The Zabrak apprentice was apprehensive when facing his master. Darth Sidious was not one to be defied nor accepted his failures. His master tended to deal with them harshly and Darth Maul was not keen on being on the receiving end of that kind of attention. Regardless, he needed to inform his master with the truth as outright lying never boded well for him when discovered. His punishments tended to be harsher when doing so.

"I've failed you, my master," Maul said, bowing before Darth Sidious. He kept his head bowed and his eyes to the floor for good measure. There was a contemplative hum from the other man.

"What do you mean by 'failed', apprentice?" A scowl crossed his face, though it went mostly unseen by the black hood hiding his features.

Maul took a breath. "I had successfully located the Naboo cruiser and the queen, my lord. But I came across something more than just a mere Jedi. There was a…"

A what? How was he to describe the woman that held him off while the queen and her retinue escaped the harsh desert planet? He couldn't say Sith… that was utterly impossible to conceive due to the long-standing Rule of Two. She wasn't a Jedi either - not with those eyes or that Force signature.

"There was a woman. She was trained in the Dark Side, my lord. She held me at bay, using defensive measures, but never once landed an attack. She seemed to not want to attack me. She used a violet coloured lightsabre, defending a young boy and his mother as they made for the ship. She then fled with them."

The scowl deepened on Sidious' face and a low hiss erupted from his throat at the unpleasant news. What Maul was describing was a very old show of pride and challenge. It was so old as to not have been seen since the Sith were a great race… several millennia before now. Maul's tone in describing it made it seem odd to the apprentice.

"That Dark Side user was sending me a message," Sidious finally said. "She knows you're not the real threat and has started to bait me through you." He gazed down upon his still kneeling apprentice. "You're of little consequence to her. She happened to show you mercy. Too easily could she have snuffed you out if that had been her intent. Luckily for you, it wasn't."

Sidious paused and considered the next move. While he did so, he indicated for Maul to rise, which the Zabrak did, and the two came face to face. "Return to Naboo and await the Queen's return," his master said. "I have no doubt that is exactly what she will do. Before you leave, I want a full and accurate description of this Force user you encountered. While on Naboo, do not destroy it. This is not our goal. You are dismissed."

"As you wish, my master." Maul bowed deeply and turned to leave. The doors hissed closed behind him as he prepared for the next step in his mission.

Sidious sank back into the chair he was in and watched his apprentice leave and disappear after the door closed. For weeks now he had meditated on the Dark Side disturbance he felt without results. The informants he had on the inside of the Jedi Temple were of little use - there had been a plethora of rumours and talk but nothing of any value. Whatever was going on even he couldn't figure it out. This did not sit well with him.

The one thing that really had him pondering was how silent the Dark Side had been on this matter. The Force speaks to any Force user and he was attuned to the Dark Side and it spoke to him regularly. But it had nothing to say to him about this strange disturbance. It was clearly there but again, nothing, as if the Dark Side did not consider this new player of any consequence. But as he continued to think on it, a truly distasteful idea came to him. What if the Dark Side had chosen this new female? The thought was outlandish at best and it irked him. For what purpose would this woman hold?

The Dark Side was fickle. With his experience in the use of its immense powers, he had come to know the little things about how it worked and why it was that way. But even his own immense knowledge of the Dark Side was not enough to predict when his own plans were going to be interfered with. As a result, he only snarled and used the Force to ball up a nearby holo-terminal.


It was late and the cruiser was in its night cycle. The lights had been dimmed and most of the crew and passengers were tucked away in their sleeping quarters, save for those on their nightly rounds. Padme, on the other hand, was unable to sleep and was in the main room watching the holo of Sio Bibble pleading for help. Tears rolled down her face as she watched it, allowing the pleas to touch her heart. Jar and R2-D2 were in the room as well but they were both asleep.

She suddenly got the feeling that someone was watching her. Padme turned and was expecting to see the Sith woman, but she was mistaken. It was the young boy from Tatooine. Anakin was sitting on the floor in the corner and he looked to be shivering.

"Are you alright?" she asked, walking over to him.

The boy looked at her, a very morose look on his young face. "It's very cold."

Padme took off her outer jacket and slipped it around Anakin's shoulders. It was already warm from her body heat and it helped Anakin to settle and his shivering decreased. "You're from a warm planet, Ani," she said. "Too warm for my taste! Space is cold."

The boy nodded. "You seem sad." he said.

