ghostrider- Thanks! Sorry for the delay.
NicolaAfyon- Well, thanks! The sequel is in progress. My co-author and I are working on getting a huge body of material ready before we start posting. Stick around!
*~*~*~*
En route to Coruscant, Sabé discovered a downside to being the decoy queen that she had not anticipated. When she had volunteered for the position, she had known that it could potentially require facing deadly dangers. What she was not prepared for were dangerous levels of sheer boredom.
The long and short of the situation were simple: In order to avoid exposing Padmé's secret, Sabé must avoid contact with the others on the ship as much as possible. This meant she was forced to spend most of her time in the girls' cabin, and only emerged at mealtimes or for a formal conference. So while Rabé was getting the Royal Guards to teach her Sabacc, and Padmé spent her time entertaining little Anakin, Sabé was forced to fend for herself in the cabin. It got so bad that she even found herself envying Eirtaé's activities. Eirtaé had taken over meal preparation from one of Panaka's Lieutenants, much to the relief of everyone on board. Sabé usually shied away from any such domestic activities, but by the middle of their second day in hyperspace, she would have welcomed them with open arms.
Truthfully, however, it was Padmé she most envied. She knew that Padmé had forged a strong connection with the small boy from Tatooine, and that the two were now very close friends. Sabé wasn't sure that she would have been so close to the boy, but he was just a year older than Richard, and his bright, open, honest personality reminded Sabé greatly of her brother. She found that being around him helped to ease the longing pain in her heart, if only for a little while. It did nothing to ease the worry, but it was some comfort. These encounters, however, were few and far between, and Anakin seemed shy and awkward at being around a queen. When they were in the same room, he barely spoke, and if he did it was very quietly to Padmé or Jar Jar.
The Gungan could have perhaps been another means of distraction, even despite his sometimes annoying and over-enthusiastic mannerisms. Sabé did not think Jar Jar suffered from the same inhibitions as Anakin, but she was reluctant to interact with him, for reasons that had little to do with the less desirable aspects of his personality. The fact remained that the history between the Naboo and the Gungans was a long and complicated one, and the relations between the two races had long been strained. It had long been Leiandra's desire to break the ice and begin to change this trend, but it was one of many dreams that she would never be able to fulfill, thanks to a faceless, cowardly assassin.
Padmé had spent some more time discussing Jar Jar with the handmaidens, relaying stories about him during her time on Tatooine. Some of the stories made them laugh, but Padmé's general outlook on the situation was most serious, and lent itself to a great deal of thought. All of Leiandra's children had wholeheartedly supported her view on the Gungan situation, and Padmé was quick to make her point clear.
"I'm learning something important from Jar Jar," she said the first night after they'd turned out the lights and were drifting asleep. "He has… color, and personality. I think I realize now more than I did before that our neighbors are as varied and diverse a people as we ourselves. I don't understand why we are so wary of them."
"Perhaps," agreed Padmé, "but many people also are disdainful of the Gungans for not adopting the pacifist stance that we have. But I think it is foolish for us to be so stubborn about pacifism that it turns us into effectual xenophobes- and with a species native to our own world."
"It is worse in the cities, you know," Rabé said. She shifted in her bunk, and across the dim room, Sabé could see that she had shifted up onto her elbow in order to better speak. "In the moors we have more interaction with them, though I admit the uncertainty is still there. But we trade, and we talk. There is no element of fear, at least. When I came to the city I was surprised how many people had never even seen a Gungan, let alone talked with one. Particularly all Your Ladyships, begging your pardons."
"No, you're right, Rabé," Padmé reassured her. "We are the leaders, we should have begun to amend this situation long ago." After a pause, she added. "At any rate, when this crisis is over I intend to do something about it."
For this reason, Sabé was reluctant to seek out Jar Jar as a companion to ease her boredom. The fact remained that while she was acting on Padmé's behalf, anything she said or did would be viewed as the queen's own opinions or actions . On such an important issue as Gungan relations, Sabé did not want to meddle in any small way with what Padmé might decide to do. Although her sister had never said as much, Sabé knew that Padmé viewed Jar Jar as an opportunity- a window to perhaps begin bringing her desires about. So Sabé stayed away from him and let him be friends instead with the simple handmaiden named Padmé.
She once considered seeking out the Jedi, eager to continue the conversation she had started with Obi-Wan on the ins and outs of diplomacy. But since his master had returned the two Jedi had been keeping to themselves again. According to Eirtaé, they spent much of their time in meditation, or in lightsaber sparring, or in intense discussions.
