Naboo, Palacio Real de Theed
The majestic Royal Palace of Naboo, a symbol of history and culture that had stood imposingly for centuries, perhaps since the golden age of the High Republic or even before. Generations of queens had ruled from its gilded halls, maintaining peace and prosperity on the beautiful planet they represented. This palace, with its elegant and refined architecture, had been the beating heart of Naboo, witness to crucial moments in the destiny of its people.
For over two centuries, queens of great wisdom and diplomacy had trodden those same marble floors, preserving a perfect balance in times of peace and stability. To many, the palace was much more than a center of government; it was a beacon of hope and an emblem of peace, visible from every corner of Naboo.
Naboo had been a demilitarized planet, a paradise that always preferred dialogue over arms. But those days of peace were long gone with the arrival of the conflict with the Covenant. Yet Senator Padmé Amidala continued to fight for the ideals that had always defined her rule. As queen, Padmé had saved Naboo from invasion by the Trade Federation, proving that her leadership was capable of overcoming any threat with a mix of bravery and diplomacy. Her popularity back then had been so overwhelming that people wanted to reform the laws to extend her reign beyond what was allowed.
Now, in her role as senator, Padmé continued to carry out the same mission. Although the shadows of war loomed over the galaxy, she remained true to her principles, seeking peace amidst the chaos.
Sadly, Senator Amidala was unable to travel to Coruscant that day, as she had a crucial meeting with Duchess Satine of Mandalore. Despite the urgency of the situation in the galactic capital, the responsibilities on Naboo were just as pressing. Instead, she decided to send her faithful friend and representative, Jar Jar Binks, to Coruscant to represent her and defend Naboo's interests in the Senate.
The fall of Mandalore had been a devastating blow to the entire galaxy, and Amidala, with her deep sense of justice and compassion, could not stand idly by. In the wake of the tragedy, the senator had struck a deal with Duchess Satine to take in Mandalorian refugees who had decided to follow their leader. More than 200,000 Mandalorians arrived on Naboo, seeking refuge and a new opportunity in a world that, while peaceful, was now also threatened by the Covenant.
Amidala knew that welcoming the Mandalorians would not be easy, especially given the tense history between the Republic and the Mandalorian people. The Mandalorians' reputation as ruthless warriors and their past conflict with the Jedi had sown distrust in many corners of the Senate. Still, Amidala did not hesitate to open the gates of Naboo, offering asylum to those seeking to escape destruction. While some in the Republic viewed this decision with suspicion, Naboo remained steadfast in its humanitarian commitment, accepting the refugees and working to integrate them, despite murmurs of discontent.
The Mandalorians, despite their cultural differences, were greeted with a sense of duty and compassion, though not without some resistance. Many citizens of Naboo, though deeply supportive, still remembered the history of wars and conflicts involving Mandalore. However, Padmé Amidala was confident that collaboration between their peoples would be a crucial step towards the unity and strength necessary to face the new threats threatening the galaxy.
Senator Amidala was immersed in constant negotiations, seeking to avoid any possibility of insurrection by the Mandalorians, who, despite being refugees, maintained their warrior spirit and pride intact. To strengthen relations and improve the conditions of the Mandalorians on Naboo, Amidala decided to invite Duchess Satine Kryze to the royal palace of Theed, hoping to find ways to help each other in these dark times.
Satine Kryze walked through the majestic halls of the royal palace, flanked by a pair of Mandalorian warriors who, despite being far from home, maintained their stoic posture, and escorted by palace guards. The duchess wore an elegant blue dress, which highlighted her noble bearing, although her made-up face barely managed to hide the dark circles under her eyes and exhaustion. The burden of leading her people, after the destruction of Mandalore, weighed heavily on her shoulders. Every day she struggled to maintain peace and cohesion among the Mandalorians, whose morale was at rock bottom after being forced to abandon their home planet. Never in the long and legendary history of Mandalore had they been expelled from their home in such a devastating way, and Satine had witnessed the horror of Mandalore's vitrification.
Upon reaching the room where Padmé awaited her, the senator was reviewing a hologram of the Senate, but as soon as Satine entered, Padmé promptly turned it off, flashing her a warm smile.
"Duchess Satine," Amidala said, walking towards her with a friendly tone. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
The duchess smiled softly, though her weariness was evident in her gaze. "The pleasure is mine, Senator Amidala."
"Please call me Padmé," she replied with a genuine smile. "Come on, let's have a seat. I hope you're hungry, the Queen has given us free rein to choose our dishes."
