"Duchess Satine," a guard greeted the Duchess as he approached her in the courtyard, "The Prime Minister has arrived. He requests to speak with you."
"Yes, thank you," she replied politely, attempting to hide the anxiousness in her voice, "I'll be along shortly."
"He requests the audience now, your highness."
Satine took a look behind her at where Talla walked with Nadine at her side, who was now growing far faster than Satine would like. She sighed and followed the guard inside, knowing that her child would be fine. As she entered the palace's conference chamber, she was Prime Minister Almec standing by one of the large windows overlooking the grounds.
"Prime Minister," she greeted, "What an unexpected surprise. What can I do for you?"
"Duchess Satine," he turned to face her with a solemn expression, "I wish I could say I was here under better circumstances, but I'm afraid our situation has worsened."
"What? What has happened?"
"It's the Republic Duchess," he explained, "The war between the Republic and Separatists has only grown worse. They are now in a full state of war, not some minor squabble halfway across the galaxy."
"This isn't news, Almec," she responded, "We knew this would happen. It was for this reason that we claimed neutrality for Mandalore."
"Therein lies the problem, Duchess. The Republic has seen our neutrality and decided that, in the interest of the war, trade with a neutral system is damaging to resources better suited for allies."
"What are you saying?" she insisted, worry growing on her face.
"The Republic has broken their trade agreements with the whole of the Mandalore system. Satine...they won't help us anymore. We're on our own."
"We depend upon Republic trade! They simply cannot do this!"
"You know I have always stood by your idea of neutrality, Duchess," Almec reminded her, "But this is the result, it seems. We need to make preparations immediately."
"Preparations? And what are we preparing for?" she huffed, growing more frustrated by the second.
"We're too close to this now. We need to prepare to be completely self-reliant as long as we can. It will need to be a unified effort. There will have to be rationing-"
"Rationing? Almec, we need to fight this. The Republic will not do this to us! I will speak to them myself if I must!"
"Perhaps that would be wise, Duchess. Surely, if they saw our situation more clearly, we could change things here."
There was something dark in his voice, but Satine was blind to it as her mind raced. She paced in small steps, formulating a plan. As the Duchess, she would need to address the Republic senate about this, for the good of Mandalore.
"There is...one more thing to discuss, Satine," Almec added hesitantly.
Satine turned back to him and looked at him expectantly.
"There has been some talk…"
"Talk?"
"How old is your daughter now, Satine?"
"What's the meaning of this question, Almec? What's going on?"
"In a trying time such as this, you cannot have people doubting or questioning your house, Duchess. Now, you have an unexplained child that you keep hidden behind these walls, away from your own people. It doesn't bode well and people are talking."
The offense on her face was clear as she watched his face. He was telling her the truth, regardless of whether or not she wanted to hear it.
"What would you have me do?" she worried, reminding herself that his job was to counsel her for the good of their people.
That was, after all, what she needed to care about, more than anything or anyone.
"The way I see it," Almec answered with a sigh, "You can tell people the truth about this child...or you can send her away until this all blows over."
"What?!" she snapped slightly, before remembering to regain her composure, "I cannot send my daughter away."
"It wouldn't be forever, Satine," he tried to reassure her sympathetically, "Only for a while. She could stay in one of many fine palaces owned by the royal family of Mandalore. There, she could be well educated, taken care of, and safe from this war."
"What you say sounds like reason, but it feels like exile. I...I can't."
"You would choose lying to your people over knowing that your child was safe and kept away from all of this danger and talk of even famine?"
"I need to think. I need time."
"We don't have it, Duchess. We must be ready."
With that, the Prime Minister took his leave of the conversation and left her to her thoughts. She resumed her minor pacing, even more anxious than before. This child was all she had left of a real family...or even the dying dream of one.
"Not my child," she choked out to whatever force of the universe would hear her, "Don't take my child. If she is to be...sent away, protect her. Bring her back to me."
There was too much to consider and no time left.
Satine walked back to the courtyard garden to find that Talla and Nadine were still there. Talla stood nervously at the base of a tall tree-like plant, watching in mild horror as the child climbed ever higher.
"Nadine!" Talla called, "Come back down this moment! You'll get hurt!"
"No!" the girl called back down, "I haven't reached the top yet."
The stubborn determination on the child's face was all too familiar to Satine. This child had more of her father in her than she ever would her mother.
"Adi," Satine called up calmly, using the girl's nickname, "What are you doing up there?"
