Chapter 6 - Invasion
Theed Royal Palace, Naboo
Padmé was livid with rage. Sabé could tell by the way her hands curled slightly around the arms of the throne. She had every right to be enraged. The Trade Federation had enacted a trade boycott on Naboo in protest of the new taxation laws and had formed a blockade of Federation ships around the planet. It was highly irregular and Padmé was not happy about it. The negotiations with the Trade Federation Viceroy were not going smoothly. The slippery, shady bugger wasn't backing down and he refused to listen to reason. Eventually, Rabé had suggested they contact the Galactic Senate and ask them to intervene. Their representative, Senator Sheev Palpatine, had gained a personal audience with the Supreme Chancellor to explain their situation. The Chancellor had promised to send ambassadors to the Trade Federation blockade to reach a settlement.
However, there was a complication. They had received word the ambassadors had arrived, but hours later the blockade hadn't been disbanded yet. The ambassadors hadn't made contact either. Sabé was barely keeping it together as they sent a transmission to the Trade Federation ship to see what was taking so long. Padmé looked resplendent in her bright red dress, edged with black trimming, and a golden headpiece. Every inch a Queen… and an intimidating one at that.
The hologram emitter lit up and Viceroy Nute Gunray's hologram sprang into being.
"Again, you come before us, Your Highness."
Padmé's voice remained cool with disdain as she replied. "You will not be pleased to hear about what I have to say, Viceroy. Your trade boycott of our planet has ended."
"I was not aware of such failure," The Neimoidian cautiously said.
"I have word the Chancellor's ambassadors are with you now, and that you've been commanded to reach settlement."
"I know nothing about these… ambassadors," The Viceroy said, his face giving away nothing. "You must be mistaken."
Liar. Sabé couldn't believe the audacity of the Viceroy. Just what was he thinking?
Padmé must have thought the same thing because her next words were laced with poison. "Beware, Viceroy. The Federation has gone too far this time."
The Viceroy was unaffected by her subtle threat. "We would never do anything without the approval of the Senate. You assume too much."
"We'll see," Padmé retorted and gestured for the transmission to be cut. The Viceroy's unseemly visage rippled away.
"Contact Senator Palpatine," Padmé commanded.
"Yes, Your Highness," The guard manning the communications module immediately sent a hail.
Padmé's advisory council muttered to themselves as they waited for the Senator to answer their hail. Palpatine popped up on the hologram emitter just minutes later. He assured the Queen and her ministers that the ambassadors had indeed arrived on the Trade Federation ship. His transmission started to cut out mid-sentence, his hologram flickering madly, before ending altogether.
"Senator Palpatine?" Padmé questioned. "What's happening?"
"Check the transmission generator," Panaka directed at a guard.
"A communications disruption can only mean one thing," Governor Bibble said grimly. "Invasion."
"The Federation would not dare go that far," Padmé reasoned.
"The Senate would revoke their trade franchise and they'd be finished," Panaka agreed. His face twitched in doubt after he spoke though. The ministers started whispering to each other.
"We must continue to rely on negotiation," Padmé said, trying to calm her advisors.
"Negotiation? We've lost all communication," Bibble replied, astounded at the Queen's serene demeanor. "And where are the Chancellor's ambassadors?"
He quieted as he caught Padmé's subtle glance telling him to calm down.
"This is a dangerous situation, Your Highness," said Panaka. "The Guard will be no match against a battle-hardened droid army."
Padmé breathed and replied. "I will not condone an action that will lead us to war."
Damn it. Sabé agreed with Panaka. The Naboo people were not warriors. They had an Air Force, but it wasn't a part of an established military. They wouldn't last a minute against a droid army. Even the Queen's Handmaidens would be no match against an onslaught of droids. They were outnumbered and outmatched.
-oOoOoOo-
"Your Highness!" A guard burst into the throne room hours later, where Padmé and the ministers were brainstorming solutions and working to restore communications to contact the Senator. "The Trade Federation is invading Theed! There's a droid army advancing on the city!"
