Chapter Eight: The Better Part of Valor

Wolf froze for a one horrifying moment. The shadow monster moved with the Force, bleed it, and scarred the ground it walked on with its red saber. All the motions, all that evil, was now directed at Hermione. Her heart stopped when she saw Hawk knocked off her feet and flung to the wall. It crushed when Hawk remained there, her armor cracking under the strain of evil the monster exuded. And it damn near tore in two as she felt Hermione reaching out to her in the only way she could.

Only moments before she thought she was going to die, but Hawk fired off her grappling hook at the monster. The hook struck the beast's side, piercing the flesh. It gave an unearthly wail before using the hook to jump toward Hawk. After that…after that Wolf's heart stopped for an agonizing second before her brain caught up to her body's movements.

Shadows danced around the monster in the dying embers of the campfire. Even worse, the Dark Side reached out as tendrils, grasping for anything to hold in its grip. Wolf felt the tendrils as they held Hawk tight, squeezing the life and the light out of her.

Tears in her eyes, Wolf unleashed her a payload of missiles at the monster. She fumblingly tapped every button on her gauntlet, her head-up-display locking immediately onto the evil before her. Her body rocked in pain as the missiles and bombs left her gauntlet, her backpack shuddered as each left with a righteous fury lit beneath them. Smoke followed her Hail Mary, carrying her prays and her last efforts.

The missiles swarmed the monster, trails of fire and smoke spinning through the cavern. Some the monster managed to deflect, sending them careening off into the cave walls. Some were stopped in the air, as if the evil the monster exuded shielded him in return for its depravity. Others blew up upon impact with its saber. But there were too many for it. Counting the ones that blew up in the monster's face, several landed, burning it. The monster roared, in agony or maybe rage. Either way, it lost its concentration and Hawk fell to the ground in a thud.

The monster's screams sent shivers through her. Wolf shored up her mental shields with anger and strength, daring him to take her last thing from her. The shields held, breaking the torrential winds carried through the Force, but they held firm. They had to if she wanted to save Hawk.

The monster stumbled forward, glaring at her with basilisk eyes, except she did not freeze or turn to stone. She glared back, daring it to try and strike at the things she cared for most. The shadow stalked toward her, its power in the Force grasping at her from all directions. Wolf moved as quickly as she could, circling the cavern as the monster continued its warpath to her and running from the Dark Side the monster unleashed.

Her feet pounded along the rocky floor as she dodged rocks and rubble being sent her way. She felt the Force reach out to her, moving between them as she ran. It filled her, pushing out the storm of fear and anger at the monster's murderous actions while creating a calm in the center of the hurricane of evil swirling around her. Her heart pounded along with her steps, but the fear fell away. Her anxiety remained, but the Force, the magic that guided her entire life reached out to her for once instead of her reaching to it. In her hour of need, her minute of crisis, the faith she placed in the one thing wondrous about her life returned that faith.

Reaching Hermione's side at an impossible speed, Wolf stumbled over anxious steps and landed on her knees. The pain barely registered as her gauntleted fingers fumbled to find something soft to touch. "Mia?" Her hand brushed against Hawk's helmet, trying not to let her emotions boil over. The painted hawk on the helmet had cracked under the supernatural pressure the monster exerted. The cracks carried on throughout her armor with some of the outer shell shattered beyond repair. Wolf tore off her right gauntlet and reached for the cloth underclothes visible at Hawk's neck.

The Force protected her for the moment between when she left her back open to the monster and she attempted to find Hawk's pulse. The moment stretched through the future and beyond the past, and in that moment, Jenna felt every painful goodbye with Hermione she ever had. All the close calls. All the missed moments at Hogwarts. All the stolen glances. Everything that was Jenna Potter attached itself to Hermione Granger that first year at Hogwarts. Everything that was Wolf attached itself to Hawk. Everything she stood to lose bled into the Force as she waited for the smallest response.

And beneath her bare finger, the faintest hint of a pulse pushed through Hawk's battered skin.

