"Where are you taking me?" Padmé asked her uncommunicative Jedi captors for the fourth time since they had summarily, and without warning, removed her from her apartment. And for the fourth time, she didn't receive the courtesy of an answer from either one of them. She was being hurried along a circuitous route through the service corridors of the Palace, with a silent, wary Jedi on each side of her. They weren't touching her, but she might have well been shackled to them. One didn't escape from the Jedi. And if by some miracle she did, it would only be to run straight into the arms of the Army of the Republic or even the Naboo, who would already have imprisoned her, if not for the intervention of the Jedi.
She was well and truly caught.
Master Medulla politely but firmly had made it clear that she would not be allowed to see Balé before they left. It also had become clear to Padmé that the Jedi would go to any lengths to keep her away from Anakin. She thought she understood their game plan. It was likely that the Jedi were about to remove her from the planet completely – possibly back to Coruscant. Possibly even to the Jedi Temple itself.
Padmé just wanted to hear it from them. "Guardians of justice, indeed," she said bitterly, after her question was received by yet another unapologetic silence.
Padmé had refused to leave her apartment, of course. She couldn't imagine the Jedi manhandling her in any way, and so she had stalled. She simply had refused to move. But when Master Medulla very kindly had offered her the choice of accompanying them in a conscious, or in an unconscious state, Padmé chose consciousness. She wanted to keep her eyes open and her wits about her.
The Palace at Theed was a vast maze. The offices and grand reception rooms were located mostly in the vast central structure. Two huge wings extended forward at either side of the central Plaza, forming its eastern and western boundaries. The residences and guest quarters were in the western wing of the Palace. But the Jedi seemed to be moving toward the Palace's less populated east side, which didn't make sense to Padmé. That side was furthest away from the normal routes to the spaceport. The only thing Padmé could deduce from their convoluted route was that the Jedi, too, did not wish to be seen. She was a fugitive in the custody of fugitives.
Every step in this direction was taking her further away from Balé, from her staff, and from Anakin. He was truly her only hope for escape. She prayed he would find her – somehow – the way he always did.
For quite some time they hadn't encountered anyone along their eccentric path through the complex service corridors on the lower levels. Padmé surmised that they were somewhere below the Palace's central hall. She had opened her mouth to speak again when Lon Erian abruptly stifled her words by clapping his hand over her mouth while suddenly, and not very gently, hauling her into a curtained alcove near the junction with a larger corridor. Master Medulla jumped in with them, partially blocking Padmé's view of the corridor beyond. The two Jedi were so alert and wary that Padmé didn't struggle.
It wasn't long before the rhythmic marching of many booted feet echoed through the main corridor ahead of them, and a squad of soldiers jogged past the junction with the access corridor heading west at a fast clip, followed by another squad a few moments later. Padmé had not heard a signal, but Master Medulla raised a tiny com device to his face.
"Understood, Master Kenobi," he said after listening for a moment. He tucked the device away and said quietly to her captor, "You are needed on the Grand Plaza, Padawan Erian."
Padmé felt herself being released, but before she could speak, or shout, or move, Master Medulla caught her eye and shook his head. For some reason, it was enough to make Padmé subside.
"Your cloak, Padawan," Master Medulla said in a calm voice that brooked no argument. "Give it to the Senator." The Jedi Master's eyes never left Padmé's, and she somehow could not look away from them. Padmé felt the heavy, rough cloak being placed around her shoulders, and then Lon Erian slipped out of the alcove without a word and disappeared into the corridor like a wraith. Master Medulla reached over to fasten the cloak under Padmé's chin, and then placed a hand lightly, gently, on her shoulder.
"Listen to me carefully, Senator," he said softly. "Queen Jamillia has been assassinated. The crowd on the Plaza is rioting. A security lockdown on all government officials is being put into place. We have very little time left in which to get you away from the Army and Naboo Security forces."
Padmé flinched physically as the first shock of comprehension rolled through her like a wave. Only the Jedi Knight's hand on her shoulder kept her steady. Padmé felt tears running down her cheeks although she hadn't been aware of spilling them in the midst of the violent storm of grief and despair that swept through her after she grasped, really grasped, what Master Medulla was telling her.
"Our mission is to keep you safe," the Jedi Knight went on. "We are the only ones who can. You must come with me now."
Padmé kept looking into the Jedi's warm dark brown eyes. They helped to ground her. She had the oddest feeling of unreality – as though the moment were somehow suspended in time.
"I don't have a choice, do I?" she whispered hopelessly, while the tears continued to fall.
