Handmaiden's Chronicles III – Meeting to Part Again
The examinations were far from over, but ten-year-old Sabe decided she had enough. She placed her papers on the proctor's table and stalked out of the classroom, ignoring the shocked look on her peers' faces. The others took one glance at her and returned to their tests—after all they still had two more hours to finish it.
Sabe
stretched out her arms and yawned. So much for that. Wonder what I'll do
next? She asked herself, looking around. She considered going to the combat
chambers then decided against it, for her body needed to relax, not to wind
itself more. She glanced outside the hallway's huge windows and saw the
gardens. Found her answer.
The weather was perfect—not too sunny, but not too cloudy. Sabe strolled on the lawns, admiring the huge and delicate flowers that were blooming everywhere. In Naboo, flowers bloomed in every season, all equal in beauty and splendor. She took a deep breath, taking in the flowers' spicy scent.
She suddenly heard a rustling movement near one of the bushes. Sabe moved forward to inspect it, and was surprised to see a girl sitting on the grass, feet folded neatly under her dress, hidden from view. The girl seemed to be equally surprised at Sabe's sudden appearance.
"Hello." Sabe greeted. "What's your name?"
"Amidala." The girl answered, not taking her eyes off the newcomer. "Who are you?"
"My name's Sabe." She replied, settling on the grass across the girl's position. "You're a new face here. Are you one of the examinees?" the girl nodded.
Wow, Sabe thought, this kid must really be something! Examinations for political leadership were usually given to youngsters at least ten years of age. By Sabe's rough estimate, the girl was around six years old.
"So your name's Amidala, eh?" Sabe lay down on the grass, feeling the soft short leaves brush her face, luxuriating in its fresh dewy scent. "What's your real name?" In traditional Naboo, if a child as deemed fir for leadership or political office, they usually adopted a more formal name for the child. Since Sabe grew up in Theed, her real name was considered formal enough. (I don't know—can't explain it very clearly.)
"Padme." The girl replied. "They call me Padme back home." Judging by her accent, short hair and clothing material, 'home' was probably in the mountains, from a farmer's family only too grateful to give their daughter away to a better life.
"So, Padme, isn't it a little too early to be done with the exams? It goes on for two more hours, you know."
Padme blinked innocently. "But the test is easy. Why, you're out early yourself."
Sabe smiled sheepishly. "Well, I'm a different case altogether. I just don't like politics, so I didn't take the test seriously, might save Naboo from trouble. I'd rather be a—a pilot, or something."
"A pilot?" Padme's eyes brightened. "That's interesting."
"All I'm saying is—even if they're grooming me towards politics, I don't like it, and I won't pretend that I do. Hey, what are you doing?"
The little girl was stroking Sabe's long brown hair that was spread out on the grass. She plucked out tiny wildflowers and began braiding it Sabe's locks. "I like your hair." She said simply.
"Why don't you grow out yours, then?" Sabe asked, glancing at Amidala's short crop.
"Short hair is the most practical style when you're a worker." Amidala replied matter-of-factly, picking up more flowers.
"You know, you should grow it out. When you become leader, they'll twist your hair into different shapes." Sabe twirled her index finger in the air, outlining a passing cloud in the sky. "You'd look really pretty, I'm sure." Amidala giggled at this. The two girls went on chatting happily until the sun set low in the sky…
"Sabe?" Amidala's voice broke Sabe's reverie. They were standing on the staircase leading to Theed's gardens, and judging from where Sabe was looking at, Amidala had already guessed what she was reminiscing about. She smiled in understanding.
"Well, ladies." Sio Bibble strode towards them, hale and hearty as ever. "Ready to go?"
Sabe broke into a fond smile as she saw her adoptive father. "Of course, Uncle. Lead the way!"
She linked arms with him and Amidala, grinning from ear to ear.
I never thought she'd be this happy again. Amidala thought to herself as Sabe chatted away in an unusually merry way, relaying her plans to tour Coruscant's mainland after the Senate inauguration. Bibble was smiling and nodding to everything she said, even remarking once: "How much have you changed, Sabe, since I first saw you when you were six!"
How much had she changed? She vaguely remembered her past, only pieced together fragments of memories. Yet she knew that what she had was not good enough. What she had was a distorted image, something that could very be far from the truth.
