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We're going to be taking a trip to Coruscant. He announced calmly right before Jayen left to go out with his latest girlfriend. I dropped my fork and stared in utter amazement. Natan started to choke on his food, and Jayen dropped his china plate on the marble floor, where it shattered into a million pieces. Rayel and Jonas started screaming and yelling. Mother smiled serenely.
Are you serious?!?! I finally managed to say.
He nodded. Yes princess, we'll be leaving in two and a half weeks.
I screamed, jumped up and hugged poor father so hard, he was having trouble breathing. Natan and Jayen came out of their stupor; Natan stood up, picked me up in a hug and swung me around. Jayen did this crazy little dance for joy that included jumping and running around the house. As soon as the initial shock wore off (and Natan put me down) I ran upstairs to my room to call Yané. She was insanely jealous and happy and made me promise to bring her back something. Then I called Riv's private line in the Palace and told him. He smiled smugly and said,
"It's about time he told you."
"You knew?!" I gasped.
"Yup."
I shook my fist at his image. "If you were here right now. . ."
He laughed. "I've wanted to tell you for weeks."
"WEEKS?!"
"Well, week."
"You are so evil!"
He grinned at me. After him, I called Dek and Joss, both of whom were instantly jealous and excited. Dek's excitement nearly rivaled mine. Out of all of us, Dek wanted to explore the galaxy the most.
Yané came up to visit the following week and I showed her everything in Theed and introduced her to my friends. We went on a shopping spree with mother, who wanted me to have a new wardrobe for Coruscant. Yané and I talked non-stop. We went to the Holovid Theater and cried at holoflic's that Riv, Dek and Joss had adamantly refused to see with me. We walked along the River Solleu and fed the ducks. She told me about school, I told her about the Royal Exams. We laughed our heads off. Yané left a week after she got here. I was terribly sad. Having her around made me miss what you can do with girlfriends, and not with guys.
We left for Coruscant three days later. My parent's and brother's friends came to say good-bye to them, and Riv, Dek and Joss came to say good-bye to me. I was grinning like an idiot in my new dark green dress and dark purple and gold overcoat. I had this cool new black backpack that was small. It only went over my shoulder-blades, I love that little thing. Riv looked kind of sad, but tried to be happy for me. Dek was just itching to go with me, to climb all over the spaceship and play with the controls. Joss hugged me.
"I have to go." He said. "Have fun, take lots of holopics, call us, don't get into to much trouble and bring me back an Air Taxi."
I laughed. "I'll do my best."
"I know." Then he was gone. I turned to Riv and Dek. Dek's blue eyes were shining brightly with excitement. He picked me up and twirled me around. I laughed giddily.
"You're so lucky!" he cried. "I think if I stay any longer, I'll sneak on board." He put me down.
"Anything you want me to get you?"
"A Jedi!" He said. "But if you can't find one, I'd settle for a Senate Pod or one of those cool Senate Guards."
I grinned. "I'll put them in the back with Joss's Air Taxi."
He hugged me again. "Don't fall off the landing platform." He warned, then he too was gone. I turned to Riv and smiled. He smiled back, kind of sadly.
"Here." He said, giving me a small cloth bag. "Open it when you go into hyperspace."
"All right." I said. We hugged.
"I'm gonna miss you." He said into my shoulder.
"I'll miss you too." I whispered back. He released me from the hug. "Anything you want me to bring you back?"
"Just don't decide to stay." He said, then grinned. "And if you happen to catch a Jedi..." he trailed off.
I laughed, looked over my shoulder and saw father waiting for me. "I guess I ought to go."
"Yeah." We hugged one more time and I walked to father and climbed on board the ship. I got in my seat and looked out my window. I saw Riv beyond the metal gate and waved to him. I think he saw me, because he waved back. The ship took off, carrying us to the Luxury Cruiser, Jewel of the Republic. As soon as we went into hyperspace, I went to the main viewing deck and sat on a large chair to open the small cloth bag Riv had given me. Inside was a letter on a datachip, a small holopic of me and him, candy, and a necklace. It was a small pendant. Two small, round black stones, one below the other on a silver backing and a silver chain. I loved it and immediately put it on.