Master Medulla reached up to grasp her other shoulder. Padmé felt unexpectedly safe and secure between his two gentle hands.
"New paths always open before us," the Jedi Knight said steadfastly. "But for now, the more you cooperate, the easier it will be to safeguard you." His grip tightened ever so slightly. "Please allow me to protect you, Senator."
Padmé nodded. There was nothing else she could do.
The timeless moment ended abruptly the instant that Master Medulla received her assent. Dropping his hands from her shoulders, he shifted his attention briefly to the corridor and then back to Padmé.
"Run, Senator," he ordered, and shoved her out of the alcove.
* * * * *
Balé looked around her uncertainly. Everyone was acting strangely since Anakin had come and then gone away again. Sabé had changed her clothes into something Balé had never seen her wear before – long boots and leggings and a kind of jacket over them. She had put on a wide belt under the jacket, and then she had told Balé to stay in the bedroom with Dormé while she and Poulin went outside for a little while.
Balé didn't know they were allowed outside. She thought they had to stay here because of the guards outside the door.
When they came back, Sabé was tucking two blasters into her belt, and gave Dormé two more to keep. Maybe that's what they had gone outside to get.
Poulin was a little different too. Just a little. He was still patient and kind, but he didn't smile as much any more and Balé knew that she only had part of his attention.
And then Dormé went all funny. Sabé had told her to stay behind in the apartment. Dormé had given up trying to brush Balé's hair and just tied it back out of her eyes, and then got down on the floor and gave her a huge hug. Her eyes were wet.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Balé asked. She had thought that they would all be together.
"Not right now, little one," Dormé said, still hugging her. "I'll see you soon."
Suddenly Balé felt sad, too. Everything was confusing. It had been confusing since they had left Coruscant, and now everyone around her was nervous and …different.
"I'm scared," Balé said into Dormé's comforting and familiar shoulder. "I want you to come, too."
"There's nothing to be afraid of, child," Dormé said, stroking her hair. "You're going to be with your parents soon, and everything will be all right. Just remember to do exactly as Sabé and Poulin tell you."
"I will," Balé promised.
"It's time to go," Sabé said, from the door.
Balé reluctantly pulled away from Dormé's hug and obediently took Poulin's outstretched hand. She had the feeling that this wasn't the right time to ask for a piggyback ride.
Just before they left the apartment, Balé saw Poulin take his small com out of his belt with his free hand, and place it gently on the table by the door.
* * * * *
"You! Down on the ground!"
Anakin had felt the soldiers come up behind him, but he had been so intent on scanning the violent turmoil in the Plaza and trying to locate the Jedi that he had given no thought to the fact that in his civilian clothing, he, too, would be a target for an identity and weapons search.
Before turning around to face them Anakin counted and probed them through the Force. One officer, two clone troopers. He could see numerous similar groupings in front of him throughout the Plaza, cutting people out of the surging crowd and forcing them to the ground. Anakin noticed that after being searched, some of the civilians were hauled to their feet and marched away in the direction of the west side of the Palace. The rest were escorted out of the Plaza. Anakin made a quick decision.
"I'm Jedi," he said as he turned around with his hands on his hips, moving his battered leather over-tunic out of the way just enough to reveal the lightsaber hanging from his belt.
The officer studied him for a moment, taking him in from top to toe. Anakin leveled his best Mace Windu gaze at the man, who apparently decided to believe him.
"Sorry, sir," the officer said.
"No problem," Anakin said dryly, taking bitter pleasure, if only for a moment, in having the kind of status that commanded instant respect and cooperation. He decided to push his advantage as far as it would go. "What happened?"
The officer regarded Anakin warily. The thought that a Jedi should not have to ask a question like that was written all over his face.
"I just got here," Anakin snapped, reaching slowly toward his weapon for dramatic effect. If he really had wanted to use it the man would be dead by now. "Status report."
Again, the officer decided in favor of caution. "Sorry, sir," he said again, and clasped his hands behind his back and lifted his chin to make his report. "The Queen of the Naboo has been assassinated, reportedly by Separatist elements. The Jedi are controlling the crowd while we search for the assassins."
"How are the Naboo security forces being deployed?" Anakin demanded.
"They are securing the Government, sir," the officer replied. "The Palace, the other government buildings, and the residences of all government officials are on lockdown."
Anakin thought fast. Obi-Wan would have gotten Padmé out of her residence by now. The Palace was likely to be overrun with Naboo security forces. He just needed to know where she was, and how many Jedi were with her – preferably without broadcasting his own location and intentions to them through the Force any more than he already had. Having so many unfriendly Jedi around really cramped his style.
