"In the Service of the Queen" -- so what happened on that ship, anyway?

Well, well, it's high time for me to post this story, I think. The question we are considering here is: What happened on the ship all that time on Tatooine, anyway? And the answer is: I don't know. Nobody knows but George Lucas, unless he doesn't care and didn't give it a single thought, in which case it never happened. But enough babbling. Here is my answer; one possible answer to that question. It could also be called "The Phantom Menace: from the point of view of Obi-Wan Kenobi Padawan apprentice and Sabé the decoy queen, but not the whole movie because it starts when they've already arrived at Tatooine and this title is too long." Enough talk! Here's a start:

Obi-Wan knew the queen was hiding something. However, to discover exactly what, was proving to be very difficult. Prying into her mind would be against everything a Jedi stood for, but less direct methods were not working. He tried reaching out to her emotions, just her pure emotions,
to sense what she was feeling and try to piece things together. After all, if she was keeping a secret, it might be something the Jedi should know, to better assist her.

Or perhaps he was simply making excuses. He was curious.

The queen?s thoughts were as jumbled and flurried as the sandstorm that raged outside
the ship. She was nervous; he could sense that much just from being in the same room with her. They were all nervous, she and her handmaidens and the pilots. Everyone but Panaka, who was too busy being angry with Qui-Gon?s decision to be anything else. Obi-wan wondered if the queen was just as uncertain about that decision.

He had been quite surprised about one of her own decisions, when she sent out a handmaiden to go with Qui-Gon. There was something strange about that handmaiden, too, Obi-Wan mused; she seemed to have some secrets of her own.

The queen was also troubled. That would be obvious enough, considering the situation
on her planet. Obi-Wan wondered if she held herself entirely responsible for the invasion. That was simply too much weight for a single person to carry. Especially a ? how old did the Supreme Chancellor say she was? ? 14-year-old girl. Not that he doubted her abilities; he had seen younger people take positions of high leadership. But he could see the responsibilities
beginning to take their toll on her.

And then there was the matter of her handmaidens. Obi-Wan could sense a strong bond between the queen and those three girls, especially the one who had left the ship. They most likely were well aware of what the queen was hiding.

It wasn?t fair to use his Jedi powers to discover the queen?s secret. Obi-Wan realized that, and he decided he would have to find another way. He would simply have to gain the queen?s confidence, to assure her that he was completely trustworthy. It may be of great importance to their mission.

And it would satisfy his curiousity.

Please tell me what you think; there's lots more to come!

 

Well-written! Please continue.

 

Oh my goodness! this fell all the way to page 22! I was worried it had disappeared completely. Well, thanks Alderann21 for reading, and I hope others will read to. Here is some more:


The transmission ended with a crackle, and Obi-wan gave a barely imperceptible shudder.
There was no way to ascertain the truth of the message, but it made little difference. Responding would only put the queen in danger; it couldn?t be of any help.

Rising from his seat, Obi-Wan quickly told the queen, ?It?s a trick. Send no reply. Send
no transmissions of any kind.? With that, he whirled out of the room and down the hallway.
Once out of hearing range, he let out a sigh. He?d have to inform Qui-Gon, and learn whether he
had made the right decision. He only hoped he had.


Sabé sat on the throne, frowning at the spot in the air where Sio Bibble?s image had hung
moments before. With no one else in the room but Rabé and Eirtaé, she could speak freely. ?I
don?t like it,? she said finally.

?Neither do I,? Rabé responded. ?Neither will Amidala, for that matter. But what can we
do? The Jedi is right; we can?t send any transmssions.?

?Of course not!? Sabé cried. ?How could anyone think of doing something so foolhardy?? She paused. ?I just wish there was something else we could do.?

?We can?t do anything until we get off this planet,? Eirtaé reminded them, the voice of
reason.

?And we can?t get off this planet until we can fix the ship,? Rabé continued.

?And we can?t fix the ship until we get the parts we need,? Sabé finished. She groaned. ?And that takes everything out of our hands. We?re stuck here, hoping that somehow, someone can get those parts and fix the ship. We can?t do anything!?