"They're very interested in Anakin," she observed to the other girls once.
"Yes, Anakin is to go to the Jedi temple to train," Padmé spoke up. "Apparently, he has incredible talent in the Force."
Sabé was curious to see lightsaber practice, and she had an idea that the queen might have been permitted to observe, but she found herself shy about asking. It seemed as if it would have been intruding, somehow.
So Sabé spent most of the three excruciatingly long days alone in the cabin, reading bookchips or playing her datapad games. She also spent a great deal of time sleeping, telling herself that it would make the hours till they reached Coruscant seem to go by more quickly. But one could only sleep so much.
When Captain Olié announced that they would be making their approach to Coruscant within an hour, Sabé was so relieved and happy that she could have hugged Captain Panaka. She once again donned the black gown with the feather headdress, while Padmé gave her pointers on what she might expect upon their arrival, and a number of things to say or not say in the presence of possible dignitaries.
"As soon as we get settled, I'm resuming the duties of the Queen. You'll have to keep a low profile, Sabé, while we're there."
"Sabé keep a low profile?" Rabé commented wryly. "Don't make her hurt herself, Padmé."
Sabé sniffed in indignation, "For your information, Miss Voss, I have been getting a great deal of practice at it these last few days." She was not worried that 'keeping a low profile' would be as difficult on Coruscant as it had been on a very small ship. She had always been eager to see the capital. Perhaps she would be allowed to do some exploring.
"Padmé, how long do you think we'll be on Coruscant?" Eirtaé asked.
Padmé pressed her lips together. "Not long at all, I assure you." She seemed deadly confident in this assessment.
An hour later they all stood ready as the gangplank lowered with a steady hiss. Sabé followed the Jedi down to the landing platform. She was instantly aware of the brisk, chilly air, full of breezes generated not from any natural climate, but from the thousands and thousands of vessels whizzing by all around them. She fancied that the breezes smelled faintly metallic, and it was hard to not be distracted by all the new information overwhelming her senses. There will be plenty of time for observation later, she firmly reminded herself. You need to do your job first.
Waiting for them on the platform were Senator Palpatine and, to Sabé's immense satisfaction, Supreme Chancellor Valorum. For some reason, the Chancellor was taller than she'd imagined.
As the party approached Palpatine, the Senator gave a very pleased smile. "It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty. With the communications breakdown we've been very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your report on the situation." He turned to the man just behind him. "May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."
"Welcome, Your Highness," Valorum said with utmost formality. "It's an honor to finally meet you in person."
"Thank you, Supreme Chancellor."
"I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position."
That was good news, to be sure. "I'm grateful for your concern, Supreme Chancellor," she replied formally.
Palpatine indicated that she was to follow him. "There is a question of procedure," he added as they walked, "but I'm confident we can overcome it."
There was very little conversation as they flew in an air taxi to the Senator's personal apartments. Everyone quietly took in the sights and sounds of the grand city, though Jar Jar was, at least, more vocal in his exclamations than everyone else. Sabé noted out of the corner of her eye that Anakin seemed the most awed of all. He hardly blinked, and almost hurt himself trying to twist around and see everything. She vaguely wondered why he had come with them, and not the Jedi, but did not worry too long over it. She was sure that situation would sort itself out. All in all, it would be a relief just to become Sabé again, at least for a little while.
*~*~*~
It was strange, for a moment, to see Padmé become Amidala once again, which happened as soon as they reached their suite in Senator Palpatine's quarters. Sabé was happy to relinquish the disguise, and donned her plain maroon handmaiden's cloak with eager pleasure. While the other girls went off for a debriefing with the Senator, she stayed behind and got something to eat. Padmé had insisted that the half-ration pledge be put on hold for the duration of their stay on Coruscant.
"It is silly for you to uphold such a vow while we're not on Naboo," she'd said. "I'll not have my handmaidens and soldiers suffering from a lack of strength over nothing but their stubborn pride. You're going to eat, and that's an executive order." So Sabé gladly had her fill of the spread that the Senator's servants had brought up for them. As she ate, she gazed out at the ever-changing landscape just outside the window.
The silence and solitude were welcome, but did not last long. Soon enough the queen and the girls were back, bringing the bustle back in their wake.
"We have to hurry," Rabé told Sabé, beginning to pull the ropes of beads down from Amidala's headdress. Only a short while ago, she had spent a whole half-hour putting the contraption together. "Valorum's special Senate session is tonight. In just over an hour, in fact."
