Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas
A Shift in the Force: Chapter Eleven: Funeral Pyre for Qui-Gon
AN: Ohmigods, The Force Awakens was brilliant (but still annoying in some aspects because of Extended Universe reasons), but no spoilers! It's definitely worth it so if you haven't seen it, go check it out.
On the upside, here's another chapter of Star Wars-y goodness.
When Obi-Wan finally came out of the room that Padmé had so graciously gifted him, it was to the sound of music and laughter and dancing. He descended the stairs slowly, coming out of the palace and making his way across the streets of Theed to where all the light was coming from.
It was a bonfire he came to realize, one that was danced around by humanoid Nabooans and Gungans alike, clearly celebrating the victory over the Trade Federation.
And it was easy to spot Sabé a good bit away from the crowd. The face paint was gone and her hair was back in its multitude of braids, and she was dressed comfortably in her leather jerkin and pants. She leaned against a nearby pillar with a fond smile on her face while Arthree hooted and beeped close to her side.
"I was missing the braids," he said, coming up beside her and Sabé raised a hand to one of them with her smile still in place.
"Yes," she said with a laugh, "you know I can only take my hair being down for so long."
Obi-Wan nodded with a light chuckle. That was very true; he had known her for years and it was always evident that she hated to leave her hair hanging loose.
"How are you?" she asked him, turning her eyes on him and he could see the fire reflected in her brown eyes. "I thought it was probably best to leave on your own for a bit."
"I'll be all right," Obi-Wan assured her, though he was sure his expression was a bit sad, "thank you, though."
"Master Jinn was a great Jedi," Sabé sighed, "he will be missed."
Obi-Wan said nothing to that, opting instead to watch the dancers swaying to the music. Amidst the figures, Talik could be seen.
"I see your Padawan is having a lovely time," he commented instead.
Sabé snorted. "Twi'leks are natural dancers, it shouldn't really come as a surprise." She watched Talik grab Anakin, a grin on her lips, pulling him forward to join her. "Talik's just making what she can of the time she's got. As soon as we're back on-world again she's going straight back into class."
Most Jedi were still Initiates at Talik's age and still learning about the ways of the Force and peace-keeping, and since Talik was so young, she couldn't go on every mission with her master, especially since most of Sabé's missions had to deal with espionage.
"I'm sure she'll enjoy that," Obi-Wan replied with a bit of amusement, but Sabé frowned. "What is it?"
"Talik…finds it difficult to connect to other younglings," Sabé admitted, tapping a nail against her metallic arm. "I gather they're a bit jealous of her having a master at her age."
Sabé was familiar with jealously, being the former Padawan to the Grandmaster of the Jedi Council hadn't made her many friends. And being part of a prophecy made her even less.
"What will happen to the boy?" she asked.
"I promised my master that I would train him, and that's what I will do," Obi-Wan said with steel in his eyes.
Sabé arched an eyebrow. "Against the will of the council?"
And then she smiled when his expression did not change. "He'll be lucky to have you for a master."
Arthree gave a loud beeping whistle and Obi-Wan marveled at Sabé's ability to translate the sounds the astromech made when most needed a translator to understand those beeps.
Sabé waved her hand with a small smile present on her lips and Arthree's holographic projector activated, shaping into the form of Aayla Secura.
"Sabé, I heard you've been playing queen," Aayla said, leaning forward with an easy smile on her lips. "That must've been exciting."
Sabé laughed. "Yes, exciting, nothing like being shot at by more droids than you can count."
Aayla chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. "At least you're out doing something. I'm still teaching younglings how to not put their eyes out with their 'sabers!"
Sabé's lips curled in amusement. "An honorable duty, I'm sure."
"Laugh it up, Amidala! Just you wait until I get my hands on you…right after Obi-Wan."
Obi-Wan, who was out of the frame of being seen by Aayla started in surprise and Sabé arched an eyebrow.
"I wasn't aware that you had developed feelings for Obi-Wan," she said blandly and Obi-Wan flushed at the insinuation.
