The starfighter trailing the green smoke exploded and started to crash, Hoff Siege spotted a streak of missile coming out from one of the domed roof on the tallest building coming at them.
“Evade!” Hoff shouted and he and Artoo made the slip but the missile hit and detonated on their left wing. Artoo screamed as Hoff wrestled at the controls while their ship went spinning down.
Hoff knew it was hopeless, “Artoo prepare to eject!”
Artoo beeped an acknowledgement as they both shot out of the doomed starfighter. Artoo’s parachute came out quickly but the droid was alarmed when he saw Hoff’s did not.
The ship impacted and exploded on the tallest building, Artoo was almost on land when he finally saw Hoff’s parachute opened. Detaching himself from the harness Artoo hurriedly rolled to where his pilot was about to drop.
Hoff’s parachute got tangled on the massive statues’ spears but the pilot simply cut off his straps then dropped on a tuck and roll stopping in front of Artoo Detoo.
“I saw a Gungan firing that missile! Huge!” Hoff told Artoo.
Artoo beeped, he has an inkling that he knows who that Gungan might be.
* * *
Jedi Masters Sifo-Dyas and Qui-Gon Jinn darted past running and screaming civilians and into the side alleys of Theed.
“Qui-Gon go to the other side, we’ll corner him!” Sifo-Dyas said and the other made his way through the building while Sifo-Dyas began making his way up to the rooftop.
Qui-Gon halted inside and knelt, closed his eyes and allowed his awareness to be immersed in the currents of the Force. He searched out for presences, he felt the steady and determined Sifo-Dyas, the panicked and scared multitude that was the people of Naboo around him and then one indifferent cold individual.
Qui-Gon shifted his attention on that individual and focused to get a location. He touched his mind and slowly penetrated it then opened his eyes.
Qui-Gon saw he was running and jumping off roofs, he felt his heart beating steadily and surmised the culprit was physically fit. He saw a flash of a closed fist first on the left then on the right, it was the instigator’s hands and it wasn’t human. The person jumped and landed on a slanting glass window and began sliding down. Qui-Gon saw his reflection, a Gungan, muscular and has a robotic left eye.
Qui-Gon let go and stood up, it was Gantu Onu Raltos and he knew where he was heading.
Sifo-Dyas spotted their target, he was running and leaping through the rooftops and he was a non-human native of Naboo, a huge one.
Sifo-Dyas used the Force to run faster and leap longer, shortly he gained ground and as he close in on the last few meters separating them, the Gungan jumped off, slammed on a slanting roof and allowed himself to slide down and drop on another alley where a dozen speederbikes were parked.
Gantu threw away the missile launcher and darted out, a few seconds later he heard a distinct noise from behind and when he looked back he saw a human Jedi leaping meters high trailing after him. He saw the familiar Eode Inn and made a run for it.
He jumped on the slanting windows and slid down and took one speederbike and threw a small grenade on the rest of the parked vehicles.
Sifo-Dyas was jumping in mid-air above when the grenade exploded. The blast and the shrapnel hit the Jedi and sent him slamming on the wall and dropped unconscious.
Qui-Gon Jinn emerged running on the open and took an idle landspeeder and gunned the engines to its maximum speed. He spotted Master Sifo-Dyas and steered towards him. The other Jedi leaped and joined Qui-Gon as they sped out of Theed into open country.
Being in the open, they easily spotted the fleeing Gungan a good kilometer away from them.
* * *
Thea Olié was running towards her speeder carrying Rinn amidst the initial confusion, but after the last explosion, people began to calm down. The presence of the Jedi moving about the vicinity accompanied by Palace Guards and Republic Securities somehow eased the hysteria.
Thea lowered Rinn on the passenger’s side of their landspeeder and went to the driver’s seat. A blaster touched her cheek and she saw a man and a woman.
“Get off.” the man said.
“Momma she’s the dancer I’m telling you about!” Rinn gasped in excitement then noticed the man beside the dancer pointing a blaster on his mother.
Sheeana Fley moved to sit beside the kid, her own blaster poking the boy’s ribs. “The kid’s coming with us.” She smiled.
