A/N: By the way, the bit with Padmé trying on clotheslast chapter was my way of getting around the fact that if you work out the chronological order of events in episode 3 George Lucas has her wear 3 different outfits in one day.

Anyway, here's what happeneded to Sabé after Bail rescued her. Enjoy: )

Chapter Forty-Seven – The First Galactic Empire.

Bail and Sabé drove hurriedly to the Senate docks, the same ones that had seen the arrival of Obi-Wan, Anakin and Palpatine not two days earlier, where Bail kept his ship. It was of Corellian design, practical, durable and fast.

"Tantive IV," Bail explained, leading Sabé up the ramp to where a tall man stood waiting. "And this is the very able Captain Antilles. Captain, this is Sabé Naberrie, Senator Amidala's right hand."

"A pleasure to meet you, Captain," Sabé greeted courteously, somehow managing to keep the fact that she was almost consumed by worry to herself.

Antilles nodded. "And you, M'Lady. We're ready to go, Senator, when you are."

"Thank you, Captain."

They boarded the ship and it took off almost at once. Bail's aide, Sheltay Retrac, was waiting just inside, accompanied by another member of the Organa entourage that Sabé didn't know. Bail nodded to them both and the whole party headed for the cockpit.

"Hopefully we'll be able to intercept a few Jedi before they walk into this catastrophe," Bail voiced as they went.

"Hopefully," Sabé echoed. "What if there are…no survivors? The whole Jedi Order gone."

"It's possible. But I can't imagine mere clone troops getting the better of Master Yoda."

"No," Sabé said wistfully.

Bail shot her a strange look, but she pretended not to see. Several hours into their journey, (they had headed for Kashyyyk, hoping to find Yoda), an escape pod was picked up on the sensors. When it had been brought on board, it was revealed to contain the tiny Jedi Master himself. He explained how his regiment of clone troopers had indeed turned against him, but he had fortunately killed them before they killed him.

"Happened everywhere this Jedi murder has," Yoda said bleakly. "Felt it, I did."

"Are they all gone?" Sabé asked.

"I don't know. But if survivors there are, they are few." He studied her, knowing full well what she wanted to know. He had no answer for her.

A few hours later, Sabé was sitting deep in thought in the cockpit. Antilles and his co-pilot were as silent as she was, their hands flying over the controls as they scanned for unfamiliar ships. The door slid open, revealing Bail. He sat next to her and let out a sigh. "You should get some sleep, Sabé."

"I can't sleep."

"Neither can I," Bail confessed. "Every time I close my eyes I keep seeing that poor child fall to the ground."

Sabé felt a pang of guilt. She had been so ardent in her worry over Obi-Wan that she hadn't thought another minute about the Jedi lost at the Temple.

"Sir?" Antilles cut in. "We're picking up a small fighter, but it's too far away to tell if it's ours or theirs."

"Where has it come from?"

"I can't tell. There are several possible planets."

A buzzing sound filled the cockpit, filtering through the comm system. Then there came a voice. "Emergency code nine thirteen, I have no contact on any frequency."

Sabé sat bolt upright. "Obi-Wan. It's Obi-Wan!"

"Are you sure?" Bail asked.

"Absolutely."

He addressed the speakers. "Master Kenobi."

"Repeat," Obi-Wan said.

Bail obliged.

"Senator Organa. My clone troops turned on me, I need help."

"We have just rescued Master Yoda," Bail explained. "It appears this ambush has happened everywhere. We are sending you our coordinates."

It was not long until they had brought the fighter on board and Bail, Sabé and Yoda were on their way to meet its pilot. Sabé had been as brave and restrained as she could muster, but as soon as she saw her husband she leapt into his arms, caring very little for what Bail would think.

"I thought you had been killed," she whispered.

He stroked her hair soothingly, somewhat surprised to see her there. "I'll tell you everything."

Bail stood back respectfully, a dubious look gracing his face. As they all walked slowly along Tantive IV's stark white corridors, Obi-Wan told his story. He had managed to defeat Grievous while his clone troops fought the Separatist armies. He had just returned to join them in battle when, for no explainable reason, they had turned on him. He and his lizard mount had fallen off a sheer cliff face into a pool of water. The lizard did not survive the fall and Obi-Wan was amazed that he had survived it himself.

