Dark Paradise

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The guard had a small ship and was able to fly myself and Art to the palace of the Queen. She had a lot of handmaidens. "Queen Amidala, I found the Alderaanian Princess alone in the swamp," the guard told her.

"I'll take care of her and find a change of clothes," the Queen reassured him. "Your planet is really pretty," I told her. "Thank you," she said to me.

She led me away into her quarters. I ran up to the window and climbed up onto the window sill. "They all glimmer in the sun," I smiled, looking around. "This must be very scary for you," the Queen told me as she sat down. "Is a bit," I nodded. "How come you're here?" she asked me. "Alone?"

"I was with two Jedi," I told her. "But I didn't feel like swimming so I was waiting for them to come back up when your guard found me."

"You don't like swimming?" she asked me. "Well, I can't swim. I've tried, didn't end well," I told her.

"Try this on," she gave me a similar outfit to my own, except cleaner. "Everyone thinks I'm prissy," I said. "I don't think you're prissy," the Queen told me. I wore black trousers and boots with a maroon tunic and black vest. "There we go, comfy?" she asked me and I nodded. "What's your name?" I asked her. "Oh, my real name is Padmé," she told me. "But don't tell anyone, okay? Can you keep a secret?"

I put my finger to my lips and giggled. "What's your name?" she asked me. "Alya," I told her.

I looked out the window and gulped. "Uh, Padmé?"

"What....oh," her eyes widened once she spotted the whole of the Trade Federation on the way. "Okay, wear this over your outfit," she threw me an orange hooded dress and cap to hide my appearance and she was putting on the same outfit. "I thought you were the queen?" I frowned as I spotted another girl in regal attire. "I am, it's a long story, I'll tell you later, play along, okay?"

"Come on, R2," I tapped his dome and he rolled with me. "Cute droid," Padmé smiled.

The two of us left her quarters. Padmé advised me to keep my head down and not to say anything. We joined her other handmaidens.

We were led out of the palace by the Viceroy and battledroids.

"Take them to Camp 4"

"Roger Roger"

There was nothing we could do except follow them. What I wasn't expecting was Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to jump down from the balcony and to start killing the droids.

"We should leave the street, your Highness," Qui-Gon ushered the fake Queen from the street. "I'm an ambassador for the Supreme Chancellor, but I was escorting the Princess of Alderaan as well and she seems to have gone missing."

I gave Padmé a discreet look and she nodded. "Hold your nerfs, I'm here," I took off the cap and pulled down my hood. Obi-Wan sighed with relief once he saw I was okay.

"Your negotiations have failed," Sio Bibble told Qui-Gon. "They never took place," Qui-Gon told him. "We must immediately make contact with the Republic."

"All our communications have been knocked out, but we still have our transports in the hangar."

***

And of course there were droids lurking by the ships in the hangar. "Your Highness, under the circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us," Qui-Gon addressed the Queen. "Thank you, Ambassador but my place is with my people," she said.

"They'll kill you if you stay," Qui-Gon pointed out. "No, they need her to sign a treaty to make the invasion legal," Sio Bibble pointed out.

"There's no logic," Qui-Gon sighed. "Our only hope is for the senate to side with us," Sio Bibble told him. "Senator Palpatine needs your help."

"Either choice is dangerous," the Queen stated. "For us all. I will plead our case to the Senate."

"Looks like we're going in either way," I muttered. The droids were holding some of the pilots hostage and Qui-Gon tried to get the rest of us onto a ship to Coruscant.

Plan A was to be civil and negotiate or Plan B, aggressive negotiations.

All of us ran onto the ship and I buckled myself in as we took off. As the ship was leaving Naboo, the generator got hit and every single astromech on the ship headed out to repair the damage and were struck down one by one.

"Art, can you fix it?" I asked him and he quickly wheeled to the lift to fix the damage. The ship stabilised and I cheered.

"Yes! Good boy!" I gave R2 a hug as he came back in. "Are we off to Coruscant?" I asked Obi-Wan as he came in. "No, Tatooine," he told me. "The Queen would like to see your droid."

"Okay, come on, buddy," I went out of the room with R2. "I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said to me. "I did not mean to come off as insensitive earlier."

"I don't care if I get wet but I really can't swim," I murmured. "I apologise, Princess, I don't think you're prissy," he murmured. "Okay, apology accepted," I left the room with R2.

***

"This droid is be commended," the Queen told me. "What is the make?"

"He's called R2-D2 your Highness, he's one of the best astromechs ever," I told her.

"Padmé, clean this droid up as best as you can, it deserves our gratitude," the Queen ordered. "I'll show you what he likes," I offered my hand and Padmé took it was we led R2 out of the room to give him an oil bath.

"Husa is yousa?" Jar Jar asked Padmé. "I'm Padmé," she told him. "Princessa, mesa not knowen yousa name!" Jar Jar exclaimed.

"Alya," I told him my name. "That's Jar Jar Binks," I told her. R2 beeped happily at the oil bath. "We got to get you all cleaned up before our next adventure," I smiled at my droid.