Sabe found herself staring down the clone officer assigned to stand before the airlock doors of Amidala's bedchamber. This one looked the same as all the others, of course—but the Imperial High Chancellor had proclaimed that no member of any security force attending her household would be allowed to wear a helmet within her sight. Sighing, Sabe shifted her weight impatiently and crossed her arms. It had always been her custom to await permission before entering her chamber. This time though, Sabe awaited access from the physician who was checking over Amidala to make certain that she could receive the children. She hadn't been waiting long when the door finally opened and the physician Liral waved her inside. He was a short, stocky man with thinning hair and heavily rounded features. He was a servant of the Empire, as well as a sneak and a spy. Sabe mentally readied herself for another go-round with him. It was best to stay on your toes with this one. Liral's presence was one more way for the Emperor to keep an eye on the household of the High Chancellor. Not only did he need Amidala's unwavering loyalty to keep the senate under his influence, he also needed her allegiance to secure that of her very powerful children.
"Good evening, Sabe."
"Good evening, Liral. How fares milady?"
"Much better than I initially anticipated at this time in her treatments." The physician dragged a hand wearily across his face.
"Oh?" Sabe asked quietly, though her eyes kept darting to the door of the fresher where Kinlaee had finally taken Amidala for her bath.
"Yes, as I'm sure you noticed, she is beginning to regain her strength in much less time than it took before."
"After nearly eleven years, she can almost sit up on her own after thirteen hours of bacta immersions in three days. Quite impressive." Sabe said coolly. The physician glared at her sarcasm.
"I believe the Chancellor is well enough to receive her children this evening. Since I have so ascertained her condition, may I be dismissed?" he asked coldly.
"Of course, have a pleasant evening." Sabe turned her back on him coldly and made for the fresher to see if she could help.
The room wasn't so depressing when the lights were on, and every one of them blazed brilliantly, as though trying to dispel the lingering feeling of gloom and illness before the children could see it. Sabe found that Kinlaee had already lain out her mistress's bodysuit, so Sabe moved to the fresher door and pressed the chime.
"Who is it?" Kinlaee asked loudly.
"Sabe. Need any help?" she asked, kneeling before the door to be heard through it.
"Yes, please!" the handmaiden called eagerly. Sabe eagerly stepped inside, squinting to see through the steam. She found Kinlaee and Amidala on the stairs of the whirlpool, both looked up at her in relief.
"Thank you so much, Sabe. It's a great deal easier to have help."
"I understand." Sabe peeled off her house slippers and socks before tucking up her skirts and wading into the water. "What are we doing?"
"My hair," Amidala said softly. Sabe looked to her in surprise; perhaps she had not given enough credit to Liral, she sounded more like herself now than she had a few hours ago.
"I think we can handle that." Sabe held out both hands to the Chancellor, who eyed her suspiciously. "We'll need to be in deeper water, milady."
"How do I know you won't just dunk me?" she asked calmly. Kinlaee looked appalled; but Sabe only laughed.
"I never did pay you back for that, did I?" she waggled her fingers at Amidala. "You'll just have to trust me, won't you?"
Between Sabe and Kinlaee, they had no problems finishing Amidala's bath. Together, they lifted her out of the water and set her on a padded chair under the heat lamps while they rubbed her down with a towel. Sabe sent Kinlaee out to get her bodysuit, and picked up a comb to try and make sense of her tangled hair.
"Been a long time since I did this, huh?" Sabe asked finally into the silence, and her mistress smiled, snuggling further into her towels.
"Thankfully! You were more merciless with the comb than Sache or Eirtae."
"You moved too much." Sabe retorted, though she made a special point of working meticulously through a knot.
"Oh, Sabe, I have missed you." Amidala sighed.
"I've been here, milady." Sabe said absently. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Then let's say I missed being here."
Sabe looked up when her lady's hand came to rest on top of her own. It was thin, and bony, and the skin was callused and dry, but her grip was strong. Sabe smiled at the strength of her grasp. "Thank you, Sabe."
Sabe opened her mouth to return the thanks, but closed it as Kinlaee returned with the bodysuit and bubbling about the children.
"—you'll be so surprised at how they've grown, m'lady!"