“No please! Not my boy!” Thea cried as she was shoved off by Ale Vomm.
“We’ll leave him on this speeder once we’re out. You can track him later.” Ale disabled the tracking beacon and started the engine.
Suddenly all four of them were startled by a reverberating ferocious roar. Heads turning, they all spotted a lumbering Wookie wielding a golden lightsaber.
Ale lifted one large odd looking weapon and fired.
Powerful electric bolts zeroed in on the chest of the Jedi Wookie throwing him meters away, by the time Thambanucc got to his feet the landspeeder was no longer in sight then he noticed that the woman beside him was crying.
“Master Jedi, they took my son, please save my boy.” She cried to him.
The Wookie nodded and patted her gently at her shoulder and glance around searching for a vehicle.
Another civilian stopped beside them and got off of his speederbike, “I saw what happened, here, you can use my bike.” the young man said.
Thambanucc thanked him and went after the two terrorists.
* * *
The Lady Sarc Crimos was on the Royal Receiving Room at the second floor of the palace with several of the off-world delegates. Only one Jedi was on the room, conversing with some of the security personnel.
She’s not familiar with him so she safely assumes he doesn’t know her as well. From what she has heard, they referred to him as Eeth Koth.
Jedi Master Eeth Koth is an Iridonian Zabrak. The site of him galled Crimos and it stirred mixed yearning and contempt in her. She tried to shut her feelings and shove the image of Darth Maul in the deepest recesses of her mind.
She needs to get access to a terminal, learn the layouts of the palace, not the public blueprint but the real ones, the ones that include side passages and hidden pathways.
Her gaze landed on one Handmaiden who stopped by to speak to the Jedi and left. An idea came to her mind, on her estimate, that handmaiden was her size. Her only problem was she wasn’t sure if her make-up would last for the night. If it fades, the tattoo on her upper right face would be exposed.
There is a trick in the Force to project an illusion but that would require concentration and with the activities about the palace, it would take her time to distract them all. She couldn’t get back to her hotel in time leaving her the only option to sneak in the night disguised as a handmaiden and hope she doesn’t need to expose herself prematurely.
“How many handmaidens does the Queen have?” she casually asked the nearest person.
“Six or seven, I’m not really sure. Do you know that one of them is not from here? I heard she was a warrior from Emberlene...” then man ranted on what he knows about the warriors of Emberlene for the next thirty minutes.
Tonight you die Queen Amidala. Crimos smiled at herself.
* * *
Artoo Detoo and Lieutenant Hoff Siege ran straight to the Royal Communications Office, once in there they were greeted by the noise of the staff each in there consoles accessing visual feeds from various points of Theed and the nearby cities. Communications console buzzed with heavy comm traffic from search parties.
Jedi Masters Depa Bilaba and Adi Gallia were also there speaking animatedly with Captain Magneta, Lieutenant Panaka and Captain Ric Olié.
“Captain, Artoo Detoo here has a positive I.D. on the terrorist. He says it was Gantu Onu Raltos.” Hoff said.
“We just received a call from Master Thambanucc he said he is in pursuit of a pair of human terrorist with Captain Olié’s child as hostage.” Adi Gallia
said to them.
“Please save my son…” Olié was doing his best not to cry.
“Master Thambanucc will save your son Captain.” Depa Bilaba assured him.
“We got a report from Master Sifo-Dyas, he and Master Qui-Gon Jinn is chasing the Gungan rebel. They are now at twenty kilometers to the Negotta Region.” Adi Gallia added.
“There is an old abandoned military bunker there built during the Time of Suffering by the Six House of Naboo, do you think the rebels built a base there?” Panaka frowned.
Magneta crossed his arm in deep thought, “Before King Veruna died, we made a sweep on that region and came out empty, could it be possible that the Chommell Patriots managed to build a stronghold there in less than a month without us noticing any activities there?”
“Anything is possible now, everything they have done in the past months are a testament to that.” Panaka admitted.
“Lieutenant Siege, lead the squadron there, make sure no ship leaves Naboo in that region.” Magneta ordered.
“I’m the Captain, I should be leading…” Ric Olié protested.
