Padme Amidala, Flying nearby the Tower.

Coruscant was an ancient world filled with ancient structures and buildings being built over and replaced layer by layer, one more building among billions of others like it would hardly seem hard out of place… and yet as Padme stared at the absolute monolith of a structure that had just appeared out of no where from her cockpit, she couldn’t help but feel unease. She had only recently returned to Coruscant from some off world negotiations, bringing worlds to the Republics side not through **** but by diplomacy, and had now returned to find this… thing waiting here. Initially she had been content to simply view it from Holo screens and a safe distance. That changed this morning when she learned Anakin had been sent inside.

“Senator, are you certain this is wise? There’s a strict no fly zone and we’re very much tipping our toes in it.” A young but prim voice spoke off to Padmes side, she didn’t need to look to confirm the concerned expression on Riyo Chuchi’s face as she sat beside her.

“We’ll be fine, Senator Chuchi. They’re just trying to keep someone from crashing into the side of that thing.” Padme responded, bringing the ship to a calm orbiting path circling around the tower but outside the perimeter the republic military had set up.

“Well that is a comfort, but why do you want to fly around this thing anyway?” Riyo asked, looking out the window of their ship towards the looming tower.

“I’ll counter that question with one of my own: Why did you decide to come with me?” Padme retorted. It was a legitimate question, but it was also a mask. She couldn’t exactly tell Riyo that she was flying around like a mad woman trying to determine what had happened to her forbidden husband…

“Well, I suppose this is something of a historic moment for Coruscant. New buildings aren’t normally a rare thing, but them popping out of thin air is.” Riyo answered, straightening herself in her seat as if to present her case more dignity.

Padme raised a brow.

“You wanted to look at the spooky tower huh?” Padme asked.

“… I wanted to look at the spooky tower, yes.” Riyo admitted.

“Then we’re here for the same reason. Just to get a good look at it…” Padme lied, her gaze returning to the tower as her ship continued on its path.

And yet, a look at the tower as they circled it was about all she could manage. She had tried to contact Anakin, but there was no response. Not even from one of his troops like Rex, who she also had the Holo number for. Not even from Obi Wan either, though explaining why she was calling him would have been harder if he had answered…

“Where do you think it came from? Some alien civilization we’ve not encountered before?” Riyo begun to speculate, resting her arm against the control panel of the copilot seat while her chin proceeded to occupy her palm as she looked over at the tower.

“I don’t know. I’ve never really seen anything like it. Not here, no Naboo…” Padme answered, her gaze lingering on the tower as she inspected it. By all accounts it was more of a smooth obelisk than any kind of fancy tower with windows decorating the exterior or any kind of landing platform at the top that would be common for any other structure on Coruscant. And yet, despite that, she couldn’t seem to stop looking at it.

“I had heard some Jedi went missing in there, along with their clones, you don’t think there’s something dangerous in there do you?” Riyo asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

But Padme didn’t answer, her gaze was locked on the tower. This was the closest they’d gotten so far, and though it was still far off it seemed so close… so imposing and powerful… and yet… so inviting too. She couldn’t help but wonder what was inside, what wonders and pleasures awaited…

“Senator? Senator?! What are you doing?!” Riyo begun to shout, and Padme shook her head as if she had awoken from a trance. She looked over at Chuchi with a mix of concern and confusion.

“Senator Chuchi? What’s the matter?” She asked. Riyo looked at her dumb founded and gestured in front of her.

“What are you talking about?! We’re headed right for the tower!” Riyo cried out as Padme looked ahead in the cockpit and found the Pantoran Senators observation to be correct. The tower was getting close, rapidly, and Padmes ship was headed straight for it.

“Oh no…” She whispered as she pulled at the controls to change course… but the controls didn’t budge.

“Senator, turn us around!” Riyo called out, rising from her seat to pull at the controls herself. But still, they didn’t move. The tower was looming over them now…

“I-I can’t! I’m not doing this!” Padme tried to explain, and Riyo looked down in horror as she saw the controls were indeed not moving despite Padme pulling her hands back. They were locked in on their destination.

“What… what’s happening?” Riyo questioned, but Padme had no answers as she looked up and saw the tower getting closer… and more accurately the solid looking side of the tower.

“W-we have to abandon ship! Hurry, Riyo, we…” Padme grabbed at Chuchi’s wrist to lead her to the back of the ship, but then Riyo pulled back against her instead.

“Wait, look!” Riyo pointed, and Padme looked out again as she saw the wall of the Tower… shift and open like a hangar bay. The ship begun to slow down, and slowly float harmlessly inside.

“It’s pulling us inside… a tractor beam? In atmosphere?… But how…” Padme asked but Riyo was too confused and concerned herself to answer, even if she did have the answers that eluded her as well.

As she ship was drawn into the sudden hangar that appeared, the light of the city of Coruscant was soon snuffed out as the tower then closed in behind the ship as it fully entered…