Artoo screamed - a long, shrill electronic ululation - and the Chancellor looked as if he wanted to. The four Jedi simply hung on. Finally the ship shuddered to a stop. Slowly held breaths were expelled, then Obi-Wan summoned up a brilliant smile.
"Another happy landing."
Anakin swiveled to face Palpatine behind him. "Are you all right, sir?"
"I believe so." the Chancellor fumbled at his harness with trembling fingers. "With all due respect, Master Jedi, I believe the next time I would prefer to take my chances with the Separatists!"
"There won't be a next time." Anakin vowed, getting up to help Palpatine free himself.
"We deeply regret subjecting you to so harrowing an experience, excellency." Dooku added in his smooth, dark velvet voice.
The Chancellor smiled up at Anakin and then at the old Master. "It was just a joke, my boy - Marshal - I am eternally grateful to you all."
The emergency power chose that moment to fail. Consoles went dark and the soft sigh of the life support system ceased. Calmly Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan ignited their sabers and cut through the remaining bridge windows. A soft breeze smelling strongly of burnt metal and plastics fanned the faces of the five men.
"Next problem, how do we get down from here?" Obi-Wan wondered.
"I suggest we leave that to them." Qui-Gon answered, nodding out the windows at the rapidly converging, emergency vehicles.
"Works for me." Obi-Wan leaned back in his chair, put his feet up on the console and cocked an inquiring eyebrow at his former Master over the tips of his boots. "So...why are you two all wet?"
A speaker crackled then a jubilant voice cried: "They're all right!" and Padme Amidala, for all her royal training and discipline, burst into tears of relief. All around her senators and staff were cheering, embracing and pounding each other in celebration, party and protocol forgotten - for the moment anyway.
Padme hugged an equally tearful Sabe then a still tremulous Beru. Behind his wife Owen shook his head in wonder and disbelief. "Boy, am I glad Mom and Dad didn't see that!"
"They will." Captain Typho said wryly. "That landing's going to be played and replayed all over the galaxy. Nobody but Skywalker could have done it!"
Padme glowed with pride and grinned through her tears. "My husband the hero!"
"Hey that's our husbands the heroes!" Sabe corrected, mopping her eyes with her loose sleeve.
"More like my brothers the crazy Jedi!" Owen grumbled, making them all laugh a little hysterically.
Medics checked over the still shaken Chancellor in the inner compartment of the senatorial transport while the four Jedi sat in the forward passenger seats arguing over who would make the report to the Senate.
"You are the senior officer, Fleet Marshal." Obi-Wan pointed out.
"True." Dooku answered "But I was not present when the Chancellor was rescued."
"As you will recall we spent most of our time fighting fuel parasites and waste eaters." Qui-Gon added wryly.
"And I would prefer not to have to say so before the assembled Senate." Dooku finished. "I do have a reputation to maintain you know."
"There are a few things we'd prefer weren't made public too," Obi-Wan argued. "such as walking right into one of the oldest traps in the book -"
"And letting Grievous get away - again!" Anakin agreed gloomily.
"You did rescue the Chancellor," Qui-Gon reminded them. "And kill a Sith lord in the bargain."
"You mean Anakin did." Obi-Wan corrected. "Not to mention rescuing me as well - twice in fact."
"Over your objections." said Anakin. "Like I'm going to face Sabe with the news I left you to die!"
"And there's another reason why you and Obi-Wan should give the report." said Qui-Gon. "Don't forget your wives are waiting for you at the Senate building."
"Wives in a somewhat delicate condition." Dooku reminded the two fathers-to-be.
Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged looks.
"I sure hope they didn't see that landing." Anakin said fervently.
"Excuse me, sirs," the pilot said, grinning at them over his shoulder, "but the whole Galaxy saw that landing!"
Obi-Wan winced. Anakin flinched. "Boy, oh boy, am I gonna get it!"
By the time the transport landed at the Senate annex Anakin and Obi-Wan had resigned themselves to their 'glorious day with the politicians'. They followed Palpatine as the waiting welcoming committee of leading senators surged eagerly towards them. The air was thick with hovering holo-cams transmitting vision and voice to the circling news-ships high overhead.
Anakin saw Threepio, with his gleaming golden plates, standing among the other droid aids then a small figure swathed in a flowing mantle designed to make her condition a little less obvious was running towards him. He caught her up in his arms and they kissed, long and deeply, regardless of the many eyes upon them.
Finally Padme pulled back to give him a mischievous grin. "That was some rescue!" But he could see the redness around her eyes. She'd been crying, he'd scared her.
"I know. I'm sorry. Things got kind of crazy."
"There's an understatement for you!" said Sabe, tearstained but glowing with Obi-Wan's arm around her thickening body. She looked up at her husband: "So, General, how'd you mess up this time?"
"You'll hear about it with the rest of the Senate." he answered. "There's no way I'm telling this story twice!"
Jar-Jar was waiting for them in the hall behind the Naboo senatorial box, along with the rest of Padme's suite. He swept both Jedi into a relieved embrace. "Ani! Obi-One! Mesa so glad to see you twos, that was some bombad landing!"
"Yeah, I know." Anakin disentangled himself only to end up facing Owen and Beru.
"You call that a landing?" his stepbrother demanded, truculent with relief.
"No, I call it a crash." he answered. "Hey, even I can only do so much with half a ship!"
Beru came to kiss him on the cheek, she'd been crying too. "Oh Anakin, you scared us all half to death!"
"I know. I'm sorry."
"He's never sorry when he scares me." Obi-Wan remarked to nobody in particular.
Owen snorted. "You're just as bad - if not worse! If you two are smart you'll send a holo to Dad and Mom tonight. With luck they might see it before they see vids of the crash."
Anakin winced again at the thought.
"Excuse me, my lady, the session is being convened." Typho interrupted.
"Thank you, Captain." Padme said, composing herself. She led the way into the box. Anakin and Obi-Wan automatically put up their hoods as they followed. Padme and Jar Jar took the middle seats. The two Jedi sat with Sabe on one side; Rabe, Eirtae and Typho on the other. Owen and Beru stayed behind to watch invisibly from the doorway along with Threepio and Artoo.
The floor opened and the Chancellor's podium rose into position to a standing ovation. Jar Jar stepped forward to work the box controls, undocking and sending them skimming smoothly towards the podium.
Anakin, applauding with the others, got a good view of Palpatine's pale and drawn face. 'He looks terrible. He should have gotten some rest before facing the Senate.' Some hope, it was typical of the Chancellor to put duty before his own well being.
"The Separatist attack on Coruscant has failed!" Palpatine announced ringingly to renewed cheers. "I owe my life and my freedom to address you today entirely to the heroism of General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Wing Commander Anakin Skywalker!"
The cheers were deafening. "We're on." Obi-Wan murmured as he rose to his feet to move to the front of the box.
Anakin followed unwillingly, even more reluctantly putting back his hood when Obi-Wan did. He could feel his face heating up as the eyes of thousands of Senators beat down upon him. "You do the talking, General!" he whispered urgently. And got an amused but sympathetic sidelong glance from his brother.
"Very well. Just stand there and look heroic."
"As if!" Finally the cheers died down enough for Obi-Wan to speak. Listening to the cool measured sentences beautifully enunciated in that silken Coruscanti accent Anakin felt his eyes unexpectly fill with tears. How could this have happened? The war was supposed to be over!