Chapter Seven : Metropolis

A/N : Thanks again for the reviews! It sure is motivating to know some people like what I'm doing with this :-) . It looks like the story is going to round out to about 14-15 chapters, but the chapters are getting increasingly difficult to write because I've been trying to cram so much stuff into them. Also, school starts up again in a week or two, so that will probably slow my updates down a lot. Still, no worries about finishing. I have a pretty solid handle on where the story is going and how it will end. (Of course the fact that it isn't all that AU helps with that, doesn't it?). Keep reading and reviewing. Cheers!

Coruscant

42 BBY

The master and his padawan burst into the training area, greeted by a chorus of goading young voices. Thirty or so younglings stood there in a loose, noisy circle. But at the two Jedi's approach the children scattered, and they could see the two in the middle.

The girl was clearly getting the best of her larger opponent. She sat on his chest, pummeling him with her fists. The boy's nose dribbled blood as he tried to fend off the blows with an inarticulate howl. She jumped off him, gasping for breath. A transparisteel display case on the far wall exploded, and the room itself seemed to flex outward. The other children screamed and backed into the opposite corners.

"Sabe!"

Qui-Gon rarely raised his voice, but when a certain edge came to his tone, people dared not ignore it. The girl stiffened, and the air seemed to clear again. Before her, the boy trembled.

"What is going on here?" Qui-Gon demanded.

The boy scrambled to his feet, moving away from the red-haired demon. "She just went crazy, Master Jinn!"

Obi-Wan gave him a skeptical look, and Sabe glared at him. He shrank behind some older children.

Qui-Gon rounded on the girl. "Sabe, why have you done this?"

She refused to meet his eyes, her hands clenching the material of her cloak as she continued to try and catch her breath.

"Sabe?"

She mumbled something, and Qui-Gon leaned down to catch it. "He stole my staff."

"What?"

"He took my staff," she repeated, her eyes flashing. "And knocked me down. He said I was no better than a Sith."

Then her voice dropped and her eyes filled though she raised her chin a fraction higher. "He said I was no better than a Sith, but that even the Sith didn't want me because I was only Coruscanti street trash."

Qui-Gon turned to the boy, who said nothing, and cowered even more. "Help these children pick up this mess," he said to Sabe. "And then return to our quarters at once."

She made no reply, but shuffled to the wall and began picking up the shards of transparisteel from the floor. The other children seemed tongue-tied by what they had witnessed and helped her with no protest at all. They cut her a wide berth as they worked.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan supervised the cleanup, and then sent the children on their way, ensuring that Sabe and the boy left through opposite doors. When they had set the room to order, they left, walking in the direction of Qui-Gon's chamber.

They were halfway there when Obi-Wan spoke up hesitantly. "That was Glaive, master."

"Yes," Qui-Gon said.

"The boy is a notorious bully."

"I am aware of it," Qui-Gon replied grimly.

"It's only that…" Obi-Wan looked sidelong at Qui-Gon's stony face and continued. "Well, if I may say so, to see the tables turned for once..."

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon's tone was chiding, but his look at Obi-Wan was affectionate. "Children are often cruel, but never as cruel as adults. A Jedi's strength is too great to lose control every time he is treated unjustly."

Obi-Wan frowned and made no reply, and Qui-Gon did not pursue the conversation any further. He had finally made the decision he would present to the Council the following day.

Coruscant Orbit

32 BBY

18:45 CT

At last...

Sabe pressed cold fingers to the transparisteel cabin window in the Queen's Quarters as Rabe struggled to arrange her hair in a style that would keep it out of sight beneath the hood of the black traveling gown. She had only ventured a few times to Coruscant with Padme on political assignments. And though the stark metallic spectacle of the city-planet had its own kind of beauty, she had never grown accustomed to this descent.

