Jedi Master Arie Skywalker – I must confess to having a bit of an addition to Mt. Dew! Yum! Glad you liked the way I depicted Anakin's emotion in the previous chapter! Thanks for the compliment!
Avschick33 – Ah, the plot thickens! And it will continue to thicken for another few chapters. Hope you continue to enjoy the ride!
Hellish Red Devil – Yep, everything is really starting to heat up now. Literally and figuratively as you'll soon see! I'm thrilled that you like the way everything is progressing. I'm trying not to rush the plot but I don't want to bore you guys to tears either. Your comments really mean the world to me, thanks!
Eriks leadinglady – Aw, glad you liked Obi-wan's little fallback in military-speak in the previous chapter. It just sounded like something he might do in the heat of the moment! And wow – what a review! Thank you so much – I really enjoyed reading it! In fact, I think that may have been the longest review I've ever gotten. What's really neat is that you seem to enjoy the story so much – your enthusiasm and sense of humor shines through in every post! I really do appreciate the support!
Ann Jinn – It was a bit of an evil cliffhanger, wasn't it? Sorry about that! I'm afraid they're only going to get worse as we go along too. My muse is making me do it, I swear! On the bright side – things aren't too bad this chapter.
meandmysharpie – In my opinion, Obi-wan and Padmé's plan is brilliant. Unfortunately, there are so many unknowns that can flare up – and since this is following the track of RotS, you know that's a strong possibility. Anyway, I'm just glad you're enjoying it and that I'm able to keep you on your toes!
ALL – Thanks for reading – I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the story. I'm really working hard on it so your comments mean the world to me. See you back here soon!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Padmé had barely slipped through the confines of the trap door when a gust of raw heat slammed it shut behind her. The sound of metal groaning from the onslaught sent her stumbling backwards instinctively. There was no place to take cover; if the door blew off its hinges, she would go right along with it.
But Obi-wan's calculations were correct. It held fast.
She allowed herself a small nod of grim satisfaction. The sounds could only mean the ship was burning at a rather high temperature. Soon, the sand would react, transforming itself into another state altogether: glass as dark as the nighttime sky. The durasteel door would be completely hidden from view; no one would ever dream an escape had been possible.
And that was the way she wanted it.
She pulled a light stick from her cloak and bathed the surrounding area in its golden glow. The narrow corridor that stretched out before her appeared to be brimming with cobwebs. On the more pleasant side, it did seem as easily traversable as Obi-wan had claimed. His reconnaissance had paid off - aided, no doubt, by tidbits of information gleaned by Artoo.
Apparently, the irrigation pipes running overhead were no longer functional and generally forgotten by the populace. However, for her they would serve an important purpose once again - as a guide. She simply had to follow the red ducts to the first stairwell, conveniently stationed in the outskirts of town. From there, it was only a short stroll to the ship Obi-wan had reportedly wrangled.
"Piece of cake," she muttered.
She dusted off her hands, donned her cloak and plunged ahead. It didn't take her long to realize she had never been more grateful for a hood in her life. The once-purple cloak was practically silver from the vast array of webs that clung to it.
When she finally reached the stairwell, she paused within its shadows to brush off the worst of it. She was supposed to slip through town unnoticed; looking like some sort of monster from a child's nightmare certainly wouldn't help with that.
The task complete, she shoved open the metal door and smiled.
Padmé Amidala was now a dead-woman walking.
ABOARD NEWLY 'PURCHASED' SHIP - TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER
Artoo squealed as the main computer threatened to crash again. A last-minute adjustment saved him from having to reenter the coordinates for the fourth time and he blatted with a mixture of pride and annoyance.
Obi-wan looked up and the wires he was rerouting gave him a nasty shock, punishing him for his distraction.
"Blast!" he cursed. "Bloody old ship; waste of perfectly good credits!"
Breathing deeply, he tried once again to release his anxiety - and considerable frustration - to the Force.
He had to admit, the sound of the exploding transport had rattled him to the core; and he had even had the advantage of knowing it was coming! But the cacophony also signaled a fresh round of danger. Because somewhere amidst the vast desert, Padmé was snaking her way through an ancient underground tunnel. And she was alone.
His mind swirled with possibilities, calculating one wave of worries after another. Yet one concern continued to fight its way to the top of all the others: his promise to Anakin to keep his wife and child safe.
What if I fail?
Thankfully, Artoo's frantic beeping interrupted his thoughts as the compact droid zoomed to another area of the console. Beside him, Threepio jerked at the burst of activity but was quick to translate:
"He says it will be awhile before he can get our communications up and running. The Council's encryption device is quite complicated and this system is horribly outdated. He does hope that won't create any unnecessary deviations from your schedule."
"No, no, it's fine," he assured them. After all, the Galaxy would not know of Senator Amidala's 'demise' until they transmitted the recording - something they obviously couldn't do without a functioning console. It seemed they had finally caught a break.
He soon caught another as a familiar form ducked into the ship. For all appearances, she was safe and sound.
Thank the Force.
But he couldn't stop himself from blurting, "Are you all right?" .
"I'm fine," she promised. She lowered her hood, casually plucking at a few stray webs that still clung to her cloak.
"No one saw you?" he prompted. "Was there any trouble?"
"Everything went as planned, just as you said it would." She glanced over her shoulder as the ramp returned to the belly of the ship, sealing them safely inside. "The evidence will be irrefutable. What happens now? Do we move onto the next phase?"
"Not yet," he sighed resignedly. "We're having trouble with communications so we're in a bit of a holding pattern. But that won't impact our departure. After all, our final destination awaits."
"As does mine," she teased. "Figuratively speaking."
For the first time in hours, Obi-wan smiled.
NABOO - THEED, RESIDENTIAL SECTOR
Dormé set aside the datapad Sola had given her, bored out of her mind. She just couldn't bring herself to care about the gossip from the latest Holo-net shows or even what recent laws the "Senate" had passed.
Not while the Senator was out there, still in danger...
She glanced up as Jobal Naberrie gracefully entered the room, carrying a metallic box.
"Dormé, a messenger droid just delivered this," she explained. "I think I can recognize Padmé's handiwork when I see it. Would you like to open it?"
"Of course; thank you." She smiled at the older woman, comforted by her resemblance to Padmé. "Mrs. Nab-"
"Jobal," she corrected quietly.
"I'm sorry... Jobal, are you sure we're not imposing? I know Milady wanted us to come here to hide but surely we can do that at the Palace-"
"I won't hear of it! My Padmé said that we were to keep you safe and comfortable until she sent instructions for how we are to proceed. I trust my daughter; she obviously wants you here with us for a reason. Besides, those Jedi you brought with you are quite entertaining - and in these dark days, I don't mind having them around."
"They have been wonderful guardians," she readily agreed. "And Knight Offee already has me feeling like my old self again."
"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that... Now, do you think those further instructions I mentioned are in that package?"
Dormé eyed the metallic box curiously and shrugged. "I suppose there's only one way to find out." She undid the clasps and the lid slid open with a hiss, revealing the mysterious contents...
They were unmistakable.
"It's Milady's favorite gown," she murmured in surprise. "I recently altered it so she could keep it with her... Why would she send me something so important?" She rummaged in the box, letting out a cry of victory when her fingers closed around a small piece of folded parchment.
"You may have use of this soon," she read aloud. "I will follow up with details at the earliest opportunity. Stay safe, P."
Two pairs of brown eyes met, mirroring each other's confusion.