Chapter 4 – Unexpected Adventure

In order to get out for a bit of fresh air, Sulani had decided to give word of the current events directly to the Chancellor himself and he seemed rather anxious for the plan to go off without a hitch. Hopefully things really would; Sulani knew that getting more involved in the war efforts would give her a bit of anxiety, but she certainly was not expecting to feel like she was getting grey hairs this early.

While making her way back towards her speeder, she spotted Senator Amidala making her way rather quickly towards the exit. "Padme? You appear to be in a hurry."

Padme was startled and swung her head around to see who was calling out to her and upon spotting Sulani, she replied, "Oh, Mother Sulani, how good to see you. Yes, I have just received some information from the Chancellor about possible negotiations with the Supreme Executive of the Banking Clan. I'm on my way there now."

Just hearing this gave Sulani chills; another bad gut feeling and she was not sure why. All things considered, she knew saying this to the Senator would not stop her, so she decided on a different approach. "Well, that sounds like a good thing that's for sure, how would you feel having a little company?"

"I'd certainly love some company," Padme says with a wide smile before a frown quickly takes over. "Though I've heard from the Chancellor that you have been getting more involved in the war efforts with the Jedi Council, are you sure you can come?"

It always amazes Sulani how thoughtful Padme was, if only more politicians were like her; perhaps then, this war would never have started. "It is no worries Padme, the current problem is being handled at present, I don't see them needing me for a while."

She need not say more and before long, the Jedi and the Senator were on their way.

As Padme's ship was drawing near to the coordinates given by the Chancellor, Sulani only grew more restless and she was still unsure why. She had taken to meditating on the floor by the doorway, hoping to gain some insight into wherever this feeling was coming from. C-3PO, who was sitting in the co-pilot seat, seemed almost as anxious on the outside as Sulani was feeling on the inside. "My lady, are you sure the information from Chancellor Palpatine is reliable?"

"Yes," Padme replies without hesitation. "It was secretly given to him by the supreme executive of the Banking Clan himself. If they leave the Separatist Alliance, it will go a long way to shortening this war."

Sulani, who was listening in on the conversation, found something wrong with what Padme was saying. The Banking Clan leaving the Separatists? Not likely. This was starting to sound more and more like a trap. Then again, what is it Obi-Wan says he and Anakin always do? Spring the trap right?

Sulani was also starting to think she should have asked where they were going. The controls started beeping and Padme spoke, "We're approaching the system now."

"Padme," Sulani starts. "Which system is this exactly-"

Before Sulani could finish her question, the ship exited hyperspace directly in front of an incoming ship. C-3PO exclaims rather loudly, "My goodness."

Sulani could only think she should have listened to her instincts and insisted Padme had not gone instead. "This isn't right," Padme shouts. "That's a droid warship! We're in the middle of a battle!"

As Padme quickly turned so as not to get smashed to pieces by the incoming ship, Sulani realised exactly which battle they had just stumbled upon. Padme continued to dodge laser fire from all directions and an incoming hail came through, "Naboo cruiser. Identify yourself!"

That was Ahsoka's voice Sulani noticed, meaning her assumption for which battle this was is accurate. "This is Senator Amidala," Padme quickly replies.

"Padme?" comes Anakin's shocked voice. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was sent on a special mission," she replies, trying to explain. "The Senate was told the Banking Clan wanted to negotiate a treaty."

"Get out of there as fast as you can!" Anakin shouts at her.

"Yes Padme," Sulani adds. "We really must get out of here."

"Mother Sulani?"Anakin shouts again. "You're there too? You had to know what was going on out here."

"I hadn't thought to ask where we were going Anakin," she tries to explain. "This really isn't the time though."

It was as if the Force was working against them because at that moment, the ship jolted before moving backwards.

"Have we been hit?" asks C-3PO.

Sulani honestly would have probably preferred that, Padme would seem to agree, "I'm afraid it's much worse than that."

The ship continued to move backwards and Anakin's worried voice could be heard, "Padme, what's happening?"

