Hello again! I have some exciting news moving forward: my BFF and new beta writer 'julesley' has, once again, shown her amazing skills by editing this chapter. Once, or if, she decides to write her own story it will be worth checking out. She also suggested I add a character list, which I will add here. Thank you to those who have followed, fave'd and reviewed! You make my day. (Guest reviews will be addressed at the end of the chapter.)
Sabina/Sabé - Main character
Rabelle/Rabé - Fellow Lead Handmaiden
Sachra/Saché - Fellow Lead HandmaidenEirtani/Eirtaé - Fellow Lead Handmaiden
Yanil/Yané - Fellow Lead Handmaiden
Captain Panaka - Captain of Royal Naboo Security ForcePadmé/Queen Amidala - Queen of Naboo
Administrator Sarin - Administrator of Palace Handmaidens
Halleth - Sabé's younger sister
Jerek - schoolmate and friend of Sabé, Rabé, and Saché
Senator Palpatine/Darth Sidious - Senator for Naboo/Chommell sector, Sith Lord in disguise
Hego Damask II/Darth Plagueis - Head of Damask Holdings, Darth Sidious' Sith Master
Mali Nightbreak - Naboo holojournalist
King Veruna - monarch of Naboo preceding Queen Amidala
Captain Magneta - Captain of Royal Naboo Security Force preceding Captain Panaka
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. We all see what would happen if I did.
I never realized that the most difficult part about being a Royal Handmaiden would be remembering new names.
For example, we've all officially been in our new positions for all of five hours and my flubbing has sounded something like this:
"Sachrrrrr─Saché, will you please pass my datapad to me?"
"Yanil─YANÉ, I mean, Yané! Have you seen the library yet? It's amazing!"
"Rabelle─oh, don't give me that look, I've known you for seven kriffing years and I can't exactly break that habit in two hours─the Queen asked for your assistance in selecting an inaugural outfit."
And, my personal favorite thus far:
"Eirtani! Eirtani! Eir─TAÉ. Eirtaé. That's your name. Eiiiirtaé. It's a lovely name! Have I ever mentioned that? I'm… going to go now."
After I walked away as quickly as possible, I noticed I never relayed the message that Captain Typho wished to speak with her. It took me another thirty minutes to find her again. The girl moves as quickly as a Muun opening an investment account.
Not only does this new identity clause affect our first names, it's highly recommended (read: demanded) that our surnames change as well. I've gone from Sabina Averna, to Sabé Vena. It's a… strange feeling.
Another unexpected scenario within Royal Handmaidenship is the realization that your fellow Handmaidens all resemble each other. It straddles the line of both cool and unsettling.
If we'redressed without our concealing hoods our differences would be fairly obvious; Rabé, for example, has fuller lips and eyebrows than the rest of us. Saché has freckles and a dimple in her left cheek. Yané, who is as tall as us despite being only eleven, has a snub nose. I inherited my dad's defined chin. Eirtaé is the one who stands out the most with her blonde hair and bright, blue eyes amongst the rest of our dark haired, dark-eyed features.
However, in a case of outfitting more deceptive than a Jedi mind-trick, once we have our hoods up it's a challenge to tell us apart. We're practically clones.
Hmm… that gives, "Attack of the Clones," a whole new meaning. It's a true shame that I'm the only one who will understand that reference.
Once the Queen departed our initial meeting, Captain Typho and Administrator Sarin took it upon themselves to delegate our first-day responsibilities; listening to the latter barking out orders to the Palace Handmaidens made me eternally grateful that I'd been chosen for a different position.
The woman is, quite frankly, intimidating. (It doesn't help that she has to be pushing six feet tall height-wise.) I suspect that I'll be hearing her bellowing the words, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" in the very near future.
Captain Panaka, in what I firmly believe is retaliation for my RNSF training days, has made sure I will have little to no opportunity to be still. His words─accompanied by a vindicated gleam in his eye, I'll have you know!─were: "Handmaiden Sabé, as your permanent responsibilities are being considered, for now your primary task will be to relay correspondence for the Queen and myself."
In my head, however, it translated to: "You get to be a glorified messenger girl because I'm petty and need a larger hat to accommodate the swelling size of my ego."
