Hello everyone! I'm back, finally. My job just changed my schedule so it would take me one week more to get used to it but eventually, I'll return to the weekly update. For now, luckily this chapter was short so I managed to finish it quickly. In this chapter we'll see what's going on on Naboo, I hope you like it!

Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites, and alerts. You're the best!

Enjoy!

Chapter 8

The Clones in Naboo

Days in the sun will return
We must believe as others do
That days in the sun
Will come shinning through

Not even Queen Kamila was able to remain calm, not when an entire clone's battalion was in front of her in the Throne Room.

"Excuse me, let me see if I understood properly," the Queen replied, looking at the battalion's lieutenant. "Do you wish to investigate our planet?"

"We have orders to investigate recent events on this planet," the lieutenant corrected, making his point clear he was not asking permission from her. "Our ship intercepted what apparently is our General's ship, leaving Naboo and returning the planet several times."

"I don't know how that is possible," the Queen continued. "No one here, non the galaxy, knows who's your General, lieutenant."

"That's precisely why we need to know all the details of what happened here."

"Lieutenant, you wouldn't come here just for that, you may have some theories, am I right?"

"Is not of your business, your majesty."

The Queen's face tensed, since she was elected for her charge her most difficult task was to control the Palace's inner corruption. She wasn't used to making this kind of drastic decision, having in front of her people who didn't respect her at all.

"You're in the Throne Room of Naboo," Palo said. "You will address the Queen with more respect."

Kamila looked at Palo discreetly, thanking her ceremonial makeup for hiding her full expressions; until today, Palo had been a pretty regular Palace's Delegate, but seeing him like that, standing for her in this situation, so away from an average conflict, made her look at him with new eyes.

"We are here just for letting the Queen know we will make the investigation," the lieutenant continued with a deep voice.

"You…"

"It's okay, Delegate Palo," Kamila said. "Lieutenant, I will not interfere in your investigation, as long as you work alongside Captain Typho."

The man looked at the Queen reluctant, while the clones stared at each other.

"Negative, we can't allow for a bodyguard to interfere in our ways."

"He won't, captain Typho will be there to help you," Kamila added. "If a ship was able to leave then return to Naboo, then my people are in danger. It would depend on what you find out with the investigation that my captain and I will do what is necessary to protect Naboo."

"You will need to speak about this with my Commander, your majesty."

"It will be done."

Kamilla felt proud of herself when her voice didn't sound as scared as she was, knowing any false move would mean a Star Destroyer over Naboo's orbit willing to attack.

Not even before the Republic Crisis Naboo counted on an army to defend itself. Only guards, police officers, and the necessary soldiers to keep the security protocols around the planet's orbit. And in the last 10 years, the troops enlisted reduced considerably, without borderlines to watch there wasn't much work for them to do.

Queen Kamila, and her entire court, knew they were at the clone's mercy, but they shouldn't know.

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The Commander was as rude as the Lieutenant with the Queen, but Kamilla was getting used to it. After exposing her arguments to him, and assured him she will support the investigation completely, the Commander allowed her collaboration, and both of them created a Commit to research whatever happened in the abandoned house near the Lake Country.

The Commit included the clones, captain Typho, Ruwee Naberrie, and Palo Andalerrie; the last three as representatives from the Palace to assure Naboo's population security, in theory. In the practice, Typho needed to supervise the clones not to disturb the population, Ruwee would make sure all the efforts in finding Padme and Palo would find a way to gain something from the problem.

Queen Kamilla was nervous and utterly stressed, but she hid those emotions under the ceremonial makeup and her huge dresses. The situation was brand new to her and she never lived something familiar that would give her some experience.

During the last moments of the Republic, Queen Apaillana was a brilliant politician who kept Naboo safe from all the galactic problems, winning the love of the people. When the blockade began, Apaillana put a lot of resources to evade it and contact the Core worlds, wishing to help all the citizens trapped in there to go home, and some rumors said she also wanted to create a Rebellion.

Kamilla's campaign always spoke about creating a peaceful government in isolation from the other systems to be in peace. The population was tired and devastated after the Republic fell, so it was easy to earn all the necessary votes. After being elected queen, Kamila received the crown from queen Apaillana, who spoke to her in private:

"If you care for our world just a little, you would know we need to be prepared," Apaillana said. "But it will be the Goddess who will judge you, not me."

The former queen retired to her private house in the mountains, away from the public view.

