Chapter 9

Lonespirit looked out at the stars from her seat on the shuttle. Who knew what they would find when they reached Naboo. A small voice in her head was screaming at her to go the opposite direction. She didn't take it as a good sign. Sighing, she shoved an errant lock of hair off her face and went to her bunk to try and get some sleep (something it didn't seem she'd gotten much of over the last few days).

Afton watched her friend disappear into the sleeping quarters. They were all feeling edgy.

She finished brushing out her dark blond hair and shivered. It seemed this ship was freezing. She looked up as something warm was draped around her shoulders. Qui-Gon smiled at her and settled his cloak more firmly about her shoulders. "Thank you… It seems I am forever thanking you, Master Jinn," she laughed softly. The Jedi Master chuckled as he sat down in the seat next to her.

"You are quite welcome. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Me? I'm the reigning queen of insomniacs. What about you?" The look on his face explained it. "Oh. The mission. Don't worry. I'm sure we'll just go in, nudge the Queen in the right direction to take so she triumphs over the bad guys and then go riding back into the sunset… or maybe its supernova…"

Qui-Gon examined her face as she spoke. Even through her mental shields, he knew she only half believed her words. There was something else bothering her.

Cautiously, he reached out to her through the Force.

Afton looked up at the sudden sensation. "Qui-Gon…" Before he could say anything, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Please, please be careful!" He embraced her gently and stroked her silky hair.

"I will be, little one," he said reassuringly, looking wonderingly down at the girl in his arms.

"Promise."

"I promise."

Afton grinned, pulling away. "And Jedi always keep promises…"

0000

Selah grinned at Anakin. "Don't worry, you will be a Jedi, Ani. Just think of this as your first adventure. After this, Master Qui-Gon will train you to become a Knight."

Anakin's face brightened hopefully. "You really think the Council will allow it?"

"I'm certain. Now get some rest. We have battles to fight! Now, sleep well." She hugged him lightly. The little boy smiled and willingly snuggled down into the covers.

00000

"We are approaching Naboo, Master," Obi-Wan's voice called from the direction of the cockpit. Qui-Gon broke out of his reverie, and joined his apprentice as the ship dropped out of hyperspace, giving him his first look at the planet- or rather the menacing cloud of Trade Federation battleships surrounding it. Qui-Gon was unimpressed. He had seen many battleships in his years as a Jedi Knight. What counted was not the ship but the beings aboard them.

Halcyon entered the room as the view screen lit up, showing a lovely young woman with long auburn hair and brilliant emerald eyes wearing the robes of office marking her as viceroy. He wondered how a young woman could have become viceroy of the Federation. "Captain, tell them we would like to board at once," Nejaa said.

"Yes sir." The captain looked back at her view screen. "With all due respect to the Trade Federation, the ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor wish to board immediately."

"Of course." The girl smiled charmingly and nodded. "As I'm sure you are aware though, the blockade is perfectly legal. But we'll be honored to welcome the ambassadors…" the screen went blank.

The main battleship loomed ahead. Nejaa tested the feel of the Force. The ship carried mainly Nemoidians, a few humans… All were nervous. But something else hovered on the edge of his perception. As he tried to focus on it, it managed to elude him.

Without warning, the battleship's lasers were trained on the Republican Cruiser. There wasn't time to jump to hyperspace. "Full shields! All power forward!" the Captain called. The only hope was to make it to the planet.

The three Jedi rushed back and strapped themselves in.

00000

Seona watched as the ship went hurtling toward the planet, her ships' laser fire dogging it the entire way. "Tell Lord Darth Jareth we were successful.

The Jedi envoy is destroyed," she commanded a nearby droid with a smile. Her master's will was done. Now she alone would run the glorious empire that was the Trade Federation…

00000

Slowly Afton, Lonespirit, and Selah sorted themselves out from the hopeless tangle of limbs they had somehow become. All three were trying to understand how they had come from being in their respective bunks to waking up in a knot in a corner.

"What the Sith happened?" Selah groaned, rubbing a knot on her forehead. The other two shook their heads dumbly. A pounding on the door brought them into action.

"Girls? Are you okay? Open up!" it was Obi-Wan's worried voice. Lonespirit jumped to the control panel.

"Ugh! The fraggin' aardvark thing's stuck! It won't open!"

"Step back from the door," Qui-Gon called.

All three jumped as a glowing green lightsaber appeared through the door and began cutting a rough arch. After a moment, the slab of slightly steaming metal fell inwards, allowing the relieved listians to enter the passageway.

"Mind telling us sleeping beauties what happened?" Lonespirit asked.

"The negotiations were cut short."

"Hmm… what person in their right mind would take offense at you boys talking them into anything?" Afton said with an impish grin as they made their way through the twisted inside of the ship.

Nejaa flashed her a heart-breaking smile. "That mean you wouldn't?"

"You better have a medic look at that bump on your head, Halcyon… I think it might have done some brain damage." She said, rolling her eyes. With that, she followed Selah and slipped out of the badly mangled door. And into the Gungan swamp. "Yuck!"

Selah giggled at Afton's expression. "Yousa be muie funny!"

"Mesa tink yous da one what be bombad funny!" Afton said with a giggle, pointing to a spot of mud in the middle of Selah's nose.

"I don't sense any of the Gungans, Master," Obi-Wan said.

Nejaa frowned. "Could they have been taken to the camps?"

"More likely they were wiped out," the Padawan replied.

"No, mesa no tink so," Selah said with a smile. "Gungans hiden."

"When in trouble, go to sacred place. Mackineeks no find dem dare," Afton added.

Qui-Gon looked at them skeptically. "How do you know so much about Gungans?"

"No time to explain now, people. We have to move," Lonespirit declared.

"Wesa go ta find da Gungans!" Selah and Afton said in unison and headed off.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I worry about those two…" he sighed as Lonespirit took off with them and they began singing something about seeing lions and tigers, "make that those three."

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to the all mighty Master Lucas. The Listians are their own.

Note: This chapter is for Ziggy: Be All the Gungan You Can Be! g

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