Despite the slight irritation I've experienced, it's given me the freedom to explore the Palace. The more I discover leads me to the conclusion that this is where I'm meant to be. My favorite area thus far is the library. It's one of the few areas I've seen that has books as opposed to datapads and other devices that contain information. These books are literally eons old and you have to have special clearance to even touch one of them, but there's something to be said of holding a physical copy in your own two hands.
Perched at the backside of the library is a terrace; covered partially by massive pine trees that make the ones I saw on Earth look like mere saplings. The view from the terrace is, in my opinion, the best you can find as it suspends right over the roaring waterfalls leading into the Basin. I'm not overly fond of heights but I can ignore it in this peaceful area.
It's here that I am discovered by Yané, carrying quite the collection of datapads in her arms and saying: "Sabé! Did you realize that the security system here has only thirteen firewalls in place? How are we supposed to prevent any sort of malware attacks upon our central server? We're in danger of every half-witted slicer from here to the three moons being capable of wreaking havoc on the database or stealing classified materials and selling it to an information broker… on Nar Shaddaa!"
I'd like to point out she says all of this without taking a breath. She has an impressive lung capacity.
"Nar Shaddaa? I thought the Hutts found Naboo too boring," I joke, which manages to fly right over Yané's concerned head. She hasn't had time to adjust to my sense of humor.
"We can't underestimate the reach of the Hutts, Sabé. Think about the consequences if the likes of Grakkus the Hutt manages to acquire any of the secrets in the Royal Naboo Database! We'd be subjected to all sorts of indecencies like extortion, forced lifting of sanctions against criminals on his bankroll, opening routes for smuggling ─ the possibilities are endless!"
I stare at her for a long moment before deigning to reply. "I have so many questions, Yané, and not enough answers. First: how do you even know about Grakkus the Hutt?"
"This is how I feel every day." I think I've found a kindred spirit in little Yané. She sounds just as paranoid as I am, if not more so. Rabé's head will spin when she discovers another conspiracy theorist in her midst. "Also, I, unlike many in my field, am not some half-witted slicer."
Before I can open my mouth my com beeps, cutting off the first of my many questions. "Vena."
"Handmaiden Sabé," I fight the urge to cross my eyes at Panaka's voice. "Your presence, along with the rest of the Lead Handmaidens, has been requested by Queen Amidala. She will be in the northwest conference room. It is your duty to locate your fellow Handmaidens and report at 1600 hours."
"With all due respect, Captain Panaka," Yané lifts an eyebrow at my sugary sweet tone. "Why not broadcast your message about the meeting in fifteen minutes over all of our coms? That would be more efficient." I grab Yané's arm and drag her towards the main corridor. Even if I manage to track down the rest of our group it will take at least ten minutes to make it from the library to the northwest conference room.
The man is diabolical, I tell you.
"Be that as it may, there is a higher risk of the message being intercepted if broadcasted to multiple receivers. I suggest you move quickly."
"If that's the case, then why did you com me─"
"Panaka out."
The call ends with an obnoxious beep and I let out a string of curses that makes a passing protocol droid correct my manners. ("It is utterly unbecoming of a Royal Handmaiden to speak in such a manner. If Captain Magneta were still here, you would be cited for twenty-one violations of Royal Palace ethics!") I may or may not state the droid needs his database scrubbed, which likely agitates him more.
Yané looks at me and asks, "What were the last two curses you used? I've never heard them before."
Oh good grief.
Later… much, much later, we all drag ourselves into our quarters. I glance at the time displayed on the wall above our fireplace and wince. 0200 hours…
We've been working for fourteen hours straight. No wonder we're all exhausted. I mean, whoa, what a first day; is this what all first days at a new job are like? I could use a delicious Palace meal about now, nothing like a nice full belly to put me to sleep.
Our living quarters are directly beside the Queen's, which makes it convenient for serving her day-to-day needs while keeping us in close proximity for security purposes. The main room that houses all of our beds and storage lockers is long with a vaulted ceiling. We also share a communal refresher with multiple hydro-showers and an inexplicable lack of counter space underneath the vanity mirrors for thirteen girls to share.
Then again, I'd trade the counter area for a good hydro-shower any day of the week. After you've experienced enough sonic showers while in space, or in systems that lack abundant water sources, you learn to appreciate that luxury.
