After months on the run in the wilderness who wouldn't enjoy a little leisure time kicking back and watching the holonets. Just don't believe everything you see.
Chapter 3
Finally a moment's peace. Satine's return to the palace had thrown the entire staff into an uproar. The Duchess had been effectively missing for an entire day and everyone wanted to know where and why and make sure she was now still sound of mind and body. She told them as little as possible, informing that she had made contact with a seamstress who would be coming to fit her for a new wardrobe in three days. They tried to press her with food and drink and finally to get rid of them she had agreed to have a droid deliver a cup of blue milk and a sandwich to her room.
Now she was alone with the service droid, whom after delivering her snack had stayed to pick up the clothes she had discarded around the chamber and vacuum up the crumbs she had spilled on the floor after pinching off a bit of the bread from the sandwich. Dressed in a nightgown and lying in her bed she knew she would never be able to sleep. Satine thought of Bo-Katan's holoscreen and wondered if the net might provide her some mind numbing entertainment.
She had never been fond of the holonets. Her parents had steered her away from the news and gossip programs when she was very young and at the academy the dramas that her dorm mates giggled over seemed unrealistic and silly. Tonight a little silliness sounded like just the thing to take her mind off everything else.
She asked the droid, "Can someone bring me a Holoscreen?"
"You have one, Mistress." The droid walked over to the wall across from the bed and pushed a button on a panel Satine had never noticed before. The picture above the panel slid to the side to reveal a screen at least a meter wide.
"Well." The Duchess's eyebrows rose. "I suppose that will be sufficient. How do I work it?"
The droid pointed. "The remote is in your bedside table."
Satine reached over to open the drawer and found a control panel covered in buttons. She pressed one and the screen on the wall sparked to life. It was a bit overwhelming seeing the pictures appear so large but with a little playing around she discovered that she could decrease the viewing area more to her liking.
"Will there be anything else, Mistress?" The service droid asked.
Satine dismissed it with a wave. "No, thank you. You may go." She flipped through a few networks long enough to see that the dramas were as idiotic as she remembered and then thought about the fact that Gran was coming in a few days and she ought to have an idea of what sort of style clothing she might like to wear.
The sheer volume and variety of fashion networks was overwhelming but she was immediately able to count out anything that was not for a humanoid species, anything terribly tight, or anything with an exposed stomach. What she needed was something to hide her changing figure. She flipped through program after program and story after story until she happened upon a review of some of the dresses worn by a young queen and her handmaidens. The outfits were appropriate for the formal functions Satine needed to attend and the volume of fabric used in some of the gowns could have probably hidden a galaxy class star ship.
Satine turned up the sound and listened to the rest of the story. The newly elected queen was from the planet of Naboo and she was a few years younger than Satine. It was "too bad that the planet is under a blockade by the Trade Federation," the reporter was saying, "These designs will have to stay on Naboo until Queen Amidala can work out her differences with the Neimoidians."
Now this was interesting. Satine followed a link to a story about the trade blockade. It spoke of in depth Senate negotiations and a request for help from the Republic. There were rumors that Chancellor Velorum was going to get the Jedi involved. Her search wouldn't bring up any information about which Jedi would be or had been sent. She would have to follow the events as they unfolded. She saved the story and set it to ping her if there was any developing news.
Satine glanced at the chronometer on her bedside table. She'd been up half the night already but she still didn't feel tired. On a whim she decided to search her own name. Not a bad idea to see what people thought about her, if anyone other than Bo-Katan even cared.
First a few hits came up, then a hundred more. When the stories related to her name reached the 10,000s, she started looking for a way to narrow it down. She chose something at random just to stop the counter from continuing to rise. It was a local Mandalore network. Her people were worried about her.
Someone thought she'd looked a bit ill when she first arrived in Sundari and left the shuttle. Satine could verify that. She had felt ill that day. Someone blamed the Jedi for trying to slowly poison her. Or maybe they had brainwashed her with their sorcery. Was she even fit to rule?
"Well, Really!" she exclaimed at the screen. "I'd been in the desert, on the run for months! How would you feel?"
