Chapter FIVE!!!!! NABOO CONSULATE
Anakin flew the speeder through the Couriscant air-ways in silence. There was no showing-off or jokes. The young thief had a changed attitude completely, as if the party was coming to an untimely close. Or a long anticipated occasion... Where had Padme seen him before? He was somehow familiar but she was also absolutely positive she hadn't seen him before. It was very strange, he acted as if he knew her somehow- although he tried to hide it. There were certain advantages to being a Senator, you become an expect at facial expressions, and he acted as if he was masquerading somehow. Finally, she had to ask. "Anakin, have we ever met before?" She tried to make the question casual, but to her own surprise it sounded tense.
Anakin shrugged, "Why would you say that?" He kept on flying the speeder like a well-trained servant.
Padme sighed and looked away, "I don't know."
"'Cause it's a silly thought," he brought the subject up again, playing with it, "Why would I know you. I'm just a wall spider."
"How should I know!" Padme tried to drop the subject again, but Anakin wouldn't let it go.
"It's a stupid thought."
Padme could easily see he was mad at her. He made it obvious. She might be a little annoyed also if she saved someone's life twice and they hadn't even thanked her. Padme grimaced, then looked out. "We're here."
Anakin swerved the speeder, knowingly jostling his passengers. Setting it down on the Naboo Consulate landing area. "Alright, end of the line." He looked at her, "Out."
Padme unbuckled her safety restraint, and placed her hand on the door. But she couldn't make herself undo the latch, "Listen," She struggled with her words, "I'm really sorry, I've not been behaving properly."
Anakin cocked his head to one side, in a very theatrical imitation of someone who was listening.
"I should have been more polite."
Anakin lifted an eyebrow, "So?"
"Well, I..." Padme looked away, he was enjoying this. Like pinching her until she cried.
"And?"
Padme looked back at him, he still had that expectant look on his face. "Thanks." She spat.
"For what?"Anakin was definitely enjoying this.
"Well," She looked away again, "For saving my life, and for helping me get away. I really should have thanked you earlier but..." She glanced up at him, only to see he wasn't looking at her anymore. "You're not listening to me." Still he kept staring over her shoulder at the entrance to the cancellate.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." he breathed, still staring, as if he was trying to see through the durrasteal walls.
"Thanks." Padme said, somewhat unnerved by Anakin's strange actions. "I'll go now." She got out of the speeder and walked calmly toward the entrance to the building.
Slin watched as she left, "What're ya talking 'bout you dumb nimrod?" He turned back to Anakin, "Sure way to talk to a girl on a first date, 'gotta bad feelin' 'bout this.' Real smooth."
"Uh-huh." Anakin mumbled. Something was wrong, he just couldn't tell what it was yet.
"Are you listening to me?" Slin demanded, "Hey, maybe you got dumped on your head too hard."
"Yeah..."
Slin sighed, "Alright, that girl's more trouble than she's worth, time to go and-"
Before Slin could finish his sentenced Anakin had jumped out of the speeder and was headed towards Padme at a full run, "Get down!"
Padme turned on her heel, "What the-"
Then she was thrown from her feet by an invisible wall. An air wall enforced by a concussion thriving from an explosion. Fire enveloped the sky as Anakin threw himself at her, as the wall of air hit both of them. He got Padme to the ground before she could be burned, protecting her.
A violent pain seemed to crack her scull as she hit the hard landing platform. For a second she couldn't see anything, but when she did she felt her ears ring as she the platform shook beneath her. A foul stench filled the air as debris fell from the sky, landing in burning clumps on the ground.
Anakin rolled away, coughing on the smoke that hung above them. Trying to get over the thought of being deep-fried.
"They've must have known," Padme groaned, "I've got to help..." She tried to sit up, "People still in there..."
Anakin, who was still lying on his back grabbed her arm, "The people in there aren't existing anymore," He got up shakily, "We gotta go."
Padme felt Anakin's hands under her arms pulling her to her feet, but she couldn't get her eyes off of the burning building. "Corde? Captain Tyho?"
Anakin looked at her, "You okay?" He noticed a crimson trickle of blood on her forehead, "Stars, you're bleeding." She must have hit the ground too hard.
Padme looked up, disoriented, "Huh?"
Anakin took her hand, leading her to the speeder, "Come on, we gotta go. I just hope they weren't watching."
"Who?"
"Little pink men."
"What?"
Anakin led her to the speeder, trying to get there quickly and not have to carry her at the same time. He looked at Slin, annoyed, "Get outta the back seat."
Slin looked away from the fire in the building to Anakin, letting a hurt expression cross his face. Like it was Anakin's job to always fly, it was his to recline in the back-seat. "Why?"
