Dance With the Stars (TPM AU starring Sabé) Reader replies and We've Moved! 03/17

Hello everyone For those of you who have read Shadows of a Past Long Forgotten, and/or are currently reading Why Love Was Forbidden in the Old Jedi Order, I recently got whacked over the head quite vehemently by this plot bunny... which was to write the prequel-era side of those stories

If you have NOT been reading those stories... that's okay, you'll be able to follow anyway

It has been thus far an intriguing undertaking, as several of the required characters, events, and even props have been pre-prescribed and must be adapted into a story otherwise of my own making.


Be advised: this series, of which this story is the first, will be an eventual Sabé/Obi, which is really weird, because... while I like Sabé/Obi well enough, I never had any especially particular interest in them, and never thought I'd actually write one. But life is so very strange, is it not?


Be also advised: The government of Naboo is just a tad bit different than you'll remember from TPM and especially AotC. But that's what makes writing AU so fun.

Hope you enjoy!

~Saché

 

***


Dance With the Stars

Prologue

Not all Royal Handmaidens were reared for life in court. Both tradition and wisdom held that these special assistants to the Royal house be chosen from all walks of life, encompassing a broad range of talent. Those chosen who had not grown up in the aristocracy were trained in the appropriate mannerisms and rituals of court life.

At once elegant, refined, and discreet, the handmaidens served their queens and princesses with poise, and dignity. In Amidala?s throne room they sat, a class all their own, in places distinct yet unobtrusive. They watched with open eyes and ears, cataloguing everything that took place. Each in her seat bore herself like an echo of the queen herself: timeless, regal, and observant. The handmaidens were well trained. One, however, had never required training to begin with.

Princess Sabé Naberrie, face hidden in the shadow of her yellow cowl, kept her features properly impassive. Though her heart was bursting with pride, she did not let it show. Arms draped gracefully on the sides of her chair, head held high, she sat as straight and tall as her small stature would allow. The pose required no concentration on her part. She had been born a Royal Princess of Naboo, and had been sitting like this since the time she had understood speech.

In a different world, it might well have been her sitting on the throne. But this was not such a world, and neither would she wish it so. The people had chosen correctly. Her twin sister was clearly far more capable as an executive leader than Sabé. The Naboo were very wise to have perceived this.

Although the law of the Naboo outlined clearly that any citizen twelve years of age or older was eligible to run for the monarchy, the Naberrie dynasty had now lasted nearly three hundred years. There were minor factions, of course, that opposed such a long-lasting influence, but their small numbers had never really made much of an impact. This was attributable to the fact that the Naberries, with a few exceptions, had nearly always lived up to the faith granted them by their steadfast people.

And now Padmé has done it again, Sabé reflected. Perhaps more greatly than any before her.

No, she realized, she did not envy her sister. Not in the slightest. She could imagine the terrible weight of doubt and indecision that must have pulled at the Queen all these past few months. Sabé did not feel capable of withstanding so much pressure. Padmé had made some hard decisions, and sacrificed much, but she had neither forgotten nor betrayed her people, and that was everything.

Yes, perhaps the Great Time of Peace is finally over, Sabé thought as she watched the scene before her eyes. But peace comes in many visages.

Walking slowly and regally across the cool inlaid marble of the throne room floor towards the queen was a proud Gungan ambassador. Sabé had been learning much about Gungans lately. A subject in which she was, for once, just as ignorant as all her fellow handmaidens. This Gungan was slim like Jar-Jar Binks and Captain Tarpals, but her rubbery skin was a mottled blend of gray and cream, with tinges of blue in the creases around her eyes and hands. Sabé thought that perhaps this Gungan was considered a beauty among her own people; her coloring was very handsome in Sabé?s eyes. But of course she did not know for certain. There was so much that nobody knew about the very people with whom they shared this beautiful world.

Thanks to Amidala, or Padmé, as Sabé knew her, they would now have the opportunity to learn. And friendships would be forged that should have been made long ago. Pride had been left too long unchecked, and now the Naboo and Gungan both would learn humility and respect.

Kessa Shanbo, as the Gungan was named, had come to Theed to be the first Ambassador to the Naboo. She would live in the city, in a special Embassy for which even now the plans were being drawn. It would be along the ri

 

Excellent start, Sachegirliewoman! Bet Prince Armand is hot...

 

Well thanks Lunita, I'm sure he is.

 

*hugs*

Wonderful beginning! I love the interactions between Sabé and Leiandra.

*thwacks forehead*

And I only now just realized that the first four letters of the Queen's name are "Leia"...

Keep up the good work, Sachélady!

 

Lovely post, Sache my dear! Sabe reminds me of Anne, smashing datapads and such. Poor thing, and all this on her birthday too... *sighs* Awesome beginning! Can't wait for more!