"Well, we're very glad to see you alive, Master Kenobi," Bail said when the Jedi had finished his tale.

"Thank you, Senator. How many other Jedi have managed to survive?"

"Heard from no-one have we," Yoda sighed.

"I saw thousands of troops attack the Jedi Temple," Bail told them. "That's why I went looking for Yoda."

Sabé glanced over at him, realising that he was leaving it up to her to explain why he really went to the Temple.

"Have we had any contact from the Temple?"

"Received a coded retreat message we have," Yoda reported.

Sabé elaborated. "It requests all Jedi to return to the Temple. It says the war is over."

"Well then we must go back," Obi-Wan said at once. "If there are any stragglers they will fall into the trap and be killed."

"Hmm. Suggest dismantling the coded signal, do you?"

"Yes, Master. There is too much at stake."

"I agree." Yoda nodded. "And a little more knowledge might light our way."

"I'll ask Antilles to take us back to Coruscant then," Bail said. "We'll remain in orbit until morning."

"We should all rest," Sabé added. "It's been a long day."

"I can offer quarters to you all, although they are small."

"Thank you, Senator Organa. Accept them we will."

They stopped off at a room for Yoda first, then at one for Obi-Wan. Sabé's was to be next to it, but she had remembered leaving her belt and blaster in the cockpit, and headed there first to retrieve them.

Bail accompanied her, asking tentatively, "Forgive me, I don't wish to pry, but–"

"You're wondering about Master Kenobi?"

"I was."

Sabé paused, collecting her thoughts. "Well, I know you can be trusted. You're one of the most trustworthy people of my acquaintance. Truth is…Obi-Wan and I have been married these past three years."

Bail was taken aback and actually halted pace.

Sabé stopped too. "It's a very long story."

"Well…I never suspected a thing."

"It's my greatest secret."

He offered a smile. "You have no fear of my giving you away."

"Thank you."

"When I asked Breha to marry me we had to keep it secret until her parents decided they approved of me."

Sabé laughed softly. "How long did that take?"

"Too long!"

They continued on to the cockpit where Sabé found her belongings. Then she headed back to Obi-Wan's quarters. In the morning, the group reassembled in the cockpit to discuss what to do. Antilles and his co-pilot were busy readying the ship to head back down into Coruscant's atmosphere.

"So," Sabé said, recapping their plans, "Obi-Wan and Yoda will go straight to the Jedi Temple to dismantle the signal. Everyone else will go about their business as usual and pretend you're both dead."

There was a series of nods. Yoda seemed about to say something else, but was interrupted by the co-pilot. "We're receiving a message from the Chancellor's office, sir."

"Send it through."

"Yes, sir."

Blue-skinned Mas Amedda appeared on the small holo-screen. Obi-Wan and Yoda kept out of sight. "Senator Organa, the Supreme Chancellor requests your presence at a special session of congress."

"I will be there," Bail assured.

"He'll be expecting you." The image faded.

"Could be a trap," the Senator voiced.

"I don't think so," Obi-Wan said. "The Chancellor will not be able to control the thousands of star systems without keeping the Senate intact."

"If a special session of congress there is," Yoda mused, "easier for us to enter the Jedi Temple it will be."

Obi-Wan nodded and Sabé said, "I hope you're right about the Senate. With the appointment of governors it does look as if he's moving to dismantle it."

"Governors?" the Jedi repeated. "Oh, the Grand Moff's."

"Yes. We've never even seen the one who's supposed to be in charge of Coruscant."

"Who is it?"

"A man named Tarkin."

"I don't know him," Obi-Wan commented.

"Nobody does," Bail said with a sigh. "And yet he's supposed to govern us."

Outside the cockpit window, the many buildings of Coruscant were growing ever nearer. Obi-Wan gave Sabé's hand a squeeze, sharing a brief smile with his intrepid wife, hating the fact that she looked so haggard. She had told him everything that had happened at the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan was unavoidably appalled by Sabé's story of how she had seen the Sith at the Temple and her narrow escape with Bail. He dared not think of the danger she had been in.

