"That was almost too easy." Rité attempted to find solace in her thoughts as she removed herself from the skyhopper's landing ramp. The engines whined to a halt as her feet settled upon the stone courtyard of Theed Palace. Song birds whistled harmonious tunes amongst the trees while a group of Naboo guards rushed to welcome her, Teek and E3 as Sio Bibble hastily followed.
"But if this information is as vital as I feel, we can expect a garrison here shortly." Teek remarked. He brushed a lock of raven hair off his forehead, his other hand stammered to his pocket to guarantee he still possessed the holorecorder. Sio Bibble arrived toward the pair, his aging face appeared older than they last met him, and a streak of worry crossed his brow.
"It's a blessing that you escaped as you claim. We need to make haste inside, I have no doubt the Chancellor will send a force of clone troopers here to arrest you two."
"We have something to show you, Governor." Teek implied.
E3 rolled toward an entry door leading from the courtyard, Sio Bibble followed as Teek and Rité continued behind him with the guards following the rear. As the ensemble made their way toward the Queen's audience chambers, Teek could not help but wonder if he really felt he was betraying the Chancellor or if he was aiding the Republic to be his servant. Rité's life could be harmed if he betrayed Palpatine. The Jedi could kill her during their uprising if the Chancellor is correct. Teek could not let her be harmed if his compassion for her was true.
She returned a sea-shorn glance through her jade eyes piercing through her fiery hair like a podracer across the finish line. Her soft, rosy face shed a smooth, crimson smirk of concern. Teek could not let her be hurt; he had to trust the Chancellor. His service to the Republic required him to convince Sio Bibble and the Queen that a Sith was in control, in a way he believed it. Simultaneously, he wanted to doubt it. How the Jedi could not have seen this beforehand bothered him. Even he would admit he never had time to view the full recording; there was never enough time at Palpatine's retreat as he only possessed the recording less than an hour. That time wasn't allotted to him, questions continued to linger if his service was true or not.
The entourage approached their way into the Queen's audience chambers; Sio Bibble punched a key sequence into a datapad to allow entry. E3 wheeled his way into the room as Rité followed. Teek and Bibble exchanged glances as the guards worked their way into the chambers behind them. Queen Apailana sat upon her dais, garbed in ceremonial black attire, pale face paint marking her features with a dark purple gloss upon her lips.
The young queen appeared concerned, as much or more so than her predecessor during the Naboo Blockade, Amidala. Her dark marked eyes peeked up as the group seated themselves upon the round discussion layout. Teek to her right, Rité beside him, as Sio Bibble seated to her left. E3 chirped and whistled, rolling next to Rité. Teek fidgeted for the holorecording, Rité placed a hand upon his shoulder, calming him.
"I understand that your audience with me is of an urgent matter?" Apailana asked.
"Yes, your majesty. I have stolen information that I believe will help us understand who the Sith was that ordered the murder on Queen Amidala those many years ago." Teek removed the holorecorder from his jumpsuit.
"If your message is as important as you say it is, please play it." Bibble began.
Teek flipped a switch on the recorder. Blue static formed from the recording device in the image of Darth Sidious. His crinkly visage appeared from behind his dark hood, disguising his eyes in a shadow of eerie darkness as appeared in a static color as well as the device could display.
"Lord Tyranus," the recording began, "soon, the time of the New Order will arrive. The corruption in the Senate will end, and the galaxy will finally be at peace. The Sith shall rule once again, under a stricter principle brought about by a new, Galactic Empire. The Jedi along with any traitorous Senators and sympathizers shall find their politics limited if not exterminated entirely. The pieces are falling into place and soon the pawns will take the bait and the rule of two shall replace the rule of many. The Senate is unaware of their leader being a Sith, and in due time we will expose the web of lies they believe from the Jedi they trust. My time here in Naboo will be short to prepare for the final moves of this grand game. I will contact you once I arrive on Coruscant to begin the checkmate."
"Palpatine is the Sith Lord?" Sio Bibble clutched his chest in surprise.
Queen Apailana released a hefty sigh. She weighed this recording with a bit of concern. The Senate, the public had been duped all this time. The Sith were in control of the galaxy in the form of her native Senator now Chancellor, Palpatine. Who could have known this, and why wasn't it known sooner she wondered.
"We must get this recording to Senator Amidala; her Jedi friend Skywalker will be able to get this to the Jedi Council." She commanded.
"We must hurry. If Palpatine realizes you have possession of this information, he would certainly order a garrison here." Sio added.
"I command that we use the Millennium Falcon to expedite their arrival to Coruscant."
"Yes, your majesty, I will notify Ric Olié at once." Sio Bibble erected himself from his plush confines and exited the audience chamber.
"I will arrange for your stay here, but we do not welcome a troop garrison full time in Theed. Should that become too burdensome, your exit from Theed will be of the utmost importance."
Queen Apailana appeared ill weighing the consequences of harboring fugitives from the Republic. Her feelings appeared to be for the good of the people. If this Sidious truly was Palpatine, perhaps she could prevent this planned Empire and be hailed as a progenitor to peace and justice. Information contained inside that holorecording would serve the Jedi well, and would be necessary to providing a solution to their mystery of the Sith. Heaviness weighed in her chest, searching for resolve.
Teek, Rité and her droid removed themselves from the room.
"Your majesty, I certainly hope that we can bring down this Sith before this New Order is erected." Teek comforted.
Doubts raced across his mind, causing an unsteady heaviness to his breathing patterns. His loyalty was to the Chancellor now, his doubts about his loyalty waned. Sio Bibble and Apailana accepted the baiting tactic to alert the Jedi. The pair glided into the hallway that was separated by ornate marble and stone pillars where years earlier Queen Amidala commanded a Naboo Security squadron to take back the Palace from the Trade Federation.
