Hope you like this chapter. The plot thickens.

Last Time: A cheerful Jar-Jar, glad to be out danger and still in one piece, turned to face the jedi. "Meesa thinking we gots a city to go to!"

Chapter 9: Queen Amidala

The jedi were amazed by how quickly the Federation's invasion had succeeded. Droids patrolled every street, and battleships could be seen periodically, as they stealthily made there way towards the palace. They rounded a corner and Serena pointed towards a large group surrounded by a dozen battle droids.

One of the women in the group stood out. She was wearing a large gown, an elaborate headdress, and her make-up was done in a manner that suggested someone of great importance. Qui-Gon led his padawans and Jar-Jar towards a set of stairs that connected to a walkway that crossed directly above the path of the group.

"Now!" Qui-Gon shouts as he throws himself off the walkway and lands before the surprised group. Obi-Wan, Serena, and Jar-Jar immediately follow, and the two padawans set to work helping their master dispatch of the droids. More droids approach but with a sharp look from Serena they are thrown against a wall.

Qui-Gon ushers the group out of the street and between two buildings. Qui- Gon turned towards the woman and said in a solemn voice, "Your Highness, we are the Ambassadors, for the Supreme Chancellor. I am Qui-Gon Jinn and these are my padawan learners, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Serenity Tsuki."

At this statement, one of the women behind the Queen looked up; her eyes filled with confusion and stared at Serena, a motion that went unnoticed by everyone save the padawan in question who returned the stare with equal intensity.

One of the men turned towards Qui-Gon. "Your negotiations seem to have failed, Ambassador." "The negotiations never took place. Your Highness, we must make contact with the republic." Obi-Wan protested glaring at the man who had spoken. A man dressed in the uniform of the royal guard steeped forward. "I'm Captain Panaka, Captain of the Queens Guard. They've knocked out all our communications." Serena broke the stare she had been keeping on the young woman. "Do you have transports?" The captain nodded to the young girl. "In the main hanger. This way."

The group followed him through a maze of passages before stopping in front of the door to the hangar. They peered through the opening and were met with the sight of several Naboo spacecraft guarded by about fifty battle droids. "There are too many of them." Panaka said with a frown. Qui-Gon shook his head. "That won't be a problem. Your Highness, under the circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us."

The Queen turned to him, "Thank you, Ambassador, but my place is here with my people." Qui- Gon was about to respond when Serena stepped forwards, her eyes devoid of emotion. "They will kill you if you stay." "They wouldn't dare. They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of theirs legal. They can't afford to kill her." Panaka said rationally.

Obi-Wan glared at him before turning to the Queen. "Your Highness, the situation here is not what it seems. There is no logic in the Federation's move here." Serena nodded, "There is something else behind all this. My feelings tell me they will destroy you." "Getting past their blockade is impossible, Your Highness. Any attempt to escape will be dangerous." Panaka persisted, not trusting the judgment of two jedi children who hadn't even completed their training.

"Either choice presents great danger. To all of you." Serena said, directing her comment towards the Queen but keeping her gaze locked on the woman that had been staring at her. The Queen nodded before turning towards the woman in question. "We are brave your highness." The woman said, indicating herself and the other 3 woman behind her. "If you are to leave, Your Highness, it must be now." Qui-Gon cut in. "Then, I will plead our case before the Senate." The Queen announced resolutely.

Qui-Gon, Serena, Obi-Wan, Jar-Jar, Captain Panaka, and three handmaidens, followed by the Queen walked purposefully through the hangar doors, and immediately head towards a sleek chrome spacecraft. It had been decided that the rest of the large group would remain on Naboo. "We need to free those pilots." Panaka said pointing to a group of men held in a corner by 6 battle droids. "We'll take care of that." Obi-Wan assured him before heading towards the group of pilots followed closely by Serena.

Qui-Gon and the rest of the group continued their steady approach to the ship. One of the guards intercepted them. "Where are you going?" it demanded. "I'm Ambassador for the Supreme Chancellor, and I'm taking those people to Coruscant." Qui-Gon responded calmly. The droid raised its blaster. "You're under arrest!" But before it could fire, it found itself sliced in half. That's when all hell broke loose.

In a flash Obi-Wan and Serena had their light sabers ignited and began slicing through the guards around the pilots. The rest of the group use the chaos as a distraction and climb aboard the spacecraft. Obi-Wan and Serena as well as the freed pilots rush on board the ship. Alarms begin to sound and more droids rush into the hanger, and fire as the ship takes off.

The sleek spacecraft speeds away from the planet of Naboo and heads for the deadly Federation blockade. The pilot, who had introduced himself as Ric Olie navigates towards the massive battleship as the jedi and Panaka watch. The Federation ships begin to fire at them and after a few minutes the shield generator is hit and goes offline. Immediately a team of droids is dispatched but as they try and fix the malfunction they are destroyed by blaster shots. Eventually only one-droid remains and it continues to work to fix the generator. After a few moments of tense silence, a green light flashes on the control panel. "That little droid did it!" an ecstatic Panaka crows. The lone blue droid finishes his repairs and goes back into the ship. The Naboo spacecraft races away from the Federation battleship.

