It's been two weeks, I know, I'm sorry. I've been sick. Well, better late than never, as Kazzy said. (someone else might have said it too, but I'll be darned if I remember who so we'll stick with Kazzy as a source.)
REV042175: I'm glad to hear I'm on the right track. Please let me know if I get anyone out of character. I think I'm kind of pushing things here soon. I thought the scene with Padme just seemed to fit. That whole flashback wrote itself, I just pushed the right buttons on the keyboard.
George gave me a nice setup there to work from. Luke, Padme, and Anakin all came from humble beginnings and rose, almost on their own, to a place of importance. With a story like that, it's easy to come up with little things like parrallelism.
SSG Micheal B Jackson: I had to come up with her back story to write Padme's character changes convincingly so I already had the plan. I wasn't going to post any of it, though. Whiile I was writing this story, though, things kept coming up that I knew would make more sense if you knew where Padme was coming from. So the flashbacks started. Now this whole thing has a life of it's own. Did I mention that this storty started out as like three chapters? I'm sure I said that somewhere...
The reporter? Ummm... Well... Yeah, what you said, about the ambulance chasing, I mean. Yeah, that works... Okay, I'll admit it, that didn't occur to me. Thats what I have you all for, right? To catch those things? Well, todays Gold Star goes to Mike. Gold Stars to anyone who catches whatever my major mistake was in this chapter. (I don't know what it is either, but I'm sure I made one.) Oh, and don't apologise for pointing out where I messed up. That's what reviews are for. It's bad for my ego if you all just praise away. :-)
As for the "getting Naboo jump-started" direction, I haven't even started yet. Just wait until you read this chapter!
Shi-Nom: You flatter me too much. I've always liked the human reactions in strange situations. I like to write the same things I like to read.
More Han is coming, never fear (though not in this chapter) and you will see a Gungan or two (again, not in this chapter) but you'll have to be patient with me. I have a plan, there is a methode to the madness! Now if I could just figure out waht I did with it...
It was great to hear from you!
Yorke Knight: I'm glad you like my story. (I'm sorry you did not enjoy my story.) Please feel free to contact me or leave another review whenever you like. I'm always glad to hear from those who have read my work. I like to know what you think, be it positive or negative. Have a great holiday.
Kazzy: You can't take away th e chocolate, we have laws against cruel and unusual punishment. :-) Until my granmother died just before Thanksgiving I hadn't lost anyone whom I was very close too so I had no personal experience to draw from for that part (I wrote it before Grandma passed away) I'm glad to know I got the general feel correct. It's hard to lose someone you care about even if you know they will be back. For them to be gone forever, well, I suppose thats where all these wonderful stories about heaven come from.
I'm not much for writing action, myself. I lean toward the angsty bits and thats why it takes me so long to write this sort of thing. If I wasn't planning on sharing it, this would probably be all fluff. This was, originally, supposed to be about Leia and Padme, primarily. At some point Leia became a secondary character. That will change soon, though.
I can't imagine anyone building a statue of me either. Heaven knows there are enough photos of me floating around. There are even a few videos. Much to my horror, there are a thousand copies floating around of a video that features ten minues of me sitting in the stands watching my baby brother graduate from basic training.
Anyway, Leia is coming up soon, though I don't know how much reflecting time there is going to be.
Solarstorm: Nope, this isn't over yet. It was supposed to be but you know how these characters are. They're always getting into trouble... It's great to hear from you. I hope you like this chapter!
A/N Merry Christmas to all of you, I probably won't be on again until after that. (If you participate in a different celebration, insert appropriate well-wishing comment. I'm not very PC.) In the mean time, here is chapter 9. Let me know what you think, rest assured I will be back eventually!
Sorrow Multiplied
Chapter 9
"Can someone explain to me again why I have to wear this?" Leia asked from the dressing room.
"Because the people are expecting it. That gown will make a far bigger impact than anything else you could have worn."
"I'd much rather be in my senatorial robes. This just so, grandois. Plus, it itches."
