Star Wars: Balance of the Force (Anakin Skywalker Redemption)

13 - Chase

Scarif was a small planet in the Outer Rim Territories, which had been receiving more and more attention from the Empire in recent months. Padmé had taken the short reprieve from caring for her children to check it out, enjoying the feeling of being back in the open air and on solid ground.

Of course, it had come to a very quick end when she received an urgent transmission from Ahsoka. They had been attacked on Naboo, and were headed to her location to refuel and restock before heading back to the Guardian.

Padmé met them at the docking city of Shinne Ike. They took the ship to the cheapest looking mechanic on the outskirts of town, paying a few extra credits for their discretion.

Fortunately, they were able to quickly get their ship ready to move out again soon. Unfortunately, Ahsoka located a tracking device on it as she checked over the ship.

Her eyes had widened when she saw it, and Padmé, 'I'm so sorry.'

'Don't be,' Padmé tried to reassured her. 'We'll get this sorted in no time. I'll take the ship and dump it in the jungle where I first landed. I saw some old speeders around there, so I'll just use one of those to ride back here. You can pick me up and then we'll get out of here.'

'Are you sure?' Ezac looked like he wanted to argue but Padmé wasn't having it.

'Jedi powers or not, I'm still a capable fighter,' she said, hoping she didn't sound too annoyed. She missed the action more than she had first thought. 'I'll be back before you know it.'

She took off in the ship, guiding it up over the city to face the jungle, before punching the accelerator and shooting off. It wouldn't take her long to get to the spot she had first seen, a beautiful waterfall and river that flowed like a snake through the thick forest.

Then her scanners went ballistic. TIE fighters filled the sky behind her, a larger freighter further up in the distance. Not good. She had known the Imperials had a large presence here, but all of this for a few rebels?

Padmé punched forward on the accelerator and saw the first signs of the river below her. If she could just follow a little further, she'd find...there!

She put the ship down as gently as she could. Once on the ground she climbed outside, checking the sky briefly before sprinting towards the old shed and the speeder's she'd seen inside. With the thick forest, she'd be able to use the trees as cover to ride most of the way back to the city. Perhaps Ahsoka could cover her once she was closer.

Then the world lit up as the TIE's blasted the ground around her. She hit the ground, scrambling behind a tree as more of them shot past. To her horror, she saw the shed had been utterly wrecked, the speeders in flaming pieces all around the clearing.

Damn.

On foot it was then. Padmé raced into the trees, zigzagging as best she could while she headed back in the direction she had come from. Distantly, she heard shouts as troop carriers landed, and Stormtroopers began sweeping the forest around her.

Damn.

One foot in front of the other Padmé, she told herself as she ran. As scared as she was, she was glad it was her stuck out there and not Ahsoka or Ezac. She would never want to put another into danger like this. 

Then it hit her that she wasn't just Padmé the Senator anymore, who might get into trouble for her dangerous and slightly illegal schemes. Now she was a mother who didn't want to orphan her children. Pressing on, she ran harder.

'Activate scanning goggles!' a voice called distantly and Padmé gasped. Oh this was getting worse and worse.

She kept going, there was no point trying to hide now. Their infrared scanners would pick her up in no time.