The only thing she knew about her parents was the fact that they were ambassadors to different planets, including Coruscant. She just found out that she was actually born in Coruscant and stayed there for three years before the accident her parents met on the way home to Naboo. Their starship crashed because of a mysterious attacker while entering Naboo's atmosphere. They crash-landed on a swampy area, the attacker disappeared and left Sabe's parents dead. How Sabe survived remained a mystery—they found the little girl a mile away from the wreck. She was later taken into an orphanage, yet no one wanted to adopt her for she was a quiet and brooding child, and many feared that she was mentally unstable. However, national tests proved her to be very intelligent, and the government decided to take her under its wing to be groomed as a potential political leader. Sio Bibble was her guardian, and she flourished under his care, shedding her silent self for a happier persona.
Sabe disliked politics from the very start and deliberately failed later exams and worked hard to improve her skills and excel in military tactics, defense and piloting to prove a point. Bibble finally gave in and allowed her training in the field that she liked, on the condition that she would still take up protocol and politics, though not so extensive as before. And if she did well, she could continue on her course.
In the course of time, Sabe became less cheerful and regained her personality when she was a little girl. Called a recluse, philosopher and a deep thinker, she made very little friends this way, save for loyal Amidala, who was her constant companion, despite their four-year age gap.
Everything has led me to this, she thought to herself, gazing out of the viewport of the ship. What made her REALLY think about her recent past was when Amidala introduced her to her new Handmaidens, Corde and Dorme.
"My sister is a big fan of yours." Dorme told Sabe, looking a little star-struck. "Really, you're quite a hero!"
But I really didn't do anything. I just did what I had to do. Does that make me a hero? Amidala just shrugged and laughed.
She closed her eyes for a moment, reflecting, different thoughts pouring into her head. When she opened her eyes, a glittering planet beheld her.
They had reached Coruscant.
"I hope you will bring compassion and sanity back into the Senate." these words rang in Amidala's mind as she watched the lights of Coruscant, visible even from outer space. This was her first time to return in seven years and the sight of the planet still represented some painful memories for her. She turned to look at Sabe, who was regarding the planet thoughtfully.
She must have noticed Amidala's gaze and broke out in a tight laugh. "Strange," she remarked, gesturing towards the bright planet. "I was born in Coruscant and lived there in the first three years of my lie with my parents. It's an important memory but I remember nothing."
Amidala felt her heart go out to her friend. Sabe used to have a hard time with her being "uprooted", with no family except members of the Theed court, Amidala, the Handmaidens and Sio Bibble. She often wondered if Sabe had been healed of that pain, because up until now, she had never even alluded to it.
Maybe that was why she was so drawn to Obi-wan Kenobi, Amidala reflected, as Coruscant loomed closer. Potential Jedi Knights were taken from their parents at a very young age and trained for a life of service to the galaxy. Sabe led a similar life, very dedicated and devoted to her work, giving up many chances that could've led to her personal happiness. It was an attitude Amidala couldn't fully understand.
"Senator Naberrie." Corde, one of Amidala's newly assigned Handmaidens, approached. "We should be docking on the mainland in less than one Coruscant hour. You must be made ready."
"I understand." Amidala turned to Sabe. "What about you, Minister? Should I call for Dorme to assist you?"
Of all the things Sabe hated, it was being waited upon. Being 'beautified' by someone else didn't
strike her as enticing. "Thank you, Senator, but I can take care of myself." She replied politely. Amidala nodded, understanding, and with Corde at her heels, glided out of the room.
Sabe gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was tied back in a deceptively simple bun, with five long braids hanging at the back. "There," she murmured in satisfaction. "That ought to be aesthetically pleasing enough for Amidala." She glanced out of her room's view port, seeing Coruscant's buildings become bigger and bigger.
Where are you, Obi-wan? This thought came unbidden in her mind, and she shook her head, clearing it away. No. She didn't come here for this.
"Minister." It was Amidala's voice, yet it was deeper, serious, in the voice that she adopted in professional situations. She was garbed in Senator's robes, but this time, no white makeup. "Are you ready?"
Sabe took a deep breath. "Yes, I'm ready, Senator."
