Chapter 8: Escape from Naboo
As they reached the main hanger, they saw that another squad of Battle Droids had already rounded up a group of security guards, pilots and engineers near a J-type 327 Nubian royal starship. "There are too many of them." Panaka said. "My father doesn't mess around." Merla said. "That won't be a problem. Your Highness, under the circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us." Qui-Gon said. "Thank you, Ambassador, but my place is with my people." Queen Amidala said. "They will kill you if you stay." Qui-Gon said. "They wouldn't dare." Sio said. "She's far too important for their plan to kill her." Merla said. "She's right. They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of theirs legal. They can't afford to kill her." Panaka said. "There is something else behind all this, Your Highness. There's no logic in the Federation's move here. My feelings tell me they will destroy you." Qui-Gon said. "Our only hope is that the senate will side with us. Senator Palpatine will need your help." Sio said. "Either choice presents great danger…to us all." Queen Amidala said. "We are brave, Your Highness." One of the handmaidens assured. "If you are to leave, Your Highness, it must be now." Qui-Gon said. "Then I will plead our case to the senate." Queen Amidala said. "Be careful, Governor." She said to Sio, who decided to stay behind.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan led the group towards the droid squad and the captured security guards, pilots and engineers. "We'll need to free those pilots." Panaka said. "I'll deal with that." Obi-Wan said, peeling off from the group. "Halt!" The commander droid said, stopping the group. "I'm ambassador to the supreme chancellor. I'm taking these people to Coruscant." Qui-Gon said. "Where are you taking them?" The commander asked. "To Coruscant." Qui-Gon said. "Coruscant. Uh, that doesn't compute." The commander said in confusion before realizing. "Uh, wait. You're under arrest." But Qui-Gon activated his lightsaber and began cutting the droids down. Obi-Wan leapt off one of the docked N-1 starfighters, kicked down 2 droids and joined in the fight. "Come on. Move!" Panaka exclaimed as he led everyone else on board the Nubian while Qui-Gon deflected incoming blaster fire from more droids. Obi-Wan slashed down the last 2 droids guarding their hostages. "Go!" He called. Everyone got up and started to run beside him. As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan slashed down the remaining droids, several security guards, pilots and engineers ran onboard the Nubian while the rest headed out of the hanger. Afterwards, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan deactivated their lightsabers and headed onboard as they slashed down the last few droids.
Panaka and Naboo pilot, Ric Olié, got into the ship's cockpit, activated the engines and flew the ship right out of the hanger. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan met with Jar Jar and Jy Jy in a holding department. "Now, stay here and keep out of trouble." He instructed. "Yousa count on wesa, Jedi." Jy Jy assured before Obi-Wan left. Jar Jar turned his attention to a group of Astromech Droids that were resting in the department. "Hello, boyos." He greeted. The droids came online and started beeping and whistling to greet their Gungan visitors. Qui-Gon came up to the cockpit just as the ship left Naboo's orbit. "There's the blockade." Ric said, spotting the Trade Federation blockade up ahead as Obi-Wan joined them. Just then, one of the ships started firing upon them. As they attempted to avoid the laser fire, one of the blasts hit a panel on the wing, causing an alarm to go off. "The shield generator's been hit!" Ric exclaimed.
As another alarm went off in the holding department, the Astromechs started deploying themselves. One of the droids, a blue and silver R2 unit, bumped into Jar Jar before following his fellow droids. "How wude." Jar Jar said. "Funny droid." Jy Jy said. The R2 unit exited the ship through a deployment tube and joined the others on the wing to fix the shield generator. But as they attempted to fix it, they were quickly blasted off one by one. Everyone watched the video feed from the cockpit's computers. "We're losing droids fast." Obi-Wan said. "If we can't get the shield generator fixed, we'll be sitting ducks." Panaka said. The last droid was blasted off, leaving the lone R2 unit to fix the shield generator himself. "The shields are gone." Ric said. But the R2 unit was a determined little droid. He managed to attach a cable into the generator, restoring power to the shields. "The power's back!" Ric exclaimed in shock. The R2 unit finished up the last repair. "That little droid did it. He bypassed the main power drive. Deflector shields up at maximum." Ric said, steering the ship past the blockade as the R2 unit turned to return inside.
But as they flew past a moon, there was a sudden leakage in the hyperdrive due to damage from the laser fire. "There's not enough power to get us to Coruscant. The hyperdrive is leaking." Ric said. "We'll have to land somewhere to refuel and repair the ship." Qui-Gon said. "Here, Master. Tatooine." Obi-Wan said, finding a nearby planet in the sector. "It's small, out of the way, poor. The Trade Federation have no presence there." "How can you be sure?" Panaka asked. "It's controlled by the Hutts." Qui-Gon said. "You can't take Her Royal Highness there. The Hutts are gangsters." Panaka said, knowing the reputation of the Hutt families. "If they discovered her-" "It'd be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation, except that the Hutts aren't looking for her, which gives us an advantage." Qui-Gon assured.
Meanwhile, back on the Viceroy's Lucrehulk, Gunray and Haako made contact with Darth Sidious. "And Queen Amidala, has she signed the treaty?" Sidious asked. "She has disappeared, my lord. One Naboo cruiser got past the blockade." Gunray said. "I want that treaty signed." Sidious snarled. "My lord, it's impossible to locate the ship. It's out of our range." Gunray said. "Not for a Sith." Sidious said. Just then, another robed figure appeared in Sidious' hologram, a Dathomirian Zabrak Nightbrother. "This is my apprentice, Darth Maul. He will find your lost ship." Sidious assured as the transmission ended. "This is getting out of hand. Now there are 2 of them." Gunray said with worry. "We should not have made this bargain." Haako said with regret.