“Captain Olié, you are not emotionally stable right now. Please, let’s work together on this, time is pressing.” Master Bilaba said to him.
Ric Olié understood and nodded at Siege, “Take my ship.” He said to him.
“We will bring back your son.” Siege placed a hand on Olié before leaving for the hangar with Artoo Detoo.
“Captain, some of the visitors are asking if we are cancelling the celebration because of this tragedy.” A comm officer relayed the call he received.
“Yes…” Magneta started to say.
“No. The celebration must continue, tonight.” Adi Gallia shook her head.
“Master Gallia?” Magneta frowned.
“She is right. If we stop the celebration then the Chommell Patriots or whoever is behind this will surely know that they have succeeded in disrupting the coronation. And since there has been no direct assault at the Queen we can still expect that one will be attempted before the day ends. We must continue the celebration and force the assassin to make the move in public. The entire Jedi Council is here and some of the Republic Sentinels. We can protect the Queen.” Depa Bilaba explained.
“It sounds like you’re making the Queen as bait.” Magneta said.
“I do. The Queen is their target right from the beginning, we must take advantage of that, however risky.” the Jedi nodded with conviction.
“I don’t like this but very well, let us make the arrangements. Inform the Governor and the Advisory Council of this plan, have the garden cleaned and the stage rebuilt as fast as you can, triple the security. I will go and speak to the Queen myself.” Magneta decided and everyone made their way to carry out each of their tasks.
Depa Bilaba and Adi Gallia rejoined the rest of the Jedi Council on the second floor on the room across where the rest of the off-world visitors are being kept safe.
Master Mace Windu was talking when the two women arrived.
“I cannot be mistaken on this. I saw Sarc Crimos earlier.” Mace Windu repeated.
“And who is Sarc Crimos?” Adi Gallia frowned.
“The Dathomiri child we rejected almost a decade ago, the one trained by the late Master Nivraet Roughweather on Master Djinn Altis’ Chu’unhor II, the one who left the Order and became an assassin and a bounty hunter.” Mace Windu answered.
“Ah yes, the heterochromic Dark Jedi.” Depa Bilaba nodded.
“She is here and I can feel the dark side lurking in the peripherals of our senses. She has learned much in blocking her presence. She has to be the assassin sent to kill the Queen. I saw the shatterpoint centered on her when she was introduced as the Countess Feena.” Mace Windu stated.
“Assign a Jedi to the Queen we must. Search Crimos we will.” Yoda said.
“Master Dooku,” Mace Windu turn to the older Jedi.
“I can, but tomorrow I must be elsewhere.” Dooku nodded.
“Where was Crimos last seen?” Even Piel asked.
“The room across outside ours, she was taken there with the other delegates.” Oppo Rancisis cocked his head on the doorway.
“Master Koth is in there, I will go.” Master Windu said and made his way to the other room.
Eeth Koth was still there having a little chat with some of the delegates.
“Master Windu.” The Zabrak greeted.
Windu beckoned him to come closer and the two spoke in whispers.
“Where is the Countess Feena?” Mace Windu asked.
“She left earlier, she says she was expecting an important call, she asked for a handmaiden to lead her to the communications center.” Eeth Koth said.
Mace Windu hurriedly left the room and took out his lightsaber. Dooku was outside the hall.
“What’s wrong?” Dooku asked.
“Crimos just left, she’s on the move, go to the Queen!” Mace said as he went to search for the Dark Jedi.
Dooku sprinted up to the Royal Residence floor and was intercepted by a tough looking handmaiden.
“I am Aluva, the leading Royal Handmaiden, what is it that you want Master Jedi.” She said squarely, completely unfazed at the presence of a Jedi Master.
“There is an assassin under the guise of a handmaiden, call the Queen’s entire Royal Handmaidens!” Dooku ordered.
“Aluva, Nagé is missing.” Eirtaé said after all of them were lined-up in front of Aluva and Dooku.
Aluva and Dooku were instantly running to the Queen’s bedchamber.
* * *
Nagé, naked and slightly dazed, struggled from her bound wrists and legs and her scream of rage were muffled by the gag on her mouth, but her eyes weren’t covered and she saw the Countess Feena took off her robes, the intricate tattoos on her arms were revealed and so was her face tattoo.
