~~~*Cordé: Return to Coruscant*~~~

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Title: ~~~*Cordé: Return to Coruscant*~~~
Author: Handmaiden Yané
Rating: PG
Time Period: AotC
Spoilers: Only if you haven't seen AotC
Disclaimer: The Star Wars universe and everything in it belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm, Ltd. No money is being made from this story and no infringement is intended.

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A harried-looking woman rushed into the room and began looking into the closets and drawers for something. She sighed with frustration and decided to call for Rona.

?Rona, where has that headdress gotten too?? She yelled.

?I don?t know!! It was here a minute ago!? Rona said crossly as she entered the dressing room with a velvet maroon dress hanging over one arm. She laid it down on a chair. ?If we can?t find it, let?s go for something simpler!? She finished matter-of-factly.

Zola now had a thoroughly exasperated look on her face. ?But it?s much more elegant!! It will leave a better impression!?

?On what? The landing guards?? retorted Rona as she put away the maroon dress in the closet. She scrounged around and pulled out a white silk dress with a design in black velvet down the front. She reached for a hat box containing a matching headdress. Taking the headdress out, she threw it and the dress toward Zola who caught it. ?Now hurry up and dress Miss Cordé! We?re landing only twenty minutes after we come out of hyperspace.?

Rona quickly left the room, and Zola immaturely stuck her tongue out at Rona?s retreating back. Soon, however, her face was back to normal as Versé ran in. Versé looked through the clothes, grabbed something simple as well as a cloak, and then ran out.

Paola came in after Versé left. ?Mark my words, Zola, trips that don?t start out well don?t end well.?

Cross, Zola snapped back, ?Nonsense, Paola, utter nonsense.?

I entered, looking somewhat sheepish.

?And what have you been up to, Miss Cordé? Hmm?? Paola inquired of the me.

?I?? I began, just as Rona entered again.

?She was talking to Mr. Dolphe, one of the lieutenants flying escort. I suspect it was more than just a checkup call.? She said wisely.

I blushed amid the chuckles of the elder serving women.

***


Finally I was dressed. The Royal Starship that we had borrowed from Queen Jamillia executed a barrel roll perfectly in sync with the three Naboo Starfighters flanking us. I looked at Versé. Her face was in that sad, tragic look it had been in ever since her husband?s death. I wanted to go and tell her that she still had three young children that needed their mother, but I had already said enough concerning that. I let her be. After all, the vote would be over soon and Versé would be back on Naboo in no time. At least, that?s what I thought at the time.

?We?re approaching Coruscant, Milady,? A young security officer informed us.

?Very good, Lieutenant,? I regally replied.

The pilot received the landing coordinates and flew the ship smoothly into Coruscant, the planet city. I had been on Coruscant often enough, but the sight of all those skyscrapers still floored me completely. The great ship gently came out of its flight, its repulsor coils getting ready for the landing process. The ship bucked slightly, but soon, we had landed.

I got up from my seat, and Versé and a couple of security guards flanked me as we readied to disembark from the ship. The door opened with a quiet swoosh, and the landing platform hissed as it lowered.

I drew a quick breath as I gathered my skirts and began to walk down the landing platform. And then I was soaring through the air as flames grabbed my skirts and seared my shoulder. My face was burning. I was slammed into the cold durasteel of the landing platform. All I knew in the next few seconds was pain. The seconds became minutes that stretched into hours. I barely recognized the fact that I was gently--oh, ever so gently--being turned over.

?Corde,? She said, her voice breaking on my name.

I opened my eyes, and looked into hers. There?was so much I wanted to say?though all I could think

 

At first I had thought you were continuing the fic that you wrote about Verse... and then I got to the part where they called her M'Lady, and then I realized what you were planning to do... so, so, so, so, so, so sad!!!!! How could that happen to our poor Corde?????

*grabs a pile of tissues and blows nose noisily*

 

Will read this one later!!!

 

Very sad. Such a deep moment in the film (at least for RHS'ers )

 

bobill- Nope, that's coming *later*. I know, I know!! Bad Zam! Bad Zam!

FAB- All right then.

Sache8- Yep.

*~HM Yané under her more RPG-active username~*

 

Ahhh, too sad. This was very well done, Yané. I liked the little bit of foreshadowing you had in the beginning. Poor Cordé and Versé (and everyone else!)

Is this set in the same universe as your Versé story?! Does that mean.. Riv dies?! Nooooo!

 

Very good, Yane. This is a nice piece to go along with your Versé story.

You also have me intrigued as to what happen to those other handmaidens that were with Cordé at the beginning of the story.

Again, well done.

 

Anyanka-Thanks! Heehee...I actually managed to pull of foreshadowing! Yay!

Yes...Riv dies...

KA- Thanksmuch! And they weren't really handmaidens...just servants, like Nandi and Teckla in AotC.

 

*sniff* Alas, poor Cordé, we hardly knew yé. Now I feel all terrible for Versé's kids.

Yané, dear, is there some significance to all these handmaiden death stories?

 

I know, Seb...it's all so sad!

Yané, dear, is there some significance to all these handmaiden death stories?

*blonde moment*

What? What are you hinting at, m'dear Seb?