Ch. 6 Save Me
Czulkang Lah, Count Dooku, Nute Gunray, and several Yuuzhan Vong watched as the subaltern placed the villip on a small organic table before Lah's cognition throne, which was now seated in the former throne room of Queen Jamillia, which had in turn, once belonged to former Queen Amidala.
The villip opened and the terrifying face of Supreme Overlord Stast, unquestioned ruler of the Yuuzhan Vong, and the only person that Czulkang Lah answered to. He snarled and said, "Warmaster, report immediately!"
Czulkang Lah began relating in detail about the conquest of Naboo and the Republic's recent retreat from Kamino, and about how he had decided to dedicate Naboo to Yun-Yammka and rename it Yammka'tar.
Just then, two warriors burst in, carrying a human woman between them. The bowed before Czulkang Lah and the villip of Supreme Overlord Stast before saying, "We have a prisoner!"
Overlord Stast snarled and snapped, "What is this human filth?!" The warriors openly flinched and one of them stammered, "Re-Republic Senator Padme Amidala. We found her wandering the streets of Obra."
Amidala looked up and said, "That's what you renamed Theed?"
"SILENCE, INFIDEL!!" screeched the Supreme Overlord. He continued, in a menacing tone, "I am Supreme Overlord Stast, absolute ruler of the Yuuzhan Vong and the only being in the Universe who can communicate with the Great Leader of the Gods, Yun-Yuuzhan!"
Amidala looked the Overlord straight in the eye the whole time. Czulkang Lah had to admit he was impressed. Even he sometimes feared Stast's wrath, and yet this infidel Senator, and former Queen, according to Chastae Anor's spy reports, wasn't afraid of him. She was naïve. But she was still quite brave.
Amidala calmly replied, "What do you want with the galaxy? Can't we negotiate-" The Overlord cut her off and snapped, "Be silent! Warmaster! See that she is tortured and interrogated!!! Show her…the Embrace of Pain!!!"
***
Obi-Wan and Siri peeked out of the corridor at the gigantic machines holding the Spaarti cloning cylinders used by the Kaminoans to create the clone army. Now, the machines had been transformed into gigantic machine-like creatures and the glass cloning cylinders were translucent green pods.
Inside each pod was a small shape that seemed like a cross between a reptile and a dog with a snub-like nose. At the bottom of the room containing the cloning equipment, several Yuuzhan Vong walked around, wearing spiny headdresses.
"I've seen the Intelligence reports," whispered Obi-Wan. "These Vong are called 'Shapers'. They design and create the Vong biotech."
He pointed at the largest and ugliest one. "That's the leader of the Shapers. Her name is Valah Kwaad." Siri rolled her eyes and demanded, "So what do we do now?" Obi-Wan replied, "Now, we capture one of those cloning pods, hijack a coralskipper, and get off this Force-forsaken planet."
Siri bluntly replied, "It's not gonna be that easy." Obi-Wan solemnly turned to her and said, "We must do this, and escape alive for the sake of our…you-know-what." Siri looked up at Obi-Wan and nodded gravely.
***
Anakin blasted another coralskipper as he made his way into Naboo's atmosphere. It was hard to believe it was Naboo, because the atmosphere was blood-red. Anakin was piloting Padme's silver Naboo Cruiser. Originally, this ship didn't have weapons. Those days were long over.
Now that the Republic was fighting the Yuuzhan Vong and the Separatists, it had been necessary to arm Padme's ship with deadly weapons.
Anakin flew over the ruins of Theed, now covered in multicolored yorik coral, his sensors scanning the area for any sign of Padme.
***
A subaltern bowed to Czulkang Lah. The Warmaster nodded and the subaltern said, "I bring you news, great Warmaster. After torturing the infidel Senator, we locked her in a small room and hid a villip in the room so we could overhear her. We heard her wailing the name 'Anakin' over and over again. We believe that she may be Anakin Skywalker's mate.
Dooku, who was standing beside the Warmaster, arched his eyebrows. Czulkang Lah smiled maliciously. "Really," he said. The subaltern nodded and continued, "And we've detected Amidala's personal transport flying over this city. We believe Skywalker is piloting it." The Warmaster's evil grin grew even wider and said, "Bring him to me. I think we have a little surprise for him."