Chapter 2 - Training is Hell
One Standard Month Later - Theed Royal Palace, Naboo
"Welcome to the Theed Royal Palace! I am Quarsh Panaka, Captain of the Queen's Guard," Captain Panaka's voice rang out to the fifty women gathered in the entry hall. "Being a handmaiden to Queen Amidala of the Naboo is a great honor and the journey to becoming one is a hard but worthwhile endeavor. If you have any delusions about the duties of a handmaiden, listen closely. Handmaidens are more than the Queen's attendants. They are her advisors and bodyguards. They are her last line of defense and are willing to sacrifice themselves for Her Highness. If any of you are not prepared to perform these duties, speak up now."
Here he paused, waiting for any of the women to speak. None did. "Very well. Each of you will go through the Handmaiden Trials, which will test your skills in endurance, unarmed combat, diplomacy, weapons, and healing. Each test will span three weeks. Twenty ladies who show themselves to be proficient in each test will become handmaidens," He gestured to the palace attendants waiting on the sidelines. "The palace attendants will show you to your rooms. Report back to the main hall at 1100 hours."
There was a bustle as the women started gathering their baggage and moving to follow the attendants. They were led to the section of the palace where they'd be staying and were placed two to a room. Luckily, Sabé and Eirtaé were roomed together.
"Well," Eirtaé sighed, sitting on the simple bedspread, "Here we are. You really think we can do this?"
"I bet we can be the best at it," Sabé affirmed. She'd never been more serious about anything. This was going to be a piece of cake.
-oOoOoOo-
Ok, this is not a piece of cake. Sabé's lungs burned as she pushed herself to keep up with the group.
"Move it, Sabé!" Captain Panaka barked out.
Damn it. She absolutely hated this part of the Handmaiden Trials. Three weeks into this portion of the Trials, Sabé was still struggling to run the two-mile sprint every day. Her right leg was stiff and aching and her old wound was sending shooting pains throughout her leg. Not that she could complain too much about her leg; she was lucky not to have lost it. The wound bothered her less when she used the Force, but she was too exhausted to muster the concentration needed to dilute the pain.
"Come on, Sabé!"
"You can do it!"
The other women cheered her on as she caught up with them.
"How are you holding up?" Eirtaé asked as she fell in along Sabé, not even breaking a sweat. "Is your leg ok?"
"No, it aches like hell," Sabé panted through the pain. "But it's manageable."
"I don't know how you do it, sister," Eirtaé shook her head. "Anyone else would be clutching their leg and rolling about on the ground, screaming from the pain."
"That's an option I can't afford to even consider, Eirtaé. You know how much becoming a handmaiden means to me."
"I know. And I know you're going to become the best handmaiden in the history of Naboo," Eirtaé affirmed.
"She's right, you know," interjected a young, confident voice. Sabé looked to her left and saw another one of the potential handmaidens. Padmé Naberrie was only fourteen, but she possessed a fiery spirit and quick wit. She had lasted longer than all the other handmaiden candidates thought she would.
"All the training in the galaxy doesn't mean anything if you don't have the motivation to do your job," Padmé nodded to one of the women at the front of the pack. "Take Beleré for instance. She has years of training in blaster weaponry and unarmed combat, but I heard her say the other day she only wants to be a handmaiden so she can live in a fancy palace, have nice clothes, and boss people around. Not to say that desiring the finer things in life is a bad thing to want," Padmé rushed to say, "But it shouldn't be the motivation for a handmaiden of the Queen of the Naboo and you shouldn't want it bad enough to trample over everyone in your way."
"Well said," Eirtaé said, clapping lightly.
Sabé could only grunt in approval as her leg gave a vicious twinge of pain. She swiped what felt like a bucket of sweat off her forehead.
Padmé and Eirtaé looked at her with concern.
"We're almost there, Sabé. Just a few more meters," Eirtaé urged.
It was more like fifty meters, but Sabé steeled herself and concentrated on the Force. She could do this. Strength flooded her and the shooting pains in her leg lessened. She quickened her pace, determined to get this stupid test over and done with. With Eirtaé and Padmé by her side, Sabé crossed the finish line and came to a halt.
