Ten years ago
The Naboo cruiser was once again en-route in deep space; only this time, instead of fleeing their home planet, they were preparing to sneak back onto the planet from which they had barely escaped in the first place.
In truth, Sabé didn't really agree with Queen Amidala on her decision. While she agreed that they could not afford to wait for the Senate to form some kind of decision (which would likely take months at best while their people continued to starve and suffer), she did not feel easy about taking their Queen back to what they feared would be little more than a war zone. She would have felt much better if Padmé stayed on Coruscant while the others went back and sought a solution to free their people.
But Padmé had been adamant and Sabé trusted her Queen. She only hoped that her Queen would survive that trust, as did all of them. It was as part of the effort to ensure that very hope that Sabé had once again donned the disguise of the Queen for the return journey.
Until now. As they flew through hyperspace, an emergency meeting was called at the Queen's request to discuss the current situation on Naboo and plan for the inevitable battle that lay ahead.
Even before Panaka was informed, Sabé and Padmé had made the mutual decision to switch back into their real roles for the discussion. The meeting was too important and Sabé did not have the confidence to act in Padmé's place. Padmé also had no wish to sit aside for this discussion and while she trusted Sabé with much, she did not believe Sabé could adequately present the Queen in this case. Sabé, for all her talents, was no politician and this was the place where Padmé shined. Besides, with the heavy makeup and cold mask that the Queen wore (and with Rabé staying behind in the Queen's rooms to avoid anyone - especially Qui-Gon - questioning where Padmé was), no one would be able to tell the difference.
There was one snag to the whole plan that Sabé knew no one except her was aware of. No one knew that she had been spending quite some time with Qui-Gon's apprentice, the silent Jedi padawan who remained mostly on the outside even when his master wasn't around and spent even less time being noticed when Qui-Gon was present. Obi-Wan, Sabé knew, would likely notice her beside the Queen if she wasn't careful. And she would have to be very careful: from what she had seen, Jedi were generally great observers and Obi-Wan was no exception.
Unfortunately, almost as soon as everyone filed into the Queen's meeting room, Sabé noticed Obi-Wan observing Padmé sitting on the throne with a somewhat puzzled expression on his face. Her heart sank.
'He suspects something already.'
And Padmé hadn't even said a single word yet. Perhaps she should have fought to stay behind instead of Rabé but Padmé always preferred having Sabé with her to gauge any official proceedings from another perspective and Panaka had agreed since it was more important now than ever that no one suspect Padmé of using a decoy. But now, Sabé worried they would - or rather, he would.
Sabé kept her head lowered, letting her hood keep her face in deep shadows. As they stood now, to almost everyone it should be impossible to tell her apart from Padmé. Between the hooded handmaiden cloak and the heavy make-up on the Queen, not even their mothers were able to tell Padmé and Sabé apart when they were dressed so. Sabé just prayed that it would be enough to fool a Jedi she had somewhere along the line befriended.
Head still down, Sabé listened quietly as Captain Panaka laid out the grim facts to their queen.
"As soon as we land, the Federation will arrest you and force you to sign the treaty."
"I agree." Qui-Gon chimed in from where he stood beside the Captain as the two leaders stood before the Queen's throne while Obi-Wan and Jar Jar stood near the back of the room with a few of the Naboo soldiers.
"I'm not sure what you wish to accomplish by this." Qui-Gon continued, watching Padmé carefully although he seemed not to notice it was the same teenage girl who he had spent several days with in the small desert town on Tatooine.
If Padmé was at all nervous under the two men's scrutiny, she showed no sign of it as she answered in her Queenly voice, smoothly but also quite firmly.
"I will take back what is ours."
"There are too few of us, Your Highness." Panaka pointed out the obvious, his tone no less grim than before. In fact, it was much more severe as he had not yet understood why the Queen had insisted so suddenly and quickly to leave Coruscant. "We have no army."
