Chapter 9 - The Long Wait
Outskirts of Tatooine, Day 1
Waiting aboard the starship was so boring that Sabé almost wished she could have gone to the spaceport with Padmé and Voraté. Playing cards soon lost Sabé's interest and she was itching to do something besides sit around. Their people were in danger and they were lounging about in a luxury starship, waiting for a solution to fall into their laps. Sabé eventually couldn't stand the self-imposed stillness and started to pace.
"Sit down, Sabé. There's nothing we can do to speed things up," Starré calmly stated, her eyes focused on her hand of cards. It was a close match between her and Rabé.
"There must be something we can do! I feel so helpless, just waiting. Ahh! Damn it!" Sabé clutched her leg as it cramped without any warning and sent shooting pains up the limb.
Hands surrounded her and guided her to the bed whilst removing the multi-layered skirts. Rabé's soothing voice sounded over her and she felt a hand on her bare leg. Relief washed through the limb and Sabé relaxed, wiping away tears caused by the excruciating pain.
"Better?"
"Yes, thank you, Rabé," The ladies looked at her with worried eyes. "I'm fine, I must have done too much walking today."
"Indeed," Rabé agreed, her brow pinched in worry. "I want you to stay off your feet for the rest of the day. No arguments… and no more swearing."
Sabé mutely nodded. "So who's winning at cards?"
"I'm am!" Starré crowed triumphantly.
"Really?" Rabé's eyes lit up at the challenge. "I'll have to remedy that."
Sabé smiled and rolled over to watch the next card match.
Hours passed and Rabé was eventually crowned the victor. They were putting the cards away and thinking of something else to occupy their time when there was a knock at the door. Sabé snatched the layered skirts and headdress from the bed and hopped into the fresher while gesturing for Starré or Rabé to answer the door.
Sabé heard the door open and a guard spoke. "We have received a message from Naboo. Captain Panaka and Jedi Kenobi are waiting in the throne room."
"The Queen shall be there momentarily," Rabé informed him.
The doors hissed shut and Sabé walked out of the fresher and began to restore her costume. "Do you think it's a trap?"
Starré's brow wrinkled as she considered the question. "No matter what the contents of the message, it will be a trap if we respond to it."
-oOoOoOo-
Obi-wan Kenobi studied the Queen as she listened to the transmission. Her expression didn't change, but her hands were clenched among the black folds of her dress. She was distraught at the message and with good reason. Governor Bibble was relaying a tale of woe and death, urging the Queen to contact him. It was a trap, no doubt about it, but the governor could be telling the truth. The people of Naboo could be suffering and dying. The transmission ended and the portable hologram emitter flickered off. Obi-wan stood up.
"It's a trick. Send no reply. Send no transmissions of any kind."
He caught the despair in the Queen's beautiful brown eyes as he said those words and his heart went out to her. She was so young to carry such a tremendous burden on her shoulders. This was to protect her, Obi-wan thought to himself as he left the throne room. He went to the cockpit and contacted Qui-Gon to relay the information from Governor Bibble's message.
"It sounds like bait to establish a connection trace," Qui-Gon's voice crackled over the speaker system.
"What if it's true?" Obi-wan asked, the concern he dared not let sound in front of the Queen leaked into his voice. "And the people are dying?"
"Either way, we're running out of time. We struck out with our search for the hyperdrive thus far. Lady Voraté thinks we'll have more luck with the shops on the other side of town. I'll keep you posted," Qui-Gon said softly before ending the transmission.
Obi-wan sighed and sat back. He really needed to meditate to process everything that had happened that day. When night fell, he would go to the Queen's empty throne room to meditate and practice lightsaber drills. His Kyber crystal had finally stopped complaining about getting wet.
-oOoOoOo-
Sabé sat with Starré and Rabé on the bed in the Queen's quarters. She had fully divested herself of the Queen's costume and shifted her features back to normal. She held a comlink up so Rabé and Starré could both hear Padmé and Voraté clearly. "What's going on, Padmé?" Sabé asked over the comlink. Night had fallen and the expedition group hadn't come back.
