The shuffling of booted feet on mosaic tile always made Sabe tremble. She could recall where she had stood at the base of the Palace's steps on the day Naboo fell to the Empire; feeling the subtle tremor of booted feet marching down the promenade. Wave after wave of stormtroopers had marched down the streets to stand at every corner and their white armor seemed like a premature frost that slowly lulled their beautiful world to sleep.
Sabe shivered involuntarily as she thought back to the feeling of dread that had washed over her when she had awakened earlier. The Imperial Guard filed in, taking up silent positions near the door both the inside and out. Sabe clutched at Amidala's hand reflexively and she squeezed back as firmly as she could. She was trembling. The door to Amidala's hyperbaric chamber hissed open, and Sabe braced herself for the inevitable chill the Emperor's presence seemed to bring to mind whenever he was in the room.
Whether a result of the Jedi's assassination attempt as he claimed, or merely a result of his own decaying flesh, the Emperor's gait had long since been reduced to an awkward shuffle. His gaunt, bent frame seemed to slither through the doorway. He pushed his hood back, and his yellow eyes took in Amidala and Sabe, still seated beside her. His wrinkled, desiccated face stole her breath and turned her stomach.
"How are you, my dear?" Emperor Palpatine asked sympathetically. Sabe felt her insides twist as the Emperor moved to Amidala's bedside and took her hand. She longed to bat at him, to knock Amidala's hand from his grasp and take her—all of them to a place far away, where they could no longer feel his presence. If there was such a place left in the universe.
"I am no worse than before, Your Majesty." Amidala said quietly. Her eyes were obediently downcast, her voice was meek and submissive. Sabe longed, irrationally, to strike her mistress; to goad her into action once more. But she suppressed it. She always suppressed it.
"I have heard from your physicians that your condition has grown worse again." He croaked, and Sabe winced. His yellow eyes roamed over Amidala's slouched form.
"It is nothing, Your Majesty. Merely an indisposition. I thank you for your concern." Amidala's other hand was still curled in Sabe's, she was gripping it so tightly that her knuckles had turned white and her palm was slick with sweat. She knew what was coming, they both did. As it happened so many times when she had fallen ill for an extended period of time, the Emperor came. He would send Sabe away, indeed, all of Amidala's staff. He would transfer his own power to her, infusing her with his dark energy so that her mangled body might survive another day. So that she would once again be useful to his Empire.
Amidala had admitted once, shortly after the first visit that she would have rather died than be so used, but for the sake of her children she lingered. Sabe felt her stomach heave when Palpatine barked his order for her to leave. Sabe rose, a true servant of the Empire, and bowed deeply. She tore her hand from Amidala's desperate grasp and moved blindly into the hall. Face turned away in shame, she could see Kinlaee's terrified expression mirrored her own as the door closed tightly behind her.
Sabe had stood limply in the hall for a few moments, straining to listen. But she heard nothing, only the hiss of the oxygen supply moving through the vents. The Emperor would emerge when he was finished with Amidala. He would leave her asleep, as he had so many times before, and when she woke she would be ill for the remainder of the day, perhaps two. She would sleep through the night, and awaken a true servant of the Empire. Brilliant, focused, dedicated, yet she would be a shadow of the woman she had been before, focused on furthering the Emperor's grasp on the galaxy. As she had once said herself, the more the Empire tightened its grip, the more star systems would slip through their fingers. But as long as the children remained within his reach, she would never stir herself to do something about it.
Sabe wiped at the tears on her cheeks, ran her fingers through her hair. She smoothed her robes and motioned for Kinlaee to follow her.
"Where are the children?" she asked quietly. "I expect that the Emperor will see Luke."
"They were aware of his arrival, and agreed to dress themselves appropriately and wait in the breakfast room." Kinlaee smoothly joined her as she walked away to the safety of the main residence.
"Very good." Sabe said, sweeping down the stairs and heading toward the breakfast room on the left. The children were seated, picking unhappily at their morning meals. Both looked up the instant Sabe entered, and rose, but Sabe motioned them back into their seats.
"Eat, please. There's no news as yet."
"Is he here to help Mother?" Leia asked anxiously, and Sabe took a deep breath. Amidala had never really explained her relationship with the Emperor to the children. They simply understood that she was a servant to the Empire, as they all were. They assumed that because she served so closely with him, that he was a good friend and mentor. Palpatine had more or less assumed the role of a distant father-figure with Leia, and seemed a patient mentor to Luke. Whether or not Amidala had taken notice, Sabe could see that he was grooming Luke as his heir.
