A/N: First of all I apologise for the length of this chapter, but it just didn't split anywhere that worked for the flow of the story. This is the final chapter, but there will be a chapter-length epilogue to follow.
The Hapes Charade.
Chapter Four: The Wise Heart.
It did not take Obi-Wan and Anakin long to find Ni'Korish. The Queen Mother had taken her daughters and retreated to her office, already gloating about how well the battle had gone. Listening outside the door, the two Jedi shared disgusted looks. The Queen Mother had obviously chosen to ignore the bodies of her own people lying on the ballroom floor.
"Is she armed?" Obi-Wan whispered.
Anakin shrugged. "Who knows? We can take her."
They took their lightsabres from their belts and held them poised. Obi-Wan pressed the door panel and they burst into the room, sabres ignited. The three women inside each gave a yell and started up from their seats.
Obi-Wan pointed his blade at the Queen Mother. "Excuse the interruption, Your Highness. We'd like you to answer some questions."
Ni'Korish tossed her head and scoffed. "Not likely."
"Okay then," Anakin said casually, pulling Princess Ta'a Chume towards him and holding his blade to her neck. "Maybe your daughter will?"
The Queen Mother blanched. Although her reasons were fickle, she did truly seem to care for her daughters. Ta'a Chume stood frozen in fear. Her sister, Secciah, was seething, but didn't dare move.
Ni'Korish met Obi-Wan's gaze, defiant yet afraid. "I thought all life was sacred to the Jedi."
"It is. But we must all do things we don't like in the pursuit of peace." The calm, matter of fact way he spoke seemed to alarm her.
"What do you want to know?" she said at length.
"Mother!" cried an outraged Secciah.
"Be quiet!"
"We want to know exactly what is going on here. If Hapes has joined Dooku why did you ask Senator Amidala and Duchess Satine here? And why did you attempt to kill us all?"
"We want our borders closed. We don't wish to be involved in your politics or your war. Viceroy Gunray offered us a quick and efficient break of the Federation trade routes through Hapes for a price. The price being Senator Amidala's life."
"And what about Duchess Satine?"
"Her involvement was unfortunate. In the wrong place at the wrong time."
"So you're not with the Separatists?"
"Certainly not!"
"Why not close your borders in a legal way?" Anakin asked. "Why endanger Senator Amidala?"
The Queen Mother gave him one of the haughty, proud looks she was so good at. "I am a leader. I will always take the best option on my people's behalf. The Trade Federation offered a hassle-free solution."
"Your people's behalf?" Obi-Wan repeated incredulously. "Has it escaped your notice just how many of your people are lying dead at the hands of your new allies?"
"There are always casualties in the quest to achieve what is best for the cluster."
There came a clatter of footsteps in the corridor, then Typho appeared, flanked by the Duchess's guards.
"Master Kenobi. It's good to see you're okay."
"You too, Captain. Are the survivors safe?"
"For the moment. I was hoping Senator Amidala would be with you."
"She's safe," Anakin said. "She and the Duchess and Sabé are with Prince Kalan."
Ni'Korish made a face. "Then my son is weaker than I thought."
"We weren't talking to you, Your Highness."
"Anakin, try not to upset her. Her blood pressure's probably sky high as it is."
"The droids will be out looking for your precious Senator," the Queen Mother sneered, glaring at Obi-Wan. "I do not think you will be dancing with her again."
Obi-Wan eyes narrowed but he said nothing.
Anakin's wrist communicator began to beep frantically. "Captain Typho, keep an eye on the ladies." He let go of Ta'a Chume and deactivated his sabre.
Obi-Wan followed him and they headed down the corridor, out of hearing range.
"Go ahead," Anakin ordered, opening a channel.
"Anakin!" came Padmé's voice, sounding both furious and anxious. "They've taken Sabé! They thought she was me!"
"What?" Obi-Wan barked.
"She offered herself up as me. You have to help her, they'll kill her!"
"Or they'll realise she's a decoy and come after you," Anakin theorised. "Stay where you are, we're coming."
"But Ani–"
Anakin cut her off, already running towards the doors.
"Always on the move," Obi-Wan murmured to himself. "Hold the fort, Captain!" he hollered, taking off after his friend. "Anakin! Anakin!"