"Don't worry about us, we're fine," Padmé reassured them.
"Just peachy!" Voraté's high-pitched voice called out, making all the ladies laugh.
"A sandstorm hit the town, so we couldn't make it back to the ship. A young boy we met in one of the shops offered to give us shelter," Padmé continued.
"We're glad to hear you're okay," Rabé visibly relaxed.
"Any luck finding a replacement hyperdrive?" Starré inquired.
"Yes, we found a T-14 hyperdrive generator," Padmé said and the ladies cheered. "But we've run into a complication."
"Damn," Sabé muttered.
"The dealer won't trade the parts for Republic credits," Voraté supplied. "And we don't have anything of equal value we can part with on the ship."
"So we're stuck," Sabé concluded. "Why can't anything go right?"
"It'd be too easy that way," Starré smirked and nudged Sabé's shoulder.
"Jedi Jinn has a plan," Voraté said. "I think we can trust him."
"As long as it's not some hare-brained scheme like going to Jatheia," Padmé retorted. "We'll keep you up to date."
"Good. Any other news?" Sabé hoped there was no more bad news.
"Voraté has a crush… mphhh!" Padmé said, the last part muffled.
"What? Voraté has a crush? On who?"
"Yes, tell us!"
"It's nothing!" Voraté squeaked, a sure indicator she was lying.
"It's the young boy who offered us shelter from the storm, Anakin Skywalker," Padmé hurriedly said, her voice modulating in volume. She must be running around, trying to keep the comlink away from Voraté, who was probably trying to snatch it from her.
"Ooooo. Tell us more," Rabé teased. "Is he cute?"
"Oh, stop it, Rabé," Voraté said, having finally snatched the comlink from a laughing Padmé. "He's only nine years old."
"Come on, give us some details. You're not one to give your affections lightly," Sabé asked, happy for something to talk about besides doom and gloom.
"…He asked if Padmé and I were angels," Voraté meekly supplied.
"Awww. That's adorable," Starré, Rabé, and Sabé gushed.
"And he's a mechanic, pilot, and an inventor. He's built his own protocol droid and podracer from scratch," Clear admiration rang in Voraté's voice.
"It's like you were destined to meet him," Sabé remarked. "What are the odds you would encounter him?"
"Pretty slim since we're here by chance. No one travels to the Outer Rim unless they have to," Rabé bit her lip as she considered the chances.
"Well, whatever the fates have decided, I'm glad we met him. I'm just so angry he's a slave," Voraté's agreeable voice darkened with bone-chilling rage.
Sabé's heart went out to the boy who had likely gone through the same horrible experiences as Voraté had when she'd been a slave. "Is there anything we can do for him?"
"Not likely," Voraté said miserably. "We don't have any money and even if we did, it probably wouldn't be enough to buy a hyperdrive and free Anakin and his mother, Shmi."
"If we can't come up with a solution before we leave, then I promise we'll come back and free them after we liberate Naboo from the Trade Federation," Padmé resolutely stated.
"No, we can't jeopardize our mission. Naboo must come first," Voraté said solemnly. Sabé could practically see Voraté's tears dripping down her face. "We'll return after our situation is resolved."
"Everything will work out," Sabé said in a last-ditch effort to keep Voraté from lapsing into despair.
"I know, Sabé. Don't worry. I'll stay strong."
"We both will," Padmé said. "Slavery is wrong, and I won't rest until it becomes illegal in the Outer Rims as well as the Republic."
"Thank you, Padmé," Voraté softly replied. "I think we'll go to bed now."
"Alright," Sabé said, cursing she couldn't be there to comfort her youngest sister-in-arms. "Goodnight. We'll be waiting to hear from you tomorrow."
The comlink clicked as it turned off. Sabé calmly placed the comlink on the side table before slamming her fist down into a pillow, pummeling it.
"Hey, Sabé! Calm down," Rabé watched, wide-eyed at Sabé's aggression.
