings, saving hundreds of lives.
Of the twenty something missions they were assigned so far, she was flawless.
Her success did, however, have a downside.
Soon she would be knighted and off on her own, and Harry didn't know what that would mean for them.
They had been sleeping together since that first night almost a year and a half ago. But when she was knighted they wouldn't see each other for long stretches of time.
Would they try to stay together? Would they try a long distance relationship? He didn't know and he was sure she didn't either.
Every time he tried to talk about it, she distracted him with sex.
They both knew what she was doing, and the truth of the matter is he let himself be distracted, because he didn't want to have the conversation either.
In the end, though, he knew that someday soon it was all going to end, and he would be alone again.
He never thought about it before, mostly because he never really knew what it was like to be with someone, but now that he knew, he didn't want to lose it.
But then again what where they going to do? Leave the Order? Stay together as a team? Was that even a good idea?
Over the last five months Harry had less and less to do on missions. She didn't need him around anymore, and he needed to be out there doing his job.
If they stayed together, he knew they would end up fighting over who was in charge. A team only worked if one person lead, and the other person was back up.
It was one of the reasons why he thought Obi and Siri would end up staying together.
They both were easy going, and shared the power between them. They also did a lot of busting up hide outs, and real bounty hunter work. They were so good together, that the most wanted list had to be updated every week, because of the captures they were making.
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by Lumi calling him.
Harry put his work off to the side, and cast charms on the forge to keep it safe. He walked out of the TAB, and saw Lumi at the top of the stairs leading to the crew compartment.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
"We got a call from Moe, he's waiting." She said, running to the bridge with Harry hot on her heels. She hit the button and Moe's face came up.
"What's on fire?" Harry asked, taking a seat in the co-pilot chair.
"We have a credible threat on the Queen of Naboo." Moe said.
"Number of sources?" Harry asked, in a calm command voice. On the inside however, he felt the fear of his carefully laid plans falling apart.
"Six." Moe stated.
"Okay Moe, what are we looking at?" Harry asked. Six sources meant it was a real threat.
Harry was now panicked.
"We have at least five different teams of assassins trying to kill the Queen, and a few members of her court. We think they are going to attack during, or just before the celebration. The Council is debating whether or not to ask her to call the whole thing off, or to just assign more Jedi to work security. The Council would like your input." Moe explained.
"Well, I say let the party go on without stopping it. If we call it off now, they might change their plans and strike when all four active shadows, and two Jedi, are not on Naboo." Harry said.
"One Jedi, Qui can't make it, he's hurt and needs time to recover." Moe said.
"What did Anakin do this time? You know what, I don't want to hear about it. We will swing by the Temple in about fifteen hours for a full debriefing. I'll send Obi and Siri on ahead, to tell Padme the situation. Is Bant there?" Harry asked.
"Yes, she's on Coruscant."
"Good, tell her to hand pick ten Sentinel Investigators. I'm talking best of the best, with kills on their records, and have them waiting at the Temple on standby. I don't care if they're on assignment, they are to get their asses back to the Temple ASAP. We will send someone else to finish their jobs." Harry said.
"Copy that, Harry, I'll handle the reassignments, and tell the Council of your arrival." Moe said.
"Good, I have a few people to call. We will meet you at the Temple in fifteen hours, have Bant with you." Harry ended the call and called Obi
"Hey Harry, what's up?" Obi asked, with a big smile, it dropped off his face however when he saw Harry.
"We have a credible threat on Padme, with six sources, and actionable intel." Harry said, without preamble.
Obi sat up in his seat.
"We were just about to head to Naboo. We can be there in a day. When is this going down, and who are we looking for?" Obi asked.
"Five teams of unknown size, so it could be five guys, or fifty. We don't know. This is supposed to happen the day of the party; but I don't trust that, so I want you two there as fast as you can. Don't make it obvious that you're there protecting her, but if the shit hit's the fan, use whatever you have to." Harry said.
Obi nodded.
"We can be there in a day. It looks like our gift will come in handy. Have you told Padme yet?" Obi asked.
"Not yet. She's my next call." Harry said.
"We will keep watch over her until you can get there." Obi assured.
"Thank you, brother. I will get there in three days with help." Harry said, ending the call.
Harry then called Padme on the secure Shadow communicator.