Padmè laughed at her daughter. "I think it's supposed to be that way. All mine itched horribly. How does it fit?"
Leia grunted from behind the curtain. "That depends, am I supposed to be able to breath?"
"No."
"Then it's perfect." Leia said, while pushing the curtain aside. "I was planing on buying clothes today, but I wanted leasure clothes. Something casual? Not this mostrosity." The gown in question was a vibrant red with black and gold accents. The bodice was tightly fitted as were the sleeves, though the cuffs were long enough they nearly trailed the ground. Her high collar kept her from being able to turn her head far and the skirt was large enough Leia couldn't figure out how she would possibly fit in a speeder. "Well, what do you think? I've worn worse, but not since I was old enough to pick out my own clothes."
"It looks great, it's a little loose around your waist..."
"Mother!" Leia cried in protest and Padmè grinned.
"I was just kidding! Now for your hair."
Leia, who had already twisted her hair into tall, elaborate braids, took a hasy step back. "I don't think so. I like my hair attached to my head, thank you. I've seen holos of you with that mess on your head. I'll keep my braids."
"If you say so. It's probably not a bad idea anyway. I want you to stand out so you and I shouldn't look too much alike."
Padmè stepped behind the curtain and came out after only a few minutes. She wore one of the largest gowns Leia had ever seen. It was blue with silver highlights and although the bodice was closely fitted, the rest of the gown billowed around her. The enormous sleeves stood out from her body when she held her arms too close and the skirt was even bigger than Leia's with a train that trailed several feet. The collar fitted close to her neck, but was only an inch high.
Leia gasped and her mother started. "Is something wrong? I haven't got a stain already have I? The dress maker won't have another gown ready until tomarrow..."
Shakin her head, Leia responded. "No, the dress is fine. I just still can't belive that you are my mother."
"Come on, I'll need your help to do my hair. I used to take four of us, I hope you and I can manage it." Padmè led the way to a dressing table with a huge mirror. The top, which Leia could easily imagine covered in bottles and jars, held only a handful of items. There was a waist hight stand next to the bench that Padmè settled on. It held a blue and silver headdress that matched Padmè's gown.
"First, we'll have to put that on, then youll have to help me wrap my hair around it." Padmè instructed Leia, sho reached for the article.
"This is heavy! What keeps it from falling off?"
"My hair." the former queen responded with a smile.
"Ouch. I'm glad I don't have to wear one."
Padme grinned and reached for comb Leia would need now the the headress was in place. "I used to wear one every day. Sometimes I wore a wig, but not often. They don't stay on as well." Padme settled into silence, only occasionally offering advice or instruction, untill they were nearly finished. Then she asked something that had been bothering her for some time. "Leia, why did you look to me as a role model?"
"You're kidding right?" The princess asked rhetorically. "You did so many amazing things..."
"Yeah, I put a criminal into the highest office in the galaxy."
Leia started on another tiny braid. "No, you worked to weed out the parts of the government that could no longer function. A majority of votes in the senate put Palpatine into power. You did everything in your power to make sure the people who did not have a vote were still heard. Before that, you helped to bring a back water planet to peace with itself and the rest of the galaxy. You refused to let anyone control you or your people and you fought to maintain freedom both on your home world and through out the galaxy. Who wouldn't choose you as a role model?"
Padmè felt tears welling up in her eyes and blinked furiously to clear them before Leia looked up from her braiding.
"I'm proud to be your daughter, Mom." Leia said, pinning the last of the tiny braids in place.
Her mother stood and turned to wrap the princess in a hug. "I love you Leia."
"I love you too, Mom."
Breaking the hug, both women turned toward the mirror, satisfied with their appearances. Leia broke into a grin and Padmè asked her why.
"You know, I dressed up as you for a costume ball once when I was little. I wore the facepaint and everything."
"I'm surprised Bail let you."
"He didn't like it, but mother... um..."
Padmè smiled, "Her name was Sachè and I couldn't have asked for a better woman to raise you in my stead."