"I will not calm down!" Sabé seethed, her hair swaying sharply around her as she tried to put her fist through the pillow. Feathers started to fly through the air. "Everything is going to shit. We're stuck on this kriffing planet and separated, to boot! If now isn't a time to lose it, when is?"
"She's right," Starré said, staring down Rabé when she turned incredulously to her. "We need to let our pent-up aggression out. Let's go to the throne room and stage a few mock bouts."
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Anyone could walk in on us," Rabé flapped her hands as Sabé and Starré got up and moved towards the door.
"It's nighttime. They're all sleeping," Sabé reassured her, throwing on a dark handmaiden robe. "And we'll lock the door, so no one will walk in on us accidentally."
"Fine, at least keep your features shifted to look similar to Padmé, just in case," Rabé grumbled and relented. "I guess I could do with a stress reliever. It's been a while since I've had the chance to pound you two into the ground."
"Ha! Bring it on," Starré grinned wolfishly.
The ladies snuck through the deserted corridors to the throne room. It was empty, as they had predicted. Starré closed the doors and locked it from the inside.
"Alright ladies, how would you like to be beaten? Knives, staff, or unarmed combat?" Starré asked, whisking off her robes and tossing them to the side.
"Unarmed combat," Sabé unhooked her staff and blasters and put them and her outer robes on the benches lining the walls of the room. She was eager for some physical contact. "And you're the one who shall be beaten today."
"I concur," Rabé said as she unstrapped her blasters and removed her staff from its place on her forearm. She placed the weapons and her robes next to Sabé and Starré's.
"Last one standing wins?" Starré suggested, stretching out her muscles.
"Agreed."
"Absolutely."
When the ladies were all stretched out, Sabé gave the countdown. "Ready, set, fight!" The ladies walked around, gauging each other. Then all at once, they launched at each other, determined to be the last one standing.
-oOoOoOo-
Obi-wan dropped the hydrospanner and swiped his hand across his forehead to remove the sweat beaded there. He got up and closed the doors to the engine room. He'd had enough of machines for one day. He'd helped some technicians completely disconnect the useless, malfunctioning hyperdrive from the ship so the new hyperdrive – once they obtained one – would be easily installed.
He headed towards the throne room to do some meditation and lightsaber drills. Qui-Gon said he should aim to meditate at least once a week, if not more, to center himself and stay in tune with the Force. Obi-wan didn't really see how meditating brought him closer to the Force, but he always felt more centered and calm after meditating. And it wasn't because he sometimes fell asleep. Obi-wan flushed as he remembered the few times he'd fallen asleep while meditating with Qui-Gon. That had been embarrassing.
Obi-wan stood before the throne room doors and was confused as the doors didn't automatically open. Strange. He checked the panel. The door was locked from the inside. What was going on? He pressed his ear up against the near sound-proof door and frowned as he heard faint shouts and banging.
Obi-wan backed up, unclipped his lightsaber, and used the Force to open the door. He barreled into the room, ready to engage the threat, but was met with a peculiar sight. The Queen's handmaidens were fighting each other in what looked to be a training session. And they were good. Obi-wan watched, admiring their fighting prowess. He'd seen little Voraté dump the novice pilot onto the floor earlier to take command of the helm. At the time, he thought it was an anomaly, brought on by the stress of the situation. But now he wondered if all the handmaidens were more talented than they appeared to be.
His presence was quickly noticed and the women paused their fighting and looked at him warily. Obi-wan realized he was staring at them like a fool with a lightsaber in his hand. He quickly traded his bewildered expression for something more solemn and Jedi-like and tucked away his lightsaber.
"I apologize, ladies. I didn't realize you would be needing the throne room this evening…"
Obi-wan trailed off as he realized there were three women in the room. Two handmaidens had accompanied Qui-Gon to Mos Espa, which left the Queen and two of her handmaidens on board the ship. One of these women was Queen Amidala.
"Your Highness," Obi-wan said, immediately bowing.
"That's quite alright, Jedi Kenobi."