"Like that could happen," Aayla scoffed, "you tell him his ass is mine as soon as he's back on-world, will you?"
"Will do."
"Try not to crash on your way back."
"Will do."
"You just want me to stop talking, don't you?" Aayla asked wryly.
"I would never!"
"Some friend you are," the Twi'lek grumbled under her breath. "See you back at the Jedi Temple, all right?"
"I'll be there," Sabé promised, and the hologram faded.
"So," Obi-Wan said carefully, "whatever did I do to incur Aayla Secura's wrath?"
The question surprised Sabé, whose eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, nothing, she's just going to force you to learn Soresu if it kills her. She thinks your talent is being wasted on any other style."
Obi-Wan couldn't help but stare. Aayla Secura was a well-known practitioner of the Soresu fighting style, and had pressured him before, but Obi-Wan had not been so quick to abandon his Ataru fighting style. But, that was the same style that failed to save Qui-Gon.
"I'm not sure I'd be very good at Soresu," Obi-Wan admitted.
Sabé chuckled, glancing towards her friend with eyes that glittered with humor. "I don't think she's going to let you get out of it."
Obi-Wan gave an exasperated sigh. "Relentless, that friend of yours."
"It's what she does best," Sabé agreed fondly, her eyes watching Padmé as she moved through the people. She was dressed simply, attending the celebration not as Naboo's queen, but as one of its citizens.
"You can go out there and join her."
"I really couldn't," Sabé muttered. "I would have been content, you know, if I had never met my family."
"I know," Obi-Wan said. And he did. Meeting her family on her mission when she was younger had done little to change her views concerning the Jedi. They had been unorthodox before she had met them, and they had been unorthodox after.
"I do wonder about the Jedi Order's view on attachment, though," Sabé said, tugging on one of her braids with a thoughtful expression. "Surely there must be Jedi who had found solace in the attachments they held and didn't find themselves turning to the Dark Side when they suffered the loss of the ones they'd been attached to?"
"Maybe they kept it to themselves," Obi-Wan suggested, "I've never read of anything like that in the archives."
"Neither have I," Sabé lamented. "Maybe that'll be a project of mine…maintaining attachments and not turning to the Dark Side. Of course, the whole idea that attachment is unbelievably ironic, since Padawans and Masters have bonded attachments to each other…the first Jedi were probably just trying to make our lives difficult…" She grumbled mutinously to herself.
Obi-Wan shook his head in fond amusement; Sabé could always be found questioning several Jedi principals if given enough time.
"It's probably best I stay back here," Sabé said once she'd finished her rant. "Sola's in there and I can feel her anger from here. I think her dislike of me has grown."
Sola could barely stand to be in the same room as Sabé when she had been guarding her father, and when she had, her glares had been venomous and her words were spat like poison. She had never quite forgiven her for choosing the Jedi over her own family.
"I know something that might take your mind off your sister," Obi-Wan's voice broke through her haze and Sabé looked up in surprise.
"What?"
He leaned forward with a conspirator-like air. "Dancing."
She gaped at him and her heart skipped a beat. "Obi-Wan, you know how terrible I am at dancing!" she blurted, her cheeks flushing at the mere memory of the last time she had attempted it.
In fact, she had nearly caused an international incident when she'd been on assignment. Frankly it was a bit of a miracle that no one had died, and Sabé chalked that up to her ability to Force-suggest.
"When are you going to find another atmosphere like this one?" Obi-Wan coaxed. "No one will know how bad you are at dancing."
But Sabé remained dubious.
Obi-Wan took a few steps forward before offering her his hand. "Come on, I'll dance with you."
Sabé chewed on the edge of her lip, forcing the jitters in her stomach away as she smiled at him, sliding her metallic palm against his, grasping his hand.
"All right," she said, before warning, "If I make a fool of myself, though, I will be blaming you, Kenobi, no questions asked."
And he gave her a lighthearted laugh in return.
"You cannot stop me," a voice snarled, "no more than you can stop yourself!"