"GET OUT!"
Slin jumped over into the front passenger's seat. "Okay, okay!"
Anakin opened the door, and Padme walked in shakily, lying down on the soft cushions. Already Anakin could hear the emergency alarms, in no time the security would be there. And whoever else who would want Padme dead.
Jumping into the pilot seat he let the engines roar to life. As long as they thought she was dead she was safe, now they needed to get a speedy get-away. Looking over his shoulder he noted that Padme had already passed out in the back-seat.
"Common pal," Slin said, "Lets travel!"
Anakin piloted the speeder away, putting it into a fast lane. Nobody could have gotten a clear shot at any of them, and there were hundreds of speeders on the sky-lanes. They were safe...For the moment.
Slin looked over at the sleeping Padme, "Hey man, who is she?"
Anakin shrugged, "A Senator."
Slin laughed, "Yeah right, a senator. How would you know a senator?"
"She's back there."
"I can see that!" Slin ran a hand through his dirty hair, "But I don't think she's a senator."
"Go eat toilet paper."
Slin could see that Anakin was going back into that place in his weird mind that didn't play around. Like when he was working on something or thinking about something. But he had to interrupt him, it was his job as a best friend, "What are we going to do with her?"
"I don't know."
"She can't stay with us."
Anakin glared at his friend, "Why not?"
Slin snorted, "She could be a spy."
"No."
"You don't think so huh? Why else would she be here."
Anakin grunted, changing lanes and heading toward the dead part of the city, "Spies don't try and kill each other of. And why would they come after us? We're just little fish." He glanced back over his shoulder at Padme, "A spy would go after death-stick dealers, or spice handlers. Not us. Used to know her." A hint of sadness was in his voice.
"'Know her'!" Slin's eyes widened, "From where! How? And don't tell me you grew up in the same neighborhood."
"She used to be a queen."
Now Slin's eyes were about to pop out of his head, "You pullin' my leg?"
"Nope."
"Then if you ain lyin' she's totally forgotten 'bout you." The teenage thief began to laugh, but was quickly silenced by Anakin's glare.
A while later in the scummy part of the city Anakin piloted the speeder to an old forgotten skyscraper, and began to approach. All the lights were off in the building, and was a black space in the refection of the city's lights against the sky.
Anakin grinned, "Home sweet home."
To BE CONTINUED! (See... I didn't take too long.)
Anakin flew the speeder through the Couriscant air-ways in silence. There was no showing-off or jokes. The young thief had a changed attitude completely, as if the party was coming to an untimely close. Or a long anticipated occasion... Where had Padme seen him before? He was somehow familiar but she was also absolutely positive she hadn't seen him before. It was very strange, he acted as if he knew her somehow- although he tried to hide it. There were certain advantages to being a Senator, you become an expect at facial expressions, and he acted as if he was masquerading somehow. Finally, she had to ask. "Anakin, have we ever met before?" She tried to make the question casual, but to her own surprise it sounded tense.
Anakin shrugged, "Why would you say that?" He kept on flying the speeder like a well-trained servant.
Padme sighed and looked away, "I don't know."
"'Cause it's a silly thought," he brought the subject up again, playing with it, "Why would I know you. I'm just a wall spider."
"How should I know!" Padme tried to drop the subject again, but Anakin wouldn't let it go.
"It's a stupid thought."
Padme could easily see he was mad at her. He made it obvious. She might be a little annoyed also if she saved someone's life twice and they hadn't even thanked her. Padme grimaced, then looked out. "We're here."
Anakin swerved the speeder, knowingly jostling his passengers. Setting it down on the Naboo Consulate landing area. "Alright, end of the line." He looked at her, "Out."
Padme unbuckled her safety restraint, and placed her hand on the door. But she couldn't make herself undo the latch, "Listen," She struggled with her words, "I'm really sorry, I've not been behaving properly."
Anakin cocked his head to one side, in a very theatrical imitation of someone who was listening.
"I should have been more polite."
Anakin lifted an eyebrow, "So?"
"Well, I..." Padme looked away, he was enjoying this. Like pinching her until she cried.
"And?"
Padme looked back at him, he still had that expectant look on his face. "Thanks." She spat.
"For what?"Anakin was definitely enjoying this.
"Well," She looked away again, "For saving my life, and for helping me get away. I really should have thanked you earlier but..." She glanced up at him, only to see he wasn't looking at her anymore. "You're not listening to me." Still he kept staring over her shoulder at the entrance to the cancellate.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." he breathed, still staring, as if he was trying to see through the durrasteal walls.
"Thanks." Padme said, somewhat unnerved by Anakin's strange actions. "I'll go now." She got out of the speeder and walked calmly toward the entrance to the building.
