by A. L. Singer
Led by Qui-Gon, the others headed for the Royal Starship. At the vessel’s ramp, a droid stepped into Qui-Gon’s path. “Where are you going?” it demanded.
“I’m the ambassador for the Supreme Chancellor,” Qui-Gon replied, “and I’m taking these people to Coruscant.”
“You’re under arrest!”
With a sudden whir of gears, the droid squad reached for blasters.
But Qui-Gon was faster. In one motion he activated his lightsaber and slashed through the group in a precise stroke that reduced them to smoldering steel.
Across the hangar, Obi-Wan’s lightsaber flashed fiercely, quickly destroying the other droids. The Naboo prisoners ran free, the Royal Starship team toward their spacecraft and the others toward the hangar door.
Now they would have to escape.
ZINNGGGG! ZINNGGGG! ZINNGGGG! ZINNGGGG!
A dozen shots ricocheted off the side of the ship as Qui-Gon leaped inside as the hatch slid shut.
The ship rocked with the force of the laser fire. Through the starship viewport, Qui-Gon watched the open bay.
With a thrust of sublight engines, the Royal Starship shot into the stratosphere.
Qui-Gon stood up and walked toward the bridge, where the Naboo pilot worked the controls. “Thank you...”
“Olié. Ric Olié.” The pilot stared intently at the damage monitor, switching between view modes. Several areas of the ship, highlighted in green, showed significant destruction.
“Damage?” Qui-Gon asked.
“We’re still up,” Olié said. “Hard to tell if anything’s off, but we’ll soon find out.”
“The Queen —?”
“In her chambers, with her handmaidens.” Through the ship’s viewpoint, the Trade Federation battleship was growing larger. Olié punched the transmitter controls. “Our communications are still jammed.”
Behind them Jar Jar paced nervously, chattering to himself. Qui-Gon found it difficult to think with all the racket.
Clearly, so did Obi-Wan. Suddenly spinning around, he took Jar Jar by the hand and led him into the ship’s storage hold, where the R2 repair droids were kept. “Stay here and keep out of trouble.”
Without waiting for a reply, he left and shut the door behind him.
The starship began to rock violently. “There’s the blockade," Ric Olié said. “Hang on.”
BWEEEEP! BWEEEEP!
A cockpit alarm sounded as a warning light flashed. “The shield generator’s been hit!” Ric Olié said. “Our deflector shields can’t withstand this. Power down. I hope the repair droids can fix it.”
From the storage hold came a cry of fear — Jar Jar.
Qui-Gon knew that was a good sign. It meant the R2 units were swinging into action. In moments they would be outside the ship, clinging to the hull as they began repairs on the generator.
“Stay on course!” Captain Panaka shouted to the pilot.
“Do you have a cloaking device?” Qui-Gon asked.
“No, this is not a warship,” Captain Panaka replied. “We have no weapons. We’re a nonviolent people. That is why the Trade Federation attacked us.”
As if in answer to the captain’s observation, the Trade Federation ship opened fire.
THOOOOOOM!
Heavy quadlaser batteries. Strictly for battle-ship-on-battleship attacks. The tiny Royal Starship didn’t stand a chance.
Qui-Gon held on tight as the ship jolted. Above them he heard the quick, efficient scraping sounds of five working droids.
Smmack! Smmmmack! Smmmmack!
Two droids.
“We’re losing droids fast!” Obi-Wan exclaimed.
“If they can’t get those shield generators fixed, we will be sitting ducks,” Captain Panaka warned.
Ric Olié’s face went pale. “The shields are gone!”
SMMMMACK!
Another R2 exploded into the vacuum. The remaining one smoldered, its control panel mangled by a laser hit.
One droid to do the job of five.
Ric Olié pushed the starship forward. It was their only defense.
The little blue R2 unit jerked sharply with the motion of the ship. The broken wiring in its claws nearly slipped.
A flash of blue.
A jolt.
A deep hum.
“Power’s back!” Olié cried out. “That little droid did it! He bypassed the main power drive. Deflector shields up — at maximum!”
The Naboo Royal Starship accelerated. As it sped away from the blockade, the Trade Federation quadlasers glanced harmlessly off its shields.
The droid climbed back into the hatch, disappearing from the monitor.
At this point, readers who chose to follow the adventure in the Star Wars Adventures Game Book can return to Danger on Naboo.
Obi-Wan settled into the copilot’s seat beside Ric Olié, whose grim glance was fixed on the fuel gauge. “There’s not enough power to get us to Coruscant. The hyperdrive is leaking.”
Qui-Gon glanced up at a monitor that displayed a star chart. “We’ll have to land somewhere to refuel and repair the ship.”
“Here, Master,” Obi-Wan said, pointing to a bright golden planet circling a double sun. “Tatooine. It’s small, out of the way, poor. The Trade Federation has no presence there.”
“How can you be sure?” Captain Panaka asked. Qui-Gon knew the planet. Tatooine was a haven for thieves and soldiers of fortune, and a defiant nonsignatory to the Galactic Republic. It was dry, hot, and primitive, led by a craven race of creatures who had enslaved the natives for eons. “It’s controlled by the Hutts,” he said.
Captain Panaka was dismayed. “The Hutts?”
“It’s risky,” Obi-Wan said, ”but there’s no alternative.”
“You can’t take her Royal Highness there!” Captain Panaka protested. “The Hutts are gangsters! If they discovered her —”
“It would be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation,” Qui-Gon said. “Except the Hutts aren’t looking for her... which gives us an advantage.”
Ric Olié nodded slowly.
Three against one. Captain Panaka was outnumbered.
Leaving Ric Olié at the controls, the others retrieved the R2 unit and brought it before the Queen.
Proudly Captain Panaka described the repair droid’s feat. “It is an extremely well-put-together little droid. Without a doubt, it saved our ship as well as our lives.”
“It is to be commended,” the Queen said resolutely. “What is its number?”
“R2-D2, Your Highness,” Captain Panaka announced.
“Thank you, R2-D2, you have proven to be very loyal.” Queen Amidala turned to her handmaidens. “Padmé, clean up this droid the best you can. It deserves our gratitude. Now, continue, Captain. What else did you want to tell me?”
Captain Panaka glanced nervously at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.
“Your Highness,” Qui-Gon spoke up, “we are heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It is a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation. There we will be able to make needed repairs, then travel on to Coruscant.”
“Your Highness, Tatooine is very dangerous,” Captain Panaka added. “It’s controlled by gangsters called Hutts. I do not agree with the Jedi on this.”
“You must trust my judgment, Your Highness,” Qui-Gon insisted.
As Padmé escorted R2-D2 back to the hold, Qui-Gon examined Amidala’s face for a hint of her decision. She was young. She would feel the obligation to her older, wiser captain.
And if she did, her planet’s doom was assured.
Finally she turned to Captain Panaka and nodded. “Captain, go to Ric Olié immediately.”
Captain Panaka smiled. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Tell him,” Queen Amidala continued, “to proceed to Tatooine at once.”
11.6.18.15.14.5-1