A grim Ric Olie turns to face Qui-Gon. "There's not enough power to get us to Coruscant...the hyperdrive is leaking." The jedi master agrees. "We'll have to land somewhere to refuel and repair the ship." Obi-Wan and Serena are studying a star chart in the corner. "Here, Master. Tatooine... It's small, out of the way, poor... The Trade Federation has no presence there." "How can you be sure?" Panaka demands. "It's controlled by the Hutts..." "The Hutts??!!" Panaka cries, "You can't take Her Royal Highness there! The Hutts are gangsters... If they discovered her..." "...It would be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation...except the Hutts aren't looking for her, which gives us an advantage." Qui-Gon said calmly. Serena has remained silent, focusing on the strange feeling she began to have the moment Obi-Wan had suggested Tatooine. 'I feel like we must go there' she thought to herself, 'everything depends on it.'

A short while later, the jedi, Panaka and the little blue droid stand before the Queen and her three handmaidens. "...An extremely well put together little droid. Without a doubt, it saved the ship, as well as our lives." Panaka announced. "It is to be commended...what is its number?" "R2- D2, Your Highness." "Thank you, Artoo Detoo. You have proven to be very loyal...Padme!"

One of the handmaidens steps forward and Serena notices it is the same one that had taken an interest in her earlier. "Clean this droid up the best you can. It deserves our gratitude..." the Queen orders. "Yes your majesty." was Padme's quiet response as she moved next to the small droid.

"Continue, Captain." The Queen says, turning once again to face Panaka. The captain turns expectantly to Qui-Gon who steps forward to address the Queen. "Your Highness, we are heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It is a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation. There we will be able to make needed repairs, and then travel on to Coruscant." "Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous. It's controlled by an alliance of gangs called the Hutts. I do not agree with the Jedi on this." Panaka cuts in, receiving glares from two of the jedi. "You must trust our judgment your highness." Serena says calmly, fixing the Queen with a penetrating gaze. The Queen and Padme exchange a meaningful look before the handmaiden heads off, R2-D2 trailing closely behind her.

A little while later, she can be found sitting in the Main Area, cleaning R2-D2, the brave little droid. Suddenly, Jar- Jar pops out of an open door. "Hi!" Padme jumps and lets out a little scream of surprise. "Sorry, nomeanen to scare yousa." The Gungan apologizes. "That's all right." she assures him. "Mesa Ja Ja Binksss..." "I'm Padme, I attend Her Highness, and you're a Gungan, aren't you?" "Yup." "How did you end up here with us?" The Gungan shrugs. "Me no know...mesa day started pitty okeyday witda brisk morning munchen. Den boom....getten berry skeered, un grabbed dat Jedi, and before mesa knowen it...pow! Mesa here.

Suddenly a musical giggle can be heard as a head of silver hair peeks around the door, her silver eyes shining with amusement. "Meeting Jar-Jar was quite an adventure." Serena smiles fondly at the clumsy Gungan. She then turns to address the handmaiden who is staring at her once again. "Can I help you with him?" she asks indicating R2. "Sure." Padme says smiling. "Mesa gunna go now." Jar- Jar says before exiting the room.

As soon as she is sure that no one is around, Serena turns her penetrating gaze on Padme. "You know, it's pretty hard to keep secrets from the jedi." She says in monotone. Padme stares at her, a look of shock on her face quickly replaced with uneasiness. "What do you mean?" she demands, earning a small giggle from Serena. "You know exactly what I mean. Your secret is safe with me. 0-itoko-san." Padme's eyes widened in shock. "Serenity?!" she cried, but the silver haired girl had already exited the room, and her silvery laughter could be heard throughout the ship. "That's impossible. The report said there were no survivors. But she does look just like her. Is that you Ren?" Padme's heart filled with hope as she entertained the possibility of being reunited with the cousin she had always thought of as a younger sister.

After leaving Padme, Serena headed back towards the cockpit. Upon entering she was confronted by the sight of her master, Obi-Wan, Panaka and Ric Olie staring intently through the view screen. A large yellow planet appears directly ahead. Obi-Wan turned expectantly towards her but she merely shook her head. "That's it. Tatooine." She said indicating the planet. Ric nodded his head. "There's a settlement...a spaceport, looks like." "Land near the outskirts. We don't want to attract any attention." Qui-Gon ordered. The ship began a steady approach to the planet of Tatooine.

An hour later, the Naboo spacecraft lands in the desert in a swirl of dust. The spaceport of Mos Espa is seen in the distance. Obi-Wan was seated in the engine room, hoisting the hyperdrive out of a floor panel.

He looked up as Qui-Gon and Serena entered, dressed in clothes to blend in with the crowds. Serena's crescent moon insignia had been covered using make-up but there was nothing they could do to disguise her unusual hair and eye color.

"The Hyperdrive generator is gone master. We will need a new one." Qui-Gon and Serena moved closer to Obi-Wan and speak quietly to him. 'Don't let them send any transmissions.' 'Yes master.' Qui-Gon turned to leave but stopped when he noticed Serena staring intently at Obi-Wan. 'Be wary...I sense a disturbance in the Force.' She whispered before falling into step behind Qui-Gon. They met up with Jar-Jar and R2 and together, the group made its way towards the distant spaceport.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember flames will be used to roast my marshmallows! Read and Review! Sincerely, Moon Kitty