Sabe's Story--A TPM AU

Title: --Sabé's Story--A TPM AU (WIP)

Author: Queen Sabé aeryn4@xoommail.com (Queen Sabé)

Rating: PG-13 (just to be safe in case I want to up the Sabé/Obi-Wan action.;))

Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Lucasfilm, Ltd;however, the storyline and my manner of characterizing Sabé belong to me.

The sleek Naboo cruiser sped towards the Trade Federation vessel. It alighted within the docking bay with the grace of a bird. A small hooded figure stood up to leave the cockpit.

"I will return to Naboo aboard the Jedi vessel. Return to the hangar," the mysterious passenger told the pilot, "...and stay alert."

Ric Olié nodded, catching the underlying warning. /The Neimoidians were not to be trusted/. Every citizen of Naboo was fully aware of the treacherous and self-serving nature of the Trade Federation. Olié thought to himself /I will be ready for anything those vipers want to try/.

"Be careful, M'lady," he added as the figure left the cockpit to disembark. He noticed a slight nod and turned back to the control panel.

***************************************************************

As the ramp lowered, Sabé could see the Viceroy waiting to greet her. /Disgusting toads/ she thought to herself. Nute Gunray approached her.

"We are honored that the Queen would send one of her own handmaidens to observe the negotiations," he said as they left the docking bay. She instantly detected the dishonesty beneath his smooth words. He no doubt regarded her as a simple servant, a droid of flesh and bone. Why had he bothered coming to meet her himself? She would have preferred a droid. Nevertheless, she must be diplomatic.

"Thank you for having me, Viceroy."

"Does her highness believe the negotiations will be a success?"

The smug tone of his voice was irritating. Her diplomatic composure slipped for a moment.

"Her highness believes that a settlement will be reached that will satisfy both parties," Sabé said with such firmness that the Viceroy knew further conversation was pointless. They continued to move through the cold, metal corridors in silence until they reached a large doorway. Nute Gunray pressed a button on the panel by the doorway and it slid open with a hiss. Sabé stepped into the spacious conference room and turned to face the Viceroy.

"You will inform me when the Jedi ambassadors arrive," she said, her statement more of an order than a request.

"Of course, madam," he replied and turned to leave. The doors slid shut behind him. Alone in the room, Sabé walked to the window on the opposite side and gazed out of the window at the beautiful blue-green planet swirling below. The sight of her home renewed her fierce hopes for the success of the negotiations. /We must reach a settlement. My people have suffered long enough/. Sabé recalled her conversation with Queen Amidala that morning:

"Sabé, I need you to observe the negotiations with the Trade Federation. I know the Jedi will represent us as best they can, but they cannot possibly know as we do just how much suffering our people have been forced to endure. If necessary, advise them as to what you think an appropriate settlement would be. I know..."

"...but Ami, I cannot possibly advise Jedi. I have not been properly..."

"...trained? As I was saying, I know you are wise and will act with discretion. I have every confidence in you my friend."

Sabé's hand went to the amulet that hung around her neck. The Queen had given it to her that morning before her departure. She hadn't wanted to accept it for she knew of its importance: Amidala's parents had made it for her when she was very young. The small amulet hung like a dead weight around her neck, reminding her of her purpose here. She was essentially representing every living creature on the lush planet below. She must not allow the Jedi to detect her uncertainty. With the Viceroy, it had been easy - she did not like him anyway, but the Jedi...that would prove difficult, Sabé was sure.

She turned her attention again to the scenery outside of the window. Among the stars, she could see a small ship moving toward the Federation vessel...the Jedi would soon be here.

***************************************************************

The doors once again hissed open. Two men in drab brown cloaks stepped in. Sabé silently observed their reflection in the transparisteel window. /Nute Gunray did not inform me of their arrival/ she noted. She was not the least bit surprised. The shiny glare of a silver protocol droid was reflected in the window and she

heard its computerized voice. /I suppose the Viceroy is through greeting his visitors personally for today. Or perhaps he knows the Chancellors sent Jedi Ambassadors and his insides are shaking with fear/. The idea gave her a small measure of satisfaction.

The two Jedi had been conversing quietly as they moved across the room. Upon seeing her, the taller man, who had removed his hood, spoke to the small figure lost in thought.

"Have you come to observe the negotiations?"

