C217 Phantom Menace Begins

C217 Phantom Menace Begins

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Inside Gulda’s Throne Room...

Gulda the Hutt slumped on her golden throne, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of her guards. Smoke curled through the room, and only a handful of her servants remained, trembling in fear.

Tony, Natasha, Mikaela, Rocket, and Groot surrounded her, weapons drawn. The air was thick with tension as Gulda shifted uneasily, her beady yellow eyes darting between the intruders.

In a desperate move, she rumbled in deep Huttese, her slimy lips curling into what passed for a grin.

The Twi’lek interpreter, chained to the throne, relayed her words with a shaky voice. “The great Gulda offers you wealth, ships, and power—whatever you desire. Just spare her life.”

Rocket rolled his eyes. “Geez, I’ve never heard that before.”

Tony scoffed. “Right, because trusting this space slug-thing sounds like a solid plan.”

Natasha kept her blaster trained on Gulda, her voice low and cold. “We’re not here to bargain.”

Gulda’s oily smile twisted into a frustrated sneer as her offers fell on deaf ears. Realizing bribes wouldn’t save her, she barked a harsh command in Huttese.

The few slaves left in the room lunged forward in a desperate, suicidal charge.

Rocket grinned maniacally. “Alright! Now we’re talkin’!”

With a roar, he fired his bazooka. The explosion sent bodies flying, crashing into the walls with sickening thuds.

Natasha and Mikaela ducked behind cover, firing precise shots at the remaining attackers. Natasha moved with expert precision, each shot dropping a target before they could react. Mikaela, though still nervous, kept up, her aim improving with each blast.

Groot surged forward, his limbs expanding. He snatched a guard mid-stride, impaling him on a sharpened branch. Another enemy swung at Groot from behind, but the tree-like being smashed him into the floor with a heavy branch.

“I am Groot!” he bellowed triumphantly, throwing the body aside.

Rocket loaded another round into his bazooka, laughing. “You know? I think I’m starting to like this planet!”

Amid the chaos, the Twi’lek interpreter tried to flee, her chain rattling as she struggled to escape. But the chain snapped taut, yanking her back toward the throne. She choked, collapsing onto the floor, gasping for air.

Gulda roared in fury at the Twi’lek’s cowardice, furious that her slave dared to flee rather than sacrifice herself.

The fight ended in moments, the room falling silent except for the crackle of flames. The group closed in on Gulda, step by step.

Realizing she had no escape, Gulda shifted her massive form, her voice desperate and pleading in Huttese.

With a snarl, Groot stepped forward and rammed a thick branch through her torso, pinning the Hutt to her throne.

Gulda let out a guttural scream, blood pouring from her mouth. She gasped, repeating a phrase over and over in Huttese, her body convulsing.

The Twi’lek slave, still gasping from the chain’s pull, raised her head. “Wait! She’s trying to say something!”

Rocket, unfazed, aimed his bazooka at Gulda’s head. “We’re done talkin’.”

The Twi’lek scrambled to translate. “She says if wealth and power don’t interest you, maybe... maybe information will.”

Tony arched an eyebrow, glancing at the others. “Information, huh?”

Rocket rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on the bazooka. “Nah. Still don’t care.”

He was just about to fire when slow, deliberate footsteps echoed from the hallway.

The group turned, weapons raised, as Peter strolled casually into the throne room, dressed in scavenged clothes. He stepped carefully over bodies and puddles of blood, his face twisted with mild disgust.

Peter wrinkled his nose at the carnage. “Eww... This place is a mess.”

The group stared at him, dumbfounded.

Peter’s expression remained calm as he stepped closer to the dying Hutt, his voice low and cold. “I lied.” He smirked, meeting her terrified gaze. “And besides... it’s not like I’m a Jedi. Why would I keep my word?”

A dark glee spread across his face, the words laced with sarcasm.

Gulda let out a guttural scream, cursing Peter in Huttese. “You’ll burn for this! You—”

Her words were cut off as Rocket, cackling with glee, pulled the trigger.

The room shook with a deafening blast as the bazooka fired. The explosion was instant and grotesque—Gulda’s massive body erupted, splattering the walls, floor, and everyone nearby with sticky, greenish-black Hutt guts. Chunks of flesh and viscera coated everything in sight, filling the air with a rancid stench.

The Twi’lek interpreter let out a piercing scream, collapsing to the floor as she scrambled to wipe the thick slime off her skin. She gagged in horror, her body trembling as she sat in the middle of the gore-strewn throne room.

Rocket whistled, clearly satisfied with the result. “Man, I love this job.”

Natasha flicked a piece of slime from her shoulder, rolling her eyes. “Disgusting.”

Mikaela wiped her face with a look of pure revulsion. ”yuck...”

Peter only smirked, unbothered by the carnage. As the chaos settled and the group caught their breath, Tony’s gaze shifted toward Peter, his brow furrowing as he noticed Peter’s odd, mismatched clothing.

“So...” Tony crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “What exactly are you wearing?”

Peter glanced down at the scuffed jacket and slightly too-tight pants he had scavenged from the ship. He gave the ensemble a once-over before looking back at Tony with a shrug.

“It’s... a long story.”

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On Naboo, in the Queen’s Bedroom...

The soft glow of the sun filtered through the elegant drapes, casting a peaceful ambiance across the lavish room. Padmé Amidala lay nestled beneath the silk covers, her heart fluttering with excitement as she reached for her datapad from the bedside table.

This was her favorite time—when she could steal moments away from the demands of royal life to contact him. The man who made her feel more alive than any title or duty ever could: Star-Lord.

A soft smile curled her lips as she tapped the screen, initiating the video call. She adjusted her hair, smoothing it down with a nervous flick of her hand. But as the datapad tried to connect, the screen flickered oddly.

“Hm...” Padmé frowned, tapping the device again, wondering if there was some interference. She tried a second time, the connection stalling once more, making her bite her lip. “Come on... don’t do this now...”

Just as she was about to try again, the room dimmed, and the soft light streaming in through the windows vanished. Her heart skipped a beat as the world outside plunged into shadow.

Padmé sat up, her brow furrowed. Rising from the bed, she moved toward the balcony doors, her bare feet silent against the polished floor. She pulled the delicate drapes aside, unlocked the balcony doors, and stepped out into the fresh air.

What she saw stole the breath from her lungs.

The tranquil sky above Theed was gone, replaced by the ominous silhouettes of massive Trade Federation ships. Hundreds of them hovered ominously above the city, their colossal forms blocking out the stars. Bright lights flickered along their hulls, and from their open hangars, waves of droid soldiers descended toward the streets below.

Padmé’s heart pounded in her chest as the realization set in.

A full-scale invasion.

From her vantage point, she could already see battle droids landing in formation, spreading through the city with mechanical precision. The distant sounds of panic began to reach her—shouts, alarms, and the faint echoes of marching droid feet.

Her breath caught as she stared, frozen in disbelief.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps broke her trance. She turned to see Captain Panaka burst into the room, his expression grave, his chest heaving from the sprint.

“Your Majesty!” he called urgently, his voice laced with tension. “We must move quickly—Naboo is being—”

Padmé’s voice, tight with fear but steady, cut him off. “Invaded.”

Panaka gave a grim nod, stepping closer to her. “We need to get you to safety. Now.”

Padmé glanced back toward the darkened sky, her heart sinking deeper into her chest.

The invasion had begun.

A/N: 2200 words :)????????