Chapter 16 - United
"You're here!" Sabé couldn't believe it. Of course, she'd known her mother would hold her own against the dark adversary when she'd fallen overboard. She'd promised as such, but Sabé hadn't expected to see her so soon.
"Of course, I'm here, sweetie," Starré held Sabé and gently kissed her forehead. "Did you ever doubt it?"
"What the kriff is going on?" Padmé demanded.
Sabé and Starré broke apart and turned to face the expectant Queen.
"I apologize for deceiving you, my Queen," Starré stepped forward and bowed deeply to Padmé. "My true name is Starré Rhydater. I am a former Jedi Master of the Jedi Order. I am a Draaier; we have the ability to shapeshift. I changed my form and undertook the Handmaiden Trials to become your handmaiden to protect you from the dangers I sensed coming your way."
"I see," Padmé rounded the speeder amid protests from Panaka and hugged Starré. "I'm glad you're okay, but I'm going to have words for you and Sabé after the battle," Padmé smirked evilly at Sabé. "But this still doesn't explain why he is here." She pointed towards the Zabrak.
"Ah, yes," Starré draped her arm around the man's waist and drew him forward. "May I present Terrikan Mitar, my mate. I've been searching for him these past seventeen years."
"I apologize for all the grief I have caused you and your people, Your Highness," Terrikan said repentantly, maintaining eye contact with Padmé. "I truly wish to help you take back your planet."
"I…" Padmé stared up at him, examining his fearsome red-black features, sharp horns, and earnest silver eyes. "If Starré trusts you, that's good enough for me."
Padmé beckoned Starré and Terrikan forward to join the rest of them at the speeder. Sabé followed them and took her place by Padmé's side. Obi-wan and Qui-Gon slowly followed suit while Panaka and the security officers tentatively picked up their blasters and holstered them.
"What did you find objectional about our plans?" Padmé asked curiously.
Terrikan grew serious. "The Trade Federation knows you're on the planet. They'll do anything to force you to sign the treaty. And you should know the Trade Federation isn't doing this alone. They are taking orders from a foreign entity."
"Who?" Qui-Gon asked.
Terrikan shook his head. "I don't know. I never saw his face. When I fell to the dark side, he found me, took me in, and trained me. He fueled my hate for the Jedi until I became trapped in a vortex of hatred, anger, and shame. I escaped that miserable cesspool with Starré's help, but I can barely remember anything specific from that time; it's too clouded by hatred. From what I do recall, he wore a hood at all times, spoke with a growl, and masked his Force signature. He never told us his true name. He went by the moniker Darth Sidious."
"A Sith Lord," Obi-wan breathed, sharing a knowing look with Qui-Gon.
"Wait, what do you mean by 'us'?" Rabé questioned him.
Terrikan sighed. "My former master was also training three other apprentices, molding them into Sith warriors. They aren't anywhere near as powerful as I am, but they are formidable. And by now, Sidious will have assumed I failed to capture you since I didn't report in after Tatooine. The three apprentices will be waiting within the palace."
"That does present a problem," Sabé admitted.
"Perhaps," Terrikan acknowledged. "But I think between Rae, Qui-Gon, Obi-wan, and I, we can handle them. But it may leave you without Jedi protection as you advance through the palace to face the Viceroy."
"We can handle the droid army," Padmé affirmed. She turned to Qui-Gon. "Master Jinn, do you agree with this plan?"
"Under the circumstances, I suggest that we listen to Knight Mitar and prepare for the possibility that we'll encounter Sith warriors as we break into the palace."
Padmé nodded at his approval. "Good. Captain, let's go brief the resistance leaders on the plan. Voraté, go confer with your pilots."
Padmé briefly squeezed Sabé's hand and nudged her towards her parents before hiking over with Rabé and Panaka to the clearing where the resistance leaders were waiting.
Starré caught Sabé's eye and nodded her head, gesturing for her to follow her and Terrikan. Sabé raced excitedly around the speeder and followed her mother to a secluded part of the clearing.