"I'm so sorry, Milady. I tried to stop her and-" Tall explained, before being gently silenced by a calm gesture from Satine.
"Adi? What are you doing?" Satin asked again.
"I'm going on an adventure!" Nadine replied excitedly, "When I reach the top, I'll be able to see over the courtyard wall!"
"Why do you want to see over the wall?"
"To see the world, Mother! I want to see it!"
The simply reply was nearly enough to break Satine's heart. She knew when she gave birth to her daughter that it was likely the child wouldn't leave this palace. It was the only way she could personally insure the safety of her only child. Now, the child grew more every day, in age, intelligence, and curiosity. This wasn't a baby she could keep huddled to her chest anymore. This was a growing child of Mandalore, desperate to stretch boundaries and see what the universe had to give. Satine knew the truth; the universe brought war and destruction. As much as she wished on her life that she could shield her precious child from all of the darkness, no one had such power.
"Mother?" Adi called from her perch in the tree, "Why are you so sad?"
The girl quickly and skillfully scrambled down to the ground to look up at her mother directly.
"I'm sorry, Mama," she pleaded, "I didn't mean to make you sad. I just wanted to see."
"No, no, Adi," Satine shook her head with a weak smile, pulling the child into her arms, "You haven't done anything. I just- I have a decision to make, but maybe you can help me."
"I want to help!" Adi agreed, nodding excitedly.
"How would you...like to go away for a while?"
"Like on a trip? Away?"
"Yes, my love," Satine smiled hollowly, "On a trip. We have some family and another home, much like this one, but...away from here. You would go and stay with them for awhile. They'd take very good care of you. Even Talla would go with you."
Seeing Satine's poorly disguised hurt, Talla gave the Duchess a knowing nod and quickly put on a matching smile for the child's sake.
"Wouldn't that be exciting?" Satine asked.
"Yes, please! We'd go on adventures together, wouldn't we, Mama?"
"I'm sorry, Adi," Satine explained, her smile breaking even further, "I...I wouldn't be able to go with you."
"But...why not?"
"I have to stay here. I promised to take care of our home and our people," Satine continued, "It's my duty to stay."
"I don't want to go without you!" Adi protested, fear clear in her eyes.
"It would only be for a while, Nadine. Then you would come right home to me. Do you understand?"
"If I go away…" Adi wondered, "Will it help you save people?"
"I think it might," Satine admitted, both to herself and the child, "I would know that you were safe and protected, and I could do my job here. I don't want to be away from you. Please, know that."
"I'll go."
Satine was distraught, but the Prime Minister offered to personally assist in preparations in order to help with the difficult choice. The day came quickly, and Satine found herself standing on the landing platform as the transport ship was loaded, along with the two escort ships that were prepared to protect it on the journey. She kept a strong expression, yet tears flowed freely down her face. She watched as Talla walked with Nadine to the boarding ramp of the vessel, before Nadine turned around and ran from it, directly toward her. Nadine ran straight into her mother's arms, tears running down her face to mirror Satine.
"Goodbye, Mother," she sniffled.
Satine held her daughter tightly to her, not knowing when she would have the chance to do so again.
"Goodbye, my dear. For now."
"I'll be home soon," Nadine tried to reassure her, "I'll come home and help you protect our home! I promise!"
"That's very brave of you," Satine smiled sadly, wiping tears from Adi's face.
"Just watch. I'll come back and we'll take care of our people, like you always want. Like a family, right?"
"Of course."
Nadine offered the best smile she could, before returning to Talla's side. Talla gave Satine a sympathetic look, silently swearing to look after Nadine as until her dying day if she needed to. As they boarded the ship and it navigated away from the platform, Satine finally let out the choked sob that she'd been holding for so long.
"Be brave, Satine," Almec urged, walking up to her, "She will be safe. You did the right thing in protecting her."
Satine nodded, but made no move to leave the platform. She needed time. Time to think. Time to process. She was able to grant Nadine her wish; she would be able to see the world. She just never imagined that her only child wouldn't see the world until it was falling away from her in the distance.
Almec walked back into the palace, putting on a sad facade for the sake of the heartbroken Duchess. As he entered an empty hall, he hesitantly pulled a comm device from his pocket. After a long moment of consideration, he pressed the flashing button on the device.
"It's done," he sighed into the device, "She's on the ship."
"And the Duchess?" a voice answered back.
"She has no idea. Just...do your job."