 

Very lovely beginning! I love the idea of Sabé being Padmé's sister -- it cetainly explains the similarities, doesn't it?

I really like Sabé's "voice" too. It's strong and authoritive, which is what I would expect from a Naberrie. But she's also quite a character and I think she's gonna be a lot of fun.

*looks around furtively* Postpostpost!

 

Awesome story!!!

I'll admit at first I almost thought you had written Liliuokalani instead of Leiandra... (just shows that I STILL have Hawaii on the brain... )

*Thwacks self just as Mini-Mina-Me did* I totally didn't notice that either... But hey, it explains why Padmé named her daugter Leia.

Awesome start, Sache!!!

(And why can I totally see Sabé doing something like that??)

 

Mina: **whispers** Don't tell anyone but... I didn't pick up on the significance of Leindra's name right away either

Jalen: "Sabe reminds me of Anne, smashing datapads and such." Lol!!! I can't believe I didn't think of that myself! Too funny....

Lisse: "I really like Sabé's "voice" too. It's strong and authoritive, which is what I would expect from a Naberrie." Well thanks, I'm sure she'd be glad to hear it. Let's just hope her author can help her keep the 'voice' going.

Miana: "I'll admit at first I almost thought you had written Liliuokalani instead of Leiandra..." Lol, well... let's see. Leiandra does turn out to be the last queen of the Great Time of Peace, so... there you go


Okay folks, as is my practice when starting a new fic, I dole out a nice steady stream of posts in the beginning to get things rolling. They might taper off a bit afterwards, but never fear! They still come


WARNING: Overly cute little siblings we all wish we had ahead....

Except for Emma. She already has cute little siblings


*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


I am fourteen years old today. Fourteen, and so is Padmé. Despite the lingering effects of her bad mood, Sabé could not help but feel satisfied at the thought. She?d always been eager to be grown up. Her thirteenth birthday had been a milestone, and the fourteenth promised to be even more fulfilling.

If only Baird Nenshall had accepted her offer of being an escort, she would have been perfectly content in looking forward to this evening. Her pride had been gravely wounded when he had turned her down. Even his mortification and flustered apologies had been little comfort. He hadn?t meant to give her any false impressions, he?d said. He was flattered by her offer but he was already seeing someone.
No doubt she?s tall, blond, and eighteen, Sabé thought with a scowl. She paused next to a tall window and studied her faint reflection. Gods, but she hated being so short! She turned away from her reflection and continued down the corridor.

Sabé?s musings were presently interrupted by a short flash of white and blue that dashed out from the nearest pillar and plowed headlong straight into her. ?Ooomph!? she cried, and then reached down to peel away a small pair of arms that were clasped tightly around her. ?Good morning, Richard,? she said blandly.

Eight-year-old Prince Richard Naberrie grinned up at his middle sister brightly. ?Mornin!? he replied cheerfully. ?We?ve been waiting for you for a long time!?

?A whole fifteen minutes,? came another voice with a laugh. Sabé?s younger sister Claria was also stepping out from behind the pillar. ?Sabé, did you really smash Master Nenshall?s datapad??

?And good morning to Claria too,? said Sabé wryly, still trying to detach Richard from her lower body. ?Who told you?? she added, rolling her eyes.

At this, Richard found incentive to finally pull away from her, still grinning. ?Rabé told us,? he said gleefully.

?Awww Rabé, you snitch!? Sabé whined under her breath. As youngest handmaiden to the Queen, Rabé Voss had actually been present for the incident in question. She was only a year older than Sabé, and the two had become very close since the handmaiden?s appointment. But Rabé had a weakness for spreading gossip. Sabé only hoped in this case that she had been able to restrain herself after divulging to the youngest members of the Royal family. In the end though, she realized, it was really made little difference. Rabé had not been the only witness. It had only been a matter of time.

Claria was giggling behind her hand. Sabé tried to favor her sister with a glare, but was eventually forced to give up a smile herself. It was difficult to stay angry when face to face with Claria?s sunny personality, though Force knew that Sabé always tried. ?Well,? said Claria fin

 

Wow, this story looks very interesting, Saché! I already love your characterization of Sabé, and I always enjoy good Sabé/Obi. I will definitely be reading. I can't wait to see where you go with this.

 

Hehehehe the little Prince is so cute! Where the heck does his son and grandson come from?!

 

Sachè

I'm a post behind but I had to tell you that this is a very interesting story.

LOL You had me going......

I checked to see if Padmé's mother's name was really Leiandra!!

Leiandra is a very creative name. WOW

~Lelila~

 

*eyes the little siblings unconvincingly* Nice, doesn't tell on you, don't scheme to get you in trouble... yep, definately too good to be true!

Awesomeness, Sache!!

