INCEPTION

11|The Mysterious Jedi?

Padme' had just said good-bye to Jira and had given her some money for a cooling unit. Then both she and Qui-Gon had gone to Watto's shop where he signed Padme's release forms and had deactivated and destroyed the transmitter that would detonate the microchip placed inside Padme's body. Then they both headed out of the city. They were near the edge when Qui-Gon stopped suddenly. They were near the shadow of a building and Qui-Gon had his hand on his lightsaber. All the sudden, he whipped it out and activated it, the green blade piercing the shadows and cutting through something spherical and dark. Both Padme' and Qui-Gon knelt in to inspect what it was, it's acrid smell of burning wires and metal overpowering. 

"What is it?" Padme' asked with interest.

"Probe droid. What's left of one now. It's unlike one I've ever seen before but-" he stopped and looked up and down the street, "come on," he said swiftly to Padme'.

Qui-Gon Jinn led Padme' out of the city and into the outskirts as fast as he could. There was a growing anxiety inside of him. He searched the landscape with his eyes and he searched the Force with his feelings. Something was coming. He could feel it. And it was coming closer. Both he and Padme' broke out into a run when they were far enough from the city.

Qui-Gon could see the King's transport ahead. He slows to a jog, Padme' was a little behind him, her pace slowing as she grew tired from running. She called out to Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon ,wait. Please wait! I'm tired," she yelled.

Qui-Gon turned to offer her some encouragement and tell her that they didn't have far to go, but when he turned, he saw a speeder and the dark figure riding it. "Padme', drop!" He yelled.

Padme' did as he asked and dropped. The speeder flew right over her and she just had time to look up and see the figure jump from it and start attacking Qui-Gon. Padme' found her strength and ran towards him, wondering what she could do when she heard his voice.

"Padme', don't come to me. Get to the ship. It's not far. Tell them to take off when you reach it," the older man ordered, tasing his green lightsaber above his head in defense.

Padme' didn't argue with his instructions. She ran to the ship. Ran as fast as she could. She scrambled up the landing ramp to see Anakin and a man didn't know talking. Anakin looked up in surprise seeing Padme' there. But seeing her condition, he went straight to her.

"Padme', what's wrong?" He looked her over carefully, noticing the marks on her face.

"Qui-Gon's in trouble Anakin. He said to take off," Padme' managed between breaths.

"Who is this?" The man said as he stood next to Anakin. He was a dark colored and very tall man in an officer's uniform.

"She is a friend of ours, Captain," Anakin said as he grabbed Padme' by the arm and led her towards the cockpit. When the three had reached the cockpit, two men turned to look at them. One was a man in a similar uniform to the tall dark man behind Padme'. The other was a man wearing loose fitting clothes like Qui-Gon's. Padme' wondered if her was another Jedi.

"What's wrong?" The young man dressed similar to Qui-Gon asked, eyeing Padme' suspiciously.

"Qui-Gon is in trouble," Padme' said breathlessly. "He says to take off." 

The young man immediately sat down in the co-pilot's seat as the other man started the engines of the ship and took off leaving the landing ramp lowered.

The other man, that Padme' assumed was another Jedi, searched the view screen looking for Qui-Gon. "Over there," he said when he spotted movement in the sand a little to the left, "Fly low. All of you say here and if anything happens I'll signal you to close the landing ramp." He got up and left for the entrance to the ship.