Chapter 6 - Sabé
Sabé stands next to me, her face sullen and serious. Her eyes are focused on something in the distance, but it's not something I can see. She stays completely still, the only movement is from her breathing, which stays low in her body. In and out, she focuses completely on her posture.
I watch her, her smooth porcelain face completely still, her long, perfect fingers, her expertly coiffed hair.
All this while we are speeding through the lake country. Our hair and clothing flutter in the wind as we zip over marshes and meadows, all the while a large lake to the right gets smaller and smaller in the distance.
Finally, the small speeder slows to a stop, and Sabé exits to help me out.
Normally, I'd be able to get out on my own, but considering what I'm wearing today, it'd be a nightmare.
I wear a long, black ruffled satin gown with intricate black beading, under which is an intricate wire structure to retain the shape of the dress. On my head I wear a crown fashioned from black heading and fabric, with my hair in large buns at the back of my head. The collar of the dress comes just under my chin, and sharp-looking beads jut out from long spokes at the bottom, like menacing claws.
Sabé delicately takes me hand and helps me down, keeping her gaze away from my face. I want to tell her not to be afraid, but for right now, I am queen Amidala, not Padmé Naberrie.
The entrance to out base opens with a ka-chunk, and waiting just beneath the surface are the other six girls. All of them wear the same gown, long beaded gowns with high turtlenecks, and their hair is pulled back into buns that match mine.
Sabé and Motée lead the group, and I follow, with the other five behind me in formation. We make our way back down the dark hallway, my dress sort of jingling as we walk along.
The dim yellow lights give very little light to the hallways, and we walk silently through the dark, save for the sound of our feet.
Panaka waits for us in the atrium, his arms folded and a stern expression on his face. As soon as he sees me, he drops his arms, choosing instead to clasp them in front of himself, and puts on a goofy, fake grin.
"Your majesty, I wasn't expecting you to be here."
"Captain Panaka," I greet him. "I have come to tell you that I am going to accept the group of maidens here as my personal security."
"So quickly," he asks, astounded. "They've only been working for you for a few days! What makes you think they are good enough?"
"I have seen their strength and courage firsthand. They are the finest warriors in all the Naboo."
"What a generous compliment, my lady," he smiles, then turns to the girls. "All of you should be congratulated for your good work."
He pauses, his expression shifting to one of concern.
"Who is missing?"
"Nobody, sir," Motée says.
"I don't see Padmé," he protests. "Where is she?"
I lift my fingers and snap them. Sabé rushes to my side and removes my headdress, while Motée pulls down my collar. Finally, Ellé rushes forward to remove my makeup.
Panaka's jaw drops open, and he takes an audible breath.
"All of us are accounted for."
"How did you, how did you get the queen's clothing," he yells, his face turning sort of red as he yells.
"I am the queen," I answer. "These are my clothes. I'm sorry for keeping this from you for so long."
He shakes his head. "There is no way an insolent girl like Padmé is the queen."
The girls spring to action, drawing their blasters.
"Would you care to retract that statement?"
Panaka throws up his hands in fear. "I'm sorry, your majesty," he begs. "I made a wrong assumption."
"Thank you for your apology, captain," I reply, then turn to face the girls. "I have another announcement as well," I smile.
The girls look at me, confused expressions on their faces.
"For my safety, I wish to select one of you girls to take my place in times of eminent danger."
The girls nod their heads.
"I have selected the most suitable person in this group, who will have the responsibility of talking for me, and pretending to be me, when it is safer for me to take the role of handmaiden. I ask that Sabé step forward."
Sabé grins slightly, and takes a large step forward.
"I would like to designate you as the official decoy for Queen Amidala of the Naboo."
"My lady, it would be my honour," she says, her perfect language giving me chills.
"Then it is done. You are lady decoy, Sabé, the decoy of the queen."
The other girls begin to clap loudly, their faces bright with congratulations.
"We shall have a celebratory dinner! Please go change!"
The girls disperse, leaving just myself and Panaka in the room.
"Your majesty, I'm sorry," he starts.
"Stop," I tell him. "You had every reason to suspect me. You are a fine commander, Panaka, and you should feel no shame for what you did and said. It would have been expected of you. Please, come with us back to the palace. In a few months I will have a position open for you, and you can do that job. What do you think?"
"I cannot thank you enough," Panaka grins. "Thank you, your majesty."
The next morning we awake to discover two new faces sitting at the breakfast table. They are silent and respectful, yet they have this sort of energy about them, the kind you would only find in new recruits.
"Who are these people," I ask Panaka when he arrives.
He smiles, gently. "You were so satisfied with the first group, I decided to take the liberty and recruit two more, for the senator's protection. They won't be going with you to the palace, but they'll learn the same things that the girls here have been learning."
I look at them. Both of them wait respectfully to be spoken to, and they properly clasp their hands together, quietly eating.
"Hello," I greet them. "My name is Padmé. Would you be so kind as to tell me your names?"
"My name is Dormé," the first one says, her bright eyes telling of adventure and wonder.
"I am Cordé," the other says, respectfully putting down her silverware to talk, and looking at me with a level chin, and perfect monotony.
"We'd like to welcome you to MAIDENS," I smile. "I'm sure you'll fit in here."
Panaka smiles over at them, satisfied with his choice of girls.
Breakfast drags on for a bit too long, with the other girls constantly asking the newbies questions, and forcing them to repeat their names again and again.
When we finally finish, we go back to the shooting range for some practice. Two new dummies have been added, completely unscathed by energy bolts, but they won't stay that way for long. We all take our places, and I grasp the small blaster in my hands, feel the curvature of the deadly weapon. It fills me with adrenaline, to hold such a dangerous thing and have the power to use it, and possible end up seriously hurting someone or myself, if not killing them.
I gently squeeze the trigger, and a blue bolt of energy races out of the barrel, flying through the air to hit its mark on the dummy, right through the center of the chest.
"Whoa," Dormé gasps. "You're really good at this."
"It's easy," I tell her with a smile. "You may not get it on the first try, but once you've got it you've got it forever."
"I'm terrible at this. Would you show me how?"
"Sure," I reply, standing next to her. I shift and sink into my stance, my shoulders squared and my knees loose, my eyes focused completely on the target. "Just do exactly what I do."
She mirrors my movements, and holds the gun up with sure arms, though her facial expression is anything but sure.
"Now gently squeeze the trigger, and brace yourself for the backlash."
She nervously squeezes the trigger, and the gun comes flying back into her face. Thankfully, the bolt hits it's mark, the center of the dummy's head.
Dormé turns to me and smiles, her lip split in the corner, and a little trail of blood dripping from the wound.
I smile back, and hand her a handkerchief. "We should go to the infirmary now," I tell her.
"I want to try again," she says, her mouth twisted into an excited smile.
"Not a good idea. You're bleeding."
"What?" She brings two fingers to her lip, then brings them away to look at them. She only looks at the blood for a second before she collapses to the floor.
We all stare at her, in shock.
"She's afraid of blood," Ellé laughs.
We share a communal giggle as Cordé and I pick her up and carry her to the infirmary.
It looks to be hard year for Dormé here.