Old Friends Homecoming

Chapter 15 - Torrent From Below

It all happened so fast, the earthquake shook the city of Theed awake. Emi Takori jumped from her bed, kicking the duvet away, grabbing her lightsaber, and sprinted outside to see what had just occurred. Kit Fisto, who had been resting in the guest room followed hastily behind her and soon her parents were not far behind. The automatic door swung open and Emi ran down the steps with her bare feet. From the night sky she could see something rising but it was hard to pinpoint.

Frustrated, she scurried down the streets in her bare feet not caring if anyone saw her. Citizens were pouring out of there homes to get a better view and Emi ran past them. Kit hurried after her, there was no use in him begging her to slow down for Jedi were fast runners and when Emi was determined or in distress, she was even faster.

Pushing through the crowds of panicked residents, they eventually came to the city square and from there, she could see it, a bright green laser beam rising out of Naboo's waters on the outskirts like a giant lightsaber blade. It pierced the sky creating a swirling effect while the water enveloping it below seemed to separate from the beam like a wall encircling it.

Kit caught up to her and they stared at its endless glow.

"What is that?" she wondered as he stood beside her,

"That doesn't look like the latest invention the Gungans created. Even if it was, they wouldn't just launch it in the middle of the night,"

Sohana stood beside her daughter, "It cannot be the Gungans, they evacuated their city not so long ago, they wouldn't say why other than something spooked them,"

Then we won't be getting a lot of answers from them and they can be difficult to communicate with, Emi thought still transfixed at the beam. If the Gungans were not down there operating the weapon or whatever it was, something definitely had driven them out, or someone.

A sudden realization came to her mind. Leaving Dorin had left her enemy rather enraged, the look in his eyes said revenge. She didn't know for sure if this was his doing but there was only one way to find out.

There was no doubt that the beam could likely do more than just rise into the sky as an act of demonstration to the threat posed. Maybe it would create a storm that would cause Naboo's seas to flood Theed, destroy the palace, the potential collateral damage 

Emi turned back to her house determined. First she needed her weapon and to change into something more appropriate for what she was to embark on. Kit rushed after her.

"Emi, what is it? Slow down!" he had to run faster to catch up to her as she was walking at the pace equivalent to running.

"I'm going down there," she answered without looking at him,

Now it was Kit's turn to be shocked, his alien eyes wide, he grabbed her arm and pulled, turning her to face him,

"Just stop for a minute, what if this is a trap? We have no idea what's causing this,"

She looked into his eyes distressfully, "Kit, this is my home. I don't care what it is! I have to investigate and put a stop to it. I-"

She paused suddenly sensing something from below the depths where the beam was rising to the skyward maelstrom. Down there, someone had taken over the submerged city. Being on the surface, she was not close enough to determine who but if her force senses were picking up something even very faint, then there was a possibility that it was him.

"Kit, I think the Separatists are here,"

Again Kit stared at her, "You certain?"

She shook her head "but I can feel it, which is why we need to check it out before that beam does something worse than just a light show. Or maybe it's must terrorists but we still have to go!"