After a quick conference with the Senator, Sabé had told both Jedi about the petition of the Two Thousand. As predicted, both Yoda and Obi-Wan agreed with the policies and expressed their distrust of Palpatine.

"I suppose we'll have to find out what he's up to at the session of congress," Sabé put in.

"Yes," Yoda said nodding. "Try and stay in touch we will."

Captain Antilles piloted the ship in to land and the four disembarked. Yoda and Bail led the way out of the docks, keeping out of sight of the red robed guards that now lined the corridors.

Sabé and Obi-Wan followed, walking side-by-side. "If it's at all possible," Sabé began in attempted light-heartedness, "please try not to be killed. It would be awfully inconvenient."

"The same goes for you. It's about time you broke your habit of sneaking into battlegrounds."

They shared a forced smile and a hasty embrace before Sabé jogged to catch up with Bail, and the two Jedi melted into the shadows. Sabé couldn't find words for the anxiety she was feeling. Bail seemed to understand and briefly placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. She appreciated the gesture, but still couldn't bring herself to make conversation.

They met Ellé outside the Senate and the handmaiden held out a robe. "Senator Amidala asked me to give you this, M'Lady. She thought you might like to appear more formal."

Sabé nodded, thanking the gods for Padmé's resourceful thinking, and tugged the robe on. Then they all hurried up to the Naboo box, where the session had already begun. They could hear Palpatine's voice echoing around the chamber long before they got there, but they could not make out exactly what he was saying, as the speech was disrupted by bursts of clapping. Bail and Sabé slipped into seats next to Padmé. Ellé waited outside.

"And the Jedi rebellion has been foiled," the Chancellor was saying.

It was at this moment it struck Sabé that Anakin's fate was unknown. It looked most likely that he was dead, but Padmé's cheerless expression was due to Palpatine's words and was not the expression expected of a widow.

"What's happened?" Bail whispered.

Padmé turned to regard them both. "The Chancellor's been elaborating on a plot by the Jedi to overthrow the Senate."

"The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated," Palpatine announced.

Padmé leaned her chin on her hand and glanced over at Sabé. She merely shrugged.

Palpatine, his features shadowed by a scarlet hooded robe, continued in a grim tone. "The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you my resolve has never been stronger. In order to ensure the security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganised into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society."

Padmé, Sabé and Bail wore matching looks of stupefaction as the chamber erupted in applause at his words.

"So this is how liberty dies," Padmé said, almost close to tears. "With thunderous applause."

"Don't they know what they're cheering for?" Sabé asked, dumbfounded.

"I sincerely hope not. If they do and they're still cheering, things are worse than we thought."

Bail moved to stand. "We have to do something. I'll get to the Alderaanian pod and make a motion."

"No," both Nabooian women said in unison.

"Don't, Bail." Padmé placed a hand on his arm to keep him from rising. "There have already been arrests. Over a hundred senators, all from the Delegation of Two Thousand, including Fang Zar. It won't be long before everyone whose name is on that petition will be declared an enemy of state. It was fortunate that you kept your name off it. Don't give them reason to take you too."

"You can't expect me to sit back and watch him do this."

"Not watch," Sabé said, guessing what Padmé was suggesting. "Vote for him."

"For him?" Bail exclaimed, as loudly as he dared. "I can't. It goes against everything–"

"You have to," Padmé pleaded. "It's the only way the Delegation can survive. Support the Empire on the surface. Try and get Mon Mothma to do the same. You two were the backbone of…what went unsaid."

Although it looked like it pained him, Bail eventually nodded. "What about you?"

"Well. That remains to be seen. Naboo will vote for the Empire."

"But both your names are on the petition. Will you be named enemies of the state?"

Padmé and Sabé exchanged a look. "We'll find out, I suppose," the latter said with a sigh.

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A/N: Oh dear, it's not looking good. Next chapter, Obi-Wan and Yoda return to the Temple.