Sabé, startled at first, quickly regained her composure and replied, in the most dignified tone she could muster, "I am Sabé. Her royal highness Queen Amidala of the Naboo has sent me to observe your actions as representatives of our planet...and to guide them should the need arise."

Momentarily taken aback by the boldness of the delicate-looking creature in front of him, he responded simply, "I see."

After a brief pause, he proceeded to introduce himself and his companion. She heard their introduction in fragments:...Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn...my padawan, er...apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The last line snapped her to attention.

"I know what a padawan is," she said sharply. /Does he think I'm stupid? The Queen's loyal flunky? Arrogant Jedi!/

Neither Qui-Gon nor Obi-Wan said a word. They looked at each other, both of them fully aware of what she was thinking. Deciding to leave the matter alone, the pair began discussing their negotiation strategy.

"How do you think this Viceroy will deal with the Chancellor's demands?"

"I sense a great deal of fear over something as trivial as this trade dispute. The Neimodians are cowards! The negotiations will be short."

Sabé cut in sharply, before she even knew she had spoken. /Bite your tongue!/ she scolded herself fiercely. /The Jedi are not your enemy even if this is just a trivial matter to them/.

Neither man said a word. /She feels very strongly about this situation, Master/.

/Of course, Obi-Wan - her world as she knows it is in danger of being destroyed/. /Have patience with her, Padawan/.

Obi-Wan nodded and looked over at Sabé. She was still staring out the window at the planet below. His heart went out to her as he sensed her sadness and frustration.

***************************************************************

"This game of yours has failed, Lord Sidious. The blockade is at an end. We dare not go against the Jedi," said Daultay Dofine to the flickering image before him.

"Viceroy, I do not want to see this stunted slime in my sight again," the image responded. Dofine slunk away and Sidious continued.

"This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans. Begin landing your troops."

Nute Gunray hazarded a brief glance at Rune Haako before making his reply.

"My Lord...Is that legal?"

"I will make it legal."

"The Chancellor should never have brought them into this. Kill them immediately.

"Ah, yes my Lord, but, ah, my Lord...," said the Viceroy.

"Queen Amidala has sent one of her handmaidens to observe the negotiations." A look of dismay escaped his stone cold composure and was immediately snatched away as soon as it had show itself.

"Inform the Queen that her handmaiden was dismissed and returned to the planet as soon as she arrived."

"And when she doesn't return to the planet?"

"The Queen will have other things on her mind."

With that, the image flickered into nothing. Gunray nodded to the expectant bridge commander.

***************************************************************

"Is it in their nature to make us wait this long?" asked Obi-Wan. Before Qui-Gon could respond, a loud explosion echoed throughout the ship. The Jedi stood up and quickly ignited their lightsabers. Sabé was instantly at their side, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"What could have caused such an explosion?"

"I imagine it was our ship," Qui-Gon replied.

Sabé felt sick to her stomach. She gasped as a greenish-yellow gas began seeping through the air vents.

"Dioxus," said Qui-Gon to his apprentice.

"Take a deep breath," ordered Obi-Wan. As soon as she did so, he wrapped his arm around her and pinched her nose shut and covered her mouth. Too shocked to resist, Sabé tried her best to relax. Her lungs began to scream for air and her head ached. She could hear the doors hiss open and the mechanical chattering of battle droids outside the door.

"Don't breathe yet," Obi-Wan whispered to her as he released his hold. Every fiber of her body begged for air, but she resisted. She heard the ignition their lightsabers, but the blades blurred together in a hazy mix of blue and green. Then, in a flash of orange plasma bolts and swift blue-green arcs of light, the battle droids lay strewn about the corridor in pieces. Sabé stumbled into the brightly-lit passage and sucked in the filtered air. Just as her vision began to clear, a strong hand grabbed her own and raced her down the corridor. They stopped outside of the entrance to the bridge. As Qui-Gon began to cut through the heavy metal door, more battle droids arrived and in greater force. She withdrew a small pistol from within the folds of her cape and began to fire, finishing off the droids whose plasma bolts were not returned to them via Obi-Wan's lightsaber. The Neimoidians could be heard scrambling frantically about the bridge.

"Where are those droidekas?" screamed an enraged and terrified Nute Gunray.

"They're sending destroyers," she warned.

Just as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon exchanged a look of dismay, the said destroyers could be seen rolling around the corner of the passage before them. In seconds, they were only meters away, firing plasma bolts with more intensity than the battle droids...and they had shields.

