A/N: Hey guys… sorry this has been taking so painfully long for me to post! Love ya and enjoy! ;)
Sabe led Padme into the queen's suite of the royal Nubian starship. As soon as the door swished closed behind them, Padme turned to Sabe.
"What happened?" her face was intent.
Sabe sighed. "We made it to the senate," she looked at Padme, as if trying to decide what to tell her next.
"And?" the handmaiden stretched the word.
"And they didn't listen."
Padme let out an exasperated sigh and quickly turned around.
"They wanted to send a party to investigate our claims!"
The handmaiden spun around. "What?! Those pig-headed pompuses!"
"So I called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Vallorum," Sabe's gaze was steady. Padme's frustrated face softened. "Senator Palpatine has been nominated. He feels strongly that he will win."
Padme sat down on the couch, rapidly calculating their situation and choices. Recognizing what she was doing, Sabe sat down next to her and offered helpful information.
"The Jedi Master doesn't know," Padme looked up. "He was visiting his Jedi Temple while I was with the senate. I told the senate that I spoke on your behalf, and that perilous circumstances kept you from coming before them yourself. He still believes that I am the queen."
"As does the other," Padme's voice trailed off.
Sabe sympathetically put her hand on Padme's arm. "Look," she began. "You've been through a lot. Why don't you ash up? Panaka has assured me that we can remain here undetected for some time."
"Okay," Padme sighed. The idea of a warm bath sounded more than inviting.
Just as he stood there was a soft knock on the door. One of the other handmaidens answered it and Panaka peeked in.
"Just wanted to see if you were alright," he looked across the room to Padme.
She smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine." He began to pull his head back when Padme decided that she could no longer hold such a burning question inside of her.
"Wait," Panaka stuck his head back in. "How is Obi-Wan?"
Panaka looked slightly confused. "Who?"
"The Jedi that I was with," she didn't pay much attention to her irritation at her head of security for not even knowing the name of the man who had saved her life.
"He's in the infirmary. Last I heard he was doing okay. I'm heading there now."
"Thank you."
Panaka smiled then left.
The first sense of consciousness he had was slurred voices. Then the celling came into focus. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust, then slowly turned his head in the direction of the voices. His side and head no longer throbbed and his body felt the peacefulness that only comes from drugs.
The two figures came into focus a few moments later. They were talking quietly across from him. He recognized one to be his master, the other to be one of the queen's guards.
When the darker man noticed the young Jedi peering at them he stopped talking. Qui-Gon looked at his curiously for a moment, then followed his gaze to his apprentice.
"Look who's awake," the guard chuckled. Qui-Gon moved to kneel by his padawan.
"How do you feel?"
"Relaxed," Obi-Wan found his voice quiet. Qui-Gon and the guard laughed. He stepped forward.
"I'm Captain Panaka, head of her majesty's royal security." He put his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "We are truly indebted to you. You have the thanks of her majesty and her entire military force."
Obi-Wan smiled and inclined his head in modest acceptance.
Panaka tipped his hat to Qui-Gon. "I better be going."
The Jedi Master nodded and Panaka left. Qui-Gon turned to his padawan.
"You did well Obi-Wan. I am proud of you."
A compliment from his master was worth all that he had been through, and Obi-Wan found that he was unsure as to how to respond.
Qui-Gon pulled the blanket up further. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?"
Obi-Wan nodded and relaxed into a comfortable position. As he closed his eyes Qui-Gon patted him on the shoulder then left the room, the lights dimming slightly behind him.
TBC…