What Could Have Been Part 2: Anakin's Trials

Confrontations

Padme

Gripping the lightsaber on her belt and hoping she wouldn't have to use it again, Padme found the emergency release lock on the cargo door and pulled it. Light spilled in through the crack as the door slid open and Padme squinted hard into the chaos that laid before her.

A battle.

Darned agressive negotiations. She thought to herself.

An army of lightsabers deflected the blasts of navy armored soldiers. The platoon of Jedi she recognized, but Padme also noticed a bizarre resemblance between the blue troops and the stark white clones that she had fought beside so many years ago.

Clones. She immediately concluded as she scanned the crowd of Jedi Knights for Mace Windu. She had to stop the fighting before it led to the base where her family was attempting their escape.

"I didn't want to have to do this..." she muttered to herself before igniting her blue lightsaber. Honestly, Padme would have preferred wielding a green blade which represented knowledge and peace but she still imagined Anakin's smile when he gave it to her on their anniversary. Of course, the color did not matter at the moment. What mattered was that she found Mace.

Padme leaped off the cargo transport and entered the center of the battle. Her lightsaber deflected blasts from every direction while she still searched for the leading Jedi Master. Out of the corner of her eye, a young girl, around Luke and Leia's age was ricocheting the fire of clones with great skill. She must have been a youngling. However, the fire of the troopers was forcing her back as more men surrounded her. Although Padme knew the stakes at hand, she could not allow the young girl to be defeated for her own children's sake.

Putting her body between the Jedi girl, whose hair was tied in a long black braid, Padme narrowed her eyes at the clones. The girl was confused for a second but recovered to join Padme in fending of the attackers. While fighting, Padme studied her surroundings and realized that they had met Rett Lisban's troops half way. The two platoons had collided head on and battle broke out. Violence never ends in victory. Only loss. She thought sourly.

Her sword fired laser fires back at the blackish-blue soldiers and the mess of confronting fire thinned. Padme sighed weakly.

And then a trooper lifted his gun and aimed directly at her.

She ducked and instantly regretted her action.

The girl behind her.

Padme spun around to see the girl clutch her shoulder in stunned pain. Her heart stopped and the scream in her throat did as well. The youngling fell back. She hit the ground softly but Padme was frozen in her place.

The trooper who had shot the girl readied his weapon again but Padme deflected the fire and it returned to him head on. The fighting around them was fading away as troops scattered. Padme quickly knelt beside the injured girl.

"You're going to be okay," she promised softly. She cradled the girl's head in her arms brushed back her coal black braid. The girl breathed heavily, "Who are you?" she panted.

"My name's Padme," she answered soothingly. Maternal instinct kept Padme by the girl's side as she tried to think of what to do. The girl shook in her arms. Padme looked into her blue eyes and smiled, "Don't worry, your safe."

A pair of mahogany boots appeared before them. "Maya," Mace Windu's voice exclaimed with the faintest trail of concern. Padme looked up at him and then back at the girl, Maya.

Mace wasted no more than a second of worried staring. He brought his communicator to his mouth, "I need another medic. One of the Padawans are injured."