Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. The chapter I'm currently working on took forever. I had it all wrapped up last week, but when I opened it to make a few final edits, the file was corrupted. I lost over 7000 words of progress, so it took a while to get it rewritten. It didn't help that my family went to Disneyworld last week, so most of the time I was typing while standing in line, trying not to die of humidity. I'm from the southwest, and I firmly believe that air shouldn't have water in it.

I would also like to thank all of you for the outstanding response to my last chapter. It means a lot that so many of my readers are willing to engage with this story and leave reviews or ask questions. This fic is my baby, and I love the chance to talk about it with you guys.

I also want to take this chance to offer solidarity with my readers in Ukraine. Please, stay safe if you can. To everyone else, I encourage you to donate to any of the various charities and relief efforts working to help those affected by the Russian invasion. This situation obviously isn't going to get fixed overnight, but every little bit helps.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Wars. Of course, Disney owns Star Wars, so if I buy stock in Disney, then technically I would own a little bit of Star Wars.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Chapter 22

It took twenty hours, and three more hyperspace jumps, after their departure before they finally arrived at Naboo. When they reverted to realspace, Naruto's first impression of the planet was one of colors. Specifically green and blue. The two swirled across the world like some sort of painting, probably one by someone who never sold anything until they'd been dead fifty years. There were no deserts or arctic tundras that he could see, just verdant green land girt by deep blue ocean. Overall, he thought it was the prettiest planet he'd seen since leaving Tython.

The sense the lush planet gave off in the Force only enhanced his appreciation for the world's appearance. The planet felt… calm, for lack of a better word. Like a still pond on a cloudless spring day. It didn't have the frenetic, seething energy of Coruscant, nor did it have the overwhelming power of Ilum. It was just… there. Quietly, calmly, beautifully alive.

"It's beautiful," Naruto whispered. Mace nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it is. And it is our job to make sure it stays that way."

Naboo differed from Coruscant in one other wonderful, glorious way. There was very little traffic. Within thirty minutes they had landed at the Royal Spaceport in Theed, met with their assigned escort, and were heading for an audience with Queen Amidala. As they walked through the lofty marble halls, Naruto could sense a tension he had not felt from orbit. The palace, and maybe even the entire city, was on edge.

Naruto glanced over at his master and tried to send what he was sensing down their link. They couldn't yet manage actual words, but they had gotten pretty good at communicating impressions and the like. Mace nodded and sent him an acknowledgment, as well as a sense of warning and quiet. It seemed he didn't want Naruto to say anything just yet.

Before Naruto could wonder too much about Mace's desire for reticence, their escort stopped in front of a set of large, intricately carved doors.

"Her majesty, Queen Amidala, will receive you now," the man said. At an unseen signal, two armed security guards opened the doors, and the escort waved them in.

Like the rest of Theed Palace, the throne room was a study in graceful opulence. The room was arranged as a large circle, with a set of stairs leading to the main dais. The large windows, high domed ceiling, and slender columns gave the space a light, airy feeling. Near the back window, commanding the room, was a heavy stone desk. Behind it sat a young woman in what was perhaps the most absurd costume Naruto had ever seen.

She wore a green dress embroidered with gold that looked to weigh more than she did. It had so many layers and tassels and frills that it nearly gave him a headache to look at. Someone had apparently constructed the sleeves with an extra helping of billow, her arms vanishing in their ridiculous depths. The neck had a feathered ruff that was probably supposed to give the impression of an elegant halo. To him, it looked more as if some tropical bird had crashed into the back of her head at speed.

Her hair was arranged in an intricate series of five tightly coiled buns, each one wrapped around some sort of white, bejeweled framework. Naruto briefly thought she had glued cinnamon rolls to her head. Her face was powdered white, with two red dots high on her cheekbones. Her upper lip was painted a similar red, along with a stripe down the center of her lower lip.

To any casual gaze, her whole ensemble looked exactly like the sort of overblown gaudiness that so often accompanied royalty. Even a discerning eye would likely see nothing more than a ceremonial collection of various culturally significant fashions. Naruto, however, had trained under Kakashi Hatake, Jiraiya of the Sannin, and now Mace Windu. He saw more than what he was supposed to see. He saw underneath the underneath.

For instance, he saw that the dress had a certain rigidity to it. It could imply some sort of internal support, but it could just as easily imply carefully concealed armor. He also noted that those absurdly wide sleeves could easily hide any number of weapons within their depths. Furthermore, most of what he had already seen was the queen's clothing and makeup, sssomething he strongly suspected was by deliberate design. He had not noted any of her particular features beyond that she was young, short, and had dark brown hair. Much like all the various red robed handmaidens stationed throughout the room. In a flash, Naruto finally understood just how the queen could employ decoys so easily.

'If I wasn't already trying to figure it out, I probably never would have noticed,' he thought. 'You could put damn near anyone in that getup and I bet they could pass without question. That's kind of brilliant.'

