The meetings went on, and Saché continued to gather information. Her identity remained secret, even when she knew she'd been followed by one of Dunyan's operatives. She'd been set up with an apartment, a job as a clerk in a small firm and a cover story. Everything was going as planned. She was proud of what she was doing for the Queen, not only as her trusted servant, but as a friend.
Still, something was starting to nag at her as the days went on into weeks of undercover work and meetings. She occasionally found herself attracted to Dunyan. It was a feeling that horrified her as soon as she noticed it. She buried it as quickly as possible when it did crop up. That little voice of conscience told her she should talk to Rabé about it, but that would be nearly impossible. Direct contact with the Palace or the handmaidens would jeopardize the mission and her life.
The big day finally arrived. It was time for the formal signing of the joint trade agreement between the Naboo and the Gungans. The treaty had been approved of by the Queen's advisors and the overwhelming majority of the public, so the atmosphere was festive. At least everywhere else it was.
Saché was in her role as an up and coming member of The Faction during the planetwide holocast of the ceremony. As she picked out details of the Throne Room, she had to fight back tears. She missed her life as a handmaiden, and the company of her true friends.
Dunyan was silent as the event proceeded, but the other members jeered derisively. Then the unexpected happened.
"As a sign of this Alliance, I am honored to introduce a new handmaiden into my service," Amidala intoned in her solemn court manner.
A female Gungan stepped forward, clad in the same attire as the young Naboo women, bowed to the Queen, and took her place among the other handmaidens. Saché was shocked, and more than a little hurt, to see her stand in the spot where she so wanted to be.
The group exploded into various reactions. There were moans of disgust, growls of anger, and mutterings of what should be done to the Queen and this new Frog.
Dunyan uncrossed his arms and pointed at the holo. "There! Did you catch that?"
"What?" a man next to him asked.
"Look at Panaka. See his face?" The Captain was indeed giving the Gungan female a sour look. " I'd venture a guess that he's no more fond of the Frogs than we are."
"Maybe not, but what's he going to do about it?" Saché remarked. "He's sworn to serve the Queen."
"He's sworn to serve Naboo," Dunyan corrected. "Perhaps when Amidala assumed the throne, he thought that serving her meant serving his people. Now it's clear that it does not. The Frog has taken an elite position, one that should go to a young woman of noble Naboo heritage--someone like you, Chélynne."
Saché almost choked. She thought for a moment that Dunyan might be onto her, but as she looked into his dark brown eyes and saw only warmth, not suspicion. Oh Force, she thought to herself. Please don't look at me like that.
He gave her a smile that matched the glow in his eyes. "I have a favor to ask you, Dear."
"Yes," Saché nodded.
"I would like you to find out if the good Captain would be an appropriate recruit for our group. It's possible that he shares our interests. I'll let you know when to go meet with him. Will you do this for us?" He stroked her cheek with a finger.
She gave the leader a slight bow. "As you wish, Dunyan."
A few days later, Saché was at the rendevous point. It was a place she knew well, near the Palace grounds. Many of the officers came to this club to relax after hours. Panaka should be showing up soon. She had been able to get a coded message to the Captain, warning him of the ruse and advising him to play along to a point. Since she was sure of how things would go she was relaxed and at ease. Besides, it would be good to see Panaka again. Perhaps they would get enough privacy for her to hear some news of what was going on in the Palace.
"Saché! Hey, where you been, long time, no see," a young man yelled from behind her.
She froze in place and swallowed hard. She didn't turn around.
A hand was on her shoulder. "Saché, why do you want to be like that? Don't you know one of your old boyfriends anymore?"
She shifted to face a young Palace Guard. "Sir, you must be mistaken. I don't know you."
The young man looked confused. "But...I could have sworn..."
Rowan stepped from the club's doorway. "Come on, Shane, leave her alone. She looks like Saché, but she's not. Sorry, Miss. My friend here has partied a bit too much."
"No problem. Thank you, Sir." Saché sent Rowan a heartfelt look of gratitude. He returned it with understanding, and led his companion away.
