An hour later, Obi-Wan left Sabé outside the queen's apartment, and she entered, laden with two bags of clothing. Saché pounced on her as soon as she walked in, taking her bags. Yané hurried up with one of the handmaiden robes, and Sabé's head spun.
"What's going on?" she demanded, as Rabé pulled her hair from its ties and sat her down in front of a mirror, brushing rapidly through the brown mass and retying it tightly.
"We're returning to Naboo," Padmé's voice came from behind her. Sabé craned around to try and see her, but Rabé rapped her head hard, so Sabé peered into the mirror to see Padmé, dressed in another of her gowns. "Where were you, Sabé?"
"I'm sorry, your highness," Sabé murmured. "Coruscant crowds proved a little difficult to manoeuvre." Padmé nodded and turned away.
Sabé quickly changed into the flame-coloured robe, and within minutes they were heading towards the hangar, where the Royal Transport lay waiting. Sabé saw Obi-Wan's eyes flicker to her as she boarded, but she didn't return the gaze, too preoccupied with the tension she could almost feel rolling off Padmé.
The journey back to Naboo seemed shorter than the journey from it had been, although Sabé knew that they had spent several days on Tatooine. There was little conversation between anyone, and Sabé spent most of the time changing from handmaiden to queen, supposedly to let her get used to it before they landed on Naboo, but really so that Padmé could get a breather.
Then, finally, they landed on Naboo. Sabé, dressed in the queen's battle uniform, felt as if she was going to get shot at any moment because of the red headdress. Padmé, Yané, Rabé, Saché and Eirtaé all wore the handmaiden battle uniforms, although they had hurriedly made a change to them because of Sabé's addition to their ranks; hoods fell over their faces, concealing any revealing features.
Sabé sent Jar Jar Binks to seek out the Gungans, and then she waited with Padmé, quietly discussing what she would do. The other four surrounded them, making it appear as though the queen was merely talking with her handmaidens.
Then Jar Jar emerged from the swamps, and told them that the Gungans weren't in their city. Sabé met Panaka's worried gaze, then looked at the Gungan.
"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place," he told her. "Mesa show you, come on, mesa show you." He loped through the forests, and after a moment, Sabé followed.
For about fifteen minutes they all trudged through the forest after the clumsy Gungan, and Sabé could feel the eyes of the Naboo on her back, wondering what their queen was doing. She allowed herself a smile.
And then they were there, and surrounded by Gungan sentries, and being taken to Boss Nass, the huge Gungan leader.
"Who's da oosen odders?" Boss Nass boomed to Jar Jar. Here goes, Sabé thought grimly. She took a step forward. "I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo," she said. "I come before you in peace." She could feel Padmé silently praising her words.
"Naboo!" Boss Nass thundered. "Yousa bringen da maccaneks. Yousa all bombad!" Sabé took a small breath. Try again, she told herself firmly.
"We have sought you out because we wish to form an alliance," she started. But Padmé stepped forward, pulling off her hood, and Sabé instantly realised what her queen had in mind.
"Your honour," she said. "I am Queen Amidala." The guards, both Naboo and Gungan, were taken aback. Sabé could see Anakin staring in astonishment at Padmé. She couldn't see the Jedi, but could almost imagine Obi-Wan's surprised face. "This is my decoy," Padmé continued, turning to look at Sabé, who nodded slightly. "My protection. My loyal bodyguard."
Padmé turned back to Boss Nass. "I'm sorry for the deception, but it was necessary to protect myself," she explained. Her eyes softened slightly. "Although we do not always agree, your honour, our two great societies have always lived in peace. But now the Trade Federation threatens to destroy all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly, all that we value will be lost forever."
Her voice softened. "I ask you to help us." She paused. "No, I beg you to help us." She dropped abruptly to her knees in front of the Gungan leader. There was an audible gasp of surprise from the Naboo. "We are your humble servants," she said clearly. "Our fate is in your hands."
Slowly, one by one, all the Naboo dropped to their knees behind her. Sabé, closest to Padmé, was able to murmur a question to her.
"What are you doing?" she demanded softly. Padmé turned slightly to look at her, her face showing clearly that she was Amidala, even though she wore no makeup. "My job," the queen replied equally softly, then turned back to Boss Nass.
