Title: A Visit Gone Wrong - part 2
Author: Kadi-Wan Kenobi
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Discalimer: Star wars belongs to GL and all his companies. I'm just borrowing it for fun. I'm not making any money off of this.
Chapter 19
Slowly, I regained consciousness. With a groan I opened my eyes, but soon closed them. My head throbbed painfully, making me let out yet another groan. Calling on the Force, I was able to get the pain down until it was managable for me to open my eyes again. Slowly, I sat up, looking around. I was in a surprisingly comfortable bed in a darkened room. If this was a prison, it was definitely the most comfortable one I had been in yet. Suddenly, a small cry caught my attention. I knew that sound. Mokee. I looked over the edge of the bed, where the noise was coming from. There lay my bag. Mokee struggled to get out of the bag, the flap blocking his process. I quickly reached down and picked him up. He immediately calmed down, and happily settled down on the blankets. Reassured that he was alright, I continued to look around the room. Suddenly, movement came from a bed I had just noticed across from me. The movement was followed by a small groan, then Obi-Wan sat up. He held his head in his hands as he looked around. His gaze stopped on me.
"Where are we?" He asked, still groggy.
"I don't know. It looks likee we are in someone's house." I noted, then shakily stood up. As I stretched, I was surprised to find my lightsaber still resting under my clothes. Either we had been kidnapped by someone who wasn't afraid of us or someone who was just plain stupid.
Suddenly, the door slid open. Obi-Wan was on his feet in an instant. Our lightsabers were ignited and we were in the ready position before you could say lightsaber.
"Rack'tar?" I asked, confused as the large Re'dth walked in carrying a tray with some sort of food on it.
"Oh good, you're up. I have some dinner for you." He set the tray down on my bed, then stood back. Neither of us moved, lightsabers still held at ready. "I apologize for bringing you here so rudely. I couldn't take the chance of you not believing me in the camp. I hope your heads don't hurt, I wasn't sure how much freforph to use on a Jedi." Obi-Wan and I exchanged a look. So he had known.
"You knew?"
"Well it was't too hard if you knew what to look for, like your briad hidden under your jacket. And yours, concealed among the other braids. And you carry yourselves differently from other humans I've seen. Too confident on a strange planet." I raised an eyebrow. He had worked around Jedi before, i was sure of it. Had he taken part in the capture of the Jedi? Was that how he knew? And why hadn't he taken us to the camps yet?
"If you know we're Jedi, how come you haven't taken us to the camp yet?" Obi-Wan demanded, voicing my question.
"Believe it or not, young Jedi, there are some who are sympathetic towards the Jedi. A group who have not recieved the Jedi-hating gene or have conquered it. We are tired of the tyrant who calls himself our ruler spending all our planets funds on war." He paused for a moment, looking at us. Obi-Wan nodded for him to continue. "We have become many in number since the capture and cruel treatment of the Jedi. In the next few days, we are planning to free the Jedi and overthrow the king. The resistance had me follow you, to make sure you are Jedi. Now I know. We would like you to join us in our battle." He stopped and looked at each of us. I looked over at Obi-Wan.
//What should we do?// I asked. Could we trust him. True, he hadn't turned us in, but maybe this was a trap. Obi-Wan shrugged.
//I don't know.//
Chapter 20
We followed Rack'tar through the town, hiding in the shadows when Red'th passed and avoiding the main streets. Obi-Wan and I still kept our disguises on, just in case. I had refused to leave Mokee behind, much to Rack'tar's dismay, so he was cuddled once again in my bag, asleep. We finally came to a door of a building along the outskirts of the town. Rack'tar knocked on it once with a bang, then followed it by a few more light taps. We waited for several very long minutes, before the door slid open and another Red'th quickly ushered us in.
Everything was dark inside. There wasn't a single Red'th in sight. I began to feel a little nervous. We could be surrounded by Red'th and not know it. I noticed Obi-Wan's hand hovering just over his lightsaber, but that was the only thing that gave away his nervousness. Without a word, we followed the 2 Red'th through the building. They suddenly stopped. Rack'tar motioned us to stay back as the other REd'th scanned the floor for something. A moment later, he grabbed something on the floor and proceeded to lift open a trap door. I hadn't even noticed the handle. Rack'tar quickly disappeared down into the black pit. The other Red'th motioned us to follow, which we did, then closed the door behind us. Obi-Wan and I walked through the pitch black tunnel, using the Force to keep from walking into the walls. We rounded a corner, and almost bumped into Rack'tar, who was standing in front of a door. He punched in a combination on the door pad. The door slid open, revealing a light filled room. He quickly ushered us in, the door sliding shut and locking behind us. I glanced back. There would be no escape if this was a trap. At least a hundred pairs of eyes, probably alot more, turned to look at us. All noise ceased.
"These are the Jedi I told you about." He announced, standing behind us. "They have agreed to help us in our fight!"
Chapter 21
"I say we just use force to get into the Palace and grab the King!" One Re'dth yelled, pounding his fist into his hand.
"Retho, we already went through this. By the time we forced our way in, they'd have gathered together and we'll be goners." Rack'tar growled with a sigh.
"That's why-"
"NO FORCE!" Both Re'dth were instantly at each others throats. I sighed as I rubbed my temple. We hadn't gotten anywhere in the past several hours. They could never agree about anything. It was a wonder how they managed to stay together at all.
//Are you alright?// Obi-Wan asked, looking at me concerned.
//Yes, I'm fine. Just all this yelling is beginning to make my head throb.// I said, glancing at the Re'dth trying to pull the 2 apart.
//Go on and take a break, I'll stay here and make sure they don't kill each other.// Obi-Wan replied with a small grin.
//Thanks.// I quietly stood up and made my way out of the room. The door slid shut behind me, almost completely muting the noise. I breathed a sigh of relief. Much better. Kneeling down to the ground, I opened my pack and let Mokee out. He let out a small yip of joy and ran around my legs. I laughed, he was obviously relieved to be out of there also. Suddenly, I heard some laughter down the hall. Curious, I began to walk casually down the hall with Mokee running back and forth between me and several feet in front of me. Sensing several young Re'dth inside the next room, I tiptoed over to the door and peeked in.
"I'm Tersert, king of all Red'th!!!" A young Re'dth, he couldn't have been more than 8 standard years, yelled. He had a play bucket on his head like a crown as he placed his hands on his hips and struck a regal pose. I covered my mouth with my hand, trying not to laugh out loud. It was so cute! Another young Re'dth approached him.
"And I'm my daddy, Rack'tar!!!" He yelled back. "And I'm going to free all the Jedi!!!"
"Just try!" The 'king' said, pointing his play blaster at the other, who also pulled out a play blaster. In no time, they were running around the room, taking turns chasing one another and dying with very dramatic scenes of screaming and falling to the ground when they were shot. Suddenly a small girl Re'dth entered the room, clutching a doll.
"Hey, I want to play!"
"No, Yera, girls can't fight, they're wimpy."
"I am not! I'm as brave as you and I could beat the king better than you. I want to play!"
"NO!!!" Both boys yelled before resuming their play. A tear ran down the girls face and she disappeared into the corner, where a small doll castle had been set up. She sat down, quietly playing with her doll. My heart broke at the scene and before I knew it, I entered the room and walked over to her, Mokee by my heals.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked. She looked up startled, then her eyes strayed to my lightsaber that was hanging on my belt.
"You're a Jedi?"
"Yes. So, who's this?" I asked, kneeling down so I was her height.
"Seway." She said, holding out the doll.
"She's very pretty." I said, smiling at her. Yera's terror seemed to melt away.
"My mommy gave her to me when I was little. Do you have any dolls?"
"No. I gave them to my little sister."
"Oh." She suddenly caught sight of Mokee. "You have a pet!"
"Yes. This is Mokee." I said, placing Mokee in front of Yera. The girl held out her hadn for him to sniff, then began to gently stroke him. Mokee soon settled down and began to coo. "He likes you."
"Yera, why won't the boys let you play?"
"They think girls can't fight. But I'll show them, one day I'll capture the king."
"Really? How would you do it?" I asked. I don't know why, it just sort of popped out. She looked over at the 2 who were now arguing who's turn it was to die, then stood up. She quickly whispered something in my ear. My eyes widened slightly. "Yera, would you mind watching Mokee? I'll be right back." Jumping to my feet, I ran back to the meeting.
