When Paths Collide

Chapter 5 - Chaos on Scipio

Jaufre Naberrie

I knew something was going to go wrong when Padme left. It's perfectly normal for her to get in trouble, and it drives me up the wall, but something about this time felt off from the start. Call it a bad feeling, I suppose. "Padme's in trouble again," I declare flatly, letting my annoyance show all over my face.

"What happened?" Anakin asks, worriedly. Aniya just sighs.

"She was on a mission to Scipio – something about the Banking Clans – and she got arrested."

"Arrested?" Aniya repeats.

"Oh," Anakin says, eyes widening. "How did that happen?"

"Don't know any details," I answer with a shrug, "But we can't just sit around."

"Why was she there?" Anakin inquires.

"The Chancellor sent her."

"Then he'll probably call us, to get her out of trouble," Aniya grumbles. "I don't get how she keeps getting into these situations. It's like she's either the unluckiest person in the galaxy or cursed."

"Well, this is Padme," I point out with a smirk, "I imagine she was doing something that was... 'for the good of the Republic' but the Banking Clan didn't appreciate it." Although what that could be, I have no idea. It's not as if I keep track of the details of everything she does. She doesn't always tell me, anyway. It's not really my job to be her babysitter, even if it sure does feel like it most of the time.

"I see your point," Anakin sighs. "I hope someday we'll be able to get away from all this... politics and everything."

"Don't we all," Aniya sighs, patting his arm. "Maybe someday, but we have Krell to kill and Dooku to find first, and we need to be on the front lines for that to happen."

Yes, them. There are few – if any – people I loathe more than Dooku and Krell. They hurt the twins, irreparably. I haven't, and never will, forgive that. I'm not like the twins, and I'm not a Jedi. I have no reason to forgive them. Not to mention that it's against the Nubian way of life to forget when someone hurts a family member. I want to tell them to be careful, but it's not as if they don't always, and it's not as if they've both nearly been killed even while trying. Instead, I opt to say nothing at all.

Aniya Skywalker

Sure enough, Anakin and I are called to Palpatine's office shortly after we talked to Jaufre. The Chancellor explains the situation with the request that we go to Scipio to get her out and bring her back, so she can hopefully continue her investigation. "If she has already been arrested once," I object, "It seems like this is far more dangerous than we imagined."

"It appears this way, my dear," Palpatine sighs. "There is evidence the Banks may be taking actions which are hurting the Republic, and this only makes it more apparent. We must be cautious. Go there and free Senator Amidala and see what she has uncovered."

"Of course, Your Excellency," Anakin replies. "I just wish she wasn't always getting in these situations."

"It concerns me as well." the Chancellor admits.

"She does have the unfortunate tendency to attract trouble everywhere she goes," I grumble. Maybe I'm spending too much time around Obi-Wan. I don't normally complain about anything and everything, but right now that's all I want to do. Or maybe it's just too many things happening all once. I like being here, though. It makes me feel more wanted than I ever have at the Temple, especially since my master is gone. No one knows exactly where he is, or if he'll return. I feel completely lost without him. I don't know what he's doing, and it feels like the only ones left of my family are Anakin and Obi-Wan. And there's only so much time we have to be around Padme and Jaufre.