"This is pointless," Sabé yelled, "we have to get out of here!"

The Jedi nodded in agreement and the trio once again took off down the hallway.

***************************************************************

Moments later, they dropped out of a ventilation shaft behind a tall stack of cargo containers. They were obviously in another docking bay. Dozens of massive troop transports were being loaded with inert battle droids and armored tanks.

"It's an invasion army," Obi-Wan breathed.

Sabé closed her eyes to suppress her tears as her heart filled with dread. /This cannot be happening/. Qui-Gon's words interrupted her thoughts.

"This is an odd play for the Trade Federation. We must reach the capital in order to warn the Naboo and contact Chancellor Valorum. We will split up and travel to planet's surface aboard the troop transports. Sabé, you come with me, Obi-Wan..."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Besides, it's better to have three chances of reaching Theed than two."

Reluctantly, Qui-Gon allowed her to "take care of herself" and each of them quietly stowed aboard one of the massive war machines.

***************************************************************

Qui-Gon turned as he saw Obi-Wan crashing through the forest, two battle droids zipping through the air behind him, firing shot after shot of orange fire. Just as Qui-Gon was about to ignite his lightsaber, two green plasma bolts shot out of the foliage beside theof a gigantic tree, disabling the droids. As the metal chunks crashed to the forest floor, Sabé emerged - her dark green cloak had hidden her from the droids and the Jedi. Momentarily speechless, Obi-Wan quickly found himself and uttered a quiet "thank-you." She nodded and turned her attention to the creature standing before Qui-Gon. He was a strange looking thing, but she believed she knew what he was.

"You're a Gungan aren't you," she inquired. He nodded, his big ears flapping.

"Mesa Jar Jar Binks." Sabé smiled in spite of herself.

"Can you help us, Jar Jar? We must reach the Naboo capital, to warn them."

"De fastes' way is underwater, tru da core. I will take you to my city, where I grew up," he said, and then added proudly, "It is a hidden city!"

"Underwater," Sabé said, with more fear in her voice than she would have liked to reveal. Her companions exchanged a look that she could see out of the corner of her eye and her face reddened a little. She preferred solid ground to the dark, fearsome depths of the oceans of Naboo.

Suddenly, Jar Jar spoke up again. "Wait, on second tawt...mesa no tinkin' dis a good idea. De bosses will do tewible tings to be if I be returnin'. Tewwwwwwible tings!"

Qui-Gon interrupted at this point. "Do you hear that noise?"

The Gungan lifted his huge ears and nodded.

Qui-Gon continued, "That is the sound of a hundred terrible things headed this way."

"If they catch us, they will crush us, grind us into tiny pieces, and blast us into oblivion," Obi-Wan added with a playful tone in his voice.

Sabé spoke again. "Jar Jar, we need your help. Will you please take us to your city? We must warn your people as well."

"Yousa point is well-seen." He gestured to the trio, indicating that they should follow him. He led them to the edge of a dark lake and leaped into its waters with a flourish. The Jedi followed with Sabé close behind. As she pulled the aqua-breather out of a pocket within her cape, she silently thanked Captain Panaka for

his overprotective nature. Although she had not anticipated that the negotiations would go smoothly, she had never expected to find herself stranded in the wilderness with two Jedi and a decidedly odd Gungan.

Her musings were interrupted as the cool water rushed around her as she began descending into the dark lake.

***************************************************************

Their greeting had been anything but friendly. Another Gungan astride a tall animal of some kind had immediately recognized Jar Jar and had scolded him fiercely before leading them to the chamber in which Boss Nass, the Gungan leader, would see them. Although Sabé had only recently seen a Gungan up close, she knew enough about them to know that they did not like the Naboo. Centuries of misunderstandings had led to animosity between the two very different civilizations. She pulled her hood up to hide her face and stood silently behind Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan as they spoke with the leader of the Gungans. She was amazed at their ability to manipulate Boss Nass into giving them a transport and releasing Jar Jar into their custody. She had often heard of the Jedi mind tricks, but to see it done...it was, to say the least, an interesting sight.

***************************************************************

Sabé inhaled the fresh air deeply as she carefully climbed out of the bongo. To be on land again was a relief after the horrifying trip through the core. Her face reddened as she recalled how she had gripped Qui-Gon's forearm in fright as one of many gigantic sea creatures had threatened the four travelers in the small submarine.

