At the Palace

Being home was bittersweet. All of Naboo reminded Jerica of her mother. And the thought of her mother brought on a sadness, mourning. She hadn't remembered feeling this way when she was working in Theed a year ago. Back then, she was still left to wonder. She still had a hope that her mother was alive. But not anymore.

Her mother had joined the rebellion and had been a great help to them. The fear that had always lingered behind her hope had come true. Her mother had died.

She had pushed the grief aside while she was with the Rebellion. It was easy then. She kept a focus on battling the Empire and tolerating Kirn. But even then, there were hard times. When a rare sense of safety had filled a new base and for a moment there was no fear, Jerica's thoughts would turn back to her mother. Not all the questions had been answered, and it seemed they never would be.

When she was five, her mother first joined the Rebellion. Three years would go by with no word. Then on her eighth birthday, a message. The holo of her mom had brought some comfort, because she hadn't known then that this would be the last time she would hear from her.

All these years later, Jerica still had that holo-disk. It was nothing really, as far as anyone could tell. The recording was Sabe reciting Jerica's favorite story about a brave Nubian princess. Some wisdom was shared at the end of the message and of course, an I love you.

It had seemed such a small thing, and she had taken it for granted. Now she knew. These were her mother's last words to her. The fact was Sabe must have known she was not going to survive and was using Jerica's eighth birthday as an excuse to pass on her last wisdom.

Now standing on the balcony of her chamber, Jerica held the disk in her hands. If only you knew mom. I wish you were here. I need some advice, some friend I can trust.

Jerica shook her head. After all she had endured these past years, she was ashamed that they were asking her to flee. Did they think she was such a coward? That she was afraid of some regional governor? No, she would stay on Naboo until she found a way to fix all this.

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Kirn sat on the balcony of his room, twirling the handle of his lightsaber around in his hand. In his mind he was back on Corellia, he was being held under the water of his mother's fountain. Through the surface of the water, he peered up at the storm trooper. He heard his mother screaming, begging for mercy. Then suddenly, "Utapau, Tek went to Utapau."

Then he had been taken by night. The first thing his was conscious of was how much his chest hurt. How much it hurt to breath. Then he was in his mother's arms. "Thank the Force, Kirn. I thought I lost you. I . . . did lose you, but you have been returned to me."

Kirn shook his head and gazed up at the Nubian sky. No, there was too much in his past. He had ruined everything. His uncle had wanted him to follow the path of a Jedi, but he had rejected that path by what he did on Coruscant.

There was suddenly a knock at the door to his chamber. With a sigh, he rose stiffly and moved back into the room. As he crossed to the door, he force-summoned his shirt from where it was draped over a chair into his hand. Pulling the tunic over his head, he opened the door to find a young handmaiden waiting in the hall.

"An agent of the Empire had just landed in Theed," she said, hushed. "They are on their way to the palace now. The Queen sent me to warn you and Senator Jerica. She says if you plan to escape, you should do so now."

Kirn leaned against the doorframe, "What did Jerica say?"

"She wants to stay here," the handmaiden confessed. "She wants to see this agent."

"She's an idiot," Kirn said, before realizing he had spoken out loud. The handmaiden looked back at him surprised. "Um-" Kirn struggled, "She's brave, but . . . foolish."

The handmaiden didn't look convinced. Kirn waved his hand, "Don't worry, I'll get her out of here."

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Jerica had returned to her bed after the handmaiden's visit. With a disgusted sigh, she settled back against the pillows. Do they really think I'm such a coward? No, I will speak to this, "agent". I'll-

Jerica was startled by the sound of her door clicking shut. I know I closed it. She turned over to face the door, only to come face to face with a pair of blue eyes and a mess of tousled black hair.

"Kirn!" she said tersely. "You-"

The would-be jedi clamped his hand over her mouth. "Shhh!" he said. Taking a hold of one of her arms, he pulled her from the bed and shoved her into the adjacent refresher. Tossing in a pair of pants and a tunic, he said, "Get dressed."

"What do you think you're doing!" Jerica asked, hushed but angry.

"Kidnapping you. Remember, like how I kidnapped you on Coruscant." Kirn looked over his shoulder at some unseen thing in the shadows. "Come on, now, hurry up." He shut the refresher door, leaving her inside.

Then he set about his next task. He opened drawers, wardrobes and chests, throwing their contents on the floor. Jerica's things were still packed in the watertight sack. He took it and slide one of the straps over his shoulder.

"Ah," he sighed, looking over the now completely chaotic room. "A whole squad of troopers couldn't have made a bigger mess, even if they tried."

Jerica re-entered the room, dressed in the black pants and tunic. Looking about her room, she couldn't help but ask, "What have you done?"

Kirn sighed and explained patiently, "You are being kidnapped, understand? We must do everything we can to maintain that illusion."

Jerica looked back at him tersely, "I don't want to be kidnapped. I have a duty to my people, and besides, a simply call to security-"

"What? You think the Queen would stop me? She sent a messenger telling me to get you out of here." Kirn shook his head, "Force, Jerica, your damn convictions are going to get you killed. There is nothing you can do, but you'd rather martyr yourself."

Finally he looked back at her, "Do you know how you can help your people? By going back to the Rebellion, by ending this Empire!"

Jerica crossed her arms and looked away. He took it to be her way of surrendering. Crossing to the balcony, he said, "I don't know how we're going to get to the Bongo-"

"You can't," a voice said from the door way.

Jerica and Kirn looked back, only to see the handmaiden standing before them. "The center of Theed is over run with troopers. They are enforcing the curfew, and anyone found in the streets will be punished."

"So how are we going to get out of here?" Kirn asked.

An embarrassed and somewhat pitying smile crossed the handmaiden's face. In realization, a wide smile came over Jerica's stern expression. "Master Kirn," the former Senator said with amused tone, "how good are you at disguises?"

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Commander Warrick had always found the charades of planetary sovereignties to be useless gestures. There was only one true ruler in the galaxy and it was not this Queen of Naboo. Yet here she came, Queen Soyala, flanked by no less than eight handmaidens and a handful of officials.

"Commander Warrick," Queen Soyala said, her voice ringing with forced kindness. "To what do we owe this visit? It must be something of terrible importance to bring you out of your Imperial starship in the middle of the night."

Commander Warrick spoke with forced patience, "This system is harboring a rebel operative, and we suspect Jerica Darrad may have returned."

"From the grave?" The Queen asked slyly. "Commander, Lady Jerica was killed nearly a year ago. I don't know where you are getting your information-"

"Where I have gotten my information is none of your concern. I know that Senator Jerica has returned to this very palace."

The Queen shook her head, "I don't know anything about this. A woman named Kyra . . . Naberrie, an ambassador of the South regions, is staying here."

"Are you so easily fooled?" Warrick asked. "We have discovered that Jerica was not destroyed on Coruscant, and she did not report to the new order. Under the new law, she is to be returned to Coruscant for questioning. As for this rebel leader, he is to be found and dealt with."

Queen Soyala gestured airily, and decided, "You may go and see Lady Naberrie, but I am certain she is not the woman you are looking for."

"Why, your highness, I thank you for your permission," Warrick said, with bitter sarcasm. "However, I never asked for it, and I do not need it."

Queen Soyala waved her hand, and one of the handmaidens stepped forward, "Please escort Commander Warrick to the chambers of Lady Naberrie."

"That won't be necessary," Warrick said, as he lifted his hand. A squadron of troopers entered the room and stood in formed ranks. "I will conduct this search on my own accord." He turned to his men, "Sweep the palace and the grounds, find Jerica Darred and this rebel. They are to be captured alive."