Author's note: I would just like to point out that I know that the Naboo are peaceful people okay? It's just that in my imagination when the royal palace was built they weren't haha. And that would explain the whole reason why the palace has dungeons :) So yeah, this is Yané's POV.
GroovyGrape Xx
Chapter 12: Dungeons
Yané Xentre's POV
Dungeons, Royal palace, Theed, Naboo
Saché stood at the entrance to our prison, busy cursing the neimoidians, the droids, the trade federation and everything that was involved with the invasion. I tried to ignore her as I slumped onto the hard concrete floor.
As soon as the royal starship left the hangar they found us, and took us straight to the dungeons. I suppose they weren't going to risk taking us to another one of their prisoner camps. Saché and I were led to this dark cell and they took the governor with them, saying something about convincing the queen to return.
Saché gave up trying to get out and came to sit by me.
"At least Padmé got out alright. She will plead the case to the senate and they will listen. They'll help us and we'll be free in no time." She mumbled, even though we both knew that wasn't going to happen. We had both sat through countless meetings the queen had held with the senator, as he insisted that the senate would not be very helpful.
This was just so out of caracter for Saché. She was always the brave one, the realistic one.. I didn't have the heart to tell her what we were both thinking so I just managed to smile at her.
"Hey, at least we're still armed." I chuckled, as she stared at me. I felt my small blaster attached to my thigh.
"Yané you're absolutely right! We can try and get out of here!" Oh what had I just done? I had to make her see that this was very bad idea.
"Saché, there are too many droids okay? Not only that, but if you hadn't noticed we are in the palace. Even if we did find a way out of this cell we wouldn't be able to get out of the palace alive. So just forget that I mentioned it."
"What does Panaka always tell us?"
"Saché, stop."
"Yané, we are trained to be brave, to ignore danger and do what is best for the queen and Naboo in general. If we have a chance of saving-"
"Please just go back to cursing the droids." She laughed at my last comment.
"What?" I asked, irritated. Did she not see how serious our predicament was?
"Shy little Yané just begged me to curse." Her eyes were twinkling.
At least she was back to her normal self I thought dryily.
A few moments of silence ensued.
"So Yané... Tell me something. I mean, we work together but I hardly know a thing about you."
I thought about it and realised that she was right. In our little group of principal handmaidens we all had a role; Saché was the funny, brave one, Eirtaé was the bossy yet dedicated one, Sabé was the brave and kind one, Rabé was the calm and generous one while I was the shy, quiet one.
I remembered the last time that Saché had tried to ask me about myself and I had told her that I was busy and left. I blushed at the memory.
"Well, I like physics, I mean, I know that sounds really nerdy but you know, I think it's interesting and I only chose to become a handmaiden because my mother wanted me to be a girl."
She stared at me. "You mean that your mother told you that girls can't do physics? That's crazy Yané! I know that she's your mother but you can't let her decide your whole future for you. I'm sorry but I can't believe you would sign up to be a handmaiden just because your mother wanted you to! Do you know how many people tried out to be a handmaiden? They would kill to be here right now!"
I thought that I was going to cry because that's what I usually did when people were yelling at me. But then I realised that she hadn't understood me properly.
"Saché I don't think that anyone would kill to be here right now." She still looked as furious as before but she rolled her eyes at me. "You took what I said the wrong way. I know how much of a privilege and an honour that it is to be a handmaiden and I don't regret it. I never will. I'm only eleven! And Padmé has limied the monarch's reign to two terms. She can only be in office for eight years. When I'm finished here I'll go to Theed university and fullfill my dream of becoming a physicist!" I said brightly, despite the circumstances.
"You seem to have your life planned out already." She laughed, then she nudged me. "And liking physics is not nerdy. I think it's great that you already know what you want to do when you're older."
"Do you have no idea what you want to do?"
"Ha! I wish! I'm still hoping that Padmé will ask me to be her maid once she steps down." She joked, as I heard footsteps approaching.
We both stood up immediately as Nute Gunray, the other neimoidian and countless droids approached.
"Well, well If it isn't the sweet young ladies that helped their traitorous queen escape." Gunray purred. I knew we had to answer but I didn't know what to say. To my relief Saché had it covered.
"I would do it a thousand times over."
Gunray seemed very displeased with this answer.
"Then you'll be pleased to know that the governor did not cooperate with us. It would have been much easier if we hadn't been forced to forge the message that we sent to your precious Amidala."
"What have you done to the governor?" I asked sharply, as Saché peered at me in shock.
"The governor will be joining you shortly. And so will Amidala by the looks of things. I have word that she has been found." My heart fell as the viceroy and the rest moved along.
###
After what seemed like hours of Saché asking me how I had gotten the courage to snap at the viceroy, Governor Bibble was thrust into our small cell. His clothes seemed a bit ruffled and he was limping.
"Governor are you well?" Saché asked, as I peered at him in concern.
"Don't fret handmaiden, I will live."
"What is happening out there?" I asked, even though I was quite intimidated by him.
"It's not good. Every single citizen that hasn't escaped has been taken to the prisoner camps, and many have lost their lives. Theed is crawling with battle droids! And they have also taken most of the other important cities. It's a complete disaster!"
Part of me wished I hadn't asked, we were already weak as it was.
"What about the queen?" Saché said quietly.
"It's even worse. I overheard the federation saying that they had located her on Tatooine."
"Tatooine? But that's in the outer rim! Nowhere near Coruscant." Saché exclaimed.
"I don't know why they're there! Tatooine is an extremely dangerous planet!" Bibble was very red in the face. "And that's not the worst thing. Apparently the neimoidians have sent a sith to find her."
I inwardly screamed. A sith? A sith was after Padmé? But the sith hadn't been around for ages. And didn't the viceroy say that he had found her? My only consolation was that the jedi were with her.
Author's note: I am deeply saddened by the events that have ocurred in Paris these past few days. It's a sad day when freedom of speech is lost. May all the victims rest in peace.