"We're being pulled inside the droid cruiser by a tractor beam," she explains while trying to get out of it.

After this, the ship was quickly pulled into the droid ship; Sulani took this moment to take her lightsaber in hand, using it to give herself some comfort. "I will not be made a Separatist bargaining chip."

"Neither will I," Sulani cuts in while looking outside the windows at the droids approaching.

"Continue your attack!" Padme insists. "You must destroy this monstrous ship!"

Sulani could feel Anakin's struggle through the Force as if she was standing next to him, but she knew; there was no way he would continue attacking. Not with Padme on board. As if to prove her point, Anakin calls off the attack. After that, their connection is cut off.

"It does not look safe out there my lady," C-3PO comments nervously.

"I see now this whole thing was a trap, and I'm afraid I walked right into it," Padme says as she fiddles with the controls. "I apologise for dragging you into this Mother Sulani. Anakin and Obi-Wan will not be happy with me if anything happens to you."

"Hush now Padme," Sulani says calmly. "I am a Jedi, and can handle myself. Honestly, they're probably just more relieved that I am here to help you stay alive."

Padme does not answer but she does mildly chuckle to herself as she finishes what she is doing. She stands up abruptly while saying, "Come on, I've overloaded the power system."

As we rush to exit the ship, C-3PO cannot help but comment, "Oh, we're doomed."

After leaving the ship and getting across the hangar, though not without a comment from C-3PO about how it was a bad idea, they watched as the ship exploded with General Grievous inside it. Sulani could still sense his presence however, so they needed to get out of there fast.

It is after sneaking through several hallways, that Padme walks over towards a comm panel. "Pardon me," says C-3PO softly, "but might I suggest we keep moving? I think I hear battle droids approaching."

Sulani would have said to him why what Padme was doing was important, but she was too busy trying to locate the General's location with the Force. They did not need him sneaking up on them.

"But we also need to contact the fleet," starts Padme while taking off the front of the panel. "If I can just get this comm panel working…"

Just as Sulani realised that Grievous was with the droids approaching, C-3PO noticed as well, "My lady, I'm afraid I was right."

They quickly hid in a gap in the walls; Sulani was not in the mood to start a fight with Padme and a defenseless droid to defend. She thought they may get caught when Grievous spots the open comm panel, but the crisis is averted when a droid tells him the hyperdrive is almost ready.

After all droids are gone, Padme continues working on the comm panel and finally gets through to the fleet who then patch her through to Anakin, "Padme."

"Anakin!"

"Are you alright? And what about Mother?" he asks worriedly. "Where are you?"

"On the lower levels," she replies. "We're fine, but I don't know for how long. Droids are everywhere."

"Obi-Wan and I are on board too."

This gets both women's attention, both shouting 'what' before Padme says more, "What are you doing here?"

"We came to get you off this ship," he answers as if that were obvious. "Ahsoka, how can we get to Mother and the Senator?"

"According to our scans, there seems to be a large open area in the centre of the ship," the said Padawan says for both parties sake. "It should be half way between the two of you."

"We're on our way," Anakin confirms. "Did you hear that Padme?"

"We'll be there," she assures before quickly ending the call and the three of them make their way to the rendezvous.

It does not take them long to reach their destination, "This is where we're supposed to meet them."

Sulani was trying to sense for her brother and his former Padawan, but was having minimal luck.

She heard Padme say something about how Anakin's probably late again and Sulani could not help but agree to herself.

They heard the noises as C-3PO speaks up, "But we do have company of another sort."

Sulani activates her lightsaber and jumps in front of the other two. As the droids start firing upon them, she takes her stance and deflects the blasts back towards the droids. Padme pulls out her own weapon and starts firing upon the droids as well. They keep moving backwards into the space where they are supposed to meet Anakin, Padme moving ahead with C-3PO while Sulani continues to deflect blaster fire.

Padme calls for C-3PO to jump onto the incoming rail jet while turning back around to fire. "Who? Me?" he tries saying, but Padme has already pushed him over the edge.