But the impetuous young Jedi didn't stop until he noticed Obi-Wan heading off in a different direction.
"Where are you going? We're supposed to protect Padmé, not her decoy!"
"Anakin, think about it. How quickly do you think they'll realise who the real senator is if nobody attempts to rescue Sabé?"
Anakin's eyes lit up. "Good plan! I'll find Padmé. May the Force be with you."
"May the–" But he was already gone.
Obi-Wan sighed and punched a code into his comlink.
"Go ahead," came Padmé's voice.
"Padmé, I'm going after Sabé. Anakin will be with you shortly. Is there any way I can track her?"
"There should be a locator chip in some of the hair accessories she's wearing. The Naboo Council of Governors are very protective of me. I'll send you the signal code."
"Thank you."
"Good luck. And thank you, Obi-Wan." Padmé signed off.
Obi-Wan quickly received the code and accessed the locator's signal. Then he took off running.
Sabé was less than happy in her lofty position, the toes of her boots skimming the treetops. The binders cut into her wrists and ankles, and the droids' hands cut into her upper arms. The blustery weather was making her eyes sting, and on top of everything else it was absolutely freezing. The delicate satin gloves and thoroughly ruined dress were doing little to combat the biting wind.
At the beginning of the journey she had tried asking the traditional array of questions expected of a prisoner in her position: "Where are you taking me?", "What's going on?", "I demand to know…" and so on. But she had received nothing but the stoniest of silences.
Sabé was not prone to panic, but she could feel her alarm rising against her will at the irregularity of the whole situation. All her encounters with the viceroy had led her to conclude that he was a man of logic and structured order, who preferred to follow the instructions of others despite his leadership role. He was not entirely capable of making tough decisions, so he followed strict military procedure in the hope that it would steer him true. For him to order such a rash and disorganised capture as this one was turning out to be worried her immensely. It showed desperation, and a desperate man was prone to making reckless decisions. She knew his anger towards Padmé only grew the more she evaded him. It was a grudge blown far out of proportion, but one he clung to stubbornly like a tick to a Hutt. She wasn't entirely sure how she would be bearing the brunt of it.
The STAPs flew out of the woods and across a brief outcrop of rock. Then there was a steep, sharp drop as the cliff gave way to water. They circled it once before coming to a hovering stop, high above the middle. It was a perfect secret lake, surrounded by the remaining woods and mountains that gave Hapes its natural beauty. Sabé would have found it quite picturesque had she not been certain that she was going to end up in it.
"I have a bad feeling about this," she murmured.
"What now?" the droid holding her left arm asked its companion.
"We wait for the commander's signal," said the one on the right.
The wait was not long, but was still enough to stretch Sabé's already-taut nerves to breaking point. She was trained to face death, to accept it with resignation and dignity. Everything and everyone died someday and she had always anticipated going out in a blaze rather than any form of natural cause. And still, the fear of death was an instinct too deeply rooted and natural for her to overcome altogether. She was prepared for whatever lay before her, but at the same time she was troubled, suddenly unsure. Her heart was hammering at lightspeed, and everything she had ever regretted or wished she had done came back to mind.
Gunray, of course, could always be counted upon to gloat.
"Senator," his voice filtered through to her from the droids' communicators, "it is finally time for you to pay for your humiliation of me. This time there will be no mistakes. It is the end for you. You will–"
"Oh, get on with it," Sabé growled.
"As you wish," said Gunray, sounding decidedly irked. "Put her in."
The droids let go of her arms. Sabé plummeted towards the lake, her skirts flapping wildly, the pins torn from her once-neat hair. A scream of panic and outrage escaped her lips. She barely had time to pull in a lungful of air before she hit the surface. It was achingly cold, and the shock of it made her gasp and splutter. She managed to hold her breath before her head went under. With no buoyancy left in the dress and her bound limbs unable to tread water, she quickly sank.
She bent her knees, tucking her legs up tight to her chest. Then she moved her bound hands underneath her body, bringing them over her feet and legs until they were in front of her. Her wrists might still be tied, but at least they were in a position where she might be able to do something about it. She began to tug at the binders, knowing that it was probably pointless, and that she was running out of time. Her lungs screamed out for air. She fought it for as long as possible.