"And I can only protect you." Qui-Gon again agreed with Panaka, his tone still patient as it always was although his gaze was firm and concerned as he watched the young Queen before him. "I can't fight a war for you."
But Padmé was, contrary to the men's evident fears, not completely unprepared nor had her orders to leave Coruscant been as impulsive as they guessed. And it was her brief but insightful discussion with the absent-minded Gungun standing at the back of the room that was fresh in her mind as Queen Amidala called, "Jar Jar Binks."
"Mesa, You Highness?" Jar Jar answered, looking rather shocked, peering around Obi-Wan while everyone turned to glance at the Gungun in equal surprise at the Queen's call.
But Padmé was unfazed as she continued.
"Yes. I need your help."
Panaka looked rather dumbfounded while Qui-Gon looked thoughtful as he crossed his arms before his chest. The tension in the room was now filled with question but as Queen Amidala continued to discuss the Gungun populations evacuation system and the strength of their hidden army, understanding began to dawn on everyone.
Sabé remained quiet in her corner on Padmé's right, staying out of the discussion as the planning began to start in earnest. She had already been made aware of Padmé's idea, having been the only one who had had enough time to protest Padmé's decision to return to Naboo and consequently the only one Padmé had had to explain her reasoning to prior to their abrupt departure.
But as the voices continued, Panaka's growing more and more frequent as he took over going over the details with Jar Jar while Padmé and Qui-Gon chimed in occasionally, Sabé peeked out from under her hood at last to observe the proceedings. Big mistake.
Almost as soon as her eyes began to flit cautiously around the room, they were arrested by familiar blue eyes. It was immediately clear that Obi-Wan had been watching her, likely trying to satisfy the niggling thought in his head. The moment their eyes met, Obi-Wan blinked and recognition flashed. Then he was looking away, clearly suppressing a laugh.
'He knows.'
It should have filled Sabé with dismay that their secret had been exposed so simply, but she surprised herself with the vexed feelings that filled her at the thought instead. It was very obvious from the surprise and mirth in Obi-Wan's eyes that he had figured them out at last, and Sabé wanted to crawl into a hole in mortification. All this time he had thought she was a Queen… what would he think of her now?
She remained silently bemoaning her luck as the meeting began to wrap up. Obi-Wan eventually regained his composure although not before Qui-Gon sent his padawan a questioning look that Obi-Wan deftly evaded. But Sabé wasn't sure he would keep silent on the matter later when he had his master alone. And she was even less sure how she felt about that fact.
The meeting adjourned at last and Sabé began to breathe in relief, when Padmé requested Sabé to go find suitable garments for the handmaidens to wear when they landed. Rabé would get to work on preparing the additional layers of protection they would imbed into whatever Padmé would wear but Padmé trusted Sabé, who had excelled at combat training even amongst her handmaidens, to choose the most durable and appropriate outfits for them.
However, Sabé was seriously tempted to commit treason and not acquiesce to her Queen's request, particularly when she saw the way Obi-Wan very briefly paused on his way out. It was very obvious that he had heard Padmé and Sabé suppressed a groan.
'Of all the times Padmé had to order me to do something…' Sabé thought morosely as she made her way quickly to the storage compartment.
They had stocked up before leaving Coruscant, especially on suitable attire for both the Queen and her handmaidens, and Sabé was fairly certain she knew which ones would be the best choice for the task that lay ahead. She only hoped she'd be able to be in and out fast enough to avoid any potential run-in with Obi-Wan.
But she had only had time to open the right container before the familiar voice she had partially been dreading sounded from the doorway.
"Good evening, my lady."
"Obi-Wan." Sabé groaned in resignation as she turned to face the Jedi padawan.
He was surveying her with a twinkle in his blue eyes, giving him an unusually boyish air that Sabé would normally have appreciated but definitely did not at the moment.