For a moment, no one said anything. Then a slow, deep rumble of laughter rose out of the throat of Boss Nass. Padmé's eyes flickered with confusion for just a moment.
"Yousa no tinken you greater den de Gungans?" he demanded. Padmé shook her head, still confused. "Mesa lika dis. Mebbe wesa being friends." Her shook his head vigorously, making a huge noise, and Padmé smiled involuntarily. The rest of the Naboo laughed a little too, and they all rose.
As Padmé turned back to call Panaka forward, she met Sabé's eyes. "I still need you to act as my decoy, Sabé," she told the older girl softly. Sabé nodded briskly. "I'll be ready," she promised. Padmé nodded, and moved to fetch Panaka.
The other handmaidens had thrown off their hoods now – there was no need for them anymore – and moved froward to surround Sabé.
"Are you sure you're not her twin?" Eirtaé laughingly demanded. "You almost had me convinced."
"I wish I had your confidence," Sabé half-smiled weakly. "When he said that we brought the droid armies…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Let's just say I hope I don't have to do that again," she muttered.
"Sabé," came a different voice, and Sabé turned to see Obi-Wan Kenobi. Discreetly, Yané, Rabé, Saché and Eirtaé melted away. "Obi-Wan," Sabé nodded, a smile playing on her face. "I'm sorry about my deception."
"I thought there was something going on," Obi-Wan admitted quietly. "And I noticed you looked very like the queen when we first met." Sabé nodded thoughtfully, and turned to watch the swift preparations that the Gungans and Naboo were already making. Her arms crept up to hug herself and she winced as she put pressure on her stomach.
"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked instantly, concerned. Sabé grimaced. "An old wound," she told him. "I got shut in the gut a couple of times, and it never really healed properly."
Passing, Padmé overheard her remarks and was at her side in an instant. "Perhaps it never healed because you never let it, Sabé," she commented tartly. "Let me see!" Reluctantly, Sabé undid the fastenings of the tunic so that Padmé could the raw skin and livid scars. "Sabé!"
Sabé rolled her eyes and fastened her tunic up again. "I've been living with it for six months, your highness," she said firmly. "I promise, if we succeed I'll get it seen to." Reluctantly, Padmé nodded and moved away. "I'll get it seen to in a million years," Sabé muttered. She turned back to Obi-Wan.
"Shot in the gut?" Obi-Wan demanded, an eyebrow raised. Sabé shrugged. "Hazard of the job," she said simply. "I'm fine now."
"Fine doesn't mean you're in pain every time you put pressure on it," came deeper voice from behind her. Sabé groaned. "Do Jedi just like creeping up on me?" she complained, turning to look up at Qui-Gon Jinn. "I am fine. I'll get it looked at after the fight." Her face hardened. "There are plenty of people in worse condition."
Qui-Gon nodded, his eyes serious. "But can you carry out your part with the wound?" he asked gently. Sabé squeezed her eyes shut. "I did before," she said sharply. "I'm not the Queen's bodyguard for nothing."
"And yet you weren't when we first met you," Qui-Gon mused, moving to sit on a rotten tree trunk next to Sabé. He met Obi-Wan's eyes for a moment, then the padawan disappeared to do something else. Sabé glanced after him for a moment, then checked her blaster.
"No," she replied to his statement, although no answer was necessary. "I wasn't. I haven't been for a while. But I am now, and that's what counts."
"Sabé!" An anxious-looking Saché appeared at Sabé's side. Sabé straightened. "What is it, Saché?" she asked calmly. Saché glanced quickly at the Jedi, then explained. "Her highness needs to go through the plan with you," she told Sabé. Sabé nodded. "Excuse me, Master Jedi," she said hurriedly to Qui-Gon, who nodded and went to seek his padawan. Sabé and Saché hurried through the crowd to Padmé.
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As the small group of Naboo rushed through the hangar, Sabé kept her eyes open and her hand resting lightly on her blaster. Droids fired at them, and Sabé fired back. Rabé covered her as she moved from one side of the hangar to another, following Padmé.
Then they were at the main doors, and as they opened, Sabé's heart stilled for a moment. A black-cloaked figure stood there. He held a deactivated lightsaber in his hands, and his head, beneath the hood, was tattooed black and red. Sabé could feel the waves of anger and hate rolling off him.