Padme was in a meeting with her advisors, when she felt the pendent around her neck vibrate.
As fast as she could she ended the meeting, and hurried to her bed chambers, which was a panic room created by Harry, when he rebuilt the Palace.
She took the pendent off, placed it on her dressing table, and put her thumb on the Yellow crystal in the middle.
Harry's image floated out of the gem stone.
"Padme, we have a credible threat on your life set for during the party. Tell no one but Panaka, and your handmaidens. We want the party to go on as planned, so we can catch these guys. Obi and Siri will be there in a day, and I will be there in three. Do you still have the blaster I gave you?" Harry asked.
Padme stood up and pulled back the slit in her dress to show him the chrome K1 strapped to her thigh.
"I always have it with me, Harry." She said.
"Good girl. Hang tight and keep calm, I'm coming with a team of highly trained killers, Anakin, and the only Four active Shadows in the Galaxy. It will take Divine intervention to stop me from keeping you safe. You have my word." Harry assured her.
"And you always keep your word. I'll tell Panaka what's going on, and fake illness to stay in my bed chambers as much as I can, until Obi can get here." Padme said, smiling a weak smile.
"Hang in there kid, I'm coming." Harry said.
"See you soon, Harry." She said, ending the call.
Harry then called Taila.
"Hey Harry, what can I do for you?" She asked.
"Taila, I need you to gather your seamstresses, and anything you need to make fully armoured party clothes for Queen Amidala. And outfit a team of Sentinels to blend in with regular guards and party guests." Harry said.
"I can do that Harry, but It's going to be a lot of stuff to move around. And we are going to need a warehouse to set up in." She said, doing a mental run down of what she would need.
"Do whatever you have to, cost is of no concern; if we all get though this, I will give you whatever you want." Harry said.
"I understand Harry, you can count on me." Taila said, before hanging up.
Harry sighed, and turned to Lumi,
"When we land, I will deal with the team and the Council. I need you to get Taila and all the supplies we will need. We will use the Night Hawk's cargo bay as a workroom for them and use the Black Hawk to run the team through some training drills. By the time we get to Naboo, I want them to be the deadliest Jedi in the Order." Harry said, deep in thought.
"Fine. Whatever you want." She said, in a huff.
Harry turned to look at her and saw her trying to hide the fact that she was mad.
"Okay, we can do this now, or later." Harry said, running his hand through his hair.
"Do what?" She asked.
"You can yell at me now, or you can do it later, but we will have it out before we get to Coruscant, because after that we're going to be on the job. So start yelling." Harry said, sitting back in his chair.
"I'm not mad." She said, in a huff.
"Okay, but you only have fourteen and a half hours to get it out of your system." Harry said, starting to stand up, he got half way out of his chair, before she huffed again and started talking.
"Why are you acting like this?" She demanded.
"Acting like what? I can read your mind, but I find it rude. So spell it out to me, you know in small words." Harry said, sitting back down.
"Why are you acting so worried about Padme. You're practically moving the whole Galaxy to help her." She said.
"I still don't get it. Padme's a very good friend, to both of us. Why the hell shouldn't we be moving the whole Galaxy to protect her?" Harry queried.
"You're going to make me ask the question, aren't you?" She asked.
"You want to know something, then you have to ask the question." Harry said, with a smirk. He knew what she wanted to know.
"You love her, don't you?" She asked.
"Of course I do." Harry said, shocking her enough to make her sit back down. "She's like a little sister to me."
"Oh, you total asshole!" She said, smacking him in the arm.
"I can see where you're coming from, but no, I'm not in love with her. I have plans for her though. I want her to run the Galaxy one day, and I need her alive to do it. The Chancellor's term is almost up. I'm going to talk Bail into running for the seat. Padme's time as Queen will be up in five years, the senate seat for Naboo will be open in six. I want her to take that seat in the Senate. Then, after years of public service in the Senate, she will take over as Chancellor. With that secession of power and ideals, the Galaxy will be in a much better place thirty years from now. My hope is to one day not have slave trading, and spice running, in the Galaxy. To one day not be needed so god damned much." Harry said, running his hand over his face tiredly.
"So you are manipulating Padme into doing what you want her to do?" She asked, in shock.
"Yes, and no. She's got a good heart, and a real need to do good. Selfless in a way I haven't seen in a long time. I'm just taking that need, and pointing it at a big problem." Harry explained.
