Clairvoyance

Chapter 3

A/N: Padme and Lexa friendship supremacy and that's the tea!! As always, let me know what you think!

Creeping through the city seemed a rather strange thing to do, but given the fact that the invasion was currently taking place, it seemed prudent to keep a low-profile. Every corner they rounded found a squadron of droids.

Every corner they took, Lexa saw firsthand the oppression of the Trade Federation. People ripped from their homes at gunpoint, the threat of death looming over them. It was just plain wrong.

Xaedra looked up from her Holopad. "The palace should be at the center of the city. It's likely the last to fall."

"Then we have time to get there and find the Queen." Qui-Gon said with a nod.

Lexa's hands curled into fists. "Are we going to fight with them?"

Both Qui-Gon and Xaedra gave the girl a sharp look. "We will free the Queen," Xaedra corrected. "We're Ambassadors."

"But if we need to fight off a few droids along the way, then yes." Qui-Gon finished.

Obi-Wan pointed at a row of servants quarters along the edge of the palace. "There's a balcony there. Higher ground would make for a better vantage point."

No one argued with that particular sentiment. Qui-Gon and Xaedra were the first ones up the stairs, eyes flashing onto the city walkway below them. Lexa's eyes searched the grounds, eyes finally landing on something a garish bright orange.

"Found her," Lexa said, pointing straight at the Queen.

They crept forward, staying low and out of sight of the droids, following the balcony path towards the nearest exit point. They rounded a corner, getting ahead of the procession of droids escorting the Queen and the others.

"Eight droids. Hardly a fair fight." Xaedra murmured.

"For them." Lexa added in a hiss.

"My sentiments exactly," Xaedra grinned brightly.

In sync, the four Jedi leapt down from the balcony. Lexa jumped farther forward, lightsaber blades ignited. She landed on one of the droids, slamming it into the ground and quickly dispatching its head.

Her sabers spun in her hand, stabbing straight into the chest of the nearest droid. Quickly rising to her feet, she realized that the others had finished off the droids just as quickly. All without so much as a blast being fired.

"We should leave the streets, Your Highness." Qui-Gon advised.

The procession wasted no time in grabbing the weapons off of the droids and hurrying towards one of the alleyways that obscured the view. Qui-Gon and Lexa ended up near the front, with Xaedra and Obi-Wan in the back.

"We're Ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor." Qui-Gon quickly explained.

"Your negotiations seem to have failed, Ambassador." This older man seemed to be an advisor to the Queen.

"Technically speaking," Lexa cut in. "The negotiations never took place. They tried to assassinate us." With all eyes on her, she felt suddenly very self-conscious—what with her simple light blue robes and lack of finery.

"It's urgent that we make contact with the Republic." Qui-Gon added.

"They've knocked out communications." Another man piped up, this time in uniform.

"If you have transports, that's easily remedied." Xaedra advised.

"In the main hangar. It's this way," the man said, leading the way. It didn't take the group long to find the hangar, but it was swarming with droids.