Satine, with a slight smile on her lips, sat down at the long, elegantly decorated table. "I don't have much of an appetite, but if you have any of those famous chocolate cakes from the fields of Alderaan, I'd be delighted."
"I think we can arrange that," Padmé replied with a friendly laugh.
They spent several minutes tasting the exquisite desserts that had been brought to them. Despite the circumstances, the friendship between the two leaders remained strong. Sweets and glasses of water served to create a relaxed atmosphere, where for a brief moment, galactic tensions were put aside.
Finally, when the desserts were gone and the formalities had been put aside, both women began to address the topic that had brought them together.
"Tell me, Satine, how are your people?" Padmé asked with a mix of concern and affection. "We know that circumstances have not been the best, but we try to give them the best we can."
Satine smiled gratefully. "We are fine, thanks to you, Padmé. You have been generous to us, and that is why I agreed to come to this meeting. Many of my soldiers wish to join the defense of Naboo."
Surprise flashed across Senator Amidala's face. "I thought you would only be in charge of training our new guards... I did not imagine that you would want to join our protection forces."
"They took so much from us, Padmé... our home, our identity. We were once divided between clans and different ideologies. But now we are united, all of us. We do not want to lose this refuge that Naboo has given us, and we want to defend it. We wish to be reborn as a great army, to help Naboo, and one day, to retake Mandalore."
Padmé felt a mix of emotions. The idea of further militarizing Naboo made her uncomfortable; the presence of ten thousand clones was already considerable, with anti-aircraft systems installed in every major building. The possibility of adding Mandalorian soldiers to that defense force filled her with both hope and trepidation.
"I'm... surprised," Padmé admitted honestly.
"I know," Satine replied, nodding. "But there's no trick to this. Naboo has been generous to us, and we want to pay it forward. And when the time comes to reclaim Mandalore, Naboo will be the first planet we sign treaties with. It's an alliance that will benefit both peoples. Plus, we'll be dealing with the Death Guard. They've tried to infiltrate Naboo on more than one occasion for... their own ends. Sadly, my sister Bo-Katan still remains with them, and it pains me to admit it."
Satine's voice was filled with sadness and regret. "We want to make peace with the Republic. We dreamed of being neutral, but now we're forced to fight for our people and our home," she said in a broken, melancholic tone. After letting out a sigh, she looked at Padmé with determination. "I want us to be allies, Padmé, as we always have been."
Padmé opened her mouth, ready to respond, when the palace alarms began to ring, abruptly cutting through the silence. Both women's faces filled with alarm, and almost instantly, the room filled with blaster-wielding guards, all in defensive stance.
"What's going on?" Senator Amidala asked, though deep down she felt the uneasy certainty that something serious was coming.
"My lady, eight Covenant ships have just come out of hyperspace," Captain Panaka reported, confirming her worst fears.
Amidala felt an emptiness inside her, as if the world she had fought so hard to protect was about to collapse. She closed her eyes briefly, concentrating on her breathing and suppressing the fear that threatened to overwhelm her.
When she opened her eyes again, she was filled with determination. "Prepare the troops. The majority must focus on evacuating the civilians," she began to give orders calmly and authoritatively. "I want the fighters in the sky right now, protecting the evacuation ships. We need immediate coordination with the Republic military."
The soldiers nodded seriously and hurried to carry out the orders. Amidala turned to Satine, who was watching her with a mix of nervousness and determination. "Satine," she said firmly, "do you want your warriors to help? This is the time. Let them join in the defense and the evacuation."
The duchess nodded without hesitation. "Alright. I will have our fighters prepared and my warriors coordinate their movements with your troops."
Without wasting any time, Amidala and Satine parted ways. The senator moved through the halls, surrounded by guards, while the duchess, accompanied by her warriors, quickly headed to the hangar.
"The Queen's evacuation protocol is already underway, Senator. I recommend that you consider standing down as well," Panaka said, eyeing her with concern. "You are instrumental in requesting reinforcements, especially with your closeness to Chancellor Palpatine."
Amidala looked at him with a steely expression. "I will not abandon my people," she replied with unwavering firmness.
Captain Panaka nodded, recognizing the determination in her words. He knew there would be no convincing her, and that only increased his respect for her. Naboo needed Amidala, and she, loyal to her people, was willing to stay until the end.
-x.X.x-
Alarms rang throughout the Naboo capital as hundreds of clones ran back and forth, organizing the evacuation and preparing the defenses with military precision. The situation was chaotic, but the soldiers maintained their discipline, working tirelessly to protect the citizens.
