What, did I stun you guys into silence with the last chapter or something? Heh, I think I did that to myself, actually. That's okay. As long as I'm still getting hits and people continue to keep this story on their favorites and alerts, I'll just assume that you all have no complaints as to my methods. Unless you decide to correct me of course.
I also apologize that this is a week late, but the holidays are coming up and that means...(assorted groans) college finals and projects. I can't promise an update a week anymore, but I'll do my best.
xXx
"I always knew the Naboo were childish idiots, but to see it in action, better action than the movies, really sends me over the edge."
"I sympathize whole-heartedly. They waste time and energy asking "why?" when they should be planning a way to save their lives."
"But that would require , gasp, fighting back and tarnishing their "attacking even in self defense is oh so morally wrong" bullshit ideals."
"True. I have respect for a couple of them though. Captain Panaka for example. And also Governor Bibble. He's the only one who slammed real truth into the faces of the council by saying they couldn't just fall to their knees and pray they wouldn't be attacked even after their communications were cut. And he was the first who came to the conclusion that an invasion was the only logical reason for that. He's a pacifist, yet he's practical, unlike the others. He knows idealism has no place in a life-threatening crisis."
"He should have been ruler of Naboo instead of that pansy-ass bitch. When she ordered her Royal Security Forces to not offer the slightest resistance if their cities were attacked just so all the blame could be placed on the Federation when the Senate supposedly comes to their rescue I wanted to freeze some sense into her. Pardon the pun."
"You don't need to fantasize of using your powers on her. Harlene will take care of that for us. Well, it won't be as extreme as that, but I have every confidence that she'll provide us with excellent entertainment."
"She's already providing us with excellent entertainment. Maul's very restless now that she's going to be interacting with the Jedi."
"Steve Perry's Shadows of the Empire emphasized two vital facts about the Sith when they set sights on something that they want for themselves: They don't let it go and they don't share. They're possessive as hell. Luke may have been Vader's son, but that only made him all the more determined to get him. Vader allowed no one else to touch him except for himself. Not Xizor and not even Palpatine."
"That's the main reason for Maul's very unusual behavior towards Harlene. He's willing to display affection for her, but its possessive affection, which is best expressed through touch. Do you think he's laboring under the delusion that she belongs to him?"
"Maybe. But remember, he's never asked for anything for himself before. She's his first true indulgence. And what makes it all the more sweeter for him is that she comes to him on her own free will. He knows she's going to get more skilled and powerful as time passes and he wants to be a part of it, hence his request to Sidious to train her. But most of all, he wants her to stay with him."
"Sabaku no Gaara from Naruto was wrong when he said that loneliness is the worst form of suffering in the world, though I can hardly blame him for thinking that, but he was right when he said that no one can defeat it by themselves no matter how strong they are."
"Darth Maul isn't strong. He's an immature boy trapped inside an adult's body that lives for his master and is unaware of the fact that he has free will."
"Yeah, I remember that Star Wars Tales comic and the metaphor that was emphasized at the end when they showed two pictures of him side by side as an adult and as a twelve-year-old. But remember what that Yeerk said from K.A. Applegate's Animorph's series? Visser Three ordered his scientists to create a potion that would take away human free will making them effortless to control, but as the Yeerk later told the Animorphs, such a concept is idiotic. There's no such thing as a sentient being without free will. We are free will. Species doesn't matter. A sentient creature has free will like an object has mass. You can't separate the two. Sidious's brainwashing has only suppressed Maul's awareness of his ability to think for himself. Harlene's given him the first taste of true genuine freedom that he's ever had, and hell will freeze over before he lets that go. His possessiveness is going to increase more and more."
