I sat next to Padmé in the cockpit of her starship. Having won neutrality, Duchess Satine called for Padmé to help alleviate tension in the capital city, Sundari, since she's an expert diplomat and considered a friend. And Padmé for some reason wanted me to join her.
One would think she'd try and keep me on Coruscant, but she had practically begged me to join her on her mission to Mandalore. Maybe it was because I had worried about the duchess when she was pleading for her people, or the senator was reluctant to go alone and decided I was the best fit to join her. Padmé simply told me she asked because she thought I'd like to visit Mandalore for the first time. But truthfully, I don't believe her.
The ship flies gracefully through the opening of the domed city and lands in a hangar as I fidgit with my dress. Padmé glances over at me and says gently, "You'll be fine."
Without anymore context, she stands and makes her way to the ramp. My eyebrows and lips crease in confusion as I follow her. Obviously I'm fine, I've simply never been here before. I'm always nervous when I travel to new worlds.
I stand on the senator's right, while one of the pilots stands to her left. We descend the ramp together once it lowers. Duchess Satine, looking as lovely as ever, waits for us at the bottom, accompanied by her usual guards.
Satine bows as she greets Padmé. "Senator," she welcomes formally.
"Duchess," Padmé returns with a small nod of her head. "It's good to see you."
"Thank you for coming, Padmé," Satine begins, gesturing down the path between her guards. Padmé walks with her as the pilot and I follow them. "I know our decision to stay neutral has caused distress in the Senate, but for many here, the fallout from your war has been too much."
"If your government has trade concerns we can talk. Many systems have been affected," Padmé explains. A speeder stops in front of us, emblazoned with the symbol of Mandalore and other blue decals. "I assure you, not everyone in the Republic has neglected Mandalore." The senator and the duchess sit in the two back seats while the pilot and I sit in front of them, still eavesdropping. It's a fun job. "And there are those of us who would still vote to give you any help you require."
"The help we need now is opening trade routes so we can get supplies more freely," the duchess informs gravely.
"We are making progress in the Senate," Padmé reasons. Not much progress, however, because trying to make decisions within the Senate that aren't immediately pertinent to them is virtually impossible.
I believe even the duchess knew that wasn't much. "Forgive me, Padmé. I did not bring you here to discuss politics." Then why are we here? I could be back on Coruscant having a nice warm bath. "I had hoped to show you the new Mandalore." With those words, the speeder took off into the city.
Padmé chuckles lightly. "Not the typical Mandalorian welcome," she jokes as we pass through a tunnel lit with blue lights. "Senator Organa teased you'd have a royal court waiting."
"I just wanted to greet you myself before the others." Once she finished speaking, I realized what she was talking about. Cheering crowds could be heard from within the tunnel. As we exit into the white expanse of the city, onlookers could be seen from every building, thowing confetti to welcome the senator from Naboo. It would be a lie to say she didn't deserve this kind of welcome.
"Now this is a Mandalorian welcome," I hear Padmé muse.
"We are a people of tradition." The remains of the ride to the capital building was quiet, except for the hords of people.
The city is definitely beautiful, in a contemporary sense, like the top level of Coruscant, but neither have anything on the natural, cultural beauty of Alderaan and Naboo, with their sprawling landscapes and waterfalls. But Mandalore is definitely a nice place to stay, less stuffy than Coruscant.
We eventually land and follow the Duchess into the thrown room. "I hope you enjoy your stay, Padmé," Satine says, walking towards the thrown, but not sitting in it. "Your quarters are being prepared now. I wish you would join us for a meeting before dinner. Tensions are rising faster than I alone can handle."
While admiring the grand scheme of the room, Padmé answers her. "I would be delighted." She pauses and looks to Satine. "As long as it's not too private of an affair. I hardly let Cattleya here leave my side."
I glance up at the senator, trying not to show my confusion. I thought I was posing as a handmaiden, not a friend, even though I'm no longer a one of her handmaids. Regardless, she never mentions her servants, especially not be name. What is Padmé playing at?
"Of course she is welcome," Duchess Satine replies without any hesitation. "Handmaids are always welcome to sit in."
I look to Padmé to see her reaction. The duchess certainly thinks I'm a handmaiden. I can understand why. I follow Padmé around, I don't speak to anyone other than Padmé when in the presence of other government officals, and I wear plain Naboo clothing.
"Oh, she's not my handmaiden," Padmé explains, placing a hand on my arm. "They're all still on Coruscant. Cattleya is a good friend of mine that I grew up with. I've always felt more confident with her having my back."
A shocked and apologetic expression adorns Satine's face as her eyes meet mine. "I am so sorry," she stresses. "I completely thought you were employed by Padmé. I'm deeply sorry."
I give her a small smile. "It's okay, Duchess," I tell her softly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Mandalore is stunning, thank you for having us."
"Incredibly polite, when all I've been is rude," Satine remarks. "Come, I'll give you two a tour."