Among them, two ARC clones, CT-1409 and CT-5555, better known as Echo and Fives, watched the sky with some trepidation. They knew that the odds were not in their favor; the Republic ships were vastly outnumbered compared to the Covenant forces, and both had the bitter certainty that this battle would be one of the most difficult of their lives.
Echo removed his helmet and looked at his clone brother. "This is getting worse, Fives. I don't think we're getting out of this alive."
Fives clapped him on the shoulder, smiling with that boldness that always characterized him. "Always so optimistic, Echo. I love it. We survived Mandalore, didn't we? We can deal with this crap."
Echo let out a nervous laugh, acknowledging his partner's strength. Fives always knew how to lift spirits, even in the worst of times. Both ARC troopers turned to head to the holotable where their Jedi general awaited them, who looked out over the battlefield with an expression of calm determination.
"Come on, the general needs us," Fives said, putting his helmet back on resolutely.
Both clones turned in perfect synchronicity, directing their attention to the young Jedi Knight Aayla Secura, who was in an urgent conversation with the Venator admirals in orbit. In the hologram, a middle-aged man spoke in a tense voice, reflecting the gravity of the situation.
"We're going to try to shoot down every ship that tries to descend to the surface, General... but I'm not going to lie to you, I don't think we'll hold out for much longer."
Aayla Secura nodded, keeping her face calm even though uncertainty shone in her eyes. "They must hold out as long as they can, Admiral. I've sent out a distress signal. We have to hold our position until the evacuation of the civilians is complete."
The Admiral responded with determination, knowing that every second gained was vital. "We'll do everything in our power, General. Good luck."
Aayla bowed her head respectfully. "May the Force be with you, Admiral."
At that moment, Fives and Echo approached, standing at attention in front of the Jedi. Fives was the first to speak, his tone determined. "General, what are the orders?"
The Jedi took a deep breath, trying to calm the subtle tremors in her hand. Though she had fought in many battles, the responsibility of leading a defense of this magnitude weighed heavily on her. Her emotions were intense, and both clones sensed it, understanding her burden; they said nothing, for they too felt the pressure of the mission.
"Fives, Echo," she said, gathering courage in her voice, "you are the best soldiers I have. I need you to ensure the evacuation of the queen. A squad of palace guards will be waiting for you. This is a task of utmost importance."
The two clones exchanged a glance of recognition before answering in unison, "Aye, general." With a final bow of respect, they turned and began running toward the designated area, blasters in hand, determined to fulfill their mission and protect the queen of Naboo until their last breath.
"Looks like we're the chosen ones, huh?" Echo commented with a hint of sarcasm, trying to ease the tension. "Getting the queen out of Naboo... great."
"Easy, Echo, this is better than waiting for death," Fives replied, keeping his composure.
They ran through a crowd of civilians of all species who were hastily heading towards the evacuation ships. The capital had been equipped with dozens of evacuation ports, but even so, the clones could barely maintain order amidst the chaos.
"The queen's ship... do you remember where it was stationed?" Fives asked.
"Right, a stealth ship. It's not something you forget easily." Echo was starting to answer when suddenly, a massive explosion lit up the sky. The deafening roar and cloud of fire made all the civilians freeze, screaming in terror.
One of the four Venators defending the planet turned into a ball of fire, while the Covenant ships remained standing, intact, dominating the battle.
"Damn it, damn it!" Echo exclaimed in despair. "Those bastards tear us apart like we're nothing! I hate them!"
At that moment, the atmosphere began to fill with Covenant dropships. In response, the city's anti-aircraft defenses activated, transforming the sky into a spectacle of light and destruction. Giant plasma projectiles and laser beams streaked through the air in all directions, creating a chaos of colors on the horizon. Civilians ran in terror and evacuation ships sped off in the opposite direction of the confrontation, seeking to escape the hell that loomed over Naboo.
Covenant ships descended in dozens on Naboo; Phantoms and Spirits mercilessly streaked through the capital's sky, opening indiscriminate fire on the crowded streets. Plasma explosions dyed the atmosphere a deep blue glow as civilians fell in every corner of the city. Echo, seeing innocent people collapsing around him, shouted angrily, "Damn sons of bitches!"
Some of the Covenant ships that managed to break through Naboo's defenses were quickly shot down by the guard's fighters, spewing flames as they fell, but those that managed to land soon deployed enemy troops. Dozens of Covenant soldiers poured into the streets, and the clone forces and the Naboo guard responded instantly, exchanging bursts of blasters and plasma in a chaos of color and noise.