"Yes, I believe so. He asked to be alone with her, so I came to see how you were doing." Sabe settled down beside them. "Eat, please."
They reluctantly settled down and resumed picking at their food. Both seemed subdued, their expressions far more serious than they should have been for children of their tender years. Luke, in particular seemed a little more anxious than Leia, squirming about once in a while with a pained look on his face. When they had both finished their meals, Sabe sent Leia to her studies and quietly pulled him aside.
"What is it, Luke?" she asked.
"I…" he looked upset, and she knelt down before him. "I can feel Mother. She's in pain." His lip quivered, and Sabe hugged him tightly.
"From her injuries?" Or the Emperor? Sabe dared not speak that thought aloud. Thinking it seemed treasonous enough.
"Yes, I think so. The Emperor will heal her, won't he?" Luke turned his little face up, his eyes searching hers.
"I believe he will do what he can." Sabe said sincerely. Luke nodded, slowly, and turned to enter his study room.
"Luke?" she asked, and he looked back at her. "You will let me know if you feel anything else from her?"
"Of course." He smiled bravely, and Sabe smiled back. The door to his alcove slid shut, and Sabe wrapped her arms about herself and squeezed as tightly as she could. There was only time to wait, now.
The day had seemed interminable. Luke and Leia had somehow been more patient than she herself had, they had finished their studies in a timely fashion, eaten lunch, and settled down for a game of holochess. Once in a while, Sabe found Luke sitting quietly, with his eyes closed, and his eyes squinted in pain. She wondered at it, almost gathering the courage to ask him about it, but then he would open his eyes and resume his play. Sabe found that she was not the only one preoccupied with the Emperor's presence. The household staff had been found wandering the halls as well, and there were so many of them standing in vigil that Sabe had finally broken down and allowed anyone who wished to remain in wait for their mistress a reprieve from their duties.
It was late in the evening when the Emperor finally emerged from Amidala's chambers, his desiccated face greyer, his yellow eyes more sinister than before. He motioned his guard to precede him to his transport. Sabe held the children's hands as she guided them to the hall where the Emperor would make his way past. They pressed close to the wall, and each bowed deeply before him. He didn't speak, only stared at them while pulling his hood over his head. His eyes seemed to bore into Luke's, but the boy only stared straight ahead, neither meeting his gaze nor averting his eyes. To his credit, he didn't even flinch when the Emperor's gaze took his measure from the inside out. With his hood drawn, and his frightening features half-hidden, he motioned Luke toward him. He bounded forward obediently, and Sabe released his hand with difficulty. The child fell into step behind the Emperor's red-robed guards as they made their way to the entrance. Leia shivered as they passed through the doors, Luke's presence must have passed beyond some barrier within the Force that she could not breach. Sabe held her hand tightly, though she was uncertain who she was trying to reassure, the child or herself. With the Emperor's departure, the residence was eerily silent when the doors closed. Rousing herself, Sabe took a deep breath, feeling as though the weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she could move about freely at last.. Without another moment of hesitation, she bolted for the entrance to Amidala's hyperbaric chamber.
Heart pounding fiercely, Sabe tried to ignore her rising fear as the sentry keyed the code for entry to Amidala's chamber. Somewhere behind her she could hear running footsteps. As soon as the pressure seals unlocked, Sabe slipped inside when the door was wide enough. She hit the light switch, bringing the lights up as she moved to Amidala's bedside. She was slumped over in the bed, her face pale, her breathing erratic. Sabe's eyes flew to the monitors, which were disconnected. Amidala made a choking sound, as she slid to her side and Sabe felt her heart leap into her throat.
"Kinlaee! Get Liral up here now!" She yelled.
"I'm on it!" Kinlaee rushed to the commstation while Sabe frantically checked her pulse. It was very fast. Sabe carefully settled her back in bed and reconnected the monitors. The monitors lit up as the readings came in and Sabe felt her own heart rate speed up. The monitors started beeping as well, their pitch increasing steadily until it was a shrill warning.
