Author's Note – Hello dear readers! Here is another chapter – hope you enjoy! I have to ask you to please bear with me for the next few days – my parents are moving this weekend and I'm going to be helping them unpack. As a result, my regular schedule of updating will be disrupted until Monday. However, I do have another chapter in the works and I'm trying to post it before I head out! Wish me luck!

OUTSIDE WRESPIN ENCAMPMENT - NEXT DAY

Padme stifled a yawn as she waited for the hologram image to spark to life. Plagued by worries of another vision, she hadn't slept a wink. Instead, she spent the night focusing all her energies into keeping her senses fully alert, only relaxing enough to enter into a guarded meditation. Anakin had slept, but it wasn't a fulfilling sleep as he continually woke to check on her. Padme pretended to be dozing whenever he stirred, not wanting to add to his stress. I can sleep when this nightmare is over, she thought resolutely.

As her worries were once again starting to dominate, she was grateful when the hologram appeared and the voiceover began to speak: "Teams must now travel to the Planet Blarnum. Navigate the tricky atmosphere carefully and then put the ship down in Sector 33-RE. Your next clue is waiting for you!" And with those short instructions, the image blinked off.

Jogging awkwardly across the spongy ground once more, Padme was glad to feel the sure footing of their ship's ramp under her. Punching in the launch preparation code, she saw Mace and Obi-wan heading for their ship before the door slid shut and blocked them from view. As she headed for the front of the ship, she saw Artoo strapped in for take-off and he beeped at her happily.

"Yes, I missed you too, Artoo," she assured him warmly. "You were right to send the hover droid on that last leg. You wouldn't have made it far on that bouncy planet." With another whistle, Artoo resumed his interactions with the computer and Padme patted his domed head as she passed.

PLANET BLARNUM - FOUR HOURS LATER

Padme woke with a start as she felt the ship pitch sharply. Sitting up in her chair, she looked over to see Anakin at the controls, his face shadowed with concentration. Turning back, she finally looked out the windshield and saw the massive rocks swirling through the air. "I guess that's why the clue said it was tricky, huh?" she said wryly.

With a distracted smile, Anakin continued to navigate the ship through the dangerous area. The ship had evasive maneuvering capabilities but Padme knew Anakin didn't trust the computer as much as his own piloting skills. He was widely regarded as one of the best in the Galaxy so she didn't argue with his choice whatsoever.

Finally, they left the asteroids behind and entered regular airspace. Flying low over the barren landscape, the controls began to chime as they neared the designated Sector. Padme was out of her seat before the ship's landing gear touched down, Anakin seconds behind her. Jogging across the crunchy soil, they slid to a stop in front of the hologram and watched as Obi-wan and Mace guided their ship to the ground. They turned back to the hologram as the voiceover began to speak:

"You have reached a divergence and must choose your path. In Lead, a team member must ride a native Blarnumian creature called a Bogurt, while their partner guides them through a marked course. The task is fairly straightforward, but may take some time if a team is saddled with a reluctant Bogurt. In Mead, teams will travel to the Villa Tavern where they will have to sell 2 crates worth of Blarnum Ale before they receive their next clue. The task should go quickly, but finding the Tavern make take awhile."

"Mead!" Anakin immediately called, striding for the ship. Shaking her head in amusement, Padme grabbed a map from the bin and hurried behind him. As they passed, she smiled at the Jedi Masters, their warning from the night before echoing through her mind once again.

VILLA TAVERN - THIRTY MINUTES LATER

"Okay, the clue was right - it was a bit hard to find," Anakin admitted, running a hand through his hair. He pushed open the door to the tavern and held it open for Padme to enter. Artoo took advantage of the courtesy and scooted in behind her.

Padme blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness as she became aware that a hush had fallen over the crowd. Forcing a smile, she headed for the main counter where she had spotted the crates of ale. Unpacking them quickly, she noted there were 48 bottles in total. Anakin grabbed a few of them and headed for the nearby tables.

"Would you like another bottle of ale?" he asked politely. The patrons ignored him and continued talking. Glancing around to see if anyone was looking, he once again offered the ale but this time he waved his hand slightly. Eagerly, they all dug through their pockets for some credits and took the bottles hastily.

Returning to the bar, he picked up another group of bottles and caught Padme hurrying from table to table. He noticed she had taken her hair down and it was spilling over her back in long, curly waves. Frowning slightly as the male customers cooed at her, he returned to the task.

Several minutes later, they had completed the challenge and left the tavern with the clue in hand. Out of the corner of her mouth, Padme quietly hissed, "Were you using Jedi mind tricks? I could see your hand moving..." Smoothly, he deflected, "Did you take your hair down? I thought you had it up earlier?" Defensively, Padme replied, "Well, I had to do something. They weren't buying anything! Besides, that doesn't really count-"

Before she could continue, Anakin opened the piece of parchment and began to read the clue aloud, "Board your ship and continue to Sector 40-PA. Once you've landed, teams will partake in a mid-day snack."

"Wonderful," Anakin said cheerfully. "I'm famished!" Quirking a brow at her, he headed into the ship, a bemused Padme following in his wake.