Kriff! Her leg was on fire and shaking visibly. Sabé refused to give in and sit down. The other women would think her weak and pick on her, especially Beleré. Captain Panaka would definitely take notice and hold it against her during the final decision.
"Good job, ladies. You've completed the first portion of the Handmaiden Trials," Captain Panaka said, looking out at the fifty handmaiden candidates' tired faces. "Dismissed. Get some rest. We'll be starting the unarmed combat portion of the trials tomorrow."
"Oh, thank the stars," Sabé muttered, brushing her sweat-soaked hair back.
Eirtaé laughed. "What, you sure you can't go for another run?"
Sabé smiled and lightly punched her. "Shut up and help me back to our quarters."
-oOoOoOo-
"What's wrong, Sabé?" Beleré's green eyes flashed with malice as she looked down where Sabé was sprawled on the marble floor. "Having trouble walking?"
"Why, you…" Sabé spat out as she got up. The woman had tripped her as she was about to walk onto the mat!
"Sabé! Front and center," Panaka barked out.
Fuming, Sabé reluctantly turned away from Beleré and stalked onto the mat.
"Before we move on to hand-to-hand bouts, I'm going to demonstrate the leg sweep takedown again, so pay attention, ladies," Panaka instructed. "Ready, Sabé?"
Sabé nodded and braced herself as Panaka approached her. Even in slow motion, it was jarring to have her feet swept out beneath her. Her lungs emptied as Panaka flipped her hard onto her back. Sabé gasped for breath and flushed as she heard Beleré chuckle behind her. She also heard Eirtaé's and Padmé's hushed angry voices reprimanding the woman.
Panaka hefted her back onto her feet. "Now do the takedown on me, in slow motion."
Sabé repeated the movements, but she was hesitant as this was a new move she was unpracticed in. The older girls giggled as Panaka's feet didn't budge an inch.
"Again," Panaka ordered. "More confidence, Sabé. Take me down."
Sabé gritted her teeth and cleared her mind. The ache in her leg faded and she approached the task again. This time, Panaka's feet moved and Sabé was able to flip him onto the mat.
"Good," Panaka praised. He addressed the crowd of potential handmaidens. "We're going to move on to the bouts now. Try to work in the techniques I've been showing you," He raised his voice a little as Sabé tried to sidle away. "Sabé and I will go first."
Sabé sighed and turned back to face him. The man had a grudge against her. He was tougher on her than any of the other women.
"The bout continues until one person has pinned the other," Panaka instructed.
He took up a fighting pose, which Sabé mirrored. She launched at him with a punch to the face, which he blocked with ease and followed up with a jab to her stomach. She countered with a knee strike and squeaked as her feet lifted off the ground. She was flung onto her back and Panaka's arms closed around her in a tight vise.
"Ha! I knew she was a wimp," Beleré's smug voice sounded.
A burst of anger shot through Sabé and newfound strength flooded her veins. She kicked her boot into Panaka's shin as hard as she could while simultaneously jabbing a pointy elbow into his diaphragm. Panaka wheezed and loosened his grip. Sabé wriggled out of his hold and jumped to her feet. She dodged his uppercut to her chin and dazed him with a strike to his temple. Panaka yelped as his feet flew out from under him and Sabé flipped him hard onto the mat and pinned his arms and feet. She drew back her clenched fist in preparation for a punch, but Panaka conceded the bout. Sabé climbed off him and offered a hand to help him to his feet.
"Very good, Sabé," Panaka nodded, looking a little put out that he had lost. "Melladé! Cara! You're next!"
Sabé made her way off the mat as the next bout started. The women around her looked at her with wide eyes full of admiration. They'd thought that her injury would be a hindrance to her path towards becoming a handmaiden, but she'd just beaten Captain Panaka, and in record time! The bouts continued two by two with Panaka correcting the ladies' form. After the last bout, Sabé followed the ladies as they filtered out of the room, more than ready for a shower and dinner.
