Author's Note: Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your patience and for the wonderful reviews. Here's the next installment – it's pretty light and fluffy. Hope you enjoy!
FOURTH DESTINATION, BLARNUM CABINS - THREE HOURS LATER
"And the next thing I knew, I was hanging upside-down and Anakin had to pull me up," Padme explained, her eyes taking on a haunted look as she remembered how close she had come to plummeting to the ground. She looked up gratefully as Anakin put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"This new development is indeed troubling," Mace murmured, his face tense. "It appears the attacks are getting stronger. Padme, the next time this happens, you must find a way to fight it. Focus all your energy into something positive, something so strong it will cast out this presence."
"I will," Padme promised resolutely. Her eyes glowed with determination and Anakin felt another stirring of hope in his heart. If there was a way to beat this, he knew his wife would find it.
"Anakin," Obi-wan began. "Pay close attention to Padme. You may be able to help bring her out of these trances, but if not - you'll need to be on full alert in case there's another physical manifestation."
"Yes, Master," Anakin agreed.
"Try to get some rest. You both need your strength," Mace added. "We've been assigned to the cabin right next to yours. If there's any trouble, we'll sense it."
"Thank you," Padme responded, smiling softly. With another respectful nod, the Jedi Masters exited the cabin.
OUTSIDE RESORT CABINS - NEXT DAY
"Are you ready?" Anakin asked, glancing as the hologram began to shimmer to life.
"Definitely," Padme replied, watching as Obi-wan and Mace boarded their ship and streaked for the sky. Her attention was brought back to the ground as the voiceover began to speak:
"Welcome to the Fifth Leg of Racing Through the Stars. Teams must now find their way to Terraro, a planet widely known for their dustracers. You will need to proceed to Sector 120-P and find the Track of Terraro. Your next clue is waiting."
Padme didn't even need to look at her husband to know that he was pleased. Sure enough, he turned a grin her way before jogging for the ship. She gave an amused chuckle as she thought, I hope these dustracers come with really good safety harnesses.
SECTOR 120-P - TRACK OF TERRARO - FOUR HOURS LATER
Hand-in-hand, they hurried for the hologram, mere steps behind Obi-wan and Mace. The Jedi Masters frowned slightly as they realized their small lead had been frittered away. Plucking the clues from the metallic bin, the teams began to read: Climb into your designated dustracer and follow the marked course. Beware! Dangers lurk around every twist and turn. Snapping the clues shut, there was a blur of activity as they raced for the compact machines.
Hopping over the edge over their racer, Padme landed on the seat and had her helmet and safety harness fastened in a split second. Anakin looked at her for a moment with a slight frown and then shrugged as he admitted that she had witnessed a few of his close calls and was probably smart to prepare accordingly. Easily, he strapped into the pilot's seat and fired up the engines. With a screech, the racer left the starting gate, kicking up a huge cloud of dust behind it.
Hugging the terrain, the shuttle responded smoothly to every command. Catching sight of a series of flagged electrified hoops, Anakin headed straight for them, increasing their speed as he went. Padme made a strangled noise in her throat as the wing on her side brushed the first structure. Anakin merely laughed and pushed the throttle forward, enjoying the challenge. In response, Padme squeezed her eyes shut and hoped she'd live to see the next day.
As they emerged from the last hoop, Anakin banked a hard turn and dove for the ground, narrowly missing a jet of fire. The inside of the cockpit heated up slightly as they slipped past it. Padme winced as she sensed the close call and simply dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. Suddenly, her eyes flew open as she ship began to spin wildly. Looking around frantically, she saw a hail of laser fire fly past the door. As the last shots rang out, Anakin straightened out their path and began a steep climb.
Padme found herself being pushed back in her seat as she saw the reason behind his ascent - a giant landmass rising out of the ground before them. She held her breath as the racer strained to keep the pace Anakin was demanding. It shuddered once, then twice and finally cleared the top, the undercarriage gently brushing the unforgiving surface. With a sigh of relief, she started to relax... and then felt the bottom drop out as they plunged to the ground.
"Kaide!" she shrieked.
"Just following the course," he insisted, still urging the racer forward. He glanced over at her and grinned, totally in his element. Padme once again closed her eyes and settled into the safety harness, her hands unconsciously checking the locking mechanism.