Her eyes were glued to the window as they made their final approach. Necklaces of light criss-crossed the gentle curve of the planet's surface in complex and shifting patterns. The atmosphere above was alive with traffic, the ships appearing like luminescent swarms of insets from this distance. Coruscant's pollution was legendary, and as they descended through the border between vacuum and sickly yellow smog, Sabe felt as if she were being sucked in by more than just gravity.

Their return trip had proven to be uneventful, which seemed like a relief to everyone. Just as Obi-Wan had predicted, the boy Anakin had accompanied them. Padme told them he was to be trained as a Jedi Knight. Sabe had found herself fascinated by him, watching him carefully whenever he visited their quarters. He was a bright and lively little boy, about ten years old, and he seemed to have decided that Padme was a kind of Goddess. But he had long moments of pensiveness, too. Padme said he had a left a mother behind in Tatooine, a mother he was very close to.

Shortly after they'd taken off, they'd been briefed by the Jedi. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan had been as cryptic as ever, telling them only that the mysterious assailant in the desert was apparently after the Queen. Sabe wondered what it was they suspected, and why they neglected to mention that the creature was strong in the Force. Her perceptions right before the attack disturbed her already troubled mind even further, and despite her dislike for the planet, she found herself very glad to have reached Coruscant.

Soon she could pick out the circular landing platform that was their destination. She recognized the tall figure of Senator Palpatine and voiced a small groan. Feeling Padme behind her, she decided to try her luck one more time. "Are you sure you don't want to play this time around? The Senator knows you well. He may catch us."

Padme laughed. "Nice try. Even if he did you know very well we can trust him to keep it to himself. Really, Sabe, just because you don't like him…"

Sabe frowned. It wasn't exactly that she didn't like him. Maybe his fussy city ways, his immaculate coiffure, and his elegant clothing and mannerisms were just too much for her. Or maybe it was that his devotion to Padme always seemed just a shade over the top, the habits of a man who saw not the Queen herself, but where a strong alliance with the Queen could get him. But he was a politician after all, and that was how skilled politicians got things accomplished.

Sabe resigned herself to being nice to him, and then worried her lower lip as she picked out the high dome of the Senate building in the distance. "Will they listen, Padme?"

Padme's eyes were dark with weariness. She hadn't had much sleep. She had watched that cursed transmission from Naboo almost every twenty minutes for the last three days, and each time the shadows in her eyes seemed to increase. "The senators are public servants just like I am. It will be very difficult for the Trade Federation to frame their actions in a sympathetic light."

The ship made a final turn and came to rest on the platform, and Sabe and the others descended the ramp as soon as it rested on the ground. The imposing Senate guard stood before them in their black-feathered regalia. At the end of the lane they formed stood Senator Palpatine and Supreme Chancellor Valorum.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan led them, bowing deeply before the Chancellor. They parted respectfully to allow Sabe through.

Senator Palpatine clasped Sabe's hand in his as she approached. His skin was clammy, she noticed with distaste. "It's a great gift to see you alive, your majesty. With the commications breakdown we've been very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your report on the situation."

He turned and inclined his head deferentially to his companion. "May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."

Sabe studied the taller man carefully. She had only seen holovids of him before this moment, and they did not do him justice. He had a close-cropped head of iron colored hair above a high, intelligent brow. His face was chiseled and handsome in spite of his age, but appeared careworn with lines of fatigue beneath kind grey eyes. It was difficult to believe that this was the man indirectly responsible for all of Naboo's suffering. "Welcome, your highness," he said, his accent cultured. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person."

Sabe's instincts made her like the man immediately, but Padme had instructed her to remain cold. "Thank you, Supreme Chancellor," she said haughtily.

"I must relate to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation," He continued. "I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position."

"We are grateful for your concern," Sabe said, and deliberately showed the man her back as she walked with Senator Palpatine to the Chancellor's shuttle.

"There is a question of procedure, but I'm confident we can overcome it," Senator Palpatine was saying.