She clicked on another story. This one, almost a little too close to the truth, went into greater detail with a theory that one of the Jedi had seduced her. There were close up still pictures of Obi standing in the doorway of the shuttle. And then one of her face looking back at him. Satine reversed the vid just a bit and paused it so she could see him again. Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffed back a sob.
Then something on the holoscreen started beeping. Breaking News! Developing Story! Satine navigated away from the picture of Obi-wan to the new story, wondering if it could already be more information about the Jedi being sent to Naboo.
"We have been following a story of Duchess Satine's day long disappearance. Earlier it was reported that Her Grace's shuttle was located on a small dock in the old capital city of Keldabe and now we have evidence of what she was up to. These holostills were taken just a few hours ago of a hooded figure walking with a handsome but unknown Academy cadet."
Satine watched as they showed a picture of herself on the swing with Pre standing behind her. And another of her on the swing with him kneeling in front of her. Then there was a third picture of the two of them walking and holding hands.
Feedback on the story started popping up right away. Some people just liked it, others said that there was no way you could tell if it was the Duchess or not with that hood.
The reporter continued, "Now you may be asking, 'how could we possibly know that this hooded person is in fact the Duchess Satine?'"
Satine laughed. "That's exactly what they're asking!"
"We believe this last still will clear up any of your doubts."
It was the only moment that Satine remembered noticing a flash but then the other stills were taken in daylight. This one was taken at the darkened hanger but with her hood pushed back there was surely very little doubt that the girl in the cloak being passionately kissed by the Academy cadet was in fact herself.
The royal seal on the side of the shuttle right behind the couple further fueled the excitement of the program's viewers. Some of them still seemed to be skeptical. "The pictures could be a fake." "Maybe it was just someone who looked like the Duchess." But the majority of the comments that Satine scrolled through were happy for her, glad that her love interest was one of their own, a Mandalorian rather than the Jedi she had been making eyes at before, and they all seemed to be very curious about who this handsome cadet could be.
"Maybe we'll find out in a couple of weeks when Duchess Satine attends the Academy graduation ceremony." The reporter added.
By then Satine was laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. Maybe it was the lateness of the hour or the giddy sense of relief or just the absurdity of it all. She read a few more of the comments ignoring negative ones and just focusing on the fact that her people did like her, and did want to see her happy. She finally fell asleep with the screen still running an old comedy program, and with a smile on her face.
"Quite a turn out for a graduation ceremony," said Satine to the Prime Minister who was sitting next to her on the dais that had been set up for the occasion.
He nodded solemnly but there was a hint of sparkle in his eye. "First ever graduation for the Royal Academy but I believe we have you to thank for the turn out, my Lady. It is your graduating class after all."
"It would have been if I'd had the chance to finish my education." She frowned.
"Just because you received part your education through first hand experience doesn't make it any less valid."
"Do you really think so, Prime Minister?"
"Yes, I do. As you continue to gain confidence, you are proving yourself worthy of your calling."
Satine considered this and smiled. "Thank you, Prime Minister." Her confidence in herself had grown in the last few weeks. The dedication of Peace Park, the week before, had been a remarkable success. She hoped it was a sign that her people really were on board with her stance for Peace.
Of course the new dresses that Gran had made for her also gave her a sense of power. She searched the crowd for the seamstress now and was able to spot Bo-Katan's newly red hair easily in the sea of pale yellow. Gran was next to her in the area marked out for the families of the graduates. Satine waved at them and smiled.
The Duchess had been smiling a lot more lately. The gossip nets were full of theories as to why. Most of them pointing to a certain holo-still of a girl in a cloak being kissed by a handsome cadet. She blushed slightly at the thought. Not of the kiss itself, that had been innocent enough between friends. Hadn't it? But all the speculation around it made it seem like quite a lot more.
The ceremony began, then with the marching in of the youngest academy students then each successive level until finally the graduates themselves entered. Satine blushed a bit deeper pink at the thought of seeing Pre's face again but she was disappointed to see that all of the graduating cadets were wearing their helmets.
She leaned forward a bit to see the Academy director who sat on the other side of the Prime Minister and asked, "Why are the graduates wearing their helmets to the ceremony?"
"Something we thought we would try." He answered her quietly and then stood up to the podium as the 7 graduating cadets took their seats in the row in front of the first row of spectators.