"You're learning. Good."
xXx
Nute Gunray viewed Lord Sidious the same way the rest of his associates did: with fear and awe. He hadn't believed the Sith were a myth, but he had been stunned speechless when the dark lord approached him for a business deal that time ago. Nute had been both flattered and unnerved that his talents as a businessman and spokesperson had caught the attention of one so powerful, but he often wondered if the fruits of reward were worth walking such a fine line. At first he had been thrilled with the status he gained. Nute had been Viceroy of the Trade Federation already, but had been restrained by the Federation directorate. Lord Sidious had granted them a much larger and improved battle droid army. However, these droids had unexpectedly fired on the entire Directorate on a summit on Eriadu, killing them all save for Nute and his fellow Neimiodian, Senator Lott Dodd.
Thus Nute became the leader of the entire Trade Federation, which turned into a Neimoidian monopoly after he filled the vacant positions with Lieutenant Rune Haako, Captain Daultay Dofine, and Hath Monchar.
The current doubts of dealing with the Sith first stirred when Monchar betrayed them, believing that better profit could be made by selling a Sith Holocron containing information on the upcoming invasion of Naboo. Nute had dispatched a bounty hunter to bring Monchar back, but he later learned from Lord Sidious that the traitor had already been…dealt with.
And now the Jedi he had been ordered to execute had escaped.
Nute sighed wearily as he made his way to the conference room. Rune had told him he had an urgent matter to discuss. At times he felt a slight longing for his time as a junior officer. The power he held now had only been a dream then, but dreams sometimes held a lot more comfort and security than reality.
Keying in the door code, he entered and blanched when he saw a very nervous-looking Rune sitting beside a hologram of Darth Sidious.
"Rune? Lord Sidious? What is--?"
"Sit down, Viceroy," the order was so frigid, Nute could have sworn he saw icy waves radiating from the blue image. With several misgivings, he obeyed.
"I am very disappointed, Viceroy."
Nute blinked, confused.
"Forgive me, Lord Sidious, I don't--"
"Do not play stupid with me," Sidious cut him off with a menacing hiss. "You're lieutenant has just informed me of something that you obviously did not want brought to my attention."
Sickening realization and horror dawned on Nute like a firestorm.
"Understand now, Viceroy?" Sidious asked with deadly calm.
"L-lord Sidious, please, it is not--,"
"I don't have time for your mindless babbling," Sidious snarled. "You will tell me right now if the Jedi are alive or not."
"I-my Lord, I am certain they are dead. It has just…not been confirmed yet." he prayed to whatever deity that might be listening that that would mollify the dark lord for now.
Sidious was silent for an agonizing minute before speaking.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, Viceroy. I need your help in this occupation. Working through intermediates like you is the only way my plans can succeed, else I would be discovered by the Jedi." he bared his teeth. "And its all the more fortunate for you, for that is the only reason you are not gasping for your last breath right this second."
Nute didn't answer, afraid that the Sith would change his mind if he made a sound.
"But you will be if you continue to bungle my orders. When the Jedi show up again, you will inform me right away. Do no let them anywhere near the Queen. I will deal with them myself."
The hologram winked out and Nute furiously rounded on Rune.
"You had to tell him didn't you? Perhaps you hoped to take my place!?"
Rune stood up looking indignant. "I was protecting us both, Nute! If the Jedi had showed up again and managed to escape, we would all be dead!"
He was right, Nute knew, but it didn't make him feel any better. "That does not change the fact that our lives are hanging by a thread."
His comlink suddenly chimed.
"Viceroy, our forces have taken control of Theed." Tey How reported. "The Royal Palace is surrounded, and our troops await your arrival."
"And the labor camps?"
"Camp one is completed. The others will be ready within the hour."
Nute thanked her and cut the link with a relieved sigh. Naboo was almost fully theirs. Hopefully that would appease Lord Sidious.
And of course, there were still the treasures in the Royal Palace that would be ripe for the taking.
With the ghost of a satisfied smirk he gestured for Rune to follow him.
xXx
It had been different before, but it was nothing compared to now.
Harlene had felt a slight satisfaction before, but now, she just felt like vomiting.
