I'm really sorry about the delay! My short hiatus was longer than expected. But, come next Friday, I'm back for (mostly) regular updates! Thank you all for sticking with me.


Fate is like a strange, unpopular restaurant filled with odd little waiters who bring you things you never asked for and don't always like.

― Lemony Snicket


Chapter 12 Decoys and Majesties

Even though he resolutely refused to look at the hangar, he could trace every inch of it in his mind. Even though he'd only stood in this building once, and then, for less than five minutes, every corner of it was scored into his brain. Everything, from the barely whitewashed scorch marks to the missing fighters and the spare parts, glowed through the back of his eyelids.

He hadn't realized he'd frozen at the top of the ramp, that the Chancellor's delegation had already reached the hangar floor, that he was expected to follow. He hadn't even realized he'd shut his eyes. Obi-Wan was caught up watching the beginnings of the fight play out, marking out where each strike must have occurred, each blow must have been dodged. He could see it all, almost as if he'd actually been there: his master was spinning, ducking a blow before leaping over the man-in-black—

A hand on his sleeve. It jolted him from his black thoughts and back into the present, leaving his stomach somewhere in the middle. He breathed again and opened his eyes to a mop of blond hair at his elbow.

Here and now.

No one had noticed his hesitance—the whole thing had only taken a moment. Obi-Wan followed Anakin's gaze to the delegation below and realized they should be following. He stepped down the ramp, Anakin's hand still wrapped in his sleeve. The connection unnerved the Jedi.

Attachment leads to suffering.

He wasn't sure if the hand on his arm was comfort for Anakin or from Anakin. But it scared him, deep down to his toes, that despite his week-long grudge, Anakin had turned to him. Humbling and intimidating, it shook the resolve he'd forced upon himself and did what a week of constant brooding had been unable to do; despite his previous inclination to cultivate the growing distance between them, to let go of his attachment, he began to wonder if that was in fact what Anakin needed. The silent clinging brought to mind, with sharp clarity, the nights when Anakin came to him after a terrifying nightmare. Reminded him of the guilt he'd felt when he'd left Anakin alone to deal with those nightmares and his determination not to leave Anakin to suffer like that again.

Am I being selfish again?

The way Anakin's fingers clenched and released, the way the Force blurred around the child indicated a clear and resounding yes, yes, I am being selfish.

Uncomfortable with any emotional train of thought, Obi-Wan shoved away the sense of failure with the near-ease of practice (live in the present). He would maintain his distance from Anakin for now and meditate (again) on the problem later when there was time and not now when there wasn't.

He forced away the introspection and instead focused not on the hangar (or Anakin), but on the Naboo delegation. It was a small group, the Queen at the front in partial regalia, followed by two bodyguards, a pair of handmaidens, and some high ranking government official in bulky robes.

Except... something isn't right. He scanned the delegation through the Force, senses immediately picking up on what his eyes had missed. The woman dressed as the Queen and hidden under layers of makeup and hair wasn't actually the Queen. It was Padme. The handmaiden to the left, swathed in robes and a veil, that was the Queen-or at least the Force signature he associated with the monarch.

If he'd been less well trained, his jaw would've dropped as he put the pieces together. As it was he raised an eyebrow. Interesting. The audacity was stunning. A Queen-in-exile had posed as her own body guard in order to explore a desert hell hole. He'd known Padme was stubborn, but that kind of recklessness was something he'd learned to expect from Anakin, not from a reigning monarch. Using a decoy to escape capture and execution was smart; using to it sightsee was not.

Diplomacy reigned for the next few minutes as the two groups exchanged the requisite platitudes and Anakin and Obi-Wan were quietly ignored. It was a bit disconcerting to watch; the Queen's cold style was a sharp contrast to the Chancellor's easy and affable manner. They finally seemed to be wrapping up, but instead of inviting the group inside like protocol dictated, Padme—the Queen he reminded himself—turned to face Obi-Wan.

"Jedi Kenobi," she gave a small bow with her head and shoulders; somehow her headpiece didn't fall off. "On behalf of myself and the planet of Naboo, we extend our condolences. We could not have retaken the planet without the aid of Master Jinn."

It had been over a month. He hadn't gotten used to the loss, but he had gotten used to the condolences. "Thank you, mi'lady." He bowed his head in acknowledgement, accepting the emotions the Force assured him were genuine. He kept his voice even and his face smooth, "I appreciate it."

Sympathy the Queen didn't show on her face echoed in the Force as she bowed her head again.

Anakin shifted restlessly, as though he was distantly sensing Obi-Wan's intense discomfort. The Queen's eyes flicked down to the child, catching the movement, before returning her attention to Palpatine.

