Chapter 1
A Job Unfinished
Theed Palace/Naboo
The main hall leading to the council room was long and luxurious. Anakin Skywalker marvelled at the size of it and it's breath taking beauty. At some points he had to stop to take in the intricate carvings upon the pillars that someone would normally miss if they simply walked by. It was at these times that Obi-Wan Kenobi would pause and catch his young charges attention.
"Anakin, if you keep stopping to gaze at the support structures of the palace then we shall never get to the Queen. And she will wonder where her two Jedi protectors have gotten to."
Anakin turned and walked towards his master. "But Obi-Wan, the details the Neimoidians put into even the smallest things are just so, so...wizard!"
Obi-Wan sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, I agree with you Anakin, but now is not the time to admire such things, the Queen has summond us and we need to be prompt. We are leaving in two days to return to Coruscant so we must pay heed to her wishes, she might have some important instructions for us before we part."
"Yes, Master." Anakin said as they resumed their trek down the hall.
The hall was mostly deserted except for the two guards stationed before the audience chamber doors. Upon seeing the Jedi Knight and his pupil one of the guards used her comlink to signal security inside the chamber. An answering signal came from within indicating that the doors were to be opened. It was no surprise that the added security around the Queen was put in place. It was to be expected after the events of the past month. The double doors swung open revealing the extravegant interior of the audience chamber. The advisors to the Queen including Govoner Sio Bibble sat on comfortable seats in a semi-circle with the Queen's seat at the center. Captain Panaka stood as always by the Queen on her right side, another guard stood to her left. And two others stood by the interior doors. Other guards totaling five had various postions around the room.
Obi-Wan and Anakin entered into the room and approached the Queen. They both preceded to bow gracefully then stand before her.
Queen Amidala was wearing one of her less decorative outfits this evening, it was a white dress that had feathers of black circling her neck and smaller ones around the cuffs. Her hair was done up in a simple braid that ran down her back. Her face, usually painted had only red dye upon her lips and a spot under each eye. She smiled as the two they finished their welcoming bows. Her manner had gotten less formal since the end of the conflict with the Trade Federation. She had given up her monotone form of speech and rarely used her decoys of late, at least not within the Palace's walls. During this time of peace and rebuilding she did not find it nessasary to keep up false pretense.
"Master Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, I am pleased you were able to meet with me. I realize that soon you will be departing our planet and I just wanted to thank-you once more for all that you have done for me and the people of Naboo. We are forever in your debt and that of the Jedi Council."
"Your Majesty." Obi-Wan started. "As I've said before, no thanks is nesssary, I was pleased to help you and your people and would gladly do so again without hesitation. And let me further say that your hospitality has been most flatering and my student and I will be sorry to take our leave."
The young Queen smiled. "Know that you and your student will always be welcomed here. Please consider this your second home."
"We will Your Majesty."
"I will your Majesty" said Anakin.
Queen Amidala's radiant smile shone forth. "That is good to hear. The next two days will be busy as we entertain the senators of the New Republic who want to see what all the fuss was about. Most of them had not even seen what Naboo looks like so now they come like curious onlookers after an accident. So I will be quite busy which is why I wanted to speak to you one last time in case an opportunity did not present itself later."
"We understand completely Your Majesty, and let me assure you that we will not feel neglected at that time, I know well that the arena of politics can be just as deadly as the arena of battle" Obi-Wan said with a smirk. The audience chamber hummed from the chuckle given to Obi-Wan by the advisors.
Amidala herself giggled at this, revealing just how much this regal queen was still just a girl inside. "Good." She said. "Then I hope your two remaining days with us will be pleasant. I bid you a good night."
The Jedi Knight and Padawan bowed once again, turned and headed for the door. As they waited for the guards to open the chamber doors Anakin quickly glanced back at Queen Amidala, she smiled and gave a little wave with her fingers. Anakin smiled and gave a secret wave back. The two exited the chamber.
As they walked, Anakin looked up to his master. "I'm going to miss her."
"I know Anakin, I'm well aware how close you have gotten to her. However you knew this moment would come, so you had plenty of time to prepare for this. And I'm sure you'll meet her again, one day. The Force works in mysterious ways, trust in it."
Anakin nodded then looked around and caught a glimpse of a mosaic landscape upon a wall. Obi-Wan continued for another five paces before he noticed his distracted pupil wasn't beside him anymore. "Oh, Anakin."
Outside in the courtyard the air was chill. Fall was fast approaching this part of the world and the palace guards were feeling the effects of it. A pair of them one man and one woman were standing upon a rampart, the man blew into his hands.
Galen turned to his partner. "So what are the chances of you running to the kitchen and getting us both a cafe, huh Lyssah?"