To one side of the desk sat an elderly man with a sharply pointed beard. Naruto recognized him from Obi-Wan's account as Sio Bibble, the Governor of Naboo, and chief advisor to Queen Amidala. On the other side of the desk sat a dark-skinned man wearing a security uniform and a serious expression. Behind him stood a tall man, heavily built, with bronze skin and some sort of eyepatch over his left eye. He too wore a security uniform. Aside from those three, a half dozen handmaidens, all clad in red, hooded robes, stood around the room.

As Naruto took in the sight before him, his master strode forward to introduce them to the Queen. His voice startled Naruto out of his thoughts.

"Greetings, your Highness. I am Jedi Master Mace Windu, and this is my Padawan, Naruto Uzumaki. We are here at the behest of the Chancellor, to investigate the recent disturbances on your planet."

"Greetings, Master Jedi," the Queen replied. Her voice had a strange, formal accent to it that Naruto suspected was an affectation. She gestured to the two security officers on her left. "This is Captain Panaka and Lieutenant Typho. They have been running the investigation so far. They will brief you on the current situation. I pray you may offer some insight."

Captain Panaka stepped forward and activated a holotable. It projected a map of the planet, with various locations highlighted.

"This shows the location of all the major terrorist attacks in the two months. As you can see, there is no apparent pattern. The attacks have ranged from bombings to arson to mass shootings. Almost all of them have resulted in civilian casualties, and we have yet to take any of the attackers alive."

"None of them?" Naruto asked. "How is that possible?"

This time it was Lieutenant Typho who spoke up.

"All the attacks have been sudden, with no warning or prior indications. By the time the authorities arrive on scene, most of the attackers have either fled or committed suicide. Any that are left invariably attack everyone they see, forcing the security on scene to kill them. Even when we tried to stun them, they still died. We suspect some sort of poison, but our autopsy results were inconclusive."

"Does anything link the attacks or the attackers together?" Mace asked. Panaka pressed a button, and a list of names and photos replaced the map.

"These are all the attackers we've identified so far. As you can see, most are human, but not all. There are a few Gungans mixed in. No major criminals either. Most have only minor criminal records, or no record at all. No common friends, enemies, or past associates. For all that we can tell, they seem to be a random collection of people. Without a live perpetrator to interrogate, we can't find any apparent motive beyond random violence and killings."

Naruto frowned. Something about the whole thing stank to him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about the terrorists didn't sound right. He felt an urge to ask something and followed it.

"What about the missing people?" He asked. "What do you have on them?"

"I'm sorry?" Panaka said, clearly confused. Naruto bristled and inhaled to chastise him for his apparent ignorance, but Mace stepped in before he could start.

"The Chancellor mentioned that there had been an increase in disappearances lately. What do you have on that front?"

Typho and Panaka glanced at each other before Panaka spoke again.

"There was an increase in missing persons reports about two months ago, but with all these attacks it hasn't been a priority. I don't see what that has to do with this terrorism, though?"

"Just… indulge me for a minute," Naruto said, trying to keep the impatience from his voice. "What happened with the missing people?"

Once again, Panaka and Typho hesitated before answering. Naruto was about to snap at them when Governor Bibble stood to speak.

"I think I might be able to address this," he said. "The cases were never solved. Most of those people are still missing, if they ever were to start with."

"Huh- I mean, what are you saying?" Naruto asked. "Didn't you investigate?"

"Of course we did," Bibble replied, his voice indignant. "But the actions of the Trade Federation hampered our investigations."

Now Naruto was really lost. The Trade Federation had left Naboo seven years ago. "I don't-"

"The Trade Federation left a virus in our computer systems when they pulled out. It destroyed most of our civil records, including much of our census data, and crippled our whole civil database. It will be years yet before it's fully rebuilt. There was no proof, of course, but it was them. We still don't even know how many people died in the Occupation. In the past seven years, most missing persons cases have been unsolvable. We just don't have the information we need."

Naruto could feel the guilt and anger in each of the people in the room as they thought back to the Trade Federation and its invasion. Even seven years later, it seemed some scars had yet to heal. Governor Bibble was near trembling in a mix of fury and shame. The handmaiden nearest to him touched him gently on the elbow.

"You have done much for us, Governor," she said. The Queen nodded and added her own voice.

"You helped our people survive the Occupation, and you have been essential to our recovery," she said. "Do not let those problems we still have detract from what you have accomplished. You have been vital to me, Governor, and I am sure you will be vital to my successor."

Governor Bibble nodded gratefully, and his shame seemed to subside somewhat. Mace took the opportunity to move the meeting along.

"Speaking of your successor, the election is the main reason we're here," he said. "The Chancellor is concerned that the recent chaos may threaten its integrity."