"Chancellor, I expect you and your guests are tired from your journey. Let us move inside where you can rest and be comfortable."

"Of course, my dear, of course. After you!"

The group swept off, the Queen and Chancellor in front, the rest falling into procession. Anakin kept close to Obi-Wan, craning his neck to see as much of the hangar as he could, bouncing on his toes out of curiosity and nerves—nerves that were compounding Obi-Wan's irrational discomfort at being inside the hangar. Attempting to counteract it, the Jedi stared straight ahead, trying to see as little of the building as possible. The courtyard and garden outside was a welcome escape, the late sunlight chasing away the darkness. He felt the tension in his back escape as the Living Force washed it away.

"Jedi Kenobi? Anakin Skywalker?" The voice broke into his newest spate of introspection. It was a handmaiden, the one who'd played decoy. She had slowed her pace and joined them in the back of the procession. "I am Sabe." There was a round of handshakes. "The Queen asked me to show you where you are going to stay." Behind her, the rest of the group continued forward.

"Lead the way, milady," Obi-Wan said with a bow of his head. He was eager to avoid the diplomatic introductions and rituals that would no doubt dominate the rest of the evening. Anakin nodded vehemently by his elbow.

Sabe gestured off to the side, towards a high wall with a small inset doorway. They peeled away from the main group and slipped inside. The small door opened into a huge hallway—soaring marble walls with oversized portraits, tapestries, and windows.

"You're rooms are this way, up on the second floor, Anakin," Sabe said, leading the way up a flight of stairs.

Of course, curiosity was enough to pull the nine year old from his nervous inspection of the hallway. "My own room?" he stuttered. His Force presence shifted from overwhelmed-alone to excited and inquisitive.

The joys of a one-track mind.

Sabe tilted her head and smiled, "Eventually—for now we have you set up to share with Jedi Kenobi," she smiled politely at Obi-Wan over Anakin's head. She paused to open a door and let them pass through into a smaller, less ostentatious corridor. "We've set up your rooms in—"

"Wait, rooms?"

She blinked, surprised at being interrupted, before responding politely, "Yes, a sitting room and two smaller rooms. Right now they are set up as bedrooms, but you can—"

"Wait, really?" Anakin ran around in front of Sabe, skipping and turning to face her. Obi-Wan winced at the second interruption. "'s all for me?"

"You're living in a palace now," she replied. "Here, it's just around the corner." She chivvied Anakin forward expertly, directing him around the turn. "But like I was saying, you don't have to keep them both as bedrooms; you can turn the second room into whatever you need. They're yours!"

The Jedi took the opportunity to study the handmaiden. Now that Obi-Wan knew what to look for, the similarities between Sabe and Padme weren't hard to find. They looked remarkably alike, not only in their features and body type, but in their mannerisms and the way they carried themselves. Even their Force signatures were unusually similar, almost like two tones of the same color. No wonder they had been so successful at their charade-in the right clothes, it was unlikely that even their parents could tell them apart.

"Ok, Anakin. You're room is the third door down from the corner. Just go ahead and wave your hand..." she paused as he scanned his hand over the sensor. "There you go."

Obi-Wan's first impression was of the wide windows, open to allow the bright orange sunset set the room on fire. A moment later, his eyesight cleared and the orange faded to a pleasant glow. The room was sensibly decorated that had taken into account the age of the occupant, without conceding any of the importance that likely attended Anakin's new position.

"Woah, really?" Anakin cried out, amazed. He dashed inside, leaving the older pair behind in the doorway, poking his head into the cabinets on one side and plopping himself onto each of the couches. "This is so wizard!"

Sabe smiled, "I'm glad you like it! Let me know, though, if something doesn't work out and I'll put you in touch with the housekeeping staff."

But Anakin wasn't listening, his focus entirely on exploring their surroundings.

"I am afraid he gets a bit excitable, milady. You'll have to forgive him."

"I'm just glad he seems to like it, Jedi Kenobi." She waved away the apology kindly. "Here, while Anakin explores, I can take you on the short tour." She stepped into the center of the room. "The holo-projector's in here," the handmaiden gestured at the credenza opposite the couch, "A small cooler unit over here, and the fresher's in there." She gestured to a door on the far side of the wall, near the windows. Following Anakin's progress, she added, "The door he just disappeared through is the bedroom that overlooks the lake. The other bedroom," she nodded to the last door in the room, "overlooks the west gardens. Both have panic buttons—just in case—set into the side of the nightstand. There is HoloNet access is in the desks—also in both rooms—as well as through the projector in here."

