The disclaimer: this is George Lucas' world and I'm just playing in it.
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Chapter 5
Once Luke recovered from his shock he managed to bow politely. Sabé looked both amused and alarmed at this gesture. "Please, follow me quickly. It is not safe to stay here, exposed, for too long." Han, who did not feel comfortable with the way the evening had progressed this far, and felt even less pleased about following a stranger into the night, pulled Threepio aside.
"Whenever we get to wherever we're going you go back and tell Lando and Chewie where we are. Got it, Goldenrod?"
"Oh, yes sir. I will be pleased to..."
"Good. Shut-up." Han hurried to keep up with the forms disappearing into the darkness of Theed. Lights glinted far off, distant beacons of the revelry continuing without them.
Leia's mind raced with the implications confronting her. How did this person know so much and yet have several pertinent facts wrong? Leia Skywalker, Leia mused. She struggled to control her feelings. The rudimentary Jedi skills Luke had been teaching seemed inadequate to this much emotional turmoil but she tried anyway.
"Here," Sabé indicated. She opened a door concealed in shadow and led everyone in to her home. The small apartment seemed comfortably furnished but no personal memorabilia lay about and no screens graced her walls. This person did not like to remind herself of the past, Leia decided. "Sit, please," Leia watched to see if her companions intended to follow this stranger's orders. Luke did nearly immediately. Han followed suit, albeit slowly. Cliaé sat apart, apparently thoroughly perplexed about the turn of events.
"I expect you have many questions," Sabé said. She had taken a seat across from Luke and removed her head covering. Her voice's low almost regal tone seemed to prompt Luke into speaking.
"We are here to find our mother," he answered simply. He did not know how to explain the convoluted machinations that had brought them to this place at this time. He did not know how to bring up the name Anakin Skywalker, although surely Sabé already knew it for she had used Skywalker as their surname.
"And your father," Sabé observed wryly without smiling. "I am an old woman," she said, though she did not look old, "And I did not think that I would ever look on Padmé's children on this world." She seemed lost in her own thoughts for several minutes. As if returning from someplace far away she continued her narrative and for once Luke, Leia, and Han did not interrupt.
"I served as your mother's decoy during her term as queen. We had known each other for many years before I eagerly seized the opportunity to assist her. She had many handmaidens but I also filled the capacity of bodyguard because I knew her so well and could look like her if the situation demanded I do so. Those were terrible times. The Trade Federation had a blockade on Naboo and your mother was in grave personal danger. Two Jedi rescued her and we went with them to Coruscant. We first went to Tatooine," she corrected, ignoring the reaction that name produced. "Master Jinn rescued a small boy, a slave named Skywalker," at this pronouncement Sabé looked at her guests. Luke's eyebrows had risen; obviously he did not know this story. She continued with thinly veiled disapproval, "Anakin and Padmé became friends, despite the difference in their ages, before he ever knew she was the Queen." Leia automatically reached for Han's hand. Sabé, who apparently noticed everything, shortened her story.
"After Master Jinn's tragic death Master Kenobi took Skywalker as his...padawan, I believe it was called. Later Skywalker and Padmé grew closer. They married here on Naboo, secretly."
Everyone ignored Artoo's insistent chirping as the story drew to a close. "I was no longer serving Padmé. When she became our senator her royal handmaidens, including myself, declined to follow her to Coruscant. Several married and settled down here. Other women served your mother during those years. My sister, Moteé, served as your mother's handmaiden on Coruscant when she was expecting you."
Tears sparkled in Leia's eyes and she bit her cheek to drive outright weeping away. Sabé continued, "After Anakin's death I believe Padmé died too. She lived only long enough to name you."
"How do you know that?" Luke spoke for the first time since Sabé had begun her tale.
"I did not know for many years. At her funeral no one, including her family, knew anything. My sister didn't know either, for sure. She came home after Padmé's death. She told me that Padmé had married your father and had been pregnant when she died."
"But you know our names," Leia stammered. She did not add there had been an error in Sabé's reasoning.
"I assume your mother had discussed baby names with your father," Sabé reproved the foolish question, somehow managing to look down on Leia despite their similar heights. "My sister confided the names Luke and Leia to me shortly before her own death," here Sabé again visibly submerged her own pain and Luke sensed that an important part of the story would not be told. "Your fame precedes you, Master Skywalker and it is not hard to deduce that you are his sister," Sabé indicated Leia. "I have no doubt you are the children of Anakin and Padmé Skywalker."
