Chapter 2
Tula
My heart was thumping. What happened to Makina? I asked myself. Makina was the nicest person in the galaxy! Who would want to hurt her? Michelle had explained that they had crashed into each other, but Makina didn't have a single bruise on her perfect blue skin. Her mouth was beginning to foam. No, no, no, no! I thought, trying to think of what to do. Then it hit me. Literally. Makina's arm was reaching up, grabbing the air.
"I'll be right back." I said to Valerie, Marietta and Michelle. I got up and started to run out of the maze.
"Wait!" Michelle called. "Where are you going?"
"To get help! If she starts to get control of her body, take her to my room!" I called over my shoulder.
"OK!" Valerie called.
The maze was easy for me to get through. When I reached the door, I barged right through it. I knew that one of the rules of the Jedi temple was 'No Running', but this was an emergency, wasn't it? I thought of who to go to, and where they would be. We needed someone gentle, with the understanding of breaking rules, and who could see what was wrong with their friend. Master Kenobi! I thought. Master Skywalker always broke the rules, and Obi-Wan was very kind. Now I just had to figure out where he would be. Hangar? No. Archives? No. Training? Probably. I walked as quickly as I could to the door. When I was inside, the lights were dim, and I could hardly see anything. There were no windows, and all the lights had been dimmed down so low, that I they were any more dimmer it would be pitch black. I heard the clicking of boots coming my way. I had no idea who it was. I tried to step aside to let the unknown Jedi pass, but I just bumped into Jason, a padawan a little older than Marietta.
"Hey! Watch were you're going!" He told me in a harsh voice, and tried to move away.
"I cant really 'watch were I'm going' because I cant see a thing!" I snapped back, but all I heard was laughter.
"Oh, you're a funny little girl! I might have to keep you around." He said, patting my shoulder.
"Hey! I'm not little!" I shouted, and punched lightly on the shoulder.
"But you're short. And feisty." He said and tapped me on the nose.
"If I see that hand again I will consider it a snack." I told him, snapping at his finger as he pulled it away from my nose to prove my point. But all he did was laugh some more.
"I told you she was funny!" Jason said to someone, which in the gloom my eyes where starting to adjust, an I saw another padawan about Jason's age and hight.
"I know!" he said, and started to laugh too.
"Listen, I got to go save my friend from poison, and I would rather save her life than eat your hand, so I will see you later." I said, and squeezed through the crowd. Finally I spotted Master Obi-Wan. He was talking with Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano.
"... Some Bounty Hunters on Tatooine." Anakin said.
"Well we can't let them, can we?" Ahsoka asked him.
I pushed my way over to the talking Jedi, and ran over to them.
"Emergency! Makina Derfa was poisoned! You got to help me!" I told them, Obi-wan was looking concerned, and Ahsoka was practically out the door.
"Who?" Skywalker asked, like I was playing a prank.
"Makina Defra." Obi-Wan repeated. "She is a talented padawan, with your spirit, Anakin. I'm surprised you don't know who she is." He finished, looking at the brown haired Jedi in disapproval. "Now, what about her? She's been poisoned?" Obi-Wan turned to face me.
"She was poisoned!" I repeated. "She's near my quarters. Come on!" I said and lead the way out the door. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan followed at my pace, and Anakin was lagging behind, cursing to himself that he wanted to watch the padawans duel.
I ran hallway to hallway, thinking about my friend. Is she alright? Did something happen to her? I asked myself. Inally, I reached the spot where I had left my friends. Michelle and Makina were there, but Valerie and Marietta were nowhere to be found.
"Where are Marietta and Valerie?" I demanded.
Michelle looked up in surprise. "I don't know!" She said and broke into sobs. "They were about to get help too, when three assassins in black came and pulled them away; they were kidnapped!"
Obi-Wan bent down on his knees and patted her back. "And Makina?" Obi-Wan asked.
"She passed out after Tula left. She's breathing, but other that that, she hasn't moved." Michelle answered. She had stopped crying, but you could tell she was very stressed.
I noticed Master Skywalker had stepped away and was closing his eyes. Trying to sense who was here. I guessed.
"Did you get a look at any of them?" Anakin said, taking a few steps forward and getting on his knees.
"Ummm... one was very lean and fast. That one spoke to me. I think it was a girl. She said, 'I will destroy you, Jedi!' in a raspy voice." Michelle answered again, studying her boots.
Obi-Wan and Anakin looked at each other. "Ventress." They said together. Suddenly, something clicked in my mind.
"Ventress?!" I asked.
"Yes. Michelle's description matches her perfectly." Obi-Wan answered.
"I don't think this is a coincidence. I saw Ventress kidnapping Senator Chu-Chi earlier today!" I said.
Obi-Wan combed his beard with his fingers. "Yes. These crimes are connected. Did they have any connection to Senator Chu-Chi?" Obi-wan asked.
I gulped. I didn't want anyone else to know about our plan. It failed before we even went into action. I thought and another thing clicked in my mind. "The only connection we had was we were going to try to catch Ventress." I said. "We were going to dress up like a senator and handmaidens. We thought that Ventress would strike again, and we would be there to stop her." I finished, Ahsoka and Skywalker looked impressed with the plan and Obi-Wan's face was blank. "But, she ruined our plan before we even got started." I added.
"How?" Ahsoka asked.
"We where on my way to my quarters, to make some dresses. We didn't even get there!" I explained.
Ahsoka looked at me. We had the same expression on our face, and the same thought.
"A spy." We said together. "Someone spied on us when me and Makina were thinking up the plan." I stated.
"And they somehow poisoned her, and kidnapped the other two girls." Ahsoka finished for me.
"Any suspects?" Anakin asked.
"The only person that heard was Makina's droid, R5." I answered.
Ahsoka looked at me. "I've seen Astro droids be spies for the Sepratist before." She said.
Makina was waking up. Apparently, she heard the conversation. "Tula, did R5 ever catch up to you?"