"Where are the other Jedi now?" Anakin asked, his hand resting visibly on his saber hilt.
"Three are on the Plaza calming the crowd, sir. One is helping with interrogation," the man answered, shifting his eyes toward Anakin's weapon, and then away again.
Anakin nodded briefly. "Dismissed," he said. The officer looked at him, startled, and probably wondering what happened to the legendary Jedi courtesy, and then signaled for the white-armored troopers to follow him back into the fray.
Anakin looked beyond the retreating officer and beyond the crowd and let his gaze rest on the west wing of the Palace. He had known before asking the officer that Master Windu, Obi-Wan and Tec Andros were on the Plaza. He could sense their individual Force signatures in the calming waves of Force energy with which the crowd had been encircled. He knew where Poulin was – or at least, where he was headed. And now he knew that one of the other two – either Master Medulla or Erian – was with Padmé, while the other was interrogating suspects across the plaza. If Anakin had been in charge, he would have left the stronger Jedi guarding Padmé and sent the weakest link down to assist on the Plaza. And it was Obi-Wan who had taught him.
Anakin faced a number of choices. He could locate Padmé easily if he opened himself up to the Force fully, thereby also serving himself up to the Jedi on a platter. He could spend precious time locating Poulin to find out where Padmé was being taken, and risk that he would be too late to retrieve her from Obi-Wan's clutches. He could wait until for the Jedi to make their move off-planet and follow them. That of course would mean facing down all of them at once. Or, he could go straight to the weakest link for the information he needed. Without hesitation, he headed across the Plaza at a run to find Lon.
* * * * *
Thanks to the combined efforts of three powerful Jedi, the crowd at the heart of the Plaza had calmed down enough to allow an orderly evacuation to take place. True, the dais had been destroyed, and a number of windows in the lower part of the Palace had been either disintegrated by blaster fire or broken during scuffles in which outraged Naboo had thrown paving stones and any other handy projectiles at the soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic. Army vehicles had been overturned and set on fire. But despite occasional bouts of blaster fire from within the crowd, the Jedi had successfully prevented the Army troops from firing into the crowd. The mass delusion of an aerial attack had been contained. And further injury and mayhem had been kept to a minimum. The task had been enormous, and exhausting, and made more difficult by the fact that the crowd's wrath often was turned against the Jedi as well as the Army. Tec Andros had been right. They were blamed by many for supporting the Army of the Republic, and for failing to prevent the death of the Queen.
As it gradually became safe to reduce the dampening effect of the Force, Obi-Wan once again turned his attention to their immediate mission and checked in with the members of his team. Master Medulla and the Senator were close to their mustering point in the east wing of the Palace. Lon Erian was assisting the Army interrogators on the west side. Master Windu and Tec were out on the Plaza. Poulin was … Poulin was not answering his com.
Blast. Now what? Obi-Wan was weary from his labors. He was certain that the others were, too.
He looked out over the grand Plaza. More than half of the civilians had been evacuated, and efforts to move the rest were proceeding in an orderly fashion. The sound of detonations and blaster fire occasionally arose from areas beyond the Palace, toward the center of the city, but they seemed like isolated incidents. Everything seemed under control for the moment. He could risk taking a moment to collect and strengthen himself, and to regain his focus.
Obi-Wan retreated to one of the few isolated spots nearby, a long arcade set off by marble columns and balustrades. The arcade was in deep shadow now that the noonday sun was straight overhead.
It had been a long morning, and there was still no end in sight.
Obi-Wan leaned against the smooth stone of the arcade wall and closed his eyes. He had been using the Force without ceasing for hours, but not for himself. This time he approached the Force as though he were diving into a deep, cool pool of water, immersing himself in it and allowing it to flow over and through him and refresh him. Gradually he felt his inner energies align, his strength return, and the focus and clarity of his inner vision sharpen. Bolstered by new vitality, he sent his awareness out to touch each of the other Jedi and to search for Poulin. His awareness spread out like widening ripples, further and further, touching and differentiating every physical form and energy pulse in their path.
Obi-Wan's eyes flew open, and his com unit snapped into his hand.
"Lon," he said into it. "Anakin is moving in your direction. Tec, back him up."
Not waiting to hear Tec's reply, but completely confident that he would respond, Obi-Wan launched himself toward the road that led to the spaceport. It seemed that one Padawan was not where he was supposed to be, despite the fact that his tracking signal still placed him at his post in the Palace apartment. Obi-Wan didn't want to speculate why that might be the case. He preferred to find out for himself.