Chapter 22
"No." //Kadi, you are absolutely crazy! What are you thinking?//
"I could do it. You know its the only way." I replied, ignoring my brother. //By the way, I am NOT crazy.//
"She is right. This could work. It is the best anyone has come up with for awhile." Rack'tar said, looking between the 2 Jedi.
"Yes, I say we go for it!" Someone yelled in the back.
"The Jedi has a good suggestion, all in favor?" The room was filled with shouts.
"Then we begin at dawn." Retho said. That ended it. Slowly, the Re'dth cleared out. Obi-Wan grabbed me by my arm and hauled me over to a quiet corner. I sighed, knowing what was coming.
"Have you gone mad?! What if they catch onto you?"
"They won't."
"Kadi, how do you know this will even work. You've never tried something on this large of a scale before!"
"Obi, I know you are worried, but I have to do this. Its the only way."
"I know. Just.....be careful."
"Hey, I'm always careful." He let out this half snort. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Kadi, when it comes to careful, you aren't it."
"Well, I'm closer to it than you!" I shot back. We stared at each other for a moment, before grins broke out on our faces. Suddenly he chuckled slightly.
"What?"
"Since when can you sing?"
Chapter 23
I looked around the lush garden, confused. Where was I? Looking down, I noticed I was in my Jedi robes instead of the disguise. What was going on?
"Welcome Katie. Or should I say Kadi-Wan." I spun around to see a human about Qui-Gon's age standing there. He had shoulder length black hair and a kind face. How come he looked familiar? He took a step closer. "Here, let me help." Suddenly, an memory quickly popped into my mind. It was a dream I had had a couple years ago, before I had met Obi-Wan. I smiled, remembering.
"Master Quegrtan!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around him in an embrace. It was so good to see him again, even if I had just remembered knowing him. He was the one who had trained me in my sleep when I was younger and that was why some of the basic training had seemed so familiar. I stepped back and looked around. "So, I'm dreaming?"
"Yes, you are. Listen, Kadi. I don't have much time left to speak with you." I noticed his eyes suddenly become solemn. "You and Obi-Wan are going to face something that could lead to the distruction of the entire order tomorrow. It will be dangerous, VERY dangerous. All I can tell you is that remember what you have learned." I noticed he was begining to fade. Actually, everything was.
"Wait, don't go. Not yet."
"I'm sorry Kadi." He placed a hand on my forehead and I felt myself drifting off to sleep. "You won't remember any of this in the morning. Except this. You strength is within. Remember that, even though you cannot remember me..." The voice faded away, leaving me to a peaceful darkness. "The strength is within."
Chapter 24
I paced nervously back and forth in the room, waiting for Rack'tar to return. Once he did, we would leave for the palace and I would be alone. Obi-Wan wouldn't be able to help. He had to stay and wait for my signal, if I was able to pull this off at all. Suddenly, the door slid open. I jumped, expecting it to be Rack'tar. In walked Obi-Wan, a glum look on his face. He looked at me for a moment.
"You can still back out, you know. They'd understand." He said quietly, silently begging me not to do this.
"Obi, I have to do this. If it works out, we'll avoid alot of deaths." I sighed.
"Yes, I understand." He looked around the room for a moment, then back at me. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes....no.....I don't know. Last night, something happened. Something I can't explain." A look of concern crossed his face.
"What is it?"
"I had a dream last night. I know I did. There was a man. He was very familiar, but that's all I can remember. He told me something and its in the back of my mind. But whenever I try to reach for whatever it was about, or who it is, its like something keeps me away. Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just going mad." I rubbed a hand across my face, the stress of what I was about to do catching up with me. Obi-Wan stepped closer to me.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure its nothing. You have to concentrate on the moment." I made a face at him.
"You are beginning to sound like my master." He pretended to look horrified.
"Sith, I am!" Suddenly, the door slid open for a second time. This time, it was Rack-tar.
"Come, it is time to go. We must be out of the town before the sun rises." I nodded and he disappeared back outside, leaving us to our privacy. I turned to Obi-Wan.
"Well, I guess this is it."
"Yes." He suddenly pulled me into a hug. I returned it, slightly shocked. "I have a bad feeling about this." He whispered softly. I couldn't help but smile. There it was. His trademark statement. I was surprised it had taken this long. I pulled back so I could look him in the eyes.
"Obi-Wan, you always have a bad feeling about the missions. I promise I won't take any risks and will try to stay in contact." I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Take care of Mokee for me. See you soon, Obi." With that, I slid out of the room.
Chapter 25
"I must leave you here. If I go any farther with you, they'll spot me and get suspicious. Now, you know what you must do?"
"Yes." I replied confidently, looking at the road ahead and the palace towers just in view. "I remember."
"Good. Then we will be waiting for the signal. Good luck, Kadi-Wan Kenobi. Our future lies in your hands." Did he have to put it that way?
"I promise I won't fail." Probably shouldn't have said that. "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded, then started back for the town. He had alot of preperations to do. With a deep breath, I started down the road in the opposite direction. There was no turning back.
*****
The towers seemed to suddenly rise up above me. I was finally able to get a good look at it. It was a large, white building with amazing towers on its 5 corners. Fancy designs made of gold covered the walls, making the whole building seem to glow. It hurt to look at it for a long time. On closer inspection, I noticed the walls were made of a tough, slippery stone. It would be impossible for anyone to climb up to the blaconies and the doors obviously had force fields around them. No wonder they didn't have a force field covering the whole building. It was completely break-in proof. That was my job.
"Ok Padawan, move it." I whispered to myself. Striding towards the door, I pushed the button that would signal that I was at the door. I instantly noticed a small surviellance camera focus on me, but pretended not to notice. It was only because of my Jedi training that I had noticed it at all. I was supposed to be a normal human, who wouldn't noticed the nearly invisible camera. A hole in the door suddenly popped open and a round droid shot out.
"What do you want?" It demanded in a deep, gruff voice in basic. I tried to hide my shock. A rude droid? Someone must have messed with its programming.
"Please tell his royal highness, King Tersert, that Princess Minairesa wishes an audience with him." I said, trying to sound regal. It stared at me a moment, before popping back into his hole. I felt like I was the biggest idiot in the whole galaxy. Here I had everythign planned and I forgot to think of a name to give them. Now I was pretending to be some princess I had only learned about several weeks ago. Unfortunately, I had forgotten alot about her. I waited. Nothing happened. Just as I was about to turn away, the doors slowly began to open. A Re'dth dressed in fancy garb quickly approached me as I entered the building.
"If your royalness will follow me, I will show you to the king's audience chamber. He is awaiting your prescence." He said with a low bow. I felt awkward as I followed him. Usually, I was the one doing the bowing. The Re'dth led me into a gigantic room, covered in different colors. It was amazing. I almost stopped in my tracks and gazed like an idiot at the magnificent pictures of the different places on Re'th'car. In front of me was a long, red carpet that led to a throne on which another Re'dth sat, a crown made of pure gold resting on his head. Straightening up, I walked down the carpet towards the throne. I tried to walk gracefully and carry myself with a regal air like I had seen the Princesses of other worlds do, but it was harder than it looked. I was used to walking in long, confident strides. I was sure I looked funny, strutting down the aisle. Finally, I reached the base of the throne. The king stood up.
"Ah, Princess Minairesa, I must say I was surprised to hear of your arrival. We weren't expecting you for another day at least." My face paled. WHAT!?!? "Are you alright? You seem pale."
"Yes. I'm not used to traveling by foot. It seems to have taken its toll on me." I quickly lied, trying to sound fatigued.
"Wqwe, take the Princess to her quarters. We'll discuss the treaty in the morning."
*****
"If there is anything else your highness needs, just call."
"I will, thank you." I hastily said, then turned to look at the gigantic room I had been given. But the room was the last thing on my mind. I calmly walked across the room and threw my bag on the floor. I felt like banging my head against something. Luckily, I was able to stop myself in time.
"Out of all the princesses in the galaxy, I just had to pick the one they were expecting." I muttered. I couldn't believe it.
I just COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! What would happen if the princess showed up early tomorrow? Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! This would teach me to pay attention to class from now on. Not only was I supposed to portray a person I didn't even know about, but I was going to have to discuss a treaty as well. Why me? WHY ME?!
