A long time ago, in a galaxy far,
far away…
STAR
WARS
Episode II
ATTACK OF THE CLONES
Peace has returned to the galaxy. With the Separatist threat all but ended years ago the JEDI ORDER is free to pursue its elusive enemy, the Sith Lord Darth Maul. However, unbeknownst to the galaxy's guardians of justice, another conflict is on the horizon, preceded by a ruthless assassin.
Senators from all over the Galactic Republic have been targeted and killed, one by one, by a mysterious enemy. Unable to stop the killer, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has called every senator back to the Republic's capital, where they will be protected until the assassin can be stopped.
On the industrial world of Balmorra, a ship has been prepared to ferry its valuable senator to the safety of Coruscant…
Part 1: A Galaxy Unaware
A cruiser and its seven starfighter escorts sped away from the blue and gray marble that was Balmorra, one of the most valuable factory worlds in Republic space. As it left the planet behind, a steady calm came over its occupants, who sensed the danger was over. True, there'd been assassinations on other worlds, but no lone assassin could pose a threat to a Balmorran cruiser and its escorts. Light and fast, the cruiser would be a difficult target for even the best-equipped battleship. However, its several heavy blaster turrets meant it was capable of doing much more than dodging its enemy. Indeed, nothing could down a Balmorran cruiser with the right pilots at its helm and the right gunners in its bay.
The illusion was shattered when the cruiser's right propulsion exploded without warning, sending debris flying off into the vacuum of space. The seven starfighters began to buzz around it frantically, searching for the attacker, but there was no other ship to find. Senator Gerrad Serias, a middle-aged man with a full head of combed black hair, grasped the table in his quarters, which had been securely bolted to floor, when the ship began to quake, supported by only one of its engines.
Although most senators tended to wear the grand robes of their station as often as they could, he'd elected to dress as one of the ship's crew, just in case the assassin had made it aboard. The explosion, however, suggested otherwise. The door to the room slid open and his five bodyguards filed inside.
"Senator, are you alright?" the foremost inquired urgently.
"Yes," Serias replied through clenched teeth. He looked up. "What hit us?" he asked.
"We're not sure, sir," the guard replied. He gestured with his head toward the door. "Our internal communications have been disrupted," he continued, "we can't contact the bridge."
"Then we'll have to get to the bridge to find out what's going on," the senator stated, starting toward the door.
"Sir, it'd be safer for you to stay here, where there are safety harnesses," the bodyguard protested.
"I'm not going to cower in here like a defenseless nerf," Serias retorted, pushing past him and into the hallway outside his quarters. The bodyguards followed him as he quickly made his way through the ship and to the cruiser's bridge. When he arrived, the captain saluted him before clasping his hands behind his back. "So, we're under attack," the senator surmised.
"Not exactly, sir," the captain, a tall human man with a bushy brown mustache and a completely bald head, replied, "there aren't any unidentified ships in the system, at least not any close enough to blast us that hard. It's possible we've been sabotaged. I've already sent the engineers to investigate."
"If it's sabotage, there could be more charges on board," Serias's bodyguard suggested.
"Yes, I thought so too," the captain replied, "I have every unoccupied member of my crew searching the ship. If there're other bombs aboard, we'll find them." He bowed his head to the senator. "I assure you, Senator, that we'll be able to handle it from here. You may return to your quarters where it's safe."
"If this ship explodes, it won't matter where I am," Serias argued. He looked around. "I'd be more comfortable trying to stop that from happening. What can my bodyguards and I do to help?"
The captain grimaced, but nodded. He turned to a holographic display of the ship's layout. Though most of the display was a transparent blue, several regions were highlighted in red, indicating the areas that'd been damaged by explosive charges. The captain pointed at one of the blue regions.
"I don't have enough men to search this sector here," he said, "but it's only the kitchen and crew quarters. I doubt there'll be any charges there."
"Better safe than sorry," Serias replied. The captain turned back to face him.
"Quite right," he agreed. He reached over to the top of the console closest to him and picked a small white comlink off its surface before holding it out to him. "The saboteur took out our internal communications as well," he stated, "we'll have to use comlinks to stay in touch."
The senator took it and nodded once to him before turning to leave with his bodyguards close behind him. He nearly toppled over when another explosion shook the ship. After catching himself on the wall beside him, he looked back at the layout display to see a new area highlighted in red, the ship's life support center. The captain shook his head.
"We'll never make it to Coruscant like this," he grumbled. He looked to Serias. "Senator, the ship has sustained too much damage. We need to land before we lose our life support entirely."
"How do you think those charges got on board?" Serias asked, "obviously, the assassin is on Balmorra. He wants us to land. We'd most certainly be walking into some sort of ambush." He gestured toward the layout display. "Surely, you have astromechs aboard."
"I do, but astromech droids are hardly miracle workers," the captain replied.
"You'd be surprised what a droid can do," Serias assured him, "have the astromechs focus on the life support. We must avoid landing if it's at all possible."
"You may have missed your calling as a fleet commander, Senator," the captain commented amusedly, despite their situation.
"I hate flying," Serias replied flatly. He proceeded out of the bridge and hurried in the direction of the crews' quarters.
As he and his guards rushed through the ship, it was rocked by two more explosions. Either the saboteur had planted each charge with a very specific timer or he had separate detonators for them. The attack had been very carefully planned, but the senator was certain they'd stay out of the assassin's reach as long as they stayed off the planet's surface. Serias stopped when he heard a high-pitched whine from somewhere behind them. He turned around to see he only had four bodyguards with him.
Toward the end of the hall at their backs was a man in a full suit of metallic gray armor with blue accents, his face covered by a well-maintenanced Mandalorian helmet. He held a strange rifle in his hands. His stance was solid and his back straight in a show of confidence as he regarded the senator and his guards through the narrow, black visor in his helm. The armored man fired his rifle and Serias heard that same high-pitched whine. The white bolt of energy hit one of his guards and the man vanished in a shower of dust. A disintegration rifle! Weapons of that nature were hard to come by, expensive to keep, and illegal to own.
"Run, Senator!" one of the bodyguards shouted as the remaining three produced their weapons from the holsters at their sides. Serias ran down the hall and around the corner. He could hear his guards firing their blasters, as well as more shots from the disintegration rifle. Soon, there was only silence. He wasn't sure which side had emerged the victor, but if the assassin was truly as professional and well-equipped as he seemed, he knew the odds were not good for his bodyguards. They were good, yes, but hadn't been trained to face what appeared to be a Mandalorian hunter. Serias raised the comlink to his face.
"Captain, the saboteur is on board!" he shouted, "he's in the port-side main hallway, just before the living quarters, armed with a disintegration rifle!"
"Copy that, Senator," the comlink replied, "I'm sending my men to you. Keep out of his reach!"
The senator stopped running when he located an open door to his right, which he slipped into. He stopped abruptly when he was met with a young boy just inside the door. The senator would have estimated his age around ten, although he was on the taller side of the spectrum, his limbs long and lanky after an early growth spurt. His skin was tan in color, though most of it was hidden by the lightweight gray and dark green armor he wore. His exposed head was adorned with a thick batch of wavy, dark brown hair and his face displayed a confident, if not slightly cocky smirk. In his hand he held a heavy blaster pistol, which was pointed at Serias's midsection. The senator raised his hands.