"Right. She made him let me. She made me this shiny gown and put my hair up in this huge wig. It was hollow on the inside, she made it that way to it would be light, I think. Anyway, I spent the whole night explaining who I was supposed to be. It was the proudest night of my life, up to that point."
The former queen wrapped one arm around her daughter's shoulders and steered her toward the doorway. "I'm glad you had Sachè there to help you, then. She was always the best with my hair. I missed her sorely when she married Bail."
"My adopted Mother was one of my real Mother's handmaidens." Leia said slowly, as if in shock. "I think I'm getting a headache."
"And you're not even wearing the headress."
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Luke waited in an outer chamber for his mother and sister. They were all in the Queen's quarters becuase it had the best entrance to the throne room. It had taken so long to get the girls' gowns made, their meeting was due to start any moment. All the local government heads were probably already waiting there for them.
It had been quite a rush, getting ready for this. As far as Luke understood, they were going for shock value. Govenor Lisk and his mother planned to jump start public interest by brining back memories of the way things used to work. That plan had spawned the need for costumes like the one he now wore. Luke tugged self consciously at the heavy robe his mother had picked out. It reminded him of the one old Ben had worn, and the resemblance made him uncomfortable. But his mother had assured him it looked very much like what every jedi she had ever known had worn and that it would fit the image they wanted to project perfectly.
Hearing a soft gigle, Luke turned toward the doorway his family had disappeared into over an hour ago. In a moment, his mother appeared. The doorway framed her perfectly and for a moment she appeared to be a life size painting. Her hair did not look as if it would fit through the doorway and he couldn't imagine how she could even move, let alone breath, but she was most definitely impressive. His mother stepped forward and Leia apeared. She was dressed in fire red and though her gown was slightly smaller, it only served to remind him how amazing she was. He was pretty sure that was the point. Her own hair was braided in a pattern he'd seen before, though it looked like it belonged above this dress.
"So, do we pass?" Leia asked him nervously.
"You both have my sympathy. That doesn't look comfortable at all." Luke said honestly. It earned him a glare from his mother and a laugh from Leia.
"I told you!" Leia said, pointing at her mother. "And why couldn't I wear something like Luke is wearing. His at least looks like he can breath."
Their mother let out a long-suffering sigh. Luke turned to his siter with a grin. "I'll gladly trade you. Mine may be more comfortable, but if you trip and fall you are the only one who looks silly. I could say the wrong thing and disgrace the entire jedi order past and present."
"Don't be so dramatic, Luke."
"I thought that's what this little trip was about? If we aren't supposed to be dramatic, can I go put my black..."
"No!" Padmè and Leia said in unison.
Luke pretended to pout, crossing his arms across his chest and bowing his head.
"Hold that pose!" his mother said, and Luke froze. She adjusted his arms so that they rested inside his sleeves and pulled his hood up over his head. "If you are going to stand like that, do it this way. Trust me, it will scare the pants off every one in there."
Luke frowned, lifting his head so he could see his mother's face. He felt like he was wearing some elses' clothes and that person was a lot bigger than he was. "I don't want to scare them."
"But I do. Besides, you should know this anyway. Who knows when it will come in handy?" Leia answered for her mother. "I think he should go out with us like that. He can put the hood down when we are all in place."
"Good plan, Leia." Padmè said and Luke nodded. As soon as she had turned toward the door, he stuck his toungue out playfully at his sister. Leia returned the gesture and Padmè called "I saw that!"
They all became serious, however, as they approached the hallway. In another four meters, they would be in view of over a hundred people. Including several newscasters who would be broadcasting this to the entire planet. Whispers of anticipation filled the room and spilled into the hallway and as Luke approached he could sense the excitement in the air. Padmè glanced back at her children.
"Ready?"
"As we'll ever be." Leia replied, smoothing her gown one last time.