But she lost, as she knew she would. Her body gave up the fight long before her stubborn will to survive even suggested it. Her vision blurred and blackness overtook her. The last face she saw was Obi-Wan's.
Obi-Wan diligently followed the signal from the tracker, using the Force to push himself to greater limits. He traversed a fair distance of forest before he caught up with her. He came out of the trees into a clearing, beyond which lay a lake. In the clearing stood Viceroy Nute Gunray and a squadron of battle droids. Above the lake were two droids on STAPs and Sabé.
Gunray held a comlink and was speaking animatedly into it. "You will–"
"Oh, get on with it," Sabé said, her voice Padmé's, her tone purely her own.
Obi-Wan briefly smiled to himself.
Gunray's posture stiffened. "Very well. Put her in."
Obi-Wan watched, horrified, as Sabé's slender figure plunged down and quickly disappeared below the surface of the lake. He felt his heart tug painfully, as if there was a part of it that vanished with her. It was then, facing the potential of her imminent death, that he fully realised the depth of his feelings for her. He knew he'd been in denial, unwilling to accept the inevitable complications that would arise from loving her. He knew too that he'd been stupid for thinking that his affection and respect for Satine was akin to love. It was nothing like this. For the first time since his training he felt fear, the absolute, cold horror of facing loss. But rather than pushing him towards the Dark Side, it gave him focus. The prospect of Sabé's death was unacceptable to him, so he would fix the problem.
All these realisations hit him in less than a second. Her head had barely disappeared under the water before he was springing into action. He ignited his lightsabre and attacked the droids. He cut down three before they even reacted to his appearance. The rest started firing at once, while the viceroy found cover behind a tree. Obi-Wan reflected the bolts back and chopped off a few limbs and the brief battle was over. He flung out his palm at the two on the STAPs, knocking them into the lake with the Force. He turned to see Gunray scurrying away through the trees like the coward he was. Obi-Wan let him go, fixed on saving Sabé.
He shrugged off his robe and without hesitation dived into the lake. He swam down, using the Force to sense his way towards her. She had nearly hit the bottom. She was unconscious, her struggle with her binders only resulting in grazed wrists.
He wrapped an arm securely around her waist, then kicked off from the rocky lake bed. It was an excruciatingly slow swim back to the surface. Sabé was by no means a heavy burden, but it was awkward for him to only swim with one free arm.
Their heads broke the surface and he took a grateful breath. It didn't take him long to realise that Sabé wasn't breathing, and he struck out for the shore. He pulled her up onto a rocky beach, quickly casting his senses to determine that there were no enemies close by. He brushed the damp strands of hair off her face and, with some hesitancy, touched his lips to hers and breathed air into her lungs. He placed a hand on her forehead, reaching into the Force, calling her back to consciousness.
Her eyes opened and she coughed, spitting water onto the stone-ridden ground. Her gaze came to rest on him and he realised that he was still gripping her hand tightly in his.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Like someone who's been tied up and dumped in a lake," she said, her eyes never leaving his. "How did you find me in time? I thought Gunray had finally done it."
"Padmé told me about the tracking devices hidden in her hair accessories."
"Oh."
He helped her sit up and she took in her surroundings and his drenched appearance. "Thank you," she said simply.
He nodded, wondering what to say to her. To discover his feelings was one thing. To work out what to do about it was quite another.
Then Sabé shivered. The dress was not suitable for outdoor weather whilst dry, let alone wet.
"I left my robe on the cliff," Obi-Wan told her. "Wait here, I'll fetch it for you."
It didn't take him long to sprint there and back, and when he returned Sabé was tipping water out of her boot, a distinctly disgruntled expression on her face. He draped the robe around her shoulders and she put her arms through the sleeves with a grateful smile.
He returned it, studying her face. The make-up that had been so carefully applied to turn her into Padmé had been all but washed off, save for a couple of dark smudges around her eyes that made her look rather ghoulish. Her hair hung limply around her pale face. Her wrists, now that she had pulled off her gloves, he could see were bruised from the binders. Other than that she seemed unharmed. He was more grateful than he could find words for.
"How do we get back to the others?" she asked, getting to her feet and wrapping the robe more tightly around herself.