"It was in the midst of our civil war that several of the clans decided that we could put aside some of our differences and find a way to instruct our best and brightest young people how to be the leaders of the next generation. That was the beginning of the Royal Academy of Government and here you see before you the first group of students to complete that education..."
Satine didn't pay much attention to the opening remarks as the director welcomed everyone, and said what a wonderful occasion it was. She was too busy trying to guess which of the helmeted cadets was which. She almost missed her own name being mentioned by the director and then he was asking her to stand. She did so, hesitantly.
". . . This is why we have decided to award Duchess Satine an honorary graduation medal." The director took one of the medals from the podium and walked over to her. She bowed her head and he attempted to slip the ribbon over her headdress. She wished now that she had asked Gran not to make it quite so elaborate. The ribbon got caught on a few feathers, to a smattering of laughter from the audience, and had to be untangled before she could raise her head and thank the director and the other instructors of the Academy.
When she was seated again, a few more words were said about the real graduates and then in alphabetical order they were called forward to receive their medals. As each cadet's name was called he or she took off their helmet and carried it under their left arm. They were given their medals by the director, shook hands with the Prime Minister and then shook hands with her. After that they took seats on the dais to her right, filling up first the furthest seat away from her until the last cadet would take the seat right next to her. Satine tried to calculate who that would be alphabetically but she couldn't really concentrate on that while she was congratulating all of her old friends.
There was loud murmur through the crowd when "Jerec, Krispin" was called forward. He had been a particular friend of Satine's who had always stood up for her when she defended her pacifism. Maybe it was because she smiled wider when she saw him remove his helmet. Or because she gave him a hug instead of just shaking his hand. The audience must have thought they were finally going to learn the identity of her mystery man. But, then he turned to face them and took his seat and there was a sort of collective, "Awe." when they could see that he was not.
Satine barely held back a giggle while she congratulated another graduate and then another and then with only two left the director called the name of, "Wren, Trev," she frowned. She was fairly sure that Viszla would come before Wren. Could it be that someone had altered the program to save him for last?
Satine shook Trev's hand and he sat leaving the seat between them open for the last graduate. The director paused for a moment and Satine wanted to tell him to get on with it. She could tell that the audience was just as impatient as she was. Some of them were craning their necks to get a look at who was left and whispering to each other.
The director waited for silence. "Ah and our final graduate, please come forward, Viszla, Pre."
There was a gasp. Had the director said he was a Viszla? Pre took it in stride. He took off his helmet and set it in the seat next to him rather than carrying it with him. Then on his way up to the dais he roguishly plucked a flower from one of the decorative vases beside the podium. He received his medal and shook hands with the director and the Prime Minister. Then he stepped not exactly in front of Satine. He was playing to the crowd and wanted them to be able to see as he handed her the flower before taking her hand and kissing it.
The audience erupted. Satine laughed and Pre grinned at her.
"A little melodramatic, don't you think?" she asked as he took the seat beside her and kept a hold of her hand.
"Ah, it's good for your image. And mine." he raised his eyebrows.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "So you arranged all this? the helmets? changing the order of names?"
"Not all of it, but I thought it might be entertaining so I went along."
The director was giving a speech now but not many people were really paying any attention. Pre leaned toward her and whispered, "Speaking of melodramatic, what is that thing on your head? I mean Mother did great on the dress, but feathers?"
"Well what would you suggest?" she whispered back trying not to burst out laughing.
"Flowers, I think." He took the flower he had given her from her hand and stuck it behind her ear. "Better suits your personality."
There was another murmur from the audience and Satine realized that they should probably give the director the attention he deserved. She squeezed Pre's hand that was holding hers and tried to listen to the speech.
The Director was saying something about a couple of the graduates having taken electives in piloting. He asked them to stand and they were dismissed to give a demonstration of their skills.
Satine and Pre turned their eyes to the air above, but he whispered to her again. "So this being seen together thing seems to be working out alright for both of us?"
"Yes I suppose so."
"Then when shall we be seeing each other again?"
"That depends on when you're leaving for Concordia. That is still the plan."
"Yes. I'll be leaving in a week but I'll be traveling back and forth with the Governor when he comes for council meetings."
