The Ties That Bind
Chapter 18
Sabé stepped into the main office of the handmaiden allocations unit. A young woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, was seated behind a desk. She had dark hair, which shone almost blue, and startlingly clear green eyes in a mobile face. Her smile was welcoming as she looked up to see her visitors. "Sabé! This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you to my office, and at this early hour, no less?" Her words were slow, drawn out as if she'd grown up in the back country of a third class world.
Sabé smiled, "We have a bit of a mystery, Carré, I was hoping you could help us out. This is Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, his Padawan Anakin Skywalker, and you, of course, know Padmé. This," she smiled at the other woman, "is Carré Lapetia. She's in charge of assigning the proper handmaidens to the Queen and female senators."
Obi-Wan shook her hand, "A pleasure to meet you, my lady. You have a most intriguing job."
She laughed softly, blushing. "Oh please, call me Carré, Master Kenobi. My job was created after I served the last Queen. I, fortunately, have the experience and knowledge to pass on to the young women. My job in the last nine years has been mostly upkeep with Padmé's handmaidens. That will change soon, when the new Queen is elected."
"Then you are knowledgeable in the latest forms of hand-to-hand combat as well as weaponry?"
Carré inclined her head. "I have to be. Not only do I assign the handmaidens, but I have to ensure they're capable of doing their job. I put them through a series of tests, which include every known weapon. Including your lightsabers."
He arched an eyebrow. "You know lightsabers?"
She nodded. "I had a good teacher. We had a Jedi Knight come visit about twelve years ago and I learned much from her."
"Then you're not Force Sensitive?"
Carré laughed. "Me? Heavens no! I wasn't born that lucky. But don't trust my word, scan me, see for yourself."
Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and surface scanned her. She was open, her thoughts and emotions plain for him to read. He pulled back after finding no trace of Force Sensitivity. "I see."
She shrugged, "What can I say, I wish I was but I'm not. Your padawan is awful quiet, Master Kenobi."
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin over his shoulder. The young man's head was bowed, his gaze on the floor. Padmé was standing next to him, her hands wrapped lightly around one of his. "Anakin's learned to follow my lead, it would seem. Normally he's alot more vocal."
Carré grinned. "I understand. Sabé was always like that too. But then, the head handmaiden and main decoy has to be."
Obi-Wan chuckled. He liked this woman, she was frank and ready with a wry comment. He hoped she could be of help. "You've heard about the slain Jedi Masters in the Palace by now."
She nodded, even though it was more of a statement than a question. Her emerald eyes grew somber. "I did. My condolences to you, Master Kenobi and padawan Skywalker. Such a great loss is tragic."
"Thank you, Carré. Perhaps you could help us in finding the supplier of the murder weapon."
She sat back in her chair and nodded. "If I can be of any help, I'll certainly try."
"Sabé?"
Sabé stepped forward and pulled a datapad from her pocket. "Here. This symbol was on the murder weapons we recovered. Have you seen it before Carré?"
Carré accepted the datapad and scrutinized the drawing carefully. Obi-Wan monitored her reaction carefully with the Force in case she was very skilled at hiding her facial expression. She frowned and he could detect a faint trace of understanding. She knew of the symbol at the very least. "I think it belongs to one of the men who sells vibro-weapons to the handmaidens."
She turned, pulling a drawer from the wall and flipping through sheets of plasfilm. As she did, she talked to herself. "No... no... ah ha! Here we go. "Paddy Histry. He's a vibro-dealer who was based on Coruscant. The Supreme Chancellor gained his services when he was the Senator for Naboo and Mr. Histry moved here. Unfortunately, according to my file, Mr. Histry killed himself over a year ago. His weapons are now widely spread. I'm afraid anyone could have one."
She handed the file to Obi-Wan, who browsed through it quickly. He placed it back on her desk. "Would he have records that are still intact of everyone who ever purchased his weapons?"
Carré considered the question for a moment. "I think there may be partial records in the transaction database, but any business he conducted before he came to Naboo won't be in that file. He was on Coruscant for almost ten years by my understanding, and was here for another twenty."
"Dead end, then."
Carré sighed. "I'm sorry I can't help more, Master Kenobi."
"I still don't understand how someone as well known as Mr. Histry wouldn't be in the security database."
Carré grinned. "That's easy. He was a special commission and didn't officially work for the palace. Without being employed strictly by the Queen, his trademark registered only on Coruscant, there was no reason for him to be screened. At least, not unless he acted unlawfully. Paddy was one of a kind, a nice old man. He was never in trouble with the law in any way either."