For a wonder, Amidala broke into a smile (she rarely does, when she's in a professional mode). "Chancellor Palpatine has come to welcome us."
Sabe's blood froze. "Uh…he did? That's…very thoughtful of him." She remarked.
Amidala didn't notice her friend's strange reaction, and if she did, she didn't say anything about it. Sabe knew that the Chancellor's presence made her friend happy. This meant Naboo had a very strong supporter and was finally given some presence and gravity within the Senate. After all, it was Amidala who moved the vote for no confidence seven years ago.
Seven years made no difference. Palpatine still gave her the heebie-jeebies. He strode towards the ship's ramp, all smiles and confidence. He held out a hand to Amidala. "Welcome again to Coruscant, Senator." He greeted her warmly. Amidala smiled at him in return. "I look forward to working with you again."
"Congratulations on your reelection, sir." Sabe greeted softly. Palpatine's attention turned to her.
"Minister Maberrie—ornament of Naboo!" he cried, putting an arm around her shoulders, making her skin crawl. Sabe certainly didn't like being called an ornament of Naboo. "Yes, yes. My homeworld is certainly on the course of prosperity, with able and talented leaders like you." He chuckled.
Sio Bibble didn't seem particularly enchanted. In fact, he said very little as Chancellor Palpatine accompanied them to their suite. Palpatine was very amiable and charming, and she sensed that Amidala particularly liked this sort of attention. Sabe wondered how her friend could stand it.
"Please, please, Amidala. Come to the Library with me?"
Amidala swatted her away. "No. I need my sleep, you bookworm. Why don't you go bother someone else?" She adjusted her position on the bed, but Sabe was undaunted.
"What are you looking for anyway?"
"References." Sabe's tone was serious now. "Military strategies, weaponries, etcetera. I came with you for a reason, you know. All this research may even make me stay longer than I intended."
"Good. Live in the library." Amidala was tired from the travel. If she didn't know Sabe for all her life, she would've concluded that she was just going to look for Obi-wan Kenobi. But she knew Sabe better than that, and her friend wasn't that kind of girl…
Amidala suddenly bolted up. Weapons? Military strategies? She fixed a damning stare on Sabe. "Don't tell me you're going to do this."
Sabe sat up straighter. "Why not? With enough reference material, I may be able to convince the queen to build an army of our own. Don't tell me you're still against this, Amidala. You know we almost lost the war because we didn't…"
"But we didn't lose." Amidala countered coolly. "Anyway, we have allies now, and the Chancellor is from Naboo. We don't have to use up funds for an unnecessary army."
"It's not unnecessary. We're not so quite well-off as you think, Senator. Don't live in that illusion. We need an army and no one should understand this more than you." Sabe retorted. "Having allies is almost an insurance that one day we WILL go into war. And what next? Wait for volunteers?" she couldn't help but put a sneer in the last sentence.
"I am against it, Sabe. You're asking for trouble."
"I'm just doing my duty, Senator. General Panaka is backing me up."
"Naboo is a peaceful country. Just asking for Queen Jamilla's approval isn't enough. We have to hear what the people have to say." Amidala was twisting the sheets now.
"I'll convince them." Sabe stood up. "Recent events are reason enough."
Amidala opened her mouth to speak, but for the first time, she couldn't think of anything to prevent Sabe from what she planned to do. Taking this as consent, Sabe nodded and left the Amidala's bedroom.
Sabe seemed confident as she left the room but as she headed for the main hallway of the building, she began to have doubts. Queen Jamilla greatly respected her predecessor and perhaps would take Amidala's stand on having a Naboo army. This disturbed her. Naboo needed an army, and even though a lot of people, like Amidala, lived in the illusion that they were safe, she knew she had to push that idea through. She had to.
Her
thoughts were temporarily put on a halt when she passed by a painting hung on
the hallway. She paused, and decided to inspect it. She immediately recognized
the painter's technique—Ellidyr Alidea, a famous Naboo painter. It was so real
and lifelike…I wonder what the subject is.
