The next few hours were spent re-grouping in a field. Captain Panaka took a small security force and headed for the capital city of Theed to see if he could get some more help and scout out the situation. Meanwhile, everyone else started talking about what was going to happen later. Obi-Wan and Ayame moved away from the group to talk by themselves.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Obi-Wan said as soon as they were alone.
"Me too," Ayame replied, looking around to make sure that no one was listening. "I feel like that Sith is looking right over my shoulder," she said, and started to look over her shoulder. Obi-Wan caught her face with his hand and gently guided it until she was looking back at him.
"Ayame, look at me," he said. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you." Ayame shook her head.
"Obi-Wan, you know better than to say that," she said. "If it comes down to saving the Queen and me, I want you to do what is right for the mission." When Ob-Wan looked as though he was about to object, she shook her head harder. "Obi-Wan, the mission comes first. You know full well that we can't even get married until the mission is over," she said. This time, he didn't object, but he did look as though he was going to cry. Ayame smiled softly and gave him a gentle kiss. "I love you, Obi-Wan, you know that. But we can't let this interfere with our work. If we do, neither of us could be coming back from this mission. Obi-Wan nodded and smiled back at her with understanding in his icy blue eyes.
"You are truly wise beyond your age, Ayame. You should be made a master in no time. Master Yoda would be very proud of you," he said.
"And so am I." The two Padawans turned to see their master standing there. He had been there most of the time. He walked over to them and put a hand on both of their shoulders. "I am very proud of the both of you. This is not an easy thing to do, but I'm glad that the both of you are making this decision early. Hopefully, though, we will all get out of this alive," he said. The Padawans looked up at Qui-Gon and nodded. Then, they all heard a call. Running towards the Queen and her guards, they saw Anakin running towards them.
"They're here! They're here!" he was yelling. Captain Panaka had come back with a small security force. Apparently, the droid army was a whole lot bigger and stronger than first anticipated. Also, there was an underground resistance movement amongst the remaining security officers and such. They all turned to the Queen as R2, the little droid that had saved the ship when they first escaped, showed a map of the palace. The Gungan army was to draw away as many battle droids as possible while the rest of them went to sneak into the palace via the waterfall side.
"There is a chance, in this plan, many Gungans will be killed," Qui-Gon said. They all looked at Boss Nass.
"Weesa ready to do arsan part," he said confidently.
"While all of this is going on, we will send what fighters we have to destroy the droid control ship orbiting the planet," the Queen continued. Ayame frowned.
"You do realize that the weapons on your fighters may not be able to penetrate the shields on the Droid Control Ship, right?" she asked the young Queen. Amidala merely nodded.
"This is an excellent plan, but there is a greater danger. If the Viceroy escapes, your Highness, he will return with another droid army," Obi-Wan said.
"That is why we must not fail to capture the Viceroy. Everything depends on it," Amidala replied. She was bound and determined to get the Trade Federation off of her planet. And no one there could blame her. She had only recently been elected Queen and she was still very young. She wasn't much younger than Ayame, who was only 17. "Now, we all know what we have to do?" Amidala asked the gathered crowd. All present nodded. Ayame nudged Obi-Wan's mind, who opened his to her thoughts.
~This isn't going to be a walk on Endor's forest moon,~ she said in her mind.
~I know, but we can't let this bother us. I'm here if you need me,~ Obi-Wan replied. Ayame smiled visibly and started to mentally prepare herself for the coming battle, and even perhaps the coming doom.