That terrifying experience behind them, they began to make their way, quickly and quietly, towards the palace. It was obvious that they were too late to warn anyone of an invasion, for there were droids

everywhere. As they reached the main plaza in front of Theed Palace, they could see a group of figures descending the the marble palace steps.

"It's the Queen," hissed Sabé. They had captured her sovereign! Outrage filled her mind. Her muscles tensed. She wanted to tear the Viceroy to pieces!

/Calm down. Your anger will not help your Queen/. The voice in her mind that was not her own took her by surprise, but Qui-Gon continued. /We will wait until they are out of the way of the droids in the plaza before we attempt a rescue/. Sabé could only nod...and withdraw her pistol, readying herself for a fight.

As the group of battle droids leading the Queen, four handmaidens, and several other officials and security officers rounded a corner, they found themselves out of the view of the remainder of the Trade Federation army encamped in Theed Plaza. Fighting quickly proved to be unnecessary as Master and Padawan disposed of the droids in seconds - Sabé had hardly seen them move. She emerged from her hiding place and approached the group behind the Jedi. The first thing she noticed was that Padmé was among the handmaidens. The "Queen" who was speaking to Qui-Gon must be Eirtaé, for she was next in line to become the decoy in times of danger.

I should have been here, Sabé thought. Eirtaé was certainly just as intelligent as herself, but she had not had as much practice in the cryptic communication that Sabé and Padmé rehearsed endlessly in order to make the scheme work smoothly. They were quickly ushered into the opening of a small side street, out of the reach of the battle droids for the moment. Up to this point, Eirtaé had said nothing - she only listened as the older Jedi spoke. /Transports? This way/. At the entrance to the hangar, Qui-Gon stopped them.

"Your Highness, under the circumstances, I suggest you come to Coruscant with us."

"Thank you Ambassador, but my place is with my people."

"There is something else behind all of this, your Highness. They will kill you if you stay."

"They wouldn't dare," interjected Governor Sio Bibble.

"They need her to sign a treaty to make this invasion of theirs legal. They can't afford to kill her," added Captain Panaka.

"If the Queen does not sign the treaty, they will appoint someone who will. Your Highness, there is no logic in the Trade Federation's move here. My feelings tell me they will to destroy you."

"Either choice presents great danger...to us all," Eirtaé said, turning to Padmé.

/Good,/ Sabé thought. She was improvising well.

"We are brave, your Highness," Padmé responded. Her indecision cured, Eirtaé turned and said to Qui-Gon, "I will plead our case before the Senate"

Padmé signaled to Eirtaé to select herself, Rabé, and Sabé to accompany them. Eirtaé, always soft-hearted, pretended not to understand and motioned for all of the handmaidens to follow her. Captain Panaka and a moderate security force would also go, leaving Governor Bibble on Naboo. His face was not full of fear, but of relief--he was glad to see the Queen and the handmaidens on their way to safety.

The droids guarding the pilots in the hangar were destroyed in seconds, an encore performance of the previous spectacle. The fleeing party quickly boarded the Queen's royal cruiser, the Marie Celeste, and took off. Sabé followed the Jedi and Captain Panaka to the cockpit, the very same one that she had traveled in only hours before.

The Federation's blockade would be their final obstacle. The turbulent flight was nerve-wracking...droid ships and blaster cannons on the large Federation vessels fired endlessly. The shields were weakening! On the outside monitor, Sabé could see the astromech droids blasted, one by one, off of the gleaming surface of the vessel as they attempted repairs. One blue and silver astromech droid remained...a few moments later, an electronic hum greeted her ears. The shields were restored! Soon after, the ship was out of danger.

***************************************************************

No one noticed as Sabé stole away quietly...Eirtaé would probably want to switch places with her before the party met in the throne room on board. She had done well, but it was Sabé who had had the most practice. As she'd expected, Padmé and Rabé were ready to make the switch as quickly as possible, the pieces of the

black gown waiting for the next wearer. The coldness in the room no doubt came from Padmé's irritation at her subordinate's flagrant disregard of her orders. Eirtaé, despite her soft nature, would stand fast on this point--she felt she had done the right thing. She removed the brown lenses from her blue eyes and joined the group of young women dressing Sabé. The three young women helped Sabé change into the black robe and feathered headdress and Saché painted her face with the white make-up. As soon as she was ready, she hurried to the throne room and seated herself at the head of the room. The four handmaidens positioned themselves behind her, their silent presence lending dignity to the decoy Queen's court.

