The Gift
AN – I have been really enjoying this, so I have another fairly long chapter for you. Deciding how and where to break up chapters has become difficult, but I hope you enjoy this one! I'm not 100% happy with it but i can't put my finger on why, so I decided to post it anyway as I'm not sure any amount of editing will help anymore!
Disclaimer – I do not own Buffy or Star Wars. Also, some dialogue in here is taken from Episode I.
Chapter Fifteen – The Plea
Buffy sat on the remains of a stone column and looked up at the skies above. Dawn was just breaking over Naboo on the fourth day after the Federation and its droids invaded the planet. In the meantime, the gungans had managed to build an underground network to provide supplies to those Naboo that needed it most. The gungans were paying the price for this – their cities were being destroyed and their people were now refugees as well.
But they were safe, they were armed and they were prepared to fight. Buffy knew that Boss Nass was biding his time, waiting to see what the next step would be for the Federation – he hadn't started this quarrel with them, but he would not sit back and watch his people be slaughtered. Buffy sighed deeply as she leaned back on the pillar. Something was coming, she could feel it in her bones. It was the reason why she was awake so early today. Dawn had been restless too, tossing and turning on the bad next to Buffy in the small tent they were sharing. For now, the younger girl was finally sleeping soundly but Buffy didn't know how long it would last. She looked up to the skies again, briefly admiring the myriad of colours despite her worries. Yes, something was happening.
Approaching the planet's orbit, Anakin Skywalker stood next to Jar Jar Binks looking out at the green and blue world down below. "It's so…green." He stated, awe colouring his words. It was truly a long way from the hot and dry desert planet of Tatooine, which was all he had known as home.
"Yes, it surely is." Jar Jar agreed, but his tone was distracted. Anakin looked up at the tall gungan. His expression was troubled as he looked down on the planet. Looking over his shoulder, Anakin could see that the Queen was busy talking to the Captain of her guards. She had made a shock announcement earlier that she was going to request help from the Gungan, and then disappeared briefly to consult with her handmaidens before returning in a new outfit. Her Captain was now going through further details while Qui-Gon looked on in his role as protector for the Queen. Safe in the knowledge that they wouldn't be overheard, Anakin asked Jar Jar the question that had been burning in his mind for a while.
"Will the Slayer help the Gungan army and the Queen?"
Jar Jar half smiled at his new friend despite his worry. "Mesa think so. Mesa think da Slayer not like to see people be hurts, no matter who or what dey are."
"You sound as though you know him well," Anakin commented. "It must be amazing, knowing a great warrior like that."
"Oh… Isa okie, mesa guess. But yousa knows da warriors too." Jar Jar indicated the Jedi with a nod of his head, Anakin smiling in agreement. "Also, mesa no knows da Slayer too well, but mesa knows da Slayer sister. Dawnee is mesa good friend."
"Dawnee?" Anakin asked. "The Slayer has a sister? Wicked!"
"If wesa find da Gungan, mesa introduce yousa." Jar Jar promised solemnly. He was unable to say more as the ship came into land on the planet.
"We must hurry," The younger Jedi Obi-Wan told them all as they hurried from the ship.
The whole landing party looked to Jar Jar, who gulped loudly when he realised he was the centre of attention. "Isa dis way." He led the way through the once-familiar swamp, now nearly unrecognisable in its present condition. It didn't help his worries, what had happened to his beloved home in the few days since he had left?
Obi-Wan watched as Jar Jar Binks disappeared underneath the water. He had apologised to his master after a disagreement they had on Coruscant concerning the young boy, Anakin. He could sense the Force in Anakin, but something about the boy concerned him. The fact that Qui-Gon believed so fully that he was the long awaited Chosen One worried Obi-Wan and he had not had time to meditate with the Force on it. Events were moving too fast, he could barely keep up. Still, disagreeing with his master was no excuse for his rude behaviour – his master usually knew what he was doing, and Obi-Wan just prayed to the Force that it was the case this time as well.
The gungan was gone a long time. Eventually he clambered back out of the water shaking his head. "There is nobody there. The gungan city is deserted. Fighting, mesa thinks."
"Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Obi-Wan asked with concern. The Queen's plan could not possibly succeed if the gungans had been imprisoned.