"I'm sure they have." She whispered softly, and Sabe was happy to see that the news pleased her. Together, both handmaidens got Amidala to her feet and into her bodysuit. It was designed to keep her temperature at a constant level of warmth, for her frail, damaged body had proved long ago unable to support itself without assistance.
Sabe hurriedly finished combing out Amidala's hair, and both women were pleased to find that it wasn't nearly as damaged as they had thought.
"Let's go, Sabe!" Amidala finally exploded when the handmaiden reached out to put a trace amount of make-up on her; to hide the paleness of her features. Sabe grinned, and conceded.
"All right, Kinlaee. Let's get her back in bed."
"I want to walk." Amidala asserted stubbornly.
"You know how it tires you. Do you want to walk, or save your energy for the children?"
Amidala pretended to consider it, and then whispered; "Help me."
Sabe and Kinlaee wasted no time in picking her up and carrying her into her bedchamber. They set her on the bed, and settled her beneath the covers. Sabe hooked up her monitors, while Kinlaee bustled about picking up the towels and separating them into the wash.
"Are you ready, milady?"
"Yes, yes." She answered impatiently. Sabe hid a smile, and moved to the door.
"Let them in." she called, and the lieutenant opened the door. Luke shyly peeked around the corner, and Leia was directly behind him.
"Is it okay, Sabe?" he asked quietly.
"Of course, she's been waiting to see you. Come on, Luke." Sabe offered her hands to both children and led them inside.
"Hello, my little ones." Amidala called cheerfully, and Sabe gratefully released Leia's hand so she could run to her side.
"Hi Mama," The girl leaned in close to kiss her cheek, and Luke moved to her other side and did the same.
"Hi Mom," He offered. Padme patted the covers and both twins obligingly clambered up onto the bed.
"My, you have grown." She mused.
Leia giggled, but Luke only gave a ghost of a smile. "How are you, Mom?" he pressed.
"I am feeling better, Luke." Padme took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Really."
"Mama?" Leia snuggled close to her mother and urgently tapped her arm. "Guess what?"
"What?" Padme took Leia's hand and held it tightly as she leaned back into the pillows propped behind her.
"I got the highest marks ever this semester!" she bubbled, and Sabe smiled. Not to be outdone, Luke snatched his mother's other hand and both twins animatedly shared their academic achievements. True to his word, Luke said nothing of his new appointment to the Executor. Sabe stood quietly in the background. She kept half an eye on the children, and the other on the monitors set in the wall panel. After about half an hour, Sabe could see Amidala's vital signs begin to change. She looked tired, sinking slowly deeper into her nest of pillows. Sabe sensed Liral enter from behind and tap his chrono in silent admonition.
"All right," Sabe interrupted quietly, "your mother needs her rest, and so do you." Both children looked down, suddenly shy.
"Of course," Luke slid off the bed and turned, only to stop when she squeezed his hand.
"I love you, Luke."
"I love you too, Mom." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, and when she returned it he released her hand and bounded toward the door. Leia kissed and hugged her goodnight and followed her twin.
"Go ahead and get ready for bed." Sabe called behind them.
"Okay. Good night, Mom!" the twins chorused. Their footsteps echoed down the cavernous halls as they raced to their rooms.
"Good night." Amidala called quietly. Liral quietly moved to her side and began rechecking the monitors. Apparently finding nothing amiss, he bowed.
"Good night, Milady." He said.
"Good night." She returned.
Sabe stepped forward as Liral left, helping Amidala lie back down in her bed and pull the covers up about her. She looked drained, but happier than she had been in a very long time.
"Do you need anything, Milady?" Sabe asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed and brushing her hair away from her face.
"No, thank you." Amidala's eyes had closed; her words were slurred, she was asleep already.
"Good night, Milady." She whispered fondly. Sabe stood, gliding soundlessly to the monitor panel and checking her vitals one last time. Everything was as it should be.
When Sabe woke the next morning, she felt as though her head had been put into a vice. Her whole body ached, and a feeling of cold dread had settled about her. The chime to her private quarters sounded, and she quickly got to her feet to answer it.