The woman bit her lip. "The Queen is worried," she said. "Her people are suffering… dying. She must convince the Senate to intervene or… I'm not sure what'll happen." Part of her wanted to let slip to the boy that she was the queen. It would be unwise for several reasons, one of them being that he was a child and the information could slip accidentally and it could open the door to a slew of problems. That and she possibly wouldn't hear the end of it from the Sith woman.

"I'm… I don't know what's going to happen to me," Anakin said with a slight tremble. "I don't know if I'll ever see you again." He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it over to the girl. "I made this for you, so you'd remember me. I carved it out of a japor snippet. It'll bring you good fortune."

Anakin had originally carved the pendant for his mother but when he first came onto the ship, the young handmaiden was the first one to befriend him. Since they've been in space, he spent a lot of time with the girl and he was ecstatic that she would laugh at all his jokes and smile when he spoke. To her, he was a funny little boy and their friendship meant a lot to each of them. She had the suspicion that the young boy had a crush on her. Padme inspected the wood carving and smiled appreciatively.

"It's beautiful," she told him, "but I don't need this to remember you by. A lot of things are going to change when we make it to the capital, Ani, but my caring for you will always remain."

As their conversation continued, Nathrrya came out of the shadows and smiled, seeing the two of them together. The obvious care between them was thick enough to cut with a vibro knife. Nathrrya could tell that the two of them would be good for one another and the feelings that Anakin was emanating through the Force was enough to cling to Nathrrya. It was a familiar feeling, one she longed to have again. Her smiled turned into a frown as her memories shifted back to a time no longer hers, to the love and betrayal; she tried to concentrate on the happy moments. They were aplenty and it was those memories that kept her from losing her mind altogether.

She felt a headache coming on that she thought rather strange. Within seconds it wrapped around her skull and felt as if it was pressing against her brain and ripping it to shreds. She gasped as it caused her vision to black out and she leaned against the outer wall of the room she was standing near, placing her hands on her temples as images flashed in the darkness.

She saw an older Obi-Wan, a handsome man with a full beard who looked very dashing in his Jedi robes. She felt a tingle run along her spine as she looked at him. She was puzzled to see herself, the strange thing was it looked as if she hadn't aged at all. However, it was the black and dark charcoal grey robes her future self wore that surprised Nathrrya. For they looked almost exactly like the robes she had warn when she'd gone to Korriban. The robes also screamed Sith nobility. The high standing collar and golden highlights of her family's House seal just below and in between her breasts. She was standing beside Master Yoda and Obi-Wan. But what shocked her the most was the fully-grown Anakin Skywalker she saw standing before them.

She was watching Anakin's Knighting ceremony. It was extremely formal in nature and she couldn't understand why she was seeing this and why she was seeing it now. Just as fast as the vision came it was gone, and Nathrrya was left breathless as the dull ache and throbbing dissolved into an annoying thump at the base of her cranium. Her shoulders were also sore from the tension the vision created within her.

"Are you alright?" Nathrrya looked up to see a very concerned Padme before her. The girl found Nathrrya leaning against the inner bulkhead, her hands on her head, and seemingly in insurmountable pain. It sparked a worry in Padme to see the woman like this.

Nathrrya stood on her own and lightly shook her head, and wished she hadn't. She put a gentle smile on her lips and looked at the young monarch. "I'm fine now," she said. "Thank you. I had a rather interesting vision… I can't make out what it means."

"Was it anything bad?" Not that she wanted to know, but Padme couldn't help but find herself asking anyway. There was a little bit of curiosity and intrigue in the abilities of those who were sensitive to the Force.

As Nathrrya pondered how to communicate the answer, Padme found herself looking at the Sith woman's face. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of pale blue. She had some eyeshadow that was darker around the rims of her eyes and spread out into a lighter shade and she wore lip colour that was a warm red-orange. Padme was mature, confident and secure in herself to admit that Nathrrya had a natural beauty that didn't need to be ridiculously enhanced by thick make-up. Considering her choice of clothing, she had enough to make herself stand out but blend in when needed. Nathrrya showed a good balance between her femininity and being a tomboy.

"It wasn't anything bad," Nathrrya finally said. "Like I said, I don't know what it means." She licked her lips in thought. "No doubt the Force will tell me more when it deems necessary." Nathrrya and Padme smiled at one another before the Sith looked towards Anakin. "How's he holding up?"