Sabe wondered what questions of the procedure there could be. An invasion was an invasion. This did not bode well. She sought Padme out, and found her lingering behind the others, beckoning to Anakin. Beyond her, Sabe caught one final view of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan speaking with the Chancellor. I suppose this will be the last time I ever see them, she thought. The realization should have brought her relief, but she found that it wasn't what she felt at all.

"The Republic is not what it once was."

Sabe was fidgeting again, her eyes directed out the window toward the senate rotunda, just visible over three blocks of towering buildings. She stopped her nervous hands forcibly. Luckily her large sleeves hid her anxiety from Senator Palpatine's eyes. The man's attention was directed elsewhere anyway.

"There is no interest in the common good…no civility, only politics," He turned toward where Padme now sat in the Queen's place bedecked in a dove-colored kimono, her hair encased in a dramatic fan of gold and lace. "I must be frank, your Majesty. There is little chance the Senate will act on the invasion."

A heartbeat of a pause was the only hint at Amidala's despair. "Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope."

Palpatine began pacing slowly again. "If I may say so, your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real power…he is mired down by baseless accusations of corruption. The bureaucrats are in charge now."

Amidala lowered her eyes. "What options have we?"

Palpatine took a deep breath. "Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor. One who will take control of the bureaucrats, enforce the laws, and give us justice. You could…" He directed a searching look at Amidala. "Call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."

Sabe thought of the Chancellor's kindly grey eyes as Amidala inhaled sharply."But he's been our strongest supporter."

"Our only other choice would be to submit a plea to the courts."

Amidala's voice was irritated even behind the mask of the court accent. "The courts take even longer to decide things than the senate. Our people are dying, Senator. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation."

Palpatine sighed. "To be realistic, your Highness, I'd say we're going to have to accept Federation control for the time being."

Amidala shook her head. "That is something I cannot do."

It took time to get Padme ready for her senate appearance, because she had brought the most elaborate gown in her possession for it. It had no less than three layers of velvet, ornage silk, and thick adroit. Her hair was smoothed over two arching molds and hung with heavy gold ornaments, and the medal of the royal sovereign of Naboo was hung just over her forehead. "I'll be surprised if they even hear your speech from inside this getup," Eirtae muttered.

Sabe grinned at Padme and helped her pull on the final robe. She stepped back, looking her over. The youth and delicacy of her face was not any more hidden beneath this costume than any other. But her form was all symmetry and power. She seemed several feet taller, and suffused with a light that seemed to fill the room. For perhaps the first time, even Eirtae was rendered speechless. "You look…" Sabe began.

"Ridiculous," Padme finished for her.

Sabe smiled. "I was going to say tall."

Padme moved to the mirror with a little difficulty and looked into it. "Well," she sighed. "I don't want them to see a little girl from Naboo. I want them to be a little disturbed. A little intimidated."

Suddenly her shoulders slumped. "This isn't me at all."

"No," Sabe said. "It's Queen Amidala."

Padme pursed her painted lips and nodded slowly.

There was a knock at the outside door. They heard Rabe answer it, and then a young boy's voice.

"Anakin," Padme mouthed to Sabe in panic. Eirtae took the opportunity to step quickly in front of Sabe.

"I'm sorry, Anakin, but Padme isn't here right now," Rabe's voice sounded perfectly undisturbed from the other room, if a little higher than normal.

A muscle in Padme's face worked. "Who is it?" She called, and walked to the doorway.

Rabe bowed. "Anakin Skywalker, your highness. He is here to see Padme."

"I've sent Padme on an errand."

Sabe winced at her chilly tone. Was she practicing her intimidation on the boy?

"It's just…" the boy looked at his toes. "I'm going to the Temple to be trained as a Jedi. Hopefully. I may never see her again, and I wanted to tell her goodbye."

If Anakin had been better trained, he might have detected the wistfulness in Padme's face and her voice. Knowing her well, Sabe detected it at once. "We will tell her for you. We are sure her heart goes with you."

