A/N: School is getting in the way of my writing! DAMN IT! In this chapter the characters of Boss Nass and Jar-Jar are re-introduced. I need your HONEST opinion. Is Jar-Jar and Boss Nass' language right? I had to remember a section of dialogue from the Phantom Menace to get it right. Sorry for the spoilers but enjoy anyway!
Chapter Seventeen: Going Down fighting
Like any good Jedi knows, a strategy is always handy. However, the case of team Skywalker, a plan was already devised... in Anakin's head. Now he might have been the secret husband to Senator Amidala but didn't mean that he could come up with a plan out of thin air. He had to be helped by Captain Typho, the head Naboo's security forces, Sola Naberrie, Padmé and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano. They hated his stupid plans. Especially Ahsoka, who had to put up with his improvised plans on a daily basis.
"Is this really necessary?" Ahsoka whined as Anakin threw a poncho over her head.
"Stop your complaining, Snips and just follow the plan." Anakin said with a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Don't worry, Ahsoka. You're in good hands." Padmé said. She had volunteered to go with Ahsoka. Anakin at this rate was far from happy.
"Remind me again why I'm allowing you to do this." Anakin asked giving his wife the stink eye.
"It's quicker with two sets of hands." she inquired.
Anakin rolled his eyes knowing that Padmé wasn't going to let this go lightly. He merely nodded unapprovingly and let it go... for now. It was rare for him to question her and he knew only too well that Padmé was never going to let the situation go until it was successful or failed miserably. It was a senator thing in a way. Diplomatic situations was the centre of a senator's logical thinking. It was also one of Padmé's quotes to Anakin during the Battle of Genonsis.
"OK, you two are going to lead the security forces in while Sola, Captain Typho and I destroy Ventress' troops." Anakin said looking rather impressed with his work. Padmé on the other hand, merely looked at her sister before turning to Ahsoka and stating, "We can do this. Even if we do run into Ventress and have her assassinate us." Ahsoka nodded in agreement.
Anakin's stomach dropped at the word, 'assassinate.' One of his greatest fears was losing Padmé but he kept himself in check and nodded for Padmé and Ahsoka to get going.
"Come on, Ahsoka." Padmé said ushering Ahsoka out of the Twilight. They were both wearing Jedi travelling cloaks. Ahsoka, underneath her cloak was also wearing the poncho that Anakin had thrown over her head earlier.
"So tell me, what's it like being married to a Jedi?" Ahsoka asked once they were out of the hearing range of the Twilight.
Padmé didn't answer for a second. "It's hard but worth it at the end of the day." She said with a grin.
Ahsoka grinned to herself before pulling her hood over her head. Padmé did the same. They trudged through the now rain stained grasses above the entrance to Gunga City.
"How are we going to get down there?" Ahsoka asked.
"We swim." Padmé said looking down at the cold freezing waters that guarded and hid the city entrance.
"Great. Just want I needed." Ahsoka said rolling her eyes. She wasn't willing to get wet on a rainy day.
"Ahsoka!" Anakin called.
"Master!" She called back.
"We gotta swim to the city, master." Ahsoka said crossing her arms.
"You thought it would be easy?" Anakin asked.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes.
"Is this a good idea?" Sola asked as she emerged from the bushes.
"Do you have a better idea?" Anakin asked in a mocking tone.
"Do not tempt me Jedi," Sola hissed through her teeth. She merely ignored Anakin's question and crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at Padmé who looked at her older sister and knew from the expression on her face what she was silently asking, "Why did you marry him?" Without another word, Padmé and Ahsoka dived into the swamp.
They both rose to the surface. "You too coming or what?" Ahsoka asked.
Sola was hesitant. "How do you know that's a city even down there?"
Anakin, Ahsoka and Padmé looked at each other in disbelief.
"You've lived on Naboo your entire life. How could you not know about that?" Ahsoka asked, disgusted.