"So, this is what you have been hiding from me." Obi-Wan mused as he watched Sabé fidget uncomfortably, barely able to conceal his amusement and only just able to bury it under feigned severity. "I will admit, when I first realized there was something you kept withheld deep in her heart, I was expecting something more along the lines of a secret admirer or some other fanciful notion. I was certainly not expecting to find that you were not, in fact, the Queen of Naboo but her decoy."
Sabé shifted guiltily again and Obi-Wan couldn't help teasing her again as he added gravely, "It is no small feat to successfully hide the truth from a Jedi, so I should really applaud you on your skill, my lady."
"It was to protect the Queen-" Sabé began, upset and genuinely concerned she had offended her new friend even though his eyes seemed to continue to twinkle in merriment.
But Obi-Wan just raised a hand to indicate for her to stop and he relaxed his stern gaze, allowing his humour to shine through.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Tsé." He reassured. "I understand, truly I do. You merely did your duty as I would do mine."
Sabé let out a small sigh of relief although she did frown at him crossly, a little put out by his teasing.
"You didn't have to take so much pleasure in guilting me." She accused him and he outright laughed at her.
"How could I not?" He chuckled while her lips slid into something almost akin to a pout - although she would likely vehemently deny she would ever do such a thing. "After all, how often does one get to do so with a Queen? Even a decoy one."
Sabé sent Obi-Wan the most unimpressed look she could muster although the effect was ruined by her traitorous mouth which had to twitch. Obi-Wan saw and he laughed again, looking oddly relaxed considering they were about to head into war.
Sabé realized why a moment later when Obi-Wan leaned against the wall with a peaceful expression and commented, "It is nice to finally understand. I always felt that there was something… not wrong, but not quite right. It gives me peace of mind to know that the Force did not lead me astray."
"So you're glad you suspected me?" Sabé asked, wondering if she should be offended or flattered. Obi-Wan smiled.
"No - I am glad to know I was right to trust you despite knowing you shielded something important from me."
Present
A red and white ship appeared as though out of nowhere in the dark expanse of space as Obi-Wan dropped them out of hyperspace. Behind him in the small fighter ship, Sabé looked from the readings on her screen to the view before them and she shook her head in amazement.
"We're here." Sabé murmured. "Somehow, I can't believe it really is here."
"I know." Obi-Wan agreed as he flew them down toward the blue and grey planet far below. "It's a little hard to believe it's right where it should be. Kamino."
R4 whistled from his spot on their left wing and Sabé smiled.
"R4, you've been spending too much time with R2." She answered. "Not all of our surprise missions have gone that way."
"You're like Anakin." Obi-Wan sighed as he dipped them into Kamino's airspace where the ship instantly became drenched in the thunderstorm that raged across the entire planet. "I'm quite certain you have just jinxed us, Sabé."
She just shrugged (not that he could see) before peering out at the small settlement that rose out of the planet's watery surface like a quey at the edge of a beach - except there was no beach, just choppy waters that thrashed against the underbelly of the settlements from all directions as the sea fought against the howling wind and crashing thunderstorm. The settlements themselves were sleek and modern with bright lights lining every edge of the buildings and structures and showing off the city like a beacon in the dark night even through the incessant rain pelting down on them.
Obi-Wan deftly flew them to one of the open landing platforms where R4 unlocked the anti-skid functions on the ship's legs to keep the ship from sliding on the wet platform. Sabé pulled on the hood of her thick cloak, Obi-Wan doing the same after he glanced back at her to make sure she was fine after the landing.
"I'm afraid it looks like we're about to get more than a little wet, my lady." He began as he gestured to where the rain was still pounding against the cockpit glass but Sabé just shot him a look that was crossed between amusement and annoyance.
"Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Master Kenobi." She stated as she checked her blaster was strapped securely to her thigh beneath her cloak before looking at him again. "Should I wait for you to tell me the sun is hot, or are we ready to go?"
Obi-Wan let loose a chuckle and he shook his head.