"Good question. I think our only option is on foot. I'll contact Anakin and get him to meet us." He punched the frequency into his comlink and waited for a response.
"Go ahead," came Anakin's familiar drawl.
"It's me."
There was a yell from Padmé in the background. "Is Sabé okay?"
"Yes, Senator, she's fine. We're heading back to the palace now, but it could take a while. We'd be grateful if you could send a speeder."
"Of course. We'll be right there. Turn on your tracker."
Obi-Wan activated it, the put the comlink away. He turned back to his companion. "We could stay here and wait, but I think you'll be warmer if we keep moving."
"I agree."
He pivoted, preparing to set out, but she grabbed his hand. "Thank you," she muttered.
"You already said that," he told her good-humouredly.
"I know. But I really mean it. You didn't have to come after me. I'm just the decoy, I'm supposed to be expendable."
"Nobody considers you expendable. And I did have to come after you." He shot her a small, distracted smile and began the walk towards the woods.
Sabé hurried after him, her mind buzzing with questions. Amongst the intense relief she felt at being rescued and her gratitude for the rescuer, she had noticed his preoccupied mood and wondered at its cause. She didn't believe that it was due to her brush with death. He saw his compatriots face it on a daily basis out on the frontlines.
They walked in silence for a few moments, navigating their way through the trees. Then Sabé decided to breach a heavy subject.
"What exactly is your past with Duchess Satine? She seems slightly fixated on you."
He grimaced. "Yes, I was afraid of that. We met many years ago. Master Qui-Gon and I were sent to Mandalore for a year or so to provide protection for the Duchess during her planet's time of unrest. I got to know her quite well and…" he trailed off, searching for words.
"You fell in love?" Sabé supplied, surprised at the strength of the flutter of pain and bitterness the phrase evoked in this particular context.
Obi-Wan paused, considering. "I'm not sure. I certainly thought so at the time, but we were both very young."
"What happened?"
"Nothing. Nothing was ever said or done, but we knew things had changed. Shortly afterward Qui-Gon and I were reposted elsewhere. I didn't see Satine again until Mandalore's recent trouble with Death Watch. She was taken hostage at one point on the journey to Coruscant and declared herself to me. I think I must have failed miserably at hiding my discomfort, but she pressed me for an answer."
"What did you tell her?" Sabé asked, curious in spite of herself.
"Only the truth. But I don't think it was quite what she wanted to hear. But I couldn't lie to her and say more than I felt. I do care about her, she's a remarkable woman."
"But?"
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter."
Sabé was taken aback. His sudden silence after being so open was jarring. "I know the Code forbids love, but I always assumed that you had a sort of understanding." She wasn't entirely sure why she was pursuing the topic so much, but she couldn't help her inquisitive nature.
"An understanding? No." There was a brief pause, then he ventured, "The Code forbids possession and attachment, which, I'm beginning to comprehend, are entirely separate from love. For the majority of my life I've assumed that they go hand in hand. But that's not the case, not when the love you feel is pure and true and unselfish as it ought to be."
Sabé stopped walking, surprised to hear that sort of revelation from him.
He stopped too, glancing at her. "What?"
"I just didn't expect that. I had no idea you thought that way."
"I didn't," he said, meeting her gaze, "until recently."
The insinuation was unmistakeable. A long look passed between them while Sabé scrambled for words.
"I can't make you any promises," he said truthfully. "I can't say I'll leave the Order for you, it's my destiny to be there."
"I-I would never ask you to," she sputtered, hardly believing where the conversation had taken them.
He smiled. "I know. But I can't offer you anything."
"No," she countered. "You've offered me everything that matters." She placed a hand above his heart.
He covered her hand with his and held it.
Sabé knew, upon reflection, that she was being incredibly calm about the whole situation. But she had loved him, unrequited, for so long that it hadn't really sunk in that that love was now returned. Yet, she knew that if this one moment was all she would ever have, she would be content. The love of a Jedi was rarely found, but was the most benevolent, the most untainted and the most valued in the galaxy. But it was often the most fleeting, for it was difficult to maintain constancy without it becoming attachment.
However, unbeknownst to Sabé, this was something that Obi-Wan had already mastered. He had loved her since the Battle of Naboo, he had simply failed to realise it.
