The ship was quiet when Callera opened her eyes again. Her whole body aching from the fight she'd just survived. 'I surprised him and forced a fight when neither of us could use our strengths; based on what I saw and felt, it would be a coin-toss between the two of us if we went all out.' A mix of anticipation and dread chills her body more than the cool air of the ship as she slowly sits up. Wincing as chest muscles move around her slowly healing ribs even as the Force speeds her healing; bruised or broken ribs are always a pain.

Quietly as she can she slips from the crew quarters, trying not to wake the exhausted crew. The strain of their mission to deliver the Queen safely to Courscant a steady yet worried thrum in the Force from the few awake in the cockpit.

"…you must contact me!" The end of a recorded message playing in the silence of the ship. Making her way towards the sound, she hears additional shuffling.

"Are you okay Anakin?" Padme's whisper low but echoing.

"I'm cold."

More rustling. "You're used to Tatooine which is very warm, too warm for my tastes."

"You look sad."

"The Queen's worried. Her people are dying."

"As long as Callera helps the Queen everything will be great! She saved me and mom, she can save your people too!" The sincere earnest faith in Anakin's sleepy voice shakes Callera to her core as she leans against the bulkhead.

"I don't think her offering herself up to the Trade Federation will work as it did with Watto." Padme's wry amusement clear in the quiet.

"But you heard her! She kept making plans! So many plans until something worked! Maybe she can help your Queen plan?"

"Maybe Anakin, maybe. But you need to get back to sleep."

More rustling and then the flame clothed Padme leaves the maintenance bay, barely holding in a shriek as she sees Callera there. Callera holds a finger to her lips and motions towards the gangway since no one is sleeping in the area. Poking her head in the maintenance bay she sees Anakin curled up with his mother on one side, Jar Jar the other, R2D2 sitting in his charger port recharging, and a man-sized droid strapped to a simple sled. No cover's but that build is unmistakable, it's a protocol droid of a familiar style. 'C3P0?!' not voicing the thought out loud as she continues to the quiet space she'd directed.

"You heard all that didn't you?"

"I heard your talk with Anakin, but only caught the end of the message."

"He has a lot of faith in you."

"Too much, but it's the faith of a child.

"But he is right." Padme's eyes bore into Callera's, "You keep making plans, trying to find every little in you can for success. And the Queen needs that skill, I need that skill." Her voice near pleading.

"What's your current plan?"

"Take the case to the Senate and get them to act."

"Then your people are doomed." Callera's voice brooking no argument.

"What?!" hissed out through clenched teeth.

"Politicians are a hard group of people to motivate in the best of times. I'm sure there will be Senators sympathetic to your plight, but there will be just as many opposed and even more of them that just won't care unless it benefits them directly."

Padme starts to sag under the implications of Callera's comments. "So, going to Courscant is useless?"

"Not useless. Those sympathetic Senators might have access to resources and contacts you can tap into, there might be laws on the books that will let you bypass the Senate for intervention by the Jedi and Judicial Forces.

"How can we get through over a thousand years of Republic law before we get there?"

Looking back towards the bay before meeting Padme's eyes with a smirk, "We don't."

Striding back to the maintenance bay, Callera moves quietly and with purpose towards the droids. Patting Artoo on his head to try and bring him from his sleep cycle. "Artoo. Artoo." Trying to keep her voice quiet as the droid wakes with a warble. "Shh, everyone is sleeping." His beeps quiet down but still audible. "If we plug you into the ship's computer could you pull up all Republic law's within the last thousand years to do with invasions, occupations, and blockades. Also the current laws taxing the Trade Federation." A quick affirmative beep, followed by a few negative ones. "I'm not asking you to analyze them, just bring them up." Shuffling over to the droid on the sled as Artoo trundles out of his creche and plugs into the computer. Undoing the restraints and starts feeling along the back for the activation switch. Clicking it on Callera sees familiar eyes come to life.

"Hello, I am C3PO human-cyborg relations." He slowly sits up. "Where is the Maker?"

"Please be quiet Threepio," Callera holds a finger to her lips, "your maker is asleep over there in the corner."

"Why are we on a ship?"

"We freed Anakin and his mother and they brought you with us. And you can talk with them when they wake. Right now, we need your help."

"I do not know if I can assist without the Maker's permission."

"He'd want you to do this because it helps people he knows."

"How may I be of service then?"

Callera points towards Artoo and the computer. "The astromech droid is helping to compile a list of laws we might need to know in a few days, and we'd like your help in figuring out if they apply to us and the protocol's for doing so."

"I will be happy to assist!" Callera helps the droid to his feet and takes him towards the computer. Padme just standing in the doorway, her jaw slacks as Threepio introduces himself to Artoo. A few beeps later. "What do you mean I'm naked!" echoes through the entire ship, waking everyone in the bay.

Anakin looks over as he and his mother stretch and separate from under the blankets. Threepio standing next to the computer confuses the boy. "What are you doing Threepio?"

"I am helping this excitable little droid gather up laws these people might need later Maker." Threepio then sounds a little a sheepish, "I do hope you are able to finish me soon, I am naked!"

"Sorry I didn't get the chance to finish you yet, but I'm sure we can find some coverings for you at our next stop." Anakin's regret seeming to calm the anxious droid some.

"Thank the Maker!" Threepio exclaims before resuming his work.

"I didn't want to leave him behind, and Artoo volunteered to pull him along on a sled."

"I'm glad, it would have been a shame to leave him." Callera smiles at Anakin before looking at droids quiet banter.

"Me too."