Years after the fall of the republic. A certain Imperial Moff Panaka was reminiscing about his former life. He had traveled through the galaxy as a part of the Sith empire. More than 15 years had he spent traveling through the galaxy as a Moff for the Empire. He had not visit his home planet of Naboo for quite some time. When the republic fell, he left. It wasn't just because the peaceful republic he once knew was gone, it was a certain someone. Someone he had treasured like his own child had been taken away. When his ship was closing to Naboo for the first time in almost 18 years, he started to reminisce about his life on Naboo. What he missed most, the good peaceful people of a planet that used to be his home. Now his home was the Empire.
Captain Quarsh Panaka had always been loyal to his home planet of Naboo. 20 years in service of the Naboo arms and Royal Naboo security forces. He had seen senators come and go, monarchs come and go. His job was to make sure the monarch of Naboo was safe at any cost.
"The new monarch will make her debut in front of the royal council tomorrow." He spoke in front of the new Queens guard. "Our job is to protect the Queen at all cost. She will be welcomed and have a informal meeting with us. Follow my orders and it will go as planned."
"Sir, you know that the future queen is 13 years old?" a voice was heard from the queens guard.
"I'm well aware." Panaka said with a sigh. Who decided a 13 year should be in charge of this planet must have had some screws loose.
A princess is she. This young Naberrie girl had already made quite the name for herself. Already becoming the princess of Theed. A political activist at a young age. A powerful speaker and motivator. The Naberrie family produces quite the politicians.
Amidala. How that name still haunted the now 60 year old soldier. He was reminded of her in a neutral meeting with resistance leader Leia Organa. The princess had tried to evoke some type of memory of the late queen he once held so dear. As now a loyalist to the Emperor, the republic was dead and gone for him. And the name Amidala meant nothing to him. "She did little to Naboo!" he had almost roared at the young princess. "She left us with nothing." He knew that wasn't true. None of it was. Queen Amidala was the most beloved and well remembered leader the planet have had for almost a 100 years. But the Queen was gone and the Emperor was alive. His loyalty to Naboo was as dead as the former Queen. How the Princess of Alderaan reminded him of the little Princess of Theed.
Naboo was famous for its green meadows and glistering lakes. Varykino was the most beautiful place on the whole planet. It attracted thousands of visitors from all over the galaxy. For Padmé Naberrie it was home and sometimes even quite boring. She had the most gorgeous view from her room, out from the window she could see the great lake and the mountains. It was ordinary for her. She wished for something greater.
"Sabé! " Padmé called for her friend from her window.
A young girl looked up to see her friend sticking her head out from the window.
"Padmé?" the young girl said, it was hard to see because of the sunlight in her eyes.
"What are you doing down there?" Padmé asked her.
"I'm on my way to the market." Sabé answered her. She was wearing a summer dress in a simple Nabooian style.
"Get up here! I need to talk to you!" Padmé shouted. She noticed her neighbors watching her in distaste because of her shouting but she didn't mind them. She had important questions to ask her friend.
"Well I guess... Sure, I'm coming!" Sabé ran up the stairs and to the Naberrie residence. She greeted Padmé's parents and was instructed to go upstairs.
The two friends embraced each other. They rarely got the time to be with each other since Padmé was being groomed to rule and follow the family occupation. Sabé's family did not have the same political connections like the Naberrie's. They were nobility while Sabé's father had worked himself up from nothing to becoming a high ranked officer in the Theed arms. That is how the girls had met, through their families and being put in the best school in all of Theed made them grow much closer.
"You know I'm leaving soon." Padmé started. She looked forward to travel to main city yet she feared to miss her best friends. She didn't need to worry about her family but it was her friends she was worried most about. She knew how she much she would miss them and it was why she had called for Sabé.
"I know..." Sabé said with some sadness in her voice. "We are so proud of you." she said in all honesty.
"I want you to come along with me."
"What?" Sabé said in utter shock.
"I want you to be my personal handmaiden, along with Eirtaé of course." Padmé said as it was the most obvious choice for her.
"You know that they won't let you pick out handmaidens? They have handmaidens already picked out for you."
Padmé rolled her eyes in response. "But I am the Queen." the 13 year old whined. "I should pick out my own handmaidens." she laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. "I'm not forcing you, I just want my best friend alongside me during my coronation."
"Have you asked Eirtaé?" Sabé asked her after thinking for a moment.
"No but I guessed that if you accepted she'd come along." Padmé said hopefully.
Sabé wasn't keen on leaving her family but she wanted to come with Padmé to the royal palace. At least, she would be alongside royalty and live with her best friends. The security would always be there and provide for them. She accepted.
"Great! We'll now tell Eirtaé and have her come with us!" Padmé smiled her biggest smile. She jumped up from her king-sized bed.
"I think she's home right now. Her family were gone on a trip for the weekend but they should be at home now."
"Fantastic. We'll go to her house now."
Sabé had totally forgotten the market. Now it was all about running to Eirtaé's house about the news.
Eirtaé hadn't been a childhood friend of the girls but they became friends at the private school. Eirtaé became like a third sister in the group and everything Padmé and Sabé were doing, Eirtaé had to be involved.
Padmé was often seen as the ringleader for outsiders. As she once had been the princess of Theed however it was her leadership skills that had the girls following her. Padmé wasn't the kind of person who always got into trouble, trouble had a way to find her.
When they reached to Eirtaé's family's lake house, they saw their friend down by the lake throwing stones.
"Step aside!" Eirtaé shouted in a theatrical voice. "Here comes her royal highness Queen Padmé of Naboo!" she continued as her friends were getting closer.