"More likely they have been wiped out." Captain Panaka, the head of the Queen's guards, commented dourly. Obi-Wan privately agreed with him, but it wasn't a particularly useful comment at the present time.
"Mesa no think so." Jar Jar told him, poking the guard in the chest. Before Panaka could respond Qui-Gon cut in.
"Do you know where they are, Jar Jar?"
The gungan seemed to think about it for a moment. "When in trouble, gungans go to Sacred Place." He rolled his shoulders. "Mesa show you, come on."
Jar Jar started to lead them away from the lake and into denser jungle. What followed was one of the most strenuous treks that Obi-Wan had ever undertaken. The jungle was dense and full of swamp, the path that Jar Jar led them along had to be followed closely as the pools of water were incredibly deep. One of the guards that followed Panaka found that to his cost as he stepped in what he thought was a puddle and ending up pitching head first into water that was so deep he couldn't see the bottom. Luckily Jar Jar was close by to haul him out.
"Stay on da path," the gungan advised solemnly, but even Obi-Wan could see that was easier said than done. The path seemed to only be visible to the gungan and the rest were just trying to follow in his footsteps.
Still, despite the danger they managed to just about keep up with Jar Jar as he wound his way through the undergrowth. They had to follow him for a good couple of hours, by the end Obi-Wan was feeling pretty exhausted and he could see that the Queen was holding on through determination alone. Luckily, her hand-maidens were unencumbered with all the royal clothing the Queen wore and were able to hold their own alongside the guards.
Obi-Wan was just beginning to feel that he should call for a break when he had the uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched. He looked up through the trees but couldn't see anything in the canopy above. He caught a flicker out of the corner of his eye but on turning to look couldn't see anything there. His unease must have transmitted to his master as Qui-Gon came up next to him.
"I can feel it too, Obi-Wan. Be on your guard."
The tension in the Jedi must have transmitted to the rest of the party as they began to close up to each other, looking around warily. Even Jar Jar slowed down, looking around.
"Wesa nearly here." He explained quietly.
Obi-Wan suddenly realised that the track he had been following through the forest was now much more defined. Even as he had the thought, a gungan riding a kaadu appeared on the track in front of them.
"Captain Tarpals!" Jar Jar greeted cheerily. "Mesa here again!"
"Jar Jar," the gruff gungan greeted. "Yousa come back. And yousa bring da humans. To the gungan Sacred Place."
"Er, yes." Jar Jar looked around uneasily. "Dey want to talk to da Big Boss."
"Hmm." The gungan appeared to consider them for a moment or two. "Follow mesa." He turned his steed and started walking away. As the group followed him, Obi-Wan became aware of other gungans flanking them through the trees.
"We have a welcoming committee." He murmured to his master. Qui-Gon looked around and nodded slowly.
"Keep an eye on them, but our fate lies in the Queen's hands now."
The boy, Anakin, was keeping close to Qui-Gon but picked up on the Jedi's unease.
"Is it going to be ok? They will help the Queen, won't they?"
"I don't know, Anakin." Qui-Gon answered truthfully. "I hope so."
Captain Tarpals stopped abruptly and dismounted from his kaadu, which quickly melted back into the undergrowth. He gestured for them all to move forwards into a large clearing. On one side of it, large stone columns lay at unnatural angles, suggested some form of ancient building used to occupy this site. On top of one stood a large gungan that Obi-Wan recognised as the one that had spoken to them in the gungan city when they were last on the planet.
Captain Tarpals and Jar Jar Binks had evidently been speaking on the short walk, as Captain Tarpals now announced the Queen to the Big Boss. Tens if not hundreds of gungans were watching from the sidelines as Jar Jar walked forwards, the Queen following him in tandem with Captain Panaka.
"Yousa honour Big Boss, sir."
"Jar Jar Binks." The booming voice of Boss Nass echoed across the clearing. "Whosa usen bringing here?"
The Queen took a small step forwards, looking bravely up at the leader of the Gungan.
"I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo. I come before you in peace."
"Hm, da Naboo hm? Yousa cause da meccaniks to come here." The Big Boss frowned down at her. "Why yousa speak with da Gungan now?"