A foot shot out into her path and tripped her before she could avoid it and she went tumbling to the floor.
"Oh dear. Sabé fell down again," A falsely concerned voice said loudly.
Sabé growled and surged at Beleré, only to be held back by Eirtaé.
"Don't rise to the bait, sister," Eirtaé urged. "It's not worth it."
"That's right, listen to your friend," Beleré agreed. "You know you'll never be able to beat me."
"Brave words, considering you haven't faced me yet," Sabé taunted her. "As of now, I'm the only candidate who's bested Captain Panaka in a bout. And I have a distinct memory of you losing your bout with him yesterday. So by the transitive property of equality, that means I've already beaten you."
Beleré's cheeks grew red as she tried to contain her rage. "We'll be facing each other one day, and I'll make you eat your words when that day comes."
"I won't hold my breath," Sabé retorted.
Beleré huffed and stalked away. She shoved a tiny candidate out of her way, a young girl by the name of Voraté Rivan. Padmé caught her before she could fall and held onto her tightly as the tiny girl tried to launch herself at Beleré to strike back. Even from here, Sabé could see Voraté's wrath-filled gaze directed at the bully and Padmé's serene voice urging her to calm down.
Sabé fumed as she walked back to her quarters, followed closely by Eirtaé. "That two-faced troll bi- "
"Sabé! You can't use that kind of language here!" Eirtaé slammed the door behind her.
Sabé looked at Eirtaé incredulously. "WHAT! Didn't you see what Beleré did today? I think I'm entitled to call her whatever I want."
"Yes, I saw her deliberately trip you and so did Captain Panaka, both times. And I can't believe that she's brazen enough to threaten you, but there's not much you can do about it."
"What the hell!" Sabé retorted, starting to see red. "I looked like a clumsy fool because of her!"
"Take the high road," Eirtaé said. "You know she won't become a handmaiden. She just doesn't have the makings of one. She's too high-strung and arrogant."
Sabé paced as she lost control of her emotions, clenching and unclenching her fists.
"Besides," Eirtaé hurriedly continued. "I'll keep an eye on Beleré. She'll regret it if she tries to sabotage you anymore."
Sabé's fury drained away in an instant and she lay down on the bed. "Thanks, Eirtaé."
"No problem," Eirtaé looked at their timepiece on the drawers. "Come on. You'll feel better after you have a shower and some food. And who knows, maybe tomorrow you'll get a chance to put Beleré into a headlock."
"Oh joy," Sabé said deadpanned, grinning a little as she imagined it. "That won't end in disaster."
"Oh, come on," Eirtaé smirked as she hefted Sabé up. "It'll be great!"
-oOoOoOo-
Weeks later
Sabé flopped onto her bed, thinking about the most recent tests. The unarmed combat portion of the Trials had flown by, where she'd aced every test and learned far more than the academy or her mother had ever taught her. She'd gotten the chance to face Beleré and had come out on top, much to the older girl's outrage.
However, now the handmaiden candidates were being tested on their diplomatic skills, which was a subject Sabé wasn't great at. The political simulations weren't beyond Sabé's abilities, though she wasn't the best by any margin. She just didn't have the patience. Tallé Trotekar had gained the best marks, which made sense since she loved politics. Starré Mylira, who used to be a part of the Mercenary Collective, had scored higher than Sabé, though that was to be expected; she'd had far more experience in those situations. Hell, even little eleven-year-old Voraté Rivan scored better than her, and the girl had freely admitted she didn't have the patience for politics and diplomacy. Sabé didn't lose heart, though. Knowing politics perfectly wasn't the job of a handmaiden. That was the Queen's vocation.
Captain Panaka hadn't been too pleased with her latest performance though. She had completed her simulation by trading harsh words with the holographic Maldorians and threatening war. It had worked since Maldorians were known for hating confrontation, but according to Captain Panaka, that wasn't the way the Naboo maintained peace. Apparently, she should have taken the diplomatic route, trying to broker peace before subtly hinting at war.
