"Your record of service prior to this first offense has been outstanding,"
the Queen intoned, her painted face hiding much of her natural expression.
"I am willing to take that into consideration."
Saché gave Amidala a hopeful half-smile.
"That does not mean the we will take this offense lightly," Amidala said, her gaze upon Saché. "Disregarding a Royal Order is a very serious action indeed."
Dropping the smile, Saché nodded. "I understand, Your Highness."
"Do you have anything to say in your defense before I decide how you should be disciplined?"
Saché glanced around the throne room, thankful that only the handmaidens and Captain Panaka were present. "Yes I do, Your Highness. May I make my statement now?
The Queen settled back, indicating her willingness to listen. "Proceed."
"I was moved to take immediate action concerning the Minister and her situation as it seemed that she was alone. Yes, that's right, even her best friend has not spoken to her since she left the palace after being relieved of her duties."
A collective gasp came from the handmaidens. Saché took a bit of satisfaction at having shocked them. As for Amidala, there was only the slight hint of a flinch behind her white paint. "I apologize for my infraction. I know my choice of action was rash," Saché continued. "I hope you will understand reasons behind it. I humbly ask for your fair judgement on the matter, nothing more or less, Your Highness. I know that in your wisdom you will select the appropriate penalty for me."
Amidala nodded solemnly. "Indeed, We have decided what punishment this behavior deserves. It is Our belief that a word to the wise is sufficent, Handmaiden. I do not think you will prove Us wrong." The Queen's glare dared Saché to say otherwise.
"No, Your Highness. You have spoken well," Saché replied using correct form. She glanced at Eirtaé, who gave her a little nod.
"You are suspended from active service to Us and the court for a period of one month. This suspension starts today. Your room and board will be provided as usual, but you will not draw any salary during this time. You will also be required to meet regularly with Our diplomat, Raisa Uzza and Handmaiden Eirtaé for instruction in the finer points of etiquette, protocol, and diplomacy. Finally, during this time when you leave the palace, you will be accompanied by another handmaiden or a member of the Captain's Security force. You will continue to train on the practice range and in flight ground school. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for your leniency, Your Highness," Saché said, emphasizing her sincerity with a deep bow.
"Very well. You are dismissed."
Saché backed out, and bowed once more before she turned and left the throne room. She ran into a taller man, who caught her.
"Why didn't you come to me before you left?" Ellouis asked her, as he looked into her eyes.
She looked away. "You know why."
"Because I would have talked you out of it."
"Yes, and I didn't want to be talked out of it."
"Oh," he said. An uneasy silence hung in the air between them.
"I was determined to take some action that might have helped Sabé and Meira. I didn't run away to spite you." Saché stared at the floor wringing her hands a bit.
"All right, then," Ellouis said, clearing his throat. "Look, it's going to be a difficult month for you. Why don't I take you to dinner tonight? I know a place that serves great shaak. You can leave the palace with me. I'm part of the Captain's security force."
Rabé exited the throne room and saw Saché and Ellouis. Giving them a small wink, she floated down the hall toward Rowan.
Saché brightened up. "Sure! Give me enough time to change into one of my own dresses. If it's shaak, it must be that place Sabé likes. I hear they serve the best cuts in Theed! They have a great Ochee pasta too."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------
"So how are things in Keren?"
Saché shivered at the memory, and grasped Ellouis's arm a bit tighter. "Ugh! I'd forgotten how much I hated it there! I think it's become worse in ten years."
"Yes, it's going to take longer than Amidala has to clean up the mess Veruna made there," he replied. "But remember, compared to Coruscant, it's a paradise!"
"I'm glad I stayed here, then," Saché replied. Then she spotted a familiar figure, but in a situation she'd never seen him in before. "Hey," she blurted, pointing. "Ellouis, isn't that your cousin--our Captain?"
"Why I believe it is, " he smiled. "And how about that? With a date! This, I cannot miss! C'mon!" He pulled Saché along with him until they all reached the outside of the restaurant.
"Good evening, Hugh, Miss. It looks like we have simliar taste in fine dining?"
Hugh Panaka spun around in alarm and surprise. "Saché? Ellouis? What are you two doing here?"
"Same as you and your lady friend, Hugh. Going out for a fine meal," Ellouis said, a big grin on his face. "You know, if you wanted to keep this a secret, you picked the wrong place. Everybody shows up here and they all gossip. Why do you think we haven't been before?"
Something started nagging at Saché's brain, the bit about everyone showing up and gossiping. She knew she had heard something like that before, but couldn't place just where it came from.
"...and let me introduce Vanessa." Captain Panaka was saying of the woman with black hair and green eyes, when Saché came out of her reverie. "Vanessa, my cousin Ellouis and Saché, one of the ladies under my command."
Smiling and nodding, Saché continued to consider the bits and pieces floating in her head while waiting in line.
The men kept up friendly conversation. "Now all we need is to have Typho to come in with a date," said Ellouis, laughing. "That'll take care of all the eligible men in the family."
"That little punk? He'll never amount to anything," Hugh chuckled. "Here we go, our turn to put in our names. You'll forgive me if dine at separate tables?"
"Of course," Ellouis waved him away and took Saché's hand.