"You're with the assassin, boy?" he asked. Before he could be granted an answer, Serias felt something hard and metal smack his shoulder, shoving him to the ground. He looked up to see the armored man standing in the doorway behind him.
"This one's for you, Boba," the man said, his voice coming through the speaker on his helmet. Serias looked at the boy, who grinned at him before pulling the trigger.
...
"Nothing beats the personal touch."
Boba Fett nodded eagerly at his father's comment, then stepped over the dead senator's body to follow him out into the hallway. As he walked, he unhitched his helmet from his belt and slipped it on over his head. He sighed through it, displeased by how uncomfortable his armor was. His most recent growth spurt had made the suit too small for him, but he knew he'd be getting a new one soon, with all the credits he and his father were going to get after their latest job.
Jango Fett's actions before Boba came along had alienated him from his Mandalorian origins, cutting his son off from his own set of the signature armor. Regardless, they both found the freedom preferable to the restrictions of "the way", while the once proud order of elite warriors lived in exile on the planet's moon. Even Boba wasn't sure what those actions truly were, and it seemed his father preferred maintaining the mysteries of his past. He easily had a more renowned reputation as a hunter than any of the forgotten hunters of Mandalore, and that gave his services a high price tag.
Jango led his son to the airlock they'd used to enter the cruiser and stopped. He pressed a button at the base of his helmet, resulting in a quiet hiss as the helmet sealed itself, allowing its wearer only a short supply of oxygen. Boba did the same with his own helmet before getting a secure grip on his father's jetpack. Jango reached out and yanked the airlock's switch down, causing it to slide open. He and his son were sucked out into the void of space.
Jango twisted to his left and held his arm out in front of him, his fist closed, before pressing a button on his wrist. A high-tension wire attached to a powerful magnet shot out and hurtled toward the small ship securely fastened to the side of the cruiser, partially hidden by the larger ship's wing. The magnet stuck and the wire retracted, pulling the two men toward the small ship. The ship was a heavily-modified pursuit craft, referred to as Slave I by its owner. Its size allowed it to remain stealthy, when paired with the right pilot and a signal jammer. The Balmorran starfighters had been completely oblivious when it managed to secure itself to the cruiser's outer hull.
Jango put his legs out in front of him as they approached Slave I and landed with his feet planted on the ship's side. He reached over to his wrist and pressed a second button, which remotely activated the cockpit's dome. The dome opened in front of them and he grabbed Boba's arm to toss him into the cockpit before sitting down in the pilot's seat. After the dome had closed again, the ship depressurized itself.
Once it was safe to, Boba removed his helmet and set it down beside the co-pilot's chair he occupied. His father kept his helmet on after opening its filter to the air of the cockpit. It was a habit that remained from his days among the Mandalorian outcast warriors and their way. Boba peered through the transparisteel dome at the cruiser in front of them.
"What do you say, Boba?" his father asked, gesturing toward the larger ship, "should we finish her off?"
"I say yes," Boba replied with a quick chuckle. Jango pulled a small device off his belt and flipped the switch on its surface, triggering explosions all along the ship's length.
Slave I quickly detached from the cruiser's hull and hurtled off into space, propelled by the force of the final explosion that turned the ship to shrapnel. Amongst the debris, the starfighter escorts failed to notice the small ship before its hyperdrive activated, sending the assassins away from Balmorra at the speed of light. Boba looked to Jango.
"Dad, are you sure the client can pay our price for all these hits?" he asked, "we don't want all this work to be for nothing."
"It won't be," Jango replied confidently. He glanced at him. "We'll get our money. As soon as we finish off this list, we'll be rich men."
Boba grinned. "Alright, then, who's the next target?" he asked.
"Senator Amidala of Naboo," Jango replied.
Boba leaned forward to start plotting a course. "Naboo, got it."
"No, we're not going to Naboo," Jango stated, shaking his head. "By the time we got there, she'd already be halfway to Coruscant."
"So, then we're headed there?" Jango nodded. "But…hunting a senator on Coruscant? Won't that bring the Jedi down on us?" Boba asked.
Jango let out a short "hmph" of a chuckle. "Boba, what did I tell you about Jedi?"
"Everyone dies, even the Jedi," Boba replied.
"That's right. You can kill anyone, if you know how to."
Boba nodded and plotted a course for Coruscant. The ship briefly left hyperspace to redirect itself before making the jump back to lightspeed. The boy leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. He'd never seen a Jedi before, much less attempted to kill one, but his father was the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. If anyone could kill a Jedi, it was him.
...
"Anakin!" Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi stood in a small clearing at the base of the immense forest that covered the surface of Kashyyyk. Although he knew it to be near noon, the tops of the trees thousands of meters above his head blocked out the sun, making it feel closer to midnight. Luckily enough, small glowing fungi lit the forest floor, allowing him to find his way through. It was in the treetops that the Wookies lived, in villages on suspended platforms. The Shadowlands, where Obi-Wan stood, were home solely to the enormous predators that attracted ambitious hunters from all over the galaxy. Most of them never returned.
After waiting a few seconds for a response, Obi-Wan called again: "Anakin!" Again, nothing but the buzzing of insects and the distant cries of large carnivorous creatures answered him. He cursed under his breath and put his hands on his hips, glaring at the dark forest around him. It was the perfect place for servants of the Dark Side to hide, as it was the perfect place for his wayward padawan to lose him. Obi-Wan exhaled slowly and reached out with the ever-present Force. It was strong in Anakin, and was often the only thing that allowed him to keep track of him.
In the distance, he sensed the familiar presence of his apprentice. He was traveling quickly, no doubt still in pursuit. Obi-Wan took off in his direction, running as fast as his legs would allow. He kept his senses alert as he ran, prepared to adjust his trajectory at a moment's notice. He burst out of the dense foliage on the rim of a larger clearing and finally caught a glimpse of Anakin and the Dark Sider he'd been chasing. The young man was obviously winded by the chase, but showed no signs of slowing down. Obi-Wan ran after them, back into the tangle of weeds at the clearing's far side.
A loud roar sounded, sending a shiver throughout Obi-Wan's body. His senses detected the unmistakable presence of the Dark Side, stronger and wilder than it had been in the person they'd come to apprehend. No, this was something big…and hungry. Obi-Wan leapt out into the next clearing only a few meters behind Anakin. He skidded to a stop when he saw what'd released that powerful roar. An enormous creature stood before them with long, sharp claws and large tusks protruding from its face, as well as long spines on its back. Obi-Wan recognized the animal from the Jedi Archives, which he'd taken the time to study before they left Coruscant for Kashyyyk. Of all the predators he knew they'd have a chance of coming across in the Shadowlands, this one was the worst.
"Anakin, get back!" he shrieked, praying his apprentice would listen this time. The monster swiped at Anakin, who managed to jump back in time to avoid getting sliced in half. Obi-Wan ran over to stand next to him and pulled his lightsaber off his belt, igniting its blue blade. Anakin did the same.