"So we're back to square one. Could someone be duplicating his style?" Padmé's words drew all of their gazes.
"I don't think so, Padmé. Paddy's style was very unique. His alloy mixture was known only to him, just as the designs on his weapons were all unique. Similar, but never identical. Each blade was made to his own specific design."
"Thank you for your time, Carré," Obi-Wan shook her hand again. "You've been helpful, even if we're not any closer."
"Glad to be of help, Master Kenobi. Come back and see me anytime."
He inclined his head to her before motioning the others to precede him. Carré waved as they left her office and turned back to her paperwork. She heard their footsteps disappear down the hall and ducked her head, hiding a slow, cold smile to cross her lips. Round one to Carré. Now the ball was in their court. Let the hunt begin.
"She's hiding something Master."
Obi-Wan sat next to Sabé in the former Queen's apartment as Anakin leaned against the door. "I'm inclined to agree with you. Everyone hides things, Anakin."
"No, Master, it's deeper than that." he sighed, "When she had you scan her, I took the liberty of scanning her myself. She has strong mental shields. They're extremely powerful mental shields, enough so that when I tested them once she chose to bring your attention to me. She knew what I was doing."
Obi-Wan frowned. "I couldn't sense any kind of Force affinity in her, are you sure?"
Anakin nodded. "Yes Master. Could she be shielding her Force abilities to the extent of seeming normal, with no Force potential?"
Obi-Wan leaned forward, his elbows braced on his knees as he turned the thought over in his mind. "I don't see how it would be possible to use the Force to shield just the Force potential. Master Yoda would know, but I'm sure he's either sleeping or meditating after last night."
"Speaking of which, I should be going there." Sabé smothered a yawn with one hand. "Pulling these two and three days stretches five years ago was one thing, now I think I need sleep at the end of every day."
Padmé chuckled. "I think I'll head to bed for a short nap too."
"Er, Padmé?"
She glanced at Obi-Wan. "Yes?"
"Sabé and I think it would be wise if you and her were to trade places for the moment. If the assassin knows what to look for, you two can be almost identical if you choose. However, Anakin will have to stay with her while you take her place." He rubbed his forehead in an uncharacteristic gesture.
Padmé looked at Anakin, her eyes pleading. "If the assassin is Force sensitive, will it make much of a difference?"
"It might."
She swallowed hard, straightening her spine. "Very well. I will sleep in Sabé's quarters and Sabé will sleep here until this crisis passes. I don't see the point, since Anakin seems to be the target..."
"That is the point, Padmé," Anakin's voice was soft. "They can get to me through you." He stepped towards her, his hands sliding gently over her shoulders and down her arms. "They've been watching us. They know what we share."
"But-"
He shook his head. "No Angel. Until this is over, this is for the best. Obi-Wan will protect you, as I will protect Sabé."
"But-"
He bent his head, silencing her protest. *I love you, Padmé. I promise you I will find out who's trying to tear us apart.*
She clung to him, tears pooling behind her closed eyelids. *Come back to me, Anakin. That's all I ask.*
He pulled away and looked down into her eyes, gently stroking a thumb across her cheek. "If it takes a thousand lifetimes. Go. We'll get to the bottom of this matter quickly."
She nodded, smiling for him and stepped away. Sabé pulled her cloak from her shoulders and offered it to Padmé. "Here, this should hide your identity well enough."
Padmé accepted the cloak and pulled Sabé into a tight hug. "Be careful."
Sabé smiled. "You too."
Obi-Wan dropped a light, lingering kiss on Sabé's lips before slipping out of the room with Padmé.
Sabé looked at Anakin, "Come here."
He approached her warily. "What?"
She sighed. "Stop that. If the assassin is watching they'll be expecting you to treat me like Padmé. You're going to have to not only call me by her name, but treat me like you do her. Can you do that, Anakin?"
He swallowed hard before nodding slowly. "I will because it will save her life."
"Good boy. Now come here and escort me into my bedroom."
He chuckled, allowing his tension to slip away. Sabé was an old friend and she was good at her job. If he had to pretend she was his Angel for a few days, he would manage. For now, he would do what was necessary and play the bodyguard. Whoever the assassin was, they would pay. He would make them pay. As he lay down next to Sabé, allowing her to curl up in his arms, he silently wished it was Padmé and swore it would be before the week was up.
