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| - It didn’t take long for Nalanda to outline her plan to Boss Nass. Willing to do his part the Gungan leader sent scouts to all the nearby Gungan tribes to assemble the army while Panaka and a few others scouted ahead to Theed to ascertain the nature of the Federation. For something to do, Padmé had gone to meet the lookouts and she took Anakin along with her as the boy still looked rather lost with what was going on. Padmé felt a little that way herself and wondered if to would continue when the blaster bolts started firing. “So you’re going to fight?” Anakin asked, nodding to her lightsaber. “I don’t have a choice, Anakin,” Padmé told him. “My Master told me to continue to protect the Queen before she died and I intend to honour her wishes.” “Is that who you had that bad dream about?” Anakin asked, Padmé nodded. “I have bad dreams sometimes, they seems so real.” “At the time they do,” Padmé agreed, “I’m supposed to let go of my fear, but it’s still there.” “What are you afraid of?” Anakin asked. The question was so innocent, so candid, that Padmé had to smile. “I’m afraid of facing my Master’s killer,” Padmé told him, “and that her death was not the first.” When Panaka returned they all crowded around his speeder. Several more followed, pilots, members of the guard. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan even R2-D2 and Anakin. Boss Nass stood next to Danta, there was some sort of disagreement between them that they broke off when Nalanda approached the group. “Captain?” Nalanda regarded him with cool composure, but everything could hinge on his next words. “The droid army is not only more numerous than we suspected, but stronger,” he informed his Queen. “They have occupied the city and our people have been taken into camps,” he nodded to the new arrivals. “I have brought back who I can to add to our numbers.” “Good,” Nalanda nodded to Boss Nass. “The Gungan army is more numerous than we expected.” “Very, very bombad!” the Gungan leader said. Panaka shook his head in distaste. “Your Highness, with all do respect, this is a battle I do not think we can win.” “I do not intend to win the battle, Captain,” the Queen told him. “The battle will be a diversion to draw the droid army away from Theed and allow us to act. Assuming the Gungans are willing?” “Wesa willing ta do our part,” Boss Nass reassured her. “We need to infiltrate the palace and capture the Viceroy,” Nalanda continued. “Once that is done the army will be leaderless. We cut off the head of the serpent so that it cannot strike.” She then nodded to R2-D2, a holographic map appeared on the bonnet of the speeder. “We will access the palace from under the waterfall,” she said, as the hologram grew larger to show the detail. “Once there we need to get access to the Throne room to get to the Viceroy.” She looked at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. “What do you think, Master Jedi?” “It is a well-conceived plan, Your Highness,” Qui-Gon said with a smile, “but there is considerable risk. Even with the droid army out of the city the Viceroy will be well-guarded. And there is a chance that many Gungans will be killed.” “Wesa warriors!” boomed Boss Nass. “Wesa not afraid! They bombad guns not get through our shields.” “We also will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship,” Nalanda continued. “When that is gone, the army cannot function at all.” “But if the Viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with a much larger army,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “That is why we must not fail to get the Viceroy,” Nalanda said with conviction. “Everything depends on it.” “And the assassin, Your Highness?” Padmé asked, knowing this was one factor that could throw everything off-balance. “It is possible she had returned.” “We will deal with her, Your Highness,” Qui-Gon reassured, then the conversation turned to battle tactics and command responsibilities. Qui-Gon listened with distracted interest, until he felt something tugging on his sleeve. “Yes Anakin?” “What about me?” the boy asked in a small voice. “You stay close to me, Anakin, and you’ll be safe,” Qui-Gon said, patting the boy on the head. Anakin grinned, even if he was supposed to ‘be safe’ he would get a full view of what was going on. In Queen Nalanda’s throne room Nute Gunray sat apprehensively before a large hologram of Darth Sidious. Beside him stood Maxah, silent in both word and expression. To one side was the battledroid commander, able to relay messages to all other battle droids instantaneously. “My lord, we have received word of an immense army assembling outside the city,” Gunray said, quivering in the Sith Lord’s presence. “The Queen surprises me,” Sidious mused, “she is more foolish than I thought. This stance is far too aggressive for her.” “It is only primitives, my lord, they will not last long against us,” Gunray said. “We are sending all available troops to meet them, we expect little resistance.” “I am increasing security on the detention camps,” droned the droid. “My Master, the Jedi could be using the Queen to further their own purposes,” Maxah suggested. “The Jedi cannot become involved,” Sidious reminded his apprentice. “They can only protect the Queen. Not even Qui-Gon Jinn can violate that covenant. This will work to our advantage.” “I have your approval to proceed, my lord?” Gunray asked, anxious for the Sith Lord to cut the transmission. “Proceed, Viceroy,” Sidious said. “Wipe them out, all of them.” On the vast grass planes of Naboo outside Theed, the droid army started to assemble. Large MTTs, STAPs and of course, battle droids. At the edge of the swamp, near the tree line, a very different army was as assembling. Gungans of different colours, grouped in divisions clutching spears, shields and slings with energy balls. There were cavalry astride kaadu carrying long javelins, large fambaa beasts pulling carts of large energy balls as well as the massive shield generators. Leading the army was a Gungan named General Ceel. Danta was nowhere to be seen. Danta was actually high in the treetops behind the battlefield. At a concealed hanger within the branches of several trees a squadron of flyers awaited briefing. His squadron. Boss Nass had mistaken Danta’s influence with Queen Nalanda and had offered him a command post in the army. Danta had refused this, he was more used to being on the back of his flyer though he didn’t like the chances they had against the Federation’s lasers. “Theysa ready!” called one of the lookouts. It was time. Danta addressed his troops, outlining the battle plan as best he could. The hardest part of all would be staying together, yet they were accomplished pilots and would not fail him. A loud crackle of electricity was heard from some distance away, accompanied by a noisy commentary on the birds and animals around them. That was the signal. “Wesa moveout!” Danta cried, joining in the shouts. In Theed, Nalanda and her party had managed to enter the palace forecourt evading all the droids so far. To get inside Nalanda suggested they split up and Panaka reluctantly agreed, taking an alternate route with several of his men. Now they stood in the shadow of a building waiting for Panaka’s signal. He was going to create a distraction so they could run into the palace. “Annie, when we get inside I want you to find a good hiding spot,” Qui-Gon told the boy. “But—” Anakin protested. “And stay there!” the Jedi added. Anakin whimpered, but did not argue. With the sudden eruption of blasterfire they were on the move again. Nalanda and her handmaidens firing with small blasters at the few battledroids that noticed them, the Jedi forming a shield for them with their lightsabers and Anakin somewhere in the middle, slightly scared but glad to be part of the action. [[Category:
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