Hover tanks barreled down the streets, floating ominously over the stone paving. Battle droids marched in perfect synchronization, barking out orders to the terrified populace. Children were crying and clinging to their mothers while the men tried to put themselves in front of their families should the droids start firing. Several people in fact, had already been shot on sight. The wounds had been made from blaster fire, so no blood flowed, but the frozen terror on their faces was worse. Far worse. Anyone who refused to come out of their homes or buildings were crushed by the hover tanks as they demolished the structures. Choked off death screams faded into the sounds of chaos that rang incessantly through the air.
Harlene was again unpleasantly reminded of how the events of this reality related to the past events back home. It was like watching a high-tech version of when the Jews were rounded up by the Nazis to be shipped off to deaths camps like Auschwitz. The droids did move like the Nazi soldiers. Even if they were machines without life or feeling, they still seemed to exude an arrogance and superiority that made Harlene imagine twisted human faces on them. The terror and confusion on the faces of the Jews were reminiscent to that of the Naboo.
The survivors were soon lined up and held at gun point.
"This planet is now under the rule of the Trade Federation," one of the droids, a captain spoke to the captives. "Cooperate and you will be escorted to camps to await further orders. Any form of resistance will be dealt with accordingly."
One person, a woman, pushed her way to the front.
"Why are you doing this?" she demanded desperately. "Why!?"
Her answer was a blaster shot to the heart. The prisoners gasped in shock and terror. A little girl no older than six screamed "MOMMY!" and collapsed, sobbing next to the corpse, tiny hands clinging to its dress.
Harlene had read Christopher McElroy's radio drama and knew what to expect…and knew the fate of an appalling amount of these people, but it was another thing altogether to see it, hear it, smell it.
The stench of fear and despair reeked the once peaceful atmosphere. Naboo would learn the hard way of what happened when they left their planet defenseless against a harsh unforgiving galaxy.
Harlene stared at the dead woman's corpse. She had seen plenty of dead bodies in far worse shape than this in Ybor, so instead of horror, pity and disgust warred through her mind.
Why she mentally snarled. Why why why. That's all you do, is ask why. That's all what your people do, that's all what your leaders do. Your Queen is now standing by a window in her palace watching all of you die and get rounded up like animals. Her mind should be acknowledging what is happening, but no, the only thing that's running through it is a big fat fucking 'why'! This is the price you pay for electing a stupid, naïve idealist to be your leader. A naïve idealist who even went so far as to order her pathetic security not to fight back so she wouldn't be held responsible when the Senate sends an investigation team. She's willing to sacrifice her own people due to her blind faith in the Senate! You're idiots! All of you!
The people were herded off, and Harlene's hands clenched into fists as she watched. She slammed up more barriers to calm herself enough else she might start ripping into those miserable machines right then and there. These people might disgust her beyond all measure, but they were still innocent. They didn't deserve this. Apart from deliberate, naïve hypocrisy, Harlene hated above all else when cowards with power tormented the weak just because they could.
Pretty soon the streets were deserted save for the guards keeping an eye out for trouble or a prisoner they missed. Harlene pulled out her comm and saw that it was time for the Queen to be arrested.
Finally, some entertainment.
She was about to teleport to the Palace when another vision flashed in mind.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were struggling to climb a grappling wire to shore from their bongo. The water was churning in angry rapids and the bongo was teetering dangerously toward the waterfall. When the Jedi were halfway to shore a battle droid patrol appeared. The two men's eyes widened as the droid aimed its blaster at the wire and shot it, breaking it.
xXx
Obi-Wan Kenobi was not having a good day.
He had at first been thrilled when his master decided to bring him along on a diplomatic mission from the Supreme Chancellor himself. The Naboo crisis had been public knowledge for the past five weeks, and while Obi-Wan hadn't dwelled on it long at first, he had been very surprised at the Trade Federation's actions. Naboo was wealthy and influential, but not nearly on the level of countless other worlds. Its people were pacifistic and forbade the use of major weapons and firearms. Qui-Gon had been correct when he said that the Neimoidians were cowards, but they had enough resources at their disposal that they could blockade another, more influential planet with a military force with little effort. And they were definitely greedy enough to try it. The Viceroy claimed his motives were to get the Supreme Chancellor to remove the tax he placed on the Outer Rim worlds, but their actions so far held no logic whatsoever. This suspicion was enhanced when Qui-Gon had sensed the same confusion they themselves felt from the Neimoidian officers when they arrived at the Viceroy's ship. Was is possible only the Viceroy knew the true purpose of the Federation's actions?
