The Clone Wars: Path of the Force, A Star Wars Story

18

Padme barely felt the branches poke and cut at her as she ran. Running felt good. The more she pushed, the more distance she put between herself and the evil she had experienced.

The dead-tree forest surrounding her held no leaves to block her view of the sky, but the underbrush was tall and thick. She kept her hands outstretched as she ran, trying to ignore the scratches on her arms and legs. The brush was getting thicker, slowing her down.

Padme stopped. She could still hear the droids behind her, but she heard something else too. It was approaching fast. Padme looked up and saw Republic Starfighters fly directly over her. He's here, she thought smiling. She knew she was going in the right direction.

She pushed on through the brush, running so fast she nearly fell as she entered a clearing in the forest. Across the clearing, she saw a red light. All of a sudden, her brain seemed to speed up. The red light was a blaster bolt, speeding directly toward her. She didn't have time to move. Only by reflex did she close her eyes in time. Then she felt...nothing.

Padme was confused. She didn't feel the blaster bolt hit her and she didn't hear it hit anything behind her either. Padme opened her eyes. She saw a red streak of bolt energy so close to her face she could reach out and touch it. It was as if someone had paused it on the holonet screen, except she could hear it hum and hiss in mid-air. Padme took three long breaths before she even thought to move out of the way. Finally, she stepped to the side. She didn't even see the bolt move, but it was gone and she flinched hearing the impact of the blast behind her. Padme turned to see a black hole smoldering in the trunk of a dead tree.

Suddenly Padme realized she had no idea how long she had been standing there watching the small fires from the remnants of the blaster bolt. She looked down and saw her hands shaking, but she couldn't feel them. Her legs gave out and she fell to the ground. Logically, Padme knew she must be going into shock. That everything she had been through was catching up with her. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten something or even taken a drink of water, much less where she could find some. Fatigue began to lay heavily on her.

Padme tried to lay still and force herself to breath more calmly. She could hear the air going in and out of her, as her throat seemed to be closing in on itself. She was just noticing the light, yellow cloud wisps of this unknown planet moving across a pale blue sky when a shadow blocked her view. She blinked hard and smiled as she recognized the sharp, carved face and kind, blue eyes furrowed with concern.

"I'm a mess," she said.

Her husband touched her forehead and wrapped an aimless hair behind her ear. Then he covered her with something and picked her up. She felt his strength and warmth wrapped around her. Padme closed her eyes and finally stopped fighting.