Chapter 18
Sabé stepped into the main office of the handmaiden allocations unit. A young woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, was seated behind a desk. She had dark hair, which shone almost blue, and startlingly clear green eyes in a mobile face. Her smile was welcoming as she looked up to see her visitors. "Sabé! This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you to my office, and at this early hour, no less?" Her words were slow, drawn out as if she'd grown up in the back country of a third class world.
Sabé smiled, "We have a bit of a mystery, Carré, I was hoping you could help us out. This is Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, his Padawan Anakin Skywalker, and you, of course, know Padmé. This," she smiled at the other woman, "is Carré Lapetia. She's in charge of assigning the proper handmaidens to the Queen and female senators."
Obi-Wan shook her hand, "A pleasure to meet you, my lady. You have a most intriguing job."
She laughed softly, blushing. "Oh please, call me Carré, Master Kenobi. My job was created after I served the last Queen. I, fortunately, have the experience and knowledge to pass on to the young women. My job in the last nine years has been mostly upkeep with Padmé's handmaidens. That will change soon, when the new Queen is elected."
"Then you are knowledgeable in the latest forms of hand-to-hand combat as well as weaponry?"
Carré inclined her head. "I have to be. Not only do I assign the handmaidens, but I have to ensure they're capable of doing their job. I put them through a series of tests, which include every known weapon. Including your lightsabers."
He arched an eyebrow. "You know lightsabers?"
She nodded. "I had a good teacher. We had a Jedi Knight come visit about twelve years ago and I learned much from her."
"Then you're not Force Sensitive?"
Carré laughed. "Me? Heavens no! I wasn't born that lucky. But don't trust my word, scan me, see for yourself."
Obi-Wan reached out with the Force and surface scanned her. She was open, her thoughts and emotions plain for him to read. He pulled back after finding no trace of Force Sensitivity. "I see."
She shrugged, "What can I say, I wish I was but I'm not. Your padawan is awful quiet, Master Kenobi."
Obi-Wan looked at Anakin over his shoulder. The young man's head was bowed, his gaze on the floor. Padmé was standing next to him, her hands wrapped lightly around one of his. "Anakin's learned to follow my lead, it would seem. Normally he's alot more vocal."
Carré grinned. "I understand. Sabé was always like that too. But then, the head handmaiden and main decoy has to be."
Obi-Wan chuckled. He liked this woman, she was frank and ready with a wry comment. He hoped she could be of help. "You've heard about the slain Jedi Masters in the Palace by now."
She nodded, even though it was more of a statement than a question. Her emerald eyes grew somber. "I did. My condolences to you, Master Kenobi and padawan Skywalker. Such a great loss is tragic."
"Thank you, Carré. Perhaps you could help us in finding the supplier of the murder weapon."
She sat back in her chair and nodded. "If I can be of any help, I'll certainly try."
"Sabé?"
Sabé stepped forward and pulled a datapad from her pocket. "Here. This symbol was on the murder weapons we recovered. Have you seen it before Carré?"
Carré accepted the datapad and scrutinized the drawing carefully. Obi-Wan monitored her reaction carefully with the Force in case she was very skilled at hiding her facial expression. She frowned and he could detect a faint trace of understanding. She knew of the symbol at the very least. "I think it belongs to one of the men who sells vibro-weapons to the handmaidens."
She turned, pulling a drawer from the wall and flipping through sheets of plasfilm. As she did, she talked to herself. "No... no... ah ha! Here we go. "Paddy Histry. He's a vibro-dealer who was based on Coruscant. The Supreme Chancellor gained his services when he was the Senator for Naboo and Mr. Histry moved here. Unfortunately, according to my file, Mr. Histry killed himself over a year ago. His weapons are now widely spread. I'm afraid anyone could have one."
She handed the file to Obi-Wan, who browsed through it quickly. He placed it back on her desk. "Would he have records that are still intact of everyone who ever purchased his weapons?"
Carré considered the question for a moment. "I think there may be partial records in the transaction database, but any business he conducted before he came to Naboo won't be in that file. He was on Coruscant for almost ten years by my understanding, and was here for another twenty."
"Dead end, then."
Carré sighed. "I'm sorry I can't help more, Master Kenobi."
"I still don't understand how someone as well known as Mr. Histry wouldn't be in the security database."
Carré grinned. "That's easy. He was a special commission and didn't officially work for the palace. Without being employed strictly by the Queen, his trademark registered only on Coruscant, there was no reason for him to be screened. At least, not unless he acted unlawfully. Paddy was one of a kind, a nice old man. He was never in trouble with the law in any way either."