"We'll handle this," Qui-Gon murmured, stepping forward with Obi-Wan. Padmé nodded. "We'll take the long way," she said decisively. She veered off to one side, and Sabé and the rest followed her.
Soon they split up, Padmé nodding for Sabé to lead the second group whilst the younger girl went up the side of the building to the throne room.
"This way," Sabé ordered. Yané and Eirtaé, the two who were in her group, saw where Sabé was leading and quickly understood her idea. "You'll never get up there in time," Eirtaé told her sharply. Sabé merely looked at her silently and led the way to the elevator shaft.
"Handmaiden," one of the guards spoke up after she'd outlined her plan. "There's no way we'll be able to get up there – what if the elevator is stuck right where we need to go?"
Sabé turned to glare at him even while she nodded for the other guards to send up their grappling hooks. "I know the schematics for this elevator," she snapped. "The power has been cut, the elevator went straight to the bottom. Get moving."
Within minutes, they were up the shaft and swinging themselves onto the floor they needed to be on. Sabé led the way through the corridors towards the throne room.
It took her only a split second to judge the situation when she saw Padmé and the other guards in the capture of the Neimoidians. She heard him assume that she was the queen, and knew what she had to do.
"Viceroy!" she called in her best regal voice, skidding to a halt. "Your occupation here has ended!" She raised her blaster and shot the head off a nearby droid.
"After her!" the Viceroy roared. Sabé and her group moved to either side of the door, but Padmé blasted the controls before many of the droids got through. The group shot most of the droid-guards, but then the surviving droids suddenly made a sort of whining noise, and drooped. Sabé realised what had happened with a rush of relief.
"The Control ship must have been destroyed," she said softly. She kicked at a droid, and looked up at the door, which guards were already forcing open. Padmé was standing, glaring at the Neimoidian, but she glanced at Sabé and nodded, her face tight. Sabé, Yané and Eirtaé moved in to flank their queen, joining Saché and Rabé.
"Take him away," Padmé ordered Panaka then, and the captain readily agreed, beckoning a couple of the guards to escort the Viceroy from the throne room.
"Congratulations, your highness," Sabé murmured. Padmé turned to look at her, noting the fatigue and pain on her handmaiden's face. "Your wound?" she asked softly. Sabé shook her head. "I'm fine, your highness," she said firmly. Then a thought struck her. "Someone should find the Jedi," she observed.
Padmé and Rabé exchanged worried glances. "You go, Sabé," the young queen said finally. "When you return, go straight to the medical centre," she added, as Sabé bowed slightly and moved off. Yané stifled an amused remark, as she knew Sabé would pretend not to hear.
Panaka fell into step with her on the way back down to the hangar, and Sabé pretended not to see the concern on the captain's face as she favoured her left ankle and winced whenever she moved her upper body too much.
"You did well, Sabé," Panaka told her as they passed security forces clearing up droid parts. Sabé glanced at him. "I did my job, Captain," she murmured. "As did we all."
Panaka stopped her, a hand on her arm. "You're not giving yourself enough credit," he reproved her. She shrugged him off. "We have to find the Jedi," she muttered. She moved on, and stumbled, her ankle collapsing.
"Sabé!" With a groan, Panaka caught Sabé, and moved her over to a window seat. "Your ankle – what happened?"
"I've had a bad ankle for a while," Sabé told him crossly. "It's from when I was in the circus." Panaka's face split into a worried grin. "Saché told me about that," he murmured. "And what about your stomach?" he demanded then. Sabé rolled her eyes and stood carefully. "An old injury," she said carefully. Panaka realised what she was talking about with a groan.
"The Jedi," Sabé reminded him. He nodded and stood. The two continued on their way. They reached the hangar with no more mishaps, and Sabé knelt to pick up the two discarded cloaks, fingering them thoughtfully. She handed one to Panaka, holding one herself. She glanced up at the doors which had been stuck open.
"They must have gone through there," Panaka observed. Sabé nodded, and moving through to the large corridor, she noticed scorch marks on some of the walls and the floor. Her silent mood affected Panaka, and he made no more comment until they reached the energy core.
"They could be anywhere in here!" he exclaimed. Sabé turned to look at him. "No," she replied slowly. "Not anywhere." She turned back to look at the vast cavernous room. "Let's head for the core," she said then. "We can turn off the fields." Panaka nodded, and followed her down a level and across a catwalk .