Sola yet again didn't answer but followed Anakin into the swamp nonetheless. The group swam toward the hidden Gungan city emerged through the main wall completely dry.
"That's cool!" Ahsoka said as she examined her arms to make sure she was dry.
"Ani? Ani!" said the familiar voice of Jar-Jar Binks.
Anakin and Padmé turned to see their old Gungan friend running toward them.
"Hello Jar-Jar," Padmé said smiling at her planet's representative.
"Good to seesya again Senator." Jar-Jar said in his usual gleeful tone.
"You remember Ahsoka, Jar-Jar. Master Skywalker's Padawan." Padmé said turning to look at Ahsoka and Jar-Jar in turn as she spoke.
"Mesa do! Whosa are yousa?" Jar-Jar asked turning to Sola.
"This is Ambassador Sola Naberrie," Ahsoka said introducing Jar-Jar to Sola before she could say anything.
Jar-Jar looked utterly confused by the term 'Ambassador'.
"One of the Queen's advisors," Anakin simplified.
"Oh mesa big ruler, the queen." Jar-Jar said with an understandable nod of his head.
"Jar-Jar, we need you to take us to Boss Nass. It's really urgent." Anakin said impatiently.
"Boss Nass?" Jar-Jar quivered.
Even after all these years, Jar-Jar still feared the Gungan ruler, Boss Nass due to his, um, clumsiness. He had somewhat improved his posture since he became Naboo's representative (in Padmé's absence) but he was still utterly clumsy in his own right. That was a very bad thing in his mind.
"Jar-Jar?" Ahsoka shook his shoulder to break him out of his trance.
Jar-Jar remembered a conversation he had had with the later Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan 11 years earlier. They were on their way back onto dry land via a borrowed bongo transport when this conversation took place.
"Why were you banished Jar-Jar?" Obi-Wan had asked him.
"It's a longo tello but wa mostly because I wasa, ah, clumsy." Jar-Jar had said feeling humiliated by his actions of clumsiness.
"You were banished because you were clumsy?" Obi-wan had asked feeling rather confused by the fact that clumsiness was a weird thing to be banished for.
"Yousa mighta be saying that." Jar-Jar had said miserably.
"Don't tell me Boss Nass still scares you," Padmé said trying not to laugh. She had worked with Nass in the past and she had faced things far scarier then Boss Nass.
Jar-Jar nodded in shame. He led the way to the Gungan leader before introducing his friends to him.
"Hello big Boss Nass, your honour sir," Jar-Jar said bowing nervously to the ruler. The other 4 followed suit.
"Missa Padmé! Nicea to see yousa again!" Nass said in his booming voice.
"It's an honour, Boss Nass to see you again," Padmé said bowing her head and smiling.
Nass then turned to look at Anakin. "Little Ani! Yousa have grown! A Jedi from what Binks has told mesa." Anakin smirked.
"Well I'm not so little anymore," Anakin said with a chuckle escaping his throat.
Nass then laid eyes on Ahsoka and Sola.
"Whosa this? Another Jedi and what?"
"I'm Ahsoka, Master Skywalker's Padawan." Ahsoka said stepping forward to introduce herself.
"I am Ambassador Naberrie of Naboo. I'm an advisor to Queen Neeyutnee herself." Sola said stepping in front of Ahsoka to introduce herself to Nass.
Nass stroked his chin in thought. "Servants to the queen." Nass laughed and shook his mighty head as slobber came from his mouth that indicated that the Gungans would help them.
Padmé and Anakin exchanged smiles. None of the Gungans knew of their marriage and it was good thing they didn't because Jar-Jar had a very big mouth and he would probably tell everyone.
"We need your help," Ahsoka said stepping out from behind Sola.
"Yousa need our help?" Nass bellowed.
"Yes. We need to get our security forces through the city and up to Threed Palace without been sensed by or seen by Ventress." The Padawan explained.