Sabé disagreed. Conflicts should be de-escalated as quickly as possible, not drawn out to an unknown end. But no matter; this test was only one of the many which would determine whether or not she would become a handmaiden. There were only two more trials before the decisions would be made, one to test their weapons skills and one to test their healing abilities.
Sabé wasn't too worried about displaying her blaster skills. Her mother had taught her to use just about any weapon since the moment she could walk, from blasters to swords.
There came a knock on the door.
"Sabé?"
"Come in, Eirtaé!" Sabé called out, not moving from her spot on the bed.
Eirtaé bustled into the room, accompanied by Padmé and Rabé Taren.
"I hope you don't mind. I brought some company," Eirtaé looked unapologetic.
"Of course not," Sabé replied sarcastically. "Please come in, ladies."
Padmé chuckled, amused by Sabé's obvious displeasure at having guests while Rabé clucked at Sabé.
"Sabé Rhydater. What are we going to do with you?" Rabé sat down next to her and prodded at her leg.
"Stop that," Sabé halfheartedly smacked Rabé's hand away. The bed dipped as Padmé and Eirtaé sat down next to them. "My leg is fine. It's my shitty diplomatic skills I'm worried about."
"Language," Rabé chided. She rolled her eyes and laid her hand over Sabé's leg.
Sabé sighed and relaxed as Rabé's healing influence rolled over her and took away her pain. She and Eirtaé had met Rabé during the first trial of agility and endurance when the compassionate seventeen-year-old had cornered them after seeing Sabé badly limping and demanded that Sabé let her ease her pain. Rabé was a former Jedi initiate who had been kicked out of the Jedi Temple because she turned thirteen and hadn't been picked as a Padawan. She was great at channeling the Force for healing purposes and always gave sound counsel. She was guaranteed a position as a Queen's handmaiden.
"Thanks, Rabé."
"Anything for a fellow handmaiden," Rabé said.
"I'm not a handmaiden yet," Sabé frowned, staring up at the ceiling. "And at this point, I'm starting to doubt I'll make the cut."
"Don't say that!" Eirtaé's golden curls swished violently as she focused her ferocious gaze on Sabé. "You've passed all the tests thus far, even scoring the highest marks in some of them!"
"Some is the operative word here, sister," Sabé didn't want to quit, but the reality of her situation didn't escape her. "Let's be realistic. Who's going to let a woman who can barely walk without a limp be the Queen's bodyguard? What was I thinking?"
Eirtaé's retort was cut off by Padmé.
"Sabé, don't lose hope," The fourteen-year-old grasped Sabé's hand lightly, and Sabé turned to meet her gaze. "You are everything the Queen would want in a bodyguard and a friend. You are loyal, compassionate, free-spirited, and one of the most determined people I have ever met. Your will to go on each day and face the trials handed to you outweighs any physical limitation you may have. That is what makes a good handmaiden, so don't you dare give up on us."
Sabé teared up a little listening to Padmé's speech. "Thank you, Padmé. That means a lot to me," She sat up and placed her hand over Padmé's. "But I don't think Captain Panaka is going to let me become a handmaiden."
"The final decision of who gets the honor of becoming a handmaiden is given to Queen Amidala herself, not Captain Panaka."
The other women looked skeptical at this comment.
"Tshh, please," Padmé scoffed, waving her hands about. "Do you really think Queen Amidala wouldn't take interest in the women who are going to become her bodyguards… her closest friends? Not likely."
"Well, I suppose that's some comfort," Sabé hugged Padmé. "Thank you. I needed the pep talk."
She turned to Eirtaé and Rabé and included them in the hug. "Thank you for sticking with me. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with."
"Isn't that the truth," Eirtaé chuckled knowingly, gently teasing her. "But your prickly exterior is just a shield. We know you are gooey with warmth on the inside."
Sabé chuckled wetly and embraced Eirtaé, her sister in all but blood, closer.
"Come on, girls. We should get to the training hall," Padmé prodded them as she hopped off the bed. "The fourth trial is about to begin and I want to see Sabé put Beleré's scores to shame."
Sabé's eyes lit up. "You're on!"