One handmaiden, the same one who had comforted Bibble, shifted uncomfortably and crossed her arms. The Queen glanced at her before turning her attention back to the Jedi.

"Are you sure that the election is at risk?" She asked. "None of the attacks have targeted the candidates, or any other politicians."

Mace nodded but remained firm.

"Perhaps not, but such chaos at this time cannot be a coincidence. My instincts tell me that the election is central to this entire matter. There is something at work here we do not yet see."

The queen sat back and thought for a moment before apparently coming to a decision.

"Ensuring free and peaceful elections should be our highest priority," she said. "You will have my full support to make it so. What is your first move?"

Mace walked up to the holotable and pulled up the map of Naboo again. He highlighted one particular dot on the outskirts of Theed.

"This was the most recent attack?" He asked. Panaka nodded.

"Just two days ago," he said. "Four humans and a Gungan shot up a local market in the middle of the morning. Three dead, plus the attackers, and a dozen or more wounded."

Mace nodded. His face was pensive, and Naruto could almost hear the thoughts whirling through his head. He was excited, despite the seriousness of the situation. He was finally on a proper mission again, and it had lost none of its appeal since his time in Konoha. If anything, it was better. Being a Jedi meant serving what was right, rather than just the interests of a single village. It didn't hurt that Naruto was naturally curious, and the chance to solve crimes was alluring to him. It may not have been as good as beating up bad guys, but it sure beat the hell out of research or bodyguarding.

"I am going to go investigate the scene of this latest attack," he said. Naruto smiled beneath his mask. He was finally going to join his master on a real mission. Then Mace kept talking.

"Naruto, you will remain here and ensure the Queen's safety," he said. Naruto felt his excitement slink off into a corner and sulk. Several of the people in the room shifted at that, and Panaka leaned forward with interest.

"What? Bodyguarding? But master, I should be with you!"

"I agree," the Queen said. "I do not believe I require a bodyguard. My security is excellent, and none of the attacks have targeted the government. Wouldn't your Padawan be of more use helping your investigation?"

"See, the Queen agrees with me," Naruto said, struggling to keep his petulance from coloring his voice.

He must not have been very successful, as Mace sent him both a piercing glare and a wave of remonstrance through their bond. Naruto instantly felt like he was about two centimeters tall. The man's irritation cut through like a laser beam, and he hadn't even said a word yet.

"Your majesty, the current crisis has your security stretched thin," Mace said. "Between that and the upcoming election, your men can only be in so many places at once. You are vulnerable, and the Force tells me the election is the key to this. The easiest way to disrupt the election would be to target you, and we cannot allow that to happen. As you said, the election must remain secure."

The Queen hesitated, before glancing at Panaka and Typho. Both of them nodded, and she sighed.

"Very well," she agreed. Satisfied, Mace turned his glare back to Naruto, who promptly felt himself shrink another centimeter. Mace's irritation came across their bond loud and clear.

"Padawan, you have far more experience with bodyguarding than with investigation," he chastised sternly. His unyielding calm was somehow worse than any amount of shouting could have been. "Remember your place. This is not training. You will follow my instructions and stay here, where you can do the most good. Besides, you will be doing more than just bodyguarding, and you know it. Am I understood?"

As he had been so many times before, Naruto was once again intensely grateful for his mask, as it hid most of his embarrassed flush. Belatedly, he remembered his promise to Anakin, and felt his face burn even more. He bowed his head and nodded.

"Yes, master," he said. "Sorry for being… you know, me."

Mace shook his head. "You never have to apologize for having an opinion, Naruto, and you never should apologize for being who you are. However, you will meditate later on deference and respect. In the meantime, remember your lessons on patience and focus. If you are ever to succeed as a Jedi, you must learn those two."

Naruto looked up at his master and nodded deferentially. He was still embarrassed at mouthing off like that in public, but Mace seemed content to move on from the issue, so he wasn't going to question it. When it came to being upbraided by his master, he had certainly had far worse.

"Thank you, master," he said. "I'll remember."

"See that you do. Work with Captain Panaka, and make sure to be discrete. May the Force be with you in your task. Lieutenant Typho, can you accompany me to the crime scene?"

The tall lieutenant nodded, and together they bowed to the Queen. She dismissed them with a word and a wave of her hand, and they walked off, presumably to get a speeder. Panaka arranged to meet with Naruto over dinner so they could bring him up to speed on the Queen's schedule and security procedures. In the meantime, Naruto agreed to shadow her, and get acquainted with her handmaidens, as he would be spending a fair bit of time with them. He walked to where they and the Queen were gathering to leave.

"It looks like I'll be following you for the next few hours," he said as they walked into another beautiful hallway. He fell into step with one of the handmaidens. As the doors to the throne room closed behind them, he whispered to her under his breath.

"You shouldn't be angry with your double, your Highness. She only wants to protect you."