"Master, what is that thing?" he asked.
"Terentatek," Obi-Wan replied gravely.
"What!?"
They were both forced to duck when the terentatek swiped again.
"Don't let it catch you with those tusks or spines, Anakin," Obi-Wan went on, "they're venomous."
"I know what a terentatek is!" Anakin exclaimed, backing up again. "I thought they were extinct!"
"Obviously not," Obi-Wan replied, circling around to the creature's left to split its focus. He was forced to look away when he sensed the Dark Sider behind him. He spun away to avoid her kick and came to face her head-on.
The woman before him was just slightly younger than he was, with a bun of deep red hair on the back of her head. Her bangs were parted in the middle, to reveal the small, diamond-shaped black tattoo on her forehead. She held a vibrostaff in one hand, which she quickly shifted into the other. She pointed at him with her empty hand.
"That terentatek is going to eat your apprentice whole, Jedi," she said, "I'm sure you're aware of their particular appetite for Force-sensitive flesh."
"I think you might be underestimating him," Obi-Wan replied.
"Then you're underestimating it," she stated haughtily. Obi-Wan glanced at Anakin, who was doing a good job of keeping distance between himself and the monster, but he knew from the records that a terentatek was capable of charging very suddenly, and were faster than your average rancor. He hoped his apprentice knew at least that much about them.
He was forced to look away when the woman struck at him with the vibrostaff. He dodged, then slashed at her, but she whipped the blade of the staff up in time to intercept his attack. Upon contact, his lightsaber shorted out. Surprised, he still managed to jump backward to avoid her swipe.
"Where does one find a weapon like that in the Shadowlands of Kashyyyk?" he asked, pressing the switch on his lightsaber to start it up again.
"The Sith are very resourceful benefactors," she replied with a quick twirl of her staff, "but you'll find that out soon enough, when they use their resourcefulness to wipe you and all the other Jedi from the galaxy."
Obi-Wan looked to his left when something moving quickly caught his eye. Anakin collided with him, knocking him to the ground. He heard the woman shriek, followed by another roar from the terentatek. He looked up to see it grab hold of her in one giant hand while the vibrostaff fell to the ground at its feet.
"We can't let it eat her!" Obi-Wan exclaimed urgently. He and Anakin got back on their feet. The apprentice turned his lightsaber on and ran toward the terentatek, swiping upward to slice one of the fingers off its empty hand. The creature roared in pain, then swiftly backhanded Anakin into the trunk of one of Kashyyyk's enormous trees. It didn't release the woman.
Obi-Wan leapt forward and brought his lightsaber down on the monster's knee, stabbing through it. The terentatek slammed its empty hand downward, crushing Obi-Wan into the forest floor. He groaned under the weight, which threatened to snap his ribs like wooden toothpicks. Instead, the creature closed its claws around his chest and lifted him out of the moss.
Once it'd brought him high enough, he slashed at its face with his lightsaber. The terentatek roared angrily and tossed him away. He hurtled helplessly through the air until he collided with the rotting husk of an older tree. He fell to the ground again, his entire body aching, but tried to get up. He heard a crackle above him and looked to see a section of the dying tree's thick bark break away from the trunk. It crashed down on top of him, pinning him in place. He cried out in pain and tried to crawl free, but the bark was almost as heavy as a fallen trunk from any normal-sized tree. Unable to free himself, all he could do was watch as Anakin approached the monster again.
The young man ducked under a quick swipe and slashed at the creature's stomach. Although its hide was thick, Obi-Wan could spot a hint of the creature's muscle under the wound. The animal tried to backhand him again, but Anakin jumped away. The terentatek roared at him and jutted its tusks out, prepared to charge.
"Look out!" Obi-Wan shouted. The terentatek dashed toward Anakin, its deadly tusks ready to skewer him. The Jedi apprentice leapt high into the air, aided by the Force, and flipped over the monster's head, barely missing the nearest of its spines as he sliced down with his lightsaber. He landed on the other side of the creature and spun around to face it. The terentatek whimpered, but turned to face him. The cut down the middle of its head was deep, but not deep enough to kill it.
Anakin didn't wait for it to make its next move. He whipped his lightsaber down on the terentatek's wrist. The hand holding the woman fell to the ground with a loud thump. The creature shrieked in pain and anger. Anakin shot forward again and jabbed his lightsaber deep into its gut until the hilt was in contact with the creature's hide.
The creature gurgled a groan before tottering forward. Anakin hastily backpedaled before tripping on a low root and landing on his rear. The terentatek fell toward him and he rolled desperately to the right. Finally, the monster crashed to the ground, barely missing Anakin's comparatively frail body.
The young man let out an exhausted, yet relieved groan before getting back up again. Obi-Wan sighed and allowed his head to fall against the ground. The exciting part over, he was really starting to feel the weight on his legs and back.
Anakin looked over and his eyes widened. "Master!" he cried. He ran over and grabbed the edge of the gigantic piece of bark before trying to lift it, straining with his knees. "It's too heavy," Anakin wheezed as he carefully released it.
"Use the Force," Obi-Wan replied flatly.
"It's huge," the padawan protested. Obi-Wan heard a groan from the direction of their quarry, who was still trapped in the monster's severed talons.
"The size of the object doesn't matter to the Force, Anakin!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, trying to ignore what sounded like the woman's critique of his training, "you should know that by now. Hurry up and get this off me. The longer we're here, the more likely another predator will sniff us out."
Anakin sighed and backed up a few steps. He put one arm out in front of him, toward the bark, and exhaled. Obi-Wan felt the weight of the bark begin to lift off his back, slowly. He groaned when the slab began to tilt backward, putting more pressure on his knees.
"Steady," he warned his apprentice through clenched teeth, "I don't want you amputating my legs with that thing." Anakin nodded and put the other arm out, attempting to straighten the slab. Obi-Wan could feel by the shift in weight that he was doing alright, if not working at an aggravatingly slow pace. He wasn't about to complain, however; the last thing he wanted was for Anakin to lose his focus and drop it on him again.
Once he had the room, Obi-Wan crawled his way out from under the slab of bark. After waiting for his master to get clear of it, Anakin allowed it to fall back in the moss with a muffled thump. Obi-Wan sighed and got back to his feet, trying to brush the twigs and mud off his beige tunic and pants. The mud stubbornly remained, so he gave up on it and chose instead to massage his sore thigh.
"Good," he breathed, "very good, Anakin."
"I'd say that was more than 'good'," the padawan replied, grinning cheekily as he looked over his enormous kill, "I mean, it's not every day a padawan manages to take down a terentatek."
"Indeed," Obi-Wan agreed, narrowing his eyes at his cocky attitude. "I can only imagine how terrible it would've been if the beast were fully grown."
Anakin's eyes widened instantly and he looked over at his master. "They get bigger?"
Obi-Wan smiled at him. "Much bigger. I think it's best we leave the Shadowlands before we run into one."
Anakin nodded emphatically and approached the woman, who was still struggling to free herself from the clenched fist of the deceased monster. He knelt down to pry the stiff fingers off of her and she crawled free before turning to glare at them. Obi-Wan lifted the vibrostaff off the ground with his toe and kicked it up to catch it in his hand.
