The droids were having a hard time keeping the speeder bike in their sights, when they flew above the tree the speeder ducked down when they flew down it would bob up.
As Anakin dipped down into the jungle he saw blaster fire shoot past his head and singe the tree in front of him, but he could not see any one firing them. Up he went again-the little hesitation put him in sync with the droids because this time the four vehicles rose over the trees at the same time.
For a moment both parties seem to be surprised at the other's presence, Anakin saluted them with a wide grin, and then all hell broke loose. Blaster fire rained down upon them from umpteen directions. With a rush of adrenaline Anakin let loose, weaving and threading through the dense trees so fast several STAPs smashed into the trees in the ensuing chase.
"Hang on," He shouted to Amidala who just tightened her hold around his waist. Anakin saw two more droids coming from the front, their twin blasters firing away; he swung aside just in time to avoid the fire. But two of the three droids following them were not so lucky, they were blown to pieces, as they took the full blast of the their colleague's blasters. He wished Amidala had her blaster with her to cover his back, but she had lost that in the swamps. He had no choice but to run for it, dodging between the trees.
"Here we go again," he said as he pushed the accelerator pedal all the way down. Another group of droid suddenly materialized from the forest in front of them blocking their path. This time Anakin turned left as he spied a gap in the tree. Now he had about six droids tailing him. They sped on with exhilarating speed as the jungle blurred into a blotch of green and brown.
Amidala felt her stomach turn as the speeder cleared a ridge and dipped steeply down the wall of the ridge, but by now Anakin had earned her confidence in his driving skills. She just shut her eyes and held on tight. It was hard though with the speeder swaying from side to side in order to give the droids a more difficult target. She was glad her stomach was empty.
Anakin made for the open space, where his speed daemon could simply out run those stick machines. In minutes the pursuing droids were tiny specs in the distance.
Amidala decided it was safe to open her eyes when she felt the bike become steady. She opened it just a little; she nearly fell from shock. There were flying in the middle of a wide canyon, hundreds of feet above the ground, below she could see a silver river, threading down the canyon floor. Waterfalls of various sizes tumbled down both the rims of the canyon.
The Canyon walls too were pockmarked with holes from which waterfall of all sizes flew out into the canyon. A cool moist breeze blew against her cheeks. The sky was tinged orange as the great red orb of the sun rose slowly on the horizon. It was so beautiful; though she was born and bred here she never tired of Naboo's beauty.
She looked at her pilot; it seemed he was enjoying himself. His face up to the wind; hair flying. She didn't like the look on his face-though she couldn't see it, she sensed that wicked grin plastered on it.
Anakin in fact really had a smile plastered across his face, but it was not wicked, it was a smile of content. The cool breeze blowing his face made him euphoric. He closed his eyes against the breeze.
"Stars! this place is beautiful! Must come here again, under much happier conditions he though. Obi wan would love it. I love it.
The Queen leaned her head against his back, as she contemplated the beauty of this place.
"Something is in the air," he thought happily. Love…
Ping, ping- was the answer he got. "Oh No!" STAPs! His mind corrected himself. He looked back "the air is full of them." He thought as he dipped the bike into a steep arch.
Anakin hadn't heard them approaching above the din of the waterfalls and his concentration had wandered perilously into matters that Obi wan always considered unnecessary and dangerous for a Jedi. " Now I see why he called it dangerous," Anakin thought.
Anakin spiraled down at a dizzying speed. All the three STAPs swooped down after him. Suddenly he turned to the side heading for a particular part of the canyon wall, were the side was dented in like a giant sando monster had taken humongous bite out of it. A huge waterfall spilt down the middle of it and smaller ones dotted the area around it. Anakin headed straight for the belly of the bigger fall. The fall was split in two down the middle due to a big rock out cropping there. Anakin headed for the opening between the two falls, just below the rock out cropping.
"Anakin we're going to crash into the canyon wall," she shouted over the din.