 

*grabs Prince Richard and smuggles him home with her* No, you can't have him back Wondermous post Sachelady! So cute!!!! I'm in love with Richard! *sniffle* I want one like him someday.

 

This is such a cool story! My gosh, is Sabe lovestruck or what? I love how there's a mini world in the palace that's almost like a high school with a love triangle and gossiper... can't wait till the next post!

 

Anyanka: Thank-you and welcome!

"I already love your characterization of Sabé, and I always enjoy good Sabé/Obi. I will definitely be reading." Well, I hope my (eventual) Sabé/Obi lives up to your expectations. Just for the record though, they only meet and become friends in this particular story. But... expect some fun moments nonetheless. Now I just have to think of them!

Luney: "Hehehehe the little Prince is so cute! Where the heck does his son and grandson come from?!" Well, I dunno. You tell me

Admiral: Hey! Nice to see you here

"Leiandra is a very creative name. WOW" Um... yes it is. I cannot, however, in good concious take credit for it:

NOTE TO EVERYONE: Here follow some of the things I cannot take credit for. **ahem**

• The names, existence, and certain VERY basic characterizations of Leiandra, Claria, Richard.



• The extremely confusing and whacked-out system of Naboo government



• A certain piece of jewlry which makes its appearance in... I think four posts.



• A certain seamstress who makes a cameo in about five posts.

I'll add more to the list as I think of them or as they show up in the story.

Miana: "Nice, doesn't tell on you, don't scheme to get you in trouble..." Well, in all fairness to them, they didn't have to worry about tattling in this particulary case. That part was out of their hands. But still, I suspect you might be right

Mara: Hey! It's not not nice to come and steal characters from other people's stories!

**looks around and whistles innocently**

bobill: Welcome! Thanks!

"My gosh, is Sabe lovestruck or what?" Lol... yeah, she's a bit twitterpaited. But don't worry about it lasting too long.

"I love how there's a mini world in the palace that's almost like a high school with a love triangle and gossiper..." Yes! It is like a mini-world, which is exactly why it will be healthy for Sabé to get away for awhile.

"...can't wait till the next post!" Next post tomorrow night



Another Author's Note: It has just come to my attention that apparently Bounty Hunter actually is the name of a Real Life video game. I feel a little silly for not knowing that, but... on the other hand it's really funny. I just thought I'd better throw this in here to ensure that... I'm aware of the connection

 

Still three steps from the bottom, Richard drew himself up as tall as possible and put an indignant look on his face. ?That?s silly,? he said. ?It?s rude to open a gift before you give it to someone.?

?Sabé does it all the time,? said Claria brightly.

Sabé scowled. ?Only with music,? she said defensively.

Heehee. First of all, lovely sibling interaction in this post, Saché dearest. Second, it reminds me of the year we got my father ANH for Christmas, and I waited till I had the house to myself and snuck it out of its case and watched it, then wrapped it...

And the clavaria makes yet another appearance! Will it have an effect on any young ladies' (or young men's) love lives, I wonder?

Excellent post!

 

Mina: Hehe, I'm glad you liked that part. Kind of a RL inspiration, as a good friend of mine and I have a tendency to open the CDs we buy for each other and listen to them before they're given.


As promised folks, here's a new post!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resplendent in white, Sabé stood in the center of the Grand Banquet Hall later that evening, waiting for Padmé and studying an elaborately woven tapestry which hung above the large double doors. The craftsmanship of the weaver was second to none, and the bright threads told one of the most famous legends in Naboo history.

Pictured in the tapestry were two figures, both female, standing in the winter?s snow. The first was tall and regal. She wore white robes and no cloak, though she did have a small scarf and kerchief around her shoulders and over her dark hair. This was Elsinoré, the first Queen of Naboo.

The other figure was a small child, about Richard?s age, gazing up at the woman in wonderment. Her small hand was extended to receive something from the Lady?s hand, which appeared to be a brilliant white jewel. Sabé knew, however, that it was no jewel, but a representation of one of the planet?s most cherished treasures, the Snow Star. As a member of the Royal family, Sabé had seen the Snow Star many times. In reality, it was only an old meteorite, and Sabé thought it quaint of everyone to make such a fuss over it. But even she had to admit it was breathtakingly beautiful, its natural shape like a piece of art lovingly crafted by knowledgeable hands.

The girl in the tapestry was called Alwé. An ancient figure of whom historical accounts varied, but one thing at least was known. She was the first Naberrie.

?That tapestry was woven by the sister of King Jubal for his coronation,? said a quiet voice beside her. Sabé did not need to turn her head to know her mother was now standing next to her. ?She wove it as a reminder. So that despite all our success and accomplishments, we would not forget where we came from.?