To her surprise, Kinlaee was standing in front of her door with her hair disheveled and a houserobe that had been hastily donned. She bowed, bobbing up and down quickly. Her eyes were enormous and her face pale. For a moment, Sabe feared that the worst had come to pass, that Amidala had slipped away in her sleep.
"My apologies for waking you," Her words ran together in haste, "but I thought you should know the Emperor is on final approach and is expected to land within minutes. He has asked to see Milady."
Sabe sighed to herself, then schooled to her features to something guileless.
"Of course we must be ready to receive him. Stir the household if you would, Kinlaee, and then come help me in Amidala's chambers. We must make her ready as well."
Kinlaee bowed, and then flew off to wake the household. Halfway down the corridor, she came to an abrupt halt and called back; "What of the children?"
"Wake them as well, and see that they are suitably dressed to see the Emperor, should he ask for them." Sabe said firmly. Before Kinlaee could come up with another question for her, Sabe hurriedly disappeared back into her chamber and dressed in the first set of robes she could find. She pulled her hair back, stuffed her feet into a pair of shoes and raced out the door to Amidala's chamber.
"Kinlaee?" Sabe activated her commlink as she moved quickly down the corridor. "How long until the Emperor arrives?"
"Fifteen minutes at most."
"Copy." Sabe bit her lip. "Make certain that Luke is in his Academy attire. It pleases the Emperor to see an Empire Youth. And that Leia is not in anything overly frilly. Perhaps she should wear a school uniform as well, to make certain the Emperor is given the impression of an obedient child."
"I will do my best."
"Make haste to Milady's chambers when you are finished."
"Yes, Sabe."
Sabe motioned for the sentry to open the door as soon as she rounded the corner. The air seals hissed, and as soon as Sabe moved in as the guard resealed the room. Sabe brought the lights up to an acceptable level before crossing to the bedside. Amidala was still asleep, as her scheduled waking hour was nearly an hour later at 0900. Her vitals looked better than they had the night before and Sabe was loathe to wake her, but there was no point in taking the risk of offending the Emperor.
"Milady?" Sabe gently shook her shoulder, took her hand and squeezed it firmly. "Milady?"
Amidala stirred slowly, her eyes fluttered open, then closed again under the harsh light. She looked confused—she was not accustomed to being so rudely awakened first thing in the morning.
"Sabe?" she mumbled.
"Yes, milady, I'm sorry to wake you. We received word that the Emperor has decided to pay you a visit."
"How nice." She mumbled incoherently, closing her eyes again. Sabe kept up a running conversation with her while she piled the pillows against the head of the bed. She ignored Amidala's cry of pain as she roughly picked her up and eased her against them, propping her in a sitting position.
"I'm sorry, Milady." She murmured. She rechecked all the monitors and wires to make certain nothing was being pinched off or blocked. Amidala leaned her head back tiredly as far as it would go, but she couldn't quite get to a comfortable angle to doze off again. She watched Sabe under half-lidded eyes as she puttered about the room, picking up debris and straightening the chamber. She rummaged about in a closet and came up with a houserobe that was marginally acceptable when compared to her plain bodysuit and slipped it on over the top of it.
"Could you sit up, milady?" Sabe helped as Amidala pushed herself up feebly. Sitting beside her, she motioned for her to face away. Sabe hurriedly unbraided and rebraided her hair. She longed to put some conditioner and detangler in, it was so brittle and stiff. But it would have to do.
"Sabe?" Kinlaee was breathless. "The Emperor has arrived."
"Milady is ready to receive him." Sabe said smoothly. "See his escort down here, Kinlaee."
"Yes, Sabe."
Sabe leaned in close to Amidala. "How are we doing?"
Amidala coughed, and Sabe made to ready the ventilator mask, but she waved it away. "Same as always." she wheezed, and Sabe grinned. Amidala's eyes sparkled warmly, and Sabe felt relieved.
"That bad, huh?" She smiled fondly at her friend, and smoothed her hair away from her brow. "Are you ready to receive him?"
"Isn't it a little late to ask?" Amidala was skirting sleep again; she peered at her friend through half-lidded eyes that thankfully still shone with mirth.
"Better late than never." Sabe snorted softly.