"That's not giving us very much time to prepare," Sabé frowned. "Don't we need time to get a grasp on the political situation?"
"The situation, as it is," Amidala voiced sternly from her seat, "is hardly just political, and I intend to remind the Senators of that fact. As I see it, deliberation is not an option."
"What did Senator Palpatine say?"
When the queen did not reply, Eirtaé spoke up. "He holds out little hope that the invasion will be acted upon. At least not in the short term."
Sabé goggled. "But why?! A blockade might have been a legal loophole, but an invasion is most certainly not. The Trade Federation has no right to do this. I don't see what there is to deliberate on in the first place."
"As you say, Handmaiden," said Amidala, in a tone that clearly meant that the discussion should stop. For the first time, Sabé noticed how tense her sister was. No doubt she needed some peace to collect her thoughts.
Eirtaé was preparing Amidala's most ornate gown and headdress, a massive brocade affair full of heavy gold thread and trimming. "Thank goodness I didn't have to wear that one," Sabé muttered when she saw the finished result. In truth, she found the gown rather hideous, but the desired effect was not meant to be beautiful. Rather it was designed to be imposing, a purpose it fulfilled marvelously. Sabé had never seen the queen look so regal. She fairly radiated controlled authority.
There was a buzz at the comm. Rabé walked over and pushed the answer key on the comm unit. "Yes?" she prompted.
"The boy is here to see Padmé," replied the guard outside the door.
"Let him in," Rabé said. Anakin Skywalker walked through the door into the foyer. "I'm sorry, Ani, but Padmé's not here right now," Rabé told him.
"Who is it?" asked the queen, stepping around the doorway.
"Anakin Skywalker, to see Padmé, Your Highness." As Rabé spoke, Sabé felt a stab of panic. With three handmaidens already in plain sight, how were they supposed to produce Padmé?
The queen did not seem concerned. "I've sent Padmé on an errand," she told the boy calmly.
But all three of us are right here where he can see us! Sabé wanted to shriek.
Anakin seemed to be feeling awkward. "I'm on my way to the Jedi Temple," he said, "to start my training, I hope. I may never see her again, so I came to say goodbye."
Amidala paused before saying, "We will tell her for you. We are sure her heart goes with you." Sabé was half-afraid, for a moment, that she was going to reveal herself, but the moment passed and the queen said nothing else.
Anakin bowed again. "Thank you, Your Highness."
When the boy had gone, Sabé gave a long, audible sigh of relief. "I guess they don't teach slaves how to properly count, do they?" she laughed. Her joke was met with silence. She looked around, surprised to find Rabé frowning and shaking her head.
When she met Amidala's gaze, the queen glared and stormed to the bedroom. Bewildered, Sabé followed her.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked curiously, closing the door behind her.
"I think the proper question here is what's wrong with you, Sabé. How could you say something so cruel?"
"It was just a joke…"
"Yes, well, please don't make jokes at Anakin's expense."
"I'm sorry then…" Sabé muttered, not sounding entirely sure of herself.
"Well, I should hope so," Padmé snapped, turning her face from the window. "It's true that Anakin probably hasn't had the galaxy's best education, but he's not stupid, Sabé. I know you consider yourself to be better than most other people, but I'd think you'd be willing to make concessions for someone who has not had your advantages in life!"
"I'm sorry, Padmé, I was just relieved that he didn't catch on to us!"
"The handmaidens are the ones who pride themselves on being so discreet and unnoticeable," Padmé retorted. "I was going to congratulate you. Did you honestly think Anakin spent all his time on board taking notes? Do you think he's some kind of Federation spy? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but he doesn't even know your or Eirtaé's name."
"Honestly, Padmé, I'm sorry," Sabé repeated, growing more and more alarmed. "I didn't mean anything by it. Force, I didn't realize you were so sensitive about him!"
"Well, I am! Maybe if you were more sensitive in general, you'd recognize it better!"
Sabé stepped back as if she'd been slapped. Padmé never shouted at her. She stared at her sister with wide, disbelieving eyes. They stood there staring for a few more moments, until a quiet knock on the door broke the stranglehold of the moment.
Expecting one of the other handmaidens, Sabé was surprised to see Panaka instead. "Your Highness," he said, "it is time to leave now. The Senate is assembling."
Amidala nodded. "Thank you, Captain." She turned and followed him. As she walked out, Sabé did not meet her eyes. When they'd gone, Sabé was once again alone in the apartment.