It took her about a second to realize what—or rather, who the subjects were. It was titled, "Queen Amidala and Her Handmaidens". And indeed, it was. There was the smiling Amidala, sitting in the middle, in her white celebration dress, glowing and so impressively lifelike. The other Handmaidens surrounded her—Rabe, looking like an angel, touching the queen's hair gently; Yane, laughing as she held out the simple tiara Amidala was to wear on her forehead; Eirtae, watching the group with a small smile on her face, her blonde hair spilling on one shoulder; Sache, smiling beautifully as she kneeled beside the queen, looking up to her; and finally, Sabe, both hands on Amidala's shoulders, smiling. The familiar scene made Sabe smile.
Someone had just walked up behind her, and Sabe remembered that she had to go to Coruscant Library. When she turned around, whom did she see…?
"Sabe?"
For a moment, Sabe didn't recognize who he was. She racked her head—where had she seen him before? The tall young man smiled.
"Don't you remember me?" he seemed a little hurt. "Sabe, it's me--Anakin Skywalker."
"A—Anakin Skywalker!" Sabe's eyes were practically popping out of its sockets. Then her face broke into a huge smile. "Anakin! You've—you've grown up! I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you…"
"It's okay." Anakin was laughing. "I get that all the time."
The blue eyes, the sandy blonde hair…yes, it was Anakin all right, Sabe thought. However, he wasn't as cute and adorable as he was before, but looked more mature now, with just a hint of mischief in those blue eyes. "How long were you standing there?" she couldn't help it. Even though she knew very little of him, she couldn't help feeling a little comfortable. After all, she did see him when he was just a kid.
Just a kid—who saved Naboo! "Just long enough. I see you've seen the painting. That Ellidyr is really something, huh?" he nodded towards the portrait.
"I didn't even know this painting existed until I passed it by. It brings some memories." She paused for a minute, not knowing whether she should be looking at the painting or at Anakin. "How old are you now, Anakin?"
"I'm sixteen." He replied, flashing a smile.
"Well…! You're certainly tall for a sixteen-year-old!" Sabe laughed.
"I'm taller than Master, actually. Makes it harder for him to scold me."
"Oh, really?" Sabe was quick to note what kind of characters people had in a short length of time. Anakin was going to turn out a fine young man, she thought to herself. Obi-wan must be very proud of him. "How is he, anyway? And aren't you supposed to be at the Temple?"
"Right. One question at a time." Anakin seemed elated to be talking to someone other than his fellow Padawans and Jedi Masters. "Master is fine, helping out with the details for the Senate inauguration. You know, security and such. And when everyone is this busy, we Padawans usually go to our retreat house."
"Retreat house?" Sabe repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, to meditate." He clarified. He shifted slightly, suddenly looking shy. "Anyway, how is Padme? She won the Senate seat, right? Is she here?"
Oh, right, Padme. Anakin sure got hit hard for her, Sabe thought, smiling wryly. "Yes, she's fine, getting some rest. She threw me out of her room, actually. No, I'm just kidding. But she is quite tired from her journey, and I don't think she's in shape to see anyone now." She hated disappointing Anakin this way, so she tried something else. "Why don't you go visit her tomorrow?"
Anakin's face fell. "Oh, well. If that's the case, just tell her I said hello. Can't be here tomorrow. Retreats take at least a week." The disappointment was audible in his voice. Sabe patted his arm.
"I'll tell her I saw you and I'm sure she'll want to meet you again. You just came at the wrong time." Sabe then realized that Anakin came here not just to check on Amidala, but to look at the portrait as well.
"Right." Anakin brightened again. "Well, I'm late as it is. It was nice seeing you again, Sabe."
"Nice seeing you, Anakin. Take care of yourself."
"Will do!" with a wave and a smile, he was gone.
Well, he sure is a ray of sunshine. Sabe thought, smiling to herself. He seemed happy and cheerful, and she wondered if Obi-wan was in the same state. Sabe then shook her head. Heck, Obi-wan was anything BUT cheerful. With a new spring in her step, she went on her way.
But as soon as Anakin was gone, darker thoughts began creeping in her mind. For the first time in six years, she began thinking of Obi-wan again…freely. She knew so much has changed, and she knew so many more things were going to change.
Little did she know the gravity—and the truth of her words.
Sabe stared up at the huge building and headquarters of the Galactic Senate. Anakin had said that Obi-wan was here, in this building. Just ahead, Coruscant Library loomed before her. Sabe hesitated, not knowing which direction she would take.
