Amidala flies the speeder through the wasteland, into Mos Espa and eventually docks with Amidalas ship. Inside, they all climb out and Amidala leaves and heads into the ship. Ahsoka stays as Obi-Wan retrieves a backpack from the small vehicle.
"What troubles you, padawan?" Obi-Wan wonders. "Your thoughts betray you."
"Anakin had children" Ahsoka says bluntly, looking at Obi-Wan. "That is why you transfered Amidala to another battlegroup. That is why Grand Master Yoda assigned me to be Anakins apprentice. I was meant to be a distraction."
"You were meant to help him focus" Obi-Wan explains. "Help him find clarity, help him find his way in the middle of a terrible war. And you did, young padawan. What took place in the end was not your fault."
"Anakin betrayed us so he could reunite with his family, didnt he?"
Obi-Wan sighs and nods. "Yes. Seduced by the false promises of the Dark Side."
Ahsoka takes a step closer to Obi-Wan. "You vouched for him as I recall. You took him in despite his old age. He was contaminated with desire and fear, and yet you argued for him to be trained. Now you know better."
"It was not desire or fear that turned him against us, padawan" Obi-Wan says. "It was love."
Obi-Wan then leaves the small cargohold, Ahsoka eying him with intense eyes. The ship takes off and leaves Tatooine and soon enough makes the jump to hyperspace.
XXX XXX
Imperial officer walks through a corridor and enters a bridge on a ship, walking up to a superior officer, Commander Roork.
"Sir, we have a reported sighting of the pirateship, Sola's Revenge."
Roork turns around. "Where?"
"Outer Rim, Hutt controlled space. System of Tatooine. The ship was reported leaving the system a day ago. We have its last known trajectory."
Roork is visibly pleased. "Good work, lieutenant. Put assets in the region into locating where that ship is heading. I will inform Lord Vader."
"At once, commander."
XXX XXX
Amidalas ship exits hyperspace and heads for a spacestation in the distance, hovering near an asteroidfield where mining-vessels reduce the rocks to harvest ore, bringing it all to the stations refineries. They fly in and dock.
Amidala joins Ahsoka and Obi-Wan in her ships simple lounge. "All we need to do now is wait for your transport to take you to Coruscant" she says. "We'll pick you up here a week from now and then we head for Karagash."
"Are you sure this place can be trusted?" Ahsoka wonders.
"Its an old mining operation on the broder between the Outer and Mid Rim. They are no strangers to helping ships that operate outside the boundries of the law. We're safe."
Ahsoka nods. "Good. Then our only real worry is getting into the palace."
"Getting in should not be an issue" Obi-Wan says. "Go deep enough on Coruscant and you will find an entrence to everything. No, the trouble begins when we reach the databanks. The Emperor knows their worth and will have them guarded. If we're lucky, they might not have found them yet, but even then, Im sure searchparties will be moving through the old temple hallways."
"What about getting out?" Amidala wonders.
"I am confident that getting out will not be troublesome" Obi-Wan reassures them. "Destoying the databanks will be distraction enough."
Amidala is still not convinced. "And leaving the planet after the Empire locks it down?"
"Leave that to me" Ahsoka says. "We have a way in and we have a way out. With Master Kenobi to guide us through the temple, we will succeed."
"Yeah" Amidala says with a frown. "We'll see."
Amidala leaves the lounge. Obi-Wan finds her doing repairs to some exterior system beneath the ship after he exits the vessel.
"Can I help you?" Amidala asks, annoyed.
"I was wrong" Obi-Wan says. "We all were. I saw what Anakin was becoming, but I closed my eyes to it. But it was too late. We all failed the first day I met him."
Amidala shakes her head, clearly upset, yet continues working on the ship with tools and rags. "Yeah, well, it was a long time ago, Obi-Wan."
"Not to me" Obi-Wan says. "And not to you. You remember those days quite vividly."
"Get out of my head!" Amidala growls. "My memories are my own. What I feel is none of your business. You destroyed Anakin as far as Im concerned. You killed him. You and all the Jedi, with your foolish dogmas and codes. And because of that, the Republic fell. Because of that, my children…"
Amidala stops herself and turns away, leaning against a crate.
"Your children could not follow you on the path you had already chosen, Padmé" Obi-Wan says. "In your heart, you had already decided on fighting on. There was no place for children in your life."
"Because of you!" Amidala growls and turns. She calms down. "Because of you, Obi-Wan."
"You know what is at stake" Obi-Wan counters. "The Sith are stronger than we ever thought possible. I can not stop the Emperor. Not even Yoda. The Emperor fears only one thing, Padmé. Your children. Anakins children. When the time is right… They will be trained."
Amidala locks eyes with Obi-Wan. "When all of this over, I dont want to see you ever again."
Amidala pushes past Obi-Wan and walks away.