The echoes of her sister's sharp words reverberated in her head as clearly as when she'd first said them. The whole incident, as short as it was, was still leaving her in a state of shock, but the scathing element of Padmé's words was slowly beginning to creep into Sabé's consciousness. The pain those words rendered there was excruciating.
In all honesty, she was not as sorry about what she'd said as Padmé seemed to think she should be. She acknowledged that it was an insensitive thing to have said, but it had been a joke, for Force's sake. She had been very relieved, and her tongue had gotten the better of her.
No, what bothered her more was Padmé's attitude. Her own sister had hinted that she, Sabé, was insensitive. Padmé, who had never had a negative thing to say to her twin in her whole life. It was like waking up to find that Naboo had a fourth moon.
Distressed, Sabé blindly strode to the apartment's door, and groped to open it, then began walking down the hallway, heedless of her direction. She needed to get away. She needed air and space. Room to breathe, room to think. "I'm going for a short walk," she told the door guard, who nodded curtly as she turned away.
She'd thought she'd felt confused when she began untangling the problem with Eirtaé, but this was far worse. Had Padmé always felt this way? Was it possible that buried under her gentle sister's exterior there were things Padmé disliked about Sabé?
It was not a shock when she discovered other people disliked her. It was a common occurrence, and Sabé was just beginning to realize that perhaps the frequency of that occurrence should have signaled to her a pattern that was of her own doing.
The turbolift at the end of the corridor was empty when it opened up at her touch, and she rode silently down sixteen levels to the apartment complex's foyer, which she passed through quickly, rushing out into the street below. Easily visible to the left was the massive dome that housed the Galactic Senate, where Amidala was heading now. She would go; she would fight for her people.
Sabé swallowed and turned the other way, melting into the throng of pedestrians. But no matter how fast she walked, she could not escape her thoughts. She could never escape them, as much as she now most desperately wished to. In truth, she knew that even if Padmé had not meant to say her harsh words, in her heart she had meant them. They had the ring of truth that had pierced the core of Sabé's already tender emotions.
Aimlessly she wandered, racking her brain for examples of how insensitive she was. If Padmé said she was, then it must be true. She found herself thinking of Camille Daris, back in Naestral's Grove, and how foolishly Sabé had behaved towards her peer when she'd been there. Then she began remembering how she'd treated Camille on the occasions the younger girl had visited the palace. She'd been cold and proud, giving Camille the cold shoulder for no better reason than that Sabé saw herself above Camille. What made it worse, she suddenly realized, was that all her friends had followed her example. And Camille had not been the only such person they had shunned.
Tears began creeping into the corners of Sabé's eyes, making the gray duracrete of the sidewalk under her feet wobble in her sight. Padmé had never treated other people that way.
As Sabé reached up to brush her eyes and clear her sight, something jostled her roughly from behind. An unsavory-looking alien sidled past her, and barked something at her she didn't understand. From his bearing and expression, she decided she didn't want to know.
Looking around, she was suddenly shaken from her reverie by the revelation that she had not been paying attention to where she was going. A quick scan of the buildings yielded no sight of the Senate. She knew she could not have gone that far, but the giant spires of Coruscant eclipsed all but the smallest of horizons.
Trying to quell her rising panic, Sabé searched desperately for any familiar landmark, anything she might have subconsciously noted during her reverie. The search yielded nothing. Suddenly, every face around her seemed sinister. Every shape above her loomed larger and darker.
I'm lost on Coruscant. She was surprised at how easily such a rational thought crossed her mind, for it belied how small and scared she suddenly felt.
"You know, missy, you'll not get far if you stand there staring," a gravelly voice said from a few feet away. Sabé jumped. Standing in a nearby doorway was a huge, very fierce-looking alien. "You have the look of a frightened whisper-kit," he continued.
Sabé tilted her chin up defiantly, trying to remain calm. "I'm not lost," she declared, rather more boldly than she felt, as she sized the strange alien up. He had small eyes and a large, wide, ridged head that reminded her of a crustacean. The rest of him seemed more or less humanoid, except that he had four arms, and very large, powerful-looking hands.
The alien crossed both sets of arms over a bulbous belly. "I never suggested you were lost," he said with a smile. "If that be the case, then I guess you must have come here on purpose. I'll bet you heard of my sunburst pitte, and wanted to try some for yourself, eh?" His hearty laugh told Sabé that he was perfectly aware she was indeed lost. When he'd finished laughing, he extended one massive hand. "Why don't you come in and rest your feet, kiddo. It's a chilly day. I've got just the thing to warm you up."