As the ship finally leveled out, Padme felt it bounce across some sort of liquid before coming to a stop. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the next hologram blinking a few feet away. Glancing up, she saw a banner streaking across the record-board: NEW TRACK RECORD. Shaking her head in disbelief, she climbed out of the shuttle and followed her husband to the next clue. The hovering camera droid caught up a few moments later and the voiceover finally began issuing instructions:
"You have reached a divergence and must choose your path - Leg or Peg. In Leg, teams will have their legs tied together and then navigate a popular Terraro market from one side to the other." The image showed two people standing next to each other. The woman's left leg was lashed to the man's right leg as they struggled through a crowded area. "Once teams exit the market, they will receive the next clue. The task is straightforward, but navigating the large crowds is tricky, especially while tethered together."
There was a momentary pause while the hologram picture switched to a field full of numbered targets. "In Peg, teams will need to find the Terraro Park where they will be given a puzzle. Once the puzzle has been solved, the Park's analyst will give them a number, which they must use to locate a corresponding target. Strike the target with a baton three times to find the next clue. Locating the target will be easy, but solving the clues may take some time."
Padme glanced at Anakin and suggested, "Leg?"
"All right," he quickly agreed. They heard the approach of another dustracer and began to run towards the market. Moments later, they had their legs tied together and were struggling to simply enter the market as creatures shoved them from all sides. Anakin grimaced as he caught a particularly hard kick across his shin.
"I'm beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea!" Padme yelled, hoping her voice carried over the din. Suddenly, she was pushed from behind and flailed as she lost her balance. She gritted her teeth as she landed on her knees, bringing Anakin with her. For a moment, they simply sat there, bewildered, until they began to laugh. Catching sight of Obi-wan and Mace, they waved jovially before once again standing and facing the Market.
With a resigned nod, Padme linked her arm with Anakin's and they started into the fray. After a few more stumbles, they realized they needed to move at a more unified pace. Interspersed with fits of laughter, they began to count their steps aloud and quickly disappeared into the crowd, leaving an aggravated Mace Windu behind.
"Dake!" Mace spat. "Obviously, we are not moving as efficiently as we could be."
"Well, that's because you keep stopping and starting without telling me what you're planning," Obi-wan replied airily.
"Our lack of progress is unacceptable," Mace continued. Catching another elbow at his side, he stopped suddenly to glare at his assailant, sending Obi-wan reeling as he tried unsuccessfully to catch his balance.
OTHER SIDE OF TERRARO MARKET - 45 MINUTES LATER
Rubbing her side gently, Padme felt the last of the ties give way and stretched her legs, happy to be able to walk normally again. Craning her neck, she tried to see through the teeming Market, but could find no trace of the Jedi Masters. She hoped they were managing okay. The last she had seen of them, Mace was glaring at Obi-wan, who was trying desperately to stay upright.
Hearing the familiar sound of a clue being ripped open, she turned her attention to Anakin. Reading quietly, he said, "Follow the flags to the next hologram. It will issue further instructions."
Their interest peaked, they scurried down the marked path. Moments later, the hologram came into view and they skidded to a stop just as the voiceover began.
"You have reached a Blockade - a task only one person can perform. Now, who can bend over backwards?" Padme stepped forward as she remembered it was her turn. The hologram continued, "The designated contestants must pass through the Three Archways. However, they will not be passing through them using standard means. Instead, contestants must lean backwards as they walk under the structures, but be careful - if you touch any part of an archway, the task is over."
The voiceover hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Each archway represents a method of transportation back to your ship where the next clue is waiting. If only the first archway is completed, you will be given use of an air carriage. If the second archway is completed, you will take a chartered speeder. If the third archway is completed, you may use a dustracer."
As the hologram faded out, Padme approached the first archway and noted the entrance height came to her chin. Leaning her head back, she easily passed through to the other side. Catching Anakin's grin, she hurried to the second archway, just as Obi-wan and Mace came into view. Trying not to feel too hurried, she approached the structure and noticed this one came to her upper chest. Leaning back even further, she slithered through and smiled as she emerged on the other side.
Warily, she approached the final archway and paled at the sight of it. This one appeared to come to her mid-torso. With a shrug, she threw her head back and started under it, feeling the radiating warmth from the stones as her face passed within a breath of it. As she straightened back up seconds later, she was swept into a hug by Anakin and laughed delightedly, the worry of the last few days draining from her mind.
Feeling better than she had in days, she slipped into the pilot's seat of the dustracer. At Anakin's questioning glance, she simply said, "I'm driving this time." With a chagrined smile, he hopped in next to her and they raced off.
Several moments later, an angry Mace Windu and an embarrassed Obi-wan Kenobi climbed into an air carriage and waited while it floated lazily towards the ships.