He falls off the train and onto another as Padme and Sulani land on the one they were aiming for. "I'll go and get him Padme, I sense Anakin and Obi-Wan are near, they will find you."

With those words, Mother Sulani chases after the poor protocol droid. As she gets closer to the droid, she senses her brother coming up as well, no doubt having the same idea as her. She makes eye contact with her brother, and as always, do not need words to communicate. They both try concentrating on using the Force to move the droid up to Obi-Wan. Unfortunately, this fails when another train comes and takes him away again. Sulani sighs, makes eye contact with her brother before following after the no doubt panicking C-3PO.

The rail jet they're on stops so abruptly that he goes flying into a nearby platform and Sulani has to try very hard not to do the same. She adjusts her footing before joining him on the platform, "Come on Threepio, let's find the others."

They had been moving around for several minutes, Sulani having trouble finding anyone with the Force as they were moving all over the place. "I do believe we're lost Mistress Sulani, in enemy territory, and just us."

Sulani does not reply, but then simply watches in amusement as he starts panicking when a flashlight from the approaching R2-D2 lands on him. It is not long before her fun ends and he realises who it is. "R2-D2! Oh, my, you are a sight for short circuits."

The two droids continue their back and forth as Sulani is content to follow the astromech towards their destination. The two droids are still arguing after many twists and turns; though if Sulani was not aware how much Anakin trusted the little droid, she may have questioned his sense of direction. "I suggest we stay here and let Master Anakin find us."

As if C-3PO had the abilities to summon, Anakin and Padme appear from a lift beside where the two droids had stopped moving. "Threepio, what are you doing? Don't just stand there; let's get back to the ship."

Anakin had yet to spot her in his haste, "Anakin? I do believe I am here too."

He pauses in his jog, "Ah yes, Mother, I had wondered where you were," and he is quickly off again.

As it turns out, R2 had been taking them in the right direction and the ship was just ahead. "Power up the engines Artoo."

Just as Anakin finishes the sentence, Obi-Wan comes running around the corner, multiple droids on his heels, "Hold the ship!"

Using a few nearby boxes, Anakin shields his former Master as he runs into the airlock. Sulani and Obi-Wan place hands on each other's cheeks briefly as they always did in greeting after the war broke out before walking onto the Twilight, "I'll contact the fleet," says Obi-Wan while walking over to the communications.

Anakin continues to give R2 orders and prepares to take off. Vulture droids are not far behind them, General Grievous among them. They get fired upon and Obi-Wan cannot help but comment, "Time for some clever tricks, Anakin."

"That's what I was thinking."

After the men start complaining about the guns; Sulani and Padme quickly get onto them to fire back at their unwanted entourage. Both Kenobis are quite shocked when Anakin says not to worry about the enemy ship booting up their hyperdrive. It is quickly explained when they see the enemy ship crash into the moon, Obi-Wan looks to his former Padawan, "I imagine you had something to do with that."

"All part of the plan, Master."

Sulani rolls her eyes in reply and continues to relax where she sits. "That was more excitement than I was prepared for when I joined you Padme."

"Yes well, I am glad you were with me Mother Sulani," Padme says. "I would rather have not faced that alone."

Obi-Wan and Anakin shared a look, they were just thankful both women were alive.

A/N: So Sulani finally saw some action and she might start seeing a bit more now, who knows.

That was three episodes rolled into two chapters so I think I did pretty well. I have been thinking that there hasn't been that much action, but I've already worked out that the more action Sulani sees, the more action the story has, she is the main character in this after all.

Anyway, as always, reviews would be nice, but don't feel obligated, I'm writing this as a massive 'what if' that I cannot contain only in my head. Too much to remember haha. Any questions, ask away. Any ideas, shoot them my way, I'm open to suggestions as long as they don't interfere with where I'm going with this. Next time will probably be the episode where Ahsoka helps Master Luminara escort Nute Gunray, haven't decided if I'll do that episode or not since I'm not doing the episode where they catch him, so until then.

Seza, out.