"Sabé," Starré beamed at her and gestured to Terrikan. "This is your father."
"Hello," Terrikan said awkwardly, waving his hand in greeting.
"Hi, Dad!" Sabé sobbed and dashed forward, hugging her father tightly. She'd been waiting for this moment all her life. Emotion clogged her throat, allowing only squeaks of joy to sound.
Terrikan timidly hugged her back before gaining confidence and tightening his embrace. "I'm sorry I left you and your mother."
Sabé looked up at him through tear-soaked eyes. "I'm sorry I thwacked you in the stomach."
She couldn't believe she hadn't recognized her own father during the battle on the starship. The fearsome expression he'd worn had borne no resemblance to the holovids and holopics her mother had shared with her throughout her childhood.
Terrikan let out a full-bellied laugh and Sabé giggled wetly.
"Well, I wasn't myself and I was attacking you, so I forgive you." Terrikan smiled proudly. "Your fighting prowess impressed me."
"Thank you," Sabé reached out to her mother. "I learned from the best."
Starré stepped forward and joined the hug. "I'm proud of you too, Sabé. You've come so far and have accomplished a great deal," She dabbed at the tears rolling down Sabé's face. "Everything is alright now. Don't cry, sweetie. You're leaving tear tracks in your makeup."
"I think that's a lost cause by now," Sabé warbled and tugged a handkerchief from her belt to wipe the face paint off.
"Shhh, it's ok," Starré patted her on the back.
Sabé blew her nose on the cloth and sniffled.
"Why don't we talk a little?" Starré suggested.
"Okay," Sabé tugged her mother and father down to sit with her on the grass.
"So I already know you're an excellent fighter," Terrikan winked at Sabé, making her chuckle. "With an incredible connection to the Force. That's very impressive for your age."
Sabé frowned. "What do you mean? I can barely sense the Force, much less use it."
Terrikan blinked his silver eyes in shock and tilted his horned head. "I thought you knew… you are more in tune with the Force than most Force users."
"Mom tried to teach me, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to get a handle on it. I can only use it with intense concentration," Sabé shrugged and sighed. Her parents were powerful Force users. Shouldn't that ability have been passed on to her?
"I think Sabé accesses the Force differently," Starré told Terrikan with a thoughtful expression. "We've tried the conventional teachings and meditation. I even attempted a mind-meld of sorts to show Sabé how I access the Force."
"That last method kind of worked," Sabé admitted. She'd been so relieved too. Her seven-year-old self had been grateful for any progress at that point. "I just can't sustain the energy flow. When I pull it in, it resists and snaps away. I don't think I'm meant to wield the Force."
"Hmmm," Terrikan tapped his knee as he thought about the dilemma. "Have you ever been able to predict something before it happened?"
"Like a vision?" Sabé inquired. She'd never experienced anything of the sort before.
"No, more like a feeling or intuition."
Sabé shook her head and stopped as a memory resurfaced. "Wait, I think I have foreseen some events. A couple of years ago, I felt really sick to my stomach. There wasn't really any reason for it, so I thought it had been something I ate that day. Then I was distracted by an assassination attempt on Padmé's life," Sabé's heart hurt as she recalled Eirtaé's sacrifice. She brushed a thumb gently over her quarterstaff.
"That doesn't sound like a foodborne illness. I felt something similar before the first assassin pulled out his blaster," Starré considered, excitement lighting her eyes up. "You also felt sick before we left Tatooine, remember?"
"Oh, yeah," Sabé perked up as she recalled the moment. "I felt so jittery and uneasy. I was so sure the podrace had gone wrong."
"And then I showed up," For a moment, Terrikan slumped a little with a look of deep shame. "I believe your abilities are inverted."
"Inverted?" Starré blinked. She had not considered that. "I've never heard of that happening before."