Before she could make a decision, Wolf felt the warning through the Force, a twinkle just outside her perception. Twisting in the dark, she fired off several rounds as she turned for face the red and black maelstrom. Her aim was wide, but the sudden response shifted the monster onto its heels. She moved to her knees, turning slightly to face the shadow completely.

The red blade spun around as it deflected more and more bolts. She let loose a series of shots, unloading the bolts in fast succession. Most of the bolts slipped through the spinning ward but a few deflected off the red blade. Her attack did nothing to lessen the monster's approach, nor did it even slow it down. The few missiles that managed to it earlier burned its flesh, charring some of the dark tattoo and making it appear fierce in the dying embers of the campfire and its own burning amber eyes. The black skin spread from its intricate design to cover half of the right side of its face, making its eyes appear even deeper in the shadow.

Wolf thought she caught glimpses of the possible futures through the Force. Whispers of Hermione's disbelief in divination echoed through her even as Wolf continued her worthless barrage. She had nothing left but the blasters in her hands – almost all her missiles, and she would completely accept Hawk's 'I-told-you-so' if they survived this.

When they survived them.

The monster closed the distance in incredible speed. The dirt and dust on the ground spread up around him as the shadow spread its storm. This close, Wolf saw a possible chance and raised her blasters to unload another round and –

The monster swiped his free hand away from him, directing it off into the darkened cavern. A telekinetic burst of the Force ripped Wolf's blasters from her hands, sending them tumbling down the path they didn't take. Along with her blasters, Wolf felt her own connection with the Force shudder under the onslaught of the shadow's control.

Reaching back with one hand to cover Hermione, Wolf raised the other to shield herself when the word came to her. Instinctive or not, magic or not, Wolf let her fears and attachment guide her to an action and spoke one word:

"Expelliarmus!"

I0I

Silence was golden, or so some chose to believe. Padme prescribed to a different philosophy: To sin by silence, when one should protest, makes cowards of all men. Her rule as monarch of Naboo meant knowing when to use her voice and when to observe. When to remain silent, and when to offer protest. Often she spent hours listening to her advisers. Never speaking, never offering more than a nod. Only when she needed to make herself be heard, to speak the truth that she raised her voice and spoke with the weight of authority granted to her by the people.

It was that authority which allowed her to push through political reforms, fulfilling the promises she made during the election. The entire political landscape of changed as a result of those reforms, and already whispers of a third term even when she hadn't finished her first were reaching her office (not that she would seek a third term, but the support from the people meant a great deal to her). Those same reforms included economic changes, no doubt angering the guilds. But never in her wildest dreams did she expect that the Trade Federation would take arms against her peaceful people. Arms holding them hostage and trying to destroy the very fabric of their culture.

Even without the cloak of authority, she still carried the voice of the monarchy on Tatooine, and yet, speaking out against the Jedi's eyes earned her nothing except platitudes for patience. Yes, she may be young, younger than the Jedi's Padawan learner, but she was the monarch of her people. They trusted her to help them and she fled. She had every intention of returning, but the Republic needed to hear her pleas for her planet. To remain silent was unthinkable.

The silence of her thoughts broke against the chatter of her friends. Her handmaidens/body doubles/friends buzzed about the hangar, talking excitedly of the podrace broadcast that finished only a few hours before. A race she attended alongside Master Jinn and the young pilot's mother, Shmi. The older woman was a kind hostess, offering them much in exchange for so little. When this crisis was over, she mentally planned a return trip to Tatooine. Maybe even buy Shmi and Anakin's freedom. It would be the least she could do for everything they did for the waylaid group. Especially in light of Anakin winning and ensuring their departure from the Outer Rim.

Obi-Wan was supposed to attend with them, but there was a change in plans it seemed. Instead, he stayed at the hanger. Apparently, his "brooding gaze" attracted the attention of her handmaidens if the gossip fluttering about was to be believed. Padme was more concerned with what necessitated the change rather than how the man looked.

Padme's surprise at Anakin winning was only surpassed by the Jedi betting her ship to enter them. She tried to talk to both Jinn and Obi-Wan about it, and while Obi-Wan offered more insight and support for her position, both spoke about it in the same way: The Force would take care of them.