"I have forgotten just how little you care for being treated delicately." He mused even as he reached for the button to open the cockpit above their heads.
"And I don't know why you would have - it is one of the few traits Padmé and I share. And usually quite vocally." Sabé observed as Obi-Wan opened the hatch.
Sure enough, they were soaked through before they even began to get out of the ship. Being seated behind Obi-Wan, Sabé was cleared to exit first as the cockpit cover lifted off the back of the ship. She hopped out deftly although carefully, wary of slipping as the rain continued to pound down on them. Obi-Wan joined her quickly, indicating with his hand for her to stay behind him as he led the way down the pathway that led from the landing platform to the doors of the nearest building.
She obeyed his silent command half-heartedly but with her promise, his one condition to her joining him on his mission, in mind. As they approached the glass doors, Sabé pondered on how they would enter without causing a scene - only to be surprised when the doors slid open quite easily as they came before them.
She and Obi-Wan stepped through, both cautious as they lifted their soaking wet hoods off their heads, but they were in for another surprise. A tall, lithe lifeform with long limbs and an equally long neck approached them from down the hallway and she kept big, almost kind eyes fixed on them as she greeted them in a very measured and calming tone.
"Master Jedi. My lady. The prime minister is expecting you."
Sabé couldn't keep the surprise off her face as she stared into the Kaminoan's big and honest eyes. There was an amphibian and almost snake-like quality to all her features from the shape of her eyes, which were shaped like almonds and completely black except for the white-ish grey irises, to the slits she had for a nose. And yet, where snakes often caused feelings of unease in the observer, there was something about this female's poise and aura that made her seem almost peaceful.
Sabé had no doubt that this paired with her actual words were what also caught Obi-Wan off-guard as the Jedi checked with barely concealed skepticism, "I'm expected?"
The Kaminoan apparently didn't notice as she nodded and confirmed, "Of course. We were not expecting your guest so I hope you'll forgive us if we are not quite prepared for both of you, but he is anxious to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now, please, this way."
The Kaminoan turned and started back down the way she had come. Sabé glanced at Obi-Wan only to see his expression was as confused as hers, but the Jedi didn't hesitate to follow the Kaminoan with apparent ease. But Sabé saw the way he beckoned her with his hand just slightly, never looking back as he did, and she knew he wasn't nearly as comfortable as he was making out to be.
Again, she followed his silent order to stay close as she stayed a pace behind him while the Kaminoan led them down various corridors and deeper into the building. As they progressed further and further inside, Sabé noted how the interior changed to be much brighter with white lights reflecting off pure white floors and walls. It reminded her almost of a hospital but again, unlike a hospital, there was a strange warmth to everything as though each crevice and shiny wall had been bathed with love and care.
It was all very bewildering as she joined Obi-Wan in entering a meeting room where another tall Kaminoan sat waiting patiently. The male rose as soon as they entered, but he remained where he was as he allowed them to approach.
"May I present Lama Su," their guide announced as she brought them before the male. "Prime minister of Kamino."
Obi-Wan bowed while Sabé swept an elegant but small curtsey. Prime minister Lama Su bowed his head to them in return while their guide continued the introductions.
"And this is Master Jedi..."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi." Obi-Wan supplied helpfully. "And my companion, Lady Sabé Lorennie."
The prime minister nodded at both of them.
"I trust you're going to enjoy your stay." He greeted before gesturing them both to take a seat before him. "Please."
Obi-Wan and Sabé settled into the offered seats, which were surprisingly comfortable given the lack of any cushions on the surprisingly soft material of the chairs and their rounded shape that made Sabé feel like she'd dipped into the seat rather than sat on it.
"And now, to business." The Prime Minister continued in the same calm tone that their guide had spoken in. It reminded Sabé of the Jedi: they spoke in softer voices that one found difficult to picture rising in anger or even mild irritation.
"You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule."
