~Nava's POV~
"Luke and Leia love these," Padme said, showing Nava a small glass jar of some mushy looking pink food.
"What in the universe is it?" Nava asked, wrinkling her nose at the color. Padme chuckled softly. "Its peach slash strawberry mixed baby food," she answered.
Nava still wrinkled her nose. "Force forbid you ever try to feed me that," she responded. "I've tried it," Padme said, handing the merchant his pay.
They continued walking. Nava looked down at the slush of snow left on the ground. Most of the snow had melted, leaving wet, gray puddles on the ground, trampled and flat with boots.
"It's actually pretty good," Padme told her. Nava cocked an eyebrow at her. "If you say so," she snorted skeptically, wondering how exactly, Padme would know that.
All of a sudden, the force spiked with danger. Nava tensed and glanced up, the force was telling her that the danger would be arriving soon from the sky.
Padme noticed her behavior and cocked an eyebrow. "Danger?" she asked, glancing around at the full town square. Nava nodded.
Padme narrowed her eyes and slid a hand up her left sleeve. Nava saw the shine of a polished blaster. She almost smiled. Only Padme.
As soon as she had thought that however, the clouds broke apart with a roar. A ship was landing. Combined shouts of surprise followed as people ran to get out of the way of the landing ship.
Nava scowled and shook her foot, just to make sure her lightsaber was still safely hidden inside her boot.
"Who is that?"
"Why is he landing?"
"Do you suppose he needs help?"
"What idiot lands in a town square?"
Padme moved closer and set her basket down. "Do you know who it is?" She whispered. Nava crossed her arms and shook her head. The force did not allow that sort of knowledge.
"I assume we're about to find out, though," she said. They stood back as a crowd started to form around the ship. Slowly, the ramp lowered. Nava blinked, taken aback by who had come. "Bane," she mumbled.
Padme gasped. "Cad Bane? The bounty hunter?" She whispered urgently. "Him too. I also sense some old friends of mine," she sighed, these old friends, of course, were not people she was eager to see.
"More bounty hunters?" Padme asked. Nava nodded. "Unfortunately. There's an old friend of yours too," she told her. Padme scowled. "That could be a lot of people," she murmured.
From the ramp, instead of any of the others Padme as thinking about, Nava assumed, it was Aurra Sing, followed by Cad Bane, Rako Hardeen and another bounty Hunter.
Venos Lipitor.
He was a Zyggerian, with wide cat-like ears and large cat-like eyes. Two fangs poked lightly from his mouth and a belt was slung over his shoulder, holding tons of different bombs, bullets and weapons.
Nava groaned. She had met Venos a few weeks after she had gotten Annex as an apprentice. The bounty hunter had kidnapped her and attempted to sell her to Count Dooku.
Annex, though, had passed one of the prime struggles in his apprenticeship when he had saved her. Then gotten captured himself.
"What should we do?" Padme asked in a whisper. She was frowning in worry. The base was too close. The bounty hunters could not be allowed to find it, nor the house a few miles away from that.
"Nothing for now. Let's see what they want first," Nava muttered back, though her body was tensed and ready for battle.
The bounty hunters walked down the ramp and stood in a line, studying the various villagers that had formed around them. "Hay!" One of the men shouted. "Stupid men," Nava mumbled. Padme nodded in agreement.
"Mind telling us what you're doing in our town square, stranger?" he demanded brusquely. "Who said that?" Bane demanded; his gruff voice sharp.
The crowd jumped. "I did!" One of the burly human males walked up, his face frost-bitten and red.
"How brave," Nava mumbled sarcastically, seeing his irritated face as he crossed his arms at the bounty hunters. He obviously had no clue who he was talking too, that or did not care.
"Well, my friend," Rako Hardeen spoke up. Padme rolled her eyes. "Anakin would have a fit if he saw this fool," she said, Nava snickered, thinking of the hard time he would also a give a certain Obi-wan Kenobi.
"We landed here for two reasons; one is we heard Biyalia looks lovely this time of year," that got a nervous laugh from the crowd.
"And two," the powerful tone of Aurra Sing added. "Is because we need some supplies and rare foods, and we don't plan on buying," she explained with a smile of malice. "Maybe some girls to take on the way back," Venos called thoughtfully. He certainly hasn't changed, Nava thought.