Sabé nodded thoughtfully. A thoughtful gift, on many levels. Alwé the Matriarch had been from a family of poor weavers. Through both the weaving itself, and the story it represented, the tapestry was indeed a strong symbol of their house. Every year at Firstfall, the first week of winter, it was hung here in the banquet hall. When Mai Alai came and heralded the beginning of summer, the tapestry would be taken away again.

?Why do we still fawn over the Snow Star?? asked Sabé suddenly. ?Does anyone really believe that the spirit of Queen Elisnoré visited a little girl? I mean, sure it?s a lovely legend and strong tradition, but people behave as if they actually believe in such things. We?re smart, we know better than that.?

The queen was silent for a very long time, and when Sabé finally looked closely at her mother?s face she was surprised to see mingled there a look of slight distress and sadness. ?Do you no longer believe, Sabé Vana?? she asked quietly. ?When you were little it was your favorite story.?

?Exactly. My favorite story. I?m sure some of it has basis in fact, mother, but such things simply do not happen.?

Leiandra reached over and pulled a straying hair back into place beneath Sabé?s small crown. ?My dear,? she said awkwardly, ?I am so proud of how well you do in school. Your intelligence and quick thinking are truly blessings for you, and they will take you a long way. But do not be blinded by your own knowledge. A wise person acknowledges the possibility that there will always be things beyond their understanding. Some things cannot be learned in a book, or mastered through study.?

Sabé felt strangely lost as her mother spoke, as if Leiandra knew some great secret in which Sabé could not take part, because she, Sabé, was blocking her own way. Leiandra perhaps perceived this, because she smiled and continued. ?I have read a little of the Jedi ways,? she told Sabé. ?You cannot explain the things

 

Wow, you sort of tied in all the other stories together, what with the clavaria AND the snow star! Pretty cool! So we finally see Padme... early graduation, why am I so not surprised? She reminds me of a genius at school who go to college when he was 11... wayy to early. And love the reference to Palo... is there any boy Sabe DOESN'T think is annoying? Anyway, can't wait till the next post!

 

Another lovely post, Saché! Again, I love Sabé's personality. I also loved the banter between the twins, and how you showed us their distinct personalities.

Looking forward to more.

 

*Spews drink as she reads the post...* ELSINORE???

*Gets told by Sache that it came from Mina's vig.*

*Turns to Mini-Mina-Me* Mini Me... You do realize that I am from Lake Elsinore, California, right??

Awesome post, Sache!!

 

*arrives fashionably late* Hello, Saché!

Well, you've already heard my actual reactions to the scenes, so I won't bore you with them again. Still, I'm in full agreement - Claria is impossibly sweet, and if Mara hadn't already snagged Richard (the First, mind you ), I would have.

So in response to the things for which you cannot take credit, I'll explain where they came from.

• The names, existence, and certain VERY basic characterizations of Leiandra, Claria, Richard.
  
  Leiandra and Claria were names and vague personalities I came up with. Richard was thought up by padawan lunetta. Oh, and Leiandra was a nickname of a friend of mine in high school. The similarities between that and Leia were just too tempting to pass up.



• The extremely confusing and whacked-out system of Naboo government
  
  That was a joint effort with Luney and me.



• A certain piece of jewlry which makes its appearance in... I think four posts.
  
  The necklace itself and its significance were the responsibility of Her Luneyness, while the actual model for the necklace is mine - one of these days I'll get around to taking a picture of it, because it's hard to describe.



• A certain seamstress who makes a cameo in about five posts.
  
  Again, joint effort on behalf of Luney and me.

*ahem* Having said that, Saché's doing an amazing job with what is an incredible hodge-podge of information from four different stories and reading minds to figure out exactly what was intended with various references.

(And she even pulled in a reference to a totally unrelated series... the clavaria! )

Mel

 

Wow Sache! That post was amazing! I love the emotion that you put into all of your work. You are truly amazing.

And yes, Mel, Richard is all mine .

Late that evening, when the last guest had paid their respects, and Sabé?s cheeks hurt from prolonged fake smiling...

LOL!!! That was the best! I can soooo relate!

Again Sache, wonderful, spectacular job! I loved it!

 

Dr. Evil-Mi : Muahaha. Will coincidences never cease? (Okay, granted, that's one coincidence--but they could keep coming.)

Saché: Aw! I love the use of the legend as a lesson for Sabé. I still think my favorite part of this post is the family time at the end, though. The interactions among all of them are natural and endearing, and you've really done an excellent, consistent job of showing how different the twins can be.

Ohhhh, why does the ominous music have to come so soon? *grabs Beru hanky in preparation*

 

For some reason, "Elsinore" sounds to me like a name out of LOTR.

Lovely story, Sachy. I like the way you're writing Sabé, though I'm kind of growing disaffected with her due to this attitude about boys.