Sabé had no idea what schedule he meant and a furtive glance at Obi-Wan told her he had no idea either. Neither interrupted however as the prime minister continued with a small amount of pride in his voice.
"Two hundred thousand units are ready, with a million more well on the way."
'A million what?' Sabé wondered blankly while Obi-Wan declared with only a brief moment's hesitation, "That's… good news."
"Please tell your Master Sifo-Dyas that his order will be met on time." The prime minister continued, apparently unaware of his guests' confusion.
Sabé had no clue who the prime minister was referring to but she was surprised when Obi-Wan frowned slightly and questioned, "I'm sorry, Master…?"
The prime minister looked briefly confused himself but he answered readily enough.
"Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council, is he not?"
Sabé frowned just slightly - she knew the names of all the Jedi on the Council, particularly after the sacrifice they had made in the battle of Naboo, but...
"Master Sifo-Dyas was killed almost ten years ago." Obi-Wan stated and Sabé refrained from sending him a puzzled glance. Ten years ago was when the entire Council had arrived for Qui-Gon's funeral; Sabé had been the one to greet the Council members and announce them to Queen Amidala prior to the funeral. She didn't remember a Sifo-Dyas amongst the masters.
This was also clearly news to the Kaminoans as the prime minister started before he offered softly, "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. But I'm sure he would have been proud of the army we've built for him."
If Sabé had not been so well-versed in maintaining silence after twelve years of attending political functions and meetings beside Padmé, she was sure she would not have been able to hold back her outcry. 'Army? For what war? And built… two hundred thousand droids? With a million more on the way?'
Her thoughts whirled but she kept them to herself while Obi-Wan repeated slowly and carefully, "The army?"
"Yes." The prime minister nodded, pride creeping back into his voice. "A clone army."
Sabé blinked, sure she had heard wrong.
"And I must say, one of the finest we've ever created." The prime minister continued, blissfully unaware of his audience's shock.
Thankfully, Obi-Wan had apparently mastered politics in the time they had been apart because he spoke quite quickly but calmly, "Tell me, prime minister - when my master first contacted you about the army, did-did he say who it was for?"
Sabé didn't miss Obi-Wan's slight stutter, the only sign of his confusion and equal disturbance at the news they had just received. The prime minister however was unaware of this (in fact, Sabé was now almost certain that Kaminoans were quite literal people and possibly quite low on EQ to the point that they almost needed everything to be spelt out) and he answered quite readily yet again.
"Of course he did. This army is for the Republic."
"I beg your pardon? Did you say the Republic?"
This time, Sabé was not successful in keeping her mouth shut as she stared at the prime minister. But she couldn't help herself as she felt like someone had just thrown extremely cold water right into her face. All of Padmé's hard work to oppose the Military Creation Act, and apparently it was all undermined by a maneuver made years prior, before Naboo was even an active participant in discussions remotely close to war.
The prime minister seemed to register her shock this time as he said in a tone of mild confusion, "Yes, Master Sifo-Dyas was quite specific. And of course, we were only happy to assist the Republic in any way that we could."
"Of course." Obi-Wan agreed vaguely although he was no less disturbed than Sabé. Nor was he blind to her distress, because even once she was able to get her emotions under a controlled mask once more he could sense her feelings pouring off of her into the Force.
The prime minister was apparently satisfied by Obi-Wan's agreement and he rose to his feet again as he suggested, "But you must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself."
"That's… why I'm here." Obi-Wan smiled, only the faintest traces of tightness hovering at the edges of his lips.
Sabé spotted it easily, knowing him as well as she did; the Kaminoans however did not as they led Obi-Wan and Sabé out of the room with grace and poise that suddenly looked much more ominous than it had before. And this time, Sabé didn't need Obi-Wan to gesture at her at all; instead, she stayed very close to him, seeking comfort in his presence as she went out to face something she dreaded almost more than she had the battle of Naboo. An army, bred solely to fight battles that, if they came to fruition, would undoubtedly rage across the galaxy itself.