Sabé took an uncertain step away from his inviting hand. She had just about made up her mind to turn around and start searching for Senator Palpatine's apartment building again,when another voice interrupted.
"Dex!" A short human woman came marching around from behind the looming alien. "How many times do I have to tell you? You can't be the door greeter, you'll frighten half the crowds away!" She put her hands on her hips, and glared up at him. She had very short, curly brown hair and a generous helping of freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. The sight of her bossy overtures to a creature three times her size was so comical that Sabé forgot her troubles for a moment and giggled.
The short woman turned her head sharply at the sound, spotting Sabé for the first time. She didn't seem very fazed. "What's this?"
"You caught me red-handed, Jenny," the person called Dex said. "I was just in the middle of frightening this poor little creature away when you so kindly interrupted." Jenny pursed her lips and emitted a disapproving harrumph. She turned to Sabé. "I suppose he told you he does all the cooking? Well, it's true, I'm afraid, but don't let that turn you off. He's really quite good at it. That's the only reason I keep him around. Now if only I could get him to stay in the kitchen, we might do okay."
"Excuse me?" Dex asked indignantly. He pointed to a blinking sign above their heads. Sabé tilted her head up to see. "Does that say 'Jenny's Diner' up there? No, it doesn't. It says Dex's Diner. If I remember correctly, missy, it was me who gave you a job."
Jenny rolled her eyes, but her amusement was highly evident. "Get back to work, you lazy piece of nerf bait." She hustled him in the door, then turned to gaze expectantly back at Sabé. "Well?" she prompted, almost impatiently, "are you coming in or what?"
Sabé moved to obey her, surprised at how easily she was capitulating. Jenny's practical, self-assured manner was calming, and the sight of the light-hearted bantering between her and Dex had mollified some of Sabé's misgivings about him.
Dex's Diner seemed to be a very busy place, and Sabé wondered why Jenny had been complaining about clientele, when it was clear that the place was receiving a booming business already. The smell of food coming from the kitchen was very strong, and even though most of the smells were alien to Sabé's nose, they were appealing nonetheless. Jenny guided her to a small booth in the very back of the diner, and left her alone for only a moment, before bringing back a hot bowl of… something. Judging by its consistency, Sabé settled that it was some kind of stew.
"Sunburst pitte," Jenny said. "Dex's specialty. Don't ask what's in it, because even I don't know. But most people seem to like it." Then she bustled off again, and Sabé sat there with her stew, watching the other customers chatter or argue. It was loud, worn-down, and crowded, but there was something about the place that was nonetheless comforting. She ate her stew in silence, pondering her current situation and what best to do about it.
A little while later, a shadow fell across her table, and she looked up to see Dex standing over her with a smile. "There now," he said kindly. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
Wondering what he was talking about, Sabé followed his gaze to her bowl, which she was surprised to find empty. "Gracious," she laughed quietly, "I didn't realize I was so hungry!"
"You've got a lot on your mind, I think," he said. "I guess this gives 'food for thought' a whole new meaning, eh?"
Sabé laughed. Then she swallowed nervously. "Could I ask you a question?" she said finally. She had decided that she could trust this gruff being. Though he was foreign to everything she knew, she liked him.
"Sure thing, little one," Dex replied. He sat down in a chair next to her table. "What seems to be the trouble?"
"I lied, you see. I am actually quite lost, and I was hoping you could maybe help me figure out how to get back where I'm supposed to be. I need to get back before my friends start worrying about me." As she spoke, she pulled out the cord from around her neck, where she kept Padmé's amulet and a small purse for money. "How much do I owe you for the…pitte?"
To her surprise, Dex didn't seem to have heard her. His fingers reached out and grasped the amulet, which he held up to peer at more closely. He seemed fascinated. Then he lowered it again, and leaned back to study her speculatively.
"It's a long way from Naboo, little one," he said quietly. "A long way."
Sabé's eyes widened, and she looked around to make sure no one had heard him. "How did you…?" She left the question open.
Dex pointed at her necklace. "That there is a karatine. Picked up a few for myself when I was in Keren many years ago."
Sabé's mouth gaped slightly. "You've been to Naboo?" she asked incredulously.
"A long time ago. Beautiful place, Naboo. Beautiful." Dex seemed thoughtful. "What I'm wondering, though, is how a pretty little thing like you could have just stepped off the ship from Naboo. We've not had much traffic from there for quite some time." He looked up and met Sabé's eyes squarely. She got the distinct impression that, despite his gruff, jovial exterior, Dex the cook knew a great deal more about the galaxy than she could ever hope to. Clearly, he suspected she was somehow connected with the blockade and the events surrounding it. She doubted he knew anything so detailed as her identity, or even how she was connected, but she was smart enough to recognize his pointed hint.