"Trust me," he shouted back. Then they were inside the black maw.
As Anakin dipped down into the jungle he saw blaster fire shoot past his head and singe the tree in front of him, but he could not see any one firing them. Up he went again-the little hesitation put him in sync with the droids because this time the four vehicles rose over the trees at the same time.
For a moment both parties seem to be surprised at the other's presence, Anakin saluted them with a wide grin, and then all hell broke loose. Blaster fire rained down upon them from umpteen directions. With a rush of adrenaline Anakin let loose, weaving and threading through the dense trees so fast several STAPs smashed into the trees in the ensuing chase.
"Hang on," He shouted to Amidala who just tightened her hold around his waist. Anakin saw two more droids coming from the front, their twin blasters firing away; he swung aside just in time to avoid the fire. But two of the three droids following them were not so lucky, they were blown to pieces, as they took the full blast of the their colleague's blasters. He wished Amidala had her blaster with her to cover his back, but she had lost that in the swamps. He had no choice but to run for it, dodging between the trees.
"Here we go again," he said as he pushed the accelerator pedal all the way down. Another group of droid suddenly materialized from the forest in front of them blocking their path. This time Anakin turned left as he spied a gap in the tree. Now he had about six droids tailing him. They sped on with exhilarating speed as the jungle blurred into a blotch of green and brown.
Amidala felt her stomach turn as the speeder cleared a ridge and dipped steeply down the wall of the ridge, but by now Anakin had earned her confidence in his driving skills. She just shut her eyes and held on tight. It was hard though with the speeder swaying from side to side in order to give the droids a more difficult target. She was glad her stomach was empty.
Anakin made for the open space, where his speed daemon could simply out run those stick machines. In minutes the pursuing droids were tiny specs in the distance.
Amidala decided it was safe to open her eyes when she felt the bike become steady. She opened it just a little; she nearly fell from shock. There were flying in the middle of a wide canyon, hundreds of feet above the ground, below she could see a silver river, threading down the canyon floor. Waterfalls of various sizes tumbled down both the rims of the canyon.
The Canyon walls too were pockmarked with holes from which waterfall of all sizes flew out into the canyon. A cool moist breeze blew against her cheeks. The sky was tinged orange as the great red orb of the sun rose slowly on the horizon. It was so beautiful; though she was born and bred here she never tired of Naboo's beauty.
She looked at her pilot; it seemed he was enjoying himself. His face up to the wind; hair flying. She didn't like the look on his face-though she couldn't see it, she sensed that wicked grin plastered on it.
Anakin in fact really had a smile plastered across his face, but it was not wicked, it was a smile of content. The cool breeze blowing his face made him euphoric. He closed his eyes against the breeze.
"Stars! this place is beautiful! Must come here again, under much happier conditions he though. Obi wan would love it. I love it.
The Queen leaned her head against his back, as she contemplated the beauty of this place.
"Something is in the air," he thought happily. Love…
Ping, ping- was the answer he got. "Oh No!" STAPs! His mind corrected himself. He looked back "the air is full of them." He thought as he dipped the bike into a steep arch.
Anakin hadn't heard them approaching above the din of the waterfalls and his concentration had wandered perilously into matters that Obi wan always considered unnecessary and dangerous for a Jedi. " Now I see why he called it dangerous," Anakin thought.
Anakin spiraled down at a dizzying speed. All the three STAPs swooped down after him. Suddenly he turned to the side heading for a particular part of the canyon wall, were the side was dented in like a giant sando monster had taken humongous bite out of it. A huge waterfall spilt down the middle of it and smaller ones dotted the area around it. Anakin headed straight for the belly of the bigger fall. The fall was split in two down the middle due to a big rock out cropping there. Anakin headed for the opening between the two falls, just below the rock out cropping.
"Anakin we're going to crash into the canyon wall," she shouted over the din.
"Trust me," he shouted back. Then they were inside the black maw.