The dark skinned woman chuckled. "I'm not the one who forgot his gloves, suffer sweetie."
"You are a cruel, cruel woman." Galen rubbed his hands vigorusly.
Lyssah smiled, but then suddenly her smile turned to one of shock. Galen stopped rubbing his hands and stared at her as she collapsed at his feet, a small needle-like object embedded in the back of her neck. Galen put his hand to his blaster and the other was reaching for his comlink when a small thin cord looped around his neck and was pulled taut. His air was cut off as he felt a knee jab into his lower back and the cord pull his head back. He forgot about his blaster and tried to slip his fingers between the cord and his throat, but it was too late, his vision blurred and his surrondings drowned in blackness.
The cord was slipped off his neck and placed back into a small pouch on the assailants waist. The intruder then quickly disposed of her grappling hook she used to climb the wall a few yards away from where the guards stood. The alloy of the hook enabled it to be silent when it was thrown and caught on the rampart's edge. The woman in the tight red jumpsuit surveyed her surrondings and quickly made a decision. The next set of guards would discover the bodies in 22.5 minutes. Plenty of time to do her deed and get out.
She hurried down a flight of stairs and ran along the walls of the courtyard. Two other guards were approaching her from the west, there was a walkway above her about twelve feet overhead. An impossible jump for most but not for her. She leapt up and neatly caught the edge of the enclosed walkways stone rail. She hoisted herself up and in through the window arch, landing with the silent grace of a Dantooineian Tiger. For a moment the clouds parted allowing a beam of moonlight to pass over the intruder's form. She was a humanoid, slim but fit and her stance suggested that she was trained in some form of discipline. At her waist she carried a cylindrical object and two hold-out blasters. Numerous pouches also ringed her slender waist carrying who knows what deadly objects. Her skin that was visible only by her arms and head was chalk-white. Although her eyes sockets had a darker hue, whether that was natural or not is known only to her. The only hair upon her head was was colored red and was done up in a ponytail that first went up then spilled down to the nape of her neck.
Aurra Sing straightened and checked her holo map located on her wrist. The Queen's bed chamber was five levels up and to the southwest. She figured it would take her 12.3 minutes to get in there and do her job. Bounty hunting was her usual stock and trade but tonight her priorities were different.
Tonight Aurra Sing was an assassin and her target was the Queen of Naboo.
Next: Chapter 2 "A Step Ahead of Death"
A Job Unfinished
Theed Palace/Naboo
The main hall leading to the council room was long and luxurious. Anakin Skywalker marvelled at the size of it and it's breath taking beauty. At some points he had to stop to take in the intricate carvings upon the pillars that someone would normally miss if they simply walked by. It was at these times that Obi-Wan Kenobi would pause and catch his young charges attention.
"Anakin, if you keep stopping to gaze at the support structures of the palace then we shall never get to the Queen. And she will wonder where her two Jedi protectors have gotten to."
Anakin turned and walked towards his master. "But Obi-Wan, the details the Neimoidians put into even the smallest things are just so, so...wizard!"
Obi-Wan sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, I agree with you Anakin, but now is not the time to admire such things, the Queen has summond us and we need to be prompt. We are leaving in two days to return to Coruscant so we must pay heed to her wishes, she might have some important instructions for us before we part."
"Yes, Master." Anakin said as they resumed their trek down the hall.
The hall was mostly deserted except for the two guards stationed before the audience chamber doors. Upon seeing the Jedi Knight and his pupil one of the guards used her comlink to signal security inside the chamber. An answering signal came from within indicating that the doors were to be opened. It was no surprise that the added security around the Queen was put in place. It was to be expected after the events of the past month. The double doors swung open revealing the extravegant interior of the audience chamber. The advisors to the Queen including Govoner Sio Bibble sat on comfortable seats in a semi-circle with the Queen's seat at the center. Captain Panaka stood as always by the Queen on her right side, another guard stood to her left. And two others stood by the interior doors. Other guards totaling five had various postions around the room.
Obi-Wan and Anakin entered into the room and approached the Queen. They both preceded to bow gracefully then stand before her.
Queen Amidala was wearing one of her less decorative outfits this evening, it was a white dress that had feathers of black circling her neck and smaller ones around the cuffs. Her hair was done up in a simple braid that ran down her back. Her face, usually painted had only red dye upon her lips and a spot under each eye. She smiled as the two they finished their welcoming bows. Her manner had gotten less formal since the end of the conflict with the Trade Federation. She had given up her monotone form of speech and rarely used her decoys of late, at least not within the Palace's walls. During this time of peace and rebuilding she did not find it nessasary to keep up false pretense.