Moments later, the doors slid open, admitting Captain Panaka, the two Jedi, several security officers, a Gungan, and one very dirty astromech droid.

Panaka was the first to speak. "This extremely well-built little droid managed to restore power to the shields by bypassing the damaged power cell. Unfortunately, the hyperdrive core was severely damaged and we do not have enough energy to reach Coruscant."

Sabé was genuinely shocked, but she hid it well. She must have left the cockpit before they had fully assessed the damage. Disappointment filled her and she sensed it from the handmaidens, especially Padmé. Padmé...she would have to position the Queen in front of her so that they could communicate.

"Captain, before we address that matter, tell me the serial number of this droid for it is to be commended."

A little confused, Panaka responded, "Ahh...R2-D2, Your Highness."

"Thank you, R2-D2--your bravery has saved us all."

The blackened droid beeped happily.

"Padmé! Take this droid and clean it up as best you can. It deserves our gratitude."

Padmé stepped from behind the throne and stood by R2, in front of Sabé. Now they could continue.

"Continue, Captain."

Captain Panaka turned and shot a disapproving look at the two Jedi standing side by side. Qui-Gon took the signal and spoke.

"Your Highness, with your permission we're heading for a remote planet called Tatooine. It's in a system far beyond the reach of the Trade Federation."

"I do not agree with the Jedi on this," said Captain Panaka, making no attempt to hide his feelings.

"You must trust my judgement, your Highness."

Sabé briefly raised her eyebrows in a look of skepticism, but quickly softened her expression - no need to give herself away so soon. The court was quiet, awaiting her decision. She knew they must land to make repairs and, despite the reservations she shared with Panaka, she agreed with the older Jedi for once. So did Amidala, for she signaled her approval from her place beside R2-D2.

"We will land on Tatooine with the understanding that the parts necessary for repairs will be procured as quickly as possible. We must reach Coruscant quickly - every minute we spend here, our people are suffering," said Sabé decisively. With that, the court dissolved as Captain Panaka went to sulk, Padmé went to clean the astromech droid, and the Jedi disappeared. As soon as she and the handmaidens were alone, Sabé released a sigh of relief. For a moment, she could allow her fatigue to show.

****************************************************************

As the ship approached Tatooine, Padmé entered the throne room that now held only her five handmaidens. She approached Sabé and said, "Sabé, I am going to accompany Qui-Gon when he goes to look for the hyperdrive--I want to know what's going on."

Her anger appeared to have left her--she spoke with calmness;however, Sabé could not speak with such reserve.

"Why must you put yourself in more danger than you are already in? Our people need you to reach Coruscant in one piece," she argued vehemently.

"You know I can take care of myself. Besides, I will be with Qui-Gon. I'll be fine."

Sabé stood and descended the throne.

"Allow me to go instead, your Highness . . . I'll take a communicator and inform you of everything that goes on . . . it will be safer that way!"

"You've already come close to giving your life for our planet today. You have served me faithfully, Sabé, but you have been my eyes for too long. I think it's time I see things for myself. Besides, I think one near-death experience a day is enough, don't you?"

Padmé smiled at her friend and, before Sabé could raise any further objection, she left. Quickly, Sabé ordered Rabé and Yané to help the Queen find the right clothes--if she was going to venture into a dangerous spaceport, she must blend in as much as possible.

"She will be all right. I'm sure of it," Eirtaé offered once they were alone. Saché concurred. Sabé nodded, yet, despite their words, she could not stop the knot of worry that was forming in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, all she could do was try to remain calm and fulfill her role as false sovereign successfully. That was the best way she could serve her Queen right now.

***************************************************************

The landing party had been gone for only a few hours when a transmission was received from Naboo. Captain Panaka and Obi-Wan entered the throne room where the message would be viewed, along with various pilots and security officers. Sabé had returned to her seat at the end of the room, flanked by the four remaining handmaidens. She nodded and Panaka activated the holoviewer. Governor Sio Bibble's kindly face appeared before them, creased with lines of worry. His voice was filled with desperation as he informed them of the worsening conditions on Naboo. He asked. . .no, begged. . .for the Queen to contact him. Yet, despite his obvious anxiety, Sabé felt that something was forced in his manner - he was being ordered to communicate this message, she was sure, probably under the threat of death. Then, an idea occurred to her.

