Sabé returned home from the gym one day to find the Trade Federation's droid armies everywhere. Heart racing, she followed a group to her apartment block, and managed to slip past them to reach her apartment, where Tica was working.
"Tica!" she gasped, once she'd entered the apartment. "The Trade Federation has invaded – they're nearly on us!" Tica rose, pale, and Sabé remembered that Tica had no combat training. She thought fast, and pulled her blaster out of its hidden holster in her tunic.
"Stay back," she warned Tica. "Keep behind the couch, then you won't get shot." "Sabé, are you sure you know what you're doing?" Tica demanded anxiously, even whilst she moved to do what Sabé had told her.
"Yes, I know," Sabé replied, making sure her blaster was fully loaded. When the droids burst through the front door, she was ready for them. She took out five of them with the first round, and kicked the blaster out of the sixth's metallic arms.
But not before it had managed to shoot wildly. Tica, startled, had lifted her head to see what was happening, and even as Sabé took out the last droid, she knew that Tica had been shot. She rushed around to her friend, but Tica had taken a blast to the head, and there was nothing Sabé could do.
Sabé sat for a moment, sickened, and then took action. Retrieving her staff from the hall, she replaced her blaster with a loaded one, and slid her knife into her boot. She tied back her hair so that if there was a fight the long, thick brown mass wouldn't get in the way.
Then she left the apartment. Moving silently through back passages and alleyways, she managed to avoid almost all of the patrols. She headed for the palace, but then she caught a glimpse of the queen, accompanied by four handmaidens, Panaka and Governor Bibble, being marched towards on of the detention camps that had quickly been set up.
"Shazit," Sabé cursed in her native dialect. She abruptly changed direction to follow the group. She was about to move from one street to another, a little ahead of Amidala, when she was caught by a patrol.
"Halt!" one of the droids ordered. Sabé stopped, and turned around to face the droids. "Is there a problem?" she asked, hiding her disgust with politeness. Three blasters were aimed at her. She tried not to be worried.
"You are under arrest," the droid told her. "You will be taken to detention camp four until further notice." Sabé licked her lisp and leant on her staff in a show of weakness. "Why?" she asked lightly. "I'm just going to work…"
The droid made a noise that, if she hadn't known it was a droid, Sabé would have classed as a sigh. Then Sabé's eyes twinkled, and she lifted her eyes to see the queen, liberated from her captors, hurrying through the streets before her, accompanied by what looked like Jedi.
"Certainly, I'll come along," she agreed. Her voice turned hard. "In a million years!" She lifted her staff in a motion almost too quick to see and swung around, taking off two of the droids' heads with one blow. The head of the other droid was blown off, and Sabé looked up to see Captain Panaka hurrying over to her.
"Impeccable timing, Captain," she smiled at him. His expression was priceless when he realised who she was. "Sabé?" he demanded. "How did you escape the droids?"
"I hate getting caught," she told him distractedly. She looked to where Amidala and the rest of the group had halted, only a few metres away, and Sabé was amused to see that Amidala was really Rabé. She could see Padmé a little behind Rabé, and she met the girl's eyes.
"Captain," one of the Jedi said quietly. "The main hangar." Panaka looked back at Amidala/Rabé, and the 'queen' gave a barely perceptible nod. "Come on, Sabé," he commanded. "You'll have to come with us."
Sabé fell into the strange procession at the back, next to the younger Jedi. She didn't talk to him, because he was watching the streets around the cautiously, but she noticed that his eyes flickered to her several times.
And then they were in the hangar. The younger Jedi moved to free the pilots, and the older one attempted to get them past the droids. Within moments, lightsabers flashed and blasters fired, and Amidala/Rabé was hurrying into the ship with Yané, Saché, Eirtaé and Padmé. Sabé followed up the procession, moving into the ship after the Gungan who had followed them, shooting a couple of droids who attempted to stop her. Then she was in the ship, and Yané was hurrying her into the throne room of the ship, where Rabé had been installed.