To her credit, there was barely a break in her stride to betray the sudden flash of shock and confusion that he felt from her. Instead, she simply took a moment to gather her thoughts and spoke to the "Queen".

"Your Highness, would you care for some refreshments?" She asked. Her voice was steady and ever so slightly demure; the very picture of an experienced and dedicated servant. The "Queen" also managed not to betray her surprise, and instead answered in the affirmative and led the group into a nearby side chamber.

The moment the door closed, the handmaiden's whole demeanor shifted. Where there had once been a servant, someone who more or less faded into the same background obscurity normally reserved for unoccupied furniture, now there stood a confident, commanding young woman. Her eyes flashed with intelligence and determination. You could have broken rocks on the set of her jaw.

"What makes you think I am the Queen?" She asked. Her tone was curious, but also cautious. Clearly, she was not yet sure about trusting him. Naruto supposed he should probably employ careful diplomacy and tact to avoid offending a major dignitary and causing a scene.

Yeah, right. Because that sounded like something he would do.

"Wow, you should do holovids," he snarked. "You're one hell of an actor."

Padmé's eyes narrowed, and Naruto suddenly recalled that this was the woman who had, at age 14, spat in the eye of the Trade Federation and ousted the Supreme Chancellor. She was also someone whose body he had to guard for who knew how long, and pissing her off now probably wasn't the best idea.

'It would be great if I had these realizations before sticking my foot in my mouth,' he thought as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry," he said. "Anakin told me you used decoys, so I was already on the lookout. You positioned yourself where your double could see you, but you were out of the line of fire from the windows or the doors. I also caught a few of your signals to each other, and Captain Panaka kept having to stop himself from looking at you rather than the throne. Also, you were pretty pissed off when she-" he pointed to the decoy "-accepted me as a bodyguard without your say so."

Padmé blinked in shock, clearly surprised at being so thoroughly found out. The other handmaidens had even more amusing reactions. A couple of jaws dropped, and there were one or two surprising giggles. Naruto silently crowed in victory. Even without his prior reputation as a dead-last, he had found that people still assumed he was an idiot because of his age. Their shock when he proved them wrong never failed to bring a smile to his face.

"Why would me being angry be a giveaway?" Padmé asked, and a gleam appeared in her eyes. "Maybe I just didn't like you. Did you think of that?"

Naruto could have jumped for joy. A politician with a sense of humor; one he could trade barbs with. It was almost too good to be true.

"I considered it," he said with fake solemnity. "But then I remembered everyone likes me, so it couldn't be that. I also remembered that Obi-Wan and Anakin both agreed you hated to be coddled and had a stubborn streak about ten parsecs wide."

This time there was the very deliberate silence that comes from rapidly smothered laughter. Three of the handmaidens had suspiciously shaking shoulders, and the decoy Queen gave Padmé a knowing look.

"He has you there, milady," she said. Padmé looked around for moral support, found none, and sighed.

"Fine. I told you all this was ridiculous. Yes, I'm Padmé Amidala, Queen of Naboo. For the next few weeks, anyway. This is Sabé, my handmaiden and loyal decoy."

Naruto snapped to attention with a lazy salute and an eye smile before offering a hand.

"Hi there. I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Jedi Padawan, shinobi, and currently your newest bodyguard. I hope we can all be friends and not get dead together. Nice to meet you all."

Padmé smiled at his antics and shook the proffered hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Naruto," she said, before her face became serious once more. "But I still don't think I need another bodyguard. Your efforts would be better spent tracking down whoever it is who is murdering my people."

Naruto just shrugged. "Maybe. But Master Windu gave me my instructions. I might prefer to be by his side, but he thinks this is more important, and I think he might be on to something. Something doesn't feel right about this. Until we know what's going on, I think it's a good idea for you to have some extra security, and right now, that means me. Besides, I promised Anakin I'd keep you safe, and I never go back on my word."

A brief flash of surprise slid across Padmé's face, which she didn't bother to conceal.

"Anakin made you promise to keep me safe? I didn't even think he would still remember me." She said, obviously surprised. Naruto nodded cheerfully, but his voice had a hint of frost to it.

"Yep. He thinks of you as a friend. You were one of the first people to show him kindness. It probably helps that he blew up a Lucrehulk and kind of saved the entire planet. People tend to remember stuff like that, even seven years later. Even when that friend doesn't talk to them for that whole time."

She didn't bother to hide her wince at his tone, either. Naruto was tempted to push the subject, but he ultimately let it drop. There were more important things to do right at the moment.

"Anyway, I promised him. It's also what my master told me to do, and what literally everyone who cares about you wants me to do. So it's what's gonna happen."

He could see her eyes flash with stubbornness, even as he felt it from her through the Force. It seemed Obi-Wan and Anakin had understated just how much fire she had in her. Just as he was sure that she was about to turn on the distant monarch act, her decoy, Sabé, laid a soothing hand on her arm.