"You plan to rob us?" one of the women in the crowd gasped, as if the bounty hunters had not made this clear before.
Nava sighed, wondering how they were going to dispose of these bounty hunters without exposing themselves. Even the townspeople could not know that she was a Jedi. It could bring the wrath of the Emperor down on them.
"Yes, darling," Cad Bane agreed heartily, pulling out his blaster. He aimed at the crowd and shot a single bolt. Nava inhaled sharply as the man who had called out dropped forward, limp as a stone. The portly woman next to him screamed and fell to her knees.
"No!" the crowd dispersed into panicked, frightened mayhem. Nava grabbed Padme by the elbow when she moved forward to help the two women grab the dead human.
"He is dead, and we have a cover to maintain. I need you to calm everyone down and get them away from here. Then call in Ahsoka and Intrepid. I'll need their help," Jedi or not, she could not handle four professional bounty hunters on her own.
Padme glanced once at the dead husband and his wife before nodding. "Got it," she said before ripping herself away and running through the crowd.
Nava turned to the bounty hunters, who had calmly begun to spread more pandemonium.
Cad Bane had ignited his fly-pack and was hovering I the air, shooting blindly into the crowd. Aurra Sing was on top of a merchants stand, doing likewise.
Rako Hardeen was going from stand to stand and snatching random foods and supplies, stuffing them into a bag pleasantly.
Venos was going from stall to stall, picking out expensive jewelry and fabrics. Every once in awhile he would grab a random woman running past and kiss her roughly on the lips.
Nava studied the situation. It would be easier to take them out one by one. Aurra could be first. Weaving her way through the crowd, Nava walked up the stand Aurra was standing on and used the force to call the lightsaber to her hand. With a hiss, the green blade had come to life.
She sliced through the stand's support cleanly. Aurra, not having seen Nava below her, cried out as she fell, her scream mingling in with the dozens all around.
Nava walked up, but Aurra was not on the ground. Where…? She swirled, blocking the quick blaster bolt that hitched near her ear.
"Jedi!" Aurra gasped, noticing her lightsaber. Nava glanced around, had any of the townspeople noticed her saber? No, they were all too preoccupied running mindlessly and screaming to avoid the blasts.
"Hello, Aurra, it's been awhile. I see you've done absolutely nothing new with your hair," she commented cheerfully. Aurra gritted her teeth and let out a swarm of blaster bolts.
Nava blocked each one easily, slowly making her way towards the bounty hunter. She glanced around, eyeing where the other bounty hunters were.
They had not noticed the struggle between her and Aurra. Good, stay oblivious, boys, stay oblivious.
~Padme's POV~
Padme hated bounty hunters.
She was on top of one of the stands, high enough to be over the heads of most people. Bane had already tried to shoot her multiple times, but seeing that Padme easily dodged the bolts, had given up and went on to easier prey. "Hay!" Padme waved her hands with little effect.
"Turn around!" She shouted, pointing towards the place where the merchant stands and stables turned into bakeries, shops and roads.
The town was half-modern technology and half-old agriculture. The bounty hunters had not bothered to try to block anyone's means of escape.
They were not trying to kill; they were trying to rob the village and then would probably be on their way after they burned down the town.
"Turn around!" Padme screamed again, cupping her mouth. No one noticed her. Padme felt frustration grow in her core. Blast, she hated bounty hunters!
All of a sudden, the pole holding up her booth quivered. Oh, blast, Padme thought before she plummeted to the ground. Light pieces of wood landed on top of her in splinters and fragments.
"Nava!" Padme growled when she looked up. Across from her, Nava was on one knee, deflecting the shots of Aurra Singh, who had ducked behind a ruined stall and was shooting at Nava repeatedly.
Padme jumped to her feet to avoid behind smashed under the running feet of people. It was quite apparent they were not planning to listen to her.
She brought out her blaster and aimed at Cad Bane above her, with precise aim, she landed a blow to his fly-pack. He went spiraling off with a trail of smoke and a scream.
Padme then aimed for Aurra. The bounty hunter screamed as a blaster bolt hit her in the shoulder. Nava sprang immediately.