"So we're back to square one. Could someone be duplicating his style?" Padmé's words drew all of their gazes.
"I don't think so, Padmé. Paddy's style was very unique. His alloy mixture was known only to him, just as the designs on his weapons were all unique. Similar, but never identical. Each blade was made to his own specific design."
"Thank you for your time, Carré," Obi-Wan shook her hand again. "You've been helpful, even if we're not any closer."
"Glad to be of help, Master Kenobi. Come back and see me anytime."
He inclined his head to her before motioning the others to precede him. Carré waved as they left her office and turned back to her paperwork. She heard their footsteps disappear down the hall and ducked her head, hiding a slow, cold smile to cross her lips. Round one to Carré. Now the ball was in their court. Let the hunt begin.
"She's hiding something Master."
Obi-Wan sat next to Sabé in the former Queen's apartment as Anakin leaned against the door. "I'm inclined to agree with you. Everyone hides things, Anakin."
"No, Master, it's deeper than that." he sighed, "When she had you scan her, I took the liberty of scanning her myself. She has strong mental shields. They're extremely powerful mental shields, enough so that when I tested them once she chose to bring your attention to me. She knew what I was doing."
Obi-Wan frowned. "I couldn't sense any kind of Force affinity in her, are you sure?"
Anakin nodded. "Yes Master. Could she be shielding her Force abilities to the extent of seeming normal, with no Force potential?"
Obi-Wan leaned forward, his elbows braced on his knees as he turned the thought over in his mind. "I don't see how it would be possible to use the Force to shield just the Force potential. Master Yoda would know, but I'm sure he's either sleeping or meditating after last night."
"Speaking of which, I should be going there." Sabé smothered a yawn with one hand. "Pulling these two and three days stretches five years ago was one thing, now I think I need sleep at the end of every day."
Padmé chuckled. "I think I'll head to bed for a short nap too."
"Er, Padmé?"
She glanced at Obi-Wan. "Yes?"
"Sabé and I think it would be wise if you and her were to trade places for the moment. If the assassin knows what to look for, you two can be almost identical if you choose. However, Anakin will have to stay with her while you take her place." He rubbed his forehead in an uncharacteristic gesture.
Padmé looked at Anakin, her eyes pleading. "If the assassin is Force sensitive, will it make much of a difference?"
"It might."
She swallowed hard, straightening her spine. "Very well. I will sleep in Sabé's quarters and Sabé will sleep here until this crisis passes. I don't see the point, since Anakin seems to be the target..."
"That is the point, Padmé," Anakin's voice was soft. "They can get to me through you." He stepped towards her, his hands sliding gently over her shoulders and down her arms. "They've been watching us. They know what we share."
"But-"
He shook his head. "No Angel. Until this is over, this is for the best. Obi-Wan will protect you, as I will protect Sabé."
"But-"
He bent his head, silencing her protest. *I love you, Padmé. I promise you I will find out who's trying to tear us apart.*
She clung to him, tears pooling behind her closed eyelids. *Come back to me, Anakin. That's all I ask.*
He pulled away and looked down into her eyes, gently stroking a thumb across her cheek. "If it takes a thousand lifetimes. Go. We'll get to the bottom of this matter quickly."
She nodded, smiling for him and stepped away. Sabé pulled her cloak from her shoulders and offered it to Padmé. "Here, this should hide your identity well enough."
Padmé accepted the cloak and pulled Sabé into a tight hug. "Be careful."
Sabé smiled. "You too."
Obi-Wan dropped a light, lingering kiss on Sabé's lips before slipping out of the room with Padmé.
Sabé looked at Anakin, "Come here."
He approached her warily. "What?"
She sighed. "Stop that. If the assassin is watching they'll be expecting you to treat me like Padmé. You're going to have to not only call me by her name, but treat me like you do her. Can you do that, Anakin?"
He swallowed hard before nodding slowly. "I will because it will save her life."
"Good boy. Now come here and escort me into my bedroom."
He chuckled, allowing his tension to slip away. Sabé was an old friend and she was good at her job. If he had to pretend she was his Angel for a few days, he would manage. For now, he would do what was necessary and play the bodyguard. Whoever the assassin was, they would pay. He would make them pay. As he lay down next to Sabé, allowing her to curl up in his arms, he silently wished it was Padmé and swore it would be before the week was up.