Get off the Ship.

Padme scanned the surrounding hangar bay through the window of her ship, trying to get an idea of just what she would be dealing with. Normally in this kind of situation, there would be a couple dozen battle droids lining up outside with blasters at the ready, but there didn’t seem to be anyone at all. Was this some kind of automated system that had caught them?

“Senator, what are we going to do? I can’t seem to get a message out.” Riyo alerted Padme, pointing to her commlink as the signal indicator flashed red. Padme instinctively reach for her own commlink, and found much the same flashing red light blinking before her eyes. Calling for help was out of the question. It seemed this place was also blocking communications.

“Don’t panic. We were **** into the no fly zone so somebody must have seen us get swallowed up in here. So someone will come for us… eventually.” Padme offered a strained smile as her reassurance didn’t seem to have the intended calming effect on Chuchi.

“Well, that’s just lovely. I suppose we should just sit tight and wait for rescue then? There’s not any reason for us to leave the ship after all.” Chuchi said, leaning back on her seat with her arms crossed as she tried to accept their predicament.

Padme wasn’t content to just wait around, however. After all, Anakin was somewhere inside.

“I’m going to have a look around.” Padme declared, rising from her seat and turning towards the exit ramp of the ship.

Chuchi almost spat as she heard the words and watched Padme rise to her feet, twisting in her chair towards the Naboo senator.

“What?! Did you not hear a word I just said?” Riyo asked.

“I heard you, Senator. But, I think it would be best to investigate this place at least a little. There’s no guarantee we’ll be safe if we just stay in the ship.” Padme retorted, pressing the control panel for the exit ramp to start descending.

“There’s even less of a guarantee we’ll be safe away from the ship! You heard that Jedi and Clones went missing in here, what are we going to…” Chuchi rambled on but suddenly caught herself, watching as Padme pulled her hold-our blaster from her holster and inspected it before placing it back. A determined look painted Padmes face as she looked back down the ramp, like she was barely listening to Chuchi’s concerns. Like her mind was on something else…

“… You want to find out what happened to them don’t you?” Chuchi inquired at last.

Padme snapped her gaze back from the exit ramp to Chuchi, surprised at the accusation. And the accuracy of it.

“Well I…” Padme began, her mind racing now for an excuse she could use. But then Chuchi stood up and sighed before walking over to the exit ramp.

“Why didn’t you just say so?” Chuchi asked before she begun to walk down the ramp.

“Huh? I didn’t think you…” Padme gasped out as she watched Chuchi march down the ramp, and staggered to follow after her.

“Didn’t think I’d be willing to help?” Chuchi tried to answer for her.

“Didn’t think you’d say yes if I asked.” Padme admitted.

“Well I’ve worked with Jedi and Clones a lot since this war started Senator and they’ve done a great deal for not just me but my people. If I can help, I will.” Chuchi declared, and Padme felt her smile decorate her expression.

“Glad to hear it, let’s take a look around then. There has to be a way out of this room.” Padme said, returning to scanning her surroundings.

This room did seem like a hangar bay in terms of its layout, but it seemed to be constructed of stone and marble rather than plasteel and metal. Directly ahead from their ship there was a pair of doors, lacking handles of any kind but decorating by a pair of heart shaped symbols at their centers. Just what exactly was this place?

Padme didn’t have long to observe the symbols before they begun to move along with the rest of the doors as they started to open.

“Senator!” Chuchi called out, pointing to the door.

“I see it. Stay calm, let’s see who we’re dealing with…” Padme advised as she looked to see just who was coming through that door…