"Well, I guess it's okay, as long as it's okay with her." Lumi said.
"Are we good now?" Harry asked.
"We're good. Am I coming with you on the Black Hawk to help you run drills, or do you want me on my ship helping Taila?" she asked.
"It's probably better if you come on the Black Hawk, but who's going to fly your ship?" Harry asked.
"I was going to get Anakin to do it." She said.
"No, I need him on my ship. I'm going to show him a bunch of stuff. He's going to be her personal bodyguard, for the duration of the time we spend on Naboo. They have a good friendship, and I want to foster that." Harry said.
"Right, so I'm flying my own ship." She said sadly.
"For the record, I would love to have you with me, but we need the two ships. Now, if we are done here, I'm going to go finish Padme's gift. I don't want to show up with a team of Jedi to stop a bunch of assassins, and not bring a gift." Harry said, smirking as he walked away.
Luminara landed the Night Hawk on the Jedi platform, just long enough for Harry to hop out, before flying to a ship yard close to the mall where Taila's shop was.
Using her pink custom speeder car, she made her way to the shop as fast as she could, she figured Harry would be ready to go in an hour, and she wanted to be back at the temple waiting for him.
When she got to the shop she found Taila standing out front ready to go. Luminara jumped out and hugged her friend.
"It's so good to see you, Taila!" She said, pulling back with a huge smile.
"It's been too long. I'm all ready to go, I have the girls out back loading the hover truck with everything we might need. I figured we would need to be off world as fast as we could." She said, getting into the passenger seat.
When they pulled around back, twenty girls were loading racks of clothing, and bolts of armour cloth, into a big truck.
"We ready to go yet, girls?" Taila asked, hopping out and helping with the last few racks.
"Almost boss. We just need to get those three crates in the truck." The short blond girl explained.
With Luminara's help, they were back to the ship and driving the truck into the cargo bay in no time at all.
"Well that went fast. I wonder how Harry's doing?" Luminara asked.
"Knowing Harry, I'd say he's getting exactly what he wants, no questions asked." Taila said laughing.
Harry met Moe and Bant at the doors to the Temple. Without stopping Harry motioned for them to follow him as he made his way to the Council chamber. "Any word from Naboo Moe?" He asked.
"None so far, which is good news." Moe said.
"The team standing by?" Harry asked Bant.
"They are Harry. All Investigators with perfect records. I had to pull a few of them off assignment but they are all waiting in the training room on the first floor for orders. They're locked, loaded, and ready to go." She said feeling proud of the job she did getting them here.
"The Council is waiting for me?" Harry asked.
"Yes, they want your assessment of the situation and insight in to why this is happening." Moe said.
"Anakin know what's going on?" Harry asked.
"No one told him yet." Moe said.
"Good, there's less of a chance he'll run off to Naboo. Bant have him meet me outside the Council room." Harry said getting off the lift and walking into the council chambers.
He stopped in the middle and bowed low to the Masters, before waving a chair into existence and taking a seat.
"Masters, we have a very credible threat on the Queen of Naboo. It is my intention to take a team of Sentinels to Naboo, and neutralize the threat. We are hoping to do this as surgically as possible. I don't want anyone, but us and the Queen, to know this is happening. Elections for Queen are happening in a few weeks, and I think this is a plot to eliminate Padme, so a dark horse candidate can take over. I plan on interrogating every assassin we take alive, personally." Harry said.
"Agree, we do, with your assessment of the situation. A friend to the Jedi, Queen Amidala is. Protect her, you must. To Naboo, you must go." Yoda stated.
"I would also like to go as well." Master Plo said, standing up. "I was invited to the celebration, and I think I will go after all."
"Perfect. If you are all in agreement, Masters, then I'll take my leave." Harry said, standing and bowing.
"Go, and may the Force be with you." Mace said.
Outside the chambers Harry turned to Master Plo.
"I actually have a job for you, Master, if you don't mind?" Harry asked.
"Not at all, Harry." Master Plo said.
"I need you to fly Luminara's ship to Naboo, and keep a bunch of seamstresses happy. You should be able to do it, you run a Draymak EST right?." Harry said, smirking.
"I'm sure I could do that." He said, with a laugh.