Obi-wan looked up at the woman who spoke. She was beyond gorgeous, a mix between fairy and mortal. In her queenly regalia, this woman was forceful and commanded one's attention, but without the face paint and formal costume, she was even more enchanting. Her brown eyes were sparkling with amusement and her rich auburn tresses were securely piled atop her head. Her cheeks were flushed red and her chest was rising up and down quickly from her recent exertions.
Obi-wan cursed himself as he realized he was being a slack-jawed mute again and returned his gaze to her eyes. "I apologize for interrupting." Obi-wan turned to leave, but the Queen spoke again.
"You were here for a reason. What was it?" Her resonant voice echoed softly through the chamber.
"I was hoping to meditate and practice with my lightsaber," Obi-wan confided in the ladies.
"You're going to train with your lightsaber? Can we watch?" The tall handmaiden asked curiously.
Obi-wan began to reply in the negative but the Queen spoke before he could. "Rabé, we shouldn't ask that of him. Training is an incredibly personal thing. You wouldn't want anyone to watch you train, right?"
"Of course I would," The handmaiden quipped back. "I always win."
"If you ladies would like to watch, I suppose I could make an exception this time," Obi-wan conceded, wanting to spend more time in Queen Amidala's enthralling company.
"That won't be necessary, Jedi Kenobi," replied the Queen. Obi-wan felt disappointed, but he didn't let it show. "Though I won't say no to a bout."
Obi-wan hoped he didn't look as stunned as the handmaidens did. Did the Queen just challenge him to a fight? Her behavior now was such a juxtaposition to the cool, detached, and almost disdainful Queen he thought her to be.
"I couldn't possibly…" he said haltingly.
"I insist," she beckoned him into the room. "Or are you afraid I might beat you?"
Obi-wan cautiously walked fully into the throne room. The doors whisked shut behind him and relocked. How should he play this? He didn't want to offend her.
"Fear is an emotion I do not feel, though I am apprehensive about fighting you. I've seen what your handmaidens can do."
"I promise I'll go easy on you," teased the Queen as she raised her fists and dropped into a fighting stance.
Obi-wan's blood raced as he shucked off his outer robes and placed them on the benches along the side of the throne room. It had been years since he'd engaged in physical combat with his fists, before he was a Padawan, actually. Qui-Gon said it was an uncivilized practice, but who was he to say no to the Queen? Her handmaidens sat on the sidelines, bemused at their Queen's actions.
The Queen began circling Obi-wan and he followed suit. Obi-wan dodged as she threw a punch at him so quickly that if he did not have the Force as an ally, he would have been sent reeling back with a bloody nose. Obi-wan hunkered down and opened himself up to the Force, trying to feel what her next move would be. Oddly, he could not feel her presence; it shifted every time he tried to focus on it. He ignored this and threw a punch at her, though not as fast in order to gauge her reaction time. The small Queen dodged his punch and went to clip his jaw with an uppercut. Obi-wan slapped her hand away and then gasped for air as her knee drove into his belly, effectively winding him. He grabbed at her arm, but the Queen danced out of reach. She circled him again.
"Come on, Jedi. Stop underestimating me."
The Queen's eyes danced with mirth and triumph. Obi-wan smiled inwardly. He much preferred seeing the Queen happy rather than full of despair as she had been earlier. If this was what she needed to combat her stress, he would comply.
"As you wish, Your Highness," Obi-wan got his wind back and threw his six-foot frame at the Queen, launching into a modified version of his lightsaber form practices.
The Queen deflected all his punches and managed to get a few jabs in, here and there. Obi-wan was still in tune with the Force and he used it to guide his attacks. To his surprise, the Queen kept pace with him, which should have been impossible for someone who wasn't Force-sensitive.
His focus came back into the present as the Queen got a hold of his arm and hefted him over her shoulder, slamming him into the floor. Shit. This is exactly what Qui-Gon meant when he said Obi-wan needed to focus on the present. Or things like this would happen. Obi-wan recovered as the Queen tried to straddle him and punch his head into the ground. He twisted his legs around and used them to propel her away. She flew back a few feet before hitting the ground hard.
