Whew, I had a hard time thinking up something for this one. I mean, I had the basic idea and all that stuff all planned out, but the actually putting it on paper was a different matter entirely. I guess SW is just not my forte. So, my apologies if Chapter 1 doesn't exactly turn out the way you've expected...
Star Wars does not belong to me. It belongs to somebody else (duh).
Chapter 1
Padmé jerked awake suddenly. For what reason, she wasn't sure, but then she realized that her friend Sabé was shaking her awake. "Padmé, Padmé, wake up." "What is it?" she asked, still half-asleep.
"Padmé, we must leave immediately. Vader's forces are almost here."
That sure shook her awake. "Where are they?" she said, rapidly throwing on some clothes. Her stuff had been packed already, but they never expected the Imperials to arrive this fast. It was still dark and through her window, she could see the twinkling lights that made up the the capital.
"Within a ten kilometre radius, the last time I checked." came the answer.
A wailing broke through the tense silence. "The twins!' thought Padmé as she rushed into the next room. Luke was wailing and screaming. Beside him, Leia was sobbing quietly. Apparently they had managed to sense their father through the Force. Padme picked Luke up, rocking him gently, "Calm down, it'll be okay."
Seconds later, a huge blast rocked the floor and the alarms sounded throughout the apartment. "Are we all packed?" Padmé asked her handmaidens.
They nodded and she followed Sabé as she opened the door slowly, blaster in hand. Glancing out, she beckoned to them and they followed her silently, Padmé in the middle, holding Luke while Rabé held onto Leia. Saché, Yané, Eirtaé walked behind them, making sure that nobody was attempting to sneak up on the Senator. Slowly they made their ways down the dark silent corridors of the Palace, quietly and on the alert for any other sounds heading their way.
There were only two more corridors left until they reached the hangar bay when, all of the sudden, a blaster shot whizzed by overhead, barely missing Yané who brought up the rear.
"There they are!" a voice yelled out from behind them.
Padmé quickly flattered herself behind a pillar, blaster ready, her other arm holding tightly onto her son.
A few more shots whizzed by, but Sabé, Eirtaé and Saché managed to hold them off, backing down the corridor until they reached the hangar bay entrance. There, Rabé immediately slammed down on the remote, bringing the heavy steel doors down with a bang. Luke had began wailing again as his mother tried to calm him down.
"Is everybody okay?" asked Sabé, casting a critical eye over the others. "I think the twins were a bit shaken," said Rabé, "Do you think that door will hold?"
She was answered with a loud explosion.
All of them immediately ducked, facing away from the explosion, but Sabé was back on her feet in seconds. Even through the think smoke she could see the faint outline..."Stormtroopers." she hissed.
Wave after wave of stormtroopers arrived and halfway to their ship, Padmé and her faithful handmaidens soon found themselves surrounded. Leia began wailing even louder now, from Rabé's arms.
Padmé felt the color draining from her face as she realized that a dark, yet familiar prescense was slowly headed their way. Vader had arrived.
"Drop your weapons." ordered the head of the stormtrooper unit, pointing his blaster at Sabé. The only response he got was an icy glare.
Suddenly, they were interrupted when a small, yet oddly familiar hiss was heard and then a shape launched into the circle, cutting down stormtroopers left and right. "Come on! Hurry!" said Sabé as she shot at another Imperial as they ran towards the disguised starship. Slowly moving backwards, firing with a deadly aim ahead of her, she turned and saw a startling sight. Red and blue blades clashed as the Sith Lord battled with the Jedi Knight. "Obi-wan." she gasped as she finally realized who had saved them.
Meanwhile, the stormtroopers were heading towards the ship. Sabé fished around in her robes for a moment before her hand closed over a round object. Pressing the switch, she hurled the thermal detonator with all her might at the crowd of stormtroopers heading towards them.
BAM!
Taking advantage of the situation, Obi-wan quickly avoided a swipe from Vader's red blade, thrust backwards, did a high flip over him and landed beside Sabé. He grabbed her arm and yanked her up the ramp. She slammed down hard on the button, bringing up the ramp. Inside the cockpit, Eirtaé pushed forward on the lever and seconds later, they were blasting off into the starry night sky - and to freedom.
Darth Vader stood silently watching the escaping ship while his sub-ordinates looked around uneasily. There was no telling what the unpredictable Sith Lord might do when he was in a bad mood and none of them wanted to be the one to find out.
Suddenly Vader sprung on his heels and walked at a brisk pace towards his Lambda-class shuttle while his troops watched him warily. Turning around, he glared at them, "Well, what are you all waiting for?! Send some scouts after that ship already!"
"Yes sir, at once." replied his Lieutenant, scurrying off quickly.
Vader rolled his eyes, "Must I do everything myself?! Morons, the lot." as he climbed the ramp. "Have two teams search the apartments for some clues to their next destination. Rendezvous with the Nemesis when you're done. The rest of you - we're going after that ship." and he disappeared inside with a quick swish of his cape.
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Meanwhile in the escaping starship...
Obi-wan had immediately made for the cockpit, taking over from Eirtaé. Sabé came in after him. "I thought you had been captured by the Imperials." she said quietly, "It's been a long time since we've heard from you."
"I had difficulties getting off planet since some of the Imperials had recognized me. It took some time and alot of Force manipulation before I could get to my ship." he said, grinning a bit before taking a quick glance at her. "I'm sorry if I made you worry though." he said more softly.
Sabé gave him a wry grin, "I suppose I expected as much when I decided to fall for a Jedi." She closed her eyes as Obi-wan's lips pressed gently against hers.
They enjoyed the moment until the sound of approaching footsteps was heard. Moving her lips apart from his slightly reluctantly, Sabé moved back into her seat as Padmé came in.
"Where are we headed?" asked Padmé, climbing into the after leaving Luke with the rest of the handmaidens.
Sabé glanced at the charts, "We'll be arriving at Corellia within the next few days."
Padmé raised an eyebrow, "Why Corellia?"
Obi-wan replied without turning around, "When one has the half the Imperial forces after you, I thought it would be better if we got ourselves a less obsure and more heavily defended starship - or we just make some modifications to this one."
Padmé nodded, "Yes, I think that would be good. I was wondering if you had gotten my message."
"I did, but I had some matters to take care of first, besides, Anakin has been very interested in my whereabouts as of late as well." he continued, "I guess this explains why there was an entire squadron of TIE fighters on my tail when I left Isen for Theed." he remarked dryly.
"What does Anakin want though?" wondered Sabé out loud.
"The twins," answered Obi-wan and Padmé together.
"Luke and Leia are very strong in the Force and my guess is that his master, Palpatine wants them so that he can train them - the result being two more loyal servants very strong in the Force he can command to carry out his evil deeds." Obi-wan's voice was grim.
Padmé shuddered involuntarily. Whatever had happened to that kind, loving man she had married? It seemed as though it had been years ago, instead of a mere few months since she had last seen him. He had promised her he would be back soon and now he was - a total stranger, consumed by evil. The thought of her two precious children in the hands of that Sith that had replaced her husband was unthinkable - and she would do anything to prevent that from happening.
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