Anakin seemed to be asleep when the young woman looked towards him. "He feels cold, probably because he came from a warm planet. He told me he is afraid of losing his mother, like she might return to Tatooine."

"Understandable," Nathrrya said with a gentle nod. "She's been the only constant in his life… and let's face it, he's had a life filled with uncertainties. There is a very strong attachment there that he will have to overcome if he's to become a Jedi. It won't be easy, but with the correct training, I'm sure Anakin can manage those attachments better."

The way Nathrrya spoke unnerved the young woman. Padme watched Nathrrya closely but frowned a little. "You saw something horrible, didn't you?" Padme's voice was but a whisper.

Nathrrya looked deep into Padme's eyes and bit her lip again, taking a calming breath. "I've seen what happens if Anakin can't cope. He grows to be more machine than man and goes on to terrorize the galaxy for the better part of twenty years." Padme's concerned look was warranted, and Nathrrya knew it. Both women looked towards the young boy and seemed to let out a collective sigh. "Believe me, that is one future I am going to change even if it means the end of me." The steely resolve in the Sith's words surprised the young monarch.

"You call yourself a Sith, but your actions are very much the opposite."

The other woman snickered through her nose. "Yeah… a good friend of mine said I was the most un-sithy Sith she ever knew. Coming from her I took it as a compliment." She smiled as her memories of her Twi'lek companion, Vette, flashed in her mind. All the mishap adventures they had together, the trouble they got in and out of, all of it was something that warmed Nathrrya's heart. But the reality sobered her. She looked towards Padme with a longing in her eyes. "I'm trapped out of time, your highness. I must find my way in a galaxy that isn't my own and it's not easy. I have… a connection to the Force and it's telling me to protect Anakin and help the Jedi in whatever way I can… it's guiding me and I'm going to let it."

The Queen of Naboo nodded her head, hearing what the other woman said and sensing that she was telling the truth. "You're a remarkable woman, Nathrrya. I'm pleased to have you on our side and I'm honoured to know you."

The Force user smiled, touched by the younger woman's words. "Thank you. And so are you, Padme. And now, I think it's high time we get to our beds for some much-needed beauty sleep… though you need it more than I do."

"And why do you say that?"

"Sweetheart, I've had a three and a half thousand year nap. I have lost time to make up for." Nathrrya said with dry humour as she guided the monarch back to her bed chambers within the ship. Both giggled at the concept and Padme thought about the stories she could tell the handmaidens.

Anakin had been awake for some of their conversation. He smiled knowing that Padme was okay and drifted off back to sleep.


Padme palmed the door control to her room then turned to the Sith woman "Nathrrya I've been wanting to ask you, what is your accent? I don't think I've ever heard anything quite like it before."

The older woman looked surprised. "It's an Imperial Highborn accent; I don't think it had a proper name."

The young monarch looked thoughtful "You're of noble birth?"

"In a manner of speaking. As far as the Sith Empire was concerned, I was." Nathrrya admitted "My mother came from a very old and well respected Sith family, she had a similar accent to mine. My father on the other hand came from an equally old and respected Jedi family. Both had force affinity but were never trained. Then I came along and got the Force in full measure."

Padme blinked "What?"

Nathrrya grinned. "You heard me. I'm mixed linage, Sith and Jedi both."

"How is that even possible?"

The Sith chuckled "I hope I don't have to explain that to you, Your Highness."

Padme blushed "Oh! No... I didn't mean..." she stammered.

"It's alright." Nathrrya said placing a reassuring hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "It's a reason why I keep my heritage secret. It takes a lot of explaining. But I trust you with this." She paused thinking "I'm just thankful that my parents loved each other and that I wasn't the result of some sick Sith experiment."

Padme felt humbled to be considered worthy of such information but it was the older woman's last statement that made her feel ill. "Experiment?" she asked, uncertain.

Nathrrya grimaced "Yes, the Sith had a fascination for bloodlines and the better your bloodline the better your standing within the Empire. I feared that I was a product of Sith seduction or something equally as unpleasant. Thank the Living Force that wasn't the case."

Padme nodded slowly "I think I understand. Goodnight Nathrrya. You've given me much to think about."


Nathrrya felt the more she worked to bring order to the strangeness of the galaxy she found herself in, the more she seemed to be banging her head against some unseen wall. She'd been through similar arguments before with the Jedi master and everything was beginning to sound like a broken holo recording.