Now, Padme understood the Force, and was even tested for potential training as a babe – something her mother quietly confided in her as she was running for Queen. Maybe the Force did work in mysterious ways, and guided them to the correct outcome (or a beneficial one at least). It still did not excuse the Jedi acting as if they had the right to make decisions without at the very least consulting her. Had Jinn spoken to her before he made the offer, maybe she wouldn't feel so frustrated with them.

It was as a result of that frustration that prompted a desire to speak to Hawk about it. Hawk appeared disgruntled with the Jedi, maybe even worse, but the older girl wasn't there at the moment. Neither was Wolf. They hadn't returned from their bounty, and although Obi-Wan said they were before mid-day, part of her agonized over the choice she would need to make. Mid-day passed, and now they were in the final preparation of leaving Tatooine. Master Jinn returned to settle some accounts with Watto, leaving the rest of them to wait at the hanger.

With the installation of the new hyperdrive being near completion and testing about to begin, there was only a few hours at most left before they needed to leave. Standing as close to the hangar open as her security forces would allow, she kept watch for both Master Jinn and the two bounty hunters.

"Milady?" Padme startled at the soft, accented voice. She turned to the source, a hand over her heart to see the slight grin on Obi-Wan's face. No doubt repayment for the buckets of sand she threw at him. "We are finishing the final tests now. It would be best if you return to your quarters."

"And your Master?" She asked, though she caught Obi-Wan's eyes flickering beyond her and onto something out of the hangar. She turned to look but only saw the busy streets and people.

"On his way," he said. "It appears we have taken on a passenger."

Padme stopped looking at the streets, trying to pick out what Obi-Wan's gaze saw but all she recognized were the average people hustling about their lives. Instead, there was something about his words… "Annie?

Obi-Wan didn't quite grimace but it was a close thing as he nodded. "Qui-Gon was able to secure the boy's freedom."

"And what of his mother's?" Obi-Wan's pause was enough of an answer. "Why? Why him and not her? Why him and not some other slave?" She tried to kept her anger in check, holding back more questions.

"My Master feels that Anakin has a gift in the Force," Obi-Wan answered after he spent time gathering her words. "He plans to present the boy to the Council in hopes of training him."

Padme raised an eyebrow at the information. "I thought…I thought he was training you?"

"He is," Obi-Wan said, smiling slightly. But there was a sadness in the smile she wasn't used to see in the otherwise serene Jedi. "I do not think that Qui-Gon has determined what he will say to the Council yet. All I know is he believes the boy to be important." He returned his gaze to the street, his eyes narrowing at something.

Padme snorted and turned to follow his stare. She still saw nothing, and when she opened her mouth to say something, a hand pulled her aside. Obi-Wan back-peddled, pulling her out of view from the hangar entrance. "What…?"

She didn't need a response as a speeder flew into the hangar. It wobbled under its pressure, smoke curling from its engines. The rider fell off, and only then did it become obvious there were two people on board. Two people wearing burnt armor. The speeder continued on to hit the wall, shattering into parts and more smoke. The small explosion briefly stole her attention before she turned back to the two people.

One knelt next to the other, armor broken in places and covered in soot and sand. The other lay on the ground, appearing as broken as the one still standing. The black hair of the kneeling girl gave away her identity, but if it hadn't, the painful cries that followed quickly would have.

"Somebody!" Wolf's screamed echoed from the hanger. "Please! Help me!" Her voice pleaded and broke as her hands moved over the other body. They began to glow a light shade of blue, the light shifting and shaping over the body at Wolf's feet until the light encompassed the body - no, until it encompassed Hawk.

Padme took off toward them, Obi-Wan's still form a contrast to the rest of the hanger. She skidded to a stop in an effort to back to wave to him to help, only to receive a shake of his head. "Help them." He nodded toward Wolf, and now that she was closer, Padme saw the battered body of Hawk. Her helmet missing, her armor nearly crushed, but she recognized the lithe features and short brown hair. Obi-Wan turned back to the entrance, dropping his cloak elegantly off his shoulders as he drew his lightsaber.