As the door which Luke was pretty sure was disgused from the other side, opened, the room beyond fell silent. Anticipation and excitement turned to stunned silence as the crowd got it's first glimpse of their former ruler. When Padmè had cleared the doorway, gazes were torn between her and the woman behind her. Leia was just as impressive and looked just like Amidala had as queen. Leia stepped forward, following her mother down the aisle between the chairs and Luke stepped forward out of the shadows. To his irritation, a sprinkling of fear and uncertainty ripled through the crowd, just as Leia had predicted.
Those emotions faded, though, as his mother reached the dais and the throne. While their outfits were being made, Lisk's staff had helped them scour the room and the throne until it had reached it's former glory. But this was not meant to be functional. Instead of sitting, as every one expected, Padmè pulled a large black cloth out of the folds of her gown. It was embroidered and the edges of the thin fabric were sewn heavy with beads. It was a traditional veil of mourning.
She waited until Luke and Leia reached her and, together, the three of them spread the cloth over the golden chair. The entire room gasped, almost in unison and Padmè, stepped to the front of the dais, flanked by Luke on her left and Leia on her right. Barely moving, holding her head bowed, Padmè lowered her voice and spoke.
"The crown mourns the people of Naboo. Where death comes, we bow our heads in silent prayer for those who have passed. Let us share in a moment of silence.
Most of the assembly bowed their heads automatically, but one newscaster was either brave enough or stupid enough to speak. "I'm sorry, to interrupt Your highness, but what, exactly, are we mourning?"
Fury radiated from the former queen and the reporter swollowed nervously as she gracefully stormed through the crowd, every limb stiff with anger. "You are being insolent and disrespectful, yet I will answer you. On the twenty-third day of the eigth month twenty-four years ago this week, the people of Naboo failed to elect the person who should be wearing the title you have so erroneously applied to me." She turned a full circle, only feet from the young man who had spoken, catching the attention of every person in the room. "On that day, not a single soul even atttempted to elect a new leader to replace their slain queen. On that day, the people of Naboo gave up their rights and freedoms and so Naboo died."
Into the silence that fell, Leia spoke her lines, knowing she held her audience captive. "My name, is Leia Organa. I am here as a representative of the New Republic. I came to request that Naboo join us and help to rebuild what the Emperor tried so hard to destroy. However, as with the old Republic, a system must be able to elect it's own representative before it may join. I am sorry to have to report to high council that Naboo is not yet civilised enough to join us."
Angered by these statements, another man stood quickly and adressed them. "How dare you call us here to insult us! What about you, Jedi?" The man turned the title into an insult. "Do you have something to say about us?"
Luke lowered his hood and gave the man a wry smile. "Only that this is the only place I've ever visited that actually made me miss Tatooine."
There was a chuckle from somewhere in the crowd. Padmè returned to the dais and stood in front of her children. "Today, is a day of mourning. The people of Naboo have not only given up their rights, but they have turned everything I worked so hard to build into a mockery. You apply a foreign title to me out of what you claim is respect, then you ignore everything I stand for. I will not stand by and watch my home destroy itself."
After a final, sad, glare at the congregation, the former queen turned and bowed to the shrouded throne, then stepped toward the door she had just entered through. Leia, then Luke, followed her lead and all three of them exited the room swiftly.
When they were safely on the other side of the closed door, Leia leaned against the wall and faught not to laugh too loudly. "Well, we made an impression." She managed to gasp.
"Are you kidding? Your opening statements left three people in tears, Mom!" Luke said, turning from his sister to his mother. "Most everyone else was in shock. That reporter was ready to hit the floor and beg for forgiveness when you turned around. And Leia, when you said they weren't civilised enough to join the New Republic, I think a couple of women fainted."
Now it was Padmè's turn to giggle quietly, "Naboo was once known as the outer core. We were considered to be second only to Coruscant for refinement and elegance. That was the killing blow, I think."
They made it down the hallway and back to the main chambers. Padmè frowned and glared at the empty room. "If I sit on the floor it will take three people to get me up in this outfit. I miss my sofa."