"Bringing Jar Jar to Tatooine was a better idea than letting Anakin walk off the ship with us," she mumbled, trying her best not to slam her head into the inner hull of the ship. Even more, she tried hard not to slam Qui-Gon's head into it.

"I really see no harm in it," the Jedi Master said stoically. Then he frowned. "Must you fight everything I say?"

"Spast yes!" she yelled. "How the kriffing hell is that a good idea?"

"We'll only be meeting the Grand Chancellor and Senator Palpatine." He couldn't fathom why Nathrrya was getting so agitated.

A very unladylike snarl came from Nathrrya's nostrils as she turned towards Obi-Wan. He seemed to be the only one who had any sense in the duo. "Does your master continuously put innocent people in danger like this? How are you still alive?" Nathrrya's tirade continued, sparing the padawan the indignity of having to answer. "I'm going to remind you both: There is a rampaging Sith Lord loose in the galaxy, and it's not me…" - both Jedi were surprised as how easily Nathrrya admitted to calling herself Sith - "... and having Anakin on the landing platform is just begging for disaster to strike us from everywhere. Sidious should have his eyes open for someone like him, and we don't know who he is or where he is, or even if he has any spies out there as his eyes and ears. We know he has an apprentice, and that's bad enough. He's bound to have a network - no self-respecting idiot of a Sith Lord wouldn't."

She had to stop herself long enough to breathe. She rushed the words out of her mouth and she was getting louder with each sentence. She was starting to gain attention from the rest of the ship passengers and crew. She ran her hands over her face and calmed herself. "Look, this mess with Naboo seems to be going nowhere fast. As such, I can only guess that Sidious has influence on or in the senate… he may even be a puppet master to a senator - I don't know. But all I know is that senators talk, just like everyone else, and talk spreads. The only way three people can keep a secret is if two of them are dead. Catch me?"

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan glanced at one another. There was no arguing with her against this. It seemed to be the running theme of their little group. The Jedi Master looked at her and nodded. "I see. What do you suggest we do?"

"Anakin and Shmi stay on the ship until after we meet the Chancellor and Senator," she said. "Then when the coast is clear we take them to the Temple. The fewer people who see them the better it will be. Sidious may even have eyes and ears within the Temple as well. I'm not taking any chances with them."

"You think the Jedi have been infiltrated?" Obi-Wan asked. He was clearly concerned considering what had been going on during his earlier years within the Temple before becoming a padawan.

"It wouldn't surprise me," she said. "I knew another Sith woman who had been sent to the apparently secret Jedi Temple on Tython and she was there for a year and a half." Nathrrya had never been able to figure out how Tara had gone undetected on Tython, given how prone she was to fits of anger and violence though younger Sith had seemed calmer and more focused. "It's really not that hard to achieve and that's what breaks my heart sometimes about you Jedi. Your Council should be aware of it."

"Tython?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

Nathrrya stared at the young man for a few moments. "Living Force, don't tell me the Jedi have lost their ancestral home... again."

"Ancestral home?" Qui-Gon queried

Nathrrya groaned as she rubbed her forehead. "Yes, Tython is the ancestral home of both the Jedi and Sith orders though most Sith consider that to be Korriban but the fact remains what eventually would lead to the Sith order started on Tython lead by a Jedi Master named Rajivari."

Qui-Gon had raised his eyebrows truly surprised though by this point perhaps he shouldn't have been. "For someone trained primarily to fight you seem to possess much historical knowledge."

Nathrrya grinned "Yes I get that reaction a lot to be honest. People assume that because I'm trained as a warrior that I'm your stereotypical dumb brute. I wouldn't have survived the Great Galactic War if I were."

"I see. It seems that you have seen things like this before." Qui-Gon observed.

Nathrrya could only nod. "Yes." There was no way she was going to dig up the past any more than she had. Just thinking about that whole thing brought her pain and discomfort she didn't want to deal with right then. Between Quinn and Tara and everyone else, it wasn't an option when she had a boy and his mother to watch over.


Nathrrya knocked on the door to the queen's room. She could have used the buzzer but it was satisfying doing something as simple as a knock in a galaxy filled with technology.

"Who is it?" Padme's voice came from the other side.

"Nathrrya." The Sith replied

A few moments later the door slid open and she was beckoned inside by one of the Queen's handmaidens.