"I suggest you surrender now," he said.
"To what end?" she replied, "I know you seek Lord Maul, and that you think that I'll tell you where to find him. I won't. I have no information for the Jedi."
"I'm more interested in why Maul would send a lackey to Kashyyyk," Anakin muttered, holding his saber out as if ready to ignite it again should she try to run.
"We'll save that discussion for after we've returned to Coruscant," Obi-Wan stated. He looked at Anakin and gestured toward her with his head. The padawan pulled binders off his belt and secured them on her wrists before pulling her to her feet. Obi-Wan's brow creased when he saw a growing splotch of blood on Anakin's brown sleeve.
"You're hurt," he noted aloud.
Anakin looked, tugging on his sleeve as he did. "Oh, yeah," he murmured, surprised, but not very concerned, "looks like it's just a scratch."
"Was it one of the spines?" his master asked urgently, "how do you feel?"
"Fine," Anakin replied dismissively, "I didn't even feel it."
The woman grinned sadistically. "The terentatek's venom will change that soon enough," she cooed, "you'll be begging me to kill you."
Anakin rolled his eyes.
"We'll get it looked at when we return to the village," Obi-Wan told him, "I'm sure the Wookies have worked out an antidote for their hunters." He gestured toward their catch. "Let's get going."
Anakin nodded and pushed her after his master as he began walking away. "You're wasting the little time you have left," the woman grumbled at them, "like I said, I have nothing to tell you. Not even torture would force me to give up my lord, but I know you Jedi would never resort to that."
"We have other methods," Anakin replied.
"Oh, I'm sure you do. It doesn't matter what you try; even if you somehow managed to get Lord Maul's location from me, it'd be too late for the Republic. You have no idea what's coming for you."
"That's enough out of you," Obi-Wan muttered.
"Your Order and the Republic are in its last days, Jedi. Capturing me doesn't change that," the woman continued.
"The Separatists are gone and Darth Maul is on the run," Anakin retorted, "even a Sith Lord can't kill off the entire Jedi Order alone."
Obi-Wan sighed. "Ignore her, Anakin."
The woman laughed. "Ah, so you're Anakin Skywalker," she breathed, "I've heard of you."
Obi-Wan stopped briefly to glance back at her, but decided against responding. It was obvious she was trying to get a rise out of them. Anakin, however, didn't make the same decision.
"How?" he asked.
"Oh, you'll find out some day," the woman replied, grinning, "the Sith have been watching you closely."
"If you're not going to tell us, why mention it?" Anakin demanded, a little anger leaking into his voice, "do you think you can scare me?"
"Anakin," Obi-Wan muttered.
"You sound pretty scared right now," the woman went on.
"Please, Anakin, just ignore her." He stopped when he heard a quiet thump, before a louder one as something fell in the moss behind him. He sighed and turned around to see the woman lying unconscious in the moss at Anakin's feet. He raised an eyebrow at his apprentice, who shrugged. "Was that really necessary?" he asked flatly.
"I know what she was going to say next: 'the Jedi are doomed' or 'the Sith are going to rule the galaxy once more'," Anakin replied in an exasperated tone, "they all say that. I thought it'd be
better if she just took a little nap." He looked down at her and folded his arms. "But how would she know my name?"
"We haven't exactly been discreet in hunting her compatriots," Obi-Wan reminded him. "I'm sure she knows mine as well."
"But she said the Sith are watching me."
"Unless Maul is a complete fool—and I'm sure he's not—he's watching all of us. We're his enemies. It's in his best interests to keep tabs on as many Jedi as he can, especially those he's encountered already, like you and me. She was just taunting you by pointing it out," he turned to look at his ward, adding, "and you fell for it."
Anakin let out a sigh, folding his arms while he returned Obi-Wan's gaze. "I was only being cautious," he insisted, "it was the first time any of them mentioned me by name, and I had to know it wasn't a threat."
Obi-Wan nodded, smiling a little, and turned back around to look the way they'd come, plotting out the course back to the lift that'd take them to the forest canopy. "I'm sure it was a threat," he mused, "and I'm sure we'll receive plenty more before our work is done. Try not to let it bother you."
"You know what I meant," Anakin grumbled, looking over to frown at their unconscious prisoner.
"We'll want to get back to the Wookie village before nightfall," the Jedi Master went on, ignoring the protest. He smiled and looked back at him. "And since you're the one who put her to bed, you get to be the one to carry her."
Anakin nodded slowly. "Right…I didn't think about that," he murmured.
"Just try to keep up." Obi-Wan pulled the comlink off his belt and rose it to his face to speak into it, "Artoo, we're heading back." The droid replied with a curious series of beeps. "Yes, and we have a guest," Obi-Wan replied, "prepare a pod for her. We don't want any surprises on our way back." After an affirmative boop from Artoo, the channel cut out. Obi-Wan glanced back to see Anakin hoisting the unconscious woman onto his shoulders. Once the padawan nodded at him, he continued onward.
...
Senator Padmé Amidala sat on the short sofa in her temporary living quarters, which had been prepared before her arrival on Coruscant. Try as she might, she couldn't think of anything other than the latest assassinations. She'd looked over the reports and there didn't seem to be any flaws in the victims' security, yet it was always for nothing. So many bodyguards had died along with those they were meant to protect. There were even instances of innocent bystanders being pulled into the violence. Whoever the killer was, he didn't seem to care about collateral damage.
She knew calling all the senators back to Coruscant was the only course of action left to Chancellor Palpatine in the meantime, but she wished she could have stayed on Naboo. She and the queen had already made many preparations to identify and capture the assassin, should he or she come for her next. There, she'd had the home advantage. Coruscant wasn't unfamiliar to her, but she hardly knew it as well as her native planet. She was entirely in the Coruscant Security Force's hands and, although she had no reason to doubt them, they simply weren't her first choice.
Sabé entered the room after a quick knock to signal who she was. Of the handmaidens she'd had with her while serving as the queen of Naboo, Sabé and Fé were the only ones who'd stayed by her side when she began her run for the Senate. Others had been assigned to her, at Captain Panaka's direction, but after all the time they'd spent together, Sabé was more like a sister than a bodyguard to her. The others performed their duties well, but she was the only one she trusted to be in her chamber as she slept, while Fé often helped her escorts plan security measures.
Like Padmé, Sabé wore her hair in a braided bun with a silver clasp in the center. They were dressed similarly in simple, yet elegant maroon dresses with silver chain belts and navy-blue slippers.
"I haven't heard reports of any suspicious activity yet," Sabé stated, her stance beginning to relax visibly in the comfort of their private surroundings, "and the others have finished moving your things from the ship."
"Thank you," Padmé replied.
Sabé folded her hands and sighed. "But there's been another assassination," she continued, "the senator from Balmorra, Senator Serias. His ship was destroyed before it even left the system." She shook her head slowly. "Whoever this assassin is, he must be well-funded to take down a Balmorran cruiser."