"It's a very scary task. Two days, in a ship, with twenty-one women. Normally, I wouldn't ask any man to take on such a task, but then again, you're a Jedi Master, and therefore no mere mortal." Harry said, nodding.
"I'm your man Harry. I can do it. I'll meet you out front in fifteen minutes." He said.
"Fifteen minutes?" Harry asked, looking shocked. "Are you getting faster in your old age?"
"I have a go bag, like you showed me. I'll be there, don't leave without me." He said, walking away.
Harry turned to Anakin who was sitting on one of the couches.
"Anakin, are you all ready to go?" He asked.
"Yes, I have Padme's gift waiting in my room, along with my things." He said walking next to Harry.
"Good, Anakin something has come up, and I wanted to tell you personally what's going on." Harry started.
When he saw he had his undivided attention, he smiled.
"We have intercepted communications regarding assassins coming to Naboo, to kill Padme." Harry said, watching Anakin's face.
The boy cycled through fear and anger, before settling into a mask of determination.
"They will have to get through me first." He said coldly.
"I was hoping you would say that. I'm taking a team of Sentinels to Naboo, to track and kill these assassins. Also Master Plo, Obi, Siri, and Luminara will be there to help. But I can't be everywhere all the time, so I need you to be my last line of defence. You are going to be with her every moment, of every day, we are there. This is going to be your toughest assignment yet. You need to look like you're relaxed and having fun on the outside, but on the inside I need you to be constantly looking for danger. If things get too bad, I want you to fall back to her bed chambers, and hold off anything trying to get to her. Can you do that for me, kid?" Harry asked.
"You can count on me, Master Potter." He said, standing tall.
"Good, after this is all over, we will talk about your training. I've been working on Obi, but he still thinks you're too young to take on as a Padawan. However, if you keep proving him wrong, he will cave one day. You have the potential to be a very good Shadow Anakin. Prove it to him with this mission." Harry said, patting him on the back.
"Now, go and get your things, and meet me at the front doors. I'm going to go put the fear of God into the troops." Harry said, taking a left and walking into the training room.
He saw ten Jedi, six men, four women, in black robes standing around. When they saw him they fell in line.
"Good, you have discipline. Then again, you are Sentinels, so I expect that of you. I also expect you all to get the job done, flawlessly. For you are Sentinels, and Sentinels can do anything. This mission is to find and stop, by any means necessary, five teams, of unknown sizes, from killing the Queen of Naboo." Harry said, pacing back and forth in front of the Sentinels.
"For those of you that don't know, the Queen of Naboo is a friend of the Jedi, speaking up for us at every turn and aiding in our efforts, whenever she can. She is also a close, personal friend, of many Jedi Masters in the Order." Harry said, stopping in front of the group and locking eyes with them all.
"If any harm befalls her, or her top advisors, I will personally make sure you spend the rest of your very short lives investigating the very bottom levels of Coruscant." Harry said, in a soft voice that carried with it the threat of something far worse than death.
"Is anyone unclear as to how bad I will make you suffer, should you fail?" Harry asked, looking at the group with cold deadly eyes.
"Good, now follow me." He said, marching out of the room at the head of a column of black robed Jedi.
Bant, who was second in line, called out two names and two men came scurrying to the front of the line.
"Harry, I'd like you to meet Roti, and Art. They are the two Sentinels that first brought this plot to our attention." Bant said.
Harry turned to the two young Knights, they didn't look old enough to shave yet. By the looks of it, they had less than a year on the job.
"How did you two come by this information?" Harry asked, shaking their hands.
"We work at a club frequented by assassins, we overheard two men talking about not getting the contract, so we sat down with them and after a few rounds of drinks, they told us someone hired five teams to kill the Queen of Naboo." Art said.
"You did good guys. If you keep this up, I might have to get you two reassigned to the casino on Alderaan." Harry said.
When they rounded the corner, they saw Master Plo, Anakin and a gold plated protocol droid waiting at the front doors. He walked them over to Luminara's ship and met her at the ramp.
"Master Plo has agreed to fly your ship. Tell him everything he needs to know, so we can be on our way soon." Harry said, expanding his ship.
Half an hour later, everyone on both ships were settled in and fly towards Naboo. Harry stood with Bant and Luminara, in front of the Sentinels in the cargo bay.