Sabé was beginning to hate the nightmares that plagued her mind intermittently since the day she had lost her arm, which may have been the source of the problem.
Sabé's face was the one she saw under the black hood, eyes yellowed like the Sith from her youth had been. She was older, and her eyes were colder.
"The Jedi will be no more!"
And then the crimson lightsaber went right through Sabé's stomach and she awoke with a start, jolting from the pain of it.
But Sabé was not wounded, a fact that her mind grappled with momentarily before she realized just where she was.
She was in the room that Padmé had given her and Talik, and Talik was still asleep in the bed across from Sabé's, her chest rising and falling as she slept on, undisturbed.
A soft sigh left Sabé's lips at that and she relaxed against her pillow, rubbing at her eyes with a hand of flesh. But she didn't go back to sleep, perhaps it was that she couldn't, so Sabé pulled herself upright, grabbing her clothes and making for the refresher.
She leaned against the wall as the water flowed over her, soaking through her braids and warming her skin from the cold that the dream had brought on.
The image of herself taking her own life…it gave her a chilly feeling, but most of her dreams concerning her double gave her that same feeling.
Cold…like the Dark Side.
Sabé shivered at the thought, turning off the water, toweling herself dry and dressing in her usual garb. Her fingers roved over the metallic plating of her artificial arm before she pulled the black glove over it, having forgone it previously. With the glove she could almost imagine that she still had an arm, but Sabé had long since grown used to its lack.
She swept her cloak up over her shoulders and pressed the button that opened the door. Arthree's domed head twisted towards her, making a soft inquiring beep, and Sabé considered him briefly before giving a sigh.
"All right," she muttered, stepping aside and the R3 unit gave a cheerful beep that caused Talik to stir in her sleep and Sabé pressed a finger to her lips, hissing at the astromech to be quiet, glancing to where her Padawan was sleeping, maintaining her silence to see if the Twi'lek would awaken. But after a moment Talik simply rolled over, fast asleep.
Arthree rolled out of the room after Sabé and the door slid shut.
The palace was silent, but that was to be expected, given how early it was; Sabé could just see a hint of the sun breaking across the horizon.
"Knight Amidala?"
Sabé turned to see Captain Panaka striding towards her, a bit of a bemused expression on his face.
"Captain," she said simply, inclining her head. "I assume most of the palace is still asleep?"
"You'd be correct," the captain said before prompting, "Couldn't sleep?"
"I have far too much on my mind," Sabé diverted.
"Perhaps you'd want a status update?"
She gave a small gesture with her hand, joining him at a leisure walk down the vacant hall.
"The ship bearing the new Chancellor and members of your Jedi Order are due to arrive at midday…for Master Jinn's funeral."
Generally Jedi remains were sealed within the Jedi Temple, if they could be recovered, and in whatever state they were recovered in. A good portion of the Jedi remains were ash, though, so it had been decided that there would be a funeral pyre for Qui-Gon Jinn.
Of the masters that were flying out with the newly elected Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, there were: Masters Yoda, Windu, Koth, Piell, Mundi, and Billaba. Yoda, she was certain, would be speaking to Obi-Wan soon after they landed.
"And the repairs on the cargo ship you arrived in are almost complete."
Sabé's eyebrows rose high on her forehead at that; she hadn't been expecting them to repair the ship that the Trade Federation had shot down with her and Talik still inside.
"You fixed it?" she asked, unable to help the surprise in her voice.
"The queen commanded it," Captain Panaka said with a touch of amusement. "As an apology for being the reason you were shot down in the first place."
A fond smile brushed across Sabé's lips at that. It was a kindness she hadn't anticipated, but it was appreciated all the same.
"Give her my thanks," Sabé said before giving him a sheepish smile. "The ship was a loan from a friend of mine and he would not have been pleased for me to return it as scrap metal."
Silon was a sleazy businessman who dealt mostly with the black market on Coruscant, how a Jedi Knight and a swindler ever came to become friends was an odd story indeed, one that involved a virbro-wrench, some caf, a bit of Force-persuasion, and a Nautolan that had some rather appalling balance.