There was no one else there for the moment, so Sabé was able to quickly hug her friends. But she was unable to answer any of their comments, because Panaka came in to report hurriedly that they were under attack from the droid control ship. Sabé met his eyes, and he nodded. She moved through to the cockpit, and took the place of the artillery-man there. She shot several shots that managed to hit the shields of the control ship, and destroyed several of the droid-controlled fighters. Then they were out, and Sabé was able to return to the throne room.
The Jedi told the queen that they would have to put down on Tatooine for repairs, and although Amidala/Rabé didn't like it, she agreed to the plan. Then the Jedi left, and Sabé was surrounded by handmaidens, queen and guard.
"How did you escape the detention camps?" Saché demanded, grinning. Sabé shrugged. "You know I don't like getting caught," she commented. Her eyes grew hard as she thought again of Tica, lying dead on the floor of their apartment. "Besides, I was worried about you," she told Padmé.
"I'm glad you found us," Rabé said quietly. Panaka nodded. "You're good in a fight," he remarked. "If it comes down to it, you'll be good to have around."
Sabé met Padmé's hard and worried eyes. The young queen said nothing though, and Panaka soon left to get an update from the cockpit.
"I'll show you where you'll be sleeping," Eirtaé smiled. She glanced at Padmé, and the girl nodded. Sabé followed Eirtaé through the gleaming ship and into a small cabin near Amidala and the handmaidens' cabin.
Sabé rested her staff on the bed, pulling her blasters of her waist and her knife from her boot. Then she turned back to Eirtaé.
"It really is good to see you, Sabé," Eirtaé told her softly. Sabé smiled at the younger girl. "Good to see you to, Eirtaé," she replied softly. She looked around. "Although I must say, I do choose the best times, don't I?" Her eyes twinkled at Eirtaé's transparent blue one, and Eirtaé smiled sadly.
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Sabé sat in the messhall next to Saché, sipping her ration soup with distaste. Rabé, Yané and Eirtaé were all in the throne room, 'on duty', and Padmé had left with Qui-Gon Jinn and Jar Jar Binks to see Mos Espa and to get parts, so Saché had accompanied Sabé to eat.
The younger Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi, sat several chairs away, deep in thought, and Sabé couldn't help but glance over at him several times. Saché, noticing her friend's gaze, smiled slightly.
"So what have you been doing with yourself, Sabé?" Saché demanded, drawing Sabé's attention from Kenobi. Sabé shrugged. "A bit of everything, really," she replied. "For the first couple of months I travelled all over Naboo with a circus, then I came back to Theed and ran a market stall with a lady for a while. Then she gave it up, and I now work in the joyous business of mass retailing." She made a face. "I made a lot of friends though," she admitted quietly. "I feel a lot better about me."
Saché nodded. "Good," she approved. She slid a sideways glance at Sabé. "So, you up for a spar later on?" Sabé grinned. "You know me, Saché. I'm always up for it."
Saché smiled, but her smile didn't reach her eyes this time. "Yeah, always ready for a fight," she agreed. Sabé put her spoon down. "What is it, Saché?" she asked softly. Sache raised her head to meet Sabé's eyes. "Nothing," she said firmly. "I'm just worried, that's all."
Sabé nodded, and finishing her soup, she moved to wash up the bowl. Saché still sat eating, so Sabé slipped along the corridors to the deserted exercise room. Pulling her shoes off, she began moving through her exercises.
Closing her eyes, she moved slowly but surely through each movement, the familiar action calming her mind. She heard someone enter the room, but she assumed it was Saché, and so didn't turn to greet the person. She sped up the exercise, loosening tight muscles and tightening loose muscles so that her body was perfectly ready for a fight again.
She opened her eyes so that she could see where she was in the room, and flipped backwards onto her hands, swinging her body around on her hands and landing lightly on her feet.
"Where did you learn that?" came a curious voice, and Sabé spun around to see Obi-Wan Kenobi watching her, an impressed look on his face. "I'm sorry," he apologised quickly. "I didn't mean to intrude." He hesitated. "You move like a true fighter," he said softly.