"We could go change, but it sure seems to be a waste of a good outfit," Leia remarked.
"They are going to want to speak with us again shortly anyway. Govenor Lisk is going to try and make them argue themselves into a frenzy. With any luck they will inspire each other. I wish I knew how long it was going to take, though."
Luke snapped his fingers and raced into one of the six rooms that led off the main room. He returned with the bench from that rooms dressing table. He gathered five more identical benches and dashed out into the hall way. After a few minutes, Padmè turned to her daughter. "Where has he gone to?"
Leia shrugged, a strange looking gesture in her high collared gown. "I have no idea. I can still sense him, so he hasn't gone far, but all I get is Luke being gallant."
The mystery was solved when, several minutes later, Luke returned with one of Lisk's aids and each of them had a pile of bed pillows from the closet Telia had directed them to the night before. Luke set the benches up against the wall two deep and set pillows for arm and back rests. The aid left and Luke bowed with a flourish.
"A sofa, milady."
"Thank you Luke!" Leia said, stepping forward to kiss him on the cheek. "You're sweet no matter what the Rougues say about you." Leia and Padmè both sat on the newly formed sofa and Luke settled on some spare pillows on the floor. For comfort's sake, he shrugged out of the heavy cloak and found the tunics very comfortable without it. He relaxed slightly and in a moment asked, "So now what?"
Unable to resist teasing her brother, Leia said, "I though patience was a Jedi trait?"
"Patience doesn't have to mean in activity. Or boredom."
"Hurry up and wait. That's politics for you," his mother broke in. "I'll bet we get an update soon."
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Han Solo kicked the bulkhead hard enough to dent the metal, then stomped off to the control panel. The cheery electronic voice greeted him only to be silenced abruptly when he pulled the cable out of the speaker. He atacked the panel with a multi tool.
Unfortunately, the wiring was just as bad as he had thought and a spark jumped through the piece, shocking the smuggler. For a moment, he thanked the stars that Chewbacca wasn't here, the wookie would have berated him for hours for not checking the wires first. Then of course, he cursed the fact that his first mate wasn't here to help him so he did not have to keep dashing back and forth down the ship.
It was just his luck that the Falcon would start hiccoughing just when he needed her to hold together. Sure, the danger wasn't life threatening, but he might lose his nerve if he had to wait much longer to see Leia.
He dropped his tool kit on the floor by a new panel and started tearing it apart. Thinking about the princess, Han tried desperately to focus on his work. Within moments the lights came back on and the computer told him the hyperdrive was again functional. It wouldn't be long now.
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Telia watched the drama unfolding in the throne room with interest. She wished she had audio on her survelance systems. This was a historic moment. Telia was not born until after Queen Amidala had retired, but she had always felt strongly about the former ruler. The now former queen had been the one to inspire her to service. Of course by the time she was of an age to be of use there was no longer any government to serve.
Instead she had dedicated herself to maintaining what was left. It was not, by far, the life she had imagined, but the work was satisfying enough and at least she could feel she was accomplishing something. On her display, the queen stormed out of the room leaving speechless polititions in her wake. The room was so still Telia thought the picture had frozen, but then the heavyset man who had been speaking with Amidala earlier came forward and adressed them.
Deciding she was willing to sacrifice the view for the chance to hear what was going on, Telia slipped into the mainenance passages that ran through many of the walls. Soon, she was outside the Throne room and she could hear the arguments progressing inside. It soon became evident to the young woman that everyone was too frightened to accomplish anything. The beauracrates were afraid of change. They had been stagnating far too long and now they were not capable of moving themselves in the right direction.
Without motivation, these discussions would go nowhere. They would just loop continuously untill everyone either killed each other or passed out from exhaustion. Unfortunately, Amidala could not mediate this one. They needed her still and she could not become mired in this. But Telia knew who could. In fact, Telia knew exactly who could give this assemblage the motivation they needed.
She hurried out to the motorbay, which only contained her speeder at the moment, and raced out of town at a pace that left pedestrians running in terror.