Padme looked around at the people pushing and shoving in their strife to run. "Ahsoka, come in," she said, putting her comm. link to her lips. "Padme," Ahsoka's voice came at once.
"We had an unauthorized landing a few minutes ago, did it really go into town or was Ackbar going insane?" she wondered. "He's sane alright," Padme ducked a blaster bolt.
"Bounty hunters have arrived. They're trying to rob the town," she reported. "Where's Nava?" the knight asked. "Fighting the bounty hunters. However, there are four. We need you here," she said quickly.
She stumbled, caught off balance by a push from a screaming merchant. "I'll bring Lux and Intrepid," yes, well, Padme knew that. The three of them rarely went anywhere without each other. "Hurry please," she hung up.
How am I supposed to calm them down? She wondered. Bane was gone, and Aurra, but the atmosphere of panic still was firmly set.
She pursed her lips, wishing that Anakin were there. Anakin, her mind snapped back into the thought of her husband. What would he do in a situation like this?
Padme smiled as the thought came to her. Thanks, Ani, she thought. With that thought, Padme ran into the crowd.
Blaster in hand, she trotted up to the nearest person. "Hay, sleemo!" She yelled in his ear, taking the small, skinny man by the arms.
"Go that way!" She pointed to the bakeries. "Get everyone you can and go that way! Get out of here!" His eyes wide, the man nodded quickly and ran the way Padme pointed, pulling people along after him.
Padme nodded appreciatively and continued grabbing people who ran by, encouraging them to run in the way of the town. Seeing common sense and following the others, more and more people escaped.
After a moment, Padme stepped out of the crowd, panting. "My, my," a voice purred in her ear. She gasped and turned around, only to have a large, furry hand grab her by the neck.
She stared into the eyes of Venos angrily. "Aren't you a brave bird?" he reached up and ran a clawed hand down the side of her face smoothly. "Who are you, huh dearest?" He asked.
"Don't touch me!" Padme gasped out, clawing at the hand that choked off her air. Venos chuckled. "Defiant and brave, well, well. Your face reminds me of another," he said softly. Padme delivered a hard kick to his shin. The bounty hunter cringed but did not loosen his grip.
"My dear, you are pushing your luck," he glanced up. "You shot Bane out of the sky with this," he snatched the blaster from where she had dropped it.
"But where's Aurra?" Padme was about to give a very rude retort when she saw a flash of green out of the corner of her eye.
A second later, there was a buzzing saber pointed at the back of Venos's neck. "I would put her down if I were you, Venos," Nava said lightly. The bounty hunter did not turn, but his eyes widened. "Jedi," he hissed.
"Somehow that has become my new name," Nava remarked with a friendly smile. Venos did not turn. "It is the name of all of you creatures," Venos hissed with pure venom.
His grip on Padme's throat tightened. Padme gasped and struggled harder. Dots swam in front of her eyes. Her lungs burned.
"Let her go, and we can do this face to face," Nava encouraged. "I'd rather not face you, my dear. After all, you did blow up my ship," he answered. "You shot me in the arm," Nava snorted in the same tone.
Padme delivered another hard kick to his shins. The bounty hunters grip increased. Padme felt panic start to kick in; She writhed and gasped in his grip. Nava's eyes flickered. "Let her go, Venos," she growled. "More Jedi are on the way, you'll never escape," she said.
"I beg to differ!" Another metallic voice called. Padme looked up. Cad Bane gently set himself down, having flown from the sky. Aurra Sing appeared from the crowd, two bombs in her hands.
Rako Hardeen aimed two blasters at Nava. "Well, well," Rako chuckled. "If it isn't a Jedi!" he said. "And one who isn't holding all the cards, what a surprise," Aurra snickered sarcastically. Nava did not seem concerned. She only smiled.
"I could have sworn I tied half of you up," she said. "Did you get a new apprentice?" Venos suddenly broke out, completely changing the subject.
Padme felt a burst of confusion. His grip on her throat lessened. She gasped raggedly for air as Venos slowly turned. The shock on Nava's face was unexpected. She narrowed her eyes.
"Drop her," she ordered sharply. Venos shrugged and obliged. He released her throat. Padme fell, her knees too weak to hold her up.
She lay at Venos's feet, gasping for breath. Suddenly, a heavy boot smashed into her stomach, holding her down. Padme's breath left in a long, painful whoosh.