Then things had taken a major turn when the room Obi-Wan and his master had been in started filling up with dioxis and droids began firing at them when they escaped. After which they made a shocking discovery in the main hanger.
The Federation was planning an invasion army.
There had been no time to dwell on the confusion of the Federation's actions. They needed to escape and warn Naboo and Chancellor Valorum. It had been easy enough to hitch a ride with their 'hosts'. As far as Obi-Wan went, it was the least they could do after the way they treated him and Qui-Gon so far.
The Jedi Padawan grimaced in disgust at the blubbering of the Gungan his master insisted they drag along with them. Obi-Wan admitted he had been useful in leading them to Gungan city where they received a transport, but that led to a nice little adventure through the planet core where they had been eaten alive nearly twice, and lost power due to the damage they received at the hands, or jaws of one of those monsters.
Even now when they finally arrived in the city of Theed, their troubles weren't over yet. They had lost power once again and couldn't make it to shore. They were stuck in a ruined bongo surrounded by churning rapids and a huge waterfall behind them.
"Iyiiyi, wesa die'n here! Hurry up!" Jar-Jar cried.
Obi-Wan was close to panicking himself as he found he couldn't restart the engine. And they were getting closer to the waterfall. "Master, there isn't enough power. I can't boost it!"
In response, Qui-Gon unhooked a cable-launcher from his belt and secured it to the bongo before firing it at a pole on the shore.
"Come on!" Qui-Gon grabbed the wire with both hands and began to climb it.
Obi-Wan grimaced. A cable like that wouldn't hold for very long. In fact, it might give out before they reached the shore.
Unfortunately, there was no other option.
With a sigh, he followed his master's lead. The water pushed and shoved mercilessly at him, causing him to tighten his grip enough so that he knew he would have red marks on his palms later. Jar-Jar refused to move from his spot on the bongo and Obi-Wan found himself vaguely hoping that the spineless creature would just rid himself of their presence.
Why did Qui-Gon insist on keeping him around? They had enough on their plate already without having to deal with these pathetic life forms…
"Freeze!"
Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon did exactly that and the young Jedi felt the blood drain from his face when he turned his gaze to the shore.
A Federation battle droid was standing by the pole where their cable was attached and its blaster was aimed at the thin cord.
Oh, no.
"Obi-Wan, don't move." Qui-Gon whispered urgently.
"Stray citizens will be terminated," the droid said in its toneless voice.
Obi-Wan didn't need to reach into the Force to know what the droid was going to do. Panic flooded his throat. This couldn't be happening now. They had come so far…
The droid's finger tightened on the trigger.
No, no, oh Force, no…
Obi-Wan braced himself for the inevitable fall when, to his severe shock, the droid collapsed.
Well, no, it didn't collapse, it was cut in two vertically. The separate halves fell to the ground opposite of one another revealing a small figure dressed in a black cloak. The figure's arms were stretched in front of its body, its hands holding a long, thin sword.
What in the name of the Force…?
The figure turned its gaze to the two Jedi who were staring at it, utterly dumbstruck. Obi-Wan squinted to get a good look at its face through its hood, but before he could make out a single feature, the figure raised a small, pale hand to its forehead in a salute…
…and disappeared into thin air.
"Wait!" Obi-Wan called after it, but too late.
"Padawan, let's hurry," Qui-Gon grunted as he resumed his climb. "The Force has just aided us in a most unexpected way, and I for one would hate to show gratitude by wasting this opportunity."
Obi-Wan nodded and followed his master's lead. Qui-Gon pulled himself onto shore and helped the young Jedi onto dry land. They both turned around and Obi-Wan nearly groaned when he saw that Jar-Jar had made no move to climb the wire. In fact, he was jerking his head back toward the waterfall and to the shore as if wondering which would be the safest option.