"For the duration of this trip, we are going to put you through a quick tutorial on basic Shadow tracking and assassination techniques. We know you're good at your jobs, that's why you're here, but we also know we're better at finding and eliminating threats, quickly and quietly. We hope to show you ten how to do it too." Harry said.
What followed over the next two days was a very educational, and painful lesson in stalking and catching, or killing, your pray.
Harry drilled in them the idea of failing by drawing your saber.
If you gave away the fact that there were Jedi in the crowd by drawing attention to yourself on the first kill, or capture, then the rest of the assassins would pack it up and go home. Which was good, for now, but next week they would be back, and no one would be there to stop them.
While Harry was making ten Sentinel's lives a living hell, Obi and Siri were on Naboo looking over the Queen's schedule with Padme, her two new dogs, and two of her handmaidens.
They were looking at when an attack could happen.
"Well tomorrow, and the day after don't look too bad. You have the opening for a children's hospital tomorrow, and a speech about pollution the day after. There may, or may not, be anything planned for those, but if there is you can expect snipers or bombs." Obi said, looking at images of the locations.
"My Lady, why don't you let one of us go in your place? That's what we are here for. We fear for your safety." Sabé said.
"No, I refuse to put you guys in my place again." Padme said, holding hands with the two handmaidens.
"And you won't have to. For the next two days, I am personally guaranteeing your safety, even if I have to stand in front of you every second you're outside of this room. Harry will be here the day after that, and I refuse to have to tell him something happened to you. Do you have any idea what he would do to me?" Obi asked, looking scared.
Siri smacked him in the arm.
"Oh, yeah and I don't want to see you hurt either. You know, because we're friends." Obi finished, lamely.
They all lasted a whole ten seconds, before they all started laughing, draining the tension out of the air.
"Really Padme, all of the reports say this is all going to happen the day of the party, or at the party itself. But we will watch your back. One of us will be very near you at all times, and the other one will be scanning through the Force to find dark intent." Obi assured.
"Master Jedi, you talk like you can stop anything. Excuse me if I ask you, how you can be so confident?" Sabé asked.
"First of all call me Obi, there's no need to be so formal. Secondly, do you remember the assassination attempt made on her life two years ago?" Obi asked, smiling.
"No, I do not." She said, looking confused
"That's because the three man sent to kill her during the piece summit with the Gungans, never set foot in the same room she was in. Harry caught them, and made them disappear, without being seen by a single person. That was one man, admittedly the very best Shadow ever, but just one man. There are two of us. With a protector and a spotter, you have a very good shield. What Harry is bringing is absolute protection. With him, he is bringing another Shadow, a Master Jedi, and twelve Sentinels. With that much man power, Harry could take over this planet. You are talking about so much fire power, you won't even know half the time if something is happening." Obi expounded.
"Sabé, I trust Harry with my life. He has my full confidence. He gave me his word that nothing will happen, and he always keeps his word. Now, what's going on the day after Harry gets here?" Padme asked.
"You have meetings at your different guilds. Normally these are handled by your labour secretaries, but they all want to give you gifts this week, so you will be going instead." Sabé said, looking over her day planner.
"How many guilds are there?" Obi asked.
"Ten Obi, she will be travelling from guild to guild all day." She said, looking at the book.
"Harry's going to love that, what's going on the day after that?" Obi asked, pacing as he thought.
"The day before the big celebration, she is meeting with friendly heads of state here at the Palace." She said.
"We will consult with Harry when he gets here, but I think we will fake an ankle sprain or something on guild day, and see if we can move those meetings to the Palace. Until then, we have work to do. Assassins have patterns they work off of. They usually like to come to the target planet early. Sometimes days, or even weeks, in advance if there's time. They like to survey locations, find the exits, blind spots, and guard positions. Siri is going to stay with you, I need to check out some things. We may get lucky and catch someone now." Obi said, walking to the door.
"Sabé, if I can have a word?" He said, motioning her to come with him.
"What do you need, Obi?" She enquired, when they were outside.
Obi reached into his coat and pulled out two black K1s.
"I know you two have training, but you don't carry. That stops now. I know she has one from Harry. I also want you both to have one with you, at all times. If for any reason a Jedi isn't around, and you think someone looks suspicious, I want you to shoot them. Go for a arm or a leg if you can, but if not, you know what to do. You both have training in spotting a threat. I want you to be using it at all times." Obi instructed.