What had I done to deserve this?
Chapter 26
I looked up as the alarm on the door chimed. Quickly standing up, I walked over, punching the doorpad. Wqwe stood there, some sort of clothing draped over his arm. He bowed then held out the clothes.
"His royal highness requests that you join him for dinner. Here is your evening gown." He thrust the gown into my arms, then bowed again.
"Evening gown? I didn't bring-" I stopped myself abruptly. What if Princess Minairesa had sent clothes ahead. I noticed the servant was giving me a strange, suspicious look. I cleared my throat and tried to sound as regal as possible. "Thank you." With that, I quickly closed the door. Leaning briefly against the door, I took a deep breath.
If I messed up like that during dinner.....
No, I couldn't think that way. I had to focus on the moment. A grin came to my face. I had never thought I would actually be telling myself that.
Shaking my head slightly, I walked over to the bed and lay the clothes on the bed. Unwrapping the clothes, I let out a small gasp. Gently, I lifted the dress up and looked it over. It was absolutely beautiful. It was pure white, so white that it seemed to shine. There were several designs in a beautiful blue color on the front of the dress. Walking over to the mirror, I held the dress up to me. It looked like it would fit perfectly.
*****
I quickly walked down the hall towards the dining hall.
Now I remembered why I had always hated dresses. You couldn't run in them. And the heels I was wearing were just killing my feet. I would probably be lame by morning.
Finally, I came to the large doors. Stopping, I smoothed down the dress and my hair. I didn't want to look like I had been running. I doubted princesses did that. Taking a deep breath, I straightened up and walked in.
The room was huge! There was a large banquet table in the middle, surrounded by courtiers. Nervously, I walked up to the king and courtesied. The king nodded, then motioned for me to sit at his left side. I gracefully sat down, studying how the other women behaved without making it look like it.
This was definitely going to be interesting.
Chapter 27
I studied the bowl placed before me, trying to figure out what in the galaxy was in it. The soup was a vile greenish-yellowish color. The smell was absolutely nauseating!
I glanced around, noticing that everyone else had already started. Not wanting to offend the king, which might ruin my cover, I picked up one of the many spoons by the bowl and slowly scooped up a small bit of the soup. I'm sure I saw something move in my spoon. Trying not to shudder, I looked at it once more before glupping it down.
It took all my training not to spit it out all over the table. I was surprised I was able to keep a neutral look on my face.
Imagine the worst, most disgusting thing you've ever tasted.
Now multiply it by 100. It should give you an idea of what the soup tasted like.
I set down my spoon. If I ate anymore, I wouldn't be able to keep it down. I wasn't sure what to do. It could cause trouble if I left everything uneaten. My eyes quickly scanned the table.
The punch bowl wouldn't work. Someone would notice. My small wine glass wouldn't hold it all.
Suddenly, I noticed a droid walking my way. He was carrying a large tray of empty dishes.
That would work.
Using the Force, I made a wine glass on the opposite side of the table fall off onto the ground. It shattered into a million tiny pieces, making a loud noise in the progress. Everyone jerked in shock and looked towards the sound for a moment. It was all the time I needed. I quickly levitated my bowl onto the tray just as the servant passed me and replaced it with one of the empty ones. Just as I was setting the empty bowl down, one of the courtiers looked right at me. I grabbed the bowl and set it down, smiling sweetly at him. He studied me for a moment, suspicion in his eyes. I pretended not to notice. My heart was beating fast.
Had he seen anything? Did he suspect? Finally, he looked away. I let out a small sigh of relief. That had been way too close. A small smile made its way onto my face. At least the soup was gone. Another droid came by, quickly removing the dirty plates. Then a servant approached abd placed a plate before me, looking even worse than the soup.
I felt like crying.
Chapter 28
The king sat back in his chair with a sigh, then let out a long, rather loud burp. I tried not to stare in disgust.
"That was delicious." He said, patting his stomache contentedly. I nodded, trying not to look relieved that it was over. The night had definitely been interesting. I had spent most of the time trying to get rid of the different courses, which had all turned out to be absolutely disgusting.
The courtier next to me wound up with twice as much slop. The large chandelier was now laced with spagehti like pasta. The meat had convieniently sunk to the bottom of the punch bowl, looking like large ice cubes, and the buns were stuck to the bottom of the table with what I had guessed was supposed to be butter. I had never seen blue butter before. I felt sorry for whoever was in charge of cleaning.
"Your palace is beautiful." I commented. It was time for me to start the plan. The king's chest puffed out in pride as he stood up.
"Its the best in the galaxy!" He exclaimed. I tried not to grin. He was falling for it. "Come, I will personally give you the grand tour."
Yes!
"Thank you, your majesty." I said, nodding my head gracefully. He held out an arm, which I reluctantly took, then led me out of the hall.
Chapter 29
"And now to my greatest achievement." He motioned for me to get into a hover car that was parked outside the door we had just exited. Motioning for me to sit beside him, he then signaled the pilot to go. We zoomed through the air, the warm breeze pushing my hair back.
I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling. Then, as quickly as we had started, the car stopped. I noticed we were still in the air. The king stood up and looked over the side, grinning from ear to ear.
I joined him, then almost gasped in horror. We were right over the camp where all the Jedi were being held. I had seen it before but hadn't been able to see it as well as I could now. I could sense their anguish and fatigue. Tears came to my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.
"I, King Tersert, have managed where others have failed. I have managed to enslave the entire Jedi order. They are no longer free to meddle in others affairs. Now, they are my property!"
I felt my anger begin to grow. How could he enjoy their suffering?!
"Hate leads to suffering, hate leads to suffering." I murmured under my breath. The king looked at me.
"What did you say?"
"H-how do you manage to keep them in control? I'm surprised they have not rallied yet. I have heard the Jedi Masters, especially the Council, are quite strong."
"Ah, yes. That is one wy some have failed." He let out a laugh. "You see, I have seperated the strongest and most rebellious from the rest. If any of the Jedi try to ecape, they will be killed."
"So you have a guard watch each and every one of them?"
"No. That would take too many men. I ingeniously have invented a device which had been hooked up to each of my hostages. If any one of the Jedi removes its inhibitor or I signal it, the device will kill them in less than 5 minutes. Clever, no?"
"Very." I managed to say, keeping my voice neutral. He smiled again.
"Well, as enjoyable as this is, we must head back. We have a long day tomorrow."
Chapter 30
I gazed sadly out the window of my room, towards the camp. It was so hard to know that they were suffering at the moment, while I was safe and cozy in the palace.
I glanced at a chrono. 11:00 It was time to put the next part of my plan into action. I quickly slipped into black pants, tunic, and cape. Rack'tar had given them to me before I left. Grabbing my lightsaber, I silently slid out of the room.
Everything was dark. The only light came from the many stained glass windows, giving the corridor an air of mystery. And down right creepiness. Luckily, I had memorized how to get from place to place during the tour. I didn't even want to think what I would have done if the king hadn't given me a tour.
Finally, I arrived at my destination. It was one of the doors I had seen early. A quieter part of the palace where the servants wouldn't notice anything wrong. I quickly looked in both directions to see if anyone was coming. This had to be quick. If someone approached, I wouldn't be able to sense them.
Seeing noone around, I unscrewed the door control panel. Lifting the panel off quietly, I gazed at the jumble of wires. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to focus. If I did this right, unhooking the wires in the right order, the laser protecting the door would shut off without anyone noticing. One tiny mistake and I would activate an alarm.
'Ok, stop it Kadi.' I thought to myself. 'You're only making yourself nervous. And time is running short.' It was dangerous to stay in the same place for too long.
Taking another deep breath, I pulled out one of the wires, unhooking it. Holding it in one hand, I undid another wire. Wire after wire unhooked from the panel. Finally, the last one came off. Screwing the panel back on, I stuffed the wires into my pack, then breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank you Obi-Wan.
He was the one who had told me how to do it. We had practiced on one of the doors in the hideout, but that still hadn't made it any less nerve racking.
Quickly glancing around once again, I took off down the hall.
One down, five more doors and windows to go.
Chapter 31
I couldn't help but grin as I replaced the last pannel onto the wall. The first half of hte plan was finally finished! Stuffing the wires into my now bulging bag, I started to head back to my room.
