Chapter Four – Banter.

With a head full of worrying thoughts, Sabé walked slowly around the ship. It was dull and monotonous, but it was a slight improvement to sitting in the throne room. She was beginning to understand why Panaka doubted her ability to portray Queen Amidala. Every decision she made sparked concerns that it was the wrong solution. With no way of checking with Padmé, she was even more anxious about her actions. She knew her cousin would never blame her if things turned out badly, which almost made it worse. Walking seemed to help calm her down, even though the space on board the ship was limited. She avoided the cockpit, which would most likely be where Captain Panaka was and she knew he would not approve of her wandering around.

She found Obi-Wan Kenobi reading a data pad in one of the social areas. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps and smiled politely. She smiled in return, more grateful to see a friendly face than she would have given herself credit for.

"Your Highness, are you all right?"

"Yes, thank you. The throne room was getting a little too claustrophobic for my liking so I decided to take a walk around the ship. Much to the disapproval of my handmaidens, I hardly need add."

Obi-Wan's smile broadened. "Well, Your Highness, you are welcome to join me."

"Thank you." Carefully she sat down, trying to smooth the multiple layers of her skirt so that they wouldn't crumple. "What are you reading?"

"Technical readouts for the hyperdrive."

"Oh, I see."

"Are you technically minded, Your Highness?"

Sabé resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose. "I understand technology. I'm perfectly capable of making small repairs, but it does not really interest me. Eirtaé is more so, perhaps you should talk to her. I tend to keep to the political arena and leave technology to those with more skill."

Obi-Wan put down his data pad. "If I should require help I'll come and ask her. I hope you are finding it satisfactory on the ship," he said politely, knowing full well that there was nothing he could do if it wasn't.

"Thank you, yes, considering the circumstances. Apart from the helplessness," she added quietly.

"Helplessness? You feel you're not helping by being here?"

"I cannot help feeling it. By being delayed on this planet countless lives may be lost on Naboo. I cannot forget that."

Obi-Wan nodded seriously. "I see your point."

"If I'm honest, I can't do much by pleading before the Senate and I can do even less by being stranded here in this desert."

"You do have my sympathies, Your Highness. It's never pleasant to think lives may be lost by your actions, in your case, being belated here." He paused and let his eyes close. "I sense a large amount of panic and confusion from Naboo, but not an exceptionally large amount of pain. But you must remember, Your Highness, I have not been granted the status of Jedi Knight yet."

"I have faith in your abilities," Sabé told him, believing the words whole-heartedly, "and I'm sure Master Jinn does too."

Obi-Wan seemed touched. "Thank you." Changing the subject he asked, "You described your throne room as claustrophobic. Why is that?"

Sabé cringed inwardly. "I'm sorry about that. I needed a change of scenery. The room is quite claustrophobic, it has no windows. I would like to walk outside but Padmé forbade me to leave the ship." She then realised her terrible mistake and wondered how she would dig herself out of it.

But Obi-Wan began to laugh. "Padmé told you not to leave the ship?"

"Yes, she…I mean, the handmaidens can be quite bossy."

"I'm sure they just want to protect you, Your Highness."

"Yes." She allowed herself a small smile, feeling a little leap in her chest as she looked at him. She didn't know what it was about him that made her drop her guard. She reminded herself again that she had never before been so easily distracted by a good-looking face. She wondered why he fascinated her so.

'What is wrong with me?' she scolded herself.

Obi-Wan, who was very attuned to her at that moment, heard that and was confused by it. He could also sense an unusual amount of deception from her, but brushed it aside, believing himself to be picking up on the pressure and worries she carried on her young shoulders. He could understand if she did not want anyone to know she was worried. She was, after all, Queen of an important, if small, planet. But that did not explain why she still appeared to have so much interest in him. It made no sense.

Had he spoken these thoughts out loud to Sabé she would have agreed with him. It did make no sense for the Queen of Naboo to be interested in a young Jedi Padawan, she had much more important concerns to occupy her mind. But it made sense for her handmaiden to have those feelings. She couldn't believe she'd made two slips of the tongue in the space of about five minutes. What was it about him that made her so jittery? She was supposed to be the cool-headed, calm one. None of that seemed to be showing through now. The reason, although she didn't quite realise it, was due to the fact that her instinct told her to trust him. She took a while to compose herself before finding her concentration again.

Obi-Wan and Sabé conversed for a further hour. Sabé made no more mistakes and soon found that she could talk to him quite easily once she relaxed into her role in his presence. Eirtaé eventually found them and asked Sabé if she would mind 'coming back now'.

"I'm glad we had this conversation, Jedi Kenobi," she said rising.

"As am I, Your Highness."

He smiled and Sabé found the guise of Queen Amidala very difficult to maintain then. She longed to tell him, 'Sabé, I'm Sabé,' but she didn't dare. Didn't even dare think it for fear of giving Padmé away.

"I don't suppose we would be permitted to walk outside if you were with us?"

"I don't think that would be a very good idea, Your Highness. Besides, there is a sandstorm going on out there."