"Captain, play the message again, please."

"Of course, your Highness."

As he did so, she focused on Bibble's hands - just as she had suspected, he was using the Naboo handsignals, an older technique of covert communication. Captain Panaka still taught them as a standard part of security training, just to be thorough, and every state official knew the signals, as well. She read them and discerned the message "Do not respond." repeated again and again with flashing fingers.

The message ended and Sabé prepared to speak when Obi-Wan interrupted,"Captain, send no transmissions of any kind. This message is no doubt a trap designed fo force us to reveal our location."

/Arrogant fool! How dare he presume that we would all be so stupid as to be blind to such an obvious scheme/. Infuriated, she called out to him as he neared the door, "Obi-Wan Kenobi, may I remind you that this is my ship and you are currently under my service! While I appreciate your efforts in our struggle to preserve our planet, I do not need you to do my thinking for me. I was going to say that I believed the message was a indeed a trap before I was so rudely interrupted. In the future, you will contain your comments unless I ask for them. Is that perfectly understood?"

Red with anger and embarassment, he responded curtly, "Yes, your Highness," almost choking on the last word. He turned to leave, but Sabé could not have that.

"You will leave when I dismiss you!"

He narrowed his eyes at her and she returned his glare full force. He returned to his place beside Captain Panaka, who was a little surprised by Sabe's reaction. Never before had he seen her reprimand someone so severely. Why make such an effort to put the young Jedi in his place?

"Captain, I would like you to ensure that no transmissions are sent from this ship unless I approve them beforehand. All incoming messages should be relayed to my quarters, where I will review them and, if necessary, reconvene the court to evaluate them."

"Yes, your Highness."

"Also Captain, please inform the crew that the ship should be ready to receive the new hyperdrive and take off as soon as possible."

"You are all dismissed."

Once again, the room emptied, Obi-Wan being the first to go as he stormed out angrily. When the last person had left, Sabé stood and stepped down from the throne. Rabé, Eirtaé, Saché, and Yané followed her wordlessly as she walked through the corridors of the Marie Celeste to the Queen's quarters. As soon as they were all inside and the doors had shut behind them, she began to rant:

"Of all the arrogant, terrible things to do. . .that boy thinks he can order me around. I suppose that because I don't carry a lightsaber and fling things across the room with a wave of my hand I am just not capable of holding a complex thought in my head. Stupid. . .stupid Jedi!"

The small figure in the elaborate black gown and feathered headdress pacing across the room like a caged animal was an odd sight.

"I'm sure he had no intention of undermining your authority," Rabé said.

"He was only trying to help. He just went about it the wrong way," added Eirtaé.

"Perhaps he thought you would appreciate his intervention. He probably assumed you were under a lot of pressure and wouldn't want to think about it," said Yané.

Sabé couldn't believe her ears. They were siding with him!

"No intention of undermining my authority! Just trying to help! How can you say such things? He was obviously on one of those power trips that I am positive all Jedi are prone to have. He is even worse than his master!"

"And exactly how many Jedi have you met," Yané asked.

"Well, only two, but that isn't the point! The point is that. . ."

"The point of this entire situation is that you just don't like him. And because of this, you try to disagree with him whenever you can and this only creates a division among our forces. I'm sure I don't have to remind you that now is not the time to alienate one's allies,"said Sache.

Sabé knew she was right, although she hated to admit it; Saché didn't say much, but when she did, it always seemed to be the right thing. She kicked a stray wardrobe container in frustration. She knew that was a mistake as soon as she felt a sharp pain radiate through her foot. Sabé hobbled over to a chair and sat down with a heavy sigh.

"I just. . .I'm. . .I just want this to be over."

The selfishness in her words struck her immediately and she looked up at her fellow handmaidens. They had removed their hoods upon entering the room, so she could see the sad and fearful looks on their faces. Their families were trapped on Naboo, just like her own. /We are all in this together/. She stood and began to walk toward them, but the pain in her foot hampered her movement. As Saché and Yané stepped

forward to help her, she put her arms around them. They returned the embrace and Rabé and Eirtaé joined them. The five young women stood in silence, comforted by their friendship for a few short precious moments.

"We are all in this together."