Sabe ached for the child as she listened to Rabe escorting him out. But she also directed curious eyes at Padme as she turned back to the mirror. The Queen had never become so quickly and firmly attached to anyone else before.

Given the pressure she had been under for the past few days, Padme had encouraged Sabe to take the night off and had taken Rabe and Eirtae with her to the Senate hearing. But sitting alone in their quarters, Sabe felt she couldn't stand the quiet. For a while she walked around their complex, watching dignitaries of all species and language coming and going. 500 Republica had often taken the breath of even the most worldly of the Galaxy's elite. The most exclusive residential building in the city, it served primarily senators, and was held as an example of the highest luxury. Sabe walked distractedly across soft Rotokellian rugs and floors set with precious stones from all over the Republic. She passed the wealthiest and most powerful people in the Galaxy. She went to the roof and watched the most technologically advanced ships in the known universe landing.

But finally she allowed her feet to take her where they truly wanted to go, and soon enough she found herself in the public galleys of the Senate Rotunda.

A politician had once called the public galleys of the republic the "largest sarlaak pit in the republic", and it might have been an apt name. Since the founding of the Republic it had always been a firm tradition for the public to be permitted to attend any open session. But it wasn't just concerned citizens that crowded the overhang circling the vast senate rotunda. Lobbyists, journalists, and public relations officers usually outnumbered the merely curious. And if one were especially careful and especially observant, one could observe more insidious practices going on. Money changed hands, alliances were made and broken, betrayals were arranged. Once, all this had occurred only in the darkest corners of the senate building. Now, it was less difficult to eavesdrop on the dirty business of politics.

Sabe pushed her way through the crowd to the railing of the balcony overlooking the rotunda. The session had already begun. In the enormous space, she saw the raised platform where the Chancellor presided with his the Vice Chairman and his two closest advisors. Nearly opposite her, almost a quarter mile away, she picked out the small golden and crimson figure of Amidala. She could barely distinguish Senator Palpatine beside her, and she could not see Rabe or Eirtae at all.

Though the meeting had been called to order, the conversation continued in the galleys undeterred. No demonstrations were officially allowed, and Sabe saw a number of attendees firmly escorted away by the Senate guards for carrying signs supporting or decrying the actions of the Trade Federation. The activity lessened only slightly when the Chancellor began speaking.

"The chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo."

The Naboo congressional box separated from its neighbors and floated into the center of the chambers, beginning a slow rotation around the center platform. Senator Palpatine was standing.

"Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate," the Senator paused for effect. "A tragedy has occurred, which began right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation."

Another box rushed to the center of the chambers out of nowhere. With surprise, Sabe saw that it was filled with Neimoidians, led by the very same Neimoidian she'd often seen hurling threats at Queen Amidala by holograph, Lott Dodd.

"This is outrageous!" He exclaimed. "I object to the senator's statements."

"The chair does not recognize the senator from the trade federation at this time," Chancellor Valorum said firmly.

Palpatine waited until the Neimoidians' box had returned to their station before he continued. "To state our allegations, I present Queen Amidala, recently elected ruler of Naboo, to speak on our behalf."

There was a smattering of applause as Amidala stood regally. Sabe looked toward it and saw Bail Antilles, a senator from Alderaan. His box was very near to her and he caught her eye as he continued to clap, smiling and nodding in recognition.

"Honorable representatives of the Republic," Amidala began, her voice ringing through the chambers. "I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by force. Invaded…against all the laws of the Republic by the Droid Armies of the Trade…"

The Neimoidians box zoomed back to the center once again. Sabe sighed beneath her hood as she heard Lott Dod's voice pipe up again. "I object! There is no proof! This is incredible! We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth."

"Overruled," Valorum boomed.

"Your Honor, you cannot allow us to be condemned without reasonable observation!"

A third box joined them, and a creature with three stalked eyes across its brow stood. Aks Moe, the ambassador from Malastare. "The Congress of Malastare concurs with the honorable delegate from the Trade Federation. A commission must be appointed. That is the law."