The tour took little to no time since the duchess was called for the meeting she spoke of earlier. Duchess Satine sat on her thrown as the council took their seats with Padmé and I standing off to the side.
Prime Minister Almec was the first to speak to the group. "Esteemed colleagues, leaders of Mandalore, friends," he began with polite gestures as he stood in the center of the group. "I'm afraid our neutrality has caused our people to suffer. The war between the Separatists and the Republic rages across our galaxy. It has caused trade routes to be closed to Mandalore and has forced us to turn to a black market filled with corruption."
None of this was news to anyone present. Our thoughts were voiced by a balding man with a mustache who's official title I haven't learned. "We know what is happening, Almec," the man interrupts gruffly. "What will be done about it?"
"Mandalore should not need to pay smugglers to feed its people," a blonde woman adds.
This apparently got a rise out of the man. "It's not that we want to deal with smugglers," he argues, standing to get everyone's attention. "We have no alternative. I'm sure you and the Trade Federation make a profit whether our business is legitimate or not." He points an accusing finger at her, which makes her angry as well.
The women stands abruptly. "I resent that!" she exclaims.
Glancing over at Padmé, I notice she's worried about their conflict getting in the way of progress. Almec, however, tries to get them to calm down, walking closer with his arms up in a placating nature. "Ladies and gentlemen, please," the prime minister pleads, placing his hands on the two whom are quarreling. "Order, please."
"Prime Minister Almec seems a bit overwhelmed," Padmé discloses quietly to the duchess.
"If you're volunteering your services as a negotiator, please, be my guest," Satine tells her with a small.
Obviously, Padmé does just that. "Perhaps they will listen to a new voice," Padmé says before gliding towards the representatives. "Ruling council, may I speak."
This catches Almec's attention. Almec turns around. "Senator Amidala," Almec welcomes. The man and women who were arguing take their seats. "The floor is yours."
The senator stops in front of the seats. "I hear your worries, your frustration," she assures, "but the longer you argue, the more your people will suffer. You're right, new trade routes are essential to survival, but the black market is no subsitute for legitimate and legal trade."
"What would you proppse, Senator?" Almec asks.
"The Republic can provide security." That was the wrong thing to say.
The balding man rises once more. "The Republic's own dealings with the black market far surpass Mandalore's," he points out.
"I agree," the blonde women pitches in, standing with him. "It's quite hypocritical of you to come here, a member of the Republic Senate, and lecture to us about corruption."
Every other council member stands and begins arguing as well, with each other, Padmé, and Almec. The mingling of voices makes it hard to undersand what is being said, but Satine doesn't let it continue. "Silence," she orders, her voice resonating throughout the group. The five council members sit quickly to not incur the wrath of the duchess. Satine stands. "I told Senator Amidala that Mandalore was not part of the war, yet here I find a battle in my own palace." Her stern words hit home as she walks briskly forward down the steps. "I call this meeting adjourned. We will reconvene and allow cooler heads to prevail."
Without another word, she walks off, out of the room, leaving everyone in it speechless. A guard escorts Padmé and I to our quarters, my room branching off of hers. With a huff of breath, Padmé sits on the bed. "Well, that wasn't how I wanted the meeting to go," Padmé mutters.
I simply snort at her reaction. "I wouldn't expect anything less," I tell her. "They're stressed and confused, and their people are starving, not unlike the invasion." I rest next to my friend on the bed. "I remember you acted the same way when the Republic didn't offer an immediate solution to the issue."
"And how was that resolved?" a voice asks. Padmé and I turn our heads towards the door, where the voice was heard. Satine stood there with a curious expression. She had taken off her headdress and changed into less formal clothing before visiting us. "Sorry for my intrusion, I remember hearing about the invasion, but I wasn't told any of the details."
"I travelled back to Naboo and freed my people, with the help of trusted friends and Jedi," Padmé reveals as Satine sits in a chair by the window.
I shake my head at Padmé. "It was extremely reckless, and we almost lost," I add.
"We still won, thanks to Anakin and Obi-Wan." Padmé looks directly into my eyes, trying to get me to stay positive about that situation, but I still haven't let it go. Milady had almost died, and without her the people of Naboo never would have been freed. The risks had been too high. Yet still I am grateful that we had prevailed.
"Master Kenobi was there?" Satine inquires. She pauses before continuing. "And Skywalker?" Anakin was definitely an after thought.
"Yeah, Obi-Wan was a padawan at the time, still with Master Qui-Gon," Padmé explains. "We got stranded on Tatooine, which is where we met Anakin, who was a small boy. I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of Master Qui-Gon."
"That's only because you didn't approve of his methods," I point out. Satine, eyes lit up in amusement, asks why she didn't approve. "He was gambling to get parts we needed for the ship. That's also how he freed Anakin from slavery."
Satine gasps lightly, bringing a hand up to her mouth. "Oh, I didn't know Skywalker was a slave. How horrible," she mumbles.
"He doesn't talk about it much." That simple statement from me increases Satine's curiosity.
"Are you close friends with him?" she asks.