Satine grinned. "I hear there's an opera playing. If you were to be standing outside my private box when I arrived you might be invited in."
"Opera?" he growled a little too loud and then whispered again. "Satine, you know I can't stand..." He looked at her grinning and grinned back. "Alright. Then where are we on this no kissing arrangement?"
She sighed and glanced out at the audience. Some of them were looking at the aerial demonstration but more than a few still had their eyes on she and Pre. She felt a bit guilty about that first publicized kiss. She wondered of Obi-wan ever watched the holonets, if he had seen. No, she needed to get over him. Maybe this was just what she needed.
"Satine?" Pre pressed.
"I guess a peck on the cheek every now and then would be alright."
He grinned and took full advantage of her permission, leaning over immediately and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
There was a burst of applause from the crowd. At first Satine looked up to see what new trick the pilots had performed but all eyes were now on she and Pre.
Transitioning from the fun and excitement of the graduation ceremony one day to a government business meeting the next was harder than Satine expected. It began with the respected gentlemen, ministers and governors congratulating her for her "honorary" graduation medal that felt more like a reminder that she had failed at completing her education. They were more than happy to point out her ignorance, however small, in any subject brought to the table, and after one of them had the gall to refer to her as "My dear girl," she could never seem to get control of the conversation again.
Deputy Minister Almec attempted to sway the meeting back into her favor but as he was only 'present' as a holo projection from Kalevala, it wasn't much help. And Pre wasn't much help either. He just sat there in his now official seat next to Governor Tarek of Concordia, grinning. She supposed there wasn't much he could do, though. He was only an assistant and his grin was probably meant to encourage her. It didn't work.
The one good thing about being virtually ignored by everyone at the table was that she could give her almost full attention the the most curious feeling. It was a flutter, like butterfly wings, hardly even noticeable but definitely not from her imagination. Obi-wan's child was making itself known. She had to stop herself from grinning like an idiot. How would that make her look to these stuffy old men?
Satine tried to keep up with the thread of the conversation and she absolutely refused to decide on or sign anything they had discussed until she had done a little more research. She insisted that items that needed her attention should be brought to her office and she would look over them and return to the next meeting with her decisions.
Desk covered with papers and data pads, Satine didn't know where to start. She was exhausted and wanted more than anything to go to her quarters and collapse onto her bed. However, if she was ever going to convince her ministers that she was capable to rule, she needed to get a handle on all of the policies and legislation in front of her.
There was a knock at the door.
"Enter."
The door swished open and Pre stood there a moment before he walked in closing the door behind him. "Not an easy day for you."
"No." She rubbed her forehead. "I'm sure I'll get the gist of it eventually but being thrown into it all at once, it's..." She didn't finish.
Pre walked around behind her and began to rub her shoulders.
"That feels nice." She closed her eyes and might have dozed off until he bent down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. She jerked away, suddenly irritated. "No need for that, Pre. There are no holocams here now."
"Okay." he stepped back instantly and as soon as he did she regretted the outburst.
"I'm sorry," Satine got up from her chair, turned to face him, and hugged him.
Pre stood, unsure for a moment, and then wrapped his arms around her also. It was the kind of hug that reminded the duchess of what she did feel about him. Pre was like her brother, her best friend.
"I know you're just trying to help." she whispered, wearily.
"Whatever you need, Satine. You know I'm here for you."
What she needed right now was this: just to be hugged quietly. And then, she felt it again, the small flutter. The surprise of it gave her a small jolt.
That he felt. "Satine, are you sure you're alright?"
She clung desperately to him for another second, "Yes, I'm fine." Then she backed away slowly.
"But you'd like to be alone?"
Truth be told it was the last thing she wanted. she wished she could be honest with him, wished he could some how, impossibly, be happy for her. In a split second she imagined a future that could never be. One in which "Uncle" Pre bounced her baby on his knee, taught her to throw a ball, and some day how to drive a speeder. The child in her day dream looked a bit like Bo-Katan with her reddish hair.
Then Satine shook herself from the fantasy. "I really do need to get some work done."
"Your wish is my command, My Lady." Pre bowed.
She smiled and walked him to the door. In the hallway a maid saw him emerge and quickly before Satine could object, Pre swept her into his arms again and kissed her. Let the staff talk. This would be all over the net before she finished her work.
