Chapter 18: Women Armed

28 BBY, Mountain Palace, Alderaan

Alderaan, Jobal Naberrie thought, as she admired the view from the elegant sitting room where she awaited her meeting, is nearly as beautiful as Naboo. The thought brought her a great deal of comfort, and she grasped hold of that feeling, using it to calm herself. She desperately needed that calmness. That the young woman that her daughter had insisted accompany her was completely unruffled only made her feel worse, as if she were somehow failing already.

"Madame Naberrie?"

Jobal turned as Queen Breha entered and gave the formal curtsey that she had been practicing for the last week. "Your Majesty. Thank you so much for agreeing to see me. I know you must be busy…"

"Never too busy for an envoy from Naboo," Breha answered kindly. "Queen Amidala has had a remarkable reign, and my husband looks forward to seeing what she accomplishes in the Senate. Please, be seated, and tell me what I can do for you and your family."

Jobal took several deep breaths as she sank into the lovely chair that the Queen indicated. I sincerely hope this is the right decision, she worried. "Family is why I have come. A few weeks ago, my daughter received a rather astonishing message from a young jedi padawan." She hesitated. "Have you heard of Anakin Skywalker?"

Breha almost concealed her reaction to that name. Jobal would not have noticed the slight tremor in her fingers or the flutter as her pulse increased, if Padmé's handmaiden had not drawn attention to them with one of the silent signals she used to communicate when speaking aloud was impossible or unwise.

"I do not believe I have ever met anyone with that name," Breha answered carefully.

"But you do know who he is," Jobal pressed her. "I'm sorry, I know I'm being rude, but diplomacy at this level is..well, I'm not my daughter. The fact is that Skywalker sent Padmé a message telling her that the two of them had a child, one who had traveled back in time to prevent the rise of a Sith empire."

Breha raised her eyes to look at Jobal very directly. "Padmé Amidala is Leia's birth mother?"

"You didn't know?"

"I didn't even realize that she knew the identity of the woman who gave birth to her." The Queen pursed her lips slightly. "Now that I think about it, she was extremely careful to avoid naming her mother or providing any information about her at all. Perhaps she hoped to speak to Queen Amidala herself before confiding in anyone else."

"Perhaps," Jobal admitted. "But she has not done so. According to Skywalker, she refused to tell him either, but, well, he claims that she looks so much like Padmé that he risked stealing part of the blood sample she'd provided to prove her biological relationship to him and forwarded it to Naboo." He had also claimed to be in love with her daughter, a preposterous idea, as the last time Anakin had seen the queen, he had only been nine years old. I cannot believe that Sola thinks that's actually romantic, Jobal thought.

"Padmé is only eighteen years old," Jobal confided. "She is a remarkable young woman, but she doesn't really know this jedi, and the idea of having a child with him…it's disturbing."

Breha nodded, "And you must be terribly afraid for your daughter." She leaned forward to take Jobal's hand. "Knowing what happened in the future as Leia lived it is burdensome, but her presence here is intended to change that future. If there is any way to save Padmé, I'm quite certain Leia will find it."

"I…yes, I admit that most of my concern is for my daughter. But Queen Amidala, and this Anakin Skywalker, they are more worried about Leia."

"Worried about what exactly?"

"Her isolation. Skywalker contacted Padmé because his mother was appalled to discover that her granddaughter was trying to fix the universe all alone, without the support of family or friends. From Leia's perspective, everyone she has known or loved is lost, possibly forever."

"I assure you, Madame Naberrie, Leia is not without family. House Organa is proud to claim her as ours," Breha stated firmly.

"The Naberrie family wishes to claim her as well, Your Majesty. I realize that she is adopted, and that you recognize her as your heir, but she is also my granddaughter." Jobal thought about Sola then, due to give birth any day. "I was sent here because, while Padmé cannot possibly be a mother to someone three times her age, she does wish to extend to her our family's love and protection. We do not have the power of an Elder House, but we are not without resources. We wish to coordinate with your family and become an active force in Leia's life. And her quest."

"I am very happy to hear that," Breha responded. "If you embrace Leia as your own, then the Organas and the Naberries become one family, a good, strong family. We will stand by our daughters together, no matter how many Sith rise to destroy them."

28 BBY, Kryze Castle, Kalevala, Mandalore System

"You cannot possibly think anyone would believe you, Master Organa."

Impressive, Leia thought, there are very few people in the universe who can put that much scorn in their voices. I'd forgotten that.

"I quite agree," Duchess Satine proclaimed, "my sister and I disagree about nearly everything, but neither of us is stupid."

Apparently, the entire family excels at condescension, the princess reflected.

"I'm sorry, Satine, I know it's not what you want to hear, but Master Organa is telling the truth. She has seen the future, Mandalore's future, and both the Old and New Mandalorians will be destroyed if you don't take steps now to prevent it."

"I agreed to meet with you, Ben, because I trust you. Against my better judgment, I even allowed a member of Death Watch to take part in these discussions…"

"Allowed?!" Bo-Katan objected. "I have just as much right to be here as you do."

"You are a terrorist," Satine told her, "and you belong on Concordia with the others who prefer to live their lives steeped in violence."

"And you are a coward, turning your back on our history!"

"Enough!" Leia commanded, using the Force to lift the conference table a few inches and then slam it down firmly, emphasizing her point. "Listen to me," she told them before they could rise and come at her. "I have seen Mandalore bombarded by fusion bombs, its surface turned to glass. The domes cracked and fell; cities were wiped from the planet. Survivors were hunted down and slaughtered, thousand upon thousands. I have heard the mourning songs: they called it The Night of a Thousand Tears."

