Chapter Eleven


As they walked together, Obi-Wan leaned in close to Everett.
"Do you think the Queen's idea will work?" he asked.
She shrugged, "I do not think that the Gungans will be easily swayed, but I think they will see reason eventually." He nodded at her answer, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
"What will happen when this is over?" he asked her. "What will you do?"
"Move to Coruscant," she grumbled. "Throw myself into my work… What about you?"
"I do not know, hopefully take the trials, and become a Jedi Knight."

Their conversation ended as they noticed Jar Jar running towards the ship.
"Dare-sa nobody dares," the Gungan said. "Da Gungan city is diserted. Some kinda fight, mesa tinks."
"Do you think they have been taken to camps?" Obi-Wan asked.
"More likely they were wiped out," Captain Panaka said.

The Gungan shook his head quickly.
"Mesa no tink so."
"Do you know where they are, Jar-Jar?" Qui-Gon asked.
"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place. Mesa shows you. C'mon, mesa show you!"

The group followed Jar-Jar deep into the swamp, Everett walking beside Eirtaé. The senator had grown to consider the other young woman a friend… almost like a older sister.

They were stopped near a clearing by a Gungan Captain. He sneered at them, but begrudgingly took them to where Boss Nass and the rest of his council were located. They were in the ruins of a grand temple with massive carved heads.
"Your Honor, Queen Amidala of the Naboo."
"Ah, ello dara, ye big Boss Nass, You Honor," Jar-Jar greeted.
"Jar-Jar Binks, who's da uss-en others?" Boss Nass asked.

Sabé, dressed as the Queen, stepped forward.
"I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo… I come before you in peace."
"Ah, Naboo biggen," Boss Nass snapped. "Yousa bringen da Mackineeks… Yousa all bombad."

All around Everett, guards and pilots started looked around nervously as the Gungan troops lowered their long power poles.
"We have searched you out," Sabé continued."Cause we wish to form an alliance…"

Suddenly, Padmé stepped forward, cutting Sabé off.
"Your Honor…"
"Whosa dis?" Boss Nass interrupted.
"I am Queen Amidala," Padmé introduced herself. She pointed at Sabé. "This is my decoy… my protection… my loyal bodyguard."

Her handmaiden nodded at the Queen, taking a few steps back. Padmé took a deep breath.
"I am sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, your honor, our two. Great societies have always lied in peace. The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever… I ask you to help us…"

It did not shock Everett when Padmé dropped to her knees. Everyone let out gasps of shock, but Everett merely raised an eyebrow. This would go down in the history books.
"… no, I beg you to help us. We are your humble servants." Everyone in the group followed Padmé's lead, bowing to the Gungan leader. "Our fate is in your hands," Padmé finished.

The Gungan leader began to laugh.
"Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans… Mesa like dis. Maybe wesa bein friends." Padmé smiled and everyone began to laugh at the situation.

It didn't take long for everyone to get set up. Captain Panaka left to check on the situation in Theed and hopefully bring back some guards and soldiers. Everett found herself standing in the background, listening, and watching everything. Padmé had only approached her once, but it was to ask if she felt that Boss Nass would keep his end of the bargain.
"Trust warily," Everett had cautioned the Queen. "Anyone can change their minds."

But since then, no one had asked after her. So now, she was high up on the temple, sitting beside a Gungan Sentry. They weren't talking, but instead watching the landscape for Captain Panaka's return.
"Daza comen!" the Sentry told her.
"All right," she nodded.

She made her away down the side of the temple, jogging over to Padmé and the others.
"They're here," she informed them.
"Good, they made it back," Padmé said in relief. Everyone had been worried that they would get captured."What's the situation," Padmé asked as Captain Panaka walked over to them.
"Almost everyone is in camps. A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement. I brought back as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation Army's also much larger than we thought, and much stronger. Your Highness, this is a battle that I do not think we can win."

Padmé shook her head.
"The battle is a diversion. The Gungans must draw the Droid Army away from the cities." She turned to R2-D2 "Artoo, we can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then we can enter the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without the Viceroy, they will be lost and confused… What do you think, Everett?"

The Senator started at the question, having not expected Padmé to ask anything.
"The Viceroy will be well guarded, and our difficulty will be getting into the throne room. But I don't think we will have a problem once we're inside." Qui-Gon looked to Boss Nass.
"There is a possibly, with this diversion many, Gungans will be killed."
"Wesa ready to do are-sa part."
"We have a plan which should immobilize the Droid Army," Padmé said. "We will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet."
"A well-conceived plan," Qui-Gon said. "However, there's a great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields."
"And there's an even bigger danger," Obi-Wan interjected. "If the Viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army."
"Well, that is why we must not fail to get the Viceroy," Padmé said firmly. "Everything depends on it."


I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If there are any continuality issues, please tell in a kind way in the comments please! Next chapter coming soon!
-Amy Thorton

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