"The point…" Chancellor Valorum began, but suddenly a hand on his shoulder stopped him and he conferred with his aids and Vice Chairman. Sabe leaned forward unconsciously. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Senator Palpatine also whispering in Amidala's ear, his face grim.

"The point is conceded," The Chancellor said wearily.

Sabe's jaw dropped.

"Queen Amidala, will you defer your motion to allow a commission to explore the validity of your accusations?"

Sabe felt Amidala's rage from where she sat, but knew it had nothing to do with her abilities. Surely Chancellor Valorum himself could feel it at the podium. "I will not defer. I have come before you to resolve this attack on our sovereignty now. I was not elected to watch my people suffer and die while you discuss this invasion in a committee."

The harshly spoken words were met with a murmur of surprised conversation from around Sabe.

"If this body is not capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed."

The murmur in the galleys increased in volume.

"I move for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership."

The murmur became a roar. All around the chambers and the galleys, senators, dignitaries, ambassadors, and visitors jumped from their seats, shouting in various languages. Sabe could hear both approval and anger in the tones of their voices. The vice chairman screamed for order and rapped his gavel sharply, but no one listened to him. A chant went up among the senators, which at first Sabe could not decipher. But it was soon taken up by almost everyone in the building.

"Vote now! Vote now! Vote now!"

Sabe looked around, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was not a governing body she saw, but a mindless rabble. Pushing back from the railing with disgust, she turned to leave the Galley—

--And nearly walked into Obi-Wan Kenobi.

With a little gasp she stepped back. His eyes flickered with immediate recognition, and she saw his mind begin to work as he realized that she was in exactly the wrong place at exactly the wrong time.

Sabe finally found her voice. "What are you doing here?"

Obi-Wan was slow to reply. "The council has vested interest in this proceeding. There are several of us here." He glanced to the side and Sabe followed his look to the several Jedi standing together there. Some were padawans, but she recognized a few Council members as well.

He moved nearer to her, his look intent. "A surprising move," His eyes narrowed. "By the Queen."

Sabe backed away, trying to think of some explanation, but salvage was impossible. In as dignified a manner as possible she inclined her head, slipping by him quickly and walking through the archway into the outer hall. But ever persistent, he easily matched her strides.

"You have a very distinct force presence. I could sense you in the desert immediately," He said almost casually. His eyes were like daggers.

"You must be such a credit to your Master," Sabe said nastily, sliding past a few dignitaries who were talking together quietly.

"In fact," he continued as if she were not insulting him and attempting to lose him among the crowds in the Great Hall. "I have often wondered why a girl of your abilities is not in the temple."

"I suppose I have only followed the path that the Force has laid before me," Sabe said mockingly. Then her breath caught as she realized what she had been mocking.

Obi-Wan's lips quirked. "How ironic. Those are the very words an initiate swears by when he or she enters the temple." His hand found her elbow, slowing her down for a step or two. "But of course you knew that. We have met before, have we not?"

Sabe extracted her arm from his grasp and backed away from him. "No we have not, Jedi Kenobi," she stuttered, botching his title in her acute fear. She reached for the handle of the outside door.

"Oh, I'm not a Jedi yet, only a padawan," His tone was light and unconcerned, as if he was enjoying the game. She flung open the door viciously as he continued. "So my senses are not as attuned as my master's. But I feel certain…"

His voice trailed off as the depressurized air from outside the senate building rushed in through the door, tumbling the hood from her head. Sabe stopped midstep, her hand frozen on the door handle. In the waning light of dusk her hair glowed as red as a Naboovian blood tulip. Two or three heartbeats passed before she could bear to raise her head. Slowly she turned to face Obi-Wan, unconsciously assuming the defensive stance he'd taught her once, in the training room of the Temple just blocks from where they stood.

Obi-Wan's eyes were comically wide as realization flooded over his face. "S-Sabe?"

She ran.