The older woman eyed the scene before her; not at all amused for the queen nor her decoy who was getting ready to leave the ship once they landed on Coruscant. "Your Highness, I have to say I'm disappointed in you. You used your decoy to good effect on Naboo yet when we land on Coruscant you're just going to walk off the ship as if it's the most natural thing in the galaxy. Doesn't that strike you as even being remotely dangerous considering the situation?"

Padme was about to reply when she stopped to think about what Nathrrya had said. She looked first to Sabe then to Rabe and finally to Eirtae all three of her handmaidens shared a similar grim expression as their monarch as all four young women had come to the realisation of what Nathrrya was trying to convey.

"You're saying that I'm in danger from this other Sith Lord?" the queen asked.

"Potentially. It would be prudent to protect yourself until you're somewhere on Coruscant where you feel safe." Nathrrya replied. Good, Padme's finally realising just how dangerous this could be, she thought.

Padme sighed looking at Sabe a little regretfully. "Looks like we'll be swapping places again Sabe."

Her decoy and friend simply shrugged. "Part of the job, Your Highness."


The Royal Cruiser was making its final descent towards Coruscant. Nathrrya, Obi-Wan and Anakin were on the flight deck while Qui-Gon was notifying the Jedi Temple about their imminent arrival. Anakin was up in the co-pilot's chair while the co-pilot stood nearby and was talking to the pilot of the ship. Obi-Wan and Nathrrya were more towards the back but they had a good view of the planet through the viewport.

Glancing to his left, he noticed the frown that was settling on Nathrrya's face and it was growing deeper the closer they came to the planet. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"Look at Coruscant through the Force and tell me what you see." Her whispered reply had a sharp edge to it. The Padawan did so, opening his eyes to the Force and that's when he felt a chill run through him. The entire planet was emitting an eerie red glow and it was completely bathed in it. He turned to the Sith wordlessly with a concerned look on his face.

"To do something like that would have taken Sidious years to achieve. Enveloping an entire planet of Coruscant's magnitude takes time and it makes sense now why the Jedi are having so many problems. They're being poisoned by the Dark Side and some are being corrupted and they may not even know it." She was barely speaking above a whisper but there was no mistaking the gravity in her tone. It was unmistakable.

"We will have to warn the Council of this," Obi-Wan stated.

The Sith only nodded in response.


Anakin looked out of the viewport at the approaching city planet, completely unaware of the conversation that had just taken place behind him. The royal cruiser descended through the atmosphere towards the senate building.

"Coruscant… the capital of the Republic. The entire planet is one big city." The pilot, Ric Olie, looked over at Anakin's huge eyes.

"Wow! It's so huge!"

Nathrrya smiled and moved from her location next to Obi-Wan and stood just behind the boy's chair. She admired the boy's enthusiasm. "Look over there, Ani," she said, pointing to the building of interest. "That's the Jedi Temple."

"Look at all those spires! Is that where you're staying, Nathrrya?"

The Sith wasn't sure how to answer. "Probably, it's not like I could find and claim my cousin's apartment even if still exists. Coruscant has changed so much since my time."

"Then I have some good news for you," Qui-Gon said, entering the flight deck. "I've just spoken to the Council and they have arranged quarters for you, Anakin and his mother. You'll all be staying in the guest wing of the Temple." Nathrrya raised an eyebrow at the man. "To many you're still a mystery that needs solving, most think you're an Old Republic Jedi. That view isn't shared by Master Yoda or Mace Windu. They don't know what you are but doubt you're a Jedi."

The woman nodded slowly. "I see. I didn't think I'd managed to fool the entire Jedi Council. There might be hope for your order yet."


Supreme Chancellor Valorum, along with several Senatorial Guards and Senator Palpatine all stood on the landing platform high above street level of the galactic capital. They watched as the sleek Nubian cruiser landed. Once the ship had been secured and the engine cut, the ramp was lowered. The three Force users were the first to descend; Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan and Nathrrya, who was once again wearing Jedi robes with the hood up. The Grand Chancellor smiled seeing the older Jedi Master.

"Ah, Master Qui-Gon, it's good to see you back safely. I had feared the worst when we heard your ship had been destroyed." He eyed the third Jedi curiously. "And who is this? I understood only you and your padawan were sent."

"A last-minute addition to the mission," Qui-Gon stated, beckoning the woman forward. "Allow me to introduce Nathrrya." She removed her hood and revealed her face for the first time.