The handmaiden’s eyes widened. She recognized the symbol from her studies in the Order of the Sanctuary. It was from one of the tribes of the Nightsisters in the remote uncivilized world of Dathomir.
The Lady Sarc Crimos took on Nagé’s robe and adjusted the hood to partially cover her face tattoo, her blue and red eyes glowed like that of a feline orb from beneath the shadow on her face, she gave her a feral grin, baring her pointed pair of fangs. Crimos crouched before her and extended a sharp clawed hand and touched her neck.
“You are fortunate I still need you alive.” Crimos purred then with a swift movement jumped up from the cylindrical cage where she was held captive.
Chapter 12: The Chase to Negotta
Gantu made a quick glance behind him and saw the Jedi still giving chase. He made a sharp turn on the foot of the mountain and began to traverse the thick rainforest of the Negotta regions.
Startled kaadus, massive fambaas, muudaboks and large jaboons scattered the foliage abandoning their grazing as Gantu’s noisy speederbike flew past them.
Qui-Gon manages to gain but the thick forest made maneuvering the landspeeder harder.
A pack of narglatch, stealthy apex predators, that normally known as solitary hunters began to follow them. The flashy spikes of the male bristled in anticipation at the sight of prey, their fan-like tail swaying in tandem with the flowing movement of their graceful body. Their padded foot threaded silently on the bushy foliage, their non-retractable claws stained with dried blood of previous kills. Looking at them, Master Sifo-Dyas got an idea.
He balanced himself at the back of the speeder and faced the pack chasing them. The Jedi reached out to the primitive minds of the beasts and probed them for weaknesses and found one who least resisted.
Sifo-Dyas sent images of familiarity, friendship and rewards to the mind of the wild creature. When he felt the will of that single narglatch beginning to submit to his, he leaped high and landed on its back.
The movement startled the beast and tried to bite him off but Sifo-Dyas poured more soothing emotions until the local predator relented and allowed him to ride.
Sifo-Dyas fed the beast
with a sense of urgency and the creature redoubled its mighty bounds and overtook Qui-Gon’s slowing landspeeder.
The engines sputtered and died and Qui-Gon Jinn leaped off as the vehicle collided and exploded on a massive bole of a tree.
Qui-Gon first felt before hearing the guttering growls of the remaining narglatchs and as he stood up and face them, he counted five. They are already beginning to encircle him.
Qui-Gon bowed and stared at the leader, the largest of the pack. His feral angry eyes returned the human’s gaze, and the others stood still. None of them moved, the battle between the two was raging not physically but mentally within. Qui-Gon did not bother with soothing the creature, instead he presented himself as the beast’s equal, a fellow hunter out for its prey and looking out for the welfare of his pack. That much the pack leader could relate and understand faster.
The pack leader slowly moved closer, his hot arid breath sending puffs of warmth on Qui-Gon’s face. The beast sniffed him a few times and then stretch out its left forepaw and crouched lower before the Jedi Master.
Qui-Gon Jinn accepted the offer. He mounted the beast, it squirmed a little, unaccustomed at the contact but steeled its sinews and sprang ahead to follow its fellow creature mounted by the other human. The rest of the pack ran along with them, growling and howling.
Ahead beyond a rising stretch of rocks came an explosion. Qui-Gon could not see the rising smoke because at this deep in the jungles, the thick canopy of the massive trees already blocked the sky and even sunlight was hard press to get through it.
Gantu magnetized his last three grenades and threw it with all of his strength behind him but when he looked back the Jedi was no longer on the landspeeder but on a narglatch. The Gungan howled and leaped off of his speederbike as the three magnetized grenade attached to the only metal it could detect, his speederbike.
Shaking off his daze, Gantu picked up his powerful repeater laser cannon and began firing at the Jedi. The beast leaped to the left into the bushes while the human Jedi catapulted itself towards him.
Gantu swung up his other hand and fired his smaller blaster squarely at the Jedi. Master Sifo-Dyas deflected the shot and landed a pair of boots on Gantu’s chest.