The Gungans were unfamiliar with Asajj Ventress but there was no time to explain since this was a life or death situation that couldn't go wrong. Anakin wasn't willing to put every single person on his wife's home planet in danger for the sake of a single mission. He had to work around the danger and come up with a plan that didn't involve death or death threats.
Nass shook his head again in acceptance.
Anakin, Ahsoka and Padmé exchanged smiles or triumph. Sola merely stood there motionlessly.
"Thank you Boss Nass." Padmé said unable to wipe the smile from her face.
She lead the others away from Nass with Jar-Jar following them. When they were further enough away from Nass the group turned to Jar-Jar.
"Thank you so much, Jar-Jar. Our world will be saved thanks to you." Padmé said proudly.
"Oh ah," Jar-Jar said blushing. He was speechless enough that he passed out. Padmé remembered during the Battle of Naboo, she had heard that when Boss Nass had promoted him to General, Jar-Jar had passed out from the shock.
"Master, what's the plan now?" Ahsoka asked of Anakin.
"We need to get the security force through the city and back up to the palace." Anakin said. He was unsure on how that was going to work without transport.
"How are we going to that without transport?" Sola asked.
Anakin's face fell to the point that it looked like he had gone pale with embarrassment.
"Xcue me, milday but isa knowsa a ship that gosa underwater and holdsa a lot of people."Jar-Jar said speaking up unexpectedly.
"Really?" Ahsoka asked looking up at the smiling Gungan.
"Aha." He said nodding.
"Take us to that ship, Jar-Jar." Anakin commanded.
Jar-Jar took off toward the ship storage shed where they found what looked like an underwater cargo ship. It was in better shape than most of the ships in the shed. They were mostly covered in all kinds of weird and disgusting things. This cargo ship was in better nick then what the Twilight had been in when Anakin and Ahsoka had found it while rescuing Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta from the clutches of Ventress, Ziro the Hutt and Dooku.
"So am I still the bait?" Ahsoka asked.
"You made Ahsoka the bait? Oh Anakin!" Padmé retorted looking at her husband with complete distaste.
"It was necessary, milady." Anakin said giving his wife his all time most cheesy smile.
Padmé rolled her eyes before turning to Ahsoka and looking at her with absolute sympathy. Ahsoka turned away and looked at her master with pleading eyes. She didn't do this often but now was the right time to get Anakin to change his mind.
"Do I really have to be the bait?" she whined.
"You want this mission to be a success?"Anakin asked.
"Yeah," Ahsoka said stringing out the word.
"Well it's settled." Anakin said as he walked toward the ramp of the ship that he had lowered earlier.
Ahsoka looked pleadingly at Padmé who looked at a blank faced Jar-Jar. She was lucky that he had no idea what was really going on in the minds of her, Anakin, Sola and Ahsoka.
"Get in," Anakin instructed. Sola, Padmé and Jar-Jar didn't need to hesitant, they filed onboard. Ahsoka however was hesitant.
Anakin appeared in the doorway and walked back down the ramp to stand before his Padawan.
"What now?" Ahsoka asked crossing her arms.
"You have to pilot another ship in case Ventress follows us." Anakin said in an uncertain tone.
"In case baldy follows us?" Ahsoka repeated. "She probably will."
Without another word, Ahsoka headed to a ship nearby that had its ramp down. She knew only too well of course that Anakin had put it down for her. She walked up the ramp and pushed the ramp button on the way up to make it close.
Back onboard the cargo ship, Anakin walked to the pilot's seat and sat down.
"Where's Ahsoka?" Sola asked.
"Here Sola," came Ahsoka's voice from over the comlink.
Sola didn't bother to say anything. She just wanted the Padawan to be safe. All through she would never admit it out loud, Sola did actually have a soft spot for Ahsoka. Anakin was a different story. She still hated him for marrying her little sister and not even asking her for a blessing. Sure she thought he was handsome and all but she still could help but hate him. It was just a fact of life to hate someone. After all those years of taunting Padmé about her love life, Sola thought it was just beginning of another male crush like she had predicted when she and the family had met this Jedi just over a year earlier.