Nava glanced down at her worriedly. Padme felt rage bubble in her. Why was she just standing there?
"How did you know Annex was killed?" Nava demanded, her lightsaber still pointed at his neck. Venos shrugged. "I follow my enemies whereabouts, in case I ever have to come face to face with them again. A bit hard nowadays, now that you Jedi are in hiding," he answered nonchalantly.
Who is Annex? Padme wondered. Nava's lightsaber wavered. "Yes, I do have a new apprentice," she answered begrudgingly.
Venos nodded and pressed his boot down farther into Padme's stomach. "Nava!" Padme gasped, giving her a sharp glance.
She was getting smashed! Could you have a conversation with the bounty hunter later? She wondered hotly.
Nava glanced back down at her and shook her head, as if she had been having unpleasant thoughts. In a second, she swung her lightsaber across Venos's head.
The bounty hunter ducked the attack. Padme cried out as his boot sunk farther into her stomach. Her internal organs contracted, driving themselves closer to her spine.
Aurra Sing ducked under Nava's feet, two beeping bombs in her hands. With quick-witted speed, Nava used the force to catapult the bombs away and trip Aurra.
With that bounty hunter momentarily out of the way, Rako Hardeen shot before Nava could restrain her.
Venos stayed where he was, his boot goading her kidneys all the more. His deep-set dark eyes watched Nava's every move with boredom.
Whatever ploy he had used to distract her had worked. She was becoming slower by the moment, her mind caught in some other time.
Padme grabbed at his ankle, pulling. Nava ducked and fought a few feet away, her lightsaber alternating with blurs of numerous jades and olives. Padme glanced up, the merchants square was empty.
The people had all trickled into the city and were watching the Jedi fight from a safe distance away anxiously. So much for keeping her cover, Padme thought tiredly. Her day as a regular woman had been cut short.
All of a sudden, an orange blur sailed through the air, followed by a green one. Lux's head popped out from behind a building.
Venos did not turn in time to duck the blaster bolt that snatched his shoulder. "Ow!" he cursed as he twirled around. Intrepid and Ahsoka ran into the firefight, diving and twirling in energetic circles to confuse the bounty hunters.
"Blasted boy!" Venos screamed. His blaster rocked as he shot at Lux, who obliged him with more fire. Venos let out a growl before he raised his boot.
Padme started to roll out of the way when his foot came back down. Hard. Padme screamed hoarsely as she felt one of her ribs crack and then crumble.
Venos left Padme to dive behind a stall. "Ahsoka!" Lux called. His voice sounded far away to Padme. The sky above her spun with chilling pain. Her entire chest burned with pain. "Get Padme!" Nava turned.
"Padme!" her voice sounded like it came from the other side of a long tunnel. Padme's vision started to blur. She moaned. Something warm landed on its knees beside her. Long black locks curled down unto Padme's face.
She coughed, and felt warm liquid start to gather in her mouth. Blood. She was choking on it.
I'm dying, she realized distantly. "Padme," Nava gasped, grabbing her face in both hands.
Her expression was blurred, but Padme could easily distinguish the terror. "Padme, blast you! Don't close your eyes!" Her voice was desperate. Padme had not realized she was closing her eyes until her vision began to darken.
She choked on the blood gathering in the back of her throat. She could not breathe. Panic began to take over. She was not afraid to die, but Anakin and the twins….
She could not leave them. They needed her. She would not leave her babies motherless. She could not.
"Nava," she gurgled desperately. "Relax, Padme," Nava responded. Something warm began to settled over Padme. "I'm here," a strong grip took her hand soothingly.
"Intrepid, get over here!" Nava commanded. More shapes huddled next to Padme. She felt her eyes closing steadily.
"Padme, don't close your eyes," Nava's voice was anxious, frightened, not the calm tone Padme normally heard from her. That scared her more than the blood filling her mouth.
Padme felt more blood spill over her lips. She gave a strangled cough, trying to breathe. "Padme!" Nava pushed her hair back anxiously. "Padme!" And then all went black.
Ladies and gentlemen, Padme Amidala and her wonderful action scenes! I admit I love to blend war and love together. For what is love without snippets of war or struggle? Not true love at all, right?
~Queen Yoda