"Duchess Satine, I was raised on Alderaan, and I believe in peace." Leia turned to the younger sister. "Lady Bo-Katan, my world was also wiped from existence, and I became a warrior in spite of my upbringing, but even victory over the Empire could not bring Alderaan back. Neither pacifism nor terrorism will allow you to stop what's coming. You must work together, find another path. Or Mandalore is doomed."

She shrugged. "I cannot make you believe me. But I am here to make you an offer, a small exchange that might be essential in changing the future as I have seen it."

"What kind of exchange?" the Duchess asked.

"I would like to borrow a warship and a dozen Z-6 jet packs."

"Oh, is that all?" Bo-Katan smirked at her.

Leia smiled. "I wouldn't mind a pair of beskar gauntlets, since you mention it."

"And what exactly would you be giving us in return?" demanded the Duchess.

"Lessons," Leia told her. "Lessons you cannot get anywhere else."

"What kind of lessons?"

"I will teach you to wield a lightsaber."

"Now, wait just a minute.." Obiwan tried to object.

Leia ignored him. "Soon, very soon, you will need to challenge Pre Vizla for the right to rule Mandalore. House Vizla is old, but their claim to rule is forged only in blood, not in wisdom, and Pre Vizla is not his ancestor. He holds the darksaber, but he cannot use it well. The Sith will take it from him if House Kryze does not do so first." Leia looked at both women. "A lightsaber is a strange weapon, it is elegant, beautiful, almost deceptively so. Using one requires far more skill than learning to fire a blaster or drop a bomb. It ought to be obsolete in a galaxy with weapons that can destroy entire cities. But it is not because it channels the Force. I can train you to feel that power, to let it flow through your mind and body." And in spite of my own weakness as a duelist, I had no trouble teaching Rey, Leia thought to herself.

"And which one of us do you think has Jedi powers, Master Organa?"

"Everyone can learn to use the Force, My Lady. Everyone."

"Ben?" Satine turned to her old friend.

"I suppose that's true. From a certain point view," he admitted uncomfortably.

"A certain point view? Sister, you cannot be buying this nonsense! Why would the Jedi scour the galaxy for babies to abduct…"

"We do not abduct babies!" Obiwan could not let that claim stand.

"Fine," Bo-Katan rolled her eyes, "convincing parents to surrender their toddlers to your cult. Is that better? Either way, you only choose children who already have Force powers, yes? Otherwise, you would just scoop up however many babies you needed from the surface of Coruscant and leave the rest of us alone."

"Lady Bo-Katan," Leia interrupted before she could offend Obiwan's sensibilities any further, "the Jedi order recruits based upon Force potential. For some, channeling the Force comes easily. For others, it can be much more difficult. But it can be done."

"Prove it!"

"A warship and twelve Z-6 jet packs, and I will do exactly that."

"Master Organa," Obiwan struggled to stop this catastrophe, "I am not authorized to speak for the Jedi Council, but they would never approve of a plan to train Mandalorians to use lightsabers! Even Satine would be…"

"Would be what, Master Kenobi?" The Duchess growled dangerously.

"It's not a good idea."

"Six," Satine turned to Leia. "A small cruiser and six jet packs in exchange for lightsaber lessons."

"Ten," countered Leia, "A small warship and ten jet packs, and I will train both of you. When you successfully feel the Force, we can talk about the gauntlets."

"Done. Let us discuss logistics."

Master Windu, Obiwan thought frantically, is going to be very upset.

28 BBY, Antilles Historical Salon, Coruscant

"I don't understand," Jhoni asked, "How can we destroy Exegol with one warship?"

"We can't," Leia told her patiently. "nor should we. Destroying planets is not a task for Jedi, not ever. Hold still, please, I promised Lady Antilles to get better measurements for you. She does not like the way your robes fall."

"Then what will you…"

"Master Organa?" Jaina interrupted. "A noblewoman is here to see you."

"A noblewoman?" Leia asked.

"Well, she walks like a noblewoman. She says she comes from the Queen of Naboo."

Leia stood, suddenly very nervous. An envoy from Queen Amidala? Why? She must know, Leia concluded immediately. Someone told her. Damn. It should have been me. "Please show her in, Jaina. Jhoni, we're going to need some privacy." The girl scowled at being sent away without answers to her questions, but she reluctantly obeyed.

A few minutes later, a young woman entered the room. She wore a hooded cloak over a grey shirt, wine-colored pants, and knee high leather boots. She was short, not much taller than Leia would be as an adult, and had brown hair and light brown eyes. She looked about twenty years old, and for a moment, Leia was sure that she was meeting her birth mother. From what she knew of Padmé Amidala, showing up on Coruscant in disguise would not be out of character at all.

"Princess," the woman bowed slightly, "My name is Sabé, and I have been sent to you by Queen Amidala. As her term has ended, and she is about to take up her post as Naboo's senator, she felt I would serve better with you." Although her tone was neutral, Leia got the distinct impression that Sabé was not entirely happy to be leaving her queen.

"Serving me how?" she asked.

"As your bodyguard, and, when appropriate, as a decoy," the woman frowned. "though that will not work effectively for those who know you since you appear to be so much younger."

"Bodyguard?" Leia was astonished. "I do not know what the Queen has been told, but I'm a Jedi Master, Lady Sabé. I have no need for a bodyguard."

"Needed or not, you have one. I follow the orders of my queen…and yours."

"Mine?"

"Princess Leia," Sabé told her gently, "Queen Breha and Queen Amidala wish to extend their protection to you and to assist you in completing your quest. They have…colluded…on this matter, and I do not believe they would entertain any objections to their plans. I am here to stay. Perhaps, we should discuss your security in detail; I'm certain I can find areas that need improvement."

I watched my smuggler play enough cards that I should have realized, Leia thought as Sabé began to list the security weaknesses she had noted on the way into the building, that two queens beat a princess every time.