She dropped him hints about others finding his operation and he, in turn, offered her favors. Though, as it was, Sabé had seen him less and less since she'd become the master to Talik.
Still, he would be pleased to get his cargo ship back.
The captain frowned at her. "I assume you weren't too terribly injured during the battle?"
"Not too terrible," Sabé assured him, her eyes crinkling in the corners.
It was true that her chest was still a little sore from several blaster bolts to the chest –which would have killed her probably if she hadn't been wearing blast-dampening material– but for the most part, Sabé had healed from the ordeal.
"I was actually looking for a peaceful place to meditate," she admitted, tugging on one of her braids.
"The palace gardens are very peaceful," Captain Panaka said before giving a soft chuckle. "Usually that's where the queen goes."
To hide went unspoken, but Sabé heard it all the same.
"And where is the garden?" she asked only to be directed through a high-arching hallway, coming to a stop swiftly on the edge of the grass.
This will do nicely, Sabé thought as she looked upon it. The water was pooling gently in the carved fountain and there were stone benches strewn around the flourishing blossoms.
Sabé sat down on one bench, crossing her legs and clearing her mind.
The Republic's aircraft whipped the air around them as it landed. Talik and Anakin draw their arms up to shield their eyes from where they stood at Sabé and Obi-Wan's respective sides, but the older Jedi merely squinted their eyes as the aircraft swiveled until it could set down, the ramp extending.
"Now, Viceroy," Padmé said, dressed in a somber black garb to honor those of her people who lost their lives in the attacks on Naboo, "you're going to have to go back to the Senate and explain all this."
"I think you can kiss your Trade franchise goodbye," Captain Panaka agreed by her side, moving forward to lead them, in cuffs, to the cruiser, and the Jedi (with Anakin tagging alone, close to Obi-Wan's side as if to attach to the one who knew Qui-Gon Jinn the best) joined them, only to bow politely to the Chancellor knew he stepped into their path.
For what it was worth, Sabé honestly preferred the former Chancellor to the current one, but politics was an area that had never been her strongest suit.
Chancellor Palpatine was smiling broadly but there had always been something about him that made Sabé ill at ease.
"We are indebted to you for your bravery, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sabé Amidala, and Talik Shala," he said, the very image of a former-senator grateful for their efforts to keep his planet safe.
Talik seemed surprised that he would know her name, seeing as she was only a Padawan.
"And you, young Skywalker, we will watch your career with great interest," the Chancellor said with an almost secretive smile, patting the boy's shoulder as he moved past them to greet the queen and her entourage, leaving the Jedi to bow to the members of their High Council before walking with them to the queen's side once more.
"Congratulations on your election, Chancellor," Padmé said, her eyes twinkling even if her face was hidden beneath a layer of face paint. "It is good to see you again."
Palpatine's smile widened. "It's good to be home," he said. "Your boldness has saved our people, Your Majesty, it is you who should be congratulated. Together we shall bring peace and prosperity to the Republic."
"That, too, is my hope," Padmé agreed, her lips curling upwards. "I have the utmost faith in you, Chancellor."
Night had barely fallen when Sabé found herself in a central plaza, standing close to the back of the plaza with Talik positioned on the step below the one she was standing on. Talik's hood was down, but Sabé's was up, as were most of the Jedi, including Obi-Wan, who had just that day been granted the level of Jedi Knight by the High Council.
The flames licked at Qui-Gon's corpse, consuming his body as those he helped gathered to send him off to the next plain.
He had become one with the Force, Sabé knew from her studies at the Jedi Temple. To maintain one's form after death was an impossibility.
Most of those gathered around the enflamed corpse were those who had fought beside Qui-Gon during the battle, being members of the palace guard or handmaidens to the queen, as well as Padmé herself, then there were the Jedi , the Boss Nass and Jar Jar, and the Chancellor himself.