Slin watched as she left, "What're ya talking 'bout you dumb nimrod?" He turned back to Anakin, "Sure way to talk to a girl on a first date, 'gotta bad feelin' 'bout this.' Real smooth."
"Uh-huh." Anakin mumbled. Something was wrong, he just couldn't tell what it was yet.
"Are you listening to me?" Slin demanded, "Hey, maybe you got dumped on your head too hard."
"Yeah..."
Slin sighed, "Alright, that girl's more trouble than she's worth, time to go and-"
Before Slin could finish his sentenced Anakin had jumped out of the speeder and was headed towards Padme at a full run, "Get down!"
Padme turned on her heel, "What the-"
Then she was thrown from her feet by an invisible wall. An air wall enforced by a concussion thriving from an explosion. Fire enveloped the sky as Anakin threw himself at her, as the wall of air hit both of them. He got Padme to the ground before she could be burned, protecting her.
A violent pain seemed to crack her scull as she hit the hard landing platform. For a second she couldn't see anything, but when she did she felt her ears ring as she the platform shook beneath her. A foul stench filled the air as debris fell from the sky, landing in burning clumps on the ground.
Anakin rolled away, coughing on the smoke that hung above them. Trying to get over the thought of being deep-fried.
"They've must have known," Padme groaned, "I've got to help..." She tried to sit up, "People still in there..."
Anakin, who was still lying on his back grabbed her arm, "The people in there aren't existing anymore," He got up shakily, "We gotta go."
Padme felt Anakin's hands under her arms pulling her to her feet, but she couldn't get her eyes off of the burning building. "Corde? Captain Tyho?"
Anakin looked at her, "You okay?" He noticed a crimson trickle of blood on her forehead, "Stars, you're bleeding." She must have hit the ground too hard.
Padme looked up, disoriented, "Huh?"
Anakin took her hand, leading her to the speeder, "Come on, we gotta go. I just hope they weren't watching."
"Who?"
"Little pink men."
"What?"
Anakin led her to the speeder, trying to get there quickly and not have to carry her at the same time. He looked at Slin, annoyed, "Get outta the back seat."
Slin looked away from the fire in the building to Anakin, letting a hurt expression cross his face. Like it was Anakin's job to always fly, it was his to recline in the back-seat. "Why?"
"GET OUT!"
Slin jumped over into the front passenger's seat. "Okay, okay!"
Anakin opened the door, and Padme walked in shakily, lying down on the soft cushions. Already Anakin could hear the emergency alarms, in no time the security would be there. And whoever else who would want Padme dead.
Jumping into the pilot seat he let the engines roar to life. As long as they thought she was dead she was safe, now they needed to get a speedy get-away. Looking over his shoulder he noted that Padme had already passed out in the back-seat.
"Common pal," Slin said, "Lets travel!"
Anakin piloted the speeder away, putting it into a fast lane. Nobody could have gotten a clear shot at any of them, and there were hundreds of speeders on the sky-lanes. They were safe...For the moment.
Slin looked over at the sleeping Padme, "Hey man, who is she?"
Anakin shrugged, "A Senator."
Slin laughed, "Yeah right, a senator. How would you know a senator?"
"She's back there."
"I can see that!" Slin ran a hand through his dirty hair, "But I don't think she's a senator."
"Go eat toilet paper."
Slin could see that Anakin was going back into that place in his weird mind that didn't play around. Like when he was working on something or thinking about something. But he had to interrupt him, it was his job as a best friend, "What are we going to do with her?"
"I don't know."
"She can't stay with us."
Anakin glared at his friend, "Why not?"
Slin snorted, "She could be a spy."
"No."
"You don't think so huh? Why else would she be here."
Anakin grunted, changing lanes and heading toward the dead part of the city, "Spies don't try and kill each other of. And why would they come after us? We're just little fish." He glanced back over his shoulder at Padme, "A spy would go after death-stick dealers, or spice handlers. Not us. Used to know her." A hint of sadness was in his voice.
"'Know her'!" Slin's eyes widened, "From where! How? And don't tell me you grew up in the same neighborhood."
"She used to be a queen."
Now Slin's eyes were about to pop out of his head, "You pullin' my leg?"
"Nope."
"Then if you ain lyin' she's totally forgotten 'bout you." The teenage thief began to laugh, but was quickly silenced by Anakin's glare.
A while later in the scummy part of the city Anakin piloted the speeder to an old forgotten skyscraper, and began to approach. All the lights were off in the building, and was a black space in the refection of the city's lights against the sky.
Anakin grinned, "Home sweet home."
To BE CONTINUED! (See... I didn't take too long.)