The ministers burst into panicked conversation, trying to decide what to do.
"Silence!" Padmé commanded. The ministers quieted at her harsh words. "Go home and await my orders."
The ministers looked at her with disbelief but obeyed her command. Padmé exited the throne room, followed by Sabé, Rabé, Starré, Voraté, and the Queen's Guard. She went to a window overlooking the central street that led to the palace steps. A huge droid army was marching toward the palace.
"There's no way we can fight that," Sabé said, her mind racing as she tried and failed to think of a counterstrike that would work.
"No, we can't," Padmé said sadly. "They'll try to force me to sign a treaty and I'll have no choice but to comply to save our people."
An idea came to Sabé. "What if they tried to force me to sign the treaty? That wouldn't be legally binding, right?"
Padmé turned to Sabé, her face unreadable under the white face paint. "What are you saying?"
"I'm not the Queen, so I have no legal power," Sabé reasoned. "As your decoy, they would focus their attention on me."
"I can't let you do that, Sabé," Padmé shook her head, vehemently rejecting her proposal.
"Yes, you can, and you will," Sabé squeezed Padmé's hand and stared her down. "If there was ever a time you needed a decoy, it's now. I can do this. Please let me."
"I'm not going to be able to persuade you otherwise, am I?" Padmé said, a spark of amusement in her light brown eyes.
"No, my lady," Sabé replied. "Let's get ready. We don't have much time."
The women raced back to the Queen's quarters, followed by the Queen's Guard and Captain Panaka. The guards stationed themselves outside the room and the ladies bustled into their weapons vault. They quickly undressed and made sure they had all the necessary armor, weapons, and gear.
"Get the black mourning dress and the flame-colored handmaiden robes," Padmé directed, as she plunked Sabé down in front of the vanity and started pulling her hair into a simple up-do. "The headpiece for the dress is very simple and is unlikely to cause you problems." Sabé caught Padmé's wink in the mirror and giggled as she shifted her features to match Padmé's. Padmé finished with her hair and then quickly divested her own face of make-up and helped Sabé put the finishing touches of her face paint on.
"She looks just like you. That never fails to amaze me," Voraté whispered as she tugged black armored boots onto her dainty feet.
Padmé gripped Sabé's shoulder, and Sabé breathed in and out to calm herself. There was no time to panic.
"Help me into this costume."
The handmaidens rushed to get Sabé into the many layers of the black dress. Starré grabbed the feathered headpiece and placed it on Sabé's head. She gently brushed her hair into the scarf that firmly secured it to her head. "You're ready. How does it feel?"
Sabé twisted around a little and took a few steps around, wincing as her leg gave a slight twinge. She wrinkled her nose and gave a disgruntled snort. "I have very little mobility. These kriffing layers are weighing me down. But I can detach the skirts if needed and I can still reach my weapons, so that's something."
"Language, Sabé!" Rabé scolded her, the words muffled by cloth as she pulled her new robes on.
"It's our job to guard you," Starré said, smiling warmly. "Focus on being the Queen and let us worry about watching your back."
"Yes, ma'am," Sabé mock saluted. "How are you ladies going to hide your weapons? These handmaiden robes are more form-fitting than the usual ones."
"These robes are special," Rabé assured her. "The outer layer drapes over our backs and attaches at our wrists. It's better at concealing our weapons than our usual costumes."
Sabé watched as Rabé twirled, the flame-colored robes billowing out. She was right. There was no sign the woman was carrying any weapons.
"Good," Sabé breathed again, trying to calm her nerves. To her surprise, she felt the energy of the Force spring up around her and take her stress away.
"Ready, Sabé?" Padmé inquired, shaking her.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Sabé stood up and walked out of the secret room, the black silk rustling against the stone floor.
The handmaidens followed her, resplendent in their flame-colored robes, their faces obscured under their hoods. Starré re-concealed the door to their weapon's vault before joining them.
Sabé stood by the window and gazed out at the streets that were filling with more and more droids. She could do this. The Force would guide her.
