The Trade Federation was becoming quite the nuisance, and practically everyday, Amidala spent hours talking and conferring with Senator Palpatine over the holonet, then would spend more time conferring with her advisors, Governor Bibble, and Captain Panaka. Until one day, it happened.
It was the middle of the day, and Yané and I where out in the Royal Gardens, taking a short lunch break, when I looked up, and I saw warships. Dozens and dozens of warships.
The Trade Federation blockade of Naboo had started.
Amidala was furious. She immediately put on some of her most regal robes, and called Senator Palpatine, who was surprised at this news indeed. When she got off the holonet with him, she got up and marched away to her room, us five handmaidens quietly following behind.
"The nerve of them!" She hissed as we got into her room. "What kind of idiots are they? Blockading a planet for the sake of a tax?"
We handmaidens exchanged a glance. Although I was the second youngest, I had a good talent for calming Amidala down when she got excited or upset. It was handy in times like this. I went over to her, sat her down on the vanity chair and began taking out her hair.
"Ami, you know they are cowards. Senator Palpatine will talk to the Senate on our behalf, the Republic will intervene, and the Neimoidians will back down. It won't take long." I said.
She sighed. "I know. It's just-ugh! The nerve of them!" She jumped up and began to pace the room. "Well, I won't give them the satisfaction of knowing they've upset me. I will ignore them." And with that, she sat back down on the vanity, and let me finish taking out her hair.
Well, it wasn't that simple. The Neimoidians seemed to have gained a backbone in recent months, and refused to back down. Our food supply was running lower. Amidala sent as much food from the Royal Kitchens to the people of Theed as she could. She finally got fed up with this and, once again in some of her most regal robes, sent a holonet call in to Supreme Chancellor Valorum, and informed him, in a rather chilly voice, that everyday he delays resolving the blockade is a day he takes more food out of the mouths of starving children. I saw the shock on his face when she said that. He promised to send ambassadors at once. Amidala even had part of her wardrobe packed onto her ship, in a threat to go to Coruscant to resolve this herself.
On the day that the ambassadors where to arrive, I did Amidala's hair in one of the more complicated hairstyles I had ever done, while Eirtaé did her make-up, Saché did Amidala's nails again, and Sabé and Yané got out the clothes. We marched to the throne room, where we would wait for word from the ambassadors. We waited for a long time. Amidala grew impatient.
"Contact the Neimoidians, Captain." She finally said. "Eirtaé, Rabé, stand behind me." So I stood behind her throne, next to Eirtaé. The communication went through, and the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, Nute Gunray shimmered into view.
"Again you come before us, your highness." He said in his leachy, slimy, strangely accented voice. Again? I thought. This is the first time Amidala has officially looked your way, you overgrown bug.
"You will not be so pleased when you hear what I have to say, Viceroy." Amidala said in her most chillingly regal of voices. "Your trade boycott of our planet has ended."
"Really? I was not aware, of such a failure." He said, oozing politeness, but I saw the threat beneath it. If you even try to lay one slimy hand on her, I swear to the Gods…
"I have word that the Chancellor's ambassadors are with you now and that you have been commanded to reach settlement." Amidala said, ignoring his previous comment.
"I know nothing of such ambassadors, you must be mistaken." I kept the shock off my face. What?? No ambassadors?
"Beware Viceroy; the Trade Federation has gone too far this time." Amidala said in a voice that could rival Hoth's coldness.
"We would never do anything without the approval of the Senate. You assume too much." He said, slimy and slippery as always. I think you're the one assuming too much. I thought maliciously to him, sending my most powerful of evil brain waves his way. Wished I had the force. I would choke him with it right here and now...
"We will see." Amidala said, regal to the last. Then she cut the transmission, and the oily Neimoidian shimmered from sight. "Captain, contact Senator Palpatine. I will get to the bottom of this. Rabé, Eirtaé you may sit down." I moved back to my chair, disgusted with politics, maneuvering and Neimoidians. Soon, Senator Palpatine shimmered into view.
"Your highness, is there a settlement already?" He asked, surprised.
"No Senator, the negotiations have not started. The ambassadors have not yet arrived."
"Negotiations haven't started because the ambassadors haven't arrived!?" Good work Senator, I thought, you can repeat people! "How could that be true? I have assurances from the Supreme Chancellor, his ambassadors did arrive-" Senator Palpatine shimmered into and out of view, and I couldn't make out any of his words. What was going on?
"Senator Palpatine!" Amidala exclaimed. "What's happened?" She asked, turning to Panaka.
"Check the transmission generator." He said, nodding to one of the Security Officers.
Governor Bibble looked worried. "A communications disruption could mean only one thing. Invasion." Invasion! I thought. The Federation wouldn't dare!
Evidently Amidala thought the same thing. "The Federation would not dare go that far." She declared.
"The Senate would revoke their trade franchise and they'd be finished." Panaka interceded on Amidala's behalf.
"We must continue to rely on negotiation." Amidala said, although I heard the worry in her voice, and I exchanged a glance with Sabé, who heard it also.
"Negotiation!" Bibble sputtered. "We've lost all communication! And where are the Chancellor's ambassadors?" Where indeed? Did the Neimoidians kill them?
Panaka looked directly at Amidala, ignoring the rest of the council, which, save Bibble, had been silent this whole time. "This is a dangerous situation, your highness. Our Security volunteers will be no match for the battle-hardened federation army." I quickly looked at Sabé. I couldn't believe it; Sabé would have to take Amidala's place! I never would have imagined this.