"Kinlaee! Quickly!" she called urgently. So focused was she on the unmoving figure in the bed that she didn't notice Leia, who moved forward, her small features frightened but determined. Kinlaee tumbled back into the room, her sallow expression seeming to become pastier by the moment. She made her way to Amidala's bedside and began fidgeting with the monitors and leads. Both handmaidens watched as Leia slowly made her way to her mother's bedside, and reached out with her small hands. Sabe opened her mouth to order her out, but something in Leia's eyes took her voice away. She rested her palms on her mother's arm, then started running her fingers up and down it. She sat down on the side of the bed, and expanded her touch, running her small fingers up onto her face and tracing the lines around her mouth and eyes. Sabe watched, fascinated, as the monitors on the wall above began to flicker and change. They were improving; her breathing and heart rate were slowing. And then the monitor fell silent, its shrill warning a distant memory. Sabe felt her breath catch, she sagged against the wall. Leia slowly removed her fingers, and shivered. There were tears on her cheeks, and she shuddered for breath. She wiped away her tears, and took her mother's hands.
"Mama?" she asked quietly.
Amidala shifted, her eyes opened. Color crept back into her features, like the first hint of sunlight over the horizon. She blinked, and smiled gently. Kinlaee burst into tears, and Sabe felt like doing the same, but she settled for watching in silence.
"Are you all right, Mama?" Leia asked fearfully, and Sabe sank down on the bed beside her to pull her close. The child was trembling and Sabe hugged her tightly.
"Of course I'm all right." Amidala whispered, reaching out to brush Leia's cheek with her fingers. She blinked glassy eyes in sleepy confusion. Something like concern crossed her features, but she was too tired to pursue it. Her eyes slid closed again despite her effort to keep them open, and she sank back into sleep.
"I'm glad you're all right." Leia said, and slumped back into Sabe's warmth gratefully. Sabe held her, squeezing her. "She's okay, Sabe."
"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." Sabe whispered reverently. Leia smiled wanly, and Sabe carefully picked her up and settled her beside her mother. She drew the covers up about them. Kinlaee hovered in the background, checking and rechecking the monitors.
"Kinlaee, see if you can find any sign of what her readings were before the Emperor's arrival. Liral may need that information." She mouthed, and the other girl nodded before racing from the room.
"I helped Mama." Leia mumbled drowsily.
"Yes, you did." Sabe whispered, smoothing her wavy hair back. Footsteps pounded down the corridor outside, and Sabe looked up to find Liral standing in the doorway. He was out of breath, his eyes fixed on the monitors over the bed.
"Sabe?" he managed breathlessly. "What has happened? Kinlaee told me it was urgent—"
"Everything is all right, Liral." She paused for a moment, squeezing Leia's shoulder reassuringly before standing. She watched as Leia shifted in the bed and stilled again, before giving her attention to the physician.
"The Emperor has healed her." she began. "Shortly after he left, we arrived to find her in a state of distress." She watched Liral carefully. She did not trust him, she never had. He was a servant of the Empire. "But Leia came in. Milady must have taken comfort in her presence, for her readings began to stabilize."
"Lady Sabe!" Kinlaee was running down the corridor, and her shrill voice echoed off the vaulted ceiling. "This is incredible! Sabe!"
"Calm yourself, Kinlaee. Milady is fine, and there is no need to fuss." She called out.
"I have copies of her records. Would you believe that although her condition has improved in many ways, in others she has actually regressed--" Kinlaee burst in the doorway holding a stack of datapads. "There is now a great deal of evidence to suggest that the Emperor may have doing something all along to impede her healing—"
Kinlaee froze as she realized that the physician was standing next to Sabe. Her pale face whitened still further, and her eyes widened until Sabe feared they would pop out of her head.
"You suspect the Emperor of some impediment to the High Chancellor's healing process?" he asked coolly. Kinlaee looked to the floor, swallowing nervously. Sabe, to her credit did not bat an eye.
"Kinlaee!" Sabe put enough emphasis into her tone to reflect a certain amount of horror. "How could you suspect the Emperor of trying to harm Milady? He has only ever tried to help her overcome her illness!" Sabe pretended to start forward in fury, only to find Liral was already in motion. He slapped the girl sharply, and Sabe just managed to hide her cringe. Kinlaee was crying, a hand pressed to her stinging cheek. She had dropped her datapads, and was whimpering.
"You incompetent fool! Sabe!" Liral roared, whirling about to face the other handmaiden. Sabe refused to flinch, she met his gaze coolly.