Suddenly she stilled. She saw something that made her turn pale and that tore a cry out of her, then she ran as fast as she could towards the core. Panaka shouted for her to slow down, but she didn't, and managed to get through most of the fields before they turned and closed.
Inside the core, Sabé could see that Obi-Wan had heard her shout, and was looking up at her. He looked lost, confused, hurt. Sabé's heart wrenched to see him like that, and as soon as the field cycle was complete, she was through the corridor and in the core, wrapping her arms around Obi-Wan and drawing him away slightly from Qui-Gon's lifeless body.
Panaka, who hadn't made it through the cycle, stood just beyond the first field, his face show all his emotions for once; incredulous, shocked, horrified. He met Sabé's eyes, and she shook her head once. Then she looked back down at Obi-Wan.
He was sobbing, and Sabé felt tears trickle down her face in compassion for him and in sorrow for the fallen Jedi Master. She carefully moved him further away from the edge of the pit, further away from his Master's body.
Then Panaka was through, checking Qui-Gon's pulse and quietly calling for a team to come to fetch the body.
"No," Sabé said firmly. "He'll want to do it himself. Just give us some time, Captain." Panaka looked at her for a moment then nodded, moving to deactivate the fields. Then he was gone.
"Thank you," Obi-Wan managed in a raw whisper. Sabé looked down at him, meeting his soft blue-green eyes. "Shh," she reprimanded him. "You don't have to speak. Just let it out, Obi-Wan."
Five minutes passed at least before Obi-Wan's tears subsided and he was able to sit up against the wall of the core. Sabé moved to sit next to him, drawing her knees up to her chin.
"How are you so wise about this?" Obi-Wan asked at last. Sabé glanced at him. "Because I went through something similar," she replied at last. "I know it's different – it's always different. But…"
"Thank you," Obi-Wan said softly. There was a pause. "I feel like I killed him."
"No," Sabé said forcefully. "You did not kill him. Even if you'd reached him sooner, you might not have been able to help. He died in battle, doing his job and defending his padawan. If you blame yourself, the guilt will eat away at you for weeks, if not months."
Again his eyes met hers. "How do you know?" he asked in a whisper. Sabé leant her head back against the cool wall, remembered that she still had the ghastly headdress on, and carefully took it off. "I told you that I was a thief," she started carefully. He nodded. "Well, what I didn't tell you was that I was part of the largest family of thieves ever to exist on Naboo. That's a separate part of it, but our family lives by a very strict honour code. When I left to join the Queen, I told about the family. They were furious – most were caught, but there were some…"
She paused to collect her thoughts. "My mother issued me a challenge. I was acting the decoy queen, and she shot me, thinking I was Amidala."
"That's when you got shot in the gut," Obi-Wan surmised. "For the second time," Sabé corrected him. "But yes. Then I went and accepted her challenge." She paused, and raised her haunted eyes to meet Obi-Wan's. "A challenge in my family is always to the death, Obi-Wan," she said softly. "So you see, whilst you did not kill Qui-Gon, I did kill my mother."
After a moment, Obi-Wan put his arm around Sabé's shoulders and drew her so that her head was resting on his chest. "We do make a pair, don't we?" he sighed. Sabé gave a small laugh. "That we do," she managed. She looked up at him. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked seriously.
"I don't know if I'm ever going to be alright again," he confessed softly. "But I'll manage."
"We all manage," Sabé told him. "It's the only way we can get along." Silence again filled the core, until Obi-Wan stood carefully and picked up Qui-Gon's lightsaber. He clipped it to his belt, and managed to look at Qui-Gon.
"Something's missing," he muttered. Sabé remembered the cloaks she and Panaka had found, and looked to see them at the entrance to the core. She moved and picked up the darker, larger one.
"Here," she said, moving to give it to him. He nodded, and carefully draped it over his master's shoulders. Then Sabé gave him his own, and he put it on. Then he picked up his master's lifeless form, and followed Sabé out of the core.
There were security teams everywhere once they left the energy core, and they all stood to one side respectfully as Sabé and Obi-Wan moved through the corridors. Sabé took him to the morgue, and as Obi-Wan laid his master down carefully on one of the beds, she quickly filled in the forms that the harried official handed her.