Obi-wan Force-leaped back onto his feet and went to attack the Queen again. She had also managed to quickly get up but as she took a few steps forward, she was limping badly and her face was fraught with pain. Obi-wan's stomach jumped into his heart and he dropped his fighting stance. One of the handmaidens stood up and called out to the Queen, worry written all over her face.
"Your Highness, are you alright?" Obi-wan asked as he motioned for the Queen to stay still as she took another painful step. He stepped within her reach and her stance straightened and an evil grin overtook her face. Obi-wan backtracked to get out of range, but it was too late. The Queen swept Obi-Wan's feet out from under him and he fell onto his back with a huge thud. She straddled him, and Obi-wan stilled as her forearm pressed tight against his throat.
The Queen leaned down. "I win," she gloated with glee.
She got off him and offered a hand to help him up. He took it and she hoisted him up with surprising strength.
"Are you alright, my lady?" The worried handmaiden advanced on them and hugged the Queen.
"I'm quite alright, Rabé," The Queen hugged the woman back.
"Are you sure, Your Highness?" Obi-wan asked doubtfully. Qui-Gon was going to kill him when he found out about this.
"Very sure," The Queen rolled her eyes. "Apparently, I was a little too convincing in my performance."
"You shouldn't worry us like that, my lady. All the walking earlier today inflamed your injury. You shouldn't be taking chances like this," The other handmaiden chastised the Queen.
Obi-wan watched the women interact, learning the Queen had a bad leg that acted up from time to time. He felt ashamed for throwing her across the room as he had. She was the Queen, for kriff's sake!
"I apologize for my actions, Your Highness," Obi-wan began, fully intending on delivering a long apology, but the Queen cut him off.
"No need for apologies. This was my fault for pretending I was injured. I wasn't thinking clearly," The Queen's face closed off as she affected a dignified expression. "Thank you for the bout, Jedi Kenobi. I think we shall retire to our quarters now. We'll leave you to meditate in peace."
Obi-wan bowed as the Queen and her handmaidens picked up the robes they'd placed on the benches. He gazed in wonder as she glided out of the room. She sure was something else, he thought with amazement. He slapped himself internally after the thought crossed his mind. She was the Queen of Naboo, the Queen! And he was a Jedi Padawan. There was no room for thoughts like that in his head. He'd learned his lesson the hard way before. Kriff, he needed to meditate. Obi-wan put his brown Jedi robes back on and sunk to the floor. He breathed in and out, trying to remove all thoughts of the strong, mischievous woman from his mind.
-oOoOoOo-
"What in the world were you thinking!" Rabé hissed like an enraged mother Guarlara as she shoved Sabé onto the bed and channeled her healing power into her leg. "You could have seriously damaged yourself!"
"I'm really fine, Rabé. It didn't even twinge during the bout," Sabé assured her. She didn't try and move away from Rabé's touch though. The woman looked like she was ready to strap her down to the bed for a year.
"Still, don't scare us like that again, sweetie," Starré made the bed dip as she crawled over to Sabé and hugged her. "You're too important to us and we hate seeing you get hurt."
Sabé was warmed by the heartfelt emotion in Starré's eyes and she returned her hug with equal force. "I promise I'll be more careful in the future."
"Hmmph, yeah right," Rabé huffed out, but with less anger than before. "That's as likely as our skin turning purple or you stopping your foul swearing habit."
Sabé laughed as her bluff was called. "Alright, no more crazy stunts from now on, then."
"We'll hold you to that," Starré warned. "Let's get some sleep. We need to be well-rested if we're going to think of a way to raise enough money to buy the hyperdrive parts to get us off this planet."
"Let's take a look at the damaged hyperdrive tomorrow," Sabé yawned and snuggled under the blankets. "Maybe it can be fixed."
"Good idea."
Rabé and Starré joined Sabé under the sheets and the women fell asleep as the day's tumultuous and tiring events caught up with them.
A/N: Oooo, the first true interaction between Sabé and Obi-wan! Where will it lead?