Saga Eyes Closed - Sabé and Obi-Wan Romance - TPM - *Yes, We're all alive and kicking! 5.20.03*

This may possibly be one of the slowest updated stories on the board - but I tread on. A new post is currently in the works (I lie to you not) but in the meantime here's the first four chapters.

The old board can be found here; much thanks to my beta Amidala_Skywalker and all my readers. Enjoy.

- - -

The very world it seemed was humming with chaos around me. How could the invasion have gone this far? How could Naboo have let it go this far?

Bowing my hooded head I tried to block out the thoughts of the suffering people outside the thick palace walls, to drown out their nerve-rendering pain and their weeping cries. Yet not even the solid stone seemed to aid that.

The fellow handmaidens by my side seemed to be doing the very same; young Yané looked so small now among the older girls. Somehow I?ve never noticed this before. I remember when she first entered the service of the Queen. Her smile could light up the entire palace even after a grueling day of training. I couldn?t help but smile faintly myself - she had come so far. So very, very far?

?Sabé.?

Queen Amidala turned away from the large window she was positioned in front off, letting in the beautiful warm sun of Naboo into the cavernous throne room. Lifting my head, I gravely stepped forward among the other handmaidens. Yet somehow I did not feel alone.

?Sabé,? The Queen repeated softly, the marble of the grand room almost eating up every audible sound, ?I need your help.?

I was not frightened, nor was I proud. This was my duty - my duty as a handmaiden, as a Nubian, and as a person. This was what I wake up to face every glorious morning, and what I dream of accomplishing every night. The distant hum of tanks and rhythmic march of droids only cased my feelings of loyalty into stone.

?I am brave, your highness.?

***

I tried to hold my head up high to intimidate the Nemodian standing menacingly before me, and to convince myself that I was now Queen Amidala. That the fate of Naboo rested partially upon my shoulders now.

Yet a small voice in the back of my mind still rang with annoyance: You are merely Sabe; merely a handmaiden.

?You have come before us with purpose Queen Amidala,? Gunray began, his sidekick Rune Hakko standing near. How easy it would be to grab a blaster and end this invasion here and now - in one final swoop. But no: Naboo was peaceful and could not stand to sink to these cowards?s level. War was not the objective; neither for Queen Amidala, Naboo, or even myself.

?I was not brought.? I spat, disgust icing my tongue. ?This is my throne room. I do not recognize your authority Nute Gungray.?

Eyes flashing, he and his pet Hakko began walking slowly toward the main entrance of the room, motioning for the skeletal battle droids surrounding us to follow. I could tell he was losing patience; as was I.

Elderly Sio Bibble and Caption Panaka walked in toe behind me; along with Queen Ami ? No?Padmé. I wondered with worry heavy on my mind if I was handling this dire situation as the Queen would. Were the Nemodian?s suspicious? Was the Queen displeased?

?How will you explain this to the senate?? Bibble demanded, his voice calm.

?The Queen will sign a treaty that will legitimize our occupations.? Nute paused only to send a sickening smile my way. ?I have assurances that it will be ratified by the senate.?

?I will not corporate!? My voice rang throughout the hall as our group walked down the long stone steps to the plaza of the palace. Who in the senate would promise to ratify such a criminal act? My mind reeled and I could hardly keep the huge feather headdress from unbalancing my step. I was running out of options and ideas.

It is not your job to solve this problem Sabé. You must only to protect the Queen.

?I think you will change your mind once you see what we have in store for you and your people, your Highness,? Nute said offhandedly as he commanded a droid standing in front of us. ?Take th

 

This is a great story! I tried to find it ages ago but it was lost in the lists Iam so glad to find it! I love Sabe fics.
It's good that you show that she's so insecure, it makes her bravery even more comendable. Well done so far!

 

Ooooh, a repost... coolio

 

Nice to see this story reposted, Bjork. Heh, I'm a pretty slow writer too, but you know what they say.. slow and steady wins the race.

 

Oh! I FINALLY found it! Yes!

 

I am so happy to see this fic again

~aeryn

 

Cool! I like it! Are you going to post more soon? Please say you are!

 

Whoa....Bjork....you're gonna post again?
Yes!!!

I had given up on this....albeit I was very sad to....and now I'm soooooo happy you've decided to repost!!!!!

 

::Looks around tearfully.:: Where postie?!
UP!

 

Bjorky??? Bjorky??? WHERE ARE YOU???

