Decoy (Rex)

10: The chase

Tw: Violence.

"Senator Amidala, I need your help."

Ranov'la straightened, raising her gaze from the paperwork she had been working on in the senate's library. "Yes?"

A man stood there, his black hair disheveled and a collar covering up to his mouth. He had tears in his eyes and his hands trembled.

"Please, I need your help!" He begged.

She rose to her feet. "How may I help you?"

"Can we talk in private?" He asked.

Ranov'la, against her better judgement, nodded.

She led him to her quarters, where they could be alone, and closed the door behind them. She opened her mouth to speak, but when he lowered the collar that had been blocking his face from view, she froze.

"Lucian?" Ranov'la whispered.

"981," Lucian smiled, his green eyes taking her in. "I'm glad to see you."

She took a step back. "How did you find me?"

"How I always find you," Lucian scoffed. "I know you too well."

"Lucian, I-I missed you," Ranov'la weakly tried, holding her arms out.

Lucian clicked his tongue. "Try again."

"I really missed you, Lucian," Ranov'la said, holding her hands out to him.

Lucian glided forward, grabbing her chin. "981, I don't believe you."

"Ranov'la," she whispered.

"What?" He cocked a brow.

"It's Ranov'la," she repeated herself.

"Ranov'la," Lacien echoed. "I quite like that. What language is that?"

"I forgot," Ranov'la quietly said.

Lacien held his arm out. "Let's go, Ranov'la."

"Just a as a heads up, General Skywalker might..." Rex said, trailing off when he saw Ranov'la and Lucian arm in arm. "I'm sorry, senator, I seem to have interrupted."

"It's quite alright, Captain Rex," Ranov'la smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I was just leaving."

"Who's this?" Rex wondered, gesturing to Lucian.

"This is Lucian," Ranov'la introduced them. "Lucian, this is Captain Rex."

"Pleasure to meet you," Lucian smoothly said.

"Lucian?" Rex frowned, trying to remember why the name sounded familiar.

"I'm taking Ranov'la to a meeting," Lucian smiled. "Goodbye, Rex."

Rex stiffened.

Why did he know she wasn't Padmé?

Why did he know her name?

Rex watched them go, and Ranov'la cast a look over her shoulder.

And she mouthed a word.

Help.

Rex's hand went for his blaster, and he sprinted after them. The door slid shut right before he could catch up to them, cutting him off right before he could reach her.

"Ranov'la, we're going home," Lucian told her, gripping her arm as he tugged her along.

Ranov'la planted her feet into the ground. "No. I'm not going."

Lucian put his hand on the small of her back. "Come on, Ranov'la."

She stubbornly shook her head. "No. I'm not going."

He sighed and reached into his pocket. "I didn't want to have to do this."

Ranovla's eyes widened and she bolted, running as fast as she could down the hallways. She heard Lucian's laugh as she did so.

She ran down the hallways, as fast as she could with the dress she was wearing. Ranov'la had tears streaming down her face as she went, dread filling her.

"Ranov'laaaa!" Lucian yelled as he sprinted after her. "You don't want to do this!"

Ranov'la found an open door and considered hiding in there before she shook her head and continued running.

"Ranov'la, you can't keep running!" Lucian shouted. "What if someone sees you? Your cover will be blown!"

She sharply turned down a corridor, and saw a supply closet to the right, intermixed with the other doors. She ran for the supply closet, closing herself inside.

Ranov'la's breaths came in ragged pants, her heart pounding.

"Please don't find me," Ranov'la whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

It was silent, aside from her short little huffs as she caught her breath.

Ranov'la let out a sigh of relief.

She had evaded him.

The closet door whipped open, revealing Lucian standing there with a furious expression. "It was fun at first, but it quickly became annoying, Ranov'la."

Removal scrambled to get away, but he fisted her hair and threw her to the ground.

"Come on, Ranov'la," Lucian said, standing over her. "It's time to go home."

"No," Ranov'la said, terrified. "No, please."

"Come along, 981," Lucian said, holding his hand out. "Let's go."

"No," Ranov'la softly said again.

Lucian stepped forward, still holding his hand out. "Come on."

Her gaze hardened as she swept his legs out from under him, sending him to the floor.

Ranov'la heaved herself to her feet and ran, while he let out a string of curses.

"Ranov'la, you can't run forever!" Lucian threatened.

She kept running.

Ranov'la eventually came to a stop outside the senate, hands on her knees as she caught her breath, calculating her next move.

"Ranov'la!" Rex cried out on the other side of the window, inside the senate. "What happened?"

"Rex!" Ranov'la exclaimed, pressing herself to the glass. "He tried to take me!"

"Hold on!" Rex yelled and looked around for the exit.

A damp cloth covered Ranov'la's mouth, and arms wrapped around her, keeping her limbs pinned to her sides. She struggled and tried to escape before her eyes fluttered shut, going limp in Lucian's grip.

"Ranov'la!" Rex yelled.

Lucian lifted her over his shoulder. "Let's go home, 981."