?Except play the parts we?ve been assigned.? Rabé looked significantly at her fellow
handmaidens. ?The silent attendants of the queen, and her royal majesty herself.?

?Do you think it?s working?? Sabé anxiously asked. ?I?ve prepared for this for a long
time, working on my voice, my walking, even the way I move my hands ? but does it really look
like Amidala??

?Well, anyone who knows her well enough could see through it in a second,? Eirtaé said.

?That?s not exactly reassuring,? Sabé said sarcastically.

?But that?s just us,? Eirtaé went on. ?Of course we can tell, but I don?t think anyone else,
even Panaka, knows Amidala that well. And the Jedi didn?t even see Amidala as herself. For all
they know, you are the queen.?

?For any ordinary person, I?d believe that,? Sabé began. ?But these are Jedi we?re talking
about. They can sense things that other people would never notice.?

?Then stop worrying,? Rabé advised her. ?The less nervous you seem, they less they?ll
suspect.?

 

Great story! You have a talent for writing. I'm looking forward to more!

 

Glad to see you have started a new story, Cinde. I've enjoyed your other stories. I suspect this one will be good as well.

 

I just found this. Good job!

 

Obi-Wan stood in a quiet corner of the ship, leaning against a wall and breathing in the
cool air. He needed a place to be alone, to recollect himself. Qui-Gon?s assurances that the
transmission was probably a trap had not made him feel much better. As his master had said,
either way they were running out of time. He didn?t like being cooped up on the ship, unable to
do anything. He had checked the hyperdrive ten times more than necessary; he knew exactly
what was needed to repair it. All he could do was wait.

He didn?t like this feeling of helplessness. What use was his coming along on this
mission, if all he did was sit on the ship and do nothing? You?ve done plenty, he reminded
himself. On the queen?s planet. But here ? there were no droids to fight, no leaders to pacify. Just a bunch of people who were as antsy as he was. A couple of pilots and a captain. And the handmaidens. And the queen.

Obi-Wan?s thoughts again turned to the queen and her secrets. Secrecy was foremost in her emotions, a great need for secrecy. But why? Keeping secrets from any outsiders would be
wise, but from two Jedi, who had been sent to help her? It simply made no sense.

Obi-Wan stood up straight. Now was the time to find out. If he wanted to learn what the queen was hiding, he would have to show that she could trust him. The only hard part would be finding her.

Next time -- the moment you've all been waiting for! hehe.

 

This is good! I'm looking forward to more.

 

Sabé rested in the quarters of the ship set apart for the queen. She felt odd sitting in Amidala?s chair in Amidala?s room rather than the adjoining chamber occupied by the handmaidens, but Panaka had suggested that she play the part of the queen as fully as possible. This also meant that she was to remain in the queen?s clothing, complete with the face markings, until everyone on the ship was asleep and it would be safe to discard her disguise.

Already the headpiece was growing heavy, making her whole body ache. She stared glumly at the mirror hanging from the wall. Did she look like the queen? She didn?t think so. But whether she did or not, she was powerless. Amidala had given her no real authority, and in any case what good would it have done her?

She shook her head. There was no point in staying up, thinking it over. She needed her
sleep. Reaching up to her headpiece, she prepared to remove it and then the rest of her gown.

There was a quiet knock at the door, almost timid. Sabé?s hands went down and she sat
up with surprise. Who could that be? Most everyone on the ship had already gone to bed,
leaving only Panaka and the Jedi keeping watch and waiting for communications from the other
Jedi. It must be Panaka then, with some advice about her disguise or information from the Jedi
Qui-Gon.

She pushed a button on the console that would open the door. ?Come in,? she called,
barely looking up as the captain entered.

It was not the captain. It was the Jedi, the apprentice who had stayed behind on the ship
while his master went to the spaceport. Sabé stared at him for an instant, then realized she was being rather rude. He looked tired and worn-out, and it suddenly occurred to her that he probably felt as helpless as she did.

