Escort

Story
Gwen: Michael, stop! This is unprofessional! (Gwen and Michael were in Gwen’s quarters aboard the flag ship, Michael having been flirting with her.) Not only that, but I have a boyfriend!

Michael: And where is he? Fighting a war that we’re not even guaranteed to win? He should be here, with you. (Michael reaches to grab her hand, but she slaps it away.)

Gwen: Enough! I am your commanding officer. So I order you to stop flirting with me, or hitting on me, or anything romantic!

Gerald: Am I interrupting something? (Gwen turns, seeing Gerald at the door.)

Gwen: (Regaining her composure.) No, you’re not. Michael here was just showing himself out. (Michael, obviously upset, gets up and leaves.) What do you need, Gerald?

Gerald: Senator Amidala is here to speak with you.

Gwen: Here? As in a hologram?

Gerald: No, in person. She’s waiting on the bridge.

Gwen: Oh! (Gwen runs out, and she and Gerald go to the bridge. They see Padmé in a fancy dress, with Captain Panaka standing by her side.) Padmé! How have you been?

Padmé: It’s been rough. Viceroy Gunray has been pursuing me violently, wanting my death.

Panaka: We have spoken with Grand Magister Labrid, and he agrees that the Senator needs protection. Since you’re forces are currently not in battle, he has orders for you.

Gerald: We are to escort the Senator to Naboo.

Gwen: I understand. Gerald, I’m placing you in command here. If we receive new orders, contact me. I’ll be taking Michael and Ninja with me.

Gerald: Yes sir!

Padmé: Thank you, Gwen.

Gwen: No problem. It’s not like we’re doing anything. Our forces are still weak. End Scene

Gwen, Michael, Ninja, Padmé and Panaka are riding in a small ship, flying towards Naboo.

Gwen: Alright. At this rate, we’ll arrive at Naboo pretty soon.

Padmé: Good. Hey, Gwen. Can you tell me about John.

Gwen: John?

Padmé: Yeah. It seems like that he’s such a secretive person, never revealing anything about what he’s thinking or what he’s feeling.

Gwen: He does tend to hide things. Alright. Well, he is kind and caring. He cares about the welfare of everyone around him, willing to sacrifice himself for his friends. He is a hard working person, yet he’ll take on all of his responsibilities with a smile. However, he’ll blame himself if anything happens to a friend, by injury, or death.

Padmé: So, what about you? What’s your relationship with him?

Gwen: What? No, John and I are just friends. (Gwen blushes.) He’s never had any interest in me in that regard. Plus, Julie’s his girlfriend.

Padmé: (Slightly disappointed) So he does have one?

Gwen: Yeah. Why?

Padmé: Oh, no reason. (Their ship approaches approaches Naboo, when their ship is hit. They go spiraling down, towards the planet.) End Scene

The ship has crashed into the ground, a burning, destroyed mess. Gwen uses her mana to push some rubble off of her and Padmé.

Gwen: Are you alright?

Padmé: Yeah. What about the others? (Gwen and Padmé stand up, and Padmé gasps in pain, and collapses. Gwen catches her, and they notice her leg was hit by debris, and was bleeding.)

Gwen: You’re injured.

Padmé: It’s not bad. Put me down, find the others.

Gwen: Alright. (Gwen puts Padmé down, who was grunting from the pain.) I’ll heal you the first chance I get.

Gwen uses her mana to clear through the debris. She finds Michael, who was ultimately unharmed.

Michael: Gwen, you’re alright.

Gwen: Search for the others. I’ve got to heal Padmé’s leg. (Gwen goes back to Padmé, using mana to heal her wound, while Michael was moving debris. He finds Ninja, unburies him, and they continue to search for Panaka. They find him, dead, his body burned and pierced by metal.)

Padmé: Panaka.

Gwen: I’m so sorry Padmé.

Michael: Uh, Gwen? (Gwen looks up, and sees that they were surrounded by Droids.)

Padmé: Gunray’s droids.

Droid: Blast them! (The Droids open fire at them. Gwen uses her mana to lift the ship fragments, and uses them as shields, surrounding them. They were being attacked from all angles.)

Gwen: This is not good. (Gwen goes around the shield, and fires a few mana blasts before retreating back to safety. Michael fires gold energy blasts, before he’s forced to pull back as well.)

Michael: There’s too many of them!

Ninja jumps over the shields, and runs out into the Droid army. He pulls out his laser knives, and starts slashing through the Droids. He throws shuriken as well, causing great damage to the Droids. Then, suddenly, he drops one of his knives, grabbing his side.

Gwen: He’s hurt!

Michael: Was he hit? I didn’t see it.

Gwen: No, it was from the crash. (Ninja continues to fight, but is then hit by a laser, and he falls to the ground.) No! Michael, give me cover!

Michael: What? (Gwen runs out into the battlefield.) Wait!

Gwen runs into the field of Droids, throwing mana disks as she goes. Michael was giving her some cover with his energy blasts, but he stops after every few attacks. Gwen creates a mana shield around her as she makes it to Ninja.

Gwen: Ninja! You alright? (Ninja tries to get up, but is unable to.) Hold on.

Gwen’s eyes glow with mana, as she assumes her anodite form. She releases a powerful wave of mana from her body, destroying all Droids in the nearby area. She then reverts, and carries Ninja back to their defensive area. More Droids come to replace the ones destroyed. Gwen begins to heal Ninja.

Padmé had grabbed Panaka’s blaster, and was firing at the Droids. Michael was continuing to attack with his energy blasts.

Michael: They’re almost on top of us!

Then, a carrier ship appears, firing down at the Droids. It then lowers itself over the wreckage, revealing Gerald.

Gwen: Gerald?!

Gerald: Get in, General! (Gwen uses her mana steps to get the group up to the ship. It then flies off, firing down at the Droids.) End Scene

The group arrives at the main palace on Naboo. The group has been to the infirmary, Padmé’s leg and Ninja being treated. Gwen and Michael have their minor injuries taken care of.

Padmé: I can’t thank you guys enough. If not for you, I’d probably be dead by now.

Gwen: Of course. I’m just sorry it cost Panaka his life.

Padmé: I am as well, although he would’ve gladly died for me. Thank you again for everything.

Michael: Sure thing. Be careful, Senator.

Padmé: I will. Be careful as well.

Gerald: General. If you’re ready, it’s time to leave.

Gwen: Right. Take care, Padmé.

Characters

 * Gwen Tennyson
 * Michael Morningstar
 * Red Ninja
 * Commander Gerald
 * Padmé
 * Captain Panaka (death)

Villains

 * Battle Droids

Trivia

 * Gwen's forces are currently on standby after their last failed assignment.
 * Padmé reveals romantic interests in John.
 * Gwen confronts Michael about his behavior.