"And you are going to be her personal handmaiden." Sabé said.
Eirtaé looked confused. First at Sabé and then Padmé. "What the hell is she talking about?" she asked Padmé.
"I've chosen you as one of my handmaidens. You don't have to accept the offer if you don't want to..."
"Let me guess. I get to live in a palace far away from my family, I might get homesick but I'll be around you two, eat the finest food, travel the galaxy AND! And we get to meet cute Jedis?" Eirtaé asked and a grin appeared on her face.
"Eirtaé! Is that all you think about?" Sabé asked her.
"Why not?" Padmé said happily.
"Padmé!" Sabé reached for Padmé's arm. "You didn't tell me about any Jedi?"
Padmé shrugged. "Well I guess we'll meet someone. Jedi or no Jedi. I just hope someone will be handsome."
Sabé gave her a look of complete shock. She'll make the perfect Queen for all of us I am sure of that.
Meanwhile at the palace.
Panaka was wearing his royal uniform. The conservative knight was ready to welcome the young queen to the capitol. Captain Panaka had seen queens and kings come and go, yet he never enjoyed child rulers.
"You know what they say about those child rulers?" a knight from the queens guard said. "They bring a childlike kind of wisdom..."
"Anyone who searches for wisdom in a 13 year old girl is beyond saving. Remember men, she is going to need your full support. I won't let us fail her like we did with King Veruna." Panaka's voice was loud and penetrating. He was the most outspoken militant man on Naboo. He did not enjoy silly games nor chaos. He wanted order and respect.
The ship that was carrying the young but soon to be queen was approaching. Padmé was finally surrounded with her best friends. Everyone from their village were celebrating the princess who was now going to become queen. Everyone except Jobal Naberrie. Padmé's mother. Her husband would often remind her how great this was for the whole family and that Padmé was becoming queen was an honor. Still, Padmé was her youngest child, her baby girl. She was preparing Padmé for her new tasks and duties.
"You won't be a little girl anymore." her mother said to her calmly.
"I know mother." Padmé said, her eyes looking for Sabé and Eirtaé.
"Your childhood will end here and you will embark on a journey to womanhood." her mother said, playing with her hair. "Are you ready for that?"
Padmé did not want this conversation ever take place. She knew her mother well enough and she understood were this conversation was going, it's going on a guilt trip.
"I'm actually very excited." Padmé said feeling how her mother was pulling her hair to make an extravagant Nabooian hairstyle.
"That wasn't the question." her mother replied with a sigh.
Sabé and Eirtaé had fallen asleep next together.
"Their parents didn't ask them that question."
"Well, they aren't becoming the Queen of Naboo or are they?"
"This is a joyous occasion for us all." her father appeared saying. He glanced at Eirtaé and Sabé and shook his head. "Quite the handmaidens you've got there." her father said half jokingly.
"They'll learn." she answered him with a smile.
They arrived to the great palace of Naboo. The stoic building was glowing with turquoise and golden colors. A real treat for the eyes but also a bit frightening. This was going to be her home but it felt so out of place for her. Years the house next to the lake had been her home but now this almost foreign palace was going to be her home for the next 5 to 10 years. 2 uniform dressed men were waiting for her outside the palace.
Sabé and Eirtaé remained sleepy but tried their best to stay awake when meeting the men. Their stern faces looked almost threatening.
"Padmé Naberrie?" one man said with an harsh voice.
"Yes?" Padmé stepped forward, a little insecure.
"Welcome to your palace."
Your palace? It sounded unrealistic that this gorgeous building of fine Nabooian architecture was going to be hers for the time being.
Her parents were standing behind her and her friends.
"Come with us your highness." the other man said.
Sabé and Eirtaé followed the men as if Padmé was right next to them. She was almost glued to the spot. She felt her legs shaking and with her big eyes she looked up to the dome of the palace. Her father had to give a her a little push to make her take her first step. "Go on darling." he said.
Padmé looked back at her parents. Her father beaming with pride and her mother almost close to tears.
"And my parents?" Padmé raised her voice.
"I'm sorry your highness but they can't come with you."
They can't come with me? She stared at her mother. "Mother?" Padmé called out for her.
Her mother embraced her. "This is what you wanted isn't it my sweet child?"
Padmé nodded. Tears were coming down her eyes.
"This is a path you'll have to take then." her mother said, caressing her young daughter's cheek. "I will always be there for you and I'm so proud of you Padmé." with the tip of her finger, she dried her tears.
"I'm going to miss you and father, and Sola."
"Promise me one thing, that you'll be safe?" her mother said. Even though she knew her daughter was going to be surrounded by soldiers and guards, a bit of her was still unsure. Padmé was the baby of the family and you could say her mother was overprotective of her.
"I promise you. Nothing will happen to me." Padmé said, trying to speak clearly.
"Go on child, and keep your head held high. You are a queen now. And queens don't cry."
Padmé took a deep breath. Queens don't cry. It echoed in her brain. She wasn't just the daughter of Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie. She was going to be the mother of a nation, a leader for a whole planet. She wasn't going to let them down.
"Your highness. Captain Panaka is waiting for your entrance." the first guard said.
Padmé looked back to see Sabé and Eirtaé's worried faces.
"Go darling. Be brave. But never forget who you are."
Padmé nodded as an answer to her mother. She looked down at the ground and back at the guards who were waiting for her. She embraced her mother and without saying goodbye, turned her back on her parents to join her friends and guards.
She looked down at the ground and repeated to herself silently. Queens don't cry.