Place: Gungan Camp, Swamps of Naboo




Amidala and the rest of us are waiting for the arrival of a group of Underground Resistance leaders in a small clearing which has been made into a temporary camp. Anakin was given the 'important' job by Amidala to wait with a fellow Gungan and watch for them. A little while ago, Amidala hesitantly walked up to me. I turned to her and bowed slightly. I was surprised when I noticed the pained look that flashed across her face. She gently took my arm and began to walk. I walked with her, hesitating only slightly when we stepped aboard the ship and walked to the personal quarters of the Queen, but then I proceeded. It was a beautiful place, reflecting Amidala's obvious taste. I waited for Amidala as she walked into the next room, looking about me. Several statues rested in places of honor, many beautiful paintings peppered the wall. The walls were a pale, shimmery blue, the floor a soft carpet of a darker midnight blue.



Finally I heard her voice call me into the next room. I walked in hesitantly, my eyes looking around at this next room. It seemed that there were hundreds of dresses all around the room, each one more elaborate than the other. The the color of this room was different. The walls were a vibrant red, the floors an equally stained marble. Amidala motioned to me and I complied. She then held up an outfit to me, one that in fact was the same design as the one she and her handmaidens wore. "If it is too big I think I can fix it, but I don't think it will be a problem. Why don't you try it on?" She said, pointing towards another small room. I glanced at it, then at her eager eyes. I couldn't refuse. I complied. The outfit was a little big, but nothing so bad that it needed repairing.



Amidala looked at me with pleased eyes and requested that I turn around so she could see. I did so, feeling strange with the velvety fabric soft against my skin. She turned down a collar that had come up and smiled. "Is it going to be alright?" She asked. I nodded then dropped my head. "Pad-, your highness. You really don't have to do this." I said uncomfortably. Amidala looked up at me. "Listen, I am Amidala. Not your highness. Right here and now I am really no longer a Queen. The Trade Federation has taken that from me. But when I regain it, you may still call me Amidala. I don't want you to think that you have to bow to me. We are equals." I stared at her in shock. "Equals? You a Queen, and I a slave. Equals? Amidala have you lost your mind?" I asked. Amidala simply smiled and chuckled. "No I haven't. That is how I regard you and I because we both fight for what we believe in. You and I. You fight for your freedom, and I fight for my freedom and my world, my people. We are the same in different ways. You musn't refuse the clothes either. I wish for you to have them." She insisted.




I looked down at the soft folds of the maroon velvet, at the boots she had provided, then back up at her. I nodded, giving in. "Very well. I accept it. It's just strange to me." I murmured. She didn't speak, but as I moved towards the door, she stuck her palm in the air. I stared at it, then looked up at her determined face, and gently placed my palm against hers. "No matter what, station or not, we will still remain friends." She said firmly. "I thank you for your friendship Elaina." She said quietly. I had to blink back inevitable tears. It was the first time that I had actually had someone profess and show me that they desired to be my true friend. "And I thank you for your friendship, Amidala." I whispered. Her arm gently went around me and drew me into a small embrace. "I thank you so much." I whispered.



When we finally emerged, we were all smiles and laughter. The soldiers looked to us with a curious look, then looked away. "How well do you know the Jedi?" Amidala asked. I shrugged. "No deep dark secrets. Why?" I asked. "Because it seems to me that the younger Jedi, Obi-Wan is it? He seems to watch you very closely." She whispered. I looked to my left and saw that it was true. He was looking at me, then he smiled and turned away. I frowned and stretched out to touch his feelings. They were blocked. I shook my head and turned back to Amidala. "What do you think?" She shook her head. "If he wasn't a Jedi, I'd say that he might have feelings for you." She said, before turning away as a yell came to our ears.



"They're here! The soldiers are here!" Anakin yelled as he ran in, almost out of breath. Just behind him, several landspeeders full of Naboo soldiers sped up to us. Amidala smiled, then turned to us, ready to outline her plan. I leaned up against a nearby tree, listening carefully. But as I listened, I slowly slipped into an unconsciousness as a vision came upon me. A dark hallway, lit only by a few lights, an astromech droid, a girl hunched in front of him. She looked at him, sighed shakily and began to speak. As she spoke she gestured helplessly. I could not hear her words, but I sensed the anxiety in her actions. She turned around and pressed a button on the astromech droid as yet another droid approached, this one a protocol droid. She looked at him, then crept into the depths of the shadows behind her. She leaned up against the wall, drawing the blaster from behind her. Her face was pale, but calm, her brown eyes worried and determined. There was something about those eyes, something that I had seen before. But before I could respond, the vision had faded quietly from my mind. I was glad that it had not been a painful vision like my last, for with all the people around, I know I would have worried them.



I looked around, anxious to discover what was going on. Apparently Qui-Gon agreed to her plan, but Obi-Wan seemed hesitant. "If you fail to get the Viceroy they will soon take control of you. And they will bring another droid army." He said warningly. "That is why we must not fail to get the Viceroy. Everything depends on it." Amidala said, giving Obi-Wan a meaningful look. I nodded and looked around, then stopped, my gaze backtracking to R2-D2. It was him. He was the astromech droid in the vision. Then was he part of the past or future? And the protocol droid. Had he been been stripped of his outer covering he would look somewhat like C-3PO. Somewhat, but. I glanced at Anakin. He was staring at Amidala seriously, listening eagerly at what was to occur. I wished that he shared in my visions. Perhaps he could make some sense out of them. Better than I could.