A commotion arose outside the room and the ladies could hear shouting and emotionless, robotic voices commanding the soldiers to drop their weapons. The doors burst open and Trade Federation droids filtered into the room and pointed their blasters at the ladies.
"Alert the Viceroy. We have the Queen," The lead droid said to its subordinate.
Sabé didn't spare them a glance. She continued looking out into the streets and focused on her breathing. Showtime.
-oOoOoOo-
Earlier
Obi-wan tried to remember how to breathe as he looked at the wide expanse filled with aquatic creatures that would think nothing about eating them.
"Turn off the lights," Qui-Gon said seriously as the creatures swam towards the bright intrusion in their space.
Obi-wan punched the button to shut off the bongo's headlights as fast as he could. He used the Force to guide his actions as he drove the bongo forward and evaded the few aquatic beings who tried to eat them. It felt like most of the creatures had chosen to disregard them after they weren't being blinded anymore.
"This must be the core of the planet," Qui-Gon surmised.
"The pressure readings here are the highest I've seen," Obi-wan nodded as he looked at the softly glowing dashboard. "I'm still amazed that this planet has a liquid core and creatures can live down here."
"It is quite spectacular how life chooses to manifest," Qui-Gon agreed.
Obi-wan slowly guided their vessel through the massive open space. He was astounded by what lifeforms he could sense through the Force. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of aquatic creatures surrounding them. Some were small, like the gooberfish, yet others were the size of small mountains. Finally, the herd of lifeforms thinned and Obi-wan detected a new passageway that could possibly lead them to the other side of the planet. He guided the bongo into it and turned the headlights back on. He checked the console again and saw the pressure readings decreasing. They were headed up to the surface.
Traveling on this side of the planet was less eventful, with far fewer fish trying to eat them. One brightly colored green fish did try to eat them and gave chase when they swerved to avoid it, but it gave up after a minute. Obi-wan took advantage of the less stressful environment to admire the colorful coral and plant life. As they ascended through the gigantic lake's depths, sunlight began to filter down towards them.
"Monsters!" With a warble of panic, Jar-Jar sprang up from his prone position, hitting his head on the ceiling of the bongo.
"Calm down, Jar-Jar. We're past them," Obi-wan assured him.
He was glad the Gungan had been unconscious for the rest of their journey through the core. Jar-Jar would have panicked even more, knowing thousands of creatures surrounded them and could have eaten them with a single bite. The bongo gained speed as they rose out of the depths and the aquatic life around them shrank to less formidable sizes.
The sunlight pierced the water around them, turning the lake water a bright blue. With a rush of bubbles, the bongo surfaced. Obi-wan pressed the red button to turn off the shielding and smiled as a cool breeze wafted against his face. He basked in the sunlight, taking in a deep calming breath before examining his surroundings. Incredible feats of architecture lined the shores of the lake, interspersed with greenery and flowers. He could see the royal palace a few hundred feet down the shore gleaming in the sunlight.
"Uh oh," Jar-Jar squeaked.
Obi-wan jumped a little as he felt water lap against his boots. Water was entering the bongo through the cracks left by the creatures who had attacked them. It was thanks to Qui-Gon's prowess with the Force that the craft had held together thus far but now the small craft was sinking.
"Steer the craft towards the shore," Qui-Gon nodded to the closest bit of land.
"Nuh-uh," Jar-Jar shook his head. "Mesa meet yousa there."
The bongo rocked dangerously as Jar-Jar sprang out and splashed towards the shore. Obi-wan steered the ship after the Gungan as best he could with the dwindling power reserves. The engine finally died with a sputter within a few feet of land. Qui-Gon leaped gracefully to the shore. Obi-wan stood and stretched his muscles out before following his mentor. He landed with a thud on the edge of the lake as the bongo sank beneath the lake's surface. He clutched his lightsaber tightly so that it wouldn't accidentally fall into the water. It would be just like him to do that at this critical moment before they entered Theed.
"Alright?" Qui-Gon asked.