Padmé nodded. "He'd have to be in order to kill senators so effectively," she replied. She looked toward the window. Through it, she could see the natural light beginning to die down, only to be replaced by the bright artificial lights of innumerable billboards and airspeeders in every color imaginable. It was natural to assume the Republic's capital would be the safest place for the senators to take shelter, but with all the hustle and bustle of the average Coruscanti day, an assassin could easily sidle up close to them without being noticed. She shook her head. "I hope Chancellor Palpatine has a plan to apprehend him; it won't do us any good to stay on the defensive like this."
"We'll keep you safe, Senator," Sabé assured her, "you don't need to worry anymore."
"I know you will," Padmé replied, smiling, "but I'm not just worried about me. The assassin could be gunning for any of the other senators. If I had more at my disposal, like I did on Naboo, I'd at least be able to set a trap for him. To keep him from killing anyone else."
"Perhaps the chancellor would be open to setting a trap if more of the senators were willing to help with it," Sabé suggested.
Padmé nodded. "I'll see if I can't meet with him in the morning," she muttered, moving over to the mirror mounted on the far wall. She pulled the silver pin out of her bun and the braid fell down against her back. "For now, we should all get some rest. It's been a long day."
"I'll prepare your bed, Senator," Sabé stated before making her way to the door that would lead to Padmé's bedroom. Padmé watched her leave via the mirror on the wall and let out a long, weary sigh once she was gone. She quickly moved over to one of the sturdy suitcases by the door to the hallway and opened the topmost pocket to pull out a small holdout blaster. Although she wasn't yet certain enough to bring her idea before the chancellor, she'd started thinking of the assassin's pattern.
His targets couldn't have been random, she knew that much. Her suspicions had led her to think on a broader scale than many of the investigators had bothered. Unfortunately, with a lack of evidence to support it, her theory was an educated guess at best. Contrary to prevailing opinions, Padmé wasn't convinced the Republic had seen the last of the Separatist Movement. The Senate had been so quick to assume the revolution's defeat during the Invasion of Naboo would see the end of it. Yes, the Jedi had taken time to address the remnants of the movement, but they'd never captured its upper leadership.
There was General Aderonn's colonel, a Zabrak woman she'd forgotten the name of several years ago. She had been fiercely loyal to him and wouldn't let his efforts die so easily. She was a threat, certainly, but there was a far more worrisome threat most of the Senate chose to dismiss as hearsay: the threat posed by the mysterious dark Jedi that'd killed Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn on Naboo. Darth Maul. She wouldn't forget that name as long as he was free to roam the galaxy. With him on the loose, the Republic couldn't afford to assume anything about the Separatists.
What Padmé had discovered was a connection between each of the slain senators. It was a connection that went back all those ten years, to when she'd first come to Coruscant and appealed to the Senate for aid in fighting the Separatist invaders. Each of the senators that'd been killed had represented systems that once stood by her side. Their support hadn't succeeded, but for a fourteen-year-old girl suddenly put into the difficult position of arguing before the Galactic Senate, their votes had meant so much to her. She wouldn't have forgotten their names either. If she was right, she was one of the last people on the assassin's list of targets.
Unfortunately, as long as the Senate's stance was to believe the Separatist Movement defeated, they wouldn't even consider that it might have remnants, or that those remnants could be responsible for the assassinations. Even suggesting it would bring backlash; the implications of it would frighten the senators, and she'd seen too many frightened senators lash out at the messenger. No, it was a theory she'd need to keep to herself, at least until she had some sort of proof.
Padmé fell forward against the wall when a loud boom shook the apartment behind her. She struck her head on its surface and winced at the sting, but managed to glance back in time to avoid being hit by a piece of shrapnel that chipped the wall beside her head. More debris pelted the floor around her and in every direction. She squinted through the rising dust and saw the door to her bed chamber blown inward, its remains reduced to the scrap that littered the apartment's floor.
The senator leapt to her feet and hurried to the edge of the gaping hole, her blaster at the ready. The bodyguards that'd come with her from Naboo entered the room only a few seconds after the explosion. They rushed to her side and pointed their blaster rifles toward the opening, though the dust and dying light made it difficult to discern anything. Padmé squinted again when she spotted the smallest of gaps in the wall of smoke before them. Through it she saw a reflection of neon green light from a nearby billboard. It glinted off the polished metal armor of the man standing on a ledge only a few meters from what had once been her bedroom window. She raised the holdout pistol and fired, but narrowly missed. The glow of a rocket pack set off behind the man and he rose into the air. Soon, he'd managed to disappear around the corner of the skyscraper across the way.
"Blast," she cursed.
"Did you see him, Senator?" one of her bodyguards asked, still peering down the sight of his rifle.
"Yes, but he was wearing a helmet. I couldn't see his face." Padmé carefully stepped over the rubble that'd been the bedroom wall.
"Wait," the guard exclaimed. He glanced toward the others. "Quick, get the senator out of here."
"Not yet!" Padmé snapped. She carefully made her way toward the far wall, which had been covered in soot by the explosion. There she found Sabé dead, draped over one of her suitcases. She fought back the tears that threatened to gather in her eyes and snapped them shut. She knew it was Sabé's job to divert the enemy's attention from her, but in this case, it'd worked too well.
They'd been careless amidst the false security of the Republic's capital. She wished she'd taken more time to look over the defenses the chancellor had prepared for her. She should have had someone watching the outside, not just the building's interior. It was foolish to think the assassin would need to enter the building to kill her. Perhaps if they'd learned of Senator Serias's fate earlier, they might've been wiser. No assassin capable of destroying a Balmorran cruiser would be deterred by a mere apartment wall.
"Please, Senator," the bodyguard beside her begged, "we need to get you to safety."
Padmé nodded. "Take me to Chancellor Palpatine," she ordered, "I need to speak to him immediately."
...
Anakin followed Obi-Wan to the turbolift on the eastern side of the apartment structure just beside the Senate building. He'd informed him that they'd been summoned by the Supreme Chancellor for protection duty, a request that seemed unorthodox to him. With security officers in abundance, bringing two Jedi in on the matter seemed excessive. That, and they'd only returned from Kashyyyk the day before. A little downtime would've been nice.
As they walked, he glanced over at his master, who'd deftly avoided answering most of his questions with real answers. Perhaps there was going to be a briefing and he didn't want to spoil it, or he simply wanted him to be surprised. Obi-Wan did enjoy his games, every now and again. The Jedi Master had somehow maintained the light-hearted sense of humor he'd had when they first met ten years before, despite his growing responsibilities.
In fact, few things had changed about him, aside from his title and the well-groomed auburn beard that decorated his face. He'd been a good teacher, and Anakin had always thought of himself as a good apprentice. He'd learned just about everything the man had to teach him, with the exception of the crafty mind trick he so often chose to use instead of his lightsaber. Although he knew why a Jedi might be inclined to use it, Anakin had always preferred a more direct and, as he called it, "honest" approach.
Obi-Wan led him into the lift and turned about to face the door while Anakin came to stand beside him. He moved slightly to the left to allow Artoo to come in after them, then pressed a button on the control console.
"Master," Anakin began once the turbolift door had slid shut.
"Yes?"
"Are you sure they really need Jedi for this?"
Obi-Wan turned his head to look at him. "Seeing as our business is protecting people, it seems we're exactly the people they need," he replied.