XXX XXX
A CR90, the Tantive IV no less, approaches the station. On the bridge, Captain Antilles, together with C3PO and R2D2, turn to his passenger who joins him with the crew.
"Ambassador, we are coming up on the station" Antilles says. "We will dock to refuel and refill our water supplies and then we will be on our way."
"And the special cargo?" the ambassador wonders.
"Should be waiting for us" Antilles says.
The CR90 flies in towards the station and docks. As the crew disembark to refuel and resupply, so does a robed and hooded figure who quickly vanish into the crowds of the station. This mysterious figure sneaks through the stations crowded corridors and eventually end up on a catwalk high above a large hangarbay where mining-ships unload oar. The hooded figure waits until three others step out of the shadows; Amidala, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka.
"Agent Fulcrum?" the hooded figure asks and Ahsoka nods. "I am Agent Obsidian. We are ready to leave." Obsidian removes the hood and reveals herself to be a young woman.
Amidala glances at Obi-Wan. "Can we trust her?"
Obi-Wan nods. "She is faithful to us" he says and then looks at Amidala. "We will soon be back."
"Dont take any chances" Amidala says. "Just get the job done."
Obi-Wan smiles. "You should know I dont leave anything to chance."
Ahsoka turns to Amidala. "We'll be back in seven days."
Amidala turns serious. "I will only wait for forty-eight hours. That gives you nine days. After that, you're on your own."
"Understood" Obi-Wan says.
Obsidian puts the hood back up. "Lets go."
XXX XXX
Another ship approaches the station. An old, modified Pelta class corvette, clearly in the service of the Empire. On its bridge, Commander Roork watches the station in the distance.
"Ready the shuttles" Roork says.
Exiting the belly of the Pelta corvette are two TIE Shuttles that both head for the station. They both land in the same hangarbay and unload twenty Stormtroopers and officers, including Commander Roork. They quickly move on to leave the hangar.
Amidalas crew are working on their ship when the Imperial troops storm into the hangarbay and start shooting. Ander Kellon and Mek Var get back onboard without getting killed as the rest are gunned down.
Kellon grabs a headset. "Captain! We're under attack! The Imperials have found us! We're getting the hell out of here!"
Amidala is on her own and sees the entrance to her hangarbay, blocked by Imperial troops. Her ship takes off and exits the hangarbay and tries to escape. In space, Roorks Pelta corvette moves in and starts blasting. From a viewport, Amidala looks on. From the hangar, Roork looks on. Both see Amidalas ship taking several hits and then lose power.
Roork turns to his troops. "Back to the shuttles!"
As the Imperials hurry back, Amidala hides her face and disappears into the crowd. As she makes her way through the station, her face appears on holographic screens everywhere and a voice echoes over loudspeakers.
"Have you seen this woman, report her to the authorities immediately. She is a pirate and a sepparatist. Report Padmé Amidala to the authorities immediately. Have you seen this woman, report her to the authorities immediately. She is a pirate and a sepparatist…"
Amidala tries to stay hidden as much as possible, but she cant hide for long. People start pointing her out to local law-enforcers and soon the hunt is on. It doesnt take long before Amidala is forced to rely on her blaster to stay safe.
In space, the two TIE Shuttles are approaching Amidalas ship when one of them turns around and heads back to the station.
Amidala is still being chased, fleeing for her life, firing her blaster as she goes.
The TIE Shuttle that headed back now lands and unloads Roork, together with a few officers and stormtroopers. They hurry to chase down Amidala.
Amidala finds herself in a cargohold, hiding among several crates and boxes. Two dozen security-guards enter, blasters ready. They spread out and search, relying on a couple of droids with flashlights attached to their heads. As they close in on Amidala, she places her blaster under her chin, ready to commit suicide over being captured. That's when two figures drop down among the guards; Obi-Wan and Ahsoka! Using the Force, they throw guards around them. As shots are fired, they bring out their lightsabers and start deflecting bolts, making them bounce back at the shooters. Ahsoka cuts down three guards, but soon there are no enemies left. Amidala steps out of hiding and looks at the scene.
"We thought you could use a hand" Ahsoka says.
"Come on" Obi-Wan says. "We have not much time."
They all leave in a hurry. The Tantive IV detaches itself from the station and distances itself from the structure, turning around and ignites its main engines.
Captain Antilles turns to his crew. "Engage hyperdrive as soon as possible."
"Aye, captain."
The Tantive IV soon enough makes the jump to hyperspace.
Back on the station, Commander Roork and his troops enter the cargohold where all the guards are dead. They stop by three guards who have been dismembered. Roork kneels and studies the wounds closer.
"Cauterized" the lieutenant says, standing behind Roork. "Cut clean through."
Roork nods. "Havent seen a wound like this in a long time." Roork gives it some thought. "In a long time" he then repeats as he stands up and turns to his lieutenant. "Dispose of these bodies. They were all killed by blasters, understood?"
"Understood, sir."
To be continued…