Despite her resolution to trust him, Sabé did not immediately reply. Instead, she deliberated a moment, trying to choose her words with care, so that they might confirm his suspicions without actually revealing anything overt. Tracing a finger on the rim of her bowl, she finally said, "I'm looking for an apartment complex. I understand many Senators keep their quarters there. If I can find this building, I can find my way back to my friends."
Dex leaned back and crossed his upper set of arms with a sly grin. "It just so happens," he replied casually, "that many of the Senators order take-out on a busy night. And as I've told you, that sunburst pitte is quite famous in this part of the city. I think I might be able to help you find your way. I'll have Jenny take you there."
Sabé rose from the table. "Thank you again for your help, Mister Dex. How much do I owe you?"
"On the house, lass. It was a pleasure talkin' with someone as smart and pretty as you." He winked, and to her surprise, Sabé flushed and smiled.
"If I'm ever on Coruscant again," she told him, "I'll be sure to drop by. If I can find it."
"I take it then that you don't plan on remaining here long?"
Sabé glanced out the diner's window at the milling crowd, thinking of Amidala and wondering how the Senate session was going. The queen had such faith that the Senate would put a speedy end to this crisis. Though Sabé was racked by her own personal doubts, she had to try and keep faith in her sovereign. "No," she told Dex firmly. "I don't believe I shall be here long at all."
*~*~*~
Sabé and Jenny's journey back to Senator Palpatine's apartments was preceded by the other woman strapping a blaster to her waist. She did this so nonchalantly it caused Sabé realize that she herself was probably the only person on the premises who wasn't armed.
Probably the only person on the whole planet, too, she thought wryly. Two months ago on Naboo, she'd been staunchly assured that firearms were an absolute evil in society. She still knew she didn't like them, but here on Coruscant, she was forced to confess that she felt a great deal better venturing outside accompanied by Jenny and her blaster than she would have alone. Especially since the light looked to be waning into late afternoon.
"We should walk quickly," Jenny said, taking up a brisk pace. "Sunset falls very fast here."
The walk back was shorter than she'd supposed it would be. Jenny obviously knew the most straightforward way to get there, and soon Sabé saw first the Senate building, then the apartment complex she'd left earlier.
"It was nice to meet you, Jenny," Sabé said politely when they reached the large entry doors to the foyer. "Thank you for your help."
The older woman cocked her head. "You're lucky, you know. Not everyone in this city is as helpful as Dex and me. Keep your feet next time, yes?"
At these pointed words, Sabé choked down a flash of indignation and nodded mutely.
"Come back and see us sometime," Jenny added with a friendly smile. Then she melted into the crowd.
When Sabé returned to the Queen's suite, she was relieved to find that Amidala and the others had not yet returned. With any luck, no one would ever discover her little adventure. She paced the long window of the sitting room, lost in thought, until they returned.
"What an uproar!" Eirtaé exclaimed as soon as the door had shut behind them. "I've never seen anything so exasperating."
"What happened?" Sabé asked anxiously. The tension in the three girls' stances did not bode well, and she dreaded their answer.
"A good deal," Rabé replied quietly, "but nothing useful, in my opinion. They refused to even acknowledge the existence of the invasion." She sighed, then continued, "Her Highness has called for a vote of no confidence in the Chancellor."
"Well, that's good news," Sabé nodded. "If you ask me, he does not seem to be a very effective leader."
Amidala spoke up. "It matters little," she said in a mournful voice. "There was nothing else I could do, but I know the short term effects will be insubstantial. For Naboo, I must act now."
The three handmaidens exchanged worried glances. "Handmaiden Sabé," the queen continued, "please help me change."
Sabé followed her sister to the bedroom again, and couldn't help thinking of their last conversation here, only a couple hours before. Wordlessly, she began unpinning the monstrous headdress Amidala wore, and wondered if she should speak first.
There was no need. After a few moments of tense silence, Amidala said, "Sabé, I owe you an apology. I had no right to snap at you like I did. I suppose all the strain is getting to me. But I mustn't allow it. I'm sorry."
Sabé's hands paused as she pulled a piece of the headdress away from the queen's lustrous hair. Then she said, "No. It is I who must apologize. I…" She trailed off, as a quiet sob got caught in her throat. "I'm just… sorry. I'm sorry for the way I am."
