*** Chapter 13***
Padme was often considered the last Queen of the peaceful galaxy, but those that study history knows that Padme's time on the throne marked the beginning era that would see the galaxy at war. Padme often switched places with her Handmaidens to divert potential assassins away from the Queen. This also allowed Padme to walk among her subject unrecognized.
The Life and Times of Amidala, the People's Queen, By: Softa Jiane, Oralist and Historian
"You're a Jedi, you must have one story tell me that's not about flying?" Palak begged as they speed out of Theeds and into the wild country of Naboo.
"Well, there was time we rescued Han Solo for Jabba the Hut." Luke explained, "But, it wasn't all me, there was an entire team of us."
"UHHHHH, modest people make the worst story tellers." Palak complained.
"Oh, I can tell you plenty of non-modest X-Wing stories, one time, early in the war, just a couple months after Yavin, I lured an entire squadron of TIE flyers right into the canyon of large meteorite, and then, my buddy, Wedge, picked them off one by one. It was quite the victory." Luke exaggerated the gloat for Palak's benefit.
"Yeah, but starfighter stories so boring, it's just a long tirade about how you shot stuff in space."
"You mean to tell me there are no Oralists that tell stories about flying?" Luke asked with mock astonishment.
"Well, sure, there are Oralists that specialize in military history, but I always find them so dull. It just comes out as laundry lists of battles, victories, losses. All battle fields start to sound the same after a while."
"I don't know if that's true." Luke defended.
"I'm not going to argue with a solider about interest in war stories, it's futile," Palak conceded.
"I'll find a good one." Luke countered.
"Right… Oh, look over there, you can see the Gallo mountains." Palak pointed out to a beautiful snow cap mountain range.
"There beautiful." Luke gave the courtesy, but it was not insincere.
"I've only been to a few other planets, but I think Naboo is the most beautiful of all the planets in the Galaxy."
"I see it, I cannot speak to every planet in the Galaxy, but it's one of the most beautiful I've ever seen." Luke agreed.
"It wins out over your home planet, I always figured your home planet was the most beautiful?"
"My home planet to Tatooine, everything wins against Tatooine, well maybe not Hoth, but most planets."
Palak chuckled, "Fair enough." The country side still zooming fast as they approached the lake Country.
"Your Highness, we do need to talk about taxes. We have a lot options, for some planets it makes sense for the local government to collect and remit taxes to the New Republic and sometimes it makes sense to the New Republic to collect and other times it makes sense for the local government to just cover tax burden. We think, given how mature the government is on Naboo, that Naboo should collect and remit taxes. It'll lessen the New Republic presence which may make the populace more comfortable" Leia explained to the adolescent Queen.
"Ummm, Okay, right, I have a question." The Queen stated.
"Sure," Leia was hopeful, they had been at this almost five hours and the Queen has shown almost no interest in anything Leia had proposed.
"Well, I was thinking, at the Garden party, it would be super elegant if everyone wore white, what do you think?" The Queen asked, unaware how ton deaf her question sounded.
Leia rubbed bridge of nose "I think it sounds lovely… So, I am going to assume that it makes the most sense for Naboo to remit taxes directly to the New Republic." Leia attempted to pivot the conversation back to the actual entrance plan, but it felt useless. This Queen had zero interest in anything else besides the opportunity to entertain.
"Ok, also, I wanted to see what you thought of having each of dignitaries carried through the street on palanquins."
Leia smiled and then said, "I think that sounds a bit excessive really, but you know, we've been at this for a while today and I think we've made progress. Let's break for today and we can start up tomorrow." Leia replied, even if the Queen was not helpful, there was still a few items she needed to talk to her subject experts about.
"I agree, will you join me for dinner. It would be lovely to discuss some of the plans further."
"Of course," Leia stated, "I would be honored."
Leia then took her leave from the Queen's chambers and headed back to the conference room where her subject experts working.
"Leia, I've been reviewing my notes on the House of Madden, and it's still not making sense. Something just not adding up." Toula explained as Leia took her seat at the conference room table.
"Everything on this planet makes less and less sense the longer we're here. What else do you have to share?" Leia questioned, unsure she was ready for the answer.
After another four hours with the subject matter experts, Leia was finally released to a few minutes of peace and quite before she was required to attend what would likely be a long dinner full of unnecessary pomp.