"Sabé clearly has Force abilities, but she has trouble wielding them," Terrikan's silver eyes twinkled as he regarded her befuddlement. "You're using the wrong technique by trying to draw the energy into yourself. Somehow, you naturally pull it in and store it. So when you try to draw in more energy, your body protects itself by breaking the connection."
Could it really be that simple? Sabé alternated glancing between her mother and father.
"The theory has merit," Starré confirmed. She pulled her dark silver-plated lightsaber from her belt and held it out with her palm facing upwards. "You already have a feel for sensing and controlling the energy flow. Instead of drawing it in, push it out while clearly thinking about what you what to accomplish," she nodded at her hand. "Summon the lightsaber."
Sabé felt her eyes widen with shock at the command. Summon the lightsaber? With the Force? When she had never been able to do such a thing before? She wasn't so sure she could do it. But with her parents looking on with confidence, she braced herself and gave it a try. She concentrated hard on the lightsaber and visualized it leaving her mother's grasp and landing in her own hand. She couldn't feel the supposed energy storage within her, but she gasped as she felt energy pouring out of her. The weapon shot from her mother's hand and came towards her so quickly that Sabé wasn't prepared for it. She squeaked and grappled with it, but it slipped from her fingers and plopped into her lap. Her parents chuckled at her frenzied movements.
"That was very good," said Terrikan proudly as he hugged her.
"I think I was a bit enthusiastic," Sabé flushed at the compliment. She'd just used the Force!
"You'll learn how to control the energy flow over time," Starré assured her as she accepted her lightsaber back. She too was smiling proudly at Sabé's successful use of the Force.
Sabé grinned with happiness and rising excitement. Now armed with a solution, she would be able to use the Force as her parents did! Just like she had learned how to fight with a quarterstaff and blasters, it would take time and practice to master her newfound abilities, but it would be well worth it in the end. She happened to glance over to the main clearing and caught Obi-wan and Qui-Gon staring intently at them, having finished their meeting with the resistance leaders.
"I think Qui-Gon and Obi-wan want to talk with us."
"So they do," Starré mildly agreed.
"I suppose we should get this confrontation over with," Terrikan sighed heavily, looking nauseous.
Sabé shifted in discomfort as a wave of anxiety brushed her senses. Her father was almost to the point of vomiting in fear at the thought of speaking with the Jedi.
"Don't fret, Terry," Starré comforted him as they stood and brushed off strands of grass and stray dirt from their uniforms. "Twenty-plus years of friendship isn't wiped away that easily."
"I hope you're right," Terrikan said plaintively as they walked over to the duo. "It's nearly been twenty years since we last saw each other."
-oOoOoOo-
Obi-wan's hackles were still raised as Starré, Terrikan, and Sabé made their way over to him and Qui-Gon. He'd been completely distracted during the talk with the resistance leaders. He tried to reign in his emotions and convince himself that Terrikan Mitar wasn't the hellbent enraged demon he'd fought on the starship anymore. The Zabrak had been so kind to him when he was a child in the Temple, like a benevolent uncle, really, but Obi-wan was having a hard time separating the two personas.
"Breathe, Obi-wan," Qui-Gon grasped his shoulders and looked deep into his eyes as he noticed his troubles. He'd been rather preoccupied too. "Release your emotions into the Force."
Obi-wan breathed deeply and exhaled. The jealousy and apprehension faded away and he could think clearly again. Qui-Gon gave him a smile and nodded in approval.
"Hello, Qui-Gon, Obi-wan," Starré bobbed her head as she approached them.
"Hello, Rae," Qui-Gon nodded in return but he was completely focused on Terrikan. "So… you're back."
"Yeah, I am," Terrikan swallowed hard, barely able to meet Qui-Gon's gaze. Silence fell and only the wind and chirps from the wild avian life could be heard. Then he took in a deep breath and let out a rush of words. "I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you when you asked me to come back to the Jedi Temple. I should have listened when you said my contact was shady. It led me down a dark, twisted path and I ended up almost killing you and Rae."