The blue blade - a color not unlike the light exuding from Wolf's hands - burst from the saber and with a leap, a flip, and a twirl, Obi-Wan moved down the street. Moving at speeds she couldn't comprehend, Padme watched the blue sliver flicker through the street to two sets of dancing slivers further down. One was green, the other red. The slivers flickered in and out of focus and within seconds, a blue blade joined them in the dance before blurring together into a mirage.

Wolf's cries drew her back to the present. She hurried to the bounty hunter's side even as her handmaidens rushed down the yacht's ramp. Kneeling across from Wolf, Padme stared at the blood still seeping from beneath the armor.

Hawk lay bruised and battered beyond recognition before her. She looked like she'd been tossed around, her body treated like a rag doll. The armor splintered at several places. Disjointed parts stuck out, no doubt cutting into the skin beneath it. Some red leaked from the armor, pooling on the ground. Wolf continued to do what she did, the blue light seeping out of her hands and into Hawk's frail body. Calling to mind some of the training she received from

"We need to get this off her," Padme said more to herself than anyone else. She reached for the sides of the armor, ignoring the blue now covering her hands as well. She felt the Force through the light, an experience unlike anything she ever dreamed of before. A warm rushed through her body and filled her with such hope that it brushed aside the paralyzing fear. Was this what the Jedi felt whenever communing with the ancient entity?"

Ignoring how own questions, Padme set to work. She carefully found the brackets holding the armor together, and evidently it was the other only thing holding the armor in one piece. Once she unlocked the set of brackets on her side, the lack of tension broke the bounty hunter's armor. The shards of plasteel fell away from Hawk's body, revealing a black shirt stained a darker colour.

One of her handmaidens handed her some gauze, and Padme glanced at the her. She nodded her thanks at Rabe even as she applied pressure to Hawk's side. The blue light dulled even more but continued to cover Hawk's chest. Wolf's whispered prayers continued as they worked to keep the faint pulse steady at the very least, if not bring her back to the living.

"Here." The owner of the voice handed her a bacta-injector. Without looking up, Padme took the injector to help stop some of the worst. Dropping the bloody gauze, she slid the injector along the still leaking wound. The clear gel squirted out, covering jagged wound even as blue light tried to mend her. Slipping a clean gauze over the gel, Padme continued to apply pressure. She looked up at the owner of the voice, Eirtae, and nodded in thanks.

"We need to get her inside," Padme said. She caught the eyes of her three handmaidens, offering them a smile and a mouthed thank you. The girls moved around Hawk, even as Captain Panaka hurried over to them. A glance at his direction of travel offered some insight into his whereabouts.

"We need to take off," he said, his drawn blaster held at his side. She could see only his feet pointed toward the hanger bay doors. Turning back to her patient, Padme tried to brush all other thoughts away, focusing solely on Hawk's still form.

"Then let us get her inside," Padme said, letting her authority leak into her voice. Together, they lifted Hawk up, holding her steady just to slip a spine board beneath her. They quickly strapped her in, taking care to avoid the wound on her side. The bacta held, and even still some of the color slowly seemed to be returning to Hawk's grey features. Once the board was in place, they each took a handle and slowly stood, taking Hawk with them. Wolf's hands followed first, and only once Padme and her handmaidens held her up did the other girl stand.

Together, they walked slowly up the ramp and headed down the corridors of the Royal Starship. Reaching the same room Wolf healed her in, Padme directed them to the elongated couch. It served as a makeshift bench when Wolf attended her, and right now would offer them a place to continue to help Hawk – though how much help they could give was unknown. There were no supplies onboard, and what little bacta they had may not be enough to heal Hawk. Stepping back, Padme let Wolf take over, though stayed close to offer what help she could.

"Captain," she said. Panaka hurried to her side from his spot by the door. "Once the Jedi are on-board, take off."

"Right away," he said, leaving the crowded room to begin the pre-flight check.