"Well, I know that, but we've been protecting people this whole time by hunting down servants of the Dark Side, and we're a lot more than glorified bodyguards," Anakin argued, "I mean, we really should be doing that now. Coruscant Security can handle guard duty, but they wouldn't stand a chance against a Sith Lord."
"Protecting the senator is a more immediate concern," Obi-Wan explained, shrugging, "besides, we're not the only Jedi hunting Maul. I understand your eagerness to bring him to justice, and I share it, but a life is in danger and that takes precedence."
"You didn't tell me we were guarding a senator."
"Does that make a difference to you? We're supposed to protect citizens of the Republic equally, regardless of their title."
Anakin nodded. "That's why it's a problem, Master," he insisted, "I mean, the chancellor would never pull us away from our duties to protect a moisture farmer, but for a senator the rules change?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "You sound like Master Windu," he mused, "but you don't need to worry about that, Anakin. Master Yoda wouldn't have agreed to send us if he thought we weren't really needed. My guess is that whatever's threatening the senator's life is too much for Coruscant Security to handle on its own."
Anakin sighed. "You're right…of course."
Obi-Wan smiled at him. "It's intelligent of you to question things when they don't seem right, but you can trust the Jedi Council to act wisely," he said. They both looked to the door when it slid open. "Here we are."
Anakin let his master step out ahead of him, then took up his position beside him as they proceeded swiftly down the hallway to the chancellor's apartments. There were four guards posted outside, as opposed to the usual two, and all were dressed in uniforms, though not the uniforms of Coruscant Security. They looked familiar, but he'd been to too many planets and seen too many uniforms to place it on sight.
Anakin had seen the chancellor's living space a few times before, when his master had been summoned for special assignments, such as the one they were currently undertaking, but he still managed to be surprised each time. He was, of course, accustomed to the humble accommodations and dull beige and gray color scheme of the Jedi Temple.
The chancellor's parlor, however, was decorated in rich blues and reds with pitch black accents. There was a set of shelves built into the wall on one side that displayed volumes that dated back to an ancient time, when words were still printed on collections of thin sheets of dried, flattened plant fibers, paper books. There were several crystal flasks on a shelf next to it, no doubt containing expensive liquors. Various antique tapestries adorned the walls, as well as one artistically-rendered map of the known galaxy.
Chancellor Palpatine turned away from the woman he'd been talking to in order to face them after they entered the room. Anakin didn't know who she was, but she was beautiful. More beautiful than any of the overly-decorated ladies he'd seen in the presence of other politicians. He realized he'd halted in his tracks when Artoo slowly whirred past him. He wished he had a mirror to check if his robes were still muddy from the forest.
The women's long, dark hair was arranged in a braid down her back and her mahogany-colored dress was elegant, yet simple in design. It was a sort of simplicity one didn't see often in upper-class Coruscanti society. Anakin didn't know which of her many qualities drew him in the most, but the only word he could think of to describe her as a whole was "angelic", not that he planned to say it out loud.
When he realized his gaze was lingering, Anakin forced his eyes off of her and tried to focus his attention on the chancellor instead. Obi-Wan advanced to greet him with a bow.
"I'm glad you got here so quickly, Master Kenobi," Palpatine stated, bowing his head in return, "I know you and your padawan must be busy, but I'm afraid we have an emergency on our hands."
"It's no trouble at all, Chancellor," Obi-Wan replied.
Palpatine gestured toward the woman beside him with one arm. "I'm sure you must remember Senator Amidala," he said.
Anakin tried not to show his surprise at hearing her name, but wasn't sure if he'd succeeded. It'd been ten years since he last saw Padmé, but he never forgot her name. He hadn't thought he would forget her face, but even then it was difficult to remember what she looked like the last time they were in the same space, back when they were both young adolescents. All he could see in his mind's eye was the stunning beauty that stood before him.
Obi-Wan smiled at her. "Of course."
"Good, good." Palpatine turned to the senator. "I thought you might feel most at ease in the care of someone you already know and trust," he said.
"Thank you, Chancellor," she replied.
"Now, then," Palpatine continued, "I've had another apartment prepared for you two floors up. I've trusted only my most loyal people with this knowledge, so I doubt this assassin will find you again. I hope you can rest easily knowing that."
"It helps, but I'm sure having Master Kenobi around will do the trick," Padmé assured him with a slight smile.
"Then I made the right choice," the chancellor concluded with a grin.
"Why don't we head there now, Senator?" Obi-Wan suggested, "you must be exhausted."
Padmé nodded. "Yes, and I'd like a few minutes to discuss the security arrangements with you, if you don't mind."
"Not at all," Obi-Wan replied.
Padmé turned to nod at Palpatine. "Thank you again, Chancellor," she said.
He nodded back. "Sleep well, my dear."
Padmé followed Obi-Wan out into the hallway with Anakin close behind her. The quiet whirr of Artoo's tracks trailed after them. They quickly proceeded into the lift and Anakin pressed a button on the console, sending it upward.
"Thank you for coming, Obi-Wan," Padmé said once the door had slid closed.
"When I heard it was you the chancellor wanted us to guard, how could I say no?" the Jedi replied, smiling fondly.
Anakin glared at him from the other side of the elevator. "You knew?" he asked incredulously.
"I'm surprised you didn't," his master replied lightly, "I mean, after the way you wouldn't stop talking about her when we left Naboo, I thought you'd at least recognize her."
Anakin felt warmth in his cheeks and knew he was blushing visibly. As much as he wanted to vehemently deny the boyish obsession he'd had with the girl long ago, he knew that would only make him sound more immature. He was sure Obi-Wan knew that, which explained the grin on his face. Damn him!
Padmé turned to look at him, then her eyes widened. "Wait…Anakin?" she asked.
Anakin tried to hide how embarrassed he was with a friendly, but unconcerned smile. "It's…good to see you again, Padmé," he replied.
The senator laughed quietly. "To be fair, I didn't recognize you either," she said, "I remember having to look down at you. Now you're even taller than Obi-Wan is."
"I don't think anyone saw that coming," the Jedi master commented amusedly.
"I guess that's one thing that's different," Anakin agreed. He quietly cleared his throat, wracking his brain for a good response. One befitting of a woman of her stature. "Another is how beautiful you've become," he added. The smile on Padmé's face grew, but he could have sworn there was pity hidden in it. That sounded so clumsy! That, and he was standing within smacking distance of his master. He was a Jedi. There were rules for Jedi. "I mean…well, you're a true lady, now." He winced a little, his mind insisting that he just stop talking.
Padmé's smile grew and it was apparent she was trying not to laugh at him, which made it so much worse. "Thank you, Anakin."
The padawan took a furtive glance across the lift to see Obi-Wan wasn't looking at either of them, an unrevealing smile on his face as he watched the floor indicator. Anakin looked away again, miffed that his master was enjoying himself too much to intervene.