"This bed is huge! And it's so bouncy! And is this bathroom just for this—" Anakin's voice drifted from one of the bedrooms. His excitement and curiosity reminded Obi-Wan of how he'd been when he'd first arrived at the Temple. At least Anakin's first impressions here were all favorable.

"This apartment is in the private section of the palace—the Queen, the handmaidens, the chief of security, we all live in this wing. The remote for the holo-projector is in the drawer under the coffee table and a droid will be by in a little bit with dinner."

"The important things in life," Obi-Wan muttered wryly.

She snorted elegantly, tilting her head in agreement. "I'll come by tomorrow morning to show you two the breakfast room. After that, I can take you on a tour of the palace, if the two of you like. I'm afraid that both the Queen and the Chancellor will be in and out of meetings all day," Sabe finished with a note of apology.

Obi-Wan had expected as much. "I'll be sure to let Anakin know."

"And the tour?"

"We'd appreciate it, milady."

"Perfect!" She straightened and surveyed the room. Obi-Wan guessed that she had been the one to put it together, the way her gaze swept across it with proud satisfaction. "Well then," she continued briskly, gesturing to the front door, "there is an internal comm unit next to the doorframe—the important numbers are next to it—just in case you need anything. You will let me know if you need anything." An expectation, not a question. "Like I said, I'm here to make sure Anakin's settling in, so if there are any problems or questions…."

"I think we'll be fine, mi'lady."

She grinned, "Of course! I'll leave you to it then. I will see you bright and early tomorrow, Jedi Kenobi."

His polite smile turned weary as the handmaiden swept off in a whirl. Obi-Wan was left to face a stifling evening keeping company with an overly excited Anakin and his own circular thoughts.


Padme hid her exhaustion by checking her chrono. Again. Another minute had passed and she only had forty five to go until her next meeting.

She shifted her weight, tugged on her skirt (one that passed for casual in her position) and moved around some of the wispier parts of her hairstyle before she realized what she was doing. Padme forced herself to snap out of it—being tired was no excuse for distraction. As much as she wished to take the time to nap, she had a duty to her friends to tell them the truth as soon as possible.

I am Queen of Naboo! I will do this!

She knocked.

The door opened. Anakin. His face transformed from mild curiosity into giddy joy almost faster than she could register either. The child launched himself at her with a cry, knocking her into the wall and smashing the breath out of her.

"Padme!"

It took her a moment to recover. Over Anakin's blond head she could see Obi-Wan poking his head through one of the bedroom doorways, smiling at her discomfort. Padme shot him a glare, and his half smile widened into a full one.

"It's good to see you too, Anakin…" She waited a beat, but he seemed reluctant to end the hug. "Anakin?…Anakin? Do you think you can let go?"

He jumped back looking abashed, "I'm sorry! I'm just so happy to see you! You weren't there when we landed and all and I was worried."

"I'm sorry I—"

"But you're here now. D'ya want some dinner? This really wizard droid came by with a huge tray of food and we got some left on the table—"

The disarray of sandwiches and sides on the room's small dining room table looked unappealing. "I've already eaten," she interrupted kindly, wishing for caf, not food, "but do you mind if I come inside anyway? I need to talk to you both about something."

"Oh, yeah! Come in! The room's super wizard."

Anakin tugged her into the room, towards the seating arrangement in the center of the room and she took the moment to survey the child. He looked immensely better than he had when she'd last seen him: the bleakness in his eyes had faded and the spark that had set him apart from everyone else on Tatooine was back, though it wasn't quite as bright.

Obi-Wan stretched out a hand and shook hers in welcome. The three settled into chairs.

"I'm glad to see you're both doing well." It was a small white lie—while Anakin was much improved, Obi-Wan looked a bit pale, like he'd gotten so used to chasing himself in circles that he wasn't sure anymore where one circle began and another ended. Hopefully this trip to Naboo will do him some good.

The silence stretched out, a beat or two longer than she had expected. "I hope your trip was uneventful?" she asked, filling the silence.

"It was. I think it's a perk of traveling with the Chancellor—not much is left to chance."

"I thought it was boring. I wish it had been more exciting!" Anakin said, scowling in disagreement at Obi-Wan.

She frowned, surprised by the sharpness in the nine-year-old's tone. "Not everyone shares your taste for excitement, I'm afraid," she interrupted diplomatically. There was a strange tension between the two, some kind of half-brewed storm that was just waiting to be let loose. What had happened?