I'm taken aback and unsure of what to say. Like, not really. "I'm friends with Obi-Wan, not really Anakin. Padmé is closer to him than I am," I admit.
A slight look of realization passes over her, but she hides it quickly with the sound of a bell. "That's the dinner bell. Care to join me?" Satine stands and we follow suit.
"Let me just change into something more comfortable," Padmé says. She gazes at me in particular. "I'll meet you down there."
I'm unable to reply as she heads to her bag and Satine exits the room. I guess I only have one option, to follow Satine to the dining hall. I walk next to the duchess through the halls.
"So," Satine begins, "you're close with Obi-Wan?"
That, in my opinion, is definitely a strange question to start small talk. Am I close with the General? Yes, I am, he's the father of my child and the love of my life. "Yes, I'd say we are friends," I answer carefully, trying not to give away anything too specific.
"How'd you two meet?"
Again with the awkward questions. "We met when him and Master Qui-Gon rescued us from Naboo. He was very kind and helpful in the stressful situation."
"Ah, that's how I met him as well," she says as we enter the dining hall. A few guards were posted at the exits, but other than that we're alone. "A civil war broke out, the opposition being against the Mandalorian government's new pacifist ideals. Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were tasked to protect me from bounty hunters. We were on the run for nearly a year."
"I'm sorry," I reply truthfully. No one deserves to be hunted. "That must've been hard. I trust they did their job well."
"Yes, of course; although, I do still have a scar," Satine jokes.
I sit across from her at the long table, and together we await the arrival of Padmé, who enters no more than a minute later. "Thank you for waiting, Satine," Padmé says as she takes the seat next to me.
A beautiful dinner is given to us shortly after by servants. One comes forward with a bottle of wine and feels glasses of wine. When she comes to me, I cover the top of the empty glass and look up sadly. "Can I please have water?" I ask. The servant nods quickly and exits the room.
"No wine?" Satine inquires. "I assure you, ours is some of the best in the galaxy."
"I'm sure it is, but I can't have wine," I blurt before immediately regretting it. That was too much information, but I can't hide my pregnancy forever. Just a little longer.
"Oh, if I may ask, is there something wrong?" She sounds genuinely concerned over my wellbeing, yet I still don't disclose the exact information.
"It's just a small health issue. Nothing too bad," I assure.
The duchess drops the topic and begins to eat. The servant brings me a tall glass of water like I had asked. Chicken, cubed cheese, vegetables, and a roll of bread cover a large plate. The smell of the steamed vegetables overpowers the sent of the chicken by a small fraction, and I still avoid it.
"Tell me, Padmé," Satine starts, holding her glass out to the attendant to fill up, "how do you feel about the Republic's war with the Separatists?"
Padmé watches as the second servant pours more wine into her own glass. "It's so complicated," Padmé answers, sounding exhausted. "As you know, in the Senate the chancellor says it's going very well, but my sources say otherwise."
"And how does that make you feel?" Satine asks, exactly like a diplomat or a therapist would.
Padmé visibly chooses her next words carefully. "There are times I wish I could follow Mandalore's lead." The senator takes a deep breath. "Neutrality, and not just in the war."
"But the politics as well?" Duchess Satine, as surprised as ever, places her knife and fork down. "The contamination of greed reaches deep and far within the Republic. Corporations, trade guilds, too many Senators serving their own interests." She takes a sip from her glass.
"There are still those of us who work to overcome the corruption and believe it to be possible," Padmé explains.
A light smirk dons Satine's face. "Enough of this dreary talk. A new hospital has opened. Tomorrow we shall visit, see true good at work. It will do us good." Padmé smiles in agreement and nods.
The next day we wake up and dress in clothes for an outing. My outfit vaguely matches Padmé's. We then travel with the dutchess to the new hospital. As we exit the transport, we are met with a ghastly sight, many children being carried into the building on stretchers. We rush over to the nearest worker who was helping another carry a child.
"Orderly, what's going on here?" Satine asks him.
"I have no idea madam," he answers. "Doctor Zaz is handling the outbreak. He's inside."
The three of us follow the crowd of the sick kids and worried parents into the hospital. Even more were inside. I hear groaning and crying from the patients, making me queasy. We go down the halls to the sickbay. Every bed holds a child. Nurses wonder around to check on the children, but none of them know what to do.
"What is happening here?" the dutchess asks the doctor.
"Dutchess," the doctor greets. "I'm sorry no one has come to speak to you. These children have been poisoned." Why would someone wants to poison children? They haven't done anything.
"How?" Satine inquires.
"We don't know," Doctor Zaz answers. "And it's not just here, I'm afraid. We've gotten reports from across the planet." Satine places her hand on the forehead of a young boy who is curled in pain.
"Have you identified a cause?" Padmé asks, hoping for some sort of lead.
"Well, the children here all came from the same school," Zaz informs. "We're testing their food. If we find something, perhaps we can create an antidote, but it will take some time."
"Which they may not have," Satine adds gravely.