* * * * *
Balé stumbled along reluctantly, lagging behind Sabé, who was walking way too fast and dragging her by the hand. Balé wished she could hold Poulin's hand. He never dragged her. But Poulin was walking a little ahead of them, and paying attention to everything but her. Now they had four of the white shiny soldiers with them. They were carrying guns. Poulin had stopped and talked to the soldiers, and then suddenly the four surrounded them and walked with them. It was like being inside of a box. The soldiers were walking too fast, too.
"Look," Sabé said to Poulin. "Transport."
They had left the Palace through the back and were walking down one of the small roads beside it. An armored speeder was parked by the side of the road. Poulin said something to one of the white soldiers, and he climbed into the speeder and started the engine. Then he waved to them and they all climbed inside, except two of the white solders, who stayed outside and hung onto the outside of the speeder at the back. It looked like fun. Balé wished that she could do that, too, instead of being squashed between Sabé and a soldier. That white armor was really, really hard, and part of it was poking her in the knee. She couldn't even talk to Poulin, because he was sitting in the front next to the driver.
They started swaying along the road. They had to go really slowly because there were people everywhere – white soldiers and gray soldiers and people running and yelling and throwing things. Once in a while they threw things that hit their speeder, and Balé felt Sabé jump. Balé pulled her legs under her and sat on her knees so she could see outside better.
"Why is everyone running around and shouting?" Balé asked curiously. "Why are there so many people?"
"I don't know," Sabé said. "There was a ceremony on the Plaza this morning. Something must have happened."
"Anakin said there was going to be trouble on the Plaza," Balé said matter-of-factly. She wondered why Sabé looked at her so sharply.
Then, suddenly, there was a horrible, terrifying noise and the speeder bounced so hard that everyone inside was thrown around. Balé was flung onto the white soldier beside her and banged her head hard on his chest armor, while Sabé landed on top of her, and then the speeder bounced again and they all flew backwards against the seats. There was a smashing sound, but Balé couldn't see what happened because Sabé was suddenly on top of her, pushing her head down. Balé's heart was pounding so hard she couldn't even scream, or tell Sabé to stop crushing her.
From underneath Sabé, Balé heard Poulin say, "Sonic detonator. Is everyone all right?" Sabé sat up again so Balé could breathe, and see. The windows had blown out, and the doors were open. They weren't moving any more.
Sabé's arms were around Balé, and she was saying, "It's all right, sweetheart. It's all right." But it didn't feel all right. Balé knew that Sabé was scared, too.
The driver tried to start the speeder again but it didn't work. Poulin said, "Everyone out." They climbed out and saw that the two soldiers who had been hanging on in the back had fallen off. They were lying in the road and they weren't moving. Poulin ran over to them and leaned down to touch them, and then ran back. Sabé looked at him and he shook his head. "You two," he said to the driver and the soldier who had been inside the truck next to her, "come with us."
"Yes, sir," one of the soldiers said.
So they had to walk again. And Balé felt like she was being dragged again.
And then, all at once, she knew that everything was going to be all right. She saw Anakin. He was right there, across the road by the edge of the Plaza. He was right there! There were a lot of people over by the Plaza, but Balé knew that tall dark one was Anakin. She just knew it. Best of all, he was looking their way.
"Anakin!" Balé shrieked heedlessly.
The figure broke into a run, heading straight toward them. Balé twisted out of Sabé's grasp. Anakin would protect them all. He could make everything better. He always did. She was desperate to get to him.
"Balé, no!" Sabé gasped, making a grab for her. But Balé struggled loose for the second time and began to run toward Anakin.
"Anakin!" she shrieked again. This time it came out as a kind of sob. Balé felt like she was flying she was running so fast, and then all of a sudden strong arms grabbed her from behind and she tumbled, kicking wildly, to the ground, dragging whoever was holding her down with her. Blaster fire exploded over their heads.
"Shhh," Poulin said into her ear, holding her tightly. "Stay still."
"Let go!" Balé screamed, fighting and squirming against him.
"Wait," Poulin said, just as softly. "Wait."
Balé stopped struggling long enough to see what he was talking about. Her hair had come loose and through the tangles she could see Anakin. It was definitely Anakin; she could see his face. Only he wasn't running toward her any more. He had his lightsaber out and he was fighting with someone – someone who had a lightsaber, too. Balé started to cry.