"Goodnight, Love." He called loudly as he disappeared down the hallway, "See you at the Opera!"
With an embarrassed glance at the smiling maid, Satine slipped back into her office. She just sat at her desk, staring unseeingly for five full Galactic Standard minutes. The baby was still fluttering away deep inside her.
Soon, she knew, those movements would be observable from the outside and hugs like that she had just indulged in, would no longer be possible.
Satine pressed a button to call for a droid to bring her a cup of caf and got down to the business of ruling her system.
The next weeks settled into a kind of exhausted blur for the Duchess. Her days were filled with the business of meeting with dignitaries and politicians and clan leaders and her calendar of evening events, dinners and concerts and other entertainments though officially on her free time still carried with them the stress of remembering names, faces, and political alignments. At least Pre found a way to be at her side at over half of her social engagements.
She had thought that they wouldn't see each other all that often after he relocated full time to Concordia to take on his job as Assistant to the Governor. However to her surprise, he would often already be standing at the door of her private box at the theater or she would discover that his name had been included on the very selective guest list for a state dinner. And like two children play acting they would put on a show for the hovering holo cams that always seemed to follow them from place to place. It was all an entertaining distraction from the responsibility of leadership but perhaps the cloak and dagger of it all reminded her a bit of racing around dodging blaster bolts with Obi-wan.
She supposed it also might be some ploy of Governor Tarek to get her to come to the moon and discuss his mining rights. His assistant was constantly reminding her that she had yet to come to the moon for a visit. The way Pre put it so charmingly though, made it sound as if he only wanted her to come and see himself. She had finally agreed to a date and time for a tour and a formal dinner and the governor promised (through his assistant of course) that it would not be an event she would soon forget.
Gran had come to fit a new dress for the occasion. Cascades of dark blue shimmersilk and velvet would cover her growing tummy in the front but other than thin straps, her arms and shoulders would be left bare, and the back hung completely open down past her waist. It left more skin showing than Satine was quite comfortable with but Gran assured her that with all eyes drawn to her back very few of them would take a second glance at the front. Gran also provided her with high healed shoes to match. Apart from making her appear taller and older they also forced her to stand up straiter and not slouch, sway-backed with the weight of baby pulling her forward.
For now the dress hung on a mannequin in her room, having just been finished. It would be carefully covered and packed onto her shuttle in two days time in preparation for her travel to the moon. Satine stared at the dress. It had been another busy day of meetings and she was glad to be back in her room though she still had a stack of papers and data pads on the table awaiting her attention. She had wanted to look over them here rather than in her office where she could be more comfortable.
She wasn't expecting the knock at her door. "Who is it?"
"Satine, it's me." Pre's voice surprised her from the other side.
He hadn't been at any of her meetings today and she was sure he was most likely preparing for her arrival on Concordia. Still the sound of his voice was not unwelcome.
She crossed to the door and opened it smiling. "To what do I owe this pleasure? I thought you were busy on the moon."
"Well, I came planet side to visit my mother." He grinned, "and when I left she insisted that I bring you these." He held up at bag and then Satine caught the scent.
"Meilooruns?"
He nodded.
Satine looked past him down the hall one way and then the other and then pulled him into the room and closed the door behind him. She really had no hope that his being here wouldn't be discovered. In fact, for him to get as far into the palace as to her room, he must have spoken to someone to ask that they wouldn't be disturbed. But he was offering her food and friendship and those were two things she craved right now more than any other.
"Come sit down. I'll just..." she shifted her official papers from the table to her bed to make room for him to put down his bag and gestured to the one of the chairs beside it for him to sit.
He took off his jacket and undid a couple of collar buttons to make himself more comfortable and before he sat he pulled a deck of cards out of his back pocket. "I brought these along too. I don't think you ever learned to play at the academy."
"Sounds like fun." She took the seat opposite him and opened the bag to get to the food.
"Now wait just a second." He put down the deck of cards and reached for the bag. "I was thinking we could use those for betting."
Satine looked back and forth between Pre and the bag. Her mouth was already watering.
"Unless you'd rather play strip Sabacc. That could be fun too."