I will admit to taking a longer time in the hydro-shower than necessary, especially with Saché grumbling at me to hurry up so she could have a turn. I re-emerge with skin as red as a Chiss' eyes and wrapped in a puffy, bright blue robe that Halleth gave me last year as a birthday gift.
"For Force's sake, is there any water left?" Saché snaps at me as she walks into the hydro-shower and curtly shuts the door. A few moments later as I'm brushing my teeth, I hear her continued grumbling about, "Kriffing bureaucrats," and, "Obnoxious, backwoods flyboys," and, my personal favorite: "Can't even tell their heads from their exhaust ports."
She's not at her most pleasant when lacking sleep.
Eirtaé is already in bed with her blankets pulled up to her nose. Her hair is an unruly mess, curling every which way like she's been shot with Force lightning. She slurs a good night to me before pulling the blanket over her head and remaining that way for the rest of the evening.
Rabé and Yané are down for the count as well: the former asleep with her datapad in her lap, featuring a paused cosmetics tutorial on the screen, and the latter collapsed face-first on her bed, one arm hanging over the side. Her bedside dresser features a tiny, holocube displaying a picture of her hugging an elderly relative ─ her grandmother, maybe?
I lie on my own bed, staring at the ceiling as I reflect on the day's events. We managed to arrive at the 1600 meeting with twenty-seven seconds to spare, only to be told by Captain Panaka that we are to be trained off-grounds tomorrow afternoon ─ or, this afternoon, now that I have time to think about it.
With the day ahead of us, and an early rise impending, I should be falling asleep instantly. The fact that I haven't done so is baffling. I grab my datapad from the dresser drawer and check my messages to see if anything Galaxy-shattering happened while I was at work. Hmm… I still haven't messaged Halleth back.
"Why are you still awake?" Saché whispers as she flops on the bed to my left. Her previous foul mood appears to have lightened.
"Can't sleep… how was your day?"
"How was my day? I'll tell you how my day was. Panaka and Sarin thought that because my dad's a mechanical engineer I was perfect for the job of escorting the Queen during her tour of the all the hangars. Not only was this the worst idea in the history of worst ideas, I had to listen to the sycophants crowding Her Majesty while she tried to address the pilots to thank them for their continued service. They were making endless condescending remarks to her and the Queen never called them on it! Then, once the official ceremony was over, she decides to walk directly into the crowd of pilots as if there's no security risk at all. I had to run to catch up to her thanks to Representative Nmari, who has absolutely no spatial awareness whatsoever and a tendency to whistle through his nose when he breathes."
I hide my smile behind a yawn, picturing a fuming Saché stuck behind a nose-whistling politician is hilarious.
"Once I finally return to Her Majesty's side, I get stopped by one of the pilots who asks me," She adopts a slow, deep tone. "'So, are you one of those Handmaiden girls?' No! I just wear the robe and hood for fun ─ of COURSE I'm a Handmaiden. I know it's in our behavioral code to remain neutral and expressionless, but Sabé─it was just─I couldn't─I may like to know about current events and what politicians are up to, but I'm not made to be one myself and I was just so frustrated─I… " Saché takes her pillow and holds it to her front, resting her chin on the top. "I may have said back to the pilot, 'No, I'm the Queen's spice dealer.'"
My jaw drops. If that protocol droid happened to be around his head would've exploded. "Saché, you didn't."
"The worst part is: the laser brain believed me for all of fifteen seconds. Now, I'm known as, "Snarky Hood," to the majority of our piloting force." She huffs irritably, squeezing her pillow so tight I'm surprised a seam hasn't burst. I bite my lip as I feel a giggle emerging. "Thankfully, the Queen didn't hear what I said back to the pilot."
"I'm sor─" I can't finish my words, snorting loudly into my hand. I grab my pillow and bury my face in it to keep my laughter muted. I go into complete hysterics when Saché punches my arm.
"Stuff it, Sabé! It's not that funny!"
I remove the pillow, revealing my watering eyes and rosy face. "You said you were the Queen's spice dealer." My voice ends in a squeak which prompts another laughing fit. When I open my eyes, I see Saché's lips twitch. "You're Sassy Hood!"
