It was dark and it took them sometime to adjust to the darkness. Amidala looked around, it was a round tunnel carved out by the flow of water, wide enough for a Naboo speeder to pass through it comfortably.
A thin stream flowed down the tunnel floor, flowing into the falls outside. As they coasted deeper it became darker; Anakin put on the speeder light. The tunnel branched out into two smaller tunnels; just big enough for Anakin to stretch both his arms out, the ceiling though was much higher.
One tunnel branched out to the left and one to the right. "Padme! Choose," Anakin ordered.
"Um!" Amidala thought for a split second, then she chose the one on the left. Anakin followed the dark cavern till they reached a dead end. A small waterfall gushed from a hole at the top of the tunnel's end. Anakin looked for an opening of some sort; there were several small rounded holes all along the tunnel wall, some with water gushing through and other dry gaping ones.
Before Anakin could plan another move he heard the soft whining of the STAPs. "Quick," he said pushing Amidala into a crevice in the side of the tunnel wall. There was no place to hide the bike. Anakin let it fall into the pool of water at the foot of the fall, where the force of the falling water had created a deep basin. Then he jumped up the ledge and squeezed into the narrow crevice with the Queen, in such a way that he faced the fall. Anakin felt the presence of three droids approaching.
The two stood face to face, holding their breaths. They heard the droids falter a bit at the point where the tunnel branched out, and then they saw the light of a single STAP wavering on the tunnels walls, as it came cautiously towards them. Anakin had one arm around the queen so she would not be pushed against the rough rocky wall behind her; the other hand was raised a bit before him.
Amidala's face was immobilized to one side against Anakin's chest. She envied the steady beating of his heart; her heart was beating like a pod racer gone wild. Anakin felt her tension.
"Relax!" Anakin whispered in her ears, "I have a plan." She eased her stiff body and let her head rest against him, palms flat against his chest. He tightened his arm around her. With his other hand he pushed her head gently to him so that it fit snugly under his chin. In spite of the impeding danger slowly making their way she felt strangely secure.
Amidala waited for the flickering light to get closer; she wondered what plan Anakin had in mind. The droid was quite close and she could hear the whining from the twin drive turbines resounding in the cavern, but Anakin made no effort to reach for his lightsaber.
The whining grew closer, Amidala noticed that there was no other sound, she craned her neck around then saw why, the waterfall that spouted from the hole above had stopped. She wondered why. But she could not dwell on that for long, the droid had already reached the end of the tunnel. Seeing nothing it slowly turned around scanning the walls of the tunnel with it's lights, first the far side then it turned almost in slow motion towards them. And still Anakin made no move to bring him down with his sword.
Amidala screamed when the STAP's light fell on their faces, momentarily blinding them. Anakin pressed her head hard against his chest stifling the scream to a muffle. The droids neck jerked back in surprise, as it saw the two cowering figures. Just then Anakin waved his hand, and the droid didn't even know what hit him.
A thin stream flowed down the tunnel floor, flowing into the falls outside. As they coasted deeper it became darker; Anakin put on the speeder light. The tunnel branched out into two smaller tunnels; just big enough for Anakin to stretch both his arms out, the ceiling though was much higher.
One tunnel branched out to the left and one to the right. "Padme! Choose," Anakin ordered.
"Um!" Amidala thought for a split second, then she chose the one on the left. Anakin followed the dark cavern till they reached a dead end. A small waterfall gushed from a hole at the top of the tunnel's end. Anakin looked for an opening of some sort; there were several small rounded holes all along the tunnel wall, some with water gushing through and other dry gaping ones.
Before Anakin could plan another move he heard the soft whining of the STAPs. "Quick," he said pushing Amidala into a crevice in the side of the tunnel wall. There was no place to hide the bike. Anakin let it fall into the pool of water at the foot of the fall, where the force of the falling water had created a deep basin. Then he jumped up the ledge and squeezed into the narrow crevice with the Queen, in such a way that he faced the fall. Anakin felt the presence of three droids approaching.
The two stood face to face, holding their breaths. They heard the droids falter a bit at the point where the tunnel branched out, and then they saw the light of a single STAP wavering on the tunnels walls, as it came cautiously towards them. Anakin had one arm around the queen so she would not be pushed against the rough rocky wall behind her; the other hand was raised a bit before him.
Amidala's face was immobilized to one side against Anakin's chest. She envied the steady beating of his heart; her heart was beating like a pod racer gone wild. Anakin felt her tension.
"Relax!" Anakin whispered in her ears, "I have a plan." She eased her stiff body and let her head rest against him, palms flat against his chest. He tightened his arm around her. With his other hand he pushed her head gently to him so that it fit snugly under his chin. In spite of the impeding danger slowly making their way she felt strangely secure.
Amidala waited for the flickering light to get closer; she wondered what plan Anakin had in mind. The droid was quite close and she could hear the whining from the twin drive turbines resounding in the cavern, but Anakin made no effort to reach for his lightsaber.
The whining grew closer, Amidala noticed that there was no other sound, she craned her neck around then saw why, the waterfall that spouted from the hole above had stopped. She wondered why. But she could not dwell on that for long, the droid had already reached the end of the tunnel. Seeing nothing it slowly turned around scanning the walls of the tunnel with it's lights, first the far side then it turned almost in slow motion towards them. And still Anakin made no move to bring him down with his sword.
Amidala screamed when the STAP's light fell on their faces, momentarily blinding them. Anakin pressed her head hard against his chest stifling the scream to a muffle. The droids neck jerked back in surprise, as it saw the two cowering figures. Just then Anakin waved his hand, and the droid didn't even know what hit him.