Wolf hovered above Hawk, the blue light that seemed so bright earlier now a pale imitation continued to coat the wounded hunter. Without any proper equipment, it would be impossible to detail any internal damage. The Royal Starship didn't even have medical droid, and seemed to carry even less supplies. Something she planned to rectify once they returned to civilization. Still, she glanced around for the bag Wolf used when patching her up. Finding it near the foot of the couch, Padme began to go through it, hoping for something to help.

"Milady, there is someone here to see you," Sabe said. Her voice was softer than she knew, more hesitant.

"Not right now." Padme found several more bacta patches as well as a scanner. Taking both from the bag, she turned slightly to see Anakin standing at the doorway with Sabe by his side. He ducked his head, looking so much smaller and younger than she thought. Part of her wanted to wrap him in a hug, and for a moment she considered it, but memories of her time with the relief organizations pushed her training forward. "Annie…" She didn't know what to offer him, and while sweet that he wanted to see her, now wasn't the time. "Sabe, please get him situated in the lounge. And buckled up."

"Yes milady," the handmaiden said, nodding even as she guided Anakin from the room. The saddest pair of eyes she'd ever seen continue to watch her until the boy finally moved away from the door. Padme sighed and pushed the feelings aside to focus on helping Hawk.

Stepping to Wolf's side, Padme turned the scanner on and raised to over Hawk's body. Moving slowly, she started scanning at the top of Hawk's head. She gave the scanner time to catalog as much of the damage to the bounty hunter's body as possible. She shuffled around Wolf, doing her best not to touch the still faintly glowing girl, before continuing on with the scan. By the time she reached Hawk's feet, she felt the ship begin to take off.

Whatever needed to be resolved must have been, and hopefully not another attempt by the Trade Federation to end their journey to Corsucant. Padme turned her attention to the scanner in her hands. It took several tries to bring up the cataloged information. She wasn't familiar with the device and quite honestly impressed with herself for actually collecting something. When an outline of a body appeared, showing only minor red lines – including one where on Hawk's left side where the bacta held it together, Padme let out a sigh of reflect. No buzzing, beeps, or wailing sirens. Everything looked stable.

"Wolf," Padme said, placing her hand on the bounty hunter's shoulder. Wolf shrugged it off, and the blue light flared around Hawk. She felt the power surround Wolf, like the bounty hunter was threatened by something, by Padme even. Sabe caught her glance, shaking her head. She must have felt whatever the burst from Wolf was too. Was it instinctive for her to react that way? Was it a protective measure for Hawk or herself? Padme didn't know the answers, and really the bounty hunters potentially knew more of what was occurring than she did. An issue for another time. Right now, she needed Wolf to at least try to look at her. "Wolf, she's going to be okay."

"You don't know that," Wolf choked out.

Padme held up the scanner, praying it said what she thought it did. The brokenness in Wolf's voice was something she didn't know if she ever wanted to experience or even see someone else experience. She tried not to think about Naboo and her people, and all the brokenness left to them. "Yes. I do."

Wolf's eyes flickered up to the scanner and back down to the Hawk's still body several times before she finally saw the image. The light around Wolf's hands slowly began to fade away before disappearing all together. Taking the scanner from her, Padme watched Wolf tap something out, her free hand going to Hawk's neck. Silence filled the room, before a soft steady beeping broke it. The steady sound of a strong heartbeat – Hawk's heartbeat.

Padme started to smile, only for it to slip away as Wolf began to sway. Eirate helped her keep Wolf standing while Rabe appeared from somewhere with a chair. Wolf never even noticed them lowering her into it. Her emerald eyes remained locked on Hawk, her grip on the beeping scanner.

"How about we clean up you now too?" Padme asked, getting Wolf to nod at least. She moved slowly to give Wolf time to stop her, but the bounty hunter remained still. Padme was soon joined by Rabe and Eirate as they worked on the clamps holding the pieces of armor together. The breastplate broke into several pieces, not quite unlike Hawk's had when they removed it. Care not to cut Wolf or herself, Padme took the pieces away and left her handmaidens to remove the rest of her chest armor.