This is not my place. She thought to herself, smiling sadly. She walked on, past the building. It was too late to change their decisions now. Sometimes she herself questioned the wisdom of their decision. Tied down with responsibilities, she thought that she could be happy with what she did, knowing what she did was for the common good. But now she saw what Amidala had been pointing out to her all these years—her love for herself, her own happiness.
I
tried to fully forget, but it seems I cannot.
She sighed in resignation and began to walk. Whenever she felt lonely like this, she craved for a book or some sort of work to do. She didn't even notice the admiring stares of passers-by, human and non-human alike—she never noticed that kind of attention . Sabe remembered that Yane's wedding was to take place after Naboo's moon made one full revolution around the planet. Strange thoughts come to mind when one is in a strange mood. An idea suddenly popped in her head. Instead of going to Coruscant's main information resource library, why not visit the Defense Ministry? After all, she was a Defense Minister herself, and she was sure that a quick trip there would prove fruitful—perhaps they could even consider it official and tour her around. Temporarily distracted from her emotional troubles, she changed course and went on her way.
Coruscant's Defense Ministry headquarters was a huge and magnificent building, its architectural structure notably modern. Sabe gazed up at it with mixed awe and reverence—she felt like a mountain girl on her first visit to the big city. Regaining her composure, trying to look cool and calm (and not too impressed) she went on inside.
Inside was more incredible than outside. Different forms of art graced the entrance, their themes all centered on the subjects "peace" and "prosperity". Sabe paused and studied them briefly, her mind frantically gobbling up everything she saw. Some of the pieces of art were beautiful, some not quite, and others Sabe couldn't fully decipher or analyze. She marveled at the diversity of different races and the different cultures, marveled at well, everything Coruscant had to offer.
Next in line was the Ministry's library. Not the modern kind of libraries, but the type with the old-fashioned printing and binding databanks. Sabe was particularly interested in these, for these contained more accurate accounts on history, a subject she particularly liked. She was quietly reading one of these texts when someone walked up behind her, which seemed to be happening often lately.
"Well, aren't you a rare sight." The slight cackle in the voice made Sabe jump. The owner of the voice was a tall man, with thin hair that was slowly turning from black to white. He seemed to be of forty-eight standard years but Sabe could easily see that he was still healthy and alert. He had a sharp, pointed nose and keen gray-green eyes. He reminded her of a predatory bird. She was half-expecting claws to pop out from his fingers.
"I don't see many people around this old library very often. A lot of us are very impatient, aren't we? Text is a slow way of getting information, but they're the best sources of them, if I may say so myself." Sabe smiled politely.
"You're a
new face around here. I wasn't expecting any visitors until after the Senate inauguration."
He went on, studying her face intently. Then something clicked in her mind. Not
expecting visitors? Then he must be…
"Defense Minister Tarkin." Sabe mentally kicked herself before putting down her book to offer her hand. How could she be so stupid? This was Coruscant's Defense Minister, standing right before her! "I'm sorry, I did come unannounced. I'm Naboo's Defense Minister Sabe Maberrie."
"You come from Naboo, eh?" his eyes glinted as he shook her hand. "Good meeting you, Minister. I'm glad a person of your stature isn't too proud to study and learn more than you already know. Good, good." His brows knitted in confusion. "I heard that Naboo doesn't have an army and wants to remain a pacifist…"
"Times are changing, Sir Tarkin." Sabe replied, recalling her discussion with Amidala earlier. "After the threat we faced seven years ago, I don't think we could stand risk any longer."
"I see. I can help you find valuable resources on information and actual material, but I'm afraid that's all I can do to help you. Coruscant's military is very secretive and even though I'm Minister, I actually have very little power." She sensed the slight bitterness in his tone. "As you can see, Coruscant is such a busy and powerful planet that leadership here has been broken down into several groups and individuals. I'm in one of the lower parts of the chain."
"Your help would be very useful to us. I thank you for your generous offer."
A ghost of a smile spread itself on Tarkin's eagle-like features. "Generous…generous…well," he murmured. "I have to go on and overlook some other ways. You may visit and look into any part of the building. If you need anything, I will be at my office. Welcome to Coruscant, Minister. Good day."