She glared at him. "Alright fine. How do you play?"
He explained the basics and then they started playing a practice game. While he was busy studying his cards she swiped one of the fried chunks of fruit out of the bag and popped it into her mouth trying to appear innocent when he looked up at her again.
"So are you all packed and ready to come and visit my moon?"
"Your moon?" she said with her mouth full.
He frowned at her playfully, played a couple of cards and then traded one of the cards still in his hand with a new one from the deck.
She looked at the cards he had played and those in her hand and swallowed. "I think that's the last thing." She pointed at the dress on the mannequin and then played a couple of cards of her own.
The front of the dress was all he could see from his seat at the table. But he smiled as if imagining what it would look like when she was wearing it.
"The back is really something." She told him pretending to be studying her cards and those that were already on the table.
He got up taking his hand of cards with him and went to walk around the mannequin.
While he did she grabbed a couple more pieces of fruit out of the bag popped one into her mouth and concealed the second in her hand for when she finished with the first.
"You are going to shine brighter than any moon in this."
She popped the second Meiloorun into her mouth and grabbed for a couple more.
"Of course you'll never fit into it if you keep eating like that."
She grinned guiltily at him as he returned to the table and took his seat and his turn.
"What did you play for back at the academy?" she asked, unashamedly taking another bite.
"We weren't supposed to gamble for actual credits but we mostly did anyway. It's your turn." He also took a piece of fruit.
She played a card and asked for a swap of another in her hand. She was beginning to get the idea of how to play now. "And where as I during all the fun?"
"Probably studying." He laid down a card that ended the hand in his favor and picked up the cards to shuffle them.
"I wish I could have finished."
"Well they gave you a completion medal."
"Yes but it isn't the same thing." She accepted the cards that he dealt to her and tried not to give any sign of how good a hand it was. "I was actually thinking of going back and finishing up my classes."
He grinned, "That would be something for the new cadets to have the Duchess slogging along with them."
"Well, I couldn't exactly go back and live in the dorm and everything but I'd like to finish the coursework. Maybe turn assignments in by holo or something." She laid down a decent first play with a generous bet.
He contemplated her play with a frown and studied his own cards. "No need for you to really. You're already the leader of the system and you have advisors and ministers to explain things..." He played his own cards countered her bid.
"Yes, but I'd like to really understand for myself what's going on and not have to rely on their instructions all the time." She played the rest of her hand looking up at him expectantly. "How was that?"
He sat back in his chair flinging his own cards onto the table and shaking his head. "I think you've got the basic idea."
"I'm a fast learner." Satine gathered the cards and began to shuffle them to take her own turn at dealing.
They played hand after hand, long after the Meilooruns had all been eaten, just enjoying the quiet and company. Both winning their share and losing their share, sometimes laughing at stories of old times at the academy and sometimes seriously intent on the game. Until Satine yawned and glanced at the chrono on bedside table.
"Stars! It'll be dawn soon! I totally lost track of the time."
Pre gathered up the cards and stood stretching. "Not a bad way to spend it though."
"No, not at all. It's been fun." She smiled at him but didn't rise from where she was curled up in her own chair and yawned again.
He put the cards back in his pocket and searched around for anything else he might need to take with him. "Guess I should probably get back to Concordia and make sure everything is ready for this important guest we're supposed to entertain in a couple of days." He had kicked off his boots at some point and picked them up as he headed for the door.
"Don't forget your jacket." She told him, smiling, and thinking she might just drop off to sleep where she was in her chair.
He gave her a tired salute and picked up his jacket. Then he walked to the door and pressed the panel to step out into the hallway. He leaned against the doorway pulling on one boot and then the other and then started to do up his open collar buttons before putting his jacket back on.
And then Satine heard a voice from the hallway. "Assistant Viszla? I had no idea that..."
She sat up strait in her chair but didn't rise.
"I was just on my way out," Pre was saying to the servant in the hall who must have been going about some early morning chore. He glanced back at her with a grin and a wink and then as he was closing her door behind him she heard him say. "The Duchess just fell asleep. Probably best not to wake her yet."
"Thanks, Pre," Satine mumbled getting up from her chair and heading to bed. "Won't be long now till the whole system knows we're lovers."