"Jar-Jar, MOVE!" Qui-Gon barked.
"Mesa coming!" the Gungan made a grab for the wire as the bongo fell over the waterfall…
…and missed completely.
"Master, let's go," Obi-Wan said with an edge to his voice when he saw Jar-Jar disappear under the water. "He's gone."
"I'm not leaving him," Qui-Gon said sternly.
Of all the…
"Master--"
The water beneath them suddenly exploded as Jar-Jar's head and torso burst from it. Qui-Gon grabbed one arm and Obi-Wan grabbed the other as they hoisted their wayward companion out of the river.
"Whew!" Jar-Jar grinned at the two JedI. "Yousa life never boring, hey?"
But the two Jedi weren't paying attention to him. Both their gazes were locked firmly on the pile of scrap that had once been a Federation droid.
"Umm," Jar-Jar shifted nervously. "Was my imagining it, or did mesa see somebody slice dat maccenek up then disappear?"
"You didn't imagine it," Obi-Wan looked up at Qui-Gon feeling very uneasy. "Master?"
Qui-Gon stared long and hard at the ruined droid before looking at his two companions. "I'm as confused as the both of you, but for now I don't believe there's any reason to be truly alarmed. After all, whoever they are, we owe them our lives."
Jar-Jar nodded enthusiastically. "Dat's true, yeah."
"Master…" Obi-Wan's uneasiness doubled when he reached into the Force. "Do you feel what I feel? Or don't feel?"
A look of concentration crossed Qui-Gon's face and he suddenly frowned.
"Yes…I do."
"What yousa talkin' 'bout?" Jar-Jar was totally lost.
"I sense absolutely no remnants of the Force," Qui-Gon murmured. "Not even the slightest shred."
"That's impossible, isn't it?" Obi-Wan whispered. "No one can cloak their presence to such a degree."
"Don't be so sure, Obi-Wan. The Force may not have any limits, but we most certainly do. We'll report this to the Council at a later time, but right now the Queen of Naboo needs us."
Obi-Wan nodded and began to follow his master with Jar-Jar behind. Questions were racing through his mind before
(don't center on your anxieties, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs)
Reminding himself that their present task needed their undivided attention. That…being may not have left behind any trace of a Force Signature, but something told Obi-Wan that that wasn't the last they would be seeing of it.
xXx
There were many rules that an Error Corrector needed to follow when in a reality. The main of which was to not interact with the characters in a way that you would be a distraction to them. Unfortunately, there were times when situations occurred where there were no-win solutions. Harlene had scanned for viable options to correct the previous error without Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Jar-Jar noticing anything suspicious, but she had tossed them all aside in a split second's notice. They weren't stupid. They would know something was up if she turned invisible and dismantled the droid with her weapons or powers or teleported it away. Or even if she used her command of the interface to freeze time for a moment.
The only option left was to correct the error in a way that would make sense to their eyes. Harlene felt disappointed. This wasn't the way she had wanted to introduce herself to them. But she admitted it had advantages. In correcting the error she had saved their lives. Therefore, they would be suspicious, but not enough so they would regard her as a malevolent being.
Hopefully.
She teleported to the palace immediately afterward and was pleased to see that she hadn't missed the Queen getting arrested by the Trade Federation. Cloaked, she kept a careful distance from the group and watched the scene play out.
"We have brought you out of your chambers for a purpose Queen Amidala," Viceroy Gunray said. The sarcasm in his tone was barely covered with a thin layer of oily politeness.
"I was not brought," the Queen's decoy, Sabe snapped. "This is my palace. I do not recognize your authority."
"It is our palace now," Nute replied unimpressed. "And our planet."
The Neimoidians, Nubians and battle droids were then led down the stairs. Harlene followed quietly.
"Its bad enough that you cut our communications," Governor Bibble said in a steely voice. "bad enough that you pretend that this blockade of our world is legal, but landing an army and occupying our cities? How will you explain this invasion to the Senate?"