After Tarkin had left Sabe went back to her texts, a small smile on her face. Finally, some progress. Tarkin looked like he would be a valuable source of information and even if he had little power over Coruscant's militia, it didn't matter. She then decided to explore the other parts of the building after reading five chapters on the wars that took place in the planet's solar system.
The place was quite empty and the hallways were eerily quiet as Sabe jumped from library to library, inspecting and reading. She finally reached a room where some alien species lounged around. It was a food court, and Sabe was pleased to discover that they served foodstuffs from different kinds of planets and races. She was just paying for her food when she heard some shouting.
"Please evacuate quickly, we just received news of a threat…" were the only words she heard as the rest were drowned out by shouting and scuffling. The other people in the food court had disappeared faster than you can say lightsaber and Sabe was hurrying along as well, wondering what this was all about.
The one causing the commotion was a Jedi. Sabe immediately recognized the coarse brown robes. There was something vaguely familiar about him, though. She stopped in her tracks, suddenly feeling woozy.
He sensed her too and stopped shouting and waving his arms. His face first registered shock, then fear. He ran to her, pushing through the panicking aliens. The building contained more people than she thought. He finally reached her, grabbing her by her shoulders.
"Sabe…" his voice. It was unmistakable now. "Sabe, you must get out of here, quickly!"
"Obi-wan…" she stammered, shaking her head. "What's wrong? Is there anything I can do…?"
A powerful explosion that sounded over their heads overpowered whatever Obi-wan said in reply. Everything happened so quickly she almost didn't realize that they were running. The entire building was collapsing! Obi-wan held Sabe's hand tightly, drawing her near him. She heard screaming and the deep rumbles coming from all around her. She then saw the light coming from the entrance. Then something hit her head, and she reeled into a spinning darkness.
How
did I die? Probably something fell onto me. That's why there's this heavy
feeling on my chest. Wait a second…I shouldn't even be thinking if I were dead…
Sabe forced her eyes open, and she saw the gray stone blocks that surrounded her. And that she was in someone's arms. Obi-wan! Icy hands gripped her heart as she reached out to feel his pulse. He was still alive.
She sat up quickly, which was no easy feat because he was lying on top of her, deadweight. She gently put him on his back. But whatever feeling of relief she had was washed away when she saw that his legs were pinned under a huge stone that fell on them. Two fallen columns had prevented the rest of the exploded building to fall on them. They were in a small cave of stone.
"Obi-wan…please don't die, Obi-wan…" she whispered frantically. How could this have happened? Then she recalled that he had pulled her over and they fell. Other than that, she remembered nothing. She crawled over the block that pinned his leg, but sharp pains made her cry out and fall back. She realized that her left arm was broken. Setting her teeth against the sharp pangs running through her shoulder, she pushed the stone back with all her strength, managing to slip out the trapped leg. With a shout, she fell back onto the rocky floor, practically feeling her bones splinter. Grabbing the hem of her dress, she ripped out a part of it and tightly wrapped it around her arm, where the pain was greatest.
Sabe wanted to cradle Obi-wan's face, call out his name, make him wake up. Tears started flowing from her eyes, unrelated to her physical pain. She studied his face tenderly before the darkness claimed her again.
~~**~~
Author's notes: I've decided to rid myself of Sabe and Obi-wan and moving on to a more promising fanfic couple…with a more tragic tale of doomed love and lost happiness. Yes! You guessed right! Who else am I talking about? Of course! Yaddle and Yoda! Aren't they the cutest? I could just imagine them…
(lightning flashes from the heavens and strikes Yui dead)
Okay, okay. On to more serious matters…
Why did I include Tarkin in this fic? Well, I decided that I liked that old goat and I just thought that it was a big possibility that he was hanging out in Coruscant before the empire was fully established. I kind of imagined him moving from a small place to a bigger position, ala-Palpatine.
Oh yeah and the title of this chapter is a big giveaway…speaking of which, I'd just like to say that I want this story to be as unobtrusive as possible to whatever's going to happen in Episode II and III. I think Mr. Lucas will do a better job of making out what will happen in the grander scale. Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this part. Fourth chapter's still in my head.