The lift stopped and the door slid open for them. Once again, Obi-Wan took the lead while Anakin and the droid brought up the rear. After turning the corner, they saw two well-dressed aliens waiting in front of an unmarked door. One was a male, a Chagrian with two pudgy blue tails trailing down from the sides of his head. The other was a female Nikto of the red-scaled subspecies. Although they didn't look like assassins, Anakin kept on his guard, ready to snatch his lightsaber from his belt at a moment's notice. The Chagrian bowed his head when they drew nearer, to his relief.
"Master Jedi," the alien greeted Obi-Wan in an unexpectedly deep voice. He turned his head to look at Padmé. "And Senator Amidala, I presume." Obi-Wan and Padmé returned his gesture.
"And you're Vice Chair Amedda," the senator replied, "I recognize you from the Senate floor."
"I'm told I can be quite memorable," the Chagrian stated nonchalantly. He gestured toward the door. "These are your new accommodations, for now," he said, "the chancellor mentioned finding a more permanent location."
"A good idea, but we will have time to discuss that later," Obi-Wan interjected, "the senator's had a rough day."
"Of course," Amedda replied. He gestured toward the Nikto with a slight tilt of his head. "Dy Fosk and I are the only people who know you're staying here, aside from the chancellor's servant, Dimo. He is inside, preparing the space for your use. You don't have to worry about him telling anyone; he's very loyal."
Padmé nodded. "I don't doubt that. If Chancellor Palpatine trusts you, so can I."
"In that case, we are done here," Amedda stated. He nodded at his companion, who must have been Fosk. The Nikto passed them to head back down the hallway. Amedda started after her, but paused to add, "sleep well, Senator."
Padmé watched them briefly before proceeding inside with the two Jedi close behind her. The small central room was sparsely furnished, no doubt a result of its hasty preparation. There was, at least, a plush sofa in the center in front of a long coffee table with a holoprojector on its surface. A small collection of bags sat against the wall beside the door. Anakin noticed what looked like soot or burn marks on some of them and wondered what sort of excitement he and Obi-Wan had missed. Dimo, a male Bith, emerged from the adjacent room, the bedroom, and bowed to greet them.
"Thank you, Dimo," Padmé said, "you've done a wonderful job. You may go now." The Bith bowed again before leaving. Padmé sighed and turned around to face Obi-Wan. "Now, about the security arrangements," she began.
"Right," Obi-Wan replied. He gestured toward the droid. "We brought sensors equipped with motion detectors, which Artoo will monitor. I plan to set them up on every wall, and outside the windows so Artoo can have a view of all surfaces inside and outside of the apartment. We haven't had the time to organize anything more extensive, but with me and Anakin present and awake, it should be enough for at least one night. In the morning, I hope to arrange for some small turrets that can respond to the detectors once Artoo has identified any threats, although I'm wary about making it too obvious that you're here."
Padmé nodded. "I agree."
Obi-Wan continued, "to that end, your Nabooian bodyguards have been sent to be re-outfitted in order to pass as civilians,"
"That's a wise idea," Padmé agreed, "I also think it would be suspicious to have them clustered nearby. Perhaps we can have them guard this floor, in separate locations."
"Absolutely," Obi-Wan replied, "I'll be sure to provide them with an uplink to Artoo's scanners."
Padmé smiled humorlessly. "I'm sorry this was so last minute. Honestly, this was more than I expected."
"We wouldn't dream of coming unprepared," the Jedi Master assured her. He turned to Artoo and the droid opened the cavity in its center to reveal the set of small devices he'd been carrying inside. Obi-Wan took most of them, then gestured toward the door. "Set the rest of them up in the hall." The droid beeped affirmatively and rolled out the door. Obi-Wan turned to his apprentice. "Stay here with her. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Yes, Master," Anakin replied before watching his master disappear into the next room.
Padmé sighed and sat down on the long sofa in the center of the room. Anakin eyed the seat next to her, but decided against it. Instead, he turned his back to her to look out the window at the orderly Coruscant traffic just outside. Even late at night, there were thousands of airspeeders rushing past. He reached toward the console on the window frame to make sure the view had been set to one way. Satisfied no one would be spying on the senator, he turned around again to see she was watching him. He cleared his throat.
"Just making sure no one can see through," he murmured. She nodded, then looked down at her lap. He remained by the window and placed his hand over the healing wound on his arm as he tried to think of something to say to her. He was no stranger to life-threatening situations, but he'd never had an assassin after him before. In fact, he was usually the one doing the hunting. He didn't know what it was like to be the prey, and that left him with nothing honest and comforting to say. He cleared his throat again and turned his head back toward the window.
...
C-3PO quickly tottered his way toward Senator Amidala's new accommodations. He'd honestly believed all this excitement was long behind him, but it appeared his mistress somehow attracted danger. Were he outfitted for combat, he'd feel right at home, he was sure. But he was an interpreter. He had no business being caught up in violence and intrigue. He shook his head as he made his way around the corner. "Dear, oh dear," he muttered to himself, "I honestly don't know why I left the palace."
He stopped when he saw the door to the apartment open several meters ahead of him. He clumsily backpedaled against the wall behind him. It was the end for him. The assassin would blast him to bits without thinking twice. He was only a droid, after all.
"You!" he exclaimed when he saw who was exiting the senator's chambers. R2-D2, the troublesome astromech droid that'd left such an unnerving splotch in his memory banks ten years ago swiveled his dome to look at him. He beeped excitedly.
"No, no, we don't know each other," 3PO insisted, starting toward him, "anyway, you shouldn't be here. This area is reserved for private use." R2 questioned him with a high-pitched whirr. "Well…yes, alright, it's me. But that doesn't matter; you should leave now."
The droid turned to face the wall beside the door and extended its spindly arm to attach something to it. "What do you think you're doing?" He paused to let out a gasp. "You're the assassin, aren't you!? You're placing charges outside the apartment!" The astromech snorted derisively at him. His dome swiveled back around to look at him through its lens and he tweeted his response. "What 'official business'?" 3PO demanded, "what are you talking about?" R2 whistled happily. "Curse my luck. Of course you'd be here, just when everything starts to pick up again."
He started toward the door. "Just make sure you stay out of my way. I have official business too, I'll have you know." When the astromech questioned him again, he turned to face him. "No, we are not friends!" R2's sad reply did little to persuade him otherwise. "Well, what do you expect? The last time I saw you, you and your comrade nearly got me scrapped! I don't want you dragging me into any more dangerous situations."
3PO avoided looking at the droid as he entered the senator's new apartment. He was pleased to see her unharmed, seated on the sofa. Toward the back of the room was the Jedi guardian the astromech had mentioned. He seemed a little young, but it was hardly his business to question the senator's choice in bodyguards.
"Mistress, I'm so glad to see you well," he greeted her happily. He stopped halfway between the door and the sofa to give a shallow bow despite his restrictively simple joints. "And you as well, Master Jedi. It's so good of you to protect my mistress."
The Jedi made a peculiar face at him, but he wasn't sure what to make of it; human expressions were difficult to read. He hoped, at least, it wasn't something bad. But how could it be, after how polite he'd been? Senator Amidala got up from her place on the sofa and came to meet him.
"Did you make sure you weren't followed?" she asked.
"Of course, Mistress," 3PO replied proudly, "but it's only fair that I warn you I'm not suited for sneaking around."