"I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war." Amidala declared. "Captain Panaka, do we have inter-worldly communications?"
Panaka quickly looked at the Security officer who had been checking communications, who nodded. "Yes, your highness, but only for a short time."
"Good. Get me the Governors, I wish to speak with them immediately."
"Yes your highness." Within a few minutes, Panaka had the images of the six governors on the holonet.
"The Trade Federation had knocked out all off-world communication." Amidala stated, tossing preamble to the tusk-cats. "I will continue to rely on negotiation, however if it is an invasion, tell the people to go along with them. Do not resist." She paused and let it sink in. "I do not feel that this will happen, but there is a possibility." My stomach started sinking. I have a bad feeling about this. I though worriedly to myself.
The Governors all nodded and murmured there acceptance of the order. Then they shimmered from sight, as inter-worldly communications was also cut off.
"Captain."
"Yes your highness?"
"Send out scouting parties, if there is an invasion, I wish to know about it before they come knocking on my door." And with that, she stood up, and swept from the room. Us handmaidens followed behind her silently.
"Yané, Saché, Eirtaé," Amidala said, "say good-bye to your families, I fear you may not be seeing them for a while. Sabé, you may go too, but hurry back as quickly as possible. Rabé, I need you to help me with this." Yané, Saché, Eirtaé and Sabé hurried off, Sabé running down the corridor, and the rest just walking quickly.
"What are we to do, your highness?" I asked in a subdued voice as we entered Amidala's room.
"First, get me out of this headpiece." I began to take out her hair. "What outfit would hide Sabé the best?" She mused to me. I thought for a moment, running the inventory of her closet through my head.
"The black one?" I finally said. "With the feather headdress?"
"Yes, that will do perfectly; and for the handmaidens?"
I thought for a second, and removed the gold face-frame headdress and put it a table. "The fire dresses." I said. "It will hide your face well, and they are loose and easy to move around in, in case of an emergency."
"Good. I need to wash up, you get out Sabé's dress, and have it ready for her, she should be back soon, her family lives close to the palace." Sure enough, Sabé got here right after Amidala finished washing up.
"What shall I do your highness?" Sabé asked.
Amidala smiled sadly. "It is Padmé, now." Sabé gasped as I got out the hooded headpiece.
"Do you mean it?" Sabé asked apprehensively.
"Yes. I am sorry Sabé, I know it is a great danger for you-"
"Anything, Padmé. I know what I am here to do."
"Thank you. Rabé, is the dress ready?"
"Yes, your high-Padmé." I said. "Here your highness." I held out the black dress to Sabé, "Let me help you with it."
Sabé quickly took off her hood/scarf and dress and slipped into the black dress I held out for her.
"Here." Padmé said, "I'll do it, Rabé, you go get the handmaiden dresses from the other room."
I handed Padmé the dress and left quickly. Eirtaé was just getting back. "Here." I said. "Help me with the handmaiden outfits."
"Okay." We went into the wardrobe room and I went for the firedresses, I handed four of them to Eirtaé.
"Take these to Amidala's room and do Sabé's make-up. I'm going to change and bring the shoes and other things."
"Right." Eirtaé left. I quickly changed into my firedress, and went to my room, hiding anything that meant a lot to me and/or Yané in the small safe that was built into a wall in our room, holopics, jewelry, books, one of my blasters, the other slipped into my sleeve. I saw Riv's necklace on my bedside table and put it on. Give me good fortune. I thought, holding it tightly for a second.
I got the shoes from the wardrobe room and took them to Amidala's room. Yané and Saché were in there as well as Eirtaé, Sabé, and Padmé. I dumped the shoes on the couch and went to do Sabé's hair. It would only be braided back, because the headpiece covered her whole head, but it was something for me to do. Eirtaé, who was half-dressed, was doing Sabé's make-up, and Saché, who was also half-dressed, quickly did Sabé's nails while Yané got dressed, and Padmé, who also half-dressed, frantically rubbed white fingernail polish off her fingers.
Someone knocked on the door. "Your highness?" Came Captain Panaka's voice.
"Rabé!" Padmé hissed. "You're presentable, get the door!" I finished braiding Sabé's hair and went to the door.
"Yes Captain?" I said, opening the door only slightly.
"There is an invasion army heading towards Theed."
"How far away Captain?" Sabé asked in Amidala's voice.
"Three hours maximum, one at the minimum."
The room went deathly silent as all of us stopped what we were doing to look at him.
"How many troops?" Sabé asked.
"As far as our reports can tell, your highness, there are between 30-35 MTTs, each with 112 troops; over 300 ATTs, unknown amounts of STAPs and other troops walking." There came a gasp from Saché and Padmé. Sabé and I covered our feelings better, and I don't know if Yané and Eirtaé comprehended what that meant, or how many droids that was.
"Spread the word, Captain," Sabé said in Amidala's voice. "No one is to resist."
"Yes, your highness." Then he left. I sprinted back to Sabé and pulled out the headpiece.
"Double time girls!" Padmé cried. I cautiously put the headpiece on Sabé's head, careful not to smear her make-up.
"Here, Saché," I said. "I'll do that, you finish dressing."
She nodded and got up. I finished applying the nail polish and the rest of the handmaidens got dressed.
"Rabé." Padmé said. "Hurry and say goodbye." I nodded, put the nail polish down, and ran out the door, down the hall and out to my speeder. I rushed away to my home, to see Natan.
~~~