THALIA
"It's war, my lady. Announced this morning." Thalia's attendant gibbered, breaking the news to the Princess. Thalia had been gazing blissfully out the window, going on in her mind, the conversation she'd had with Obi-Wan merely nights ago.
They loved one another. And he was to stay on Troska.
"War. Between the Separatists and the Republic?" Thalia clarified, not quite believing what she was hearing. While she had prepared herself for the impending news, she still found it shocking.
"What does it mean for us?" Her attendant asked.
"It means…we have a big job ahead of us." Thalia thought aloud.
She thanked her attendant and left her chambers, her grey, satin gown ballooning around her. She marched through the corridors, heading for the throne room where her council would undoubtably be forming.
"Your highness, have you heard…" Her minister began as she entered the hall.
"Yes." She interrupted quickly, before hurrying up the steps to her throne, which she stood in front of and once the room fell silent, she spoke.
"I'm sure you've all heard the news, otherwise you would not be standing here in front of me." She began and her nerves calmed slightly when she spotted Obi-Wan at the back of the crowd, standing beside his fellow Jedi. "War was inevitable, and we have been preparing for it. This is not a cause for panic, instead we must remain calm. We have plans in place, not just for us, but for all the neutral systems. We must…"
Thalia didn't get to finish her speech. In the blink of an eye, a red light engulfed the throne room and then suddenly, debris was flying everywhere. Thalia was thrown backwards, into the wall and dropped into a heap at the bottom.
Her ears rang as she lay on the ground, unable to move. Her head ached from where she had hit the wall and dust stung her eyes every time she tried to open them. Another explosion sounded outside, and then another further away.
Surely this was a dream she thought, managing to raise her head. Carefully, she managed to balance on her hands and knees before tentatively getting to her feet, her head swimming sickeningly whenever she moved too quickly. Once she'd gained a bit of height above the dust she saw all the members of her court lying, motionless on the ground in front of her, some covered in pieces of rubble, others covered in their own blood.
She managed to take a few, wobbling steps towards her Prime Minister and dropped to her knees beside her. Her big, brown eyes were staring up at the gaping hole in the palace roof.
'Thalia! Are you alright? Thalia?' She heard Obi-Wan's voice in her mind before hearing footsteps behind her and a pair of hands grabbed her under her arms and pulled her to her feet.
"Obi-Wan." She gasped, tearing her eyes away from the devastation in front of her. "They're all…"
"I know." He replied calmly. "The city's under attack. Come, we have to get out of here."
All Thalia could do was nod as she was pulled out of the throne room and onto the balcony, where she stopped short. She had a full view of the city, but all she could see was destruction for miles. Smoke billowed into the air from at least ten places across the city and the air was thick with ash and dust. The sound of rumbling echoed throughout the city, pierced occasionally by the sound of screams.
A huge shadow was cast across the whole city and Thalia looked up to see a huge, Separatist ship hovering low over the planet's surface.
"It's Dooku." She choked, her lungs full of ash. "I can sense his presence."
"Thalia, we have to leave." Obi-Wan pleaded with her, taking her hands in his own. "Please."
"I can't." Was her reply. "They can only be here for one thing."
Thalia pulled a communicator out of her pocket and brought it up to her lips, coughing once to try and clear her throat. The communicator had a direct line to her personal guard. "Send two units down to the caves, that's what they're after."
"Thalia, we have to…" Obi-Wan began again.
"No, we have to protect the people." Thalia interrupted. "Please, Obi-Wan. Move everyone from the lower town into the palace, I'll send my guards to move everyone on the outskirts into the hills."
"And where are you going?" He asked incredulously.
"To the school." She replied and then seeing his expression added. "I'll be alright, I promise."
They parted ways and Thalia flew down the steps of the palace and sprinted through the city. As she ran, she vaguely took in the sound of rhythmic metal clanking, but as is grew louder she jogged to a halt. She stared hard down the street ahead of her, trying to make out a shape moving in the smoke.
Her mouth fell open slightly as, through the dust, emerged a huge legion of droids, pale pink in colour with thin bodies and tall heads. Each of then carried a blaster, and behind them were larger, silver droids who lowered their arms into a firing position, and they were all trailed on her.