"It's Snarky─" Her resolve crumbles as she buries her laughter in her pillow as well. I cannot tell you how long our hysterics continue, as it's all a haze of quiet (read: too loud) laughter, oxygen deprivation, and burning muscles in my abdomen. My laughter cuts short when a pillow whacks the back of my head. I turn to see Eirtaé towering behind me.
She seems so much taller from this angle.
"If you two are quite finished, we have a full day ahead of us and I will not be held responsible if none of us are able to fulfill our duties thanks to sleep deprivation!"
We both nod in response, which satisfies her enough as she stomps back to bed and pulls the blanket over her head once more. Saché and I take this as our cue to bid each other good night and finally calm down for the morning.
As I drift off to sleep, I hear Yané mumble in her sleep: "No… not the noodles."
From SVRHMatRNSF to meangreenmachineataverna 0215 GST
Subject: [Encoded24178] Waaaaaaassssuuuuup
"Sorry I'm just getting back to you. It's been a rather insane twenty-six hours. You'll be pleased to know that I got the job. You'll be even more pleased to know that I'm about to have my butt handed to me in a training session because of it. No, I can't give any more detail than that beyond the robe you gave me for my birthday has been a hit amongst my coworkers… once they squint both eyes, tilt their head to the left and stand on one foot.
Is Jerek still messaging you? Do I need to have the older sister talk with him? (Who are we kidding? You can put the fear of retaliation in him far better than I could. You have an impressive, yet terrifying gift.)
Give my love to our parental units. I miss you all.
XOXO SV, your favorite sister.
P.S. Really, Halleth? "Meangreenmachine?"
From meangreenmachineataverna to SVRHMatRNSF 1107 GST
Subject: RE: [Encoded24718] Waaaaaaassssuuuuup
"Congrats. I'm sure you'll make an amazing… whatever-your-official-title-is. (I do actually mean that. I can be nice once in a while, you know.) If you're about to get your butt kicked, you probably deserve it. (I do actually mean this, too.)
He's messaged me every day since the Election. Do you know how many puns he's sent me about plants? Thirty-two. THIRTY-TWO. I blame you for this. (We're meeting up when we come into town for the Festival of Light. I haven't broken the news to Dad yet and it is NOT a date. You hear me?)
I've passed on your message of love to the parental units and they extend an excessive amount of love back to you. Be careful in your new job, okay?
XOXO HA, your favorite retaliations dealer
P.S. I'll give you three guesses as to who came up with my user ID
From SVRHMatRNSF to meangreenmachineataverna 1109 GST
Subject: RE: [Encoded24718] Waaaaaaassssuuuuup
(That's a lot of parentheses.) (It's so a date.) (Hahahahahahahahaha)
Wear the blue dress for your DATE. It drives the boys wild.
XOXO SV, the unquestionable expert on love and relationships
P.S. Halleth's got a daaaaate, Halleth's got a daaaaate.
From meangreenmachineataverna to SVRHMatRNSF 1113 GST
Subject: RE: [Encoded24718] Waaaaaaassssuuuuup
Just you wait. Once you like someone I'm going to gloat.
GLOAT.
XOXO HA, unfortunate relative to delusional older sibling
P.S. You sound like a spice junkie.
P.P.S. I know I'm not supposed to ask but what's with the new initials and handle?
- Message thread between Royal Handmaiden Sabé Vena and civilian contact Halleth Averna
When we left the Palace to travel to our unnamed training site I didn't give it much thought. What strikes me as odd, once we land and I take in the bustling green fields, rocky cliff faces, and collection of waterfalls, was the guest dressed in training robes standing with Panaka.
What in space was Padmé doing here?
"Handmaidens," Panaka begins, gesturing to our Queen disguised as, well, herself. Not that any of us are supposed to know this, which means I get to test my acting skills once again. "We have a last-minute addition to the Lead Handmaiden roster. This is Padmé. She will begin her training with you today."
I hear the others whisper to each other:
"Another Lead Handmaiden?"
"Did she have to change her name, too? She has beautiful hair."
"Great, now we'll have even less counter space in the 'fresher."
"This seems rather convenient. I don't remember seeing anything in our system about a newcomer."
Panaka and Padmé, who seems almost nervous, lead us to the compound located in the far south end of the training field. My shoulders sink when I recognize the structure being built by maintenance droids.