Sabé couldn't believe how utterly wrong her assumptions were. She wondered how Satine would react. She wasn't sure that she wanted to find out.
"I understand that there's no future in this," she said. "And if this is the only time I get to say it, that's fine. But I love you, Obi-Wan. I always will."
Casting his resolve and future intentions momentarily aside, he placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her. It was something he'd never allowed himself with Satine or Siri, but then he'd never felt the need so much before.
Sabé's heart leapt and she leaned into him, trying to memorize the feeling and sensation of his kiss, knowing that it would be the only one they shared. They were both still dripping wet from the lake water, but his lips were warm on hers and his arms seemed to soothe her shivers away.
In the distance there came the hum of an approaching speeder. They reluctantly drew apart, gazing at each other.
"I'm sorry," Obi-Wan said, a hint of anguish in his azure eyes.
Sabé didn't say a word. She knew it all. He was sorry he would cause her pain, sorry that a single moment was all there would ever be between them, sorry he could not give up his duty as a Jedi. Sorry that they were interrupted.
A search light swept the forest floor and they turned their heads upwards. A sleek skiff vehicle was skimming the treetops, rapidly approaching their position. Sabé choked back her emotion, letting her professional persona take charge. Obi-Wan ignited his lightsabre as a beacon and the skiff hovered above them, lowering a small lift. They stepped aboard and were hauled up. Anakin, Padmé, Satine and Kalan were all waiting for them on board.
Sabé found herself immediately wrapped up in a hug from Padmé.
"Gods, Sabé! Are you okay? You're both soaked!"
"I was given a spontaneous tour of the lake by Gunray. Obi-Wan rescued me."
Padmé looked hard at her friend, studying her face. Sabé shrugged off the attention, awkwardly catching Satine's eye as she looked away. The Duchess's perfect features wore an unreadable expression. Kalan hovered by her elbow, as was becoming the norm. Although he was charming and friendly, subtlety did not seem to be one of his best traits.
"I can't believe you did that, Sabé!" Padmé scolded. "You shouldn't have put yourself forward like that."
"It's my job, Padmé. The Order of Sanctuary do not shirk their responsibilities under any circumstances."
"But–"
"No buts. How can we argue for a quicker return to democracy if you let yourself fall into enemy hands?"
Padmé frowned but fell silent. Satine was looking at Sabé with a new level of respect, although there was still something less friendly behind it. Padmé handed over her sword, and Sabé thanked her as if the senator had reunited her with an old friend. At that the Duchess glanced over with open disapproval. Sabé ignored her and held the sword by her side, where it belonged.
"Captain Typho's got the Queen Mother and the Princesses under guard at the palace," Anakin informed them.
"We must hurry back to see that she has not caused any further trouble," Kalan said with a frown.
Anakin piloted the skiff back to the palace. Nobody on board said another word. Their minds were too full.
The Queen Mother and her daughters had not made things easy for Typho in the absence of the Jedi. Ni'Korish had managed to call for her bodyguards, and those who were not tending to the wounded or wounded themselves hurried to her aid. They managed to surprise Typho, but his squad and the Mandalorians quickly beat them back. The royals themselves had made a brief attempt to join in the scuffle. Typho now sported a large graze down his cheek courtesy of Ta'a Chume's fingernails. By the time the skiff docked at the Fountain Palace and its passengers disembarked, Typho had regained control.
Padmé, Kalan and Satine entered the room first, with Sabé and the Jedi behind. The first thing they saw was the Queen Mother and the two princesses wearing identical glares. They were surrounded by a squadron made up of Naboo and Mandalorian guards.
"Mother," Kalan began, his tone as sharp as a sword. "What have you done? How is striking underhand deals with the Trade Federation a good way to rule?"
"You know nothing of what it is to rule!" Ni'Korish spat. "You're only a man."
"That is not my fault. But even I, 'only a man', can see that making a decision that results in the needless slaughter of our people is not the mark of a good leader."
"Perhaps you should direct that speech to the Republic or the C.I.S and their decision to go to war."
"Perhaps I will. One day. But that is hardly the issue here."
"Your Highness," said Padmé, stepping forward, "thanks to your deal my handmaiden was abducted in my place and nearly killed."