 

::Creeps in with a box and a bunch of treats for Bjork. Sets treats on ground then places box over it, propped up with a stick with a string attached to it. Goes and hides behind a rock.:: Here Bjorky, Bjorky, Bjorky!
I just had to do that!
Post soon! Or my *real* Dark Side might come out! :ulls out lightsabre and begins to twirl it.::

 

POST POST POST!!!

 

I WANT MORE!!!

 

Words cannot express how sorry I am for the lack of updates or movement along with the story. Much thanks and good karma to those of you who still hung around and to AERYN_SUN for reminding me that this story did indeed still exsist.

It looks like we have some new faces, so I'll contine on with the reposting of the next few chapters to get everything up to date. By then it'll be summer time for school, and Lord knows how much time and energy I will have then. So I'll get this story moving again...hopefully. (Doesn't want to jinx it.) *Crosses fingers*

But: next chapter.

- - -

Step ? Step ? Stop. Step ? Step ? Stop.

I had no idea how long we had been through this unstopping pattern of walking through the quiet alley ways of Naboo. I could feel the anxiety of my fellow Nubians around me - especially the Queen, heavy with worry about the safety of her people. On beautiful days like this, the grand city of Theed was full of life; musicians playing light measures of notes while mothers and children smiled, merchants selling exotic fruits by the basket.

Now all that the wind carried was the low hum of tanks and the hollow sound STAP fighters of the Federation patrolling over head. I couldn?t help but glare at the soul-less droids surrounding me. How could such evil be invested in lifeless bodies of steel?

Ever since I was a little girl sent to aid the Queen as a handmaiden, my grandmother would tell me stories of evil monsters that lurked hidden in distant lands ? threatening heroes and the conquests they were meant to fulfill. Of course they were exactly that ? stories ? although I couldn?t help but think of myself as a hero, and the droids surrounding me, monsters that stood in the way of my mission.

Of course I couldn?t even negotiate with the idiot Gunray properly to save the Queen. What kind hero was I? What right did I have to imagine such titles as hero?

There was nothing I could do now but walk, stop, and begin walking again. My feet and body ached from the elaborate costume of the Queen; obviously these shoes were not meant for any form of transportation. I longed for my simple dress made from soft fabric and beautiful colors ? and shoes that I could actually walk in.

My heart missed a beat as two beings fell from nowhere in front of us. My hand tried to reach for the blaster that I usually carried everywhere in case of threats for the Queen ? only to find out that the Queen never carried a blaster; therefore neither did I.

The strangers pulled out silver weapons, which emitted blades of light as the droids around us began firing. Paying no mind the two quickly dispensed of the skeletal droids around us; cutting them in half like a knife through soft fruit.

They are here to help, Sabé, and you wanted to shoot them!

Mentally I reminded myself to think before shooting. My training seemed worthless now; as did I.

?Get their weapons!? Captain Panaka ordered as Sio Bibble escorted me through the graveyard of littered droid parts. Now I had a good glimpse of the saviors who rescued the Queen - not to mention myself.

?We?re ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor.? The eldest of the two calmly stood in front of us. So these were the Jedi that were meant to end this trivial dispute; obviously they hadn?t gotten far.

?Your negotiations seem to have failed,? Bibble pointed out. I couldn?t help but begin to feel annoyed. I had no say in this. No matter how much I wanted to throw off this dress and makeup and join the fight I couldn?t - it was not my place to try to solve problems. Only to keep the Queen alive.

?The negotiations never took place,? the Jedi stated. ?It?s urgent that we make contact with the Republic.?

?They?ve knocked out all our communications,? Panaka said, distressed. We were stuck on a planet controlled by machines, with two Jedi Knights and no communications. And so far we had managed not to get ourselves killed - at least we had that.

?Do you have transports??

?In the hanger, this way.?

In toe behind the e

 

Captain Panaka continued herding us into the sleek silver ship amidst the ever-strong firing of the battle droids. Even inside the sealed ship I could smell the air; heavy with the scent of blasters and burning metal. The Queen was out of immediate danger but I dare not lower my guard just yet. If I have learned anything from my training, it was that tragedy struck when you weren?t looking ? when your eyes were closed.

Crowding together in a circular chamber near the back of the craft I mentally counted my party.

Rabé to my left?The Queen?Eirtaé! Eirtaé is missing!

Frantically I looked around the chamber again as the ship?s metal floor beneath me began to shudder and a low rumble replaced the sound of blasters. The ship was taking off?without Eirtaé.

?Eirtaé!? My panicked voice called out to Rabé. ?Where?s Eirtaé?!?

The huge headdress began to slip backward off my head ? its weight pulling my hair with burning pain as the glowing lights above our heads flickered for a