Once on the throne, Kamila made sure to fulfill all her campaign's promises, managing all Naboo's internal resources to take care of the population so they would feel satisfied, and controlling the corruption to her convenience. In the beginning, many politicians despise, saying that next to Apaillana, she wasn't half-intelligent, wise, or capable. But ten years in isolation made Naboo's regular population obliging, so Kamilla was able to sustain a lot of power thanks to the artificial peace she proclaimed to create.

Queen Kamilla had ruled for ten years in an isolated, pacifical world, without any trouble besides the Palace's corruption or the local bureaucracy. She never attended ambassadors, managed border lines, ensured the planet's safety, discussed business with senators, addressed herself to the trade associations or the Senate… she never had to stand upon people who didn't respect her, upon worlds who didn't trust Naboo, to earn the respect of several foreign politicians and convince people to follow her ways.

She lacked the experience and the manners to make quick decisions in difficult times, and she knew it. She also knew Queen Apaillana was surely available for giving her some advice, but she would rather die before looking for her help, not wanting to give Apaillana the satisfaction of being right. The truth was, Kamilla and her court lacked the necessary skills to lead Naboo in difficult times, too used to the shallow life formed during the blockade.

Now with the clones in Theed, the minor uncertainty, the tiniest mistake, would condemn Naboo. Kamila was sure it wouldn't be under her reign that the people would suffer that kind of disgrace.

Whatever the cost was to keep the planet safe -and her reputation- she would pay it without a blink.

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Darren and Sola were sitting beside Pooja's bed, a nurse checking the vital systems monitoring the child's healthiness.

"Is everything right?" Sola asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Naberrie. Everything is under control."

The nurse left the room and Pooja waved goodbye at her, then put her attention to the chocolate pudding and ate it happily. It wasn't the best, being hospital food, but she was too hungry to complain.

Shortly after Darren and Sola arrived at the hospital, the unconscious child in their arms began to wake. The doctors made all the tests they considered necessary but until now, Pooja seemed to be fine, without any physical injury but, the weirdest thing was, she didn't remember anything.

Pooja's last memory was playing with her sister Ryoo then decided to hide herself in the family's ship, then she woke up confused in a hospital bed seeing her parents about to have a panic crisis.

Sola looked at her daughter closely, why didn't she remember? It didn't make sense. Pooja was young but she had a good memory, something must have happened, and considering the lack of evidence of Padme's situation, Sola assumed there was a connection.

The door opened, Jobal and Ryoo entered the room with big smiles of relief on their faces by seeing Pooja all right, and her tiny mouth covered with chocolate pudding.

"There's my little girl!" Jobal said, running at her granddaughter to hold her. "How's my love? Weren't you scared, darling?"

"Scared of what, nana?" Pooja asked.

"Of the wild space."

"Is it really as cold as they say?" Ryoo asked her baby sister.

Pooja frowned at them, then looked at her parents.

"I don't understand, mom."

"It's okay, sweety," Darren stood beside her daughter, placing one hand on her head. "Just finish your pudding."

"Mom, Pooja doesn't remember anything of her space travel," Sola whispered to Jobal, trying hard for both girls not hearing her. "It's like it never happened."

"What? Did she hit herself in the head?"

"The doctors said she's fine," Sola crossed her arms, seeing her daughters interact.

"It doesn't make sense."

"No, I know it doesn't. Just as Padme not being on the ship when it returned."

Jobal felt her lips tremble at her youngest daughter's name, she cried alone so many times those days and didn't want to break down in front of her granddaughters.

"Have your father found something?" she asked.

"He hasn't spoken to me, and you?"

"No."

At that moment someone knocked on the door, Sola said a quiet "come in" thinking it would be a nurse or her father, but her heart missed a beat when she saw clones entered the room.

"Are you Mrs. Sola Naberrie, mother of the infant Pooja Naberrie?" a clon asked.

Darren stood beside his wife protectively, while Jobal hugged Ryoo and taken Pooja's hand.

Sola's initial fear became anger when she realized the clones dared to stand on Naboo's ground.

"What are you doing here?" Sola said sharply. "What do you want?"

The lieutenant didn't react to the woman's anger, all the clone troops were aware of how much the regular citizens hated them.

"We're here under our Commander's orders to investigate the blackship able to leave and return Naboo hours ago," the lieutenant said. "We have Queen Kamilla's support. We've been told the infant, Pooja Naberrie, was on board of the blackship."

"I won't say a word unless I have my lawyer here," Sola replied.

"We only have some questions, ma'am."

"You're not…"

"It's okay, Sola," Ruwee said, reaching the door. "They won't harm us."

"Dad!"

"Ruwee, what's going on here?"