"Princess, Princess," the unwelcome voice of commander Ericson called out to her before she could make it back to her room.
"What Commander," Leia called back, her voice harsher than she meant to let on.
"These requests, a parade, a garden banquet, they're insane." The commander commented.
"So, what, they're scheduled, they're happening." Leia snapped back.
"Ugh this is so stupid. What a waste of time."
Leia could feel the anger building in her chest. Naboo was getting harder and harder to handle and now the one thing that should be reliable was just adding to her stress. She pulled out the blaster that was hidden in her tunic, well aware the weapon's safety was still on, and pointed to the tall man in front of her.
"Commander, you are out of line. What is your problem. You do know that our army is voluntary. No one forcing you to stay here." Leia did not let the blaster drop from her grip.
The Commander was unphased by the blaster and gently pushed it out of his face. "You should watch were point that." He said and started to walk away.
Leia quickly pulled the safety off, checked that it was set for stun and amid towards hit feet.
"What are you doing." The Commander turned back to face the Princess, his blue face had turned a deep purple.
"Getting answers. Come on, in here." Leia said, pointing back towards the conference room with her blaster.
The commander lazily sat down one of the chairs. Though he tried to slouch, his size made him entirely present negating his chosen body language.
"Commander, I'm going to ask you one more time, what is problem. The New Republic is meant to employee soldiers that believe in not only the mission at hand but the people we serve," Leia stated, placing her blaster on the table. On each planet Leia had noticed subtle shift from the rag tag idealistic volunteers to a more professional armed forces that had been recruited as the verging government grew.
"I'm from Shishea, we're warriors, soldiers, it is the only wau we earn our honor. My grandfather and father severed pseudo government managers like the trade federation. Then my father served the Old Republic in the clone wars and then the Empire when the Old Republic fell. I severed Empire and now that the Empire has fallen, and the Shishea has entered the New Republic I have pledged allegiance to the New Republic. But what does it all matter, how many other governments am I likely to serve in my life? What sort of honor am I earning, serving the biggest bully on the block?" Erickson said, shaking his head.
Leia was taken aback. She knew a bit about cultures that valued service to government through military participation, but she had never met someone so disillusioned with where they served. "Commander, I am going to ask a question. I'm not being facetious or condescending. It's an honest question and I want you to hear me out. " Leia paused, waiting for a response.
Erickson sat up on his chair, he was intrigued, Leia had peaked his interested. "Ok, I'll listen." He agreed.
"Good, what if I could have you relived from your position. You command would be formally stripped, but you would be free from this responsibility. You wouldn't have to serve a government you don't believe in." Leia proposed. As earnest as she intended to be, she was actually unsure she could make it happen. The New Republic was growing so quickly, and she was no longer on first name terms with all of the top brass.
Erickson sighed deeply before opening mouth to speak again. "Princess I appreciate the offer but losing my command would mean the ultimate dishonor. If I returned Shishea without serving out my time, I would be casted out, a pariah in the only home I care to have in a near infinite galaxy."
"Fair enough, but solider, I expect better. Anymore comments, even the smallest hint you are not serving the New Republic to the best of your ability, I can grantee you will be sent home." Leia dictated sternly. The authority in which she command was well beyond her years, but to the few who had known her since she was a child would attest that she had always this sort of command.
"Yes Ma'am." Erickson had sobered, the threat that his bad attitude could cause a loss of the honor he worked so hard to gain combined with the Princesses well placed blaster fire had quickly changed his mind.
Erickson remained in his chair and Leia remind in her standing position, towering over a man that was nearly twice her height. At first, the pause seemed to be an endcap to their conversation but then it turned pregnant. Leia realized the expectation the moment before it became awkward. "Commander, your dismissed."
Erickson walked of the room and Leia took a look at her Chrono. The time she was hoping to spend alone before she again had to meet the Queen had nearly passed. Leia chose to take a seat in the conference room for a few stolen moments, but she quickly found that herself distracted by the awesome display anger she had shown. She had plenty to be angry at Erickson about and she had plenty in life to be angry as well. Her parent's dead, her planet gone, the formation of the New Republic was taking longer than expected. The most notorious villain the galaxy was her actual, real biological father. All of these excuses for anger did not dismiss her fears that her temper was inevitable, a biological ticking bomb likely to go off turning her into something she would not even recognize.