Sabé smiled tightly. "I learnt it in a circus," she replied to his first question. "And you're not intruding – exercising helps relax me. And I guess I am fighter," she shrugged. She moved to a locker at the side of the room, and pulled out one of the practice staffs stored there. She swung it around, feeling its weight, then chose another, heavier one.
"How many different forms of fighting do you know?" Obi-Wan asked, moving to stand next to the locker. Sabé shrugged. "Hand to hand, staff, fencing," she counted them. "A load of different types of hand to hand, and I shoot well."
"Would you care to give me a demonstration?" he asked. Sabé's eyes twinkled. "Careful, Jedi," she teased. "I've not been bested in five years."
"How old are you?" Obi-Wan demanded. "You look no older than fifteen." Sabé laughed. "Seventeen," she managed. "Come on, little Jedi. What weapon do you choose?"
Obi-Wan studied her for a moment. "Fencing," he said after a moment. "It's enough like fighting with a lightsaber, I imagine."
"One handed," Sabé warned, replacing the staff and pulling out a couple of lightweight practice swords. "And no Jedi tricks."
"Sure," Obi-Wan agreed. He shed his cloak and shoes, and Sabé swung the sword around a couple of times. Then they moved to the centre of the room.
"En guarde," she said lightly. She saluted him with the sword, and he did the same. They circled, and Sabé waited patiently for Obi-Wan to make the first move. After a couple of minutes, he did, and Sabé parried the thrust easily, spinning around and thrusting at him. He easily deflected the blow, and they carried on that way for a while, neither one gaining the advantage, just wearing each other out.
The door opened, and Sabé glanced quickly to see Panaka and Saché stare at her in astonishment. The moment she took was enough for Obi-Wan to force the advantage. He moved forward with heavy blows, and it was all Sabé could do to fend him off.
Then she met his eyes. They were blue-green, filled with amusement at Sabé. Anger and pride blazed. She deflected his blows and attacked with ferocity. She pushed him back and back towards the wall, and he couldn't stop her. Finally he was pressed against the wall, and Sabé pulled his blade from his grasp with her blade. She touched her blade lightly to his neck.
"Kill point," she said softly. "I win." Obi-Wan looked at her with a new respect, and in a fluid movement she reached down and picked up his blade, replacing both of them in the locker.
"Wow," Saché managed, standing at the door. Sabé glanced up at her friends. She shrugged. "I practise a lot," she explained. "And I learnt from the best." Her kind flashed back to her parents, and perhaps Panaka saw the sudden pain fill her eyes, because he spoke.
"Jedi Kenobi, her highness has received a transmission from Naboo. She wishes you to see it." Obi-Wan nodded and pulled his boots back on, settling the cloak over his shoulders.
Sabé followed them after a moment, and as she heard Governor Bibble's message, her heart wrenched as she again remembered Tica, her head shot in by a droid. She left before Obi-Wan did, fleeing the message and fleeing her memory. She ran to her cabin, and for many hours could not sleep.
When she did finally drift off, her dreams were filled with bloody memories; her eldest cousin, dying in a fight when she was only six; her father beating her; Tica, bloodied and dead; then she lived through her dreams the awful fight with her mother of six months before.
But in her dream, Mara did not die. She fell to the ground, and looked up at her, her head bent grotesquely out of shape. She looked up at Sabé, and she spoke, but Sabé could not hear what she said.
She awoke, screaming, gasping and sweating. Her door slid open, and Panaka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Yané all hurried through to discover what was wrong. Sabé could not speak, but buried her head in Yané's arms.
Panaka, satisfied that there was no danger, left reluctantly, but Obi-Wan stayed whilst Yané comforted her friend.
"It was the fight again, Yané," Sabé managed finally. "It was the fight." Yané cupped her face with her hand, and spoke to her soothingly. "It was over a long time ago, Sabé, and it wasn't your fault."