-oOoOoOo-
2 Standard Months Later
"Congratulations! All of you have passed the Handmaiden Trials!" Captain Panaka looked down from his place at the podium at the crowd of thirty-eight women who remained after the rigorous four months of testing. "You should all be very proud of yourselves. The path to becoming a handmaiden is fraught with physical and mental trials, and all of you have surpassed my expectations. However, only twenty women will have the honor of being the Queen's handmaidens."
Down in the group of candidates, Sabé grasped Eirtaé's hand fervently with the crushing grip of a vise, which Eirtaé returned with equal force. The past fifteen weeks had been a stressful hell, but that was nothing compared to the nerve-wracking wait of learning if it had all been for naught.
"The list of candidates who will not become a handmaiden are…" As Captain Panaka read out the list, members of the Queen's Guard escorted the unlucky women out of the hall.
When the Captain read Beleré's name, the muscled young woman shrieked in disbelief and anger. "WHAT! Do you have any idea who I am? I am more worthy of being a handmaiden than any of these women! You can't just discard me like an old rag!" Two members of the Queen's Guard began to bodily drag her from the proceedings. "How dare you. Unhand me!"
Beleré's outraged shrieking and vile words faded as she was dragged away and the rest of the women rubbed their ears and sighed in relief, glad they wouldn't have to deal with the spoiled brat anymore. Captain Panaka continued reading his list. The remaining women were saddened they wouldn't be able to serve Queen Amidala, but they didn't put up a fuss about leaving and wished the other ladies well wishes.
Sabé and Eirtaé breathed easier as the last names from the reject list were called. They were going to be handmaidens!
"The tertiary handmaidens are…" Captain Panaka pulled out a new list. "Wika Merola, Melladé Kellan, Morwé Bezé, Milara Kazi, Erica Morcané, Illesa Hanan, Pané Veroza, Topora Micanan, Maxena Iloni, and Litena Zapor."
He switched over to a new list as the selected women cheered. "The secondary handmaidens are Caliwé Razen, Tallé Trotekar, Saché Reccan, Cara Jappen, Gita Hila, and… Sabé Rhydater."
The women cheered and Sabé let out a breath of mixed elation and disappointment. She was happy to be a handmaiden of course, but she'd always imagined that she and Eirtaé would end up serving the Queen together side-by-side. Her thoughts were sidetracked as Eirtaé gave her a big hug.
"The primary handmaidens to the Queen of the Naboo are…" Captain Panaka's voice rang out, cutting off the celebratory cheers. "Eirtaé Anidale, Rabé Taren, Voraté Rivan, and Starré Mylira. Welcome to the Queen's Guard. This position is not to be taken lightly," Captain Panaka was stern as he delivered the lecture over the excited murmurs. "The Queen's life rests in your hands and every action you take could mean the difference between saving her life or ending it."
Captain Panaka droned on and Sabé realized Padmé's name hadn't been called.
"Padmé!" Sabé whispered, nudging the woman. "Your name wasn't called at all. What's going on?"
"Just wait!" She replied just as softly, smiling.
"… And without further ado, please welcome your Queen," Captain Panaka gestured out into the audience. "Padmé Amidala Naberrie."
The handmaidens were too stunned to do anything but stare at Padmé as she walked up to the podium. No one had expected the young woman of being their Queen during the trials. She had done every test with them and passed with amazing marks. Sabé was kicking herself. She should have known something was off. Her mother had taught her to be aware of the Force and to trust its guidance. Though to be fair, her grasp of the Force was tenuous at best.
"Hello, my friends," Padmé's warm and powerful voice washed over them. "I know the truth of my identity is shocking, but I wanted to get to know all of you, to know your capabilities and personalities. After all, we are going to be together for four years. I'm honored to call you my friends and I hope you hold me in the same regard."
The handmaidens started clapping and cheering. Padmé dropped her regal tone, and the fun-loving woman took her place. "Now let's go get something to eat. I don't know about you ladies, but I'm starving!"
A/N: The handmaidens have been chosen! But how will Sabé become a primary handmaiden?