Then she took Obi-Wan's hand and led him up to the throne room. "I hate to do this to you now," she told him softly. "But the Queen will want to know what's happening."
Obi-Wan nodded silently, already building up his Jedi barriers, and Sabé felt slightly better about this. Then they were in the throne room, and Obi-Wan was facing the girl-queen.
She stood in the middle of the room, consulting with Panaka and the other security guards, but when she caught sight of Sabé and Obi-Wan her face became grave. She moved to meet Obi-Wan, and met his eyes. Something passed between them, because Padmé put her arms around him impulsively. He hesitantly put his arms around her too, and for a moment they stood there.
Sabé moved to stand next to Panaka, and he looked down at her. "Is he alright?" he asked in a low voice. She looked up at him. "No," she said softly. "He'll never be alright again. He'll be different." Then she looked back to where Padmé and Obi-Wan were talking in low voices. Finally Padmé nodded, and Obi-Wan hurried from the throne room.
"He's gone to contact the Jedi Temple," Padmé told Sabé, as her handmaiden moved closer to her. "Are you alright, Sabé?" Sabé nodded silently, then winced as, exasperated, Padmé put a hand to Sabé's stomach. "Med. centre!" Padmé ordered her handmaiden.
"Please, Padmé, I'm fine, really, I am!" Sabé tried to claim. "It's not like I haven't been living with it for the past six months."
Padmé frowned at her, and was about to speak when Panaka came up, his face grim. "You highness," he started, bowing. "I have news about the prisons." Padmé and Sabé both turned towards him. Sabe's insides turned into ice. "It seems that when the droid armies took everyone to the detention camps, they took the prisoners from the jails as well."
His eyes met Sabé's. "We have most people back," he allowed. "But the Belacque family, the ones we caught – they're out."
Everything suddenly went very dark for Sabé. She dimly heard Padmé say something, and felt a jolt run through her body as she collapsed to her knees, and felt her palms scrape as she unconsciously used them to prop herself up. There was a roaring in her ears, and then everything was black.
Scant minutes later she reopened her eyes to stare up at over half a dozen faces. Gingerly she sat up, and Yané and Rabé gave her their hands to help her stand. She felt slightly dizzy, and leant on Yané to stay standing.
"Do you know which direction they were heading in?" she heard Padmé ask Panaka quickly. She didn't wait to hear the captain's answer. "North," she said aloud. "They'll head north."
She broke away from Yané and stumbled to hold herself upright. A wave of vertigo passed over her, but she brushed it off and stood to face Panaka and Padmé.
"Don't you even think about going after them!" Saché exclaimed fiercely. Sabé looked at her as though she'd suddenly sprouted another head. "Forgive me for saying so, Saché, but have you gone mad?" she asked politely. Saché frowned in confusion. "I'd rather move to Tatooine and become a hermit than go after them," Sabé explained sharply. "I went after Mara before because she challenged me. I have no reason to chase the family now."
She turned to Padmé. "Your highness, I think I might take that trip to the medical centre now." She swayed on her feet. Panaka moved to support her. She waved him off, and made it to the door before she collapsed back onto the floor. Rolling his eyes, Panaka moved to carry her.
"This is so embarrassing," Sabé muttered, as Naboo hurried out of their way. Panaka laughed. "Trust you to think that," he remarked good-naturedly. Sabé frowned, and squirmed slightly in his arms. "Stay still," he ordered her, a smile on his face.
"I can walk perfectly well," Sabé told him. He glanced down at her, then looked up again. "Yes, that's why you fell," he agreed. Sabé winced as pain stabbed at her again. "If it's that bad, why haven't you been to a doctor before?" Panaka inquired, turning a corner.
"It wasn't bad before," Sabé explained. "I must have done something to it on the way to Coruscant." He nodded, and opened his mouth so speak, closing it again as he changed his mind.
"What is it?" Sabé demanded tiredly. Her head was starting to ache, and she was having trouble focusing.
"You're not going to go after them, are you Sabé?" Sabé closed her eyes at his question. "I told you, I have no reason to," she said softly. "Unless the Queen wishes it, I will not chase them up again." She leant her head against Panaka's chest, slowly letting herself drift into sleep. The last thing she remembered was being laid on a bed in the medical centre, and a hand brushing gently over her cheek.
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