"We have to get out of here!" Fives exclaimed, although leaving his brothers was almost unbearable.
The two ARCs rose, advancing quickly through rubble and corpses, dodging the deadly plasma blasts that fell around them. The entire city seemed to become a war zone; buildings shook from the explosions that echoed around every corner, and the ground vibrated with each detonation, filling the streets with dust and fire.
Echo and Fives quickly entered the interior of a shattered building. It was a grand restaurant before the invasion, now transformed into a bloody battlefield. The remains of the tables and chairs were covered in plasma marks, and the floor was littered with bodies: some burned, others pierced with energy stingers, others with deep wounds from swords that still smoked. Both clones' breathing was labored, and their grip on the blasters was firm, but the tension was palpable.
"How the hell can they be so fast?" Echo muttered, still looking around at the horror around her. "Even droids weren't that effective at invading a planet."
Before she could say anything else, Fives let out a shout: "Echo, watch out!" With quick reflexes, she grabbed him by the armor and pulled him back, just in time to avoid the blade of an energy sword that cut through the air just inches from her chest.
Echo's heart was beating a thousand miles an hour as she realized the gravity of the situation. Fives had seen just a slight movement on the ground, the reflection of shattered glass shifting, alerting him to the presence of an enemy. And there he was: a Sangheili warrior, an armored giant, moving with surprising speed for his size.
"Shit, thanks!" Echo gasped, aiming his blaster at the spot where the attack had come from.
But the Sangheili was nowhere to be seen. The creature had slunk into the shadows, skillfully adapting to the surroundings. The clones couldn't see him, but they sensed his presence, knew he was lurking. They were at a disadvantage and they knew it; they had never faced an elite warrior alone before. This enemy was not only stronger, but also more skilled and cunning.
"Where are you, you damn dog?!" Fives shouted, pulling out a thermal detonator and gesturing with his hand for Echo to slowly back away.
They could hear the Sangheili's suppressed roar as he breathed, each exhale a reminder of his deadly presence, but the enemy remained hidden in the shadows. "Easy... if you don't kill us, we won't kill you either," Echo muttered, her tone sarcastic but still cautious.
Fives set the timer on the detonator and slowly launched it towards the corner where they believed the Elite was hiding. The tension in the air was palpable.
"Now!" Fives shouted. Both ARC clones threw themselves behind a wall, taking cover. The detonator exploded, shaking the building and filling the air with dust, smoke, and fragments of debris.
When the dust settled, Echo and Fives sat up and saw the Sangheili staggering in the middle of the room. His armor was shattered, parts of his skin were burned, and he was bleeding profusely. He was coughing and waving his energy sword randomly, his ferocity evident even in his weakened state.
"Echo, now!" Fives shouted.
Without wasting any time, both clones raised their blasters and opened fire mercilessly. The energy shots struck the Elite, finally penetrating his resistance and leaving his body covered in burns and bleeding wounds. The Sangheili's screams echoed throughout the room, filled with pain and hatred. Finally, after one last, heart-wrenching scream, the warrior fell, motionless.
Breathing heavily and adrenaline still coursing through them, both clones lowered their weapons. Fives, with a half-smile, commented, "Yeah... I think we're good."
Both clones celebrated silently, satisfied that they had eliminated an Elite without the help of a Jedi. It was quite a feat, but there was no time for celebration. They turned toward the restaurant's exit, ready to continue advancing, when Fives suddenly stopped, looking at the body of the fallen Sangheili.
"What are you doing, Fives? We have to go," Echo muttered, eager to move on.
Inside his helmet, Fives smiled and advanced to the corpse. With a swift gesture, he picked up the Elite's energy sword, holding it for a moment as he admired it. "I think I'll keep it," he said to himself, securing the sword on his belt before returning to Echo.
"Shit, I want one of those too!" Echo complained with a hint of envy.
"When we kill another one, it'll be your turn. But now, let's go, we have to evacuate the queen," Fives replied with a smile in his voice.
Without further ado, both ARC clones ran back into the chaotic streets of Naboo, where explosions and crossfire turned every corner into a battlefield. Without stopping, they made their way through the Covenant troops that continued to descend, taking on as many as they could as they advanced towards the royal palace.
With chaos unleashed around them and a clear objective in mind, Echo and Fives quickened their pace, ready for their mission.
End of Chapter 6.