?Forgive me for disturbing you,? he said bowing. Sabé remembered who she was supposed to be and nodded, trying to maintain a regal appearance.

?Think nothing of it,? she replied, imitating Amidala?s voice as best she could, though he
had never seen Amidala as the queen. ?Did you wish to speak with me?? Stupid question, what
else would he come here for?

?Yes, your Majesty.? He paused, and discovered that he couldn?t think of anything to say. What could he say? He drew on all his diplomacy lessons and searched for the right words. ?It seems we are both in a rather frustrating situation ? powerless and stranded.?

?Yes,? Sabé agreed. What was he getting at?

?I realize how difficult this must be for you, with your planet under attack.? He could
have bit his tongue. Did he have to remind her of that? She had doubtless had it on her mind all
day. ?I wanted to assure you that, should you need any ? assistance, I am at your service.?

Sabé tilted her head. A friendly offer of help? Was there anything behind it? Perhaps these past few days had made her too suspicious. He seemed sincere enough. He was a Jedi, after all, and Jedi were not known to lie. ?I thank you, Jedi Kenobi. Your help is greatly appreciated.? She searched her mind for something more to say. ?I understand you will repair the hyperdrive, when we have the parts?? He nodded. ?Then you are very helpful, indeed.?

When they had the parts. If they got the parts. ?If there is anything else I can do...?

?Actually, there is,? Sabé said suddenly. ?You have been communicating with Master Qui-Gon. I should like to know what is happening in the spaceport.? At last she could find out what was going on! Not knowing anything was half of her frustration.

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows, and Sabé thought she saw him hide a frown. ?Yes, your Majesty, I was going to inform you of what he has told me. Forgive me for not telling you earlier. It seems that Republic credits will not buy much on this planet, and that?s all we have, in any significant amount. My master, however, seems certain that he will find a way to obtain the
parts we need.?

Sabé nodded slowly, trying to conceal her own frown. ?Then we won?t be getting off this
planet very soon,

 

just found this. more soon, please

 

Hiya, Cindé! Very nice beginning. Looking forward to seeing where you are taking us!

 

Well, here's some more; and I must say, I love writing about the handmaidens. Of course! That's why I'm in the RHS.

Sabé watched him leave and sat, motionless, for a few moments. Then she pushed the button to close the door and stood up. At last she could remove the heavy gown and get some rest. And she could sleep on her conversation with the Jedi. It had proved to be very ? interesting.

She took off the headpiece and turned around to place it in the queen?s wardrobe. There, at the doorway which connected Amidala?s quarters to the handmaiden?s, stood Rabé and Eirtaé, grinning at her goofily.

?What are you doing??she demanded."Eavesdropping?"

Rabé assumed an innocent expression. ?As handmaidens to the queen, we are entitled to
hear what goes on between another handmaiden and a Jedi apprentice.?

?Are you?? Sabé replied sweetly. ?Well, then, as handmaidens, you?ll have the intelligence to keep your mouths shut.?

?Oh, we will,? Eirtaé agreed. ?However, if my mouth, of its own accord, suddenly opens
and lets out something about another handmaiden?s new friend ??

?Eirtaé,? Sabé said warningly, ?that?s enough.?

The two handmaidens obediently became silent and helped Sabé take off the rest of her gown. Then they headed back to their quarters, winking at each other and nodding knowingly.

Sabé shook her head. Those two! They?d create something out of nothing.

Was it nothing? she wondered as she wiped off her makeup. Could she deny that she was, in fact, attracted to the young Jedi? No, she could not. But first off, she wasn?t herself, she was the queen and couldn?t afford to blow her cover. Secondly, being disguised as the queen, Obi-Wan would not know her for who she was. When Amidala returned, there was sure to be trouble.

So why didn?t she just tell him?

Sabé banished the thought from her mind as she went to bed, making a mental reminder to be more careful around anyone who didn?t know her secret. She must not give herself ? and the queen ? away.