"Milady, please," she said. "Both the Jedi agree. Something more is going on. Please let us protect you. Naboo needs you."

The stubborn fire in her eyes lasted a few seconds longer before she sighed and nodded.

"Very well. I still don't think this is necessary, but very well. How will this work?"

"From now on, you should probably use a decoy anytime you're out in public," Naruto said. He tried to adopt a more professional tone, with mixed success. "I'll be guarding you around the clock. Captain Panaka is briefing me on your schedule in a couple of hours."

"Around the clock?" Padmé asked, obviously confused. "Don't you need to sleep?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to gain a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. He said nothing, and instead channeled chakra and made a handseal.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

Four identical copies of himself popped into existence in a cloud of white smoke. To his surprise, his audience did not freeze in shock. Instead, two of the handmaidens immediately moved to cover Padmé with their bodies, while Sabé produced a holdout blaster from somewhere within her sleeves. It was only after they realized their Queen was not under attack that they all had time to be shocked at what he had just done.

"I- is this some sort of Jedi trick?" Padmé asked, her eyes wide with shock. "I mean, are they…"

"We're real," one clone said.

"And we can fight," said another.

"As you can see, I can be in more than one place at a time," Naruto said, eye smiling in a manner that suggested he was really enjoying everyone's surprise. "I get all of their memories when they dispel, even when I'm asleep."

"I didn't know Jedi could do something like this," Sabé whispered, eyeing the clones with a mixture of curiosity and awe.

"I'm just awesome like that," Naruto said. He figured humility was for people who hadn't just made a Queen goggle in surprise. After a moment, though, his face grew serious.

"I'm not going to let anything hurt you," he said. "I'll also be gathering intel while I'm here. Whoever is arranging this probably has a source in the government. We will stop these people. I promise, and Naruto Uzumaki never breaks a promise."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Snap!

"Ow!"

"Don't overestimate your reach."

Padmé felt more than saw Rabé wince as she watched the latest blow in the spar between Master Windu and his Padawan. She couldn't blame her. That looked like it had hurt. Still, Naruto shrugged it off with barely a grimace, not that she could easily tell under his mask, and leaped right back into the fray. She sighed and tried to focus on what was before her, rather than the nagging worries of the day. It wasn't easy.

Padmé Amidala, for only the second time in her life, felt helpless. It was a hateful feeling, an empty, gnawing weight that had set up shop in her mind. The last time she had felt this way, she had been forced to flee her planet and beg for help from the Senate. If anything, this was worse. Back then, at least, she had been able to do something. Not quickly, perhaps, and certainly not enough, but she'd had options. This time, though, there was nothing.

She wasn't facing some cold, implacable, overwhelming, obvious foe like the Trade Federation. No, now she had to contend with shadows and smoke. A phantom with no apparent motive, no clear goals, and no identifiable weaknesses. She was doing everything she could do as Queen, she knew that, and it added up to exactly nothing.

Faced with such maddening impotence, she was grateful that the Jedi were here. She wasn't thrilled that the Chancellor had sent them without even consulting her, but the chance to stop this chaos was more than ample balm for her wounded pride. If anyone could do something, it was the Jedi. And stars, moons, and little fish had the Jedi Council sent their best.

First, there was Mace Windu. A legend, even by the lofty standards of his Order. No Jedi save for Yoda himself had a more widespread and impressive reputation. While Padmé was usually reluctant to accept such things without proof, she had to admit, he certainly seemed to fit the stories about him. There was a quiet, iron hard surety about him, a sort of innate authority that received respect without demanding it. Every time she spoke to him, it was a struggle not to feel intimidated by his mere presence.

Even so, his investigations over the past two days had produced little of value. By visiting several of the crime scenes, he confirmed the attacks were linked, despite the disparate means and methods. He had also pointed out that all the attacks had occurred within both three days and fifteen kilometers of an event or location connected to the ongoing election campaign. It was more than her security forces had uncovered, and it certainly leant credibility to his theory of a larger conspiracy targeting the election, but it didn't get them any closer to bringing whoever was responsible to justice.

She sighed and poked herself mentally. 'Patience,' she told herself, 'Patience. He has only been here for two days, and he's already found more than our investigations did in two months. Losing my mind with frustration won't help anyone.'

With an effort of will, she wrenched her mind out of its puddle of self-pity and back towards the ongoing lightsaber duel in front of her. Naruto was once again pressing the attack on his master. As she watched him furiously probe for weaknesses in Master Windu's defenses, she felt the beginning of a smile tug at her mouth.

Naruto Uzumaki, Mace Windu's apprentice and her newest bodyguard, certainly broke the mold when it came to the stoic, calmly detached image the Jedi preferred to project. He was cheerful, friendly, energetic, sarcastic, and talkative. He seemed to regard anything like formality with the same sort of suspicion and revulsion most people saved for something smelly and slimy they found on a beach.