"Let's get this over and done with," Ahsoka said over the comlink.
"Let's kick some Separatist ass!" Anakin said into the comlink. Ahsoka laughed as she led the ships away.
The troops were hidden in the large cargo bay with Typho in command. Typho was still wondering why Anakin and Padmé had allowed Jar-Jar to be second-in-command. Little did he know that Jar-Jar had in fact led an entire Gungan army under the command of a then 14 year old Padmé and his deceitful good for nothing uncle, Panaka. They had won the battle by chance. They wouldn't have won if Anakin who was 9 years old at that point hadn't blown the droid command centre single handed.
Anakin piloted the ship without a word. Padmé looked off into space while Sola sat silently keeping her words to herself. When she couldn't bear it any longer, she spoke up.
"Have I done anything to anger you, Padmé?"
Padmé looked up at her sister in surprise.
"What? No of course not. Why would you ask?"
Anakin listened in.
"Oh good. I thought that my taunting would anger you." Sola said feverishly.
"It does but I've grown use to it over the years. I simply ignore it." Padmé said keeping her voice calm.
Anakin silently sighed with relief that an argument had erupted.
The rest of the voyage back to the surface of Naboo was silent. Ahsoka was relieved to be away from the constant bickering of the Senator and her feisty older sister. Ahsoka piloted the ship to the surface with Anakin not far behind her.
"Ok, master. Am I still the bait?" Ahsoka asked over the comlink.
"No. I have another plan that will hopefully work." Anakin replied sounding little worried that his new plan would go up in smoke.
"Let me guess: Jar-Jar is second-in-command after Typho?" Ahsoka counting her questions on her fingers.
"Yep,"
"We just charge in dispatch the troops and leave?"
"You guessed right," Anakin said proudly.
Oh brother! Ahsoka thought to herself.
"I was afraid you might say something along those lines." Ahsoka replied.
With a push of a button, Ahsoka activated the cargo bay door and the troops and Typho filed out. Anakin met Ahsoka at the ship.
"That was easy," Ahsoka comment not even attempting to smile.
Before Anakin could say anything, there was a loud explosion in the direction of Padmé and Sola.
"Padmé!" Anakin screamed as he raced to find his wife. Ahsoka followed at her master's heels, deeply worried about her friend.
"Anakin!" Padmé called franticly for her husband.
"Padmé!" Ahsoka called.
"Ahsoka!"Padmé called as she saw Ahsoka's silhouette in the dust cloud.
"Thank goodness, you're alright!" Anakin said as he hurried over to his dust covered wife.
"We're fine, Ani. We're fine." Padmé said in his ear.
"If this isn't a touching moment," Came a cruel voice.
The group turned around to see Asajj Ventress and two of her droid commanders at her sides ready to shoot.
"If it isn't the hairless bald freak," Ahsoka said as she ignited her lightsabre.
"Skywalker's pet, I look forward to crushing you like a bug!" Ventress said fearlessly igniting her own twin lightsabres.
Without command, Ventress' army started to open fire. The two Jedi wielded their lightsabres to protect themselves while Padmé and Sola opened fire with their own pistols. Sola had never used a pistol before but she was a fast learner. Typho had taught her well.
Anakin and Ahsoka moved forward to fight Ventress. Then voice sounded in Anakin's head. It was Padmé's.
Ani, we're unnumbered here! If we don't survive this, I want to tell you I love you.
Anakin's heart skipped several beats. He couldn't bear to lose Padmé. He quickly looked over Ahsoka who was fighting a hoard of droids by herself. She seemed to have a bigger advantage over them then what they had over her.
Don't think that. We'll fight until the death. We'll go down fighting.
Ani-
Padmé, I love you.
Please review. 2 more chapters until this story is completed. I'm thankful for all the people you have read this story and alerted, reviewed and favourite it. Thanks so much.