 

Is anyone reading this? Eh, I know if I post at the wrong time it falls to page four before anyone can read it. But hopefully this will stay on page one for a little while at least.


The next morning Sabé awoke to the smell of breakfast, cooking in the makeshift kitchen in the corner of the queen?s quarters. Eirtaé was making the meal while Rabé prepared the queen?s gown for Sabé to wear it again.

?Good morning, your Majesty,? Rabé grinned as she saw Sabé sit up in bed. ?I trust you
slept well.?

?Actually,? Sabé groaned as she got up, ?I had terrible nightmares.?

?Really?? The teasing went out of Rabé?s voice.
?I?m sorry.?

Sabé closed her eyes. ?We were on a ship near Naboo, watching the invasion, watching them destroy the planet ? and there was nothing we could do about it. I couldn?t even move. I
was completely helpless, I tried to cry out, but my lips were frozen shut. I ?? she couldn?t go on.

Rabé and Eirtaé exchanged concerned looks.
?Well,? Eirtaé said at last, trying to sound cheerful, ?it was just a nightmare, after all. Why don?t you have some breakfast, and then we?ll
get you dressed.?

?Oh, I can?t wait to get into that gown again,? Sabé said drily as she started eating. ?It?s
so nice and comfy.?

?Don?t be so grumpy, Sabé ? that is, your Highness.? Rabé poked her in the ribs. ?I had
this dress cleaned and pressed. I?m sure it will be much more comfortable now.?

?Right.? Sabé finished her food and began applying the white paint to her face. Eirtaé
brought out the red color and placed the marks on the face of the decoy queen. Rabé helped her
into the gown and adjusted the headpiece. The two handmaidens stood back and examined their
work.

?I like it,? Eirtaé said firmly. ?You make a lovely queen.?

?The sooner I can become a handmaiden again, the better,? Sabé replied. She was annoyed to find herself blushing as she said, ?I think I?m going to look for that Jedi. He might have more news from his master.?

Rabé smiled. ?Of course.? She nudged Eirtaé and winked.

Well, the italics aren't working, but if they were, that part would be in italics

 

Up!

 

Yes I am reading. Just remember that it is a holiday weekend. Some people actually took vacation.

 

Hey, hey...this is great! You write really well and the suspense is killing me. Reveal who you are to Obi-Wan already, girl!!! Keep going, I'm reading every single little word.

 

I'm reading! I especially liked the handmaiden scene~cool interactions there!

I also like this concept of posting often...it would be good for certain other authors to follow the example...*ahem*

Don't get discouraged~with these pages, a story falls off the 1st page in only a few minutes unless you have them on 25 items (which I do, it works well)

 

Yay! thanks for reading. I will be more patient. Now I will post some more.



Obi-Wan had woken early that morning and gone outside to get a breath of fresh air before the sun started heating everything up. Now he sat in the engine room, staring gloomily at the broken hyperdrive and wishing Qui-Gon would contact him. It wasn?t until late morning, however, that his comlink went off and he eagerly answered it. His eagerness disappeared as he listened to what his master had to say. He should have known Qui-Gon would come up with something like this ? downright foolish, and so crazy it just might work. But what if it didn?t?

?What if this plan fails? We could be stuck here a very long time.?

Qui-Gon was determined, however. Obi-Wan sensed that he had more than just a casual interest in the boy. However, he ended the transmission then and Obi-Wan was left to think to himself. A boy? Even if there was ?something? about him, what were his chances of winning a dangerous race? Qui-Gon was risking everything on it, and despite all the respect Obi-Wan had for his master, he did not like what he was doing -- something that happened rather often. Qui-Gon constantly seemed to act on a whim rather than reason. But maybe that was just being sensitive
to the ?living force? Qui-Gon always talked about, that Obi-Wan wasn?t quite in tune with
yet.

?There you are!?

Obi-Wan jumped up and saw the queen standing at the entrance to the engine room, looking slightly embarrassed.