It was a surprisingly large group, but it was to be expected, after all, Qui-Gon's efforts –alongside his other fellow Jedi– had helped limit casualties in the battle.
Anakin tugged on Obi-Wan's long sleeve of his robe, jerking the newly-named Jedi Knight's attention from the pyre to the young boy.
"What will happen to me now?" he asked him, blue eyes imploring.
"The Council has granted me permission to train you," Obi-Wan said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb anyone else focused on the ceremony. "You will be a Jedi, Anakin, I promise."
And the rest of the pyre burning was spent in silence, and once the fire had been snuffed out, they all stood to leave, and the members of the High Council gathered Qui-Gon's ashes in an urn.
"Planning on boarding the Republic cruiser?" Sabé asked conversationally at Obi-Wan's side as he tugged his new Padawan along by his side.
"Would there be any other way to return to Coruscant?" Obi-Wan replied with an arched eyebrow towards his friend.
Sabé nearly smirked. "Well, if you want to be crowded in with the High Council, senators, guards, and the Chancellor, by all means, go right on ahead."
"As opposed to the rust bucket that you arrived in?" Obi-Wan's voice was colored in amusement.
"Oi!" Sabé pinched his arm and he was quick to jerk it out of her path. "You know what that 'rust bucket' has that that Republic cruiser doesn't?"
Obi-Wan could offer her no answer to that.
"Privacy," Sabé told him with a grin. "Now imagine Talik and I on a ship by ourselves, not bothered by politicians or elders of the Order…"
Talik smothered her giggles behind her hand and Obi-Wan's shoulders sagged, but he could see her point. He'd already had to recount the events leading up to Qui-Gon's death and the Sith's death for the Jedi, the last thing he wanted to do was have to tell it to politicians.
"When are you planning to leave?" he sighed as Anakin looked on in interest.
Sabé shrugged. "After the celebration, probably once the other ship leaves." The Republic cruiser was due to leave right after the parade for Gungans and the humanoid Nabooans would be having as a way to bring themselves together officially in a peaceful manner. But Sabé didn't want to linger too much, given her relation to Padmé and her devotion to the Jedi Code (the aspects of it that she agreed with).
"It's not going to breakdown in the middle of the jump to hyperspace, is it?" Obi-Wan asked suspiciously and Sabé scowled.
"You are aware, I hope, that Talik and I arrived here just fine?" she mentioned lightly and Obi-Wan lifted his hands in surrender.
They continued down the hallway in silence until they reached Talik and Sabé's room.
"It's a pity that Sith was killed," Sabé said, in the stead of bidding the two males goodnight.
Obi-Wan eyed her strangely, balking slightly in surprise at the statement. "A pity?"
Sabé gave a morose sigh that made it difficult for him to ascertain if she was being serious. "Yeah, I wanted to know what he did with my arm." She appeared remarkably put out that he hadn't been able to question the Sith before he had ended up killing him. Then she winked at him. "Goodnight, Obi-Wan, Anakin, see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight," Anakin chirped from Obi-Wan's side.
Obi-Wan just shook his head at his fellow Jedi Knight; Sometimes Obi-Wan just didn't understand Sabé Amidala.
AN: The Anakin-Talik dynamic is something I'm looking forward to writing, because those two are going to be besties, both of them understanding the burden of being so young and already being apprenticed to the master while the other Initiates are not so lucky.
Their friendship will also give Sabe and Obi-Wan an excuse to hang out, if they ever needed an excuse *wink, wink*
Lots of Jedi missions to come. Sadly, its going to be awhile until Obi-Wan actually starts to fall a bit in love with Sabe (and poor Sabe who's head over heels and never gives any indication of that in his presence...). But there'll be some great stuff in there, I promise.
I'm not sure when the next update will be, maybe you'll get another one before the year is up, maybe not. We'll just see how long I stay obsessed with Star Wars.
I've also entered into a writing contest on inkitt for Star Wars with this fic, and if you're on there, I'd love a like to move me up on the scale!
As always, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!