The star-set upon the windows colored the room in a dark orange flair, mottled by clouded skies in the distance. The echoing hum of LAAT transports cracked the subtle peace brought on by the star-set. Three LAATs arrived from the distance, two of them landed beside the skyhopper while the third circled the courtyard. Two red-trimmed Homeworld clones exited from one LAAT, while eight white-armored clones appeared from another.
Four white-armored clones exited left of the courtyard with one of the red-trims. The other five troopers remained in the courtyard as the red one barked orders.
"Sithspawn!" Teek cursed.
Rité rushed up to his side as the LAATs lifted from the courtyard, catching sight of one of the troopers entering the Naboo Palace. E3 whistled a surprise tone.
"The Chancellor must be on to us!" Rité stated.
"It would appear so."
Captain Arpa entered the hallway connecting to the Queen's audience room, wearing the typical uniform of the Naboo Security Forces; maroon cap, vest and boots with blue shirt and trousers to trim.
"Governor Bibble has ordered you two to a secure location; Captain Olié is preparing the Falcon to leave in two days. We will attempt to divert the clone garrison here in the meantime. Come with me."
E3 rolled behind Teek and Rité as they followed the captain outside the hallway.
As the week progressed, Sio Bibble had been uneasy with the blank stares from the Mandalorian helmets of the clone garrison stationed inside the palace. Every motive was questioned, every action double-checked. Sio Bibble knew the real reason the clones stayed at the palace, however the official reason disclosed to the Holonet had been that a pre-security detail was required should the Chancellor request a personal, private visit to the Queen's estate while he remained on Naboo.
Ohma-D'un's reflections painted an eerie glow inside the hallways of Theed's ornate palace. Sio Bibble found the clone trooper's disregard of nighttime activity peculiar, allowing him to visit Teek and Rité in the secret room they had been assigned. As Sio Bibble approached their entry door, he scanned the hallway one last time in both directions to ensure no one had been watching him. The door quietly slid open as Rité greeted the governor, closing the door behind him.
"We need to make haste tonight. Ric Olié has prepped the Falcon for exit and he feels we should leave soon."
"What of the garrison?" Teek questioned.
"It appears that they are not aware of our actions tonight." Sio Bibble replied with an amazed curiosity.
"Strange," Rité chimed in. E3 echoed her surprise.
"There's no time to guess what the clones are up to, if Bibble is correct, we must leave now. The information contained in this recording is of the utmost, diplomatic importance." Teek commanded.
"Here, put these on," Sio Bibble handed Teek and Rité a tattered tunic and trousers to place over their jumpsuits. Sio Bibble had also provided two Naboo blasters for the pair. Teek motioned it away, sporting the same DC-15 he grabbed from the dead trooper.
Teek brushed a lock of her red hair away from her left eye and pecked a kiss on Rité's forehead as he assisted her with the smuggler's garb. Sio Bibble hasted them outside into the foyer, to follow him to the hangar bay. E3 whistled and chirped behind them.
Ric Olié studied the Falcon's exterior hull for pre-flight inspection. Queen Apailana in contrast to her pilot, witnessed Olié performing his routine. Ric brushed his hands with an oily rag; and wiping what he couldn't onto his ragged smuggling clothes. The doorway leading to the hangar glided open, two Naboo guards aimed blasters at the oncoming personnel in hopes that the entrants were not clones.
"Blasters down," Bibble ordered.
Ric Olié approached Teek and Rité, "I am your pilot, Ric Olié. I'm here to fly the Falcon to Coruscant for you."
"Thank you, Captain," Rité replied.
"We have a contingency for three weeks of supplies to accommodate for the week's jump, and possibly longer if necessary. If Corellian Engineering is as good as they say, we should be able to outrun that Star Destroyer in orbit."
"Star Destroyer? Here?" Teek proclaimed.
"It appears that whatever you are carrying has attracted some unwanted attention. I have uploaded new codes into the Falcon's transponder, which should inform them that we are on our way to Corellia for repairs; to avoid suspicion, of course."
Teek made his way around the Falcon as Rité followed; admiring the unique design of the YT-1300 freighter. The luminescence of the hangar bays highlighted the forward mandibles and saucer shaped hull. An odd piece of machinery he found in which he'd never seen a design place the cockpit in such an awkward position on the starboard side. A stark contrast to the sleek, goldenrod fighters stored on the side mounts of the hangar.
"The weapons should suffice it seems," Teek admired the dorsal and ventral quad-cannons, "and Corellian Engineering proclaims this to get point seven past light speed?"
"I've tested it already, kid." Olié proclaimed.
"Surprisingly, no socket for an astromech." Teek joked.
E3 whistled a disgruntled tone; Rité shrugged an equally disagreeable huff.
"It's not a fighter." Olié reassured.
"I think we must leave, now." Rité grabbed Teek by his elbow, beckoning him onto the entry ramp on the starboard side. E3 wheeled his way into the gaping maw of the Falcon's entry while Ric Olié pledged to the Queen a safe return. He arrived inside the Falcon's cockpit as Teek and Rité began to strap into the rear seats. E3 remained inside the primary cargo hold.
"Have you ever left Naboo, kid?" Ric asked of Teek.
"No."
"Then don't evacuate your stomach on the console, ok?"
Ric Olié punched buttons on the flight console to command the Falcon to lift off. The Falcon's landing struts moaned and whined to a lifting position as the engines kicked on. The azure brilliance bounced off the marble cosmetics of the hangar, illuminating them in a crisp, enveloping glow. She gradually eased away from the Theed Hangar as the darkness of night welcomed the craft into open arms.