A/N Sorry for the wait; I was gone a few days. So, here it is.

Chapter 15 Revealed

Waiting around a swamp while JarJar went to look for the Gungans was not Jesse's definition of a good time. He kicked a clump of moss absentmindedly.

Padme was having second thoughts. "Maybe they've killed JarJar and we're waiting for nothing." She said.

"Look, we're here. It's not like you can turn around now." Jesse didn't mean to sound unsympathetic, but he was tired of waiting. "Where is that stinking Gungan anyway?" he muttered.

Just then, JarJar emerged from the trees, dripping wet. Padme stood.

"Dare-sa nobody dare. All gone. Some kinda fight, I tink. Sorry, no Gungas. No Gungas." JarJar looked puzzled.

"Do you think they have been taken to camps?" Panaka asked.

"More likely they were wiped out." Obi-Wan said.

Padme looked like she was ready to cry despite her attempt to look calm. Jesse put a hand on her shoulder.

"No, mesa no tink so." Padme looked up as JarJar continued. "Gungan hiden. When in trouble, go to sacred place. Mackineeks no find them dare."

"Do you know where they are?" Qui-Gon asked. Everyone held their breath.

"Mesa know. Dis way." JarJar motioned for them to follow as he re-entered the dense wood.

"This has to work." Padme whispered.

"It will." Jesse was getting tired of being Padme's personal psychologist.

"If it doesn't..."

"It will."

Padme ignored the interruption. "...we'll all be destroyed. It will be the end."

"Why do you always look at the down side?"

Padme glared at him. "What's the good side of this?" she demanded.

Jesse scrambled mentally. "If the Trade Federation succeeds in wiping your people out, I'm sure the courts will convict them. You can't just take overa planet and expect to get away with it." His reasoning sounded lame, even to him.

Padme gave him a look. "Right."

Jesse snapped his mouth shut and resolved to keep it that way.

Ahead of them, JarJar stopped. "Dissen it." he said softly.

Out of the brush emerged several Gungan guards.

"Heyo-dalee, Captain Tarpals!" JarJar said.

Captain Tarpals stared in shock. "Binks! Noah again!"

"We comen to see da boss." JarJar explained.

"Ouch time, Binks. Ouch time for allen yous." Captain Tarpals growled, leading the way toward the center of the sacred place where Boss Nass was sitting.

"JarJar, yousa payin dis time. Who's da ussen others?" Boss Nass asked, surveying the group.

"It's now or never." Padme whispered. Jesse gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Sabe, dressed as the queen,stepped forward. "I am queen Amidala of the Naboo. I come before you in peace."

Boss Nass' face hardened, and he scowled. "Naboo biggen. Yousa bringen da Mackineeks. Dya busten ussen omm. Yousa all bombad. Yousa all die'n, mesa tink."

Padme's face fell as the queen tried to recover lost ground. "We wish to form an alliance..."

Jessecaught Padme's in the eye.

It's now or never.

She nodded and stepped forward. "Your honor."

"Whosa dis?" Boss Nass demanded.

Padme took a deep breath. "I am Queen Amidala." her voice didn't even tremble. "This is my decoy, my protection, my loyal bodyguard."

Jesse snuck a peek over at the Jedi. Anakin looked floored.

"I am sorry for my deception," Padme continued. "but under the circumstances it has become necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace- until now. The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. You are in hiding, my people are in camps. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us. No, I beg you to help us." Padme dropped to her knees and knelt before the Gungan leader.

Shock radiated from Captain Panaka and the others, but they followed their queen's example and knelt too. Jesse's face broke into a grin as he dropped to his knees.

She did it!

"We are your humble servants; our fate is in your hands." Padme said.

Boss Nass stared at them for what seemed like forever. Suddenly he broke intoa a loud laugh. "Yousa no tinken yousa greater dan da Gungans. Mesa like dis. Maybe wesa bein friends."

Relief exploded on Padme's face. "Thank you, Your Honor."

"What yousa dinken for da Mackineeks?" Boss Nass asked.

Padme outlined her plan. Boss Nass looked thoughtful. "Dis a bombad plan, mesa tink." he finally said. "Wesa helpin you to destroy da Mackineeks when deysa come."

"Thank you, Your Honor. They should be here soon, we must prepare for the battle."

"Wesa doin it." Boss Nass said.

Jesse hugged Padme, forgetting for a minute that she was a queen. "You did it!" he said.

"You were right." Padme replied, blushing. "I'm so relieved."

"The battle isn't over yet." he reminded her.

"I know." she turned to Captain Panaka. "See what you can find out by scouting around. We'll need to know how large the Federations army is."

"Right away, Your Highness." Panaka bowed and left.