Obstacle courses were fun in the Academy. In Panaka's hands, they're probably hellscapes.
While we wait for the course to be completed, we are taken inside the compound where a small armory awaits inside. In the Youth Security Training Program, Rabé, Saché, and I had opportunity to do a small amount of target practice and I was, surprisingly, an excellent shot.
This helped supplement my lackluster hairdressing scores.
"As Lead Handmaidens, you will be required to conceal carry various blasters, knives, and/or other weapons to protect Queen Amidala from potential threats. Your weapons must never be discovered unless in the event of an emergency."
"What about vibroblades?" I ask, surprising everyone in the room, except for the training droid on it's charging station in the front. Panaka regards me with something similar to respect, almost like the first time I met him.
"While vibroblades are an excellent weapon in melee combat, they are difficult to conceal and less advantageous against blaster fire."
"Yes, but if we are able to implement them somehow, we should invest in ones layered with cortosis ore. A direct hit from it can sputter a lightsaber blade." The surprise I sensed before morphs into sheer disbelief, though Yané nods her head in agreement.
"It's true, Captain Panaka. I've seen it in my research." I look at her and smile. I wonder which database she sliced into to get that sort of information.
From my understanding, and memories from reading the novel about Darth Plagueis, the Sith Lord bought mining rights on the planet Bal'demnic in an attempt to keep the knowledge of the cortosis mine away from the Jedi Council. It is legally required through Republic law that any cortosis mines be reported to the Council and the defensive properties of cortosis is not common public knowledge to this day.
"Are you concerned we'll be facing Jedi, Handmaiden?" Panaka asks, quickly losing the respect he had in his tone earlier.
No, just Darth Maul in the very near future ─ though in the first movie Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi are the only ones who directly face him; and, Count Dooku, and Ventress, and Darth Sidious… and, possibly Darth Vader if the future can't be changed. I think I'm forgetting others as well.
Kriff… why did I want to count our future enemies again?
"It is always better to prepare for any and every eventuality." I finally respond. "I doubt anyone will sue us for having a contingency plan, right?" I look to Padmé, who is standing at my right side.
"I─no, I wouldn't think so."
"See? Padmé has shown she's an excellent judge of character by concurring with my previously said statement. Vibroblades are in!" I hear someone, probably Rabé or Saché, cover up their laugh with a cough.
It's always interesting to see a grown man fighting an eye roll. "We will discuss vibroblades later." He pauses for a moment, looking back and forth between Padmé and me as if he's never seen us before. By the time it starts to become uncomfortable, he turns towards the blaster rack. "For this exercise, you will use an ELG-3A type blaster pistol."
We move forward, arming ourselves properly, checking the power packs, and ensuring the barrels were clean before stepping outside. Panaka also ordered us to carry ascension guns which meant I'd be facing the possibility of tall heights.
How exciting for me.
"How did you know that about cortosis?" Padmé asks as we watch Eirtaé run through the course, while she is harried by the now activated, spherical training droid. I am impressed by her ability to run up a wall until she can grip the edge with her hands. Why can't I do that?
Oh wait… "I, if you haven't heard already, have a slight tendency to be labeled as a conspiracy theorist." Which still seems like a harsh term, I'm more of a professional worrier, "And when I heard a rumor about an ore that can stall a lightsaber, I thought it might be useful knowledge one day."
It's sort of the truth… right?
"Well, I hope your theories prove to be helpful to you in the future." I grin at her answer ─ always the diplomat, that one.
"Thanks, but I hope I won't have to use any of my theories. It would be much less stressful for me."
Her politician's mask gives away as she finally smiles back at me. "I suppose you're right."
We both quiet down as Yané completes the course next, showing her skills with dodging and swiftness on her feet. I can see now how she and Eirtaé passed the physical inspection before being chosen as Handmaidens. Saché nudges Rabé in the side when Panaka calls her up for her turn.
"You've got this, Rabé. Just picture that droid as the final exams we had to take back at the Academy."
"That's… surprisingly helpful?"
Padmé brightens at the subject matter, turning towards Saché and me. "You attended the Academy, too?"
"Yeah," Saché responds, placing her hands on her lower back and twisting from side to side. "Rabé, Silly Sabé, and I all attended."