He had also proven to be a surprisingly thorough bodyguard. Though he refused to discuss his strange powers in much detail, she strongly suspected that at least one of his clones had been within two meters of her at all times in the past two days, even at night. Certainly he had ignored the objections of the palace servants, who had been mortified at the lack of respect for propriety he showed in his duties. He had merely waved them off and dismissed their concerns as petty and absurd. She also suspected he had been listening in on some supposedly private conversations between certain officials. She didn't know why, but she suspected he was not as removed from the investigation as he appeared.

Despite his cheerful disregard for courtly protocol, he had somehow worked his way into the good graces of the entire palace; herself included. There was something about him that made it seemingly impossible not to be his friend. In that respect, he reminded her of Anakin, back when they had first met. He too had simply assumed that she and Qui-Gon would be his friends, and just like that, they had been.

He also shared that strange, slightly unreal quality that Anakin had possessed. The world seemed to automatically center around him, as if he were somehow rooted more firmly in reality than mere physical matter. Next to him, other colors and sounds seemed to fade into the background ever so slightly; or perhaps he simply moved into the foreground. When he smiled, everything seemed a little warmer, a little more vibrant. When he frowned, the world grew slightly pale and gray. Now that she thought about it, both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had possessed a similar aura, though not as strong. Even Master Windu seemed to project just a little too much of a presence to be completely natural. Perhaps it was a matter of experience or control? It was a touch unnerving, a reminder that, despite their humble appearances, the Jedi wielded powers beyond her understanding.

'Still, perhaps such powers can once again prove the key to saving my people,' she thought. 'It certainly worked with Anakin and the Trade Federation.'

The thought of Anakin summoned a trickle of guilt in her heart. Naruto hadn't specifically said anything, but she knew he didn't approve of how she had never talked to Anakin after he had left Naboo. His slight frown had filled the room with a cool, hollow sensation. Just the memory of it nearly brought a shiver down her spine. In truth, she didn't approve of what she had done, either. She may have been incredibly busy for years after the invasion, and he had probably been equally busy with his Jedi training, but even so…

'Excuses,' she thought. 'I was his friend. Friends should stay in touch with each other.'

After a moment, her practical side, the one she had been forced to develop during her years as Queen, reasserted itself. She had been wrong to never talk to Anakin after the Occupation, but it was hardly the most pressing matter she had on her plate. Indeed, she strongly suspected the whole reason that Naruto had talked her into watching him train was to distract her from those pressing matters, at least for a little while. His eager words, and the sunny brightness they'd brought, had quickly convinced her. As she watched the blur of orange and amethyst before her, she had to admit that it was working a little.

Despite having been pursued by a lightsaber wielding assassin all those years ago, Padmé had never truly had the opportunity to see a real lightsaber duel. She had caught only brief glimpses amidst the sand and dust on Tatooine, and the security holos of the duel in the palace had been distant and fragmentary. Nothing at all like the display of speed and grace she could see now.

Master Windu was clearly the superior swordsman, even to her relatively untrained eyes. He rarely took the offensive against his Padawan, instead contenting himself with a stalwart defense. He drew Naruto out, over and over, each time making some correction or other.

Naruto was hardly a flailing novice, however. Before he had begun sparring with his master, several of her handmaidens had challenged themselves against him in a hand-to-hand match. The prize had been him showing what was beneath his mask, a topic of much speculation amongst the palace staff over the last few days. Despite Captain Panaka's best training, he had thoroughly trounced them all. Yané, the youngest and smallest of all of them, had even tried her innocent, nervous young maiden act to knock the blonde terror off his guard. Naruto had done his strange eye smile, laughed, and promptly kicked her upside the head. The dazed young woman was still red faced from embarrassment, and Padmé knew that particular incident would be the source of much teasing in the future.

That happy thought, along with the impressive display of skill in front of her, helped wash away some of the tension she had been carrying for so many weeks. As she saw the fierce, burning determination in Naruto's eyes, juxtaposed against the steady calm of Master Windu, she could actually believe that they would succeed where others had failed. Maybe, just maybe, they could help bring this nightmare to an end. Still, there had to be something she could do to help her people until then.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

It was the morning of his fifth day on Naboo, and despite the warm sun, clear skies, and melodious birdsong, Naruto was not happy. There were a number of reasons for his displeasure, each compounding upon its fellows to form a general cloud of (in his mind) well justified irritability.

The first reason was his thrice damned, eternally troublesome kage bunshin. Despite standing orders to the contrary, the previous night's shift of clones had all dispelled at once. All thirty of them. After a full night's worth of memories. The resultant headache, which still throbbed angrily behind his eyes, had effectively thrown a wet blanket on any thoughts of enjoying the morning.