"Yes," Obi-wan affirmed. He looked up towards the palace. "Did we make it before the Federation?"
"It would seem so–" Qui-Gon was cut off by a large racket.
Robotic voices sounded ahead of them. They ran up the bank towards the noises, hushing Jar-Jar along the way. When they peeked around the corner, they got a view of the main streets filled with the invading droid army. The Nubian people were being split into groups and herded in certain directions by droids. They hadn't been quick enough. The two Jedi shared a look. They needed to reach the Queen and take her to safety.
A commotion in a nearby side street caught their attention. One of the groups had overpowered some of their droid escorts and was defending against the remaining five droids. The Jedi rushed to their defense as the droids prepared to call for reinforcements. With quick strikes, the droids were sliced to bits.
"Thank you," One of the men breathed in relief, helping a woman to her feet.
"When did the Federation arrive?" Qui-Gon asked grimly.
"Maybe thirty minutes ago?" The man shrugged, brushing his brown hair out of his eyes. His eyes widened as he looked at something over their shoulders. "Hey!"
They turned around to see a young blond-haired man yanking a blaster from a droid's severed arm and heading out towards the main streets with a look of determination on his face. Obi-wan ran forward to stop him from stepping into the streets. Did he want to get himself killed?
"Let me go," said the man, struggling against Obi-wan's hold. "They have my sisters!"
"They have all our sisters and brothers," the brown-haired man hissed at him. "There's nothing you can do about it."
"I saw them," the blond argued back, his brown eyes bright with conviction. "I need to save them."
"Is that why you started this?" asked the other man in disbelief, waving to the droid remains. "You almost got the rest of us killed and now you want to charge back into the fray with no backup?"
"My sister is the Queen. They've captured her and there's no telling what they'll try to force her to do," the blond said, turning to the Jedi. "Please, you have to help."
"What direction did they go in?" Qui-Gon asked.
"I saw the droids taking them towards the archways that lead to the museums of art and history," The man pointed back out towards the street.
Obi-wan and Qui-Gon looked in that direction and saw a black figure surrounded by dots of flame-colored figures and droids.
"We'll find them and protect them," Obi-wan promised the man. "You have my word as a Jedi."
"In the meantime, we need you to take these people to safety," Qui-Gon directed the young man.
"What? No, I'm coming with you," he shook his blond head vehemently.
"We can't leave these people behind and unprotected," Qui-Gon said calmly, directing the man's attention to his fellow citizens.
They were shaking with fear, barely able to hold onto the blasters they'd stolen from the fallen droids. They were clearly civilians and had never held a weapon in their lives. At least this young man appeared to have had some training. The blond alternated his gaze between the huddling group of scared people and the disappearing royal entourage in the distance. He took in a deep breath and nodded.
"Alright, I'll get them out of here," A steely look entered his striking brown eyes. "You better keep my sisters safe or you'll have me to answer to." He helped his people to their feet and led them further away from the main streets and the droid army.
Qui-Gon considered how to best approach the Queen and her captors. He gestured for Obi-wan and Jar-Jar to follow him as took the side streets. They made their way around the plaza and towards the Queen. They climbed up a level onto the crisscrossing archways and were able to increase their speed as they were unnoticed up there. They crept silently to a balcony the Queen would soon pass under.
The Queen was resplendent and yet somber in a dark feathered gown, its tone amplified by her four handmaidens' bright fiery clothing. The few Nubian security guards surrounding her were dressed in maroon uniforms. The whole group wore grim expressions.
Obi-wan followed Qui-Gon's lead as the older Jedi took out his lightsaber.
"Incapacitate the droids and protect the Queen," Qui-Gon directed as the group drew closer. "Don't give them a chance to raise the alarm."
"Yes, sir," Obi-wan nodded in confirmation.
As the droids leading the group passed under them, the Jedi jumped from the balcony.
A/N: The Trade Federation has invaded Naboo and the handmaidens are one step ahead of them. But will Sabé be able to fool the Jedi?