Senator Palpatine didn't react outwardly but inside he was seething with hatred. The dark sider that his apprentice had mentioned was standing before him, wearing Jedi robes no less. What was her game? Her angle? Perhaps he could turn her to his cause. One look at the woman's pale blue eyes let him know that she would not be swayed from her chosen path, whatever it may be. What really confounded him about this woman was why she was with the Jedi and he wondered if the Jedi knew she was a Dark Side user. He would have to consider this more thoroughly when he got the chance.

The Force stirred around her as she lowered her hood. Briefly she returned the Senator's searching gaze and smirked when he looked away. There was something off about the man that irked her. Nathrrya knew she would have to keep her eye on him. If the red glow of the planet was anything to go by and the obscurity of the older senator of Naboo, then perhaps she was closer to Sidious than she thought. Perhaps this Senator Palpatine could lead her to him.

She turned her attention to the Chancellor when Qui-Gon introduced her and she bowed respectfully. "It's an honour to meet you, Supreme Chancellor."

"The honour is mine, Nathrrya," Valorum replied as he caught sight of Queen Amidala and some of her retinue descending the ramp from the ship. The last to come was Captain Panaka who kept a very close eye on Jar Jar Binks.

Palpatine stepped forward and bowed to his queen. "It's a great gift to see you alive, your Majesty. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum."

"Welcome, your Highness," the Chancellor said. "It's an honour to finally meet you in person. I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the situation. I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position."

"I am grateful for your concern, Chancellor," Queen Amidala said as she allowed her senator to lead her and her crew towards a waiting air speeder.

"There is a question of procedure, but I feel confident we can overcome it…" Palpatine remarked.

The three Jedi remained on the landing platform with the Supreme Chancellor as they watched the Naboo party leave for the senate building. Qui-Gon then turned to the Supreme Chancellor.

" I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately, your Honour," he said. "The situation has become much more complicated."

Nathrrya snorted. "It honestly became more complicated the moment I stepped into the Council chambers."

The Jedi Master smiled. "Then it has become even more complicated."

"Yes," she agreed. "And while you deal with the council I'll see to our guests." The Sith turned and headed back into the cruiser to retrieve Anakin and his mother now that the political talk was done with.

"Is it really that bad?" Valorum asked, watching Nathrrya disappear into the ship.

"It has the potential to be very disastrous," the Jedi Master explained. "But with Nathrrya's help we may be able to contain the worst of it." At least, that's what he hoped.


Senator Palpatine paced back and forth before the Queen and her party. "The Republic is not what is once was," he said. "The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates who are only out for themselves and their home systems. There is no interest in the common good… no civility, only politics. It's quite disgusting. And I must be frank with you, Your Majesty, there is little chance the Senate will act on the invasion."

"Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope," the decoy queen replied.

"If I may say so, your Majesty, but the Chancellor has little real power. He's mired down by baseless accusations of corruption. A manufactured scandal surrounds him. The bureaucrats are in charge now."

The woman let out a sigh. "What options do we have?"

Palpatine looked thoughtful. "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 call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum." Palpatine then explained his plan for gaining control of the senate to the young monarch, whom he thought he could easily manipulate.

Sabe, the decoy queen, frowned. "He's been our strongest supporter," she argued. "Isn't there any other way?" She didn't like what the Naboo senator was suggesting and she knew that Padme would be wary of his motives considering what he had just said about the Senate. She also wondered what Nathrrya would say to this, since the woman was very outspoken. No doubt it would be direct, to the point and perhaps very unflattering, to Palpatine.

While aboard the ship, Padme had told Sabe about her encounters with the Sith woman and it had left Sabe with a very different impression of her. Sabe found herself wishing that Nathrrya was there, as she felt she could use the woman's wisdom and council. Even though she and Padme had extensive political training they both knew they lacked experience. But Sabe knew there was more going on than what the Sith and Jedi wanted to admit. She was certain Nathrrya had other matters to deal with.

Palpatine still had the thoughtful look about his face as he considered his options. "The only other choice we have is to submit a plea to the courts…" he suggested hesitantly.

Sabe shook her head. "There's no time for that. The courts take even longer to decide things than the Senate. Our people are dying, Senator… more and more each day. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation."

The senator sighed. He knew that what he was about to say the queen would not like at all. "To be realistic, your Highness, I'd say we're going to have to accept Federation control for the time being."

Sabe narrowed her eyes at the senator. "That is something I cannot do."