Sabé raised a fine eyebrow. "Is there? Well, as I said earlier, no windows."

"No windows equals no-one shooting at you from outside, Your Highness," Eirtaé hissed.

Obi-Wan hid a smile and Sabé retreated out the door.

"What did you think you were doing?" Eirtaé said as soon as they were back in the Throne Room.

"I was having a conversation, what did it look like?"

"Is that something Queen Amidala would do?"

"Discuss technical readouts and security with the Jedi protector, yes I think she would," Sabé said hotly.

Eirtaé looked suspicious. "So it wasn't idle chit-chat?"

Sabé rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "Gods, no, Eirtaé, it wasn't. Look, I know you're the oldest and wisest here, but I can take care of myself. I've been trained just as well as you."

Eirtaé nodded. "I know. I'm sorry, Sabé. It was just when you didn't return we wondered if anything had happened."

"Like what? On a ship with pilots, guards and a Jedi?"

Eirtaé looked peeved. "Good point, but you never know."

Shortly, Obi-Wan entered the room catching them all by surprise. Rabé and Eirtaé simply straightened up from their position on the benches. Their formation was not broken, however, as they sat on opposite sides of the room. Eirtaé was very particular about formation and was forever putting the handmaidens in patterns that would appear elegant and impressive to foreign dignitaries.

The young Jedi bowed fluidly. "Your Highness, I have had word from my Master."

"What does he say, Jedi Kenobi?"

"They have a plan conceived to acquire the new hyperdrive, but it cannot be put into action until tomorrow."

Sabé's heart sank. "Very well." She turned to Rabé when she thought Obi-Wan was out of earshot and asked, "How am I supposed to sleep in this headdress?"

Rabé laughed, causing Obi-Wan to spin on his heel and look at her. He had a smile etched on his face, which showed that he must have heard what Sabé said. She almost collapsed with a mixture of horror and amusement. The situation was amusing due to the near-hysterical laughter that Rabé was trying her hardest to compress. The horror came from the likeliness that she may have made a fatal slip in her masque and she felt more grateful than ever that the Jedi had never seen Padmé as Queen. Meanwhile, Rabé continued to snigger, making it harder for Eirtaé and Sabé not to join in.

Eventually Obi-Wan laughed too. It was infectious and it felt good to laugh. Nobody had since the arrival of the Federation blockade. It also amused him how the Queen and her handmaidens were trying to remain composed around him, but were obviously enjoying a moment of light-relief. He stopped in the doorway, determined not to leave until they cracked. He knew it was not a responsible thing to do, but he couldn't help it. For some reason he wanted to hear the Queen's laugh, wanted to be reassured she was human, not some regal machine serving the Republic. He did not have long to wait, Eirtaé giggled too, then finally, Amidala. He sensed a wonderful feeling of freedom from her, as if the situation at hand was weighing her down. She got up from the throne and walked over to Rabé.

"I'll be wanting a word with you," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "making us look like fools in front of the Jedi Ambassador."

"Your Highness," Obi-Wan stepped in, "not a word about this will pass my lips. In the interest of security, of course. It wouldn't do to have a handmaiden throttled."

"Ah, I see."

"Also in the interest of security, it is good for the Queen to relieve some tension, otherwise she will be unable to speak adequately to the Senate." He looked at her with a smile and she smiled back.

Rabé and Eirtaé exchanged a glance across the room with a curious expression on their faces. They were no Jedi, but they knew Sabé well enough. She was unwittingly falling for the charms of the young Jedi Ambassador, despite keeping up her disguise. As soon as Obi-Wan had left the room, they confronted her.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a thing for Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Eirtaé asked bluntly.

Sabé's face reddened, although the white face paint prevented anyone noticing. She briefly considered denying it but soon realised that it was a pointless endeavour in the company of people who knew her so well.

"Because it's hardly practical, is it? I have to be careful because Padmé won't feel the same way about him will she?"

"You never know," Rabé said. "But she may have met a handsome young rogue in Mos Espa."

"Don't change the subject," Sabé snapped.

Usually she was grateful for Rabé's ability to lighten the situation, but she wasn't in the mood. Padmé counted Rabé as one of her most trusted bodyguards, not only for her combat skill, but for the way she could always soothe nerves and make her laugh, as well as her artistic talent in the hairstyle department. Obi-Wan was right, tension was relieved by laughter, but it had reappeared in Sabé as soon as Eirtaé had asked that fateful question.

"Sabé," Rabé said softly, "you know Jedi aren't allowed to form attachments, don't you?"

"Of course. Everybody knows that."

"Don't give your heart away too readily."

Sabé wasn't sure what expression found its way onto her face, only that it made Eirtaé giggle. She turned to the blonde handmaiden in confusion.

"Rabé, she's admiring the view not proposing marriage," Eirtaé said between laughs. "And he is nice."

Sabé would not have put it quite the way Eirtaé did, but she appreciated the point she was trying to make. She hoped with all her heart that Padmé would return soon. She didn't trust herself not to make another slip in her disguise.