"Then I am sorry for her, but my planets must always come first." Ni'Korish scanned Sabé from head to toe, her expression derisive. "But those are brave words from a woman who hides behind a decoy."
Anakin ignited his lightsabre and stepped up, pointing it at Ni'Korish. "You will pay for what you've done," he growled.
"No," Obi-Wan said. "Hapes is not part of the Republic. We cannot judge and punish her."
Padmé placed a hand on her husband's arm. "Anakin. We don't have the authority to act against her."
"You want to just walk away?" Anakin asked incredulously.
"Yes. But don't worry. She'll have Viceroy Gunray for company. I don't think he'll be so keen to uphold your deal now."
The Queen Mother gave a sneer. "It is not my fault that he failed to capture the right woman."
Anakin lowered his sabre with a look of disgust.
"Where is the viceroy anyway?" Satine asked.
"Most likely still wandering the woods," Obi-Wan replied. "Although I must say, the palace is remarkably free of battle droids."
"He only brought a small battalion with him," snapped Princess Secciah sulkily.
Padmé glanced at Typho. "Captain, watch the ladies until we're ready to leave."
"Yes, Milady."
"Um…where are her bodyguards?"
Typho's face twitched in his efforts to hold back a smirk. "Unconscious."
Padmé gave him a small smile, then turned to Sabé. "Go and get changed, Sabé. Gather my essentials and get Threepio. We're leaving."
"Milady." Sabé dipped a bow, then made a hasty retreat.
Back in Padmé's suite she quickly set Threepio to work packing as many of the senator's belongings as possible. Then she stepped into the fresher to scrub away the dank smell of the lake water. Under the warm spray she was able to let herself reflect on the events of the night. As she replayed it all she felt herself begin to tremble at the sheer range of emotions she had been through. She stepped out and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. With an unsteady hand she touched her lips and the cheek that had felt the warmth of Obi-Wan's palm. Somehow she almost expected them to look different and was surprised when everything appeared the same. She felt so altered herself that it was unimaginable to find no marks of change upon her skin.
"Sabé," came Padmé's voice through the door, making her jump. "Are you nearly done?"
"Yes. Almost." Sabé quickly turned away from the mirror and dried herself. She pulled on her handmaiden's dress and boots and left the fresher. She found her belt and hurriedly put it on, attaching her sword. Then she helped gather the remainder of their luggage.
"Are you okay?" Padmé asked her, concern written in her brown eyes, so similar to Sabé's own.
"I will be." Seeing her friend's expression she added, "I'll tell you later."
Within a whirlwind few moments she was standing in the palace's grand entrance hall, once more part of Padmé's entourage. Duchess Satine was already there, her face a serene mask, beneath which a lot was held in check.
Finally the Jedi entered, accompanied by Typho and the other security officers. They still held the Queen Mother at blaster point.
"Let me go," she was grumbling. "You have no right to hold us like this."
"It's just for reassurance, Your Highness," Anakin told her, enjoying her anger far more than he should.
"Why do you imagine I would stop you leaving?"
"No reason. We'd just prefer if you didn't call your buddies the Trade Federation down on us."
"They are no friends of mine!"
"Nevertheless," Obi-Wan cut in, "we will keep you with us until we leave." He gave a nod towards Padmé and Satine, and the group moved out to the landing courtyard.
As they approached the ship, one of the guards came forward to meet them. "I checked the ship like you asked, Master Kenobi. Nothing seems out of place."
Obi-Wan searched the Queen Mother's face before turning to the guard. "Thank you. Tell the pilots to get to the cockpit. The senator and the Duchess will board now."
"Yes, sir."
Obi-Wan waved them forward and the two senatorial parties moved towards the ship. Sabé glanced back, gravely aware of everything that was unsaid between them. The moment she did it she knew it was a mistake. Satine's sharp eyes watched her, then flicked to gauge Obi-Wan's reaction. What she saw in his face as he looked back at Sabé caused her to give a sharp intake of breath. She kept her pain hidden behind her political mask but Sabé saw it. She knew what she had done and she couldn't help feeling sorry for it. She was not a malicious person by nature and she hated the part of her that felt glad that she had won, if it could be called that. It was a small part, whose thoughts she quashed as soon as they entered her head, but it was there nonetheless.