"Cliaé indicated that we may still have family living," Luke asked. Sabé smiled slightly. "You have cousins living here on Naboo. They live in the Lake country, secluded. Ryoo and Pooja Naberrie. They," she hesitated, "Will be interested in meeting their aunt's children."
"You knew Ben?" Luke asked, brought back to the mention of his old friend.
"Master Kenobi," Sabé mused to herself, lost in thoughts of long ago, her tone a reprimand of Luke's casual use of his first name. "Obi-Wan. Yes, I knew him." She did not elaborate about that specific Jedi so Luke moved on.
"Did you know any other Jedi?" he demanded.
"Not well. I did not meet any others formally. Master Yoda and Master Windu, I remember, came for Master Jinn's funeral. As for the others, it is so long ago..."
"And you knew Anakin Skywalker," Leia murmured. Sabé's eyes darkened.
"Yes. I remember him as a small boy though; curious and talented but of no concern to me. I did not know him well."
"What were you doing?" Han asked suddenly. Sabé's eyes raised in question. "You said some of...some of the Queen's handmaidens settled here instead of joining her on Coruscant. You didn't say what you were doing at that time." Luke watched as Sabé's face darkened.
"You didn't say what you have been doing all these years since, either," he added.
"You suspect me of serving Emperor Palpatine?"
"We don't suspect you of anything. That is why we ask," Luke said, trying to be reasonable.
"I had a child. I married. I lived here in Theed until the war." Sabé obviously did not like relating this history. "I mourned your mother at her funeral and long after. And then the Emperor sent his death squads here. They slaughtered all the Gungans, natives of this world. They attempted to wipe away anything we Naboo valued or took any pride in. They killed every former queen and handmaiden they could find, and their families. They killed your aunt Sola and her husband. I hid her children and anything that belonged to them with the Naboo underground. That was the last way I could help your mother. I will tell you no more."
"It's enough," Luke soothed. For now... He took his sister's hand. "Thank you, Sabé."
"A warning," Sabé said as the stunned group prepared to leave. "Things on Naboo may look peaceful...they are not. You, especially, are in danger here." Luke nodded.
"Thank you for answering our questions," he said. Artoo led them away from the dilapidated building. Cliaé walked beside Luke as Han and Leia hurried ahead, as if seeking light and warmth.
"Another reason to visit the Lake country," Cliaé observed. "Your family may be in danger there."
"I had that impression myself," Luke admitted. He said no more and Cliaé chose not press her sovereign's wishes just yet. Lando and Chewie stood on the terrace watching for their friends. Chewie roared with relief as he caught sight of the group and ran to meet them. Lando took a slower pace but his face betrayed his relief.
"Threepio told us you had been kidnapped," Lando said. "But he also said the kidnapper was just one woman so I made Chewie wait before we started disrupting the celebration too much."
"Thanks for the concern," Han glared at Threepio who, purposely or not, appeared to be hiding behind Lando.
"Oh, your highness," Threepio gushed, glimpsing Leia, "Thank the Maker you are safe. I really couldn't imagine what must have happened."
"We're fine," Leia said shortly. "Thank your queen for inviting us to the celebration, Cliaé, but we're going to head back to our ship." The handmaiden nodded and hurried into the safety of the palace. Lando looked slightly annoyed at the festivities coming to such an abrupt end but he followed his friends. Once back in the Falcon everyone sat, ruminating in the completely uncharacteristic silence.
"Now what?" Leia broke the stillness. Everyone began speaking at once in response to her question.
"I'm not going to this 'Lake country'", Han declared, halting all other discussion. No one responded so he continued, "Please, give me one reason why we ought to get ourselves shot at or worse just to see..."
"Our cousins," Leia murmured. She sat leaning her head back against the wall and hugging her knees. Han thought she looked about twelve years old and a very sad, frightened twelve years old at that. The story told to them that night seemed to have drained Leia's formidable control.
"Luke," Han appealed, "Don't you have what you came for already? You know her name, you've got the story. Why should we have to do their job for them?" Luke stood, going to looking out at the Naboo night. He leaned against the Falcon, resting one arm on his knee, in a stance that had become familiar to everyone that knew him.
"The queen only asked me to deal with the Imperials," he answered finally. "I don't see any reason why the rest of you have to stay. Just send a ship to me."
"We're not leaving you here alone," Leia declared, dropping her feet to the ground and sitting up straight, discipline reasserted. "Besides, this is my...my family too, and I have every right to meet them as much as you do."
"When do we leave?" Han asked with a sigh.