"I don't expect you to be," the senator assured him. She reached into her sleeve and produced a small datastick, which she held out to him. "I want you to take this message to the private comm. terminal in the Senate rotunda and transmit it to the palace in Theed. Make sure it reaches Captain Panaka's personal comm. I don't want anyone else getting a hold of it."
3PO bowed again. "I'll do my best, Mistress, but I hope you don't expect anyone to try taking it from me. I'm afraid I wouldn't be of much use in a fight."
"As long as you keep your mouth shut out there, no one will suspect a thing," she assured him, "that's why I'm sending you. Do you understand now?"
"Oh, yes! A clever plan, indeed." 3PO took the drive from her. "How else may I serve you?"
"This will do for now. As before, make sure no one follows you back here. That includes other droids."
"Of course, Mistress." He bowed a third time, but stopped before leaving. "Mistress, does that include the troublemaker outside? He claimed to be associated with the Jedi, but I believe he's long overdue for a memory wipe. Droids of his model can become very strong-willed and, well, annoying if they're left without maintenance for too long."
"He's fine," the senator replied, "he's helping us with the security arrangements."
"Very well, Mistress. I'll deliver your message and return as soon as I can." Senator Amidala nodded her consent and he turned to leave. It seemed a simple enough errand, but spy work was hardly within his skill set. Perhaps the man who'd tried to kill the senator planned to try again. It was the only explanation he could think of, but he still hoped he was wrong. Such a brute would have no trouble swiping the senator's message from him. 3PO couldn't bear the thought of failing her so miserably.
...
Padmé clasped her hands together and nodded to herself once the protocol droid had left the room with her message. She had to tell the queen what'd happened, but she couldn't afford to use the comm. in her apartment; there was no telling who might've been monitoring it. The terminal in the rotunda was supposed to be safe, and reserved solely for the use of the senators. Even if someone had sliced into it, they wouldn't be able to trace the message back to her location. She turned around to face Anakin and smiled.
"Sorry about that," she said, "Threepio can be talkative."
Anakin grinned back. "I swear I've seen that droid before," he said.
"We found it wandering around the palace after the invasion," she explained, shrugging, "he claimed his mistress had been killed and despite his personality flaws, he has an impressive store of languages and is very loyal. I decided he'd be worth keeping."
Anakin laughed. "Oh, he's that droid."
"What do you mean?"
He shrugged and stepped away from the window. "It's a long story."
Padmé smiled again, then stared down at her clasped hands. She honestly hadn't expected to see Anakin again, and she wasn't sure what to make of him anymore. So much had changed about him. The tall young man dressed in dark brown Jedi robes standing before her looked nothing like the boy she remembered, but she could still see him in his caring blue eyes. She'd always been able to tell he carried a sweet fondness for her when they were younger. It was a feeling she couldn't return then. He'd seemed too simple and juvenile. But seeing him grown and dressed in the robes of the Jedi Order, she wasn't so sure anymore. It was a realization that left her wondering how she should behave toward him.
But she couldn't afford to think too much on it. There were greater concerns that required her attention, most obviously the threat posed by the assassin. And yet, there was a small part of her that wished they could have met again under less dire circumstances. It was the part of her that felt more like the young woman she was than the senator she'd worked so hard to become. And Anakin wasn't just a young man. He was a Jedi. Like her, he had duties to focus on, duties that forced him to set his own wants aside.
Padmé realized quickly how foolish she was for letting her thoughts wander to such trivial things. It was unlike her. Perhaps she was more in need of sleep than her body had let on.
"If the assassin comes for me again tonight, what do you and Obi-Wan plan to do?" she asked, forcing herself to focus.
Anakin's brow furrowed. "Stop him, of course," he replied, almost seeming amused by the question.
Padmé put on a half-smile and sat down again. "That's not what I meant," she muttered, "I mean what do you plan to do with him?"
Anakin walked over to the sofa and leaned against the arm. "It sounds to me like you have a preference." He grinned. "You know, as much as we might want to, it's against the Jedi way to hurt him unnecessarily."
Padmé made a show of rolling her eyes. "I'm not saying the thought hasn't crossed my mind, but that's not what I was getting at." She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "The chancellor brought you here to protect me, but I don't think protecting me is what we should be focusing on." She shook her head. "I've been thinking about the assassin's patterns and I don't think I'm the last one on his list. I don't want to just stop him from killing me; I want to stop him from killing anyone else."
"If we get the chance to capture him, we're definitely going to take it," Anakin assured her.
"But that's just it," Padmé replied quietly, "you'll only get that chance if he comes back. He won't come to kill me if he doesn't know where I am."
Anakin arched an eyebrow. "I don't like where this is going."
"I'm not saying we should make it easy for him, but we need to draw him out somehow."
"If you're saying you want to bait him, there's no way we could get Obi-Wan on board. And as much as I'd like to kill the assassin, it's my job to protect you, not deliberately put you in more danger."
Padmé leaned forward again. "If the assassin can't get to me, he might move on to the next senator on the list. I can't let that happen if I know I can stop it."
Anakin shook his head incredulously. "So you think it's a good idea to throw yourself out in front of him?"
"My life is already in danger," Padmé reminded him. She looked over at her dirtied luggage. "I have my suspicions about who he might be targeting next, but I'm the only person we're absolutely sure the assassin wants to kill. That gives us an advantage we never had before. Investigators have been trying to find him all this time, but now we can make him come to us. Then, we can use him to find his employer."
Anakin glanced back at the door Obi-Wan had disappeared into, then raised an eyebrow at her. "If this is going to work, we'll have to keep it between us," he said quietly.
"We just need to explain it to him," Padmé whispered back, "the Obi-Wan I remember would want to stop him just as much as we do."
Anakin grinned impishly. "I don't know about that," he replied, "he's pretty responsible now that he's a Jedi Master."
Padmé returned the grin. "There might be some irresponsibility left in him. I think it'd be unwise to keep him in the dark."
Anakin shrugged. "I think this whole idea is unwise," he paused and tilted his head, "but it still needs to be done. I guess we'll find out how responsible Master Kenobi is."
"Sharing secrets, are we?"
Padmé and Anakin quickly turned to see Obi-Wan emerging from the next room. He smiled and clasped his hands behind his back, giving Anakin a questioning look.
"I could have sworn I heard my name," he continued.
"We were just catching up," Anakin lied. Padmé gave him a quick glance of disapproval.
"Right," Obi-Wan replied. She couldn't tell if he suspected Anakin of being dishonest, but he was at least smiling. "Well, the sensors are in place. I'm sure you two will have time to chat tomorrow. For now, I suggest you try to get some sleep, Senator."
Padmé nodded emphatically. "I won't argue with that," she replied, glancing at Anakin again. "But we really should talk more about this later."
"We will," he assured her.
Padmé turned her back to the two Jedi and retreated into her room. After the door slid closed, she walked over to the large bed and let herself fall into it back-first. She'd been wondering if she'd have trouble sleeping after the excitement of that evening, but once her muscles had relaxed her eyelids quickly grew heavy. She forced herself back onto her feet and retrieved her nightgown from the closet.