Needing a distraction, she turned to Padmé. "I'm going to help the guards with the wounded. I think they could do with another person with medical training. Mine is basic, but I might be of use."
"Of course, Sabé. I should have thought of that myself. Go ahead."
Sabé bowed hastily and hurried back into the palace to catch up with the injured, who were making their slow way towards the ship with the help of the security team.
"Commander," she began, spotting the officer in charge, "are all of our people out of the ballroom?"
"Yes, Milady."
It had struck Sabé as odd when she had first qualified as a handmaiden to find that she carried this title, especially now that Padmé herself was addressed by it. But on Naboo it was not so much the title that determined the level of rank but rather the way it was used. When the guards addressed Padmé as 'Milady' it was with a certain reverence that Sabé knew she herself would never receive.
She swept her gaze over the eight wounded security officers. It was miraculous that they had no fatalities.
"Did the Hapan medical droids turn up to tend to their people?" she asked.
"Yes, Milady. We made sure of that before we left the ballroom."
"Good. The Queen Mother may have made an ill-advised bargain with the Federation, but her people don't deserve to be treated poorly because of it."
She glanced at the wounded guard bringing up the rear, struggling on his own with a blaster shot to the leg.
"Carry on, Commander," she ordered. "I'll help out where I'm needed."
"Very good, Milady."
Sabé headed over to the guard, trying to call his name to mind. She put his arm across her shoulders and helped him take some of the weight off his injured leg.
"Thank you, Milady," he rasped, teeth clenched against the pain.
"Have you not received a pain killer patch?"
"We didn't have enough. There were people in worse shape."
She smiled faintly. "Very honourable. In that case, squeeze my hand if it gets too much."
"I wouldn't want to damage it, Milady," he said, attempting light-heartedness.
"I'm tougher than I look," she told him reassuringly. "Come on." As they went, Sabé remembered him as Jak Theta, a low-ranking officer of Typho's who looked set to forge a promising career in the Naboo security force. Sabé knew the names of all the guards, of course, but they came and went so frequently that she often had trouble keeping up.
"Can I ask you a question, Milady?"
"Of course."
"I hope you don't think me rude, but I was wondering why you choose to carry a sword in a galaxy where everyone has blasters. Surely you run a higher risk of injury."
"It's mostly tradition, and a symbol of my rank as a Royal Handmaiden. But I rarely use it."
"But in the battle back there…"
"I would have been better off with a blaster, I know. But I only carry the one and I wanted the senator to have it. Besides, I was fighting alongside Master Kenobi, which takes the pressure off somewhat!"
"I'll bet."
Sabé was sure he would have kept the conversation going longer, if only to distract himself from the pain. But as they approached the ship, anther distraction presented itself in the form of an argument between Prince Kalan and the Queen Mother. They were both shouting vehemently at each other in Hapan, with the two princesses adding occasional comments, presumably to back up their mother. Obi-Wan and Anakin were standing beside them looking rather bemused. As Sabé and Theta drew nearer, Threepio teetered over to the Jedi.
"Threepio, can you understand this?" Anakin asked.
"Of course I can, Master Anakin. I am fluent in over six million forms of communication and can–"
"Right now we just need you to be fluent in this one. What are they saying?"
Threepio turned his head towards the pair. Kalan and Ni'Korish didn't seem to register his involvement.
"Prince Kalan is declaring his intention to leave Hapes, and the Queen Mother is refusing her permission," the droid reported.
"It doesn't sound like he's asking her permission," Anakin observed.
"He isn't. But she is arguing that he should be."
"Mother," said Kalan firmly, switching to Basic for the sake of the small group of observers, "I am leaving and I am going to find a place for myself in the Republic. You're constantly telling me how little use I am to you, so I am removing myself."
"You cannot! I am your mother and your Queen!"
"I'm sorry," Kalan said simply, turning to go.
"Kalan!" Secciah screeched.
Ta'a Chume added, "Don't!"
Kalan looked back at them and smiled. "Take care, little sisters." Then he pivoted and started walking towards the ship, the Jedi and Threepio following.
Sabé squeezed Theta's hand and shot him a quick smile. "We'd better catch up."
"I'll do my best."