Padmé's shoulders relaxed a little, and she reached a hand back to Sabé without turning around. Sabé took her sister's hand gratefully, and rested her head on Padmé's shoulder, crying softly. After a few moments, Padmé turned around to give her a proper embrace, and Sabé cried harder.
"I'm just starting to realize how horrible I am to people," Sabé sobbed. She tried to wipe her eyes with her hands, but gave up. The torrent was released, and she was just going to have to get through it. "I'm just as snobby and selfish as everybody has always said I was. But I didn't ever really want to believe it until you said it too."
Padmé winced, and pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve. She handed it to Sabé, who accepted it gratefully. "I didn't know you kept handkerchiefs in there," she said in a choked voice, wiping her nose as she spoke.
Padmé shrugged. "I put them in there to remind me of Claria. She never goes anywhere without handkerchiefs. Sabé, I'm sorry my words were so hurtful."
"But you meant them?"
Padmé paused a long time before finally nodding. "Yes, but I should have found a more gentle way of telling you."
"Why did you never say anything before, though?"
"I never thought it was my place. Mama always did a good job of helping you in that area, and so does Father. I'm your sister, not your parent."
Sabé sniffed and wiped her nose again. "Well, I don't take the lesson of humility very well from anyone, I'm afraid. But I love you more than anyone else, Padmé. You're my twin; we share something nobody else can. You don't need to be afraid to be honest with me."
Padmé nodded slowly. "Very well, provided you'll be honest about what you think of me as well?"
Sabé gave a weak smile. "Agreed."
"Now help me out of this wretched robe."
Sabé hesitated. "Your Highness, if I may ask…what will you do now?"
The queen frowned. "I have a choice to make. An unprecedented choice. If I allow the Republic bureaucracy to handle our crisis, I'm afraid there will be very little of Naboo to return home to."
Sabé was quiet for a very long time as she undid the buttons on the back of the gown. Finally she said, very quietly, "You want to fight." It was not a question.
"Anakin told me he had a dream of me leading an army into battle," Padmé said thoughtfully. Her voice was odd, as if her thoughts were very far away. "I told him I did not believe in war, but this did not seem to affect his surety. I have never wanted to fight, Sabé, and I never will. But now I realize that Naboo's choice is fight or die."
"And so the Great Peace ends," Sabé murmured. "As do all good things. Naboo must trust that this will also bring an end to our oppression." The air seemed heavy with these words, and the queen said nothing. For three hundred years the Naberrie dynasty had reigned in peace on their green world. Being the one to end it was breaking Amidala's heart. Sabé placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Anakin must be an extraordinary boy."
The queen nodded, then asked, "Where's Jar Jar?"
Sabé shrugged. "I don't know. Did he go with the Jedi?"
"No, he was given some rooms here. Find out where he is and invite him to come sit with me. I'm sure he's feeling even more disoriented than we are right now."
"As you wish, Your Highness."
*~*~*~*
"Senator Palpatine did not seem pleased."
Sabé looked up from the wardrobe, where she'd been re-packing the queen's things and wondering how Saché had managed to fit everything inside the first time. Eirtaé had just come in the room. "I'm sorry?" Sabé asked.
Eirtaé pushed back the dark cowl of her handmaiden's cloak. "The Senator. When Her Majesty told him we were returning to Naboo he was not pleased. Neither was Panaka, I could tell. Though he did not say as much."
Sabé shrugged, and wound a scarf carefully around an ornamental pin to protect it. "Why would he be? It's not exactly the most sensible course of action."
"I know. And I can't help having my own personal doubts."
Sabé glanced over at her. "Whatever your doubts, we must rely on the queen's judgment."
Eirtaé nodded. "Of course," she replied, but her heavy sigh told Sabé that her misgivings were not so easily set to rest.
"I believe Her Majesty feels that this action on her part is the only fair thing for our people. Ultimately it is she who is responsible for them. Not the Senate, not Palpatine, not anyone else. She has esteemed the Republic inept to handle this crisis."
"And having been with her at the Senate session," Eirtaé said quietly, "I fear that I must agree. But it is hard. I do not envy her choices."
"Nor do I."
The girls continued working in silence until the queen arrived with Rabé. "Sabé, I will not require your services as decoy during the journey home. I have some decisions to make and orders to give which I believe I must give in person." Amidala said briskly as she entered.
"As you wish, Your Highness."
"Are we ready to leave?"
"Nearly," said Eirtaé. "Your Highness only needs decide what to wear for travel."