Sabé nodded, and managed to relax slightly. She managed a tight smile. "I'm sorry for disturbing your sleep," she said softly. Yané rolled her eyes. "With Saché's snoring, you think I was asleep anyway?" The girls laughed softly, and Yané left, throwing the silent Obi-Wan Kenobi a glance as she did so.
"I'm sorry if I woke you up," Sabé said after a moment. Obi-Wan nodded. "Do you often have nightmares like that?" he asked. Sabé shrugged. "Not that often," she replied. "I guess I'm just letting the situation get to me." She thought again of her dead friend, then banished the thought from her mind. Obi-wan made a move as if to leave, but she impulsively half-rose from the bed and placed a hand on his arm.
"Please – don't go," she asked, her eyes showing him how scared she really was. "I don't want to fall asleep again." Obi-Wan met her eyes and nodded, sitting down next to the bed,
"How do you know the queen?" he asked after a moment. Sabé smiled a little, leaning back against the wall. "I was one of her handmaidens for a few weeks," she replied. "Then I had to leave, for personal reasons."
"When was that?" he inquired. Sabé did some quick calculations in her mind. "About six months ago," she told him. "That would be about right," she mused.
"So what did you do before that?" he asked, leaning back in his chair. Sabé's face closed up. "I was a thief," she said flatly. Obi-Wan's eyes widened. "So that's how you managed to beat me before – you learned it all as a thief," he surmised. Sabé gave a short shrug. Obi-Wan changed the subject.
"So why did you leave?" he probed gently. Sabé's face closed up again. "I'd rather not talk about it," she said firmly. Obi-Wan nodded and rose. "Get some sleep," he advised her. "We have a long day ahead of us."
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For the next few days Sabé mainly kept to herself. She helped Yané, Saché and Eirtaé with their handmaiden duties a little, and exercised in the exercise room, but she ate alone, and avoided Panaka and Obi-Wan Kenobi. As she'd only had the clothes she was wearing when she boarded, she borrowed some of the handmaiden robes until they arrived on Coruscant.
Once Qui-Gon, Padmé and Jar Jar Binks had returned with the parts, plus a small boy called Anakin Skywalker, the ship was able to take off, and they were finally on their way to Coruscant.
Padmé searched Sabé out several hours after she'd returned to the ship. She was still in the guise of a handmaiden, because Anakin, Qui-Gon and Jar Jar knew her now.
She found Sabé practising with her staff in the exercise room. Yané had told her that Sabé was generally to be found there, and Padmé couldn't help but admire the girl's dedication and talent.
"Sabé," she called softly from the door. Sabé turned, smiled slightly. "Hi, Padmé," she said. "You gonna hover in the door forever?"
"Saché told me you had a nightmare," the queen said abruptly. Sabé's staff arm dropped so the staff was horizontal. "Yes," she admitted quietly. "I guess I've been letting things get to me recently."
Padmé moved into the room, gently taking the staff from Sabé. "If you need to talk," she began. Sabé smiled. "You'll be my first choice," she promised. Padmé nodded, then turned to more serious matters. "Sabé, I have a favour to ask," she began. Sabé raised an eyebrow. "You have only to command," she said dryly.
"If I need it, when we return to Naboo, will you be my decoy?" Padmé asked. Sabé took a deep breath. "I'm no longer an inconspicuous handmaiden," she warned. "Jedi Kenobi knows me, and Jedi Jinn."
But Padmé nodded. She had thought of that. "We'll say you've been reinstated as a handmaiden," she said. "Except for Eirtaé, most people can't tell us apart, you know that. Please, Sabé?"
Sabé closed her eyes briefly. "Remember what happened last time?" she half-whispered. She opened her eyes again, and Padmé could see the fear and resolve in them. "Padmé, promise me," she said hurriedly. "If I die, don't tell them my name. I want to be a nameless box of ashes somewhere."
"I can't promise that," Padmé said slowly. "Because you are not going to die." Sabé smiled. "I'll do it," she murmured. "I'll do anything for you, Padmé. You gave me my life."
"No," Padmé contradicted. "You gave yourself your life."