"You don't need to apologize to me, brother," Qui-Gon stepped forward and tugged a shocked Terrikan into a tight embrace. "We've been friends since we were children in the creche. We supported each other through our journey to become Jedi Knights. We went on so many missions, fought side by side, and healed each other's wounds. Did you really think I could abandon you so easily?"
"This isn't like the time I secretly borrowed your speeder and crashed it in pursuit of the notorious Charan gangsters," Terrikan chuckled shakily, wiping his face. His fearsome features weren't so frightening now as he was sporting a deeply repentant expression and his earnest silver eyes were shining with remorse. "I willingly turned to the Dark Side in my quest to find Rae and practically gave my soul to Sidious."
"I know, but you came back to us," Qui-Gon acknowledged. "We'll help you on your road to recovery and we'll figure out what Sidious's endgame is and handle that together too."
"Thank you, Qui-Gon," Terrikan smiled gratefully, hope burgeoning within him that he hadn't lost his friend after all.
Silence fell again, this time turning a bit awkward as they turned to face the rest of the group. How to start a normal conversation after being absent for so many years? After all that had happened? The awkward tension was finally broken when Obi-wan's Kyber crystal hummed and let out of loud peal of joy before flinging itself at Starré.
Starré chuckled and nimbly caught the lightsaber before it crashed into her face. "Hello to you too, old friend," The crystal chortled happily. "I hope Obi-wan has been treating you well."
To Obi-wan's chagrin, the crystal started muttering darkly and made whooshing noises reminiscent of waves crashing against a beach.
"Ahh, you've gotten wet a few times," Starré nodded knowingly. The crystal chirped in agreement while Obi-wan blushed as he noticed Sabé's smirk. "Well, I'm sure the adventures you've been up to with Obi-wan have more than compensated for those moments."
The crystal grew quiet as it was reprimanded and then it sullenly chirped what seemed like a 'yes' before falling silent. Starré chuckled and handed the lightsaber back to Obi-wan.
"Don't pay any mind to it, Obi-wan," Starré winked. "It likes to complain for the sake of complaining."
"Hmph, don't I know it," Terrikan snickered.
Starré smacked him lightly at that.
"I've gotten used to it over the years," Obi-wan smiled as his crystal hummed in contentment as he clipped the lightsaber back onto his belt.
"I'm glad the crystal called to you as its next master," Starré embraced a bewildered Obi-wan in a tight hug. "I've missed you, little sprout."
Obi-wan's blush deepened as Starré voiced the old nickname she'd had for him. He looked down the two inches into Starré's eyes. Even though she'd gained a few inches when she shifted back into her true form, he was still taller than her.
"I'm not so small anymore."
"No, you're not," Starré lovingly brushed a few strands of his hair, something she never would have done when she'd been a Jedi. She'd changed over the years. She was less rigid and more free with expressing her feelings. "You've grown into a handsome young man and are well on your way to becoming the great Jedi Knight I knew you would be. You've done well with him, Qui-Gon."
"Yes, I couldn't be prouder of him," Qui-Gon smiled. "He is ready to undergo the trials."
Obi-wan smiled and a well of positive emotion rose within him. It warmed his heart to hear his idols voice their praise of him.
"Anyhow," Starré shook herself and schooled her face. "We need to focus on the upcoming battles. We only have a few hours before the Gungans are in position to engage the droid army. We'd better join the Queen."
The group walked back to the speeder. Sabé sprinted ahead and joined a conversation with her Queen and fellow handmaidens. Qui-Gon and Terrikan fell in step next to each other and resumed talking in lowered voices. Obi-wan and Starré shared a smile at the sight of the two friends getting along.
As they approached the cruiser, Starré leaned in close to Obi-wan and whispered quietly to him. "I promised you that one day we would go on a mission together."
The impish toddler Obi-wan had once been momentarily surfaced and he allowed himself to smile widely. It was good to have Starré back.
A/N: So Sabé has been revealed to be part Zabrak and part Draaier and has an interesting way of accessing the Force. How will this affect her going forward?