The tension gave her an excuse to avoid small talk, letting her launch straight into the reason for her visit. As much as she wanted to visit with her friends and mediate whatever dispute they were embroiled in, she preferred to do it when she was fully awake. "I am glad you are here safely. But there is something I must tell you both."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, and she got the impression that he had at least some idea of what she was here to tell them. It suddenly made her nervous. Did he figure it out? Were we too obvious?

"What?" Anakin asked bluntly, when he'd decided the silence had lasted too long.

"First, I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone."

"You have my word, milady," Obi-Wan assured her. He knows! When did he figure it out?

"That I can't tell anyone what?"

"Anakin, please, promise me? Once I have your word, I'll explain."

Anakin glanced between her and Obi-Wan, frowning suspiciously at them both. His antagonism was unexpected, and Padme found herself unsure how to handle it.

Finally, he huffed, "I promise I won't tell. What is it?"

"The Queen you met on the ship…wasn't really the Queen."

Anakin's eyebrows creased.

Padme plowed forward, watching both of her companions carefully to see their reactions. "She is my handmaiden and was acting as my decoy to protect me during the Invasion. I am the Queen, Queen Amidala of Naboo."

"But—what…"

"It was too dangerous for Naboo; we couldn't allow the Trade Federation to capture me."

Confusion melted into anger. "You lied!"

"Excuse me?" she demanded stung by the accusation.

"You lied!"

Padme resisted the urge to rub the bridge of her nose.

"Anakin," she made her tone sharp, using it to force his attention. "I'm sorry for deceiving you, but my planet was under attack. My decoy is top secret; if anyone found out, both of us would be at risk." She looked him carefully in the eye, measuring his response. "Anakin, not even my parents know that I have a decoy. I need you to keep this a secret."

It was hard, trusting a precocious, traumatized nine year old with state secrets that put more than one person at risk, but he had to be told before he got himself in trouble hunting down a handmaiden that didn't always exist. She had been lucky before, during the Invasion. If she hadn't decided to speak with the Gungans herself instead of through a decoy, then who knew how it would have turned out? Hopefully Anakin wouldn't be the one to break their luck.

What little luck they had.

Anakin slumped, defeated. Even his hair drooped. Sullenly, he shook his head and crossed his arms. "Fine," he bit out.

It wasn't the reaction she'd been hoping for. Not at all. "Anakin—"

"I promised," he declared hotly. "I don't break my promises. I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you." Grudging is better than nothing, I guess, but his reaction still cut. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't this brooding half-anger. What is wrong?

Silence descended. Anakin sulked. Padme kept her eyes on the caff table, debating whether small talk or retreat was preferable.

The question was sudden, shattering the increasingly tense silence: "Why Padme?"

Her head shot up towards the source. Obi-Wan's face was inscrutable though his tone had been politely curious.

"What do you mean?"

He glanced over towards Anakin, before flicking his eyes back to her. "Why did you choose the name Padme? Why not another one?"

Confusion slowed her response, "Because it's my name. Padme Nabarrie. Amidala is my regnal name."

Again, his eyes flicked over towards Anakin. Confused, she followed his gaze this time. Anakin was still slumped in his chair, but he'd exchanged dejected for suspicious.

Brows furrowed, he queried, "What's a reg-nul name?"

"It's the name I took when I took public office."

"So…Amidala…that's not your real name. Padme is." He was looking for affirmation.

She nodded.

Anakin leaned forward, "Really?"

"Yes, really." What did I say that made Anakin happy—or rather, less angry? What is it about my -? And then it hit her, Because it means I really told the truth. Something eased in her chest, amazed at the difference that could be made by such a small detail. She shot Obi-Wan a grateful look, which he caught with a nod and a weary quirk of the lips.

"My name's really Padme," she repeated. That seemed to be enough to gain his forgiveness because all of his animation came back in a rush. What had happened to make Anakin so suspicious? He'd been so trusting before…

"So I can still call you that?"

"In public you must always call me by my titles, either ma'am or Your Majesty—"

The child waved it blithely away, "Does that mean I can call you Padme now?"

This time Obi-Wan leaned back, quirking his palms up. This is up to you, his body language read. She narrowed her eyes before turning to address her whirlwind companion. Before she knew it, she'd spent what was left of her break debating names and titles with Anakin instead of taking that nap she'd planned. When she finally dragged herself away, it was with a far lighter heart.


AN: Compliments? Questions? Concerns? Criticisms? Note them below and then click "Post Review."

Sorry, no Palpatine Plotting in this chapter, just scene setting and character maneuvering. But, thanks to everyone who reviewed, he hasn't managed to take over the galaxy yet! Congrats :D

Let me know what you thought! (or how you feel if you aren't much inclined to thinking, I accept either/both)