N A I V E {S T A R W A R S}

{Escape from Naboo}

Alena was . . . preoccupied.

She really did hate her Master's plan, and she really wished that they had a different plan. So, to put a very long story short, she had her own plan. She may or may not have Force pushed her escorts and gone to find her Master . . .

Oh, Master Ellyra is going to kill me after this. Alena rushed around another corner in the Palace, quickly ducking behind a pole as more battle droids went past her. She had no idea where she was going, only relying on the force to find her Master.

After the droids had gone past her and she could no longer hear their clanking on the floor, Alena ran up a flight of stairs, following the gut feeling she was having. She felt that she was almost to Ellyra when she rounded a corner and came face to face with a Droidika.

Alena gasped and ducked down, missing the blasts. She used the Force to push the hostile back and sprinted away. Her Master was supposed to be in that room though. She felt the she was standing where Ellyra was.

To say Ellyra was angry was a little bit of an understatement. "I told her to stay put! That I would come and get her!" Qui-Gon looked at her as they ran on the floor above where Alena was. She could sense her Padawan's fear and it was putting her on edge. Where was she? Ellyra would never forgive herself if something happened to Alena.

Qui-Gon grasped Ellyra around the arm and pulled her back and into a hidden crevice in the wall. Footsteps were heard getting closer, and soon enough, Alena ran past them. Ellyra went to call out before she heard the rolling of a droid.

"Blast it," Ellyra hissed as it went past her and Qui-Gon. "She's going to get herself killed." Ellyra started to run after the droid, Qui-Gon following her.

"You know, this reminds me of Alderaan."

"WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ALDERAAN!"

Alena heard her master's yelled and she turned around for a moment. However, that could have been a fatal mistake. The droid caught up to her and unrolled itself, it's blaster shield popping up. Alena, was out of breath. Oh, where are you Master?

Ellyra found the droid threatening Alena. Ellyra stopped and felt her connection to the force flow through her as she used it to pick up the destroyer droid. It struggled in her grasp. Qui-Gon ran under the droid to give Alena her lightsaber.

Alena accepted her lightsaber, reassuring Qui-Gon she was okay. Ellyra then thew the droid back down to the ground, it shattered upon impact. Ellyra drew a deep breath before looking at her Padawan. "Master," Alena said weakly, not sure what was going to happen next.

"We need to go Ellyra. Give Alena her lecture after," Qui-Gon said as he heard more metal against the ceramic floor. Ellyra nodded as she turned around to get out of the Palace. Sure enough, Ellyra had found the exit and the trio hid again as more enemies went past them.

"Where are we going?" Alena asked hesitantly, unsure of her Masters' reaction. She now knew who Ellyra meant when she said that there was help coming. If Master Qui-Gon was here, his Padawan Obi-Wan had to be close.

"To the hanger," Qui Gon said as they came closer and closer to their destination. Ellyra paused and pressed herself against the wall, letting out soft curses. She had just seen their path blocked by battle droids and the Viceroy himself.

Alena heard Gunray's voice and went to rush towards him. Ellyra grabbed her elbow and swung her back before she could be seen. "Don't you dare," Ellyra hissed as Qui-Gon watched the interaction. He felt a small tinge of Deja Vu.

He could remember when Ellyra was just as willing to run into battle. He was sure his old apprentice was still as willing but knew how to pick her battles better. Ellyra had to learn that lesson the hard way, and Qui-Gon was sure she was making sure Alena didn't have to learn it that way too.