Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Chapter 3

And her appearance was especially important today, because she about to speak with the Trade Federation. Their repesentatives, she knew, already thought that a fourteen-year-old girl was far too young to rule a planet. That's probably why they picked Naboo for their blockade. Well, I'll show them that I'm capable. The large view screen lit up, showing the overbearing Trade Federation viceroy, Nute Gunray. "Again you come before me, your highness," he said. "The Federation is pleased."
Amidala stiffened. His words were civil, but his tone was . . . insolent. "You will not be so pleased when you hear what I have to say, Viceroy," she said in as cold a voice as she could manage. "Your blockade has ended." The Neimoidian's mouth twitched into something very like a smirk. "I am not aware of such a failure."
"Enough of this pretense, Viceroy!" Queen Amidala said, allowing her anger to show. She felt a stir of approval from the councilors around her, and went on. "I know that the Chancellor's ambassadors are with you now ------"
"I know nothing about any ambassadors," the viceroy said smoothly. "You must be mistaken." Surprised, Amidala leaned forward and studied the screen closely. But she could not read the Neimoidian's expression. "Beware, Viceroy," she said at last. "The Federation is going too far this time." He can't ignore representatives from the Supreme Chancellor! And the Senate will not put up with this blockade for much longer.
"Your Highness, we would never do anything without the approval of the Senate," Nute said earnestly. "You assume too much." Is he acting, or does he mean what he says? "We will see," Amidala said, and signaled to end the transmission.
As the screen went black, a buzz of discussion rose from the councilors. Amidala tapped her fingers on the arm of the throne, thinking. After a moment, she turned to the Governor of Theed. "Governor Bibble! Contact Senator Palpatine at once." Palpatine represented Naboo in the Senate of the Galactic Republic. If things had changed on Coruscant, if the ambassadors had not been sent after all, Palpatine would surely know the reason. But when they reached Senator Palpatine a few moments later, he seemed as bewildered by the viceroy's assertions as everyone else was.
"How could it be true?" he said. "I have assurances from Chancellor ------" The communication hologram flickered, then steadied. "His ambassadors did arrive. It must be -----" The hologram flickered again, and began to break up. "Senator Palpatine!" Amidala said urgently. She needed his advice and his experience; he had to come through clearly.
"----- get ------negotiate -----" The hologram sputtered and died completely. Amidala turned to her dark-skinned head of security. "Panaka, what's happening?"
"A malfunction in the transmission generators?" Governor Bibble suggested doubtfully. "It could be the Federation, jamming us, Your Highness," Captain Panaka said. "But ---- but that can mean only one thing!" Sio Bibble said. "An invasion!" Amidala's heart sank. "The Federation would not dare go that far!" she said, as much to convince herself as to contradict Bibble. She hated the very idea of wars and fighting. They denied everything Naboo stood for.
Captain Panaka nodded. "If they invaded us, the Senate would revoke their trade franchise," he pointed out. That's right, Amidala thought. And without their trade franchise, they'll lose most of their trading rights in the Outer Rim Territories. Surely they wouldn't take such a risk. "We must continue to rely on negotiation," she said with renewed firmness.
"Negotiation?" Bibble said in a tone of disbelief. "How can we negotiate? We've lost all communications! And where are the Chancellor's ambassadors?" Amidala had no answers to him.

It is a good thing most droids have no imagination, Qui-Gon thought as he crept through the service vent. And a good thing the Trade Federation depends on droids to do so much for them. A team of Humans would have searched the service vents long ago. He reached the end of the vent and looked out cautiously as Obi-Wan, Alea, Beau, Entei, Kirara, and Pikachu joined him. They had come out at one end of a giant hanger, packed with H-shaped landing craft and huge Multi Troop Transports. As they watched, rank after rank of battle droids marched up to the transports and folded themselves into deployment racks. The folded droids made surprisingly small bundles; hundreds of them could fit on a single MTT. As each transport filled, it moved onto one of the landing craft.
"It's an invasion army," Obi-Wan said after a moment. Qui-Gon and Alea nodded. "It's an odd play for the Trade Federation, though." They must have intended all along to invade Naboo; these droids hasn't been brought all this way on a whim. Alea, Pikachu, Kirara, Entei, and Beau started to hiss and growl about the dirty plan of the Trade Federation. He looked seriously at his apprentice and Alea, Pikachu and her animal friends. "We've got to warn the Naboo and contact Chancellor Valorum." Obi-Wan nodded. "But how?"
"Those are landing craft," Qui-Gon said, gesturing at the ships on the far side of the MTTs. "Let's split up. We'll stow away aboard separate ships and meet down on the planet." Obi-Wan and Alea gave the battle droids a sidelong look. Qui-Gon could guess what they was thinking. If the Jedi were detected, they'd face hundreds of droids at once ------ enough to overwhelm even their formidable abilities. But we haven't got much choice. We'll just have to be very, very quiet. "You were right about one thing, Masters," Obi-Wan said slyly. "The negotiations were short." More battle humor. Qui-Gon and Alea snorted. Without replying, he and Alea slid out of the vent into the shadows around the edge of the hanger. A moment later, they felt Obi-Wan, Kirara, Pikachu, Entei, and Beau follow. Together, they all stole silently toward the landing craft ------- and the waiting battle droids.