"The Queen and I will sign a treaty that will legitimatize our occupation here, and you Governor will serve as witness. I have assurances that the treaty, when produced, will be quickly ratified by the Senate."
Bibble's eyes went wide in shock and outrage. "A treaty? In this blatant act of war? Are you insane!?"
Nute ignored him. "Naboo will renounce all ties to the Galactic Republic and become a protectorate of the Trade Federation. All trade and travel to and from Naboo will be done exclusively through us. You may keep your throne, provided your government remains loyal to us. In return, we shall set up mining, shipbuilding and energy processors to stimulate your economy tenfold --"
"I will not cooperate." Sabe said icily. "What you are suggesting goes against our every principle, our every belief. We have strived to always balance nature and industry. And you would destroy that balance in one blow. Transform our world into a poisonous wasteland --"
"Now, now, Your Highness." Nute placated. "It will happen whether you sign the treaty or not. If you cooperate, your people will share in the profits and have their freedom restored to them."
Bibble was growing red in the face. "Toiling away on an over-industrialized planet for a chance to return to the outer galaxy? You call that freedom!?"
Well, at least one of the Naboo leaders had the guts to take a stand.
Nute seemed to think so to for a flash of irritation crossed his face. "It is more than they shall have if you refuse, your Highness. I think a demonstration is in order. Our droids have been constructing work camps similar to what we have in mind. We shall set the population to work, hunting for mineral deposits. In time, the suffering of your people will persuade you to see our point of view."
"Youdare to threaten our people?!? You cold-blooded, craven --"
"Shut up, old man, or I shall find another witness!" In a calmer voice he said to Sabe.
"Queen Amidala, I hear you are compassionate, as well as wise. You do not like to see suffering. And our mining facilities, while efficient, are not exactly the safest in the galaxy. If you sign quickly, I could arrange for better safety measures…"
Sabe's eyes narrowed into a cold glare. "You ask me to betray the trust my people placed in me. Do what you will. I will never surrender this world."
"Well said, Your Highness." Bibble said approvingly.
"So be it." The viceroy said. "Just remember…the blood of your people will be on your hands alone. Commander?"
"Yes, sir?"
He smiled smugly, "Process them."
"Yes, sir! Captain, take them to Camp Four."
"Roger roger."
The group was marched out of the room. Harlene followed, but she was fuming with rage from the sheer hypocrisy she was witnessing. The Naboo claimed to be a peaceful people and left their planet nearly completely defenseless, so why was the Queen equipped with a group of handmaidens who were really bodyguard assassins in disguise? They weren't her servants, but highly trained agents who could protect the Queen when needed and were chosen to be near her height and weight so one of them could take her place were she in danger. The Naboo did have a police force of guards, but there were only a couple of hundred of them. Not nearly enough to protect the planet. And to add insult to injury, they were only located in the major wealthy cities like Theed.
When one looked at the situation in blunt, undisguised terms, here, only the leaders and the wealthy were given the best protection the planet had to offer. The poorer dwellings could just go to hell. They were in fact, the first ones to experience the lack of resources during the beginning of the blockade.
Struggling to calm herself, she watched as the Queen and her companions were rescued by the Jedi and were led in the main hanger. Qui-Gon began to try and persuade Sabe to come with them, during which Nubian naiveté surfaced once again when there were immediate protests that the Federation needed to Queen to sign the treaty.
Harlene snorted at their stupidity. Yes the Federation needed the treaty signed, but the Naboo overlooked one vital fact: the treaty needed to be signed by a Naboo monarch, not the Naboo monarch. If the Queen continued to be stubborn, they could easily dispose of her and elect a new ruler who would have no qualms with signing the treaty.