"She needs bacta too," Rabe whispered to Padme as she brought over several more pieces of shattered armor.

"There are a few more patches," Padme whispered back, glancing at the still Wolf. The bounty hunter's hand clamped around the scanner, the soft beeping flooding the room. "But if you can, find another scanner."

"There may be something with the security forces," Rabe said before handing Eirate the bacta patches she found. "I'll speak to Captain Panaka." She then left them to continue to care for Wolf.

Much like Hawk, Wolf wore a black set of underclothes. Her shirt matted to her body, though without removing it, Padme could only speculate if it was blood or sweat on the cloth. The few tears in the shirt indicated the latter. "We need to remove your shirt. Eirate." Her handmaiden went to the door to give them some more privacy. It would also allow them to a thorough examine of Hawk, though given the magical healing Wolf imbued into her partner, it was probably not even necessary. "You ready?"

Wolf nodded at Padme's question, tacitly relaxing as she slowly removed the shirt. Doing her best not to blush, Padme took stock of the visible injuries. Bruises covered her torso, along with an ugly looking rash that stretched down Wolf's back on her left side. There weren't as many cuts on as Hawk had, but there were older scars crisscrossing on Wolf's back. Something…medieval tore into Wolf's flesh and only time healed them. Biting back the bile in throat, Padme started to cover the rash with the few patches left.

Rabe's muffled voice cried from the other side of the door. "No – you can't – stop!"

Looking up from the rudimentary medical care, Padme immediately stepped in front of Wolf's body, blocking in front the intruder. "You can't be in here."

"I must speak with them," Qui-Gon said, ignoring her as he stepped closer.

"No." Padme caught his arm and pulled back, or rather she tried to. She had neither the strength or the power in the Force to stop him, but she was tired of Jedi overstepping. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I need to speak with them about the person who followed them," Qui-Gon said when she moved in front of her again. He gave her a parental almost condescending look. "We must know who he is."

"You must?" Padme crossed her arms and met his look with a glare. "You must?"

"It is of grave importance that – "

"The only thing happening is letting them rest," Padme said as she pushed him backward. Qui-Gon stumbled a bit, but remained upright. His eyebrows arched in response and his mouth opened as if to speak again. "Get out!"

"Your Highness, please understand –"

"I understand perfectly!" She nearly screamed. She pushed him again, this time at least getting him closer to the doorway. "You Jedi think you can make choices about our lives, make the decisions and then run off like nothing has happened! Who gave you that right?" Qui-Gon held up at hand to try and stop her, but at the moment, all she saw was the hand-waving thing they did. The one where they made you change your mind. She grabbed the hand, letting her fingernails dig into his skin as hard as they could. He winced in pain, giving her a small sense of vindication. "We asked for your help, not for you to solve the problems. We wanted your opinions, not for you to answer everything."

Qui-Gon glanced down at the fingers digging his hand. Gently, he pried them off, before dropping both of his hands to his side. "We – I only acted in a manner that I thought would get us back to Corsuscant."

"And without consulting us. Would you have done so on the station? Make a decision for my planet without saying a word to us?"

"No, your Highness. The Jedi –"

"The Jedi sit in their ivory tower, watching over us like little children," Padme snapped back.

"That is not our intention," Qui-Gon said. "We only want to help resolve things peacefully."

"And yet you barge in here like you are owed answers. Tell me, what purpose does bringing Anakin along serve?" She hissed, the questions plaguing her tumbled from her lips. "What purpose was betting my ship? Would you have wagered my life if the Force told you to?"

Qui-Gon rose to his full height at her question. "Your Highness, I never would do such a thing. And I do not have to answer to you about my actions. I have done my best to protect you and will continue to do so."

"The only one threatening us right now is you," Padme said, slipping into her royal voice as she shoved him again. The words caught him more off guard than the shove, but both gave her the leverage to force him out of the room. Qui-Gon stumbled backward, hitting the bulkhead with a thud. Stepping into the doorway, she glared at him again. "When we arrive on Corsucant, Hawk and Wolf will be ensured medical treatment at our discretion. They are now under our protection and are members of our security detail until such time they decide otherwise."