Overhearing, Obi-Wan headed back to help them, taking Theta's other arm across his shoulders.
"Thank you, Master Kenobi," the guard said with palpable gratitude.
"Not a problem."
Sabé couldn't see his face, but his arm overlapped with hers around Theta's waist. She found all her awareness drawn to that one place, against her will.
"Milady?"
"Sabé?" Obi-Wan prompted gently.
"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Theta. I was in a world of my own. What did you say?"
But Theta didn't get the chance to reply. The stillness of the courtyard was split asunder by the yells of the Queen Mother.
Kalan's shoulders stiffened at her words, but he didn't stop walking and he didn't turn.
"What did she say?" Anakin asked Threepio.
"She said 'You are not my son and you are never to return to the cluster'."
Unsure what to comment, the group boarded the ship in silence. Sabé and Obi-Wan escorted Theta to the medical bay and wordlessly flitted around, offering assistance when the droids were busy elsewhere. They didn't speak and they barely looked at each other. It hurt too much. Sabé was resigned to the fact that they would part ways and most likely not meet again, but it was so difficult to bear when they were still in each other's company, together without the luxury of being so in any kind of affectionate way.
The incident with Satine on the landing platform had made Sabé cautious, and she hid her feelings securely behind the placid expressions of a handmaiden. But it was not long before the medical droids had everything under control and their help was no longer required. Shooed out from the medical bay, they suddenly found themselves alone in the corridor. Sabé stole a tentative glance up at Obi-Wan and found that he was doing the same at her.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded. "Just about. Are you?"
"Just about."
They shared an intimate, significant look. Then Threepio appeared, requesting their presence, and they joined the others in silence.
When they arrived back on Coruscant the weather was as bleak as Sabé's mood. The planet-wide city reflected the grey sky in its gleaming transparisteel, making everything appear cold and dull.
The party disembarked from the Nubian cruiser and paused to exchange farewells. Satine took Padmé's hand and gave her a smile.
"Spending time with you is never boring, Padmé!" she said brightly.
Sabé cringed to see her trying so hard.
"It was good to see you, Satine."
"I'm flying back to Mandalore the day after tomorrow, but do keep in touch."
"Of course."
To Sabé's surprise the Duchess's gaze came to settle on her.
"It was very interesting to meet you, Sabé," she said, her eyes glacial.
"Likewise, Milady," Sabé replied properly, dipping a curtsey.
"My lady," said Kalan, pausing in his admiring gazes at the scenery, "do you think it possible that I might visit Mandalore with you? I am intrigued by your decision to remain neutral in the war."
Satine could not resist a quick glance at Obi-Wan before she gave her answer. "Of course, Your Highness. I would be honoured to have you accompany me."
"Kalan, please. I am not royalty any more."
"Take care of yourself, Kalan," Padmé put in.
"You too, Senator."
At that moment two air taxis arrived, coming in to hover at the sides of the landing platform. The drivers stepped out and came forward to meet them.
"Kryze party," said one.
"Amidala party," said the other.
Satine turned to go, Kalan at her side. She did not look back again, and her posture seemed tenser than usual. Sabé had almost been expecting a grand exit, with glares aplenty. The Duchess's rather understated retreat felt like an ellipsis on a page: fragmentary, with more to be said.
"I hope it will not be too long before we see you both again, Master Jedi," Padmé spoke up. "Thank you for your protection. I'm very grateful."
They bowed and Padmé inclined her head.
"Until next time, Senator," Obi-Wan said. Then he added softly, "Goodbye, Sabé."
Her eyes sought his. "Goodbye."
Padmé and Anakin exchanged an inquisitive look. Then the moment was gone and Sabé dropped her gaze to the ground. Padmé nodded to the Jedi and walked to the air taxi, her entourage in the correct formation behind her.
As they joined the endless streams of traffic around the skyscrapers, Sabé firmly looked towards the horizon, determined to live her life content in the knowledge that her feelings were not in vain. Then she felt Padmé subtly squeeze her hand and realised her face was wet with tears. Living a normal life was going to be much harder than she thought. But for Obi-Wan's sake she would try.
A/N: Again, thank you to River Winters for her help in ironing out some of the romantic moments here :) Epilogue will be up some time next week.