"We have searched you out for we wish to form an alliance." The Queen started to say, when Padmé stepped in front of her and cut her off.
"Your honour," Padmé began. "I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo." The ripple of shock went around the watching gungans, including Jar Jar who stared at her in surprise. Obi-Wan was equally shocked by the announcement, although a lot of things now clicked into place. Anakin was staring at Padmé too, but Qui-Gon merely caught his padawan's eye with a knowing smile. Obi-Wan mentally shook his head, of course his master would know. His master made it his business to know. He focussed back on what Padmé was saying. "This is my decoy, my protection, my loyal bodyguard. I am sorry for my deception, but it was necessary. Although we do not always agree your honour, our two societies have always lived in peace. The Trade Federation now threatens to destroy everything we have worked so long to build. I am here to ask you to help us. No," And now Padmé actually fell to her knees in front of the gungan leader. "I beg you to help us. We are your humble servants."
Obi-Wan dropped to his knees, as did the rest of their party apart from Jar Jar and the droid. Boss Nass watched them for a moment before he started to chuckle – a deep, belly rumbling chuckle that echoed around the clearing.
"Yousa come to beg usen for help. What say da Slayer? Should usen help da Naboo?"
Obi-Wan blinked at the response, only to nearly gape in shock as a slight figure dropped down from one of the nearby trees into the clearing. He didn't know whether he was more surprised that the seemingly arrogant Big Boss had actually asked for another's opinion, or whether it was because the figure in question was very clearly not a gungan but a human.
His musing was interrupted by Anakin though, who blurted out loudly. "That's the Slayer? But she's a girl!"
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Buffy watched the group trekking through the trees. The gungans had spotted them a while ago but only just now revealed themselves. Buffy was really tagging along for interest. She knew that the rest of the Naboo had been asked to keep themselves away from the main area where Boss Nass had set up his council, not that they were often found there anyway. It was mainly for their own safety – when the party had been detected it wasn't sure whether they were friend or foe. Now, with Jar Jar Binks leading them, the Jedi and the Queen of the Naboo it was pretty obvious they were friendly. As they approached the clearing Buffy scrambled up into the trees. She was pleased she was here – she had returned late last night from what they had been calling the Lake Camp, a large camp where Naboo from all over the scenic lake area had been corralled. She had been very tired, sleeping soundly until quite late this morning, but as soon as a gungan messenger had told her that strangers were approaching the Sacred Place she had roused herself and come to see if she was needed.
Down below her, Jar Jar was nervously greeting Boss Nass. As the Queen stepped forwards to introduce herself, Buffy scanned the rest of the party. She noticed with a start that the handmaiden she had met in Theed was amongst them. She also saw a young boy with the Jedi, wearing similar clothing. How odd – who would choose to bring a child to a planet where an invasion was happening?
The handmaiden – Padmé, Buffy thought, stepped forwards and interrupted the Queen. Buffy gaped as she revealed that it was actually Padmé herself who was Queen Amidala and that the woman dressed up as the Queen was a decoy. A part of Buffy thought it was a smart move, but she did wonder how many people had been fooled by the switch. Most of the guards seemed aware, unsurprisingly, but the Jedi looked shocked. Not the old one, but the younger one couldn't quite hide the surprise on his face quickly enough and the child was still gaping.
Padmé's words surprised Buffy, as did seeing the whole group kneel before Boss Nass. But not as much as his response.
"Yousa come to beg usen for help. What say da Slayer? Should usen help da Naboo?"
Realising that this was Boss Nass's signal that the time for hiding was over, Buffy swung down and dropped lightly to her feet at the edge of the clearing. She basked for a moment in the shocked expressions on all – including the two Jedi.
The moment was broken when the boy cried out "That's the Slayer? But she's a girl!"
Jar Jar Binks actually smacked his hand into his face to cover his eyes. Captain Tarpals and many of the assembled gungans bristled at the perceived insult against their Slayer. Boss Nass looked amused and the older Jedi's grip tightened on the boy's arm. Buffy shot him her best Slayer glare, one that caused the boy to look very nervous.