The second cause of his discontent was rather less easily quantified. For the last few weeks, Naruto had woken up sore, regardless of whether or not he had worked out the previous day. He also felt unusually clumsy, and he had developed the occasional painful pimple. To cap it all off, his voice had taken to cracking at the most inopportune and embarrassing times. Times such as yesterday, during a briefing, in front of both his master and most of Naboo's top officials, including Padmé and Captain Panaka. For some unaccountable reason, he had immediately been relieved that Ahsoka hadn't been there to hear his voice squeak like a rusty gear. Overall, there could be no doubt about it. Puberty had arrived, with all its attendant horrors in tow.

Third, he was bored. To be fair, most bodyguarding missions were boring. If they weren't, then you had probably done your job wrong. Boredom was good. Boredom meant the principal wasn't dead. Unfortunately, boredom was also boring, and no one dealt with being bored worse than Naruto.

His clones had found no obvious traitors in the palace, nor any worrying gaps in security. He had even taken to investigating the various politicians that came and went every day, but none of them did anything suspicious. The most he found out were details about the candidates in the election, which were hardly riveting.

The front runner was Jamillia Verie. People saw her as a progressive, and she strongly opposed the corruption that had crept into the Republic. Padmé, he knew, supported her, though she was careful not to show it in public. She was young, but possessed a charisma and determination that reminded people of Padmé.

In close second was Réillata Domu. She had briefly served as Queen before, and had the claim of experience. That said, she was far more conservative than either Padmé or Jamillia. With the recent efforts to bridge the gap between the Gungans and the Naboo, her more cautious stance was not winning her any points.

In a distant, but rising third was Deyne Tapalo. He was apparently the grandson of a past King of Naboo. His grandfather had brought Naboo into the Republic, but had later been mired in numerous corruption scandals. Deyne had apparently tried to distance himself from his grandfather's legacy, instead joining the security forces. When he'd had to retire because of an injury, he had focused on public works and charity. He had even worked with Padmé's father on several occasions, and she had fond memories of him. His platform, however, apparently worried her.

He was running on the promise of increasing security and expanding the military, ostensibly to prevent something like the Occupation from ever happening again. His hardline views had initially alienated most people, but with the shadow of the recent terrorist attacks looming over them, the promise of increased security was becoming more and more attractive.

The final source of his displeasure, and the one he was most annoyed about currently, was the day's itinerary. Specifically, the last minute addition Padmé had made to it and about which she had only just now seen fit to inform him.

She had apparently decided to make an impromptu appearance in the latest town to be targeted by the unknown terrorists.

"Padmé, this is a really, really terrible idea," he protested. "You're talking about taking a huge, unnecessary risk."

She merely waved aside his words like so much fog.

"I hardly think it's unnecessary, nor do I believe it will be as risky as you say," she said. "There's no possible way these terrorists could know I'll be there. They won't have time to plan anything. I'm sure that between you and my other security, I'll be perfectly safe."

"But why-"

"Because this is important to me," she said, a touch of steel entering her voice. "I am tired of doing nothing while these monsters are murdering my people. I am tired of standing by helplessly while they threaten our democracy. If I can't yet prevent these attacks from happening, then at least I can provide some measure of comfort and hope to the victims."

Naruto blinked a little in shock. He had not expected such passion from a politician, even one with Padmé Amidala's reputation. Most Jedi, including his master, dismissed politicians as being, to a greater or lesser extent, untrustworthy, self-centered, and unconcerned with the actual welfare of their constituents. There were exceptions, of course, but they were rare and getting rarer. It seemed Padmé was one of those exceptions, though. He could feel the genuine concern and love for her people and her planet that was driving her actions. It was like a landslide, an inevitable, unstoppable force that left only two options: go with the tide or be crushed by it. It was something he recognized, for he had seen it before. The Will of Fire.

After a few seconds, he let out a small chuckle. It soon turned into a full-blown laugh, one that obviously left Padmé confused.

"You reminded me of something my godfather said to me once," Naruto said to her unspoken question. "He told me that all great men and women have all done the same thing when confronted with an impossible problem."

"What was that?"

"What they can," Naruto said with an eye smile. "That was a great speech. You should run for office or something."

Padmé giggled a little at his joke. It was too awful to do anything else. "You're a very sarcastic person, do you know that? I suppose that means you'll go along with it?" She asked. Naruto nodded.

"Yeah. I promised once that I would never ignore people in need, even when they aren't 'important'. This is still stupid and dangerous, but my plans are usually even worse and they typically work out, so yeah. I'll go along with it."

"Good," she said with a smile. "It would have been awkward for me to have to drag my bodyguard along against his will."

Naruto privately considered whether or not she could actually have done such a thing, and decided he really didn't want to find out. Something about the fire in her eyes told him that his odds wouldn't be all that good.