Leia wanted to take up a place in New Republic leadership, her time a diplomat limited. But taking up a leadership position worried her, could be she be corrupted by her anger?
"This house is absolutely amazing." Palak remarked.
"Curtesy of your Majesty, the Queen of Naboo," Luke commented, as he looked around. The house was large enough to hold the entire group of dignitaries that would be arriving in just a few days as well as the Queens traveling household. Its size was the least of what made it impressive. There were the gilded banisters, the hand-woven drapes and the balconies that looked out onto the lake on one side and the mountains on the other.
"If these walls could talk, imagine the stores they could tell." Palak marveled as she ran her hands along the walls, as if that was the key to learning secrets.
"Do you ever think about anything else besides stories?" Luke questioned lightly, his eyes still attempting to take in the sight. Besides for just the few nights Luke spent on Coruscant, he had never been to planet that had any sort of opulence, and this was in direct opposition the crowded, cramped spaces he was used to.
Palak continued, ignoring Luke's comment. "Did you know that Queen Amidala lived here. I mean, not very long and not while she Queen, but she did live here. I guess a lot of Queens have stayed here, actually, but you seem especially interested in Amidala.:"
"I'm interested in the Jedi, and deepening on who you ask, Queen Amidala was rumored to know a Jedi." Luke explained, carefully.
"Are you sure you don't have time to find the Softa Jaine, the Oralist? she knows all the Amidala stories," Palak suggested.
"I wish, but this is not a holiday and this house is larger than I could have ever expected, it's going to take a while to do a full security sweep." Luke explained and then started his investigation of the home.
"What do you need me to do," Palak called to Luke as he disappeared into the core of the house.
"Nothing yet, we'll do a sweep from the inside first and then when we start the exterior I'll need your help." Luke explained.
"Hmm, so you may not be on holiday, but I guess I am." Palak called back. "I'll make dinner."
"Thanks, but no favttie beans, I'm….."
"Allergic, I remember." Palak responded.
Luke started the careful scan of the house using both his intuition through the force and the advanced equipment that could pick up even the weakest frequency transmission. He had never been through this process in a luxury home before, just the abandoned structure preferred by the New Rebellion. This sort of work was tedious and unrewarding. The task would get markedly better once he was to leave the interior and move the exterior where he would have the opportunity to not only check for security but to also be introduced to the local ecosystem, the plants, insects and animals, each life unique but completely interconnected at the same time.
He had made it through nearly half the interior of the home when he heard the click of Palak's shoes against the smooth stone floor the lined the hallways.
"Can you take a break, I'm done with dinner." Palak said from her position in the doorway.
"Sure," Luke disengaged from his equipment and walked down to where Palak had set up dinner on a table in front of the open door if the one of the balconies.
"It looks amazing," Luke noted at the spread of dumplings, fresh fruit and a whole fish from the local lake.
"All family recipes, my grandmother taught me how to make the dumplings when I was a girl." Palak projected as she took her seat and Luke joined.
"Amazing, where I come from it's all dried out bantha meat and that's only on special occasions." Luke commented.
"Try a dumpling," Palak pushed the plater toward Luke.
He picked on off the platter. The curst was golden brown and flaky and they were still piping hot. Luke took a bit and the flavor was superior to their appearance. The crust crunched in his mouth and the center in contrast was both savory and creamy.
"These are even better then they look." Luke exclaimed and then took a second.
"I'm glad you like them." Palak said, expediently.
Luke when to finish off the dumpling but before we could get it to his mouth for the last bit he started to feel a pull in throat. Something was wrong, a sort of an impending sense of dread. He breathed, the air not totally entering. He attempted to exhale, again it seemed caught. He could feel his face grow hot and puffy. He looked Palak and she was smiling, waiting.
"Favttie beans," Luke croaked, reaching into his pocket for one of the allergy patches Leia had given him. He fumbled with the plastic wrapper, but his vision blurred, and he was not able to get his fingers to move in the manner he need. The edges of his vision started to fade, "Elp," he called out, though barely on his lips, he hoped it registered louder through the Force. It was the last thing he remembered before the world retreated into darkness.