Boss Nass coughed slightly, bringing Buffy's attention back to the kneeling Queen. Knowing that whatever she did now could totally mess up the Gungan/Naboo relationship – well, even more than it already was – she tried to formulate words that would actually bring them back together.
Alas, words were not Buffy's forte.
After standing and gaping like a fish for what felt like hours, in a childish moment she stomped her foot and turned in a huff to Boss Nass.
"Why do you want me to say anything? You know what my answer will be."
"Hmmm," Boss Nass looked at her, jowls wobbling with something that Buffy thought was probably suppressed laughter at her goldfish impression. "And why mesa know yousa answer?"
"Because we're already helping the Naboo!" She replied exasperatedly, not sure why he was asking these questions when he already knew.
"You are?" Came the clear voice of Padmé, her tone questioning. "In what way?"
"Oh, um…" Buffy looked back at the party of newcomers, all of whom were watching her every move avidly. Buffy gulped. "Well, we've been smuggling medical supplies into the camps, making sure there is enough food and removing any of the Naboo that come to harm… we have a few with our healers now." She waved her arm vaguely in the area of the swamp where Dawn and the rest of the healers were doing their best for all those that came to them.
"Mesa think dat da Queen of da Naboo not be bowing before usen, usen be equals." Boss Nass pronounced in his deep voice. "Mesa wondering if shesa has a plan?"
Padmé pulled herself upright, the rest of her retinue following suit.
"I do have one or two ideas," she said, looking shrewdly at the leader of the gungans. "And, forgive me if it is not my place to say so, but I believe you may as well."
Boss Nass burst out into laughter. "Mesa like yousa! Mesa think dat wesa can work well together. Maybe wesa being friends." A smile crept over Padmé's face as Jar Jar whooped happily.
The next couple of hours flew by. At Padmé's insistence, Buffy detailed what the gungans had found out about the camps. Captain Panaka was dispatched with maps and directions to corroborate Buffy's information, but more specifically to provide information about some resistance cells that the gungans had been aware of but unable to contact thus far. Panaka not only returned with information, but also as many of the resistance cell members as they could collect.
Buffy had listened to the main part of the plan, namely to use the gungans as a distraction to draw the droids to the plains while a select few went into the palace to try to capture whoever it was that had orchestrated this invasion. As plans went, she thought it sucked. But that was mainly her bias, because she hated the thought of the gungans being used as bait. She saw the determined expression on Boss Nass's face though and knew he had agreed with it. Instead, she went to find Dawn, only to find that she wasn't the only one.
"Dawnee!" Jar Jar Binks called loudly as he approached the healer camp. Dawn was taking a quick break and Buffy had barely arrived. Buffy managed to refrain from rolling her eyes at Jar Jar, but it was a close thing.
"Jar Jar!" Dawn squealed. "You're ok! I was so worried!" She engulfed the gungan in a tackling hug that knocked him back a step.
"Dawnee, mesa want to introduce mesa friend, Ani. Ani, dis Dawnee. Da Slayer sister. And..." Jar Jar gulped when he saw Buffy perched on a rock behind Dawn. "Dis Buffee, da Slayer." He pointed at the sisters in turn, indicating who was who to the small boy that was accompanying him despite the boy having seen Buffy at the clearing earlier.
"Hi," Buffy waved at Anakin. He tore his eyes away from Dawn momentarily to frown at her.
"Shouldn't you be with the Jedi and the Queen? They are talking about the plan."
"Huh," Buffy shrugged. "I'm sure they'll tell me what to do in a bit. Hopefully in simple words. Something along the lines of 'that slayee, go slay'."
Anakin frowned at her, unused to the concept of anyone treating the Jedi with anything other than the greatest respect. Deciding not to worry about it, he turned to Dawn. "Hi Dawnee, Jar Jar has told me a lot about you."
"It's just Dawn," she replied with a smile. "Where did you meet Jar Jar?"
"Oh, he was with the Jedi when they found my mom and me at Watto's." Anakin explained. "We were slaves but then I helped Jar Jar when he nearly got in a fight and they all came to meet mom and then we were freed and now I'm here." Dawn blinked at the onslaught of information.
"OK, that's nice." Her brain caught up with his words a moment later. "Wait, slaves?"
"Yeah." Anakin looked downcast. "Mom is still there, but the Jedi managed to free me."