As I headed though the palace, something suddenly caught my attention. The Force seemed to be pushing me towards another part of the palace, practically in the opposite direction as my room. Seeing as I still had some time left, I followed it.
The beautifully painted walls began to turn into gray, stone ones. The stained glass windows became fewer and fewer until there were no windows at all. I pulled the cape tighter around me. The temperature had dropped. Everything was cold. Finally, I came to a door. In large, bold letters, the words Authorized Personel Only was written in basic on the front. Looking at the lock, I managed to slowly break the code using the Force. Slowly, I pushed the door open, praying noone was inside. Luck was on my side that day because it was empty. I stopped and stared at the large, circular room. Cells lined the wall. Creeping over the the first one, I peered in...and slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from making a sound.
It was one of the Council members. Adi Gallia. She was bound to the back of the cell with metal binders. If you could even call it a cell, it was more like a closet. Glancing at the panel, I knew there was no way I could deactivate the laser shield without setting off some kind of alarm. And I didn't want to use the Force. The sensors were probably sensitive to it also.
Looking closer, I saw a weird, thin collar that attached to the wall was around her neck. I'm not sure how, but I instantly knew what it was. The device that would kill them should anything happen. Looking once more at the unconscious master, I headed deeper into the room.
Ki-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Mace Windu, all of the Council members. There were also several masters I had never seen before. Suddenly, I stopped.
No, not them too. In 2 of the cellds stood Qui-Gon and my Master.
//Master!// I exclaimed through our bond before I could stop. Her eyes instantly flew open and she looked at me in shock.
"Padawan?" She whispered. I guessed the collar was also a Force-inhibitor.
"Yes Master. I promise to have you out soon. Obi-Wan and I-"
"No Kadi." I stepped back, shocked by her harshness. "I want you and your brother as far away from here as you can get."
"No." I replied firmly. The was not exactly how I had pictured our reunion. "I won't leave you."
"Padawan, thats an order." She said, a little bit louder.
"Its too late. The Re'dth are counting on me."
//Tomorrow they are going to attack. I need to provide a distraction so they can get in without notice.// I switched quickly to talking over our bond. I realized they might be recording whatever noise was in the room. Another mistake on my part. She looked at me for a moment in silence. I felt very uncomfortable. This was the first time I had defied her outright. She suddenly let out a sigh, closing her eyes. I glanced down at my wrist chrono. 5 am.
I had to get going. Looking up, I saw my master still had her eyes closed. Tears came to my eyes as I began to walk away.
"May the Force Be With You." I suddenly heard. I turned, smiling. She gave me a small smile in return.
Chapter 32
I felt something shake my shoulder. Groaning, I motioned for whoever it was to go away. It shook my shoulder again.
"Go away." I mumbled through the covers.
Nothing happened.
Whoever it was had finally left. I began to drift back to sleep.
A large cry filled the room. I sat straight up. With a happy mew, Mokee jumped into my lap.
"Mokee!" I yelled.
How had he gotten here?
I was sure he had been left back with Obi-Wan. I knew it hadn't seen him in my bag.
"What are you doing here?!"
Right before my eyes, he disappeared. I watched i amazement as footprints appeared, heading fot the edge of the bed. Focusing on them, I noticed the air seemed to move.
Mokee could camaflogue himself until he was completely invisible.
I let out a sigh as he plopped himself down on the ground and began to let out a sad wail. Sheaking my head, I got up and knelt down by his side.
"Shhh. I'm sorry. Its alright." I picked him up. "You should have stayed back at the house."
A sharp knock suddenly came from the door.
"Hide." I hissed to Mokee, jumping up. Mokee instantly disappeared, sensing the urgency of the situation.
I jumped up and quickly walked to the door.
There stood the same servant who had brought me the dress the night before. He once again held a bundle in his arms.
"Your closthes, your highness." I looked down in shock as he placed the clothes in my hands. I hadn't known they were missing.
If they had found....
"Or should I say Jedi." He hissed, pulling out a blaster. I backed away into the room. He followed, closing the door behind us.
"I knew there was something strange about you." I glanced around the room, searching for a way out.
"Are you looking for this?" He asked gleefully, pulling my lightsaber from the folds of his robe.
How could I have been so stupid? Of course they would have droids remove the dirty clothes in the morning. Every palace I had ever been to had.
"When I present you to the king, I'll be proclaimed a hero. I will probably get a promotion."
Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly noticed part of the rug moving. Mokee!
"Yeowww!" The servant screamed. He looked down at his ankle, pointing the blaster at Mokee. My Jedi training turned on.
I grabbed the blaster, twisting it out of his grasp.
He stared at me in shock, then at the blaster pointed at his chest.
Just then, as I stared at him, I noticed purple splotches beginning to appear on his face. He seemed to shudder, then collapsed to the ground.
I looked down in shock at him. What had caused that?
Reaching down, I was relieved to find a pulse. He was alive.
A purr caught my attention.
Mokee was happily poking around the servants legs, sniffing them every once in awhile.
Wait a minute.
Mokee bit the servant right before he went down. I knelt down, moving Mokee aside. I pushed up his pants leg, to find two small marks where he had been bitten. The area had turned purple.
Mokee had some kind of venom.
Picking up my pet, I placed him on the bed, then looked around for somethign to tie the Re'dth up with.
Chapter 33
I quickly strode towards the throne room. It was time for the last part of the plan to be put into motion.
The servant was tied up in my room, hidden behind the bed. The wires had worked nicely as rope and gag. Mokee was now happily keeping an eye on him.
My lightsaber hung at my side, hidden in the folds of my clothing. Just in case.
Finally, I reached the large doors and entered into the throne room. The chatter between the courtiers stopped as I walked towards the throne. Something was wrong.
"Ah, your highness, we recieved a rather disturbing message this morning." He said. I tensed slightly. "It seems the princess, that is you, weren't supposed to show up today. As a matter of fact, I got a transmission that told me you weren't coming at all."
"That's ridiculous! As you can see, I am right here." I exclaimed, trying to sound shocked and outraged.
"Oh really. Then would you care to explain why you were seen in town several days ago walking into town with only a human boy as your escort? Or why you were see with Rack'tar, the leader of the Rebellious scum?" He stood up, dropping his disguise of friendliness.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the surveilance tape from the dugeon." I glanced behind me to see several guards moving behind me. My hand strayed over to where my lightsaber was hidden. "Nice try, you almost fooled me. But, like before, I will win. Jedi."
Everything happened at once. A loud war cry suddenly fill the air. I ignited my lightsaber. Hundreds of Re'dth streamed into the room from doors and windows. They even came through panels in the ceiling. Obi-Wan landed by my side, lightsaber ignited. Blaster bolts flew everywhere as we stood back to back, deflecting them.
"Right on time." I said, deflecting a potentially dangerous bolt from my head.
"You can thank me later. First we need to free everyone else." We managed to move out of the room towards the door. Finally, we were away from the fighting. I instantly began to run in the direction of the dungeon.
"Kadi, where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked. "The camp is that way." He didn't know.
"The Council and some Masters are being held in the dungeon. If the king triggers some device attached to them, it'll kill them. We have to free them first." He hesitated for a moment. "Obi. Our Masters are there also."
Chapter 34
Obi-Wan had made his decision instantly. We managed to run to the room without meeting any of the guards. They were probably fighting in the throne room.
Finally, we came to the Authorized Personel Only door. With Obi-Wan's help, the code was broken in a matter of seconds.
I felt Obi-Wan's shock when he saw the room. This time, though, all of the Masters were awake. I rushed over to my Master's cell and looked at the control panel, trying to figure out how to disable it without triggering the device. I was hesitant to use the Force.
Looking over at Obi-Wan, I saw he had come to the same conclusion. The Force could very possibly set it off.
//What should we do?// I asked as we backed up to the middle of the room.
//I don't know.// He admitted, looking around the room, as if something would give him a clue.
Suddenly, a blaster sounded in the room. I felt a sharp pain in my back, then fell to the ground.
"Kad-" Another blaster shot hit Obi-Wan in the chest. He fell beside me with a thud.
The king walked over to us.
"Goodbye, Jedi." He said, holding out a small device. He punched a code into it, then destroyed it with his blaster. The lights began to flash red.
I knew what it was, even as the world began to dim.
Our masters had 5 minutes left in life.
We had even less.