The Naberrie's patriarch saw his family, then the clones in the room, wondering how his life fell in this spiral so quickly.

"The clones will help us with the investigation, Jobal," he told his wife. standing next to her to pass an arm over her shoulders.

"Really?" Sola didn't seem convinced. "And what do they want in return?"

"Calm down, Sola. We need all the help possible if we want to find your sister, who is still in the deep space."

"We only want to ask some questions, Mrs. Naberrie," the lieutenant said, walking inside the room to Pooja's bed. "Are you Pooja Naberrie?"

The child nodded, holding tight her grandma's hand, Sola stood next to her daughter caressing her hair.

"How old are you?"

"I'm four years old, sir."

"How did you find the ship?"

"I don't know, sir."

"Do you remember being in the blackship?"

"No, sir."

"Do you remember what happened to your aunt on the ship?"

"No."

The lieutenant turned his head to another clon, they all heard the sigh under their masks.

"What's the infant's prognosis?" he asked the mother.

"Doctors said she's fine, just with some amnesia."

"We'll check the clinical history. We'll come back tomorrow for another interview. Rest well."

The clones left, leaving the Naberrie family more concerned than ever. Darren held his daughter tightly and Ryoo sat next to her sister in bed, while Pooja looked worried.

Ruwee couldn't handle it, when he saw that picture in front of him he knew there wasn't any other option. He delayed the inevitable, thinking the problems would solve in no time, but his youngest daughter was still lost no one knew where and the clones in Naboo indicated an even worse danger.

Sighing, Ruwee sent a message to the last frequency he wished for never had to use.

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The next day, the clones returned and made to Pooja the same questions, she replied with the same answers. After that, they interviewed Darren and Sola, who was inside the abandoned house, and after making sure all the versions of the story matched they left the medical facility saying a very cold thank you.

Ruwee had followed closely the investigation, but that afternoon he remained with his family and after the clones left, another man entered the medical facility, reaching Pooja's room without even knocking.

"Sorry for interrupting," he apologized. "Is not my usual me."

"Now what?" Sola asked desperately. "Are you from the Palace, the Police Station? What else do you want from my daughter?"

Pooja was sleeping, so she did her best not to speak out loud.

"Sola, he's an old friend of mine," Ruwee said, looking carefully at the man. "He will help us."

"How old?"

"From another time, miss." the man replied.

"It's a fugitive for the clones, so they could never see him," Ruwee added. "But he took the risk to come here because we have a theory why Pooja doesn't remember anything."

"May I?"

The man pointed to the little girl, Sola looked at her father, and after Ruwee's nod, she allowed the stranger to stand next to her daughter. The man placed one hand upon Pooja's head, while Darren and Sola tangled their hands nervously, but Pooja didn't awake and the stranger made a grin.

"It's what I feared, Ruwee," the man said. "Someone used the Force to erase the child's memory."

"Force?" Jobal frowned. "Oh, no Ruwee! Tell me you didn't!"

"I had no other option," he replied with resignation.

"Do you realize what this means?" even when Jobal tried not to yell, she looked furious. "Of the enormous risk, this is for all of us?"

"Of course I do, but we don't know where Padme is and whoever is with her, is a Force-sensitive."

"Now you're suggesting Padme is kidnapped?" Sola mumbled. "And what Force are you talking about? How could that erase my daughter's memory?"

"With proper training, Force-sensitive persons can manipulate regular people's minds, the youngest the easiest," the man walked away from Pooja. "She won't remember unless I make her."

"There's a way for you to make her remember?" Ruwee asked.

"Perhaps, but it would be painful and we don't know what horrors that little girl had forgotten. I don't believe we should take that chance."

"Wait a minute, are you telling me someone brainwashed my four-year-old daughter?" Darren said. "And how can you know it?"

"I'm force-sensitive, I recognized the marks of the Force in your daughter's mind."

"Dad, who the hell is this man?"

"Please, forgive my lack of education," the man said. "I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi. At other times, I was a Jedi. I hope I can help you."

The Naberries saw the man with a new fear inside them.

Oh, besides the clones, now there was a Jedi involved in this situation… Force, things couldn't get worse!

Chapter's song: "Days in the sun" from The Beauty and the Beast 2017 version.

That's all for now.

First of all, of course, Obi-Wan was going to be here, he will become one of the main characters later, but first, he will need to meet the Naberries. Later, we're going to see his connection to Vader.

Besides, the Queen and the Clones have their own agenda, and Pooja doesn't remember anything. I hope you liked the line this fic is taking. In the next chapter, we're going back to the Executor. Take care!