Qui-Gon stared at her, not speaking but not afraid. He finally nodded, though Padme wondered if it was truly in acceptance or even if he understood what he tried to take from her. She was the Queen of her people, and not one would demand anything of her. Not the Federation, not the Jedi.

"Master, we still need to submit a report to the council." Obi-wan's accented voice broke the still standoff between them, drawing their attention to his spot just a few steps from the doorway. "We can still let them rest and ask for what happened once they are healed."

"Right," Qui-Gon said. He pushed himself upright, nodding at Obi-Wan's words. He then turned to her before bowing slightly. "Your Highness, I apologize if my actions have offended you."

"But you would do so again," Padme continued the sentence for him. His wordless affirmation did nothing to quell the uneasiness settling in her. "Very well. We shall speak before we land." She caught Obi-Wan's eyes for a moment before turning back to the room. He glanced away, ashamed and embarrassed at his Master's actions. That he spoke up at all told her something about his character.

What that something was, she hadn't decided yet. For now, she needed to help Wolf and Hawk. She couldn't help her planet, her people, but she could help these two strangers who seemed to be going along for the ride. Maybe when Hawk woke they could speak of things, of why they are helping and why the Jedi were so interested in both of them.

Padme shut the door behind, not locking it as Sabe was still out there. She must be attending to Anakin, and if it kept the boy out of trouble and out of their hair, then for the moment, that was fine. She'd even ask Sabe her perspective of the boy. Maybe hearing about him from someone other than a Jedi might provide a clue as to why the boy felt so important.

In the commotion, Artoo snuck into the room. One of his mechanical arms held out a tray of bacta patches and other medical tools. Where he found them, she wasn't sure, but she was thankful for the little droid's loyalty. She ran her hand over its domed top, patting it softly in thanks before taking a few of the patches. Without knowing what the other tools did – and none of them looked like a scanner – Padme worried she'd exacerbate any problems Wolf had instead of healing them.

"Thank you," Wolf whispered when Padme came back to her side. Rabe stepped to her side, moving slowly and softly.

"For what?" Padme took the scanner Rabe offered her, working as quietly as she could. She moved it over Wolf's body, watching as the tension that racked through Wolf lessened. The bounty hunter's grip on the chair eased up before her fingers clenched into a fist briefly before unclenching completely.

"I couldn't – I didn't want to deal with that right now," Wolf said. Her black hair fell down to cover her face as she stared at the still beeping scanner in her hand. "I was here before you know?"

Padme continued the scan, trying to not glance at the developed young woman's bared assets. It had been years since she needed to call on the medical training she received as part of the relief corps, but Wolf's odd question helped distract her from the awkwardness of the situation. "What do you mean?"

"At her bedside," Wolf said, finally releasing her hold on the scanner. She placed it on the couch next to Hawk before lifting one hand into her own. She held onto Hawk with one hand and caressed the top of her hand with the other. "I was twelve, and she'd just been attacked by…by a basilisk."

"A basilisk?" She'd never heard that word before, though it was possible that it was a shared myth from their home planet, wherever that was. Padme tried not to think about it too much, but if Wolf was talking that meant at least she wasn't in shock. The scanner showed nothing broken – thankfully – but some of the bruises moved beyond just muscle and her ribs may be cracked. "Does it hurt to breath?"

"A giant snake that could kill you with its gaze," Wolf said as she shook her head in response to Padme's question. "But if you look at it through a reflection, you just get turned to stone."

"Turned to stone? You mean paralyzed?" Padme asked. Turning to ask Rabe for something, she was met with an outstretched hand holding a grey tunic. Mouthing a 'thank you' to her handmaiden, Padme turned back to Wolf.

"No," Wolf said with a shake of her head. "I mean literally turned to stone. You needed a special potion – medicine – recover. That took a while to brew so Hermione just lay there. For months. And I couldn't do anything." She let out a shuddering breath, her shoulders hitching, but no tears fell.