Author: Kadi-Wan Kenobi
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Discalimer: Star wars belongs to GL and all his companies. I'm just borrowing it for fun. I'm not making any money off of this.
Chapter 19
Slowly, I regained consciousness. With a groan I opened my eyes, but soon closed them. My head throbbed painfully, making me let out yet another groan. Calling on the Force, I was able to get the pain down until it was managable for me to open my eyes again. Slowly, I sat up, looking around. I was in a surprisingly comfortable bed in a darkened room. If this was a prison, it was definitely the most comfortable one I had been in yet. Suddenly, a small cry caught my attention. I knew that sound. Mokee. I looked over the edge of the bed, where the noise was coming from. There lay my bag. Mokee struggled to get out of the bag, the flap blocking his process. I quickly reached down and picked him up. He immediately calmed down, and happily settled down on the blankets. Reassured that he was alright, I continued to look around the room. Suddenly, movement came from a bed I had just noticed across from me. The movement was followed by a small groan, then Obi-Wan sat up. He held his head in his hands as he looked around. His gaze stopped on me.
"Where are we?" He asked, still groggy.
"I don't know. It looks likee we are in someone's house." I noted, then shakily stood up. As I stretched, I was surprised to find my lightsaber still resting under my clothes. Either we had been kidnapped by someone who wasn't afraid of us or someone who was just plain stupid.
Suddenly, the door slid open. Obi-Wan was on his feet in an instant. Our lightsabers were ignited and we were in the ready position before you could say lightsaber.
"Rack'tar?" I asked, confused as the large Re'dth walked in carrying a tray with some sort of food on it.
"Oh good, you're up. I have some dinner for you." He set the tray down on my bed, then stood back. Neither of us moved, lightsabers still held at ready. "I apologize for bringing you here so rudely. I couldn't take the chance of you not believing me in the camp. I hope your heads don't hurt, I wasn't sure how much freforph to use on a Jedi." Obi-Wan and I exchanged a look. So he had known.
"You knew?"
"Well it was't too hard if you knew what to look for, like your briad hidden under your jacket. And yours, concealed among the other braids. And you carry yourselves differently from other humans I've seen. Too confident on a strange planet." I raised an eyebrow. He had worked around Jedi before, i was sure of it. Had he taken part in the capture of the Jedi? Was that how he knew? And why hadn't he taken us to the camps yet?
"If you know we're Jedi, how come you haven't taken us to the camp yet?" Obi-Wan demanded, voicing my question.
"Believe it or not, young Jedi, there are some who are sympathetic towards the Jedi. A group who have not recieved the Jedi-hating gene or have conquered it. We are tired of the tyrant who calls himself our ruler spending all our planets funds on war." He paused for a moment, looking at us. Obi-Wan nodded for him to continue. "We have become many in number since the capture and cruel treatment of the Jedi. In the next few days, we are planning to free the Jedi and overthrow the king. The resistance had me follow you, to make sure you are Jedi. Now I know. We would like you to join us in our battle." He stopped and looked at each of us. I looked over at Obi-Wan.
//What should we do?// I asked. Could we trust him. True, he hadn't turned us in, but maybe this was a trap. Obi-Wan shrugged.
//I don't know.//
Chapter 20
We followed Rack'tar through the town, hiding in the shadows when Red'th passed and avoiding the main streets. Obi-Wan and I still kept our disguises on, just in case. I had refused to leave Mokee behind, much to Rack'tar's dismay, so he was cuddled once again in my bag, asleep. We finally came to a door of a building along the outskirts of the town. Rack'tar knocked on it once with a bang, then followed it by a few more light taps. We waited for several very long minutes, before the door slid open and another Red'th quickly ushered us in.
Everything was dark inside. There wasn't a single Red'th in sight. I began to feel a little nervous. We could be surrounded by Red'th and not know it. I noticed Obi-Wan's hand hovering just over his lightsaber, but that was the only thing that gave away his nervousness. Without a word, we followed the 2 Red'th through the building. They suddenly stopped. Rack'tar motioned us to stay back as the other REd'th scanned the floor for something. A moment later, he grabbed something on the floor and proceeded to lift open a trap door. I hadn't even noticed the handle. Rack'tar quickly disappeared down into the black pit. The other Red'th motioned us to follow, which we did, then closed the door behind us. Obi-Wan and I walked through the pitch black tunnel, using the Force to keep from walking into the walls. We rounded a corner, and almost bumped into Rack'tar, who was standing in front of a door. He punched in a combination on the door pad. The door slid open, revealing a light filled room. He quickly ushered us in, the door sliding shut and locking behind us. I glanced back. There would be no escape if this was a trap. At least a hundred pairs of eyes, probably alot more, turned to look at us. All noise ceased.
"These are the Jedi I told you about." He announced, standing behind us. "They have agreed to help us in our fight!"
Chapter 21
"I say we just use force to get into the Palace and grab the King!" One Re'dth yelled, pounding his fist into his hand.
"Retho, we already went through this. By the time we forced our way in, they'd have gathered together and we'll be goners." Rack'tar growled with a sigh.
"That's why-"
"NO FORCE!" Both Re'dth were instantly at each others throats. I sighed as I rubbed my temple. We hadn't gotten anywhere in the past several hours. They could never agree about anything. It was a wonder how they managed to stay together at all.
//Are you alright?// Obi-Wan asked, looking at me concerned.
//Yes, I'm fine. Just all this yelling is beginning to make my head throb.// I said, glancing at the Re'dth trying to pull the 2 apart.
//Go on and take a break, I'll stay here and make sure they don't kill each other.// Obi-Wan replied with a small grin.
//Thanks.// I quietly stood up and made my way out of the room. The door slid shut behind me, almost completely muting the noise. I breathed a sigh of relief. Much better. Kneeling down to the ground, I opened my pack and let Mokee out. He let out a small yip of joy and ran around my legs. I laughed, he was obviously relieved to be out of there also. Suddenly, I heard some laughter down the hall. Curious, I began to walk casually down the hall with Mokee running back and forth between me and several feet in front of me. Sensing several young Re'dth inside the next room, I tiptoed over to the door and peeked in.
"I'm Tersert, king of all Red'th!!!" A young Re'dth, he couldn't have been more than 8 standard years, yelled. He had a play bucket on his head like a crown as he placed his hands on his hips and struck a regal pose. I covered my mouth with my hand, trying not to laugh out loud. It was so cute! Another young Re'dth approached him.
"And I'm my daddy, Rack'tar!!!" He yelled back. "And I'm going to free all the Jedi!!!"
"Just try!" The 'king' said, pointing his play blaster at the other, who also pulled out a play blaster. In no time, they were running around the room, taking turns chasing one another and dying with very dramatic scenes of screaming and falling to the ground when they were shot. Suddenly a small girl Re'dth entered the room, clutching a doll.
"Hey, I want to play!"
"No, Yera, girls can't fight, they're wimpy."
"I am not! I'm as brave as you and I could beat the king better than you. I want to play!"
"NO!!!" Both boys yelled before resuming their play. A tear ran down the girls face and she disappeared into the corner, where a small doll castle had been set up. She sat down, quietly playing with her doll. My heart broke at the scene and before I knew it, I entered the room and walked over to her, Mokee by my heals.
"Mind if I join you?" I asked. She looked up startled, then her eyes strayed to my lightsaber that was hanging on my belt.
"You're a Jedi?"
"Yes. So, who's this?" I asked, kneeling down so I was her height.
"Seway." She said, holding out the doll.
"She's very pretty." I said, smiling at her. Yera's terror seemed to melt away.
"My mommy gave her to me when I was little. Do you have any dolls?"
"No. I gave them to my little sister."
"Oh." She suddenly caught sight of Mokee. "You have a pet!"
"Yes. This is Mokee." I said, placing Mokee in front of Yera. The girl held out her hadn for him to sniff, then began to gently stroke him. Mokee soon settled down and began to coo. "He likes you."
"Yera, why won't the boys let you play?"
"They think girls can't fight. But I'll show them, one day I'll capture the king."
"Really? How would you do it?" I asked. I don't know why, it just sort of popped out. She looked over at the 2 who were now arguing who's turn it was to die, then stood up. She quickly whispered something in my ear. My eyes widened slightly. "Yera, would you mind watching Mokee? I'll be right back." Jumping to my feet, I ran back to the meeting.