'No wonder she left such an impression on Anakin,' he thought. 'I'm surprised she needed Master Qui-Gon and Master Kenobi. She probably could have gotten the whole Trade Federation to stand down on her own if she needed to.'

"I'll let Master Windu know about this," he said. "He'll be investigating that attack today, so at least he'll be nearby."

Padmé gave a nod and one last smile before she walked off to prepare for the trip. Naruto was grateful that she had at least acceded to Panaka's wishes and used a decoy for the trip. He was all for helping comfort the people of Naboo, but he generally preferred that the stupidly dangerous parts of his plans only involve him.

A few hours later, shortly after noon, they arrived at the town. From the air, Naruto could still see the plume of smoke and dust rising from the site of the attack. As their speeder landed, he could feel the fear and confusion that lay over the townsfolk like a dirty cloud. It was distracting, but it also served to further cement his respect for Padmé. What she was doing was risky, true, but it was also incredibly kind. These people needed something to hold on to, some measure of comfort after their lives had been so suddenly and violently disrupted, and Padmé had recognized that she could serve that role.

He could also feel the steel pillar of his master's presence as he investigated the site of the attack. Naruto allowed himself to relax slightly upon feeling that. No matter what happened during the next few hours, he was confident that Mace could help him deal with it. Even if he was on the other side of town, his mere presence gave Naruto a shot of confidence and calm.

Their speeder landed on the other side of town, several kilometers from the site of the attack, in a large, open square. Naruto and Captain Panaka had selected it as the only venue that offered even a modicum of control and security. The unexpected appearance of a royal transport had obviously attracted attention, as there was already a crowd of dozens waiting for them. The cheers that greeted them when the crowd saw who had come were all the confirmation Naruto needed to know Padmé had made the right decision.

Sabé, in the guise of Queen Amidala, strode down the exit ramp in full royal regalia. Six royal handmaidens, with Padmé disguised amongst them, followed her. Naruto walked just behind Sabé and off to her left. To any observers, he looked to be positioned to guard the Queen without being too overt. What they wouldn't see was that he was also standing not even two meters from Padmé. Indeed, the entire formation was actually designed to subtly guard Padmé while apparently acting as an entourage for the "Queen".

Sabé immediately began speaking to the various people in the square. Naruto paid little attention to her actual words, beyond noting that they sounded as if Padmé could have said them. It was a mark of how well the handmaidens knew their Queen that they could so easily imitate her speech and predict her wishes.

While Sabé played her role as decoy to perfection, Padmé and the other handmaidens spoke quietly to the rest of the crowd. They gave words of comfort and took requests for aid that they would pass along as needed. Padmé stayed near to her decoy, and thus also near to Naruto, but she still comforted as many people as she could. It may not have been much, but Naruto could sense the difference it was making. He could feel the pall of gloom and fear lifting, at least a little. As empty a gesture as it may have seemed to the cynical, Padmé's decision to comfort her people had clearly been the right one.

Naturally, at that point, everything went wrong.

As the fog of negative emotions faded under the light of Padmé's compassion, Naruto sensed an anomaly. A group of people whose emotions didn't feel right. They were muted, confused, and they worried him. He subtly adjusted his stance, ready to spring into action while he simultaneously focused more tightly on the objects of his suspicion. The instant he actively touched their emotions, what he felt nearly sent him reeling.

Hungrysohungry. Fear. Darkfear. A voice. Sharppain. Hungrypain. Words. Followthewords. So hungry. Angerfear. Movement. HUNGRY.

The barrage of thoughts and feelings hit him like a sledgehammer. He winced at the state of their minds. It was like looking at a bucket of broken glass covered in tar. Beneath all the anger and confusion he had felt, there had been an ache, like hunger, but worse. All consuming. Burning. It had ravaged their minds into a wasteland so fractured that he was sure of only one thing. They were dangerous. An icy pit of dread formed in Naruto's stomach.

Even as he reached that conclusion, his danger sense flared to life. He had just enough time to activate his lightsaber before the whole world seemed to explode into motion and noise.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Did I just leave you on another cliffhanger? Why yes, I believe I did. Return next time for the thrilling conclusion.

If any of you were wondering, Deyne Tapalo is an OC I made for this arc, but his grandfather, Bon Tapalo, is a canon character who did bring Naboo into the Republic before becoming corrupt. The other two candidates are canon characters, as are all the handmaidens.

I drew most of my inspiration for the dynamic of Padmé and the handmaidens from the book Queen's Shadow, by E. K. Johnston. I enjoyed the idea of the handmaidens as this shadowy, semi-paramilitary outfit created and trained by Captain Panaka. It helps explain some of the plot holes in Episode I, and it makes Padmé a lot more badass than she usually is.

Once again, if you have any comments, questions, theories, or suggestions, please leave a review. As I said earlier, I enjoy talking about my story with you guys, and the feedback helps me improve my writing. Thank you for reading, and goodbye until next time.