"How many in your party, sir?" came a familiar voice that commanded Saché's full attention. She looked up and carefully studied the maitre d'.
**************
Saché gave Amidala a hopeful half-smile.
"That does not mean the we will take this offense lightly," Amidala said, her gaze upon Saché. "Disregarding a Royal Order is a very serious action indeed."
Dropping the smile, Saché nodded. "I understand, Your Highness."
"Do you have anything to say in your defense before I decide how you should be disciplined?"
Saché glanced around the throne room, thankful that only the handmaidens and Captain Panaka were present. "Yes I do, Your Highness. May I make my statement now?
The Queen settled back, indicating her willingness to listen. "Proceed."
"I was moved to take immediate action concerning the Minister and her situation as it seemed that she was alone. Yes, that's right, even her best friend has not spoken to her since she left the palace after being relieved of her duties."
A collective gasp came from the handmaidens. Saché took a bit of satisfaction at having shocked them. As for Amidala, there was only the slight hint of a flinch behind her white paint. "I apologize for my infraction. I know my choice of action was rash," Saché continued. "I hope you will understand reasons behind it. I humbly ask for your fair judgement on the matter, nothing more or less, Your Highness. I know that in your wisdom you will select the appropriate penalty for me."
Amidala nodded solemnly. "Indeed, We have decided what punishment this behavior deserves. It is Our belief that a word to the wise is sufficent, Handmaiden. I do not think you will prove Us wrong." The Queen's glare dared Saché to say otherwise.
"No, Your Highness. You have spoken well," Saché replied using correct form. She glanced at Eirtaé, who gave her a little nod.
"You are suspended from active service to Us and the court for a period of one month. This suspension starts today. Your room and board will be provided as usual, but you will not draw any salary during this time. You will also be required to meet regularly with Our diplomat, Raisa Uzza and Handmaiden Eirtaé for instruction in the finer points of etiquette, protocol, and diplomacy. Finally, during this time when you leave the palace, you will be accompanied by another handmaiden or a member of the Captain's Security force. You will continue to train on the practice range and in flight ground school. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Thank you for your leniency, Your Highness," Saché said, emphasizing her sincerity with a deep bow.
"Very well. You are dismissed."
Saché backed out, and bowed once more before she turned and left the throne room. She ran into a taller man, who caught her.
"Why didn't you come to me before you left?" Ellouis asked her, as he looked into her eyes.
She looked away. "You know why."
"Because I would have talked you out of it."
"Yes, and I didn't want to be talked out of it."
"Oh," he said. An uneasy silence hung in the air between them.
"I was determined to take some action that might have helped Sabé and Meira. I didn't run away to spite you." Saché stared at the floor wringing her hands a bit.
"All right, then," Ellouis said, clearing his throat. "Look, it's going to be a difficult month for you. Why don't I take you to dinner tonight? I know a place that serves great shaak. You can leave the palace with me. I'm part of the Captain's security force."
Rabé exited the throne room and saw Saché and Ellouis. Giving them a small wink, she floated down the hall toward Rowan.
Saché brightened up. "Sure! Give me enough time to change into one of my own dresses. If it's shaak, it must be that place Sabé likes. I hear they serve the best cuts in Theed! They have a great Ochee pasta too."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------
"So how are things in Keren?"
Saché shivered at the memory, and grasped Ellouis's arm a bit tighter. "Ugh! I'd forgotten how much I hated it there! I think it's become worse in ten years."
"Yes, it's going to take longer than Amidala has to clean up the mess Veruna made there," he replied. "But remember, compared to Coruscant, it's a paradise!"
"I'm glad I stayed here, then," Saché replied. Then she spotted a familiar figure, but in a situation she'd never seen him in before. "Hey," she blurted, pointing. "Ellouis, isn't that your cousin--our Captain?"
"Why I believe it is, " he smiled. "And how about that? With a date! This, I cannot miss! C'mon!" He pulled Saché along with him until they all reached the outside of the restaurant.
"Good evening, Hugh, Miss. It looks like we have simliar taste in fine dining?"
Hugh Panaka spun around in alarm and surprise. "Saché? Ellouis? What are you two doing here?"
"Same as you and your lady friend, Hugh. Going out for a fine meal," Ellouis said, a big grin on his face. "You know, if you wanted to keep this a secret, you picked the wrong place. Everybody shows up here and they all gossip. Why do you think we haven't been before?"
Something started nagging at Saché's brain, the bit about everyone showing up and gossiping. She knew she had heard something like that before, but couldn't place just where it came from.
"...and let me introduce Vanessa." Captain Panaka was saying of the woman with black hair and green eyes, when Saché came out of her reverie. "Vanessa, my cousin Ellouis and Saché, one of the ladies under my command."
Smiling and nodding, Saché continued to consider the bits and pieces floating in her head while waiting in line.
The men kept up friendly conversation. "Now all we need is to have Typho to come in with a date," said Ellouis, laughing. "That'll take care of all the eligible men in the family."
"That little punk? He'll never amount to anything," Hugh chuckled. "Here we go, our turn to put in our names. You'll forgive me if dine at separate tables?"
"Of course," Ellouis waved him away and took Saché's hand.
"How many in your party, sir?" came a familiar voice that commanded Saché's full attention. She looked up and carefully studied the maitre d'.
**************