Chapter 22
"No." //Kadi, you are absolutely crazy! What are you thinking?//
"I could do it. You know its the only way." I replied, ignoring my brother. //By the way, I am NOT crazy.//
"She is right. This could work. It is the best anyone has come up with for awhile." Rack'tar said, looking between the 2 Jedi.
"Yes, I say we go for it!" Someone yelled in the back.
"The Jedi has a good suggestion, all in favor?" The room was filled with shouts.
"Then we begin at dawn." Retho said. That ended it. Slowly, the Re'dth cleared out. Obi-Wan grabbed me by my arm and hauled me over to a quiet corner. I sighed, knowing what was coming.
"Have you gone mad?! What if they catch onto you?"
"They won't."
"Kadi, how do you know this will even work. You've never tried something on this large of a scale before!"
"Obi, I know you are worried, but I have to do this. Its the only way."
"I know. Just.....be careful."
"Hey, I'm always careful." He let out this half snort. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Kadi, when it comes to careful, you aren't it."
"Well, I'm closer to it than you!" I shot back. We stared at each other for a moment, before grins broke out on our faces. Suddenly he chuckled slightly.
"What?"
"Since when can you sing?"
Chapter 23
I looked around the lush garden, confused. Where was I? Looking down, I noticed I was in my Jedi robes instead of the disguise. What was going on?
"Welcome Katie. Or should I say Kadi-Wan." I spun around to see a human about Qui-Gon's age standing there. He had shoulder length black hair and a kind face. How come he looked familiar? He took a step closer. "Here, let me help." Suddenly, an memory quickly popped into my mind. It was a dream I had had a couple years ago, before I had met Obi-Wan. I smiled, remembering.
"Master Quegrtan!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around him in an embrace. It was so good to see him again, even if I had just remembered knowing him. He was the one who had trained me in my sleep when I was younger and that was why some of the basic training had seemed so familiar. I stepped back and looked around. "So, I'm dreaming?"
"Yes, you are. Listen, Kadi. I don't have much time left to speak with you." I noticed his eyes suddenly become solemn. "You and Obi-Wan are going to face something that could lead to the distruction of the entire order tomorrow. It will be dangerous, VERY dangerous. All I can tell you is that remember what you have learned." I noticed he was begining to fade. Actually, everything was.
"Wait, don't go. Not yet."
"I'm sorry Kadi." He placed a hand on my forehead and I felt myself drifting off to sleep. "You won't remember any of this in the morning. Except this. You strength is within. Remember that, even though you cannot remember me..." The voice faded away, leaving me to a peaceful darkness. "The strength is within."
Chapter 24
I paced nervously back and forth in the room, waiting for Rack'tar to return. Once he did, we would leave for the palace and I would be alone. Obi-Wan wouldn't be able to help. He had to stay and wait for my signal, if I was able to pull this off at all. Suddenly, the door slid open. I jumped, expecting it to be Rack'tar. In walked Obi-Wan, a glum look on his face. He looked at me for a moment.
"You can still back out, you know. They'd understand." He said quietly, silently begging me not to do this.
"Obi, I have to do this. If it works out, we'll avoid alot of deaths." I sighed.
"Yes, I understand." He looked around the room for a moment, then back at me. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes....no.....I don't know. Last night, something happened. Something I can't explain." A look of concern crossed his face.
"What is it?"
"I had a dream last night. I know I did. There was a man. He was very familiar, but that's all I can remember. He told me something and its in the back of my mind. But whenever I try to reach for whatever it was about, or who it is, its like something keeps me away. Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just going mad." I rubbed a hand across my face, the stress of what I was about to do catching up with me. Obi-Wan stepped closer to me.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure its nothing. You have to concentrate on the moment." I made a face at him.
"You are beginning to sound like my master." He pretended to look horrified.
"Sith, I am!" Suddenly, the door slid open for a second time. This time, it was Rack-tar.
"Come, it is time to go. We must be out of the town before the sun rises." I nodded and he disappeared back outside, leaving us to our privacy. I turned to Obi-Wan.
"Well, I guess this is it."
"Yes." He suddenly pulled me into a hug. I returned it, slightly shocked. "I have a bad feeling about this." He whispered softly. I couldn't help but smile. There it was. His trademark statement. I was surprised it had taken this long. I pulled back so I could look him in the eyes.
"Obi-Wan, you always have a bad feeling about the missions. I promise I won't take any risks and will try to stay in contact." I picked up my bag and slung it over my shoulder. "Take care of Mokee for me. See you soon, Obi." With that, I slid out of the room.
Chapter 25
"I must leave you here. If I go any farther with you, they'll spot me and get suspicious. Now, you know what you must do?"
"Yes." I replied confidently, looking at the road ahead and the palace towers just in view. "I remember."
"Good. Then we will be waiting for the signal. Good luck, Kadi-Wan Kenobi. Our future lies in your hands." Did he have to put it that way?
"I promise I won't fail." Probably shouldn't have said that. "I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded, then started back for the town. He had alot of preperations to do. With a deep breath, I started down the road in the opposite direction. There was no turning back.
*****
The towers seemed to suddenly rise up above me. I was finally able to get a good look at it. It was a large, white building with amazing towers on its 5 corners. Fancy designs made of gold covered the walls, making the whole building seem to glow. It hurt to look at it for a long time. On closer inspection, I noticed the walls were made of a tough, slippery stone. It would be impossible for anyone to climb up to the blaconies and the doors obviously had force fields around them. No wonder they didn't have a force field covering the whole building. It was completely break-in proof. That was my job.
"Ok Padawan, move it." I whispered to myself. Striding towards the door, I pushed the button that would signal that I was at the door. I instantly noticed a small surviellance camera focus on me, but pretended not to notice. It was only because of my Jedi training that I had noticed it at all. I was supposed to be a normal human, who wouldn't noticed the nearly invisible camera. A hole in the door suddenly popped open and a round droid shot out.
"What do you want?" It demanded in a deep, gruff voice in basic. I tried to hide my shock. A rude droid? Someone must have messed with its programming.
"Please tell his royal highness, King Tersert, that Princess Minairesa wishes an audience with him." I said, trying to sound regal. It stared at me a moment, before popping back into his hole. I felt like I was the biggest idiot in the whole galaxy. Here I had everythign planned and I forgot to think of a name to give them. Now I was pretending to be some princess I had only learned about several weeks ago. Unfortunately, I had forgotten alot about her. I waited. Nothing happened. Just as I was about to turn away, the doors slowly began to open. A Re'dth dressed in fancy garb quickly approached me as I entered the building.
"If your royalness will follow me, I will show you to the king's audience chamber. He is awaiting your prescence." He said with a low bow. I felt awkward as I followed him. Usually, I was the one doing the bowing. The Re'dth led me into a gigantic room, covered in different colors. It was amazing. I almost stopped in my tracks and gazed like an idiot at the magnificent pictures of the different places on Re'th'car. In front of me was a long, red carpet that led to a throne on which another Re'dth sat, a crown made of pure gold resting on his head. Straightening up, I walked down the carpet towards the throne. I tried to walk gracefully and carry myself with a regal air like I had seen the Princesses of other worlds do, but it was harder than it looked. I was used to walking in long, confident strides. I was sure I looked funny, strutting down the aisle. Finally, I reached the base of the throne. The king stood up.
"Ah, Princess Minairesa, I must say I was surprised to hear of your arrival. We weren't expecting you for another day at least." My face paled. WHAT!?!? "Are you alright? You seem pale."
"Yes. I'm not used to traveling by foot. It seems to have taken its toll on me." I quickly lied, trying to sound fatigued.
"Wqwe, take the Princess to her quarters. We'll discuss the treaty in the morning."
*****
"If there is anything else your highness needs, just call."
"I will, thank you." I hastily said, then turned to look at the gigantic room I had been given. But the room was the last thing on my mind. I calmly walked across the room and threw my bag on the floor. I felt like banging my head against something. Luckily, I was able to stop myself in time.
"Out of all the princesses in the galaxy, I just had to pick the one they were expecting." I muttered. I couldn't believe it.
I just COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! What would happen if the princess showed up early tomorrow? Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! This would teach me to pay attention to class from now on. Not only was I supposed to portray a person I didn't even know about, but I was going to have to discuss a treaty as well. Why me? WHY ME?!
What had I done to deserve this?