"Master Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, I am pleased you were able to meet with me. I realize that soon you will be departing our planet and I just wanted to thank-you once more for all that you have done for me and the people of Naboo. We are forever in your debt and that of the Jedi Council."
"Your Majesty." Obi-Wan started. "As I've said before, no thanks is nesssary, I was pleased to help you and your people and would gladly do so again without hesitation. And let me further say that your hospitality has been most flatering and my student and I will be sorry to take our leave."
The young Queen smiled. "Know that you and your student will always be welcomed here. Please consider this your second home."
"We will Your Majesty."
"I will your Majesty" said Anakin.
Queen Amidala's radiant smile shone forth. "That is good to hear. The next two days will be busy as we entertain the senators of the New Republic who want to see what all the fuss was about. Most of them had not even seen what Naboo looks like so now they come like curious onlookers after an accident. So I will be quite busy which is why I wanted to speak to you one last time in case an opportunity did not present itself later."
"We understand completely Your Majesty, and let me assure you that we will not feel neglected at that time, I know well that the arena of politics can be just as deadly as the arena of battle" Obi-Wan said with a smirk. The audience chamber hummed from the chuckle given to Obi-Wan by the advisors.
Amidala herself giggled at this, revealing just how much this regal queen was still just a girl inside. "Good." She said. "Then I hope your two remaining days with us will be pleasant. I bid you a good night."
The Jedi Knight and Padawan bowed once again, turned and headed for the door. As they waited for the guards to open the chamber doors Anakin quickly glanced back at Queen Amidala, she smiled and gave a little wave with her fingers. Anakin smiled and gave a secret wave back. The two exited the chamber.
As they walked, Anakin looked up to his master. "I'm going to miss her."
"I know Anakin, I'm well aware how close you have gotten to her. However you knew this moment would come, so you had plenty of time to prepare for this. And I'm sure you'll meet her again, one day. The Force works in mysterious ways, trust in it."
Anakin nodded then looked around and caught a glimpse of a mosaic landscape upon a wall. Obi-Wan continued for another five paces before he noticed his distracted pupil wasn't beside him anymore. "Oh, Anakin."
Outside in the courtyard the air was chill. Fall was fast approaching this part of the world and the palace guards were feeling the effects of it. A pair of them one man and one woman were standing upon a rampart, the man blew into his hands.
Galen turned to his partner. "So what are the chances of you running to the kitchen and getting us both a cafe, huh Lyssah?"
The dark skinned woman chuckled. "I'm not the one who forgot his gloves, suffer sweetie."
"You are a cruel, cruel woman." Galen rubbed his hands vigorusly.
Lyssah smiled, but then suddenly her smile turned to one of shock. Galen stopped rubbing his hands and stared at her as she collapsed at his feet, a small needle-like object embedded in the back of her neck. Galen put his hand to his blaster and the other was reaching for his comlink when a small thin cord looped around his neck and was pulled taut. His air was cut off as he felt a knee jab into his lower back and the cord pull his head back. He forgot about his blaster and tried to slip his fingers between the cord and his throat, but it was too late, his vision blurred and his surrondings drowned in blackness.
The cord was slipped off his neck and placed back into a small pouch on the assailants waist. The intruder then quickly disposed of her grappling hook she used to climb the wall a few yards away from where the guards stood. The alloy of the hook enabled it to be silent when it was thrown and caught on the rampart's edge. The woman in the tight red jumpsuit surveyed her surrondings and quickly made a decision. The next set of guards would discover the bodies in 22.5 minutes. Plenty of time to do her deed and get out.
She hurried down a flight of stairs and ran along the walls of the courtyard. Two other guards were approaching her from the west, there was a walkway above her about twelve feet overhead. An impossible jump for most but not for her. She leapt up and neatly caught the edge of the enclosed walkways stone rail. She hoisted herself up and in through the window arch, landing with the silent grace of a Dantooineian Tiger. For a moment the clouds parted allowing a beam of moonlight to pass over the intruder's form. She was a humanoid, slim but fit and her stance suggested that she was trained in some form of discipline. At her waist she carried a cylindrical object and two hold-out blasters. Numerous pouches also ringed her slender waist carrying who knows what deadly objects. Her skin that was visible only by her arms and head was chalk-white. Although her eyes sockets had a darker hue, whether that was natural or not is known only to her. The only hair upon her head was was colored red and was done up in a ponytail that first went up then spilled down to the nape of her neck.
Aurra Sing straightened and checked her holo map located on her wrist. The Queen's bed chamber was five levels up and to the southwest. She figured it would take her 12.3 minutes to get in there and do her job. Bounty hunting was her usual stock and trade but tonight her priorities were different.
Tonight Aurra Sing was an assassin and her target was the Queen of Naboo.
Next: Chapter 2 "A Step Ahead of Death"