When the queen had finished dressing, the Senator's servants came to take her baggage to the ship, and Amidala and the handmaidens followed in their wake. Soon they were joined by Captain Panaka and the Royal guard. The captain fell easily into step beside the queen. "I have received word, my lady, that the Jedi are to accompany us back to Naboo."
"Indeed, Captain, that is welcome news. We may benefit from their advice."
The queen did not speak again for quite some time. She seemed enveloped in deep thought. When at last she spoke, they were on board the shuttle and already halfway to the landing platform. "Captain Panaka," she said suddenly.
The captain turned his head slightly in the queen's direction, but kept his eyes scanning the viewports all around him. "Yes, Your Highness?"
"What is your opinion on the Gungan situation?"
This random question certainly grabbed the Captain's attention. He actually paused in his ongoing tactical analysis of the shuttle to look directly at the queen in surprise. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness?"
The queen merely raised both her chin and her eyebrows pointedly in his direction.
It gave Sabé a small measure of glee to see her bossy captain suddenly so discomfited. He cocked his head in puzzlement, and glanced around the shuttle once more, as if confirming that he was in fact expected to answer such an ill-timed question when he was on full alert guard detail. "I'm not sure what you mean by the Gungan situation, Your Highness."
Amidala gave the smallest of sighs. Sabé doubted anyone had heard it but she and Rabé. "Jar Jar Binks believes that the reason the Naboo and the Gungans do not get along is because of their opposing positions on the issue of warfare. In other words, we resent the Gungans' more aggressive nature because of our own pacifist views."
Sabé highly doubted that Jar Jar had conveyed this sentiment to the queen in such elegant terms, but it was nonetheless something she had never before considered. Could it be true?
Panaka still seemed uncomfortable, which perhaps accounted for the slow precision of his reply. "I know little of the Gungan culture, my lady, but they've never seemed threatening to me. And there are many things I've learned about them that I greatly admire. I am, however, a poor person to ask such a question. Although I am Naboo, I have never considered myself a pacifist."
The queen nodded thoughtfully. "Do you feel that the Naboo take their pacifist pride too strictly?"
"It is never wrong to be proud of peace, my lady." He hesitated. "But I think some of the Naboo would do well to remember that the peace we have enjoyed for so long was not without its price. A price, I might add, that they had no part in paying. Peace and freedom are never free. That is one thing I believe."
"Thank you for your honesty, Captain."
Panaka nodded, obviously relieved, and resumed his observations. Sabé was left to ponder the exchange as she watched the lights outside the viewports drifting by. She had the idea that Amidala was slowly preparing the guard for the upcoming battles, whatever they might be. Panaka had been surprised at Amidala's choice of arena in questioning him, but Sabé was fairly sure the decision was deliberate. Every guard and pilot present had been listening.
And every handmaiden as well, Sabé realized, glancing at Eirtaé and wondering what she had thought of the discussion.
When they dismounted onto the landing platform, they were immediately joined by Master Qui-Gon. "Your Highness, it is our privilege to continue to serve and protect you."
"I welcome your help," Amidala told him as she walked resolutely towards the ship. "Senator Palpatine feels the Federation means to destroy me."
"I can assure you, I will not allow that to happen."
A little cocky, are we? Sabé thought with a small snort. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kenobi's head turn at the sound. She was somewhat unnerved when he did not look immediately away, and she pulled her face further into her cowl. Her usual reaction would have been to meet his gaze defiantly, but she did not forget that he already had associated her features with those of the queen.
"Wesa goin' home!" came Jar Jar's jubilant cry near the gangplank as they ascended. Sabé was happy that someone, at least, was excited about returning to besieged Naboo.
"Come on, Artoo," followed a different voice, one that almost stopped her in her tracks.
"Why is Anakin coming with us?" she whispered to Rabé.
Rabé shrugged. "Who knows? I'm guessing that it's Jedi business. Seems foolish, though, to send a small boy into certain war."
"The Council must have great faith in Master Qui-Gon."
"It still seems foolish."
Sabé nodded in assent. What purpose did it serve to send Anakin to Naboo?
All in all, Sabé was not exactly contented as the ship shuddered into hyperspace. She faced another tedious journey, this time compounded by the feelings of dreadful anticipation. She felt as if they were staring down the barrel of an armed blaster without so much as a slingshot with which to defend themselves. What would happen when they reached the planet?
All their hope rested with the girl-queen, Padmé Amidala Naberrie.
Well, at least that thought is comforting.
End Part Three
*~*~*~*~