It was then that I began to feel afraid. really afraid. Would I live or die? I wish that I could see through my visions if I would survive. But no. I had seen their patterns. They came only at unexpected times. They would not help me this time. I would have to rely on my instincts and on my own will to survive. I couldn't think. Perhaps it would have been better if I had just stayed on Tatooine. I could tell that Anakin wasn't afraid, and neither was anyone else. Qui-Gon, Amidala, Obi-Wan, they were all confident that they would succeed. They weren't worried.



I needed to talk to someone. At this point I was ready to talk to anyone. Qui-Gon, Amidala and Anakin were all busy so I couldn't confide in them. I turned around. Obi-Wan wasn't. I wondered what he would do if I told him that I was afraid. Would he laugh, knowing that I wasn't as brave as I said or made out to be. I decided to take my chances. I walked slowly up to Obi-Wan.



Obi-Wan must have seen my tentative step or the fear in my eyes as I approached, but either way his eyes and face were filled with a softness I had never seen before. "Obi-Wan, can I speak with you about something?" His eyes were so soft as I spoke timidly, his face filled with true concern. He reached out his hand for me to take as he spoke. "Certainly. Come with me." He then led me away from our group over towards the edge of the camp. He sat down on a fallen tree and it was here that I took my place beside him. He sat there patiently, waiting for me to speak. "Obi-Wan," I began feebly, then gathering courage. "Obi-Wan, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of something happening to me or to Qui-Gon, Anakin, Amidala, or even you! I don't know if I have enough courage to join the rest of you to, to fight this war." I said resolutely. "Elaina," The voice that spoke was not teasing or rude, simply kind, even understanding. "Elaina, I've seen how much courage you have. I've heard of it too. It takes courage to watch your own brother die, to know that it was your own father who did it, to live as a slave unjustly for so long. The way you stood up to Yoda." He laughed softly and I blushed as we remembered that incident with the Jedi Council.



"All that takes courage Elaina, and patience. You've got enough courage to do all those things and still fight for what you believe in, going so far as to stand up to me and be correct in your challenges." He said, embarrasement slighly echoeing in his voice. "You have enough courage and spirit to get through almost anything. And I promise that in this coming battle, I will try and protect you from harm as much as I am able." As he looked at me, his own strength and fire burning brightly in his eyes, I began to wonder if this was the same Obi-Wan I had first met. We both seemed to have grown up in a matter of days, gaining wisdom and courage with it. Then gently, his hand rested on mine. It was so soft that I almost didn't feel it until he applied pressure to my fingers. "I promise you." He whispered. I nodded, our eyes locked, almost in a trance.



But the trance was broken as a blonde head caught my vision. I squinted at the figure and the head quickly ducked down behind the bushes. Obi-Wan followed my line of sight and saw the small head as it ducked down once more. He smiled slightly and stood, his fingers now intertwined with my own. Curiously enough, it didn't feel strange to be standing there next to him, my hand in his. I remembered once thinking, when I was upset with him of course, that I'd rather die than touch his hand. But now, things have changed. It wasn't just because he reassured me. It was as if a bond was forged, a string unraveling from it's ball, traveling it's course. "Just remember what I said Elaina." He said, his voice low. I nodded and we slowly released our hold on each other's hands as we walked back to the camp.



As we got into the camp, Obi-Wan left to speak with Qui-Gon, leaving me alone. "Ahem." I turned towards the noise. There leaning against the ship, was Anakin, eyebrows raised, looking at me expectantly. I walked over to him. "What?" I asked. "I think you should know what." He said accusingly. I shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about Anakin. What's wrong?" A crafty look spread over Anakin's face. "I think that a certain person that I know likes a certain Jedi Knight." He said, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "I have no reason not to like Obi-Wan. He's agreeable most of the time and when he wants to he can be quite kind," Ani cut me off with a waving motion with his hand.. "No, no, no. Not like that. In another way." I felt my cheeks growing red hot as I saw what Anakin was implying.



What infuriated me the most was that he was right. I realized it now, that the emotions I had felt only a moment ago that still ached in my heart, was love. But I couldn't let Anakin know that. If Anakin knew and he blabbed. I couldn't think of how embarrassed I would be if this came to pass. "Anakin Skywalker, you are walking on dangerous ground." I warned. Anakin shrugged. "No need to be threatening. I was just using that little interlude for evidence." He said, beginning to bat his eyelashes at me winningly. "I warned you Anakin!" I yelled running toward him. Anakin, seeing my intentions dashed away, laughing merrily at my rage. I chased him round and round the camp, trying to get a hold of him.



The Gungans stared at us, their wide mouths agape. As we rushed past Qui-Gon, he quickly put his hand to his mouth while Obi-Wan cracked a half-smile. Finally I managed to grab a hold of his tunic. He looked up at me pleadingly. "Okay! Okay! I give! I'm sorry! I'll never talk about it again!" He pleaded. I eyed him. "Promise?" I asked. "Cross my heart." Anakin said. I let him go. "Very well, but see that you don't." Anakin grinned and nodded, tracing a cross over his heart. "Come on everyone! now is the time to act!" Anakin and I both looked in the direction of Amidala. She was standing on some crates, using them as a platform. As the crowd cheered she hopped down into a landspeeder. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed her, settling into the back seats. I realized that it was time. I couldn't avoid it. I ran towards the landspeeder and climbed in, with Anakin on my heels.