Chapter 26
I looked up as the alarm on the door chimed. Quickly standing up, I walked over, punching the doorpad. Wqwe stood there, some sort of clothing draped over his arm. He bowed then held out the clothes.
"His royal highness requests that you join him for dinner. Here is your evening gown." He thrust the gown into my arms, then bowed again.
"Evening gown? I didn't bring-" I stopped myself abruptly. What if Princess Minairesa had sent clothes ahead. I noticed the servant was giving me a strange, suspicious look. I cleared my throat and tried to sound as regal as possible. "Thank you." With that, I quickly closed the door. Leaning briefly against the door, I took a deep breath.
If I messed up like that during dinner.....
No, I couldn't think that way. I had to focus on the moment. A grin came to my face. I had never thought I would actually be telling myself that.
Shaking my head slightly, I walked over to the bed and lay the clothes on the bed. Unwrapping the clothes, I let out a small gasp. Gently, I lifted the dress up and looked it over. It was absolutely beautiful. It was pure white, so white that it seemed to shine. There were several designs in a beautiful blue color on the front of the dress. Walking over to the mirror, I held the dress up to me. It looked like it would fit perfectly.
*****
I quickly walked down the hall towards the dining hall.
Now I remembered why I had always hated dresses. You couldn't run in them. And the heels I was wearing were just killing my feet. I would probably be lame by morning.
Finally, I came to the large doors. Stopping, I smoothed down the dress and my hair. I didn't want to look like I had been running. I doubted princesses did that. Taking a deep breath, I straightened up and walked in.
The room was huge! There was a large banquet table in the middle, surrounded by courtiers. Nervously, I walked up to the king and courtesied. The king nodded, then motioned for me to sit at his left side. I gracefully sat down, studying how the other women behaved without making it look like it.
This was definitely going to be interesting.
Chapter 27
I studied the bowl placed before me, trying to figure out what in the galaxy was in it. The soup was a vile greenish-yellowish color. The smell was absolutely nauseating!
I glanced around, noticing that everyone else had already started. Not wanting to offend the king, which might ruin my cover, I picked up one of the many spoons by the bowl and slowly scooped up a small bit of the soup. I'm sure I saw something move in my spoon. Trying not to shudder, I looked at it once more before glupping it down.
It took all my training not to spit it out all over the table. I was surprised I was able to keep a neutral look on my face.
Imagine the worst, most disgusting thing you've ever tasted.
Now multiply it by 100. It should give you an idea of what the soup tasted like.
I set down my spoon. If I ate anymore, I wouldn't be able to keep it down. I wasn't sure what to do. It could cause trouble if I left everything uneaten. My eyes quickly scanned the table.
The punch bowl wouldn't work. Someone would notice. My small wine glass wouldn't hold it all.
Suddenly, I noticed a droid walking my way. He was carrying a large tray of empty dishes.
That would work.
Using the Force, I made a wine glass on the opposite side of the table fall off onto the ground. It shattered into a million tiny pieces, making a loud noise in the progress. Everyone jerked in shock and looked towards the sound for a moment. It was all the time I needed. I quickly levitated my bowl onto the tray just as the servant passed me and replaced it with one of the empty ones. Just as I was setting the empty bowl down, one of the courtiers looked right at me. I grabbed the bowl and set it down, smiling sweetly at him. He studied me for a moment, suspicion in his eyes. I pretended not to notice. My heart was beating fast.
Had he seen anything? Did he suspect? Finally, he looked away. I let out a small sigh of relief. That had been way too close. A small smile made its way onto my face. At least the soup was gone. Another droid came by, quickly removing the dirty plates. Then a servant approached abd placed a plate before me, looking even worse than the soup.
I felt like crying.
Chapter 28
The king sat back in his chair with a sigh, then let out a long, rather loud burp. I tried not to stare in disgust.
"That was delicious." He said, patting his stomache contentedly. I nodded, trying not to look relieved that it was over. The night had definitely been interesting. I had spent most of the time trying to get rid of the different courses, which had all turned out to be absolutely disgusting.
The courtier next to me wound up with twice as much slop. The large chandelier was now laced with spagehti like pasta. The meat had convieniently sunk to the bottom of the punch bowl, looking like large ice cubes, and the buns were stuck to the bottom of the table with what I had guessed was supposed to be butter. I had never seen blue butter before. I felt sorry for whoever was in charge of cleaning.
"Your palace is beautiful." I commented. It was time for me to start the plan. The king's chest puffed out in pride as he stood up.
"Its the best in the galaxy!" He exclaimed. I tried not to grin. He was falling for it. "Come, I will personally give you the grand tour."
Yes!
"Thank you, your majesty." I said, nodding my head gracefully. He held out an arm, which I reluctantly took, then led me out of the hall.
Chapter 29
"And now to my greatest achievement." He motioned for me to get into a hover car that was parked outside the door we had just exited. Motioning for me to sit beside him, he then signaled the pilot to go. We zoomed through the air, the warm breeze pushing my hair back.
I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling. Then, as quickly as we had started, the car stopped. I noticed we were still in the air. The king stood up and looked over the side, grinning from ear to ear.
I joined him, then almost gasped in horror. We were right over the camp where all the Jedi were being held. I had seen it before but hadn't been able to see it as well as I could now. I could sense their anguish and fatigue. Tears came to my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.
"I, King Tersert, have managed where others have failed. I have managed to enslave the entire Jedi order. They are no longer free to meddle in others affairs. Now, they are my property!"
I felt my anger begin to grow. How could he enjoy their suffering?!
"Hate leads to suffering, hate leads to suffering." I murmured under my breath. The king looked at me.
"What did you say?"
"H-how do you manage to keep them in control? I'm surprised they have not rallied yet. I have heard the Jedi Masters, especially the Council, are quite strong."
"Ah, yes. That is one wy some have failed." He let out a laugh. "You see, I have seperated the strongest and most rebellious from the rest. If any of the Jedi try to ecape, they will be killed."
"So you have a guard watch each and every one of them?"
"No. That would take too many men. I ingeniously have invented a device which had been hooked up to each of my hostages. If any one of the Jedi removes its inhibitor or I signal it, the device will kill them in less than 5 minutes. Clever, no?"
"Very." I managed to say, keeping my voice neutral. He smiled again.
"Well, as enjoyable as this is, we must head back. We have a long day tomorrow."
Chapter 30
I gazed sadly out the window of my room, towards the camp. It was so hard to know that they were suffering at the moment, while I was safe and cozy in the palace.
I glanced at a chrono. 11:00 It was time to put the next part of my plan into action. I quickly slipped into black pants, tunic, and cape. Rack'tar had given them to me before I left. Grabbing my lightsaber, I silently slid out of the room.
Everything was dark. The only light came from the many stained glass windows, giving the corridor an air of mystery. And down right creepiness. Luckily, I had memorized how to get from place to place during the tour. I didn't even want to think what I would have done if the king hadn't given me a tour.
Finally, I arrived at my destination. It was one of the doors I had seen early. A quieter part of the palace where the servants wouldn't notice anything wrong. I quickly looked in both directions to see if anyone was coming. This had to be quick. If someone approached, I wouldn't be able to sense them.
Seeing noone around, I unscrewed the door control panel. Lifting the panel off quietly, I gazed at the jumble of wires. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to focus. If I did this right, unhooking the wires in the right order, the laser protecting the door would shut off without anyone noticing. One tiny mistake and I would activate an alarm.
'Ok, stop it Kadi.' I thought to myself. 'You're only making yourself nervous. And time is running short.' It was dangerous to stay in the same place for too long.
Taking another deep breath, I pulled out one of the wires, unhooking it. Holding it in one hand, I undid another wire. Wire after wire unhooked from the panel. Finally, the last one came off. Screwing the panel back on, I stuffed the wires into my pack, then breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank you Obi-Wan.
He was the one who had told me how to do it. We had practiced on one of the doors in the hideout, but that still hadn't made it any less nerve racking.
Quickly glancing around once again, I took off down the hall.
One down, five more doors and windows to go.
Chapter 31
I couldn't help but grin as I replaced the last pannel onto the wall. The first half of hte plan was finally finished! Stuffing the wires into my now bulging bag, I started to head back to my room.
As I headed though the palace, something suddenly caught my attention. The Force seemed to be pushing me towards another part of the palace, practically in the opposite direction as my room. Seeing as I still had some time left, I followed it.