***************************************************************

A few hours later, Sabe walked slowly within the confines of the royal starship, still dressed as the Queen. Her foot still ached, so she strode with a slight limp. She was lost in thought, so she did not see who was in the observation lounge as she wandered in--Obi-Wan stood gazing out of window. A sandstorm raged outside, obscuring any view of the planet, not that there was much to see. The storm itself, however, was fascinating to one who had never left her lush green planet. Qui-Gon had informed them that he and his party--Padme, R2, and Jar Jar--had found shelter in the home of a kindly slave boy and his mother. This incident had only reinforced Sabé's desire that she should have been the one to go, leaving the real Queen safe aboard the Marie Celeste. But that could not be helped. As she craned her neck to get a better look at the swirling columns of sand, she noticed Obi-Wan. Her face burned as she recalled her scathing reprimand. She knew she owed him an apology. /I hate apologies/ she thought to herself.

"I don't like them either."

This was one instance in which Sabe could not hide her surprise.

"I've noticed that most of the time, you and your handmaidens hide your thoughts well--you have been thoroughly trained--but just now, you let your guard down."

Noting the mixture of incredulity and annoyance on her face, he added,

"Of course, I didn't read your mind intentionally--sometimes thoughts just flow naturally from one person to another, Jedi or not."

She nodded. There wouldn't be a better opportunity. . .

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. It was uncalled for. This is a tense situation for everyone and I was wrong to alienate you. I realize you were only trying to help."

"I will accept your apology if you will accept mine. It was insensitive of me to take control away from you--it is /your/ ship and I am under /your/ service. Forgive me."

"Of course," she said quietly. She turned her attention back to the storm outside, but only for a moment, for Obi-Wan spoke again.

"I noticed that you were favoring your left foot - are you hurt?"

"It's nothing to be concerned about. I. . .stubbed my toe on a chair."

He nodded and looked back outside, accepting her excuse. She couldn't very well tell him that she had give a wardrobe container a swift kick, wishing it was him. To avoid any further conversation that might give her away, Sabe left and returned to the Queen's quarters.

*****************************************************************

After Sabé had left, Obi-Wan remained standing before the thick window thinking, as he often did. When he had first met the Queen--when he had aided in her escape--she had seemed ready to listen. She had even referred to one of her handmaidens before making the decision to leave Naboo. Now, every time he had been in her presence aboard the ship, she had seemed much more decisive; however, she had made an unusual show of commending the astromech droid and ordering one of the handmaidens--the same one who had gone to Mos Espa with Qui-Gon--to clean it up. That had been another instance in which a crucial decision had had to be made: to land on Tatooine for repairs or seek another place of refuge. When the Queen had ordered that no transmissions be sent, that was a fairly obvious decision. Her explosive response to the slightest threat to her authority also made him suspect that she believed that it was not concrete--she had felt the need to affirm it before the court and perhaps to herself. Although Qui-Gon had not observed this last event, Obi-Wan was sure he must have noticed something unusual in the young woman's changing attitude. He would ask his Master during his next transmission. Until then, he could only wonder.

The five handmaidens sat in silence in their spacious quarters,each young woman lost in thought. A loud beep snapped them out of their reveries--another transmission? Sabé stood and pressed the button on the companel on the wall.

The remaining four jumped up and crowded around the small speaker.

"Padmé, is that you? Are you okay? Have you got the new hyperdrive?"

Amidala laughed a little at the barrage of questions.

"Yes,it's me,I'm fine and no,unfortunately the dealers here won't accept Republic credits."

"Are you serious?! How are we going to get out of here if we can't get the parts?!"

"Well, this boy. . .Qui-Gon has a plan. . ."

"What sort of plan," asked Sabé with skepticism as the handmaidens listened intently.

"The boy who offered us shelter from the sandstorm has offered to enter a podrace and give us the winnings to buy the parts we need."

The young women exchanged confused looks.

"I can't really explain it, but it's dangerous--this boy is brave enough to risk his life to help us."

Sabé smiled. Her Royal Highness Queen Amidala of the Naboo sounded very much like she might be forming an attachment.

"Does this boy have a name?"

"His name is Anakin and he's ten years old. . .Sabé, are you laughing!?"

"Certainly not! Our fate lies in this young ten-year-old's hands. This is a grave situation indeed," she responded with mock seriousness. A quick glance at her companions revealed their mutual amusement: every one of them was trying to suppress laughter. She forced herself to be serious again.