When they reached Coruscant, Sabé was cloaked in a handmaiden robe in Amidala's entourage. Rabé was still playing the queen, although Sabé had argued fiercely that it should be her now. For a few moments Sabé's heart froze when Senator Palpatine's gaze flickered over the handmaidens and she met his eyes for second. Then the group started walking, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
She listened in silent disgust as Palpatine gave his opinion about the invasion to Padmé – now the queen – and urged her to move for a Vote of No Confidence against the chancellor. Sabé had never liked Palpatine, although perhaps it was more a family prejudice, she allowed. Palpatine had always been particularly disliked by the Belacque family because of his hard theories on thieves.
Once Palpatine had left, the handmaidens hurried to help Padmé change into yet another dress. When Sabé saw the heavy headdress she winced, and her eyes connected with Rabé's, the only other handmaiden who had worn the head-dresses.
"Better you than us," she smiled gaily at Padmé, who let out a heavy sigh as the huge ensemble was placed on her head. Padmé stuck her tongue out at the two older girls, and they laughed at her.
"Sabé, during the Senate hearing, you can go and do the shopping you wanted to do," Padmé told her friend. Sabé smiled and nodded. "Thank you, your highness," she replied, her eyes twinkling. Then a comm. signal came through from the door, and Rabé hurried to answer it.
"The boy's here to see Padmé," the guard told her. Rabé turned slightly to glance at Sabé – Padmé was behind a separating wall – and Sabé nodded.
"Let him in," Rabé ordered softly. The door slid open, and the young, sandy-haired boy came in. "I'm sorry Ani," Rabé said to him, "But Padmé is not here right now."
"Who is it?" Padmé asked in her regal voice, although she knew full well who it was. Rabé turned towards her queen, still hidden. "Anakin Skywalker, to see Padmé, your highness," she explained. Sabé turned slightly as Padmé walked so that she could see the boy.
"I've sent Padmé on an errand," she told him. Anakin's smile drooped slightly. "I'm on my way to the Jedi Temple, to start my training – I hope," he explained. Although he didn't notice it, Padmé's eyes lit up. "I may never see her again, so I wanted to say goodbye."
"We will tell her for you," Padmé told him. "We are sure her heart goes with you." Anakin brightened. "Thank you, your highness!" he replied, positively beaming, and left after bowing.
Padmé's eyes met Sabé's slightly accusing ones, and Sabé turned away to change into her normal clothes so she wouldn't stand out in Coruscant. None of the other handmaidens would meet Padmé's eyes either, and Padmé clenched her fists in the heavy robes.
Senator Palpatine appeared to escort Padmé to the Senate, and Sabé left to find herself some clothes. She walked noiselessly through the corridors of the senatorial building, and then out into the streets.
Coruscant was absolutely teeming with people, Sabé soon realised. She'd looked up the nearest shopping centre when she was in the apartment, but she soon realised that it was hard enough just to move against the flow of the crowd, let alone find her way anywhere.
She managed to press herself against a building for a moment to get her bearings, and looked up at the sky, at all the transport ships flying about the airspace. "Wow," she murmured. She pulled a datapad from her bag, and consulted the map displayed on it, finding her position.
"Shazit," she cursed. She pushed the datapad back into her bag and sighed. She brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and frowned.
"Coruscant can be hard to navigate," came a voice right by her ear, and she jumped, turning to see Obi-Wan Kenobi grinning at her. She glared at him. "It's not nice to sneak up on people," she told him sharply. He shrugged. "Need a hand?" he asked. Reluctantly she nodded.
"Her highness gave me some time to find some clothes," she explained. "I only have handmaiden robes and the clothes I came in, because of those damn droids."
Obi-Wan shrugged. "There's a shopping centre near here," he told her." "I know," she interrupted. "I was trying to get to it. However, I've never been on Coruscant."
"Well, I grew up here." Obi-Wan's eyes twinkled. "Want a guide?" Sabé smiled sweetly. "Please," she agreed. Obi-Wan took her hand and started ploughing through the crowds.
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