"Yes?" she asked politely. She pretended to level a fierce stare at poor Kinlaee. Liral stared at her, furrowing his brow as he contemplated Sabe's involvement. At some point, he must have realized he would have to wait another day to catch Sabe off guard. As it was for the moment, she was an excellent actress, and Sabe knew as well as he did that the security cams had just recorded their entire conversation.
"Have you known this girl to be a rebel sympathizer before?" He asked finally.
"Certainly not! I would never have hired her for Milady's handmaiden if I had any inkling that she might have been sympathetic to the rebel cause." Liral stared at her for a moment before his eyes fell and he scrubbed at his throat for a moment, lost in thought. He walked carefully over to Amidala's bedside, picked up her wrist and checked her pulse. He set her hand down slowly, then looked back up to the monitors and pursed his lips. Kinlaee folded into a heap, trembling violently as she leaned against the doorway. Amidala stirred to wakefulness once more at the physician's touch.
"Liral?" she murmured.
"Yes, milady?" he asked dutifully. Sabe circled the bed and settled down beside her mistress.
"What are--?" she asked in confusion. Sabe smoothed her brittle hair away from her face.
"I'm merely checking your condition. The Emperor has healed you, milady." A sinister look came over Liral's face, and Sabe sighed imperceptibly. "Do you have any reason to believe that the Emperor would ever harm you, milady?"
Amidala's look of sleepy confusion gave way to dawning understanding. She made to sit up a little, and Sabe assisted her, piling pillows behind her. She swept the stray strands of her hair away from her face; took in Leia, who was sleeping beside her. She leaned down and fondly kissed her daughter's forehead. She eyed Kinlaee, who was standing in the doorway. Sabe could see the Emperor's influence already, her eyes narrowed, distant, cold, her jaw set in anger.
"Of course not." She said firmly. Liral nodded. Amidala's mien was firm, impregnable. "The Emperor would certainly have no cause to harm me. I could never suspect him capable of such an act; he has been a friend and supporter of mine since I was a child."
Liral shifted his gaze to Sabe, who finally spoke up on her own. "I believe the Emperor only has Milady's best interests at heart."
"It would seem that the Handmaiden Kinlaee is a subversive, and a rebel sympathizer." Liral rubbed his chin thoughtfully, eyeing Sabe shrewdly. She met his gaze steadily, and he finally looked away. Striding forward, he moved to the sentry standing in the hall. He turned back to face Amidala, who nodded imperceptibly.
"On behalf of the High Chancellor, I order you to arrest the handmaiden Kinlaee." He commanded, and the trooper reached out his arms and tugged her into his grip. With great effort Sabe managed to remain utterly still as she desperately tried to hide her revulsion. Sabe turned her attention to checking Amidala surreptitiously.
"How are you feeling, Milady?" she asked gently.
Amidala shrugged, her brown eyes were cold, unfeeling. "A bit tired, perhaps. Far better than I did before the Emperor's visit. " She said after a moment. "Stronger."
"That is wonderful." Sabe said, smiling. "Do you need anything?"
"A few hours of rest and quiet."
"Of course." Sabe stood, curtseying slightly. "Should I return Leia to her own bed, Milady?"
Amidala hesitated. For the first time since she fully woke, her mask of cool indifference seemed to falter. Her children were the High Chancellor's one weakness.
"Yes, I suppose you should. She would be more comfortable." Amidala looked around the room before looking back to Sabe. "Where's Luke?"
"He has accompanied the Emperor, milady. Would you like me to send him in when he returns?" Sabe carefully picked Leia up and held her close.
"If it is not too late." Amidala slid back down in her bedclothes and flipped onto her stomach. She grunted, very faintly, when she got tangled in one of the leads coming out of her arm, but managed to untangle it without Sabe's assistance. She gave a deep sigh, and tugged the blankets up over her head. Less than a minute later, and Sabe could hear her breathing slowing. She was asleep already, and it was a clear dismissal for Sabe, who smirked despite the gravity of the situation. Taking careful, slow steps, Sabe balanced Leia's sleeping weight carefully and made her way to the door. She could hear raised voices, and rapid footsteps echoing on the Nubian tile. Most of the household was coming to stand in silent vigil, each eagerly awaiting the kill. Leia shifted, and woke in confusion. She struggled briefly to free herself, but paused when she twisted in Sabe's arms and realized she could see the entire household standing around them. She froze; her eyes darting to find one of her mother's handmaidens standing in the center of the room. Poor Kinlaee was crying, a trooper held both of her arms behind her back and marched her forward.