?I?m sorry, I didn?t mean to surprise you.? Obi-Wan thought he saw a hint of pink under her white makeup.

He bowed. ?No, it?s quite all right. Were you looking for me??

?Actually, yes. I ? I was wondering if you had any more news.?

?I do.? He wondered how he was going to tell her. ?Uh ? have you ever heard of podracing??

Sabé shook her head, slightly baffled. Was he trying to engage her in small talk? Why didn?t he just get to the point?

Obi-Wan?s brow furrowed and he sat down again.
?Please ? have a seat.? He motioned to a cushioned seat nearby and she took it, waiting for him to continue. ?There?s going to be a race, and a boy my master met is going to race in it.?

?A boy?? Sabé could not conceal her shock.

?Yes,? he nodded grimly. ?Qui-Gon has great faith in him.? Obi-Wan was trying to sound supportive, but he was failing. ?If he wins, the prize money will be enough to buy parts for our ship.?

Sabé hated to say it, but she had to know. ?And if he loses??

Obi-Wan swallowed. ?We lose our ship.?

There was a silence. Sabé spoke up at last.
?What do you think of this plan??

?What do I think?? Obi-Wan repeated with surprise.
He found himself speaking honestly. ?I don?t know. I?ve learned to trust my master, from a great deal of experience. His judgement has never failed him before.?

?But ?? Sabé prompted him.

?But I?m not sure about this at all,? Obi-Wan finished in a rush. ?It just seems too risky.?

?I know what you mean.? Sabé frowned, staring at her hands.

?Sometimes, though,? the Jedi said suddenly,
?taking risks is the only way to get things done. Otherwise, you do nothing at all.?

Sabé looked up suddenly, frustration filling her face. ?But we aren?t doing anything!? she cried. ?It?s completely out of our hands ? I can?t stand it!? Recalling herself, she looked down again and hoped she hadn?t given everything away.

Obi-Wan looked at her sympathetically. It must be especially hard for her, a queen of an
entire planet, to be so helpless. He was a Jedi, of course, but only a Padawan, and sometimes he
was expected to sit and watch his master take care of things. A queen would not be used to such
things.

Or would she? Obi-Wan suddenly sensed a very strange emotion from the queen, something like
Things are not what they seem. Then it was gone, and he shook his head as though he had been asleep and just woke up. To his embarrassment, he saw that he had unconsciously taken the queen?s hands in his. He pulled

 

:smiles, gets a big, goofy grin on her face:

hehe...

It's so funny when the characters get all embarassed...

 

Yeah, Split Personalities would be in a LOT of trouble right now. But this is fantastic, italics or not. Very cute...and you post so often!!! I'm really impressed.

 

Thankee, thankee! Now, to tell the truth, there's two reasons why I post so often:

1. I've already written the story; sometimes I touch it up before posting but it's really mostly finished.

2. I have no life, and posting makes me feel like I do.

I probably won't post tomorrow because I won't be home (I'm actually getting out of the house tomorrow! It's a miracle!) but I'll be sure to on Thursday. Gee, it's sure nice to know that there's people out there who are interested.

 

You see, it's because very few of us have lives either... so waiting for stories is a way of killing time.

Seriously, though, this is a good story.

 

Well, what do you know? I was home earlier than I thought today, so here's some more:


Safe in the queen?s quarters again, it took Sabé a good half an hour to drive the image of Obi-Wan, leaning forward unconsciously, looking slightly bewildered, from her mind. When she had accomplished that at last, she concentrated on other, more important matters. The podrace. She couldn?t help but think of it as a horribly foolish gamble. They could very well lose their
ship! That would decrease their chances of getting off this planet to about zero. She tried to imagine more days of boredom, of frustration, stretching before her, and shuddered.

?Your Majesty?? It was Rabé, standing tentatively at the door. Sabé noticed a few pilots walking down the hallway just then, which would explain her caution. She motioned for the
handmaiden to come in.

?What is it??

She stayed near the door as it closed behind her. ?Did you hear of the race??