Perhaps deep down inside, the real Queen reached that conclusion and cryptically ordered her handmaiden to go. Unfortunately, Harlene couldn't just stand on the side lines and watch Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon in action after a battle droid ordered their arrest for she received two more visions that resulted in the deaths of two pilots who weren't supposed to be killed in the cross fire. Quickly correcting the errors, she followed the Jedi, Captain Panaka and Ric Olie in the cockpit. They were flying toward the blockade and Harlene braced herself for visions of errors. There had to be some here. She felt a trace of anxiety at the major turning point that was about to occur, but drained the emotion. If there were errors, she would correct them, and she wouldn't fail.
The alarms suddenly began to blare as the shield generator was hit. The droids were dispatched and Harlene watched on the view screen as they attempted to fix the generator and were blown away in the process. Harlene kept her eyes fixed on Artoo Detoo and sure enough the inevitable vision flashed of him being blasted by the lasers.
Fortunately, Harlene had already regulated her body temperature and respiratory system so she could survive completely exposed in space for a few minutes.
Teleporting to the shield generator, she stood in front of Artoo, held out her hand, and telekinetically blocked the single laser shot that would have reduced the droid to scrap, then went back to the ship.
xXx
Ric Olie's eyes went wide. "The power's back! That little droid did it! Deflector shields up at maximum."
Obi-Wan released a large breath he hadn't even been aware he was holding when they were clear of the blockade.
"Thank the Force," he murmured.
"I don't believe it is solely the Force to whom we should give thanks to," Qui-Gon said quietly staring at the view screen with a very odd look on his face.
Obi-Wan blinked. "What?"
Qui-Gon turned to the pilot. "Ric, are the past view screen images on record?"
The pilot nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Rewind to about thirty seconds ago."
Panaka and Obi-Wan gave him looks of confusion.
"Master?"
"Just do it please."
Ric shrugged. "No harm," he began to rewind. "But what exactly are you looking for?"
"All of you watch," Qui-Gon said. "Keep your eyes directly on the blue R2 unit."
Obi-Wan was slightly annoyed at Qui-Gon's cryptic behavior, but did as he was told. He watched the little R2 unit attempting to fix the generator and approximately twenty seconds into the recording a flash of black appeared in front of it, blocking it from view. It lasted for less than half a second.
"Freeze it at 19.34 seconds," Qui-Gon said.
Ric obeyed and his eyes bulged out of his sockets while Panaka went pale at the image displayed on the view screen.
In front of the R2 unit was a very familiar black-cloaked figure. One of its arms was outstretched to catch a red bolt of energy aimed for the droid that saved their lives.
Obi-Wan Kenobi stared at the frozen image and couldn't have moved if his life depended on it.
"What in all nine Corellian Hells…?" Panaka whispered hoarsely.
Qui-Gon didn't seemed the least bit surprised. In fact, he looked amused.
"We are not alone," he stated with the ghost of an ironic smirk.
"Jedi, do you know anything about this?" Panaka demanded. "If you do, then please enlighten us."
"Yes, do that, please," the stunned look still hadn't left the pilot's face
"You don't have to take my word for it," the Jedi Master turned away from the view screen, flicked his gaze around the cockpit and said in a loud clear voice, "Obviously you have been watching us for a while, and I consent that you mean us no harm from your previous actions. Now I believe is the best time to make an official introduction."
"Maybe," a disembodied voice said. "But first let me say thanks for not complaining about my subtlety, 'cause after a while it gets really annoying."
The four men snapped their heads to the right, in the direction of the voice. The air shimmered revealing a small figure dressed in black. Her hood was down revealing a young, grinning face that contrasted sharply with the stupefied expressions of the Jedi and Nubians.
"Hello, everyone," the little girl said pleasantly. "Did I catch you all at a bad time?"
xXx
(A/N): Lot's of Naboo bashing in this chapter, I know. I apologize to all you Padme fans out there, but if you want to write a realistic story, you need to be willing to look beneath the underneath and not be afraid to tell things the way they are. Also, this is from the point of view of once ruthless street kids who had their true innocence stripped from them at an early age. Padme and Harlene had an animosity between them in the first draft, but if things go the way I'm planning its going to be nothing compared to this one.