The trip took a day and a half. I took Jonas to the main viewing deck and we watched the ship come out of hyperspace together. Coruscant shown in the distant like a diamond; silvery against the light of its sun. A landing shuttle took us and our entire luggage, and we had a lot, to the surface of Coruscant. Two Air Taxis came and picked us up and took us to our hotel. I was in stunned amazement. Everything on Coruscant was so big and polished! Everything I saw seemed to be made of the same silvery material as everything else. There were too many alien species to count. I had to force myself to stop gawking at everything.
When we got to the hotel, I was amazed; it was more like a house than a hotel. The door opened up to a short, wide hallway and you came to a fork, to the right was the living room, dining room, kitchen and public refresher. To the left was the master bedroom suite at the end of the hall, two double rooms on the left side and a single room on the right. The master bedroom suite had it's own refresher, as did the single room. The two double rooms shared a refresher between them. All this on the 370th floor of the Shee-Dong Ma'lay Hotel.
Being the only girl, I got the single room, and it was the smallest. There was a rounded bed on the left wall, a desk in the lower left corner, a door leading to my 'fresher on the lower right and a closet across the room from the bed. The wall was a large picture window and I could see the traffic lights of Coruscant. I realized how tired I was, so I lay down on my giant bed and watched the traffic fly by until I fell asleep. The following day brought a visitor, Senator Palpatine, who represented Naboo and some other worlds in the Senate. I guess him and father had a business agreement because they were working on something when I came into the study.
"Oh," I said, "I'm sorry."
"No, its okay princess," father said, "I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine, Senator Palpatine. Senator, this is my daughter, Rabé."
I curtsied to the Senator, "Pleased to meet you Senator."
He got up and gave me a little bow, "Pleased to make your acquaintance also, my dear." He turned to father. "That's a beautiful Naboo name." He sat back down as father said thank you.
"Who are you looking for?" Father asked.
"Mother, she said we could make an appointment to have a private tour of the Jedi Temple."
"Ah."
"I could arrange that for you." Senator Palpatine offered.
"Really?" I said, hoping my voice wouldn't betray my excitement at the offer; it would be much quicker if Senator Palpatine set it up.
"Yes, it would only take a few days."
"Oh, could you? That would be absolutely divine of you." I said, ready to do anything.
"Of course, I'll set it up when I get back to my apartment."
"Thank you so much Senator!"
"Of course child."
I curtsied again to him and left the room so pleased with myself I could burst. I went to the living room and told mother the good news. She was also pleased and asked me what I wanted to do today. Galactic Museum of History. So, we went there with my brothers. I took many holopics of the exhibits and of my brothers doing stupid things. I bought a fake lightsaber for Dek at the Museum store. It was blue to match his eyes.
When we got back from the museum four hours before midnight, father and Senator Palpatine where gone. We ate dinner and mother put Jonas and Rayel to bed. Then me, her, Natan and Jayen watched the holonews. It was very sad. All the stories where about death or poverty or war or violence or something terrible. On Naboo, it is much less of a problem.
Later, after we had all gone to bed, father came home. I heard him stumble in through the door, partiality drunk. He went down the hall and into the Master Bedroom Suite. I could hear him and mother talking in angry voices. I crept out of bed and went down the hall to hear them better. I got a very eerie sense of deja-vous.
Why do you do this to me? Mother hissed at him.
"Do what, luve?" Father replied in a slightly slurring his speech.
I want you to not do business with Palpatine anymore! Mother exclaimed, You told me you had stopped! Why do you lie?
"Ih'm onlee finishing wha I'started." father said.
What is he going to do with what you sold him, huh? Mother said something in a low voice that I could not hear. For forces sake! What do you think he will do with them? And we will be part of it!
"Nows, don you worree your pree li'l head." Father said.
I heard mother sigh and the blankets move around on the bed. I turned around and crept back to my room. I was confused and slightly scared. I shivered and pulled up my covers. Lights flashed outside. I didn't sleep very well that night.
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