"They just left your mom there, as a slave?" Buffy asked, not quite believing her ears.
"Yeah, Watto wouldn't bet on both of us. Still, mom was really pleased for me and I might still get a chance to be a Jedi." He missed the dark expression crossing Buffy's face, instead he focussed on Dawn. "In the ship, Jar Jar was telling me all about you, but he didn't mention that you glow! How do you do that?"
"What?" Dawn asked, perplexed. She exchanged a look with Buffy, who simply shrugged.
Anakin looked from one sister to the other, a concerned expression on his face. "Yeah, you know... the green glow. It's real pretty, like the sunlight coming through those trees."
Dawn's eyes widened. "I don't have a green glow. Do I?" She turned in panic to Buffy, who shook her head to reassure her.
"Nope, no glow here."
"Oh." Anakin frowned. "Ok. Maybe it's me... it's been a busy few days."
"That must be it!" Dawn nodded emphatically.
"Anyway..." Anakin scuffed a foot on the ground. "I should be getting back. I don't want Mr Qui-Gon to worry."
"I'll come with you," Buffy told him. "I need to know what they want me to do. Remember what I said Dawn – stay back here and stay safe."
"I will," Dawn promised as she hugged her sister. "Healer Burban has a plan for injuries. You just need to go and kick droid ass so that we can go back home to Otoh Gunga."
"I'll do my best." Buffy squeezed one last time before letting her sister go. "Come on, let's go find out what the big-wigs are up to."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Obi-Wan felt as though he was caught up in an inexorable tide of events. Now he was listening to Padmé, the girl he had thought was a handmaiden but turned out to be the young Queen Amidala, disclose her plan to a small gathering that included the Big Boss of the Gungans, his trusty captain, Obi-Wan's own master Qui-Gon and Captain Panaka.
The news from Panaka was sobering. The Federation Army was numerous and well-armed, they had taken every Naboo settlement on the planet and only small pockets of resistance were left. It all spoke of a well-planned and well-executed plan. The only thing that the Federation hadn't seemed to count on was the gungans and their diminutive Slayer.
Obi-Wan thought back to what he had learnt about the Slayer. She had looked awkward when she was first placed into the spotlight by Boss Nass, then nonchalantly disclosed that in the short duration of time since they had left Naboo she had managed to organise an underground supply chain directly into the camps themselves, targeting those with the most need and generally raising moral. That in itself was remarkable, but given the consideration that she had managed to do this as a gungan when the two peoples historically were not on good terms was nothing short of miraculous.
And then there was the girl herself. Slight in figure yet moving confidently, belying a power that shouldn't belong in her small frame. And also, clearly, not a gungan – which begged the question of why she was living with the Gungan and considered a Gungan warrior. That wasn't even mentioning the uncomfortable feeling he got when he looked at her, as though he should know her from somewhere... other than the submarine, obviously, as it was abundantly clear now who had come to their rescue when they were trapped by the eels in the core.
He forced himself to focus on what Padmé was saying. She spoke with intelligence and authority, and Obi-Wan did wonder why he hadn't realised she was the Queen before. Her plan was a good one as far as it went – draw out the army and enter the city through hidden passages to capture the Viceroy, likely forcing the Federation to surrender. But there were lots of uncertainties. Not just that the Viceroy would be well guarded as his master had pointed out, but also in their ability to get into the city unimpeded. What if the Federation had found the passages? Would the Sith that had followed the Queen to Tatooine appear again.
"There is a possibility that many gungans will be killed." Qui-Gon told Boss Nass.
"Wesa do our part." The Gungan leader declared bravely. Padmé outlined their plan to send fighter pilots against the droid control ship they had spotted earlier on their approach to the planet. Knock out the ship, knock out the droid army. Or so was the plan. Obi-Wan could see a pretty large hole in it though.
"If the Viceroy escapes, your highness, he will return with another droid army." Obi-Wan told her.
"Well that is why we must not fail to get the Viceroy." Padmé replied. "Everything depends on it."
"Den yousa must take da Slayer with yousa." Boss Nass decreed. "Shesa will not change much on a large battle here, but for yousa shesa is a weapon. Take care of her."