"Leia, I want you to listen to me." Sabe whispered urgently. "Don't look, honey." She held her tightly, and pressed Leia's head back into the crook of her neck. "I want you to close your eyes and cover your ears. Do you understand?"
"Sabe, " she began, but Sabe shushed her.
"I don't want you to see what happens next. Promise me?" Sabe pleaded.
"What has she done, Sabe?" Leia whispered.
"She is a traitor to the Empire. She is a rebel sympathizer." Sabe longed to tell Leia the truth, Kinlaee wasn't any of those things. She was a good, decent person who had been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now she was going to die.
"Then she deserves to die." Leia whispered. Despite her words, Leia's brown eyes were filled with compassionate understanding. Sabe smoothed her hair, and whispered her request again to Leia, who nodded and closed her eyes. The only sounds in the room were Kinlaee's muted sobs and the scuffling footsteps of the household as they tightened the circle in expectation. Sabe pressed Leia's hands over her ears, and tried to subtly move to the back of the group, but found she was blocked in. Liral motioned for the guard to push Kinlaee to her knees on the tile. He moved to stand beside her, raising his arms to call attention to himself.
"Kinlaee, handmaiden to the High Chancellor, you are accused of high treason by your senior. You have cast suspicion upon His Imperial Majesty. You have impugned his character by suggesting his presence in the High Chancellor's healing chambers was anything but his benevolent desire to help her." Liral was grandstanding now, waving his arms about. His voice warmed as he continued extolling the enormity of her crime. It didn't help that the security cams were recording the entire event. The Emperor himself would likely be replaying the scenario, and ordering it sent out over the Holonet.
"Have you anything to say in your own defense?" Liral asked. Kinlaee opened her mouth, but the trooper pressed in closer to her and with his presence looming over her, the girl said nothing. She looked up to the ceiling and sighed, shakily.
"Has anyone else any desire to defend the handmaiden Kinlaee?" Liral asked with false generosity. No one spoke. Sabe felt tears threaten, but managed to keep her expression stern. Liral was speaking again, and Sabe spared a look down to the child in her arms. The household began pressing in closer, and Liral pretended to shake his head sadly.
"You have not defended yourself, and none have spoken in your defense. You are thereby found guilty of high treason, handmaiden Kinlaee." Liral motioned to the guard, who removed his ceremonial saber and held it out for him. Kinlaee was staring at the floor in resignation; she didn't even acknowledge the man standing above her. "For treason, the punishment is death."
Sabe felt sorry for the girl, but didn't dare show it. She concentrated on remaining stern, even angry. The household looked on; a sort of sickening excitement pervaded the air. They enjoyed the punishments meted out by the Imperial Guard. Liral took up the saber with a relish, flicking the saber on. He stood before Kinlaee, holding the blade out away from his body. And then suddenly, he looked up, and his cold eyes found Sabe.
"Handmaiden Sabe. You are Kinlaee's senior. Perhaps it is your place to remove this cancerous threat to the Empire." Liral offered the hilt of the blade to Sabe, who felt the bile rise in her throat. In her arms, Leia sat up sharply. Sabe longed to plead that it was not something she could do while the child was in the room, but realized it would be futile. Death was a way of life in the Empire, if you committed an act against the Empire, you died. This was not the first such death Leia had witnessed in the High Chancellor's household, and it would not be the last. Sabe carefully set Leia on her feet, and stepped away from her. With a confidence she didn't feel, Sabe took up the saber, and looked down on the poor serving girl.
"I will do my duty to the Empire." She intoned solemnly. Sabe raised the blade to a classic offensive position and did her best to make the severing blow as quick and painless as possible. The hissing of the lightsaber rose to a steady thrum as Sabe brought the weapon to bear. Kinlaee's head rolled slowly across the floor, her gray eyes stared sightlessly into Sabe's own. Leia remained unmoved, her brown eyes were dull. She took in Kinlaee's severed head dispassionately as she reached up to take Sabe's hand. The execution ended, most of the household began to return to their duties. Smiling, Liral took the saber from Sabe's lifeless fingers as he made to leave and returned it to the guard, who went back to his post. Sabe remained in the corridor for a moment. Still clutching Leia's hand, she slowly knelt down beside Kinlaee's headless body and quickly said an ancient prayer for the poor girl's soul.