"For Force's sake, can we please drop, 'Silly Sabé!?"
"When did you attend and which house were you? I was placed in Stars."
"Huh, I suppose that's how we never came across you. I'm a Moon, Sabé and Rabé are Suns." She holds her hand up, extending her index finger. "Say! Have you ever noticed how closely your names rhyme?"
"All of our names rhyme, Saché." I deadpan. "We had classes with quite a few Stars, why did our paths never cross, Padmé?"
"I graduated when I was eight." She says this so simply and looks uncomfortable when Saché and I gape at her. "Is something the matter?"
"You graduated at eight? Stars, I didn't even get in until I was eight! You must be some sort of genius."
Padmé has the decency to look bashful for a moment before saying: "That's very kind of you."
Our get-to-know-you conversation is cut short by Rabé's yelp from the middle of the obstacle course. The training droid continually charges at her from above, pinning her behind one of the scaling walls. She reaches around the corner and fires, the bolt bursting an angry red before hitting the training droid in the center of its front plating.
This should have overloaded the droid's operating system and caused an automatic shutdown for repairs, but it didn't. If anything, the droid resumes its assault with vengeance.
"Rabé!" I call out as the droid rams the scaling wall she is hiding behind. Yané darts towards the compound, Eirtaé in tow, while Saché and Panaka focus on getting the droid's attention with their own blasters. The course is quickly riddled with plasma burns as the droid fires back. Padmé and I duck beneath the crossfire and gesture for Rabé to jump towards us.
She moves in our direction, and then backtracks as the droid swivels on her to fire another round of blaster bolts. I aim at it with my blaster. The bolt hits it dead-center like before.
The droid doesn't stop.
"Rabé, get out of there!" Padmé shouts, firing her own blaster that catches the left side of the droid.
Rabé darts from behind the wall and breaks for the nearest waterfall ─ drawing the droid's attention once again. It pursues her. I swear once when one of its bolts grazes her arm. Padmé and I follow closely behind, riddling the back of the droid with more plasma burns.
"Why won't the kriffing thing shut down!?"
"I don't know!"
I curse vehemently as Rabé jumps downwards and through the waterfall. If the droid had not have seen her do this, it would be a perfect hiding spot. As it was, the droid merely hovered in front of the streaming water, near the small protrusion of rock she is standing on.
A tree rooted at the top of the cliff gives me an idea. I grab my ascension gun to aim it towards one of the thickest looking branches. The cable wraps around it. "If I swing from this perch, I can knock the droid away. Cover me!"
"No, you're a better shot than I am! Let me do it!"
I want to argue the fact that she is the Queen and really shouldn't be doing any of this, but one of my best friends is in danger. After a seconds hesitation, I pass her the ascension gun.
"Hold on tight, it'll feel like it's jerking your arm out of the socket. I'll cover you!"
Padmé, yet another brave girl I am privileged to know, runs off the cliff and swings towards the training droid as its blasters burn red to fire. The combined force of her swing and double-legged kick sends it spinning away from the waterfall. Padmé veers back into the waterfall. I fire once, twice. Each bolt makes contact.
The droid staggers, electrical sparks flying from its circular frame. The optic lens on the front changes from offensive red to blue standby. I watch in amazement as it floats upwards and away from the waterfall. Panaka and Saché join me at the incline.
"Where are Padmé and Rabé?" Panaka barks out. "Yané and Eirtaé managed to deactivate the droid from the compound."
"They're behind the waterfall." They both breathe a sigh of relief. Within seconds, two cables connect with the tree. Rabé and Padmé ascend the cliff shortly thereafter.
Yané and Eirtaé return with a medkit in hand. I should've thought to com them, poor Rabé and Padmé are soaked to the skin and shivering.
"What happened?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, thanks to all of you." Rabé winces as Yané applies bacta directly to the wound on her arm. "A little more gently, if you please."
"Sorry! I normally work with data, not sentient life."
"Guys, you missed it!" Saché makes a swooping motion with her arms. "Sabé kept nailing the droid over and over again and it wouldn't stop. Then she fired a kriffing cable at the tree and Padmé swooped down, kicking the droid into the next star system!"