SECTOR 33-RE, SAME TIME

"Tarv, perhaps the other option might be a bit more-" Obi-wan's sentence was cut off by Mace's sharp reply.

"No, Dake - this is clearly the better choice. Now, you must be seated in the saddle, so go ahead - climb on up."

An air of resignation settling around him, Obi-wan faced the strange creature and eyed it suspiciously. It was purple in color, its body squat and fat, six beefy legs barely tall enough to keep its underbelly from dragging on the ground. Its neck was covered in patchy dark fur, the shaggy head squashed flat, almost like it had run into a wall repeatedly. Obi-wan sent up a fervent hope that the creature was as gentle as he had been told or else he had a feeling he and Mace were going to look quite flat themselves when this was over. Easing one leg over the creature, he settled into the squishy cushion and watched as Mace began to tug on the lead rope.

The Bogurt didn't move. In fact, it appeared to go to sleep.

"Well, we're making excellent time!" Obi-wan exclaimed, the sarcasm permeating his words. Threepio merely looked horrified as he continued to film the entire debacle. With a glare, Mace began to tug a bit harder, but the creature merely dug in its feet and continued to doze. Biting off an oath, Mace looked hesitantly to Obi-wan and then back to the animal. Finally, he crept up to it and began speaking to it in hushed tones. Finally, the creature lumbered to its feet and began to move.

After a few more agonizing stops and starts they finally reached the destination. In a blur, Obi-wan leapt off the Bogurt before it could lower itself down to the resting position. Reading the next clue, they sprinted back to the ship, Threepio hurrying as best he could.

SECTOR 40-PA, FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER

Anakin and Padme walked down their ship's ramp to find several tables covered with the finest linen. Sparkling serving utensils were laid in front of every chair, the plates clean and fresh. They noticed one other team had also arrived and were already sitting down. Padme and Anakin did the same.

Immediately, a pair of serving droids whirled up to them, a three-tiered cake balanced precariously on a crystal tray. The dessert was set between them as the droid explained, "This is a Blarnum Peace Cake. You must finish it before you can receive your next clue."

"What? How can we possibly-" Padme began, but the droid was already rolling away. She followed it with her eyes until it disappeared from view, finally turning back to Anakin to find him filling up his plate.

"Cheers!" Anakin called, smiling widely. He offered her a large slice of cake which she took reluctantly before bursting out with laughter.

SHIP OF DAKE AND TARV, TWENTY MINUTES LATER

"Sector 40-PA - it's right there," Obi-wan said, gripping the controls tightly. Catching sight of the fancy tables below he wondered, "What do they have in store for us now?"

Moments later, he followed Mace to the table next to Anakin and Padme. He noted with some concern that Padme looked a little green around the edges while Anakin seemed to be quite, well - hyper.

"Hi there! Welcome!" he chirped. "Have a seat! Where have you been? Oh, you must have done "lead" instead of "mead," which is the one we did. It was pretty easy, once you found the blasted Tavern. That was no easy feat, trust me. What did the Bogurts look like? I think I read that they are pretty stubborn - that's why I thought we should do the mead-"

Putting her chin in her hand, Padme merely shook her head at Obi-wan and Mace. Anakin had devoured almost half the cake already and the energetic effects of the sweetener were showing clearly in his behavior. He was practically running in place as he scooped up another piece of the dessert and chewed happily. Smiling softly at her husband's ramblings, she ate another bite of cake, swallowing as quickly as she could.

ONE HOUR LATER

Obi-wan and Mace slumped against the wall as they waited for their turn with the droid medic. Padme wondered if they looked half as bad as she felt. Even Anakin was looking ill, his monologue finally muted. Padme recalled the way the Jedi Masters had also succumbed to the effects of the sweetener, their threads of conversation fast paced, yet disjointed. She had found it very amusing. Until she'd eaten that last piece of cake. Ughhhh... Just thinking about it made her insides want to turn inside out.

"Miss Liri?" the droid called. She stepped forward slowly and resisted the urge to hug him, knowing he carried the medication that would send her on the road to recovery.

"Open your mouth," the metallic voice instructed. She did so and gagged as a spray was squirted in her mouth, the taste shockingly bitter. But the unpleasantness quickly subsided as she realized her stomach felt better almost immediately. Her steps noticeably lighter, she exited the room and kissed Anakin's cheek on her way by. His only response was a groan.

Taking a seat outside the makeshift clinic, she settled back and her gaze went straight to the tables, still littered with remnants of cake. Feeling her stomach roll at the memory, she closed her eyes and relaxed, hoping the treatment was working as well on Anakin. She could picture the look on his face when he got a taste of the medicine.

The tiny droplets of liquid settled on his tongue, causing his face to spasm at the taste. After a moment, he began to smile before his expression changed to one of shock. His hands flew to his mouth as he doubled over. She screamed as blood began to pour from the spaces between his fingers. She ran forward to try to help, but a barrier slid between them. She pounded on the clear surface, kicking and punching as she tried to get through. "I can't get to you, Anakin! Help! Please!"

The feel of a hand on her arm jerked her from the vision. She looked up into the worried eyes of her husband as he stared down at her. Jumping up, she threw her arms around him and whispered brokenly, "Who is doing this to me?"

Anakin could only stroke her back, helpless.