Who Are You?

The Missing Member

"Padmé?!"

Padmé swung around, noticing Luke as he ran towards her. He pulled her behind him and drew his lightsaber, scanning for the nonexistent enemies. Han rushed out with his blaster, only to drop his arm in anguish,

"Don't tell, we missed it?!"

Padmé nodded as Artoo sped up and joined them,

"Artoo?" Luke questioned as the mute droid joined his master.

"Oh. R2D2 it is you!" Shouted Threepio as he and Chewbacca left their hiding spot as well.

"Okay," Han stared at Padmé, "have you seen Leia, or do we still have a missing member?"

"We were just with her," Padmé explained, "I took out this scout and she went after the other. We need to get a bike and catch up!"

"Alright, let's go!" Luke immediately agreed, hurrying after his sister.

"Hold on kid," Han pointed out, "where are you even going to get a bike? It's not like one is just going to-"

"Hold it!" a scout shouted as he pointed blaster at the group. "You rebels are-" his final words were ended abruptly as his corpse fell into the grass, brandishing a smoking laser wound on his chest. Everyone turned to the nonchalant Han, still holding his blaster.

"What?" he shrugged, "Well, it's not like one of us wasn't going to do it EVENTUALLY!"

A second scout immediately appeared riding a bike, before he could even fire the bike's blasters he was down, his body displaying a similar wound. Padmé lowered her blaster, only to be met with the same accusing glares.

"Well it's like Han said, I just was faster. Besides, now we have a bike," Padmé explained as she jumped on the abandoned vehicle.

"I think I'm starting to like her," Han whispered to Luke.

"Well don't get to attached, she's married!" He yelled back as he joined his mother on the bike.

The two took off in search of Leia, leaving behind the stunned Han and the others. They weren't too far into the woods when the wreckage and cadaver of an extremely unlucky scout caught their eyes. Stopping for a moment to examine the remains, Luke then spotted another crashed bike. Running towards it, Padmé felt her heart start to pound. The bike was totaled, having crashed into a nearby tree, and the driver's body seemed to be missing.

"You think...it was hers?" Luke grimly asked as he stared down at the scraps of metal that remained.

Padmé's first instinct was to panic, the world slowed as time stopped all around her. She stood there, unaware of any other answer,

........

Her mind went blank, unable to process the most rational explanation. She just couldn't comprehend the possibility, and her common sense annihilated any amount of evidence.

"Padmé?" Luke asked as he shook her motionless body, "Mother?"

She carefully embraced Luke, feeling as several tears trailed down her face.