"That might be a slight exaggeration," Padmé smiles, not at all concerned with the glare Panaka is giving her. I knew I liked this girl for a reason. "Everyone was extremely brave."
"Some foolishly so," Panaka states through gritted teeth, "If anything had happened─"
"It does not matter, because nothing happened." Padmé's tone switches immediately, sounding sharp, clear, and authoritative. Rather like, say, a Queen? It causes an awkward halt in the flow of conversation. "I haven't been completely honest with all of you."
Hmm, should I go with the confused approach? Bursts of anger aren't typical for my personality, unless I'm hungry or dealing with petty Captains, so I'll avoid that route. Amusement! That's how I'll handle this, 'surprise.'
It's weird to be me.
"All of you were chosen to be Lead Handmaidens because of your bravery and skill. Today has solidified that impression you all made upon me." Padmé helps a stunned Rabé to her feet, the latter staring at her as if she'd grown a second head. "My court name is Amidala, a protection for my loved ones like you have employed recently. I apologize for the deception until now. It was suggested that I participate in training with you until an appropriate time to reveal my identity was decided upon."
Ooo, if she keeps going like this Panaka will have steam coming out of his ears. My stomach sinks when I realize her blatant disregard for his orders could be problematic for my job as her Handmaiden. I simply can't win.
"My true name is Padmé Naberrie. It is nice to meet each and every one of you."
Eirtaé is the first to recover from her shock, shaking her head until curls escape from her previously immaculate bun. She smoothes the errant hairs down absentmindedly as she laughs: "Well, Your Highness, I have no doubts that you will make an amazing Queen if you manage more surprises like this. I am honored to be your Handmaiden."
Saché, whose neck is already red from frustration, points her index finger accusingly: "You! You─how─you just became so much cooler." Padmé's eyebrows shoot upwards at her choice of phrase. It takes a while to understand Saché's mannerisms. "I am glad to serve you, Queen Amidala."
Yané, of course, blinks at Padmé owlishly. "How did I miss that in my research!? You're registered as Amidala every─" she clears her throat, "I mean to say, Your Highness, that I usually read data better than people. I will do my utmost best to continue protecting you."
Rabé is still in a state of awe, so I decide to speak up next: "Does this mean I have to stop saying, 'kriff?'"
"We can negotiate the terms," Padmé's grin is quick. "Silly Sabé."
"Not you, too!"
Rabé, now having recovered herself enough to speak, does something completely unexpected by way of throwing her uninjured arm around Padmé in a hug. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your bravery in saving my life. I promise your makeup will be flawless and the words, 'humidity,' and, 'frizz,' will never darken your doorway."
That's practically a life-bond in Rabé speech.
"As heartwarming as this is," Panaka's sarcasm cuts like a knife. "It is our duty to protect you, Your Highness, and stunts like this make our jobs extremely difficult."
"I am aware of this, Captain Panaka, and I greatly appreciate your diligence." I share a look with the rest of the Handmaidens. We've all started to notice a slight reckless streak in our monarch. "We will all join together to ensure a working, efficient plan that will assuage your concerns over my protection."
Judging by Panaka's scowl, he's not at all convinced by her answer. "I have an idea that I will present to all of you in the morning. For now, we must head back to the Palace. This training session is over."
As we all pile in the airbus, Panaka at the front, Padmé in the center, us Handmaidens in formation around her, she comes to a halt. Taking a moment to smile at each of us, Padmé asks us a simple, yet crucial question: "When it is just us, please call me Padmé. I would like for us to be friends not just Queen and Handmaidens."
I smile back at her. "It would be our pleasure, Padmé."
As the airbus transports us back, and our conversations start overlapping once more, I notice Panaka scrutinizing Padmé and I again.
I have a bad feeling about this.
To Mari: Thank you very much! Whether or not Sabé can actually 'fix' things will be revealed later. For now, she has to master everyone's new names! I'm glad you like her character as she's a funny one to write. Thank you, again for you review! I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story!
A/N: Hmmm, does anyone have any ideas as to what Panaka is planning? Points will be awarded for those who guess correctly! Also, the training session is loosely based off of the story on wookiepedia. I haven't read the original, so I hope the interpretation works! We are getting closer to 'The Phantom Menace,' and the arrival of certain heroes. Thank you for taking the time to read and please feel free to leave a review!