The beautifully painted walls began to turn into gray, stone ones. The stained glass windows became fewer and fewer until there were no windows at all. I pulled the cape tighter around me. The temperature had dropped. Everything was cold. Finally, I came to a door. In large, bold letters, the words Authorized Personel Only was written in basic on the front. Looking at the lock, I managed to slowly break the code using the Force. Slowly, I pushed the door open, praying noone was inside. Luck was on my side that day because it was empty. I stopped and stared at the large, circular room. Cells lined the wall. Creeping over the the first one, I peered in...and slapped my hand over my mouth to keep from making a sound.
It was one of the Council members. Adi Gallia. She was bound to the back of the cell with metal binders. If you could even call it a cell, it was more like a closet. Glancing at the panel, I knew there was no way I could deactivate the laser shield without setting off some kind of alarm. And I didn't want to use the Force. The sensors were probably sensitive to it also.
Looking closer, I saw a weird, thin collar that attached to the wall was around her neck. I'm not sure how, but I instantly knew what it was. The device that would kill them should anything happen. Looking once more at the unconscious master, I headed deeper into the room.
Ki-Adi Mundi, Plo Koon, Mace Windu, all of the Council members. There were also several masters I had never seen before. Suddenly, I stopped.
No, not them too. In 2 of the cellds stood Qui-Gon and my Master.
//Master!// I exclaimed through our bond before I could stop. Her eyes instantly flew open and she looked at me in shock.
"Padawan?" She whispered. I guessed the collar was also a Force-inhibitor.
"Yes Master. I promise to have you out soon. Obi-Wan and I-"
"No Kadi." I stepped back, shocked by her harshness. "I want you and your brother as far away from here as you can get."
"No." I replied firmly. The was not exactly how I had pictured our reunion. "I won't leave you."
"Padawan, thats an order." She said, a little bit louder.
"Its too late. The Re'dth are counting on me."
//Tomorrow they are going to attack. I need to provide a distraction so they can get in without notice.// I switched quickly to talking over our bond. I realized they might be recording whatever noise was in the room. Another mistake on my part. She looked at me for a moment in silence. I felt very uncomfortable. This was the first time I had defied her outright. She suddenly let out a sigh, closing her eyes. I glanced down at my wrist chrono. 5 am.
I had to get going. Looking up, I saw my master still had her eyes closed. Tears came to my eyes as I began to walk away.
"May the Force Be With You." I suddenly heard. I turned, smiling. She gave me a small smile in return.
Chapter 32
I felt something shake my shoulder. Groaning, I motioned for whoever it was to go away. It shook my shoulder again.
"Go away." I mumbled through the covers.
Nothing happened.
Whoever it was had finally left. I began to drift back to sleep.
A large cry filled the room. I sat straight up. With a happy mew, Mokee jumped into my lap.
"Mokee!" I yelled.
How had he gotten here?
I was sure he had been left back with Obi-Wan. I knew it hadn't seen him in my bag.
"What are you doing here?!"
Right before my eyes, he disappeared. I watched i amazement as footprints appeared, heading fot the edge of the bed. Focusing on them, I noticed the air seemed to move.
Mokee could camaflogue himself until he was completely invisible.
I let out a sigh as he plopped himself down on the ground and began to let out a sad wail. Sheaking my head, I got up and knelt down by his side.
"Shhh. I'm sorry. Its alright." I picked him up. "You should have stayed back at the house."
A sharp knock suddenly came from the door.
"Hide." I hissed to Mokee, jumping up. Mokee instantly disappeared, sensing the urgency of the situation.
I jumped up and quickly walked to the door.
There stood the same servant who had brought me the dress the night before. He once again held a bundle in his arms.
"Your closthes, your highness." I looked down in shock as he placed the clothes in my hands. I hadn't known they were missing.
If they had found....
"Or should I say Jedi." He hissed, pulling out a blaster. I backed away into the room. He followed, closing the door behind us.
"I knew there was something strange about you." I glanced around the room, searching for a way out.
"Are you looking for this?" He asked gleefully, pulling my lightsaber from the folds of his robe.
How could I have been so stupid? Of course they would have droids remove the dirty clothes in the morning. Every palace I had ever been to had.
"When I present you to the king, I'll be proclaimed a hero. I will probably get a promotion."
Out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly noticed part of the rug moving. Mokee!
"Yeowww!" The servant screamed. He looked down at his ankle, pointing the blaster at Mokee. My Jedi training turned on.
I grabbed the blaster, twisting it out of his grasp.
He stared at me in shock, then at the blaster pointed at his chest.
Just then, as I stared at him, I noticed purple splotches beginning to appear on his face. He seemed to shudder, then collapsed to the ground.
I looked down in shock at him. What had caused that?
Reaching down, I was relieved to find a pulse. He was alive.
A purr caught my attention.
Mokee was happily poking around the servants legs, sniffing them every once in awhile.
Wait a minute.
Mokee bit the servant right before he went down. I knelt down, moving Mokee aside. I pushed up his pants leg, to find two small marks where he had been bitten. The area had turned purple.
Mokee had some kind of venom.
Picking up my pet, I placed him on the bed, then looked around for somethign to tie the Re'dth up with.
Chapter 33
I quickly strode towards the throne room. It was time for the last part of the plan to be put into motion.
The servant was tied up in my room, hidden behind the bed. The wires had worked nicely as rope and gag. Mokee was now happily keeping an eye on him.
My lightsaber hung at my side, hidden in the folds of my clothing. Just in case.
Finally, I reached the large doors and entered into the throne room. The chatter between the courtiers stopped as I walked towards the throne. Something was wrong.
"Ah, your highness, we recieved a rather disturbing message this morning." He said. I tensed slightly. "It seems the princess, that is you, weren't supposed to show up today. As a matter of fact, I got a transmission that told me you weren't coming at all."
"That's ridiculous! As you can see, I am right here." I exclaimed, trying to sound shocked and outraged.
"Oh really. Then would you care to explain why you were seen in town several days ago walking into town with only a human boy as your escort? Or why you were see with Rack'tar, the leader of the Rebellious scum?" He stood up, dropping his disguise of friendliness.
"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the surveilance tape from the dugeon." I glanced behind me to see several guards moving behind me. My hand strayed over to where my lightsaber was hidden. "Nice try, you almost fooled me. But, like before, I will win. Jedi."
Everything happened at once. A loud war cry suddenly fill the air. I ignited my lightsaber. Hundreds of Re'dth streamed into the room from doors and windows. They even came through panels in the ceiling. Obi-Wan landed by my side, lightsaber ignited. Blaster bolts flew everywhere as we stood back to back, deflecting them.
"Right on time." I said, deflecting a potentially dangerous bolt from my head.
"You can thank me later. First we need to free everyone else." We managed to move out of the room towards the door. Finally, we were away from the fighting. I instantly began to run in the direction of the dungeon.
"Kadi, where are you going?" Obi-Wan asked. "The camp is that way." He didn't know.
"The Council and some Masters are being held in the dungeon. If the king triggers some device attached to them, it'll kill them. We have to free them first." He hesitated for a moment. "Obi. Our Masters are there also."
Chapter 34
Obi-Wan had made his decision instantly. We managed to run to the room without meeting any of the guards. They were probably fighting in the throne room.
Finally, we came to the Authorized Personel Only door. With Obi-Wan's help, the code was broken in a matter of seconds.
I felt Obi-Wan's shock when he saw the room. This time, though, all of the Masters were awake. I rushed over to my Master's cell and looked at the control panel, trying to figure out how to disable it without triggering the device. I was hesitant to use the Force.
Looking over at Obi-Wan, I saw he had come to the same conclusion. The Force could very possibly set it off.
//What should we do?// I asked as we backed up to the middle of the room.
//I don't know.// He admitted, looking around the room, as if something would give him a clue.
Suddenly, a blaster sounded in the room. I felt a sharp pain in my back, then fell to the ground.
"Kad-" Another blaster shot hit Obi-Wan in the chest. He fell beside me with a thud.
The king walked over to us.
"Goodbye, Jedi." He said, holding out a small device. He punched a code into it, then destroyed it with his blaster. The lights began to flash red.
I knew what it was, even as the world began to dim.
Our masters had 5 minutes left in life.
We had even less.