Diary of a Handmaiden 4–Following Protocol–Eirtaé's Diary--Entry 8

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<–...> Whew! I am exhausted. And I have a ton to catch up on again.

We are once again on the ship, this time on our way home to fight the Federation in the only way left to us now that the Senate has failed us.

I'll back up, though. We arrived on Coruscant and were greeted by... THE SUPREME CHANCELLOR OF THE GALACTIC REPUBLIC HIMSELF! Yes, I am excited. I have always dreamed of meeting him and it was just so cool. Of course, to him I was little more than a shadow of the Queen, who wasn't really the Queen at all, just Sabé is disguise. Oh, well...

We then accompanied Senator Palpatine back to his apartments and Sabé and Padmé were able to switch. Rabé and I joined Padmé as she spoke with the Senator. His lack of faith in the Senate surprised me, I must say. The Galactic Senate has always been representative of the great unity and strength of the Republic, at least in my mind. The Senator turned out to be right, though. I've been remembering some of the holovid reports I've heard in past months, even years. I generally chalked them up to sensationalism and took them with a grain of salt, just as I was taught, but now I believe they were the plain and simple truth. The Senate is corrupt and bogged down in mindless bureaucracy and petty differences. It was depressing and frustrating sitting in the Senator's box and watching as Padmé was interrupted rudely and consistently.

The only thing she accomplished was a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. We talked about that before we left for the Senate and neither one of us was quite sure what to do. I finally advised Padmé not to worry about it until she saw what happened at the session. If the response was quick and positive, then she should leave Valorum alone. He has, after all, been a very strong supporter for us. I think he seemed to be doing his best to work with the situation he was presented with.

However, when I saw the way Padmé was treated, my opinion about the Chancellor changed drastically. It's not that I don't still think he did his best, but I could actually see him being manipulated and controlled by the bureaucrats. It was almost ridiculous. I wanted to throw something at him and remind him that he is the SUPREME CHANCELLOR–he shouldn't be allowing people to treat him like that. He should take some prerogative. I'm not saying I want to see him act like a dictator or anything, but really...

In any case, as Padmé and I had discussed, once she saw that she wasn't getting any results, she took the Senator's advice and called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum. Before we left Coruscant, we found out from Senator Palpatine and Captain Panaka that the Senator, Ainlee Teem of Malastare, and Bail Antilles of Alderaan, have been nominated to replace him. This is very exciting for us. Senator Palpatine would be an even stronger supporter for us that Valorum has been. I don't know much about Ainlee Teem, but I believe Bail Antilles would also make an excellent Supreme Chancellor. Maybe one of them will restore the Republic to its former prosperity and glory. Whatever the outcome, it has to be better than what I just witnessed.

I am so excited about the fact that Padmé listened to me and that my advice led to a decision that appears to be a very positive one for our situation that I can almost forget about what I'm heading home to. For once I actually felt like I knew what I was doing, like I was in control. It's not because I was in charge in any way–the decision wasn't even mine to make. But I was using the training I've received to analyze the situation and determine what would be best for Naboo. And it worked! That is just so awesome!

And now my part is over to a large extent. That's sort of a let down. I was having fun seeing the Senate and getting involved in galactic politics. Coruscant seems to be in my blood. While the others talk about how nervous it makes them to see the deep crevices between buildings and the crazy traffic patterns, and describe Coruscant as bleak and unnatural, I see something totally different. I feel the lifeblood of the galaxy flowing all around me, its heart beating beneath my feet. I sense the power and influence and strength that radiate from the planet that is the capital of the Republic. It's the center of the Galaxy, the center of the known universe. Decisions are made there about everything that affects the Republic and all the beings within it. How anyone cannot find that totally awe-inspiring is beyond me. I hesitate to say this aloud, but I almost think I feel more connected to Coruscant than I do to Naboo. Almost. Let's just hope no one ever hears that. I wouldn't be a Handmaiden or anything else for much longer if they did.

In any case, we have now left Coruscant behind. The exhilarating, intoxicating, alive, feeling that I had there is starting to wear off even as I record this. I'm starting to get nervous. When we arrive on Naboo, we'll be fighting a battle, and I have no more experience in that than anyone else. Less than the Jedi of Panaka.

Of course, I guess I could try to be positive about it–after all, it means that I'll be able to relax, in a sense, and follow the orders of others for a change. I suppose it will be nice not to have to tell everybody else what to do or give advice and counsel. I'm actually starting to feel a little relieved.

I know Rabé is very worried about her family and about Saché and Yané, but I refuse to believe my family or friends could be dead. If I let myself think that way, I'll be tempted to give up.

And since I am not a quitter, I will force myself to think positively and concentrate on the task ahead. If there's one thing I've learned from this experience, it's that protocol isn't everything. I once thought that knowing how things should be done was everything, that it provided all the answers. But now I know that there aren't always answers. Sometimes the situations we face are unique and we have to create unique responses for them. The decision Padmé and I came to about the Chancellor wasn't one that was dictated by protocol. To be proper, Padmé would have respected all that Chancellor Valorum had done for her–like sending the Jedi–and she wouldn't have called for a vote against him. But that would have been wrong, ineffective. We needed to think deeper and consider what was really good for Naboo, and the Republic. For that matter, it didn't seem that anyone was following protocol at all–at least not in any form that I recognized. I'm not sure how much good my advice in those areas did Padmé. My political training was of some value, but etiquette... seems to have flown out the window on Coruscant, so to speak. Or rather, it seems to have been flung out the window.

It was a good lesson for me, and looking back, I'm proud of the way I handled the situation. I think I can learn even more by watching Padmé as she handles the situation back home. I have a feeling manners will be of even less value there than they were on Coruscant.

Anyhow, today has been one of the most exciting of my life. Two dreams fulfilled–I got to meet the Supreme Chancellor and I got to attend a Senate session. Of course, in my dreams, I was the one standing up and speaking for Naboo and being introduced to the Chancellor.

But this was better than nothing. And who knows? Maybe someday I'll return to Coruscant and fulfill my dreams the way they've always appeared to me. That is, if I live through the next few days.

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