In a nearby doorway, a cloaked man noted the event, and smiled to himself.
A few moments later, Panaka strolled by. Saché made her move, engaging him in conversation, then suggesting that the Gungan handmaiden was perhaps a controversial play by the Queen. Panaka responded as she had suggested. He agreed with the statement.
She then proposed that they find someplace private to talk. He nodded and took her to the manager's office in the club. As soon as the door closed behind them, Saché fell into his arms and burst into tears. Panaka held her and let her cry the fear and tension out of her system.
"How much longer do I have to go on with this?" she sobbed.
The Captain patted her back. "Not for long. We have almost all the evidence we need, thanks to you. I promise, you'll be back in the Palace before Sabé returns from Coruscant."
"Oh no, she's gone and done it! She's going to take Meira to the Temple. I didn't even get to say goodbye!" Saché sniffed.
"We don't know that she's going to give the baby up. She left today, and she admitted that she hadn't made up her mind yet. Courage, Saché. Just hang in there a little longer."
Straightening herself out, she nodded, and gave Panaka a salute. She then gave him a report and data that she had collected since the last transmission. She felt a sense of hope when she was done, as if this step put her closer to returning to her handmaiden job and home.
"Well done, " Panaka comfirmed. "One more question. Why did they choose to contact me? Didn't they realize it was risky to attempt to recruit someone so close to the Queen? How could they question my loyalty?"
Saché hesitated. She knew the truth would hurt and put the Captain on the defensive. She hoped he would trust her enough to realize the spirit in which she would answer.
"I'll be honest with you. Captain, your attitude toward the Gungans is not the most gracious and open. It comes dangerously close to theirs. They spotted that and thought you may be sympathetic to their cause."
Panaka shot her a shocked glare. He growled and opened his mouth to sputter a protest, but then stopped and reflected.
"That gives me something to think about. Thank you for your candor."
"And thank you, Captain, for your understanding."
"You'd better get back out there before they suspect. The Queen and the other ladies send their love and best wishes. We all want you back soon. I'll be sending for you before long. Keep up the good work, Saché."
The young woman saluted, and exited the room, leaving Panaka with his thoughts.
Still, something was starting to nag at her as the days went on into weeks of undercover work and meetings. She occasionally found herself attracted to Dunyan. It was a feeling that horrified her as soon as she noticed it. She buried it as quickly as possible when it did crop up. That little voice of conscience told her she should talk to Rabé about it, but that would be nearly impossible. Direct contact with the Palace or the handmaidens would jeopardize the mission and her life.
The big day finally arrived. It was time for the formal signing of the joint trade agreement between the Naboo and the Gungans. The treaty had been approved of by the Queen's advisors and the overwhelming majority of the public, so the atmosphere was festive. At least everywhere else it was.
Saché was in her role as an up and coming member of The Faction during the planetwide holocast of the ceremony. As she picked out details of the Throne Room, she had to fight back tears. She missed her life as a handmaiden, and the company of her true friends.
Dunyan was silent as the event proceeded, but the other members jeered derisively. Then the unexpected happened.
"As a sign of this Alliance, I am honored to introduce a new handmaiden into my service," Amidala intoned in her solemn court manner.
A female Gungan stepped forward, clad in the same attire as the young Naboo women, bowed to the Queen, and took her place among the other handmaidens. Saché was shocked, and more than a little hurt, to see her stand in the spot where she so wanted to be.
The group exploded into various reactions. There were moans of disgust, growls of anger, and mutterings of what should be done to the Queen and this new Frog.
Dunyan uncrossed his arms and pointed at the holo. "There! Did you catch that?"
"What?" a man next to him asked.
"Look at Panaka. See his face?" The Captain was indeed giving the Gungan female a sour look. " I'd venture a guess that he's no more fond of the Frogs than we are."
"Maybe not, but what's he going to do about it?" Saché remarked. "He's sworn to serve the Queen."
"He's sworn to serve Naboo," Dunyan corrected. "Perhaps when Amidala assumed the throne, he thought that serving her meant serving his people. Now it's clear that it does not. The Frog has taken an elite position, one that should go to a young woman of noble Naboo heritage--someone like you, Chélynne."
Saché almost choked. She thought for a moment that Dunyan might be onto her, but as she looked into his dark brown eyes and saw only warmth, not suspicion. Oh Force, she thought to herself. Please don't look at me like that.
He gave her a smile that matched the glow in his eyes. "I have a favor to ask you, Dear."
"Yes," Saché nodded.
"I would like you to find out if the good Captain would be an appropriate recruit for our group. It's possible that he shares our interests. I'll let you know when to go meet with him. Will you do this for us?" He stroked her cheek with a finger.
She gave the leader a slight bow. "As you wish, Dunyan."
A few days later, Saché was at the rendevous point. It was a place she knew well, near the Palace grounds. Many of the officers came to this club to relax after hours. Panaka should be showing up soon. She had been able to get a coded message to the Captain, warning him of the ruse and advising him to play along to a point. Since she was sure of how things would go she was relaxed and at ease. Besides, it would be good to see Panaka again. Perhaps they would get enough privacy for her to hear some news of what was going on in the Palace.
"Saché! Hey, where you been, long time, no see," a young man yelled from behind her.
She froze in place and swallowed hard. She didn't turn around.
A hand was on her shoulder. "Saché, why do you want to be like that? Don't you know one of your old boyfriends anymore?"
She shifted to face a young Palace Guard. "Sir, you must be mistaken. I don't know you."
The young man looked confused. "But...I could have sworn..."
Rowan stepped from the club's doorway. "Come on, Shane, leave her alone. She looks like Saché, but she's not. Sorry, Miss. My friend here has partied a bit too much."
"No problem. Thank you, Sir." Saché sent Rowan a heartfelt look of gratitude. He returned it with understanding, and led his companion away.
In a nearby doorway, a cloaked man noted the event, and smiled to himself.
A few moments later, Panaka strolled by. Saché made her move, engaging him in conversation, then suggesting that the Gungan handmaiden was perhaps a controversial play by the Queen. Panaka responded as she had suggested. He agreed with the statement.
She then proposed that they find someplace private to talk. He nodded and took her to the manager's office in the club. As soon as the door closed behind them, Saché fell into his arms and burst into tears. Panaka held her and let her cry the fear and tension out of her system.
"How much longer do I have to go on with this?" she sobbed.
The Captain patted her back. "Not for long. We have almost all the evidence we need, thanks to you. I promise, you'll be back in the Palace before Sabé returns from Coruscant."
"Oh no, she's gone and done it! She's going to take Meira to the Temple. I didn't even get to say goodbye!" Saché sniffed.
"We don't know that she's going to give the baby up. She left today, and she admitted that she hadn't made up her mind yet. Courage, Saché. Just hang in there a little longer."
Straightening herself out, she nodded, and gave Panaka a salute. She then gave him a report and data that she had collected since the last transmission. She felt a sense of hope when she was done, as if this step put her closer to returning to her handmaiden job and home.
"Well done, " Panaka comfirmed. "One more question. Why did they choose to contact me? Didn't they realize it was risky to attempt to recruit someone so close to the Queen? How could they question my loyalty?"
Saché hesitated. She knew the truth would hurt and put the Captain on the defensive. She hoped he would trust her enough to realize the spirit in which she would answer.
"I'll be honest with you. Captain, your attitude toward the Gungans is not the most gracious and open. It comes dangerously close to theirs. They spotted that and thought you may be sympathetic to their cause."
Panaka shot her a shocked glare. He growled and opened his mouth to sputter a protest, but then stopped and reflected.
"That gives me something to think about. Thank you for your candor."
"And thank you, Captain, for your understanding."
"You'd better get back out there before they suspect. The Queen and the other ladies send their love and best wishes. We all want you back soon. I'll be sending for you before long. Keep up the good work, Saché."
The young woman saluted, and exited the room, leaving Panaka with his thoughts.