Sabé sat up and stared at her. ?Yes ? but how did you??

Rabé shuffled her feet, a small smile on her face. ?The Jedi informed us; he decided that
if the queen knew, her servants should know.? She looked closely at the decoy queen. ?Sabé,
what happened? I?ve never seen a Jedi so embarrassed!?

?Oh...? Sabé shook her head. ?Nothing. Never mind that. And I am not blushing, I don?t
care what you say!? she said defiantly. Rabé just smiled.

?So ? the race??

?Yes.? Sabé frowned. ?I can?t believe the Jedi is doing this! He?s risking everything, and if it doesn?t work ??

?I think it would be best if we were optimistic,? Rabé said firmly. ?There?s no reason to lose hope yet.?

---------

Another day passed slowly, and Obi-Wan saw nothing more of the queen. He wouldn?t be surprised if she was avoiding him; he was rather carefully avoiding her himself. He?d have to see her eventually, however, to tell her the results of the race. Whatever they may be. As night fell, he made his way to the front of the ship, which was a fairly safe distance from the queen?s
quarters, and tried to catch some sleep.

?Obi-Wan?? his comlink buzzed.

He sat up quickly. ?Yes, Master??

?I need an analysis of this blood sample.?

Without asking, Obi-Wan somehow knew that it was the boy?s. ?Wait a minute,? he said, as he turned on the controls. He knew what was coming next.

?I need a midichlorian count.? Sure enough. Obi-Wan put the transmission through the analysis and stared in astonishment. Suddenly his interest in the boy was peaked.

?The reading?s off the charts. Over twenty thousand,? he said with wonder. ?Not even Master Yoda has a midichlorian count that high.?

?No one does,? Qui-Gon responded.

Obi-Wan was terribly curious now. ?What does it mean??

?I'm not sure.? Again the transmission ended suddenly. Obi-Wan stared at the readings again to make sure he had interpreted them correctly. But there was no doubt about it. Right off the charts. Who was this boy?

Maybe he could win that race after all.



The story may be a little weak at this point, because much of it is just a re-telling of what happens in the movie. And I may mis-quote things. But I hope it's interesting to look at things from Obi-Wan and Sabé's perspective rather than Qui-Gon or the queen's. And I will write about things that weren't shown in the movie. *Plenty* of things. <A smile creeps onto my face. A glint appears in my eyes. Maniacal laughter begins to emerge from my throat...> Whoa!! Going a bit far there.

 

Oh, really?

:wanders off, muttering to herself:

Things. Hm. This could be interesting...=)

Nice, long posts. Good things...

 

Well, here's a rather short post, but next time I will post a nice, looong one, one of my favorite parts, actually.


?Tomorrow?s the big day,? Sabé mused as Rabé and Eirtaé helped her out of the gown. ?By this time tomorrow, we?ll either be off this planet, or stranded forever.?

Rabé rolled her eyes. ?Not forever, Sabé. That?s no way to think of it.?

?I don?t see how else to think of it,? Sabé retorted.

?How about we don?t think of it,? Eirtaé said.
?Why don?t we all get a good night?s sleep. That?s what we need now.?

?Now that?s a suggestion I?ll be glad to follow,? Sabé smiled. ?Goodnight, my faithful handmaidens.?

?Goodnight, Your Majesty,? Rabé and Eirtaé chimed in unsion as they left the room.

Sabé bolted to the queen?s bed and slid under the covers with relief. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come over her ? and Obi-Wan?s face was there, gazing at her, seeing right
through her. She gasped and opened her eyes. He knew!

No, she told herself. She was panicking, it was late, she was imagining things. But that look of his ? so penetrating, so powerful. She couldn?t drive the image away now. Not at night, when she was tired and overwrought. Every time she closed her eyes, there was his face. She gave up trying to banish it. What was the use? Deep inside, she knew she didn?t want the image to disappear. So why try?


Come on, wouldn't you like to have Obi-Wan's face floating around in your mind to help you get to sleep at night? Heehee. I know I would.