"You did everything," Padme said. She wanted to ask if Hawk was Hermione, how all this was possible. There were so many questions, but unlike Qui-Gon, she had enough sense not to voice those questions now. There would be time for that later. "Now let's get you covered up, and then we can check your legs. That armor probably isn't too comfy either."

Wolf finally tore her gaze from Hawk to look at the bundle of cloth. "Yeah… she wouldn't want me to… yeah." Wolf tugged the tunic over her bruised skin. The bottom of the tunic rested at her hips, covering her enough to at least preserve some of her modesty. Before Padme could ask, Wolf began to remove the broken armor plates along her legs. She handed them off, barely noticing the others in the room as she worked. Within a few minutes, her armor was a rubble in the corner of the room.

"Anything hurt?" Padme asked. She raised the scanner to start but Wolf waved her off.

"No, I just…I just need to rest," Wolf said.

"We'll leave you to it then." Padme glanced back at her handmaidens. "Maybe even bring up some food?"

"Not hungry, but thanks. And thanks," Wolf said.

"We'll talk later," Padme said, patting the older girl on the shoulder. "Artoo, you'll stand guard?" The droid beeped an affirmative before twirling in spot to face the door. Padme motioned for her handmaidens to leave first, before following them out. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Wolf climb onto the couch to wrap herself around Hawk. Artoo briefly moved from his station, finding a blanket from somewhere to offer them. Nodding in approval, Padme left and closed the door behind her.

"Your Highness?" Sabe's voice brought her attention to the Jedi standing at the end of the hallway.

"We should head to our quarters," Padme said as she turned back to her handmaidens. "If the Jedi still wish to speak after we've cleaned up, then we will meet them to hear their questions."

There were times when she hated the voice of authority and the manner of speech necessary for political interactions. It sounded pompous and demeaning, but the subtlety of words often had their own power – something she hadn't learned fully until becoming the Queen. What she said or didn't say reverberated through her people. Her choices mattered because it impacted all of her people, and maybe even all of Naboo. Or at least the ones who lived on the surface, as the Gungan held court in their underwater cities. The thought had potential, as

"Also, please have Jar Jar there as well. We wish to speak about his people." Padme hid her smile at the gobsmacked appearance now covering Qui-Gon's face. He may not be used to the casual dismissal, but he needed to know she wouldn't be bullied anymore. Just because the Naboo believed in peace and they held a very limited security force was not cause for others to attack them or were unable to defend themselves.

Words were the choice of weapon on Naboo. Great debates lasting hours sometimes were broadcast on the planet. Discussions over meanings and philosophies guided their principles. Bloodshed wasn't necessary to attack someone, and sometimes words dealt more damage. It was unfortunate that others chose to escalate things, which may have been the source of this conflict.

Initially, the Trade Federation attempted to negotiate with them directly. When those negotiations failed to bring about the outcome they desired, they left – at first. Naboo was unprepared for the siege unleashed on her planet, and only by a stroke of luck or the will of the Force were they able to send a message to the Senate before their communications were cut off completely. It was hoped that the Senate appointed negotiations, the Jedi in this case, would be able to end the attack, but the Trade Federation had other plans.

Now, they flew to Corsucant in hopes to convince the Senate to side with her. Hopefully Senator Palpatine would assist them, but his communications over the last few months indicated a level of corruption that worried her. At the time, the worries remained distant as Naboo had no need for intervention from the Senate, but now that they needed them, Padme wondered if the Senate would be able to do anything.

Hopefully her representative would have better news when they arrived. Until then, she was determined to develop a plan without the need of the Senate's intervention. At the very least, she would be able to focus on something other than the pain her people were going through, much like helping Wolf and Hawk had. Regardless, there was no more running to be done. With some semblance of a plan for the immediate future, Padme returned to her quarters to clean up and be dressed to receive the Jedi.

If they wished to speak to her, then the Queen of Naboo would be happy to greet them.

A/N: Thank you to all those who have reviewed so far, and I invite you to drop even just a short message or phrase letting me know you enjoyed this. If you have any question, feel free to ask. Most importantly, I hope you enjoy. Good night and good luck.