What Could Have Been Part 2: Anakin's Trials

Stowaway Senator

Padme

        "Goodness me, Miss Padme, where in the galaxies are we going now? I was just about to take an oil bath! The Alliance Base happens to have a state of the art droid maintenance facility!" C-3PO babbled as Padme guided him toward the docking bay. She had snatched the goofy protocol droid out of the "state of the art' maintenance facility just after his leg was reconnected. "Not now, Threepio!" she hissed.

        Padme led him to the entrance of the ship hanger at the edge of the base, careful not to draw attention to herself. "Just walk up to the scanner and say what I told you," she instructed, shoving the droid forward. C-3PO stood in front of the recognition screen and let the reader scan his face. "Name?" a mechanical voice asked him. "Seethreepio," he replied. "How can I help you, Seethreepio?"

        Padme crossed her fingers as she awaited the droid's answer. "I would like to, um, speak to the astromech droid Artoo-detoo. It is of most importance that I deliver a message to him," he insisted. Luckily, the artificial voice accepted the response and the clearance light blinked green. "Clearance authorized: Seethreepio, please enter." the voice instructed. As the door slid open, C-3PO wobbled in with Padme at his heals. The security scans didn't seem to notice her.

        Inside the hanger, Padme searched the open area for R2. She needed to find him if she was going to have any chance of getting out of the base and stopping K18.

        "Seethreepio, do you have any idea where he could be?" she asked. C-3PO cocked his gold head, "Little Artoo never seems to be where he needs to be!" Padme shook her head and chuckled. Some people never change, or should I say some droids. Feeling at tap on her shoulder, Padme turned around to see a uniformed man with a thick, grey beard, "Senator Amidala, you are not authorized to be in here!" he scolded. Padme raised her eyebrows, "Let me guess, Mace Windu?" she asked, unimpressed. The man nodded. Padme stood her ground with a smile, "Are you saying that woman can't even go on a walk through this lovely base without being bothered? You know, I hear this place has a state of the art droid maintenance facility," she added, trying to buy herself time. The man scowled, "Senator, please come with- agh!" a blue current of electricity zapped the man and he fell over with a squeal. Behind him stood a mischevious little droid. "Artoo!" Padme cried in relief. R2 whistled a greeting and rolled past the man rubbing his head on the ground. "Artoo! That was quite rude of you!" C-3PO chastised. Artoo beeped something that made his protocal companion scoff, "Well we'll see about that when Master Obi-wan hears about this!"

        Padme sighed, "Artoo, I need your help. Can you get me on one of the K18 ships?" she asked in a whisper. Artoo's dome spun around excitedly followed by a string of whistles. "I can always count on you, Artoo!" Padme said greatfully. She and C-3PO followed R2 over to a line-up of ships and landcrawlers. Her chocolate brown eyes fixed on the nearest one. A landcrawler painted with Alliance insignas. "How about that one?' she asked. R2 rolled quickly up to the vehicle and right up the ramp. Padme smiled as she continued after him with C-3PO whining behind her. "Oh dear, I have a bad feeling about this..."

        Padme found R2 behind a stack of crates. "Good idea," she said with satisphaction. She too tucked herself into the hiding place. C-3PO joined them and finally quited down. She was going to save her family no matter what it took.

Leia

        Leia sat in the pitch black room with the wine colored carpet. Lots of thing ran through her head. Anger, guilt, remorse, and memories. Memories like the time when she was little and she got zapped by one of the training remotes. She must have only been five.

        "Daddy! Boo-boo!"

        "Aww, does it need a kiss?" her father had asked in his loving voice. She had gotten zapped because she hadn't been paying attention. She hadn't listened to her father. Leia wondered if what her father would say this time. If she ever saw him again. And even if she did, she couldn't forgive herself for putting her family in danger. She had ruined the mission.

        Leia also thought about Han. His black leather boots. His cool voice. And how embarassed she felt when he heard her father call her "princess". She would have lived that dumb moment a thousand times over if it meant she could be back with her father again...

        Leia felt tears threaten to come. She wiped them away and buried her face in a velvet pillow that she pulled close to her chest. I'm sorry Daddy... With her face deep in the red fabric, Leia replayed every time she remembered her father call her "princess".

        I love you Princess.

        Bedtime Princess!

        Come on Princess!

        Princess.

        Princess.

        Princess...

        The faint hiss of the door sliding open interrupted Leia's thoughts and then finally,

        "Leia? Oh my princess, I thought I had lost you. My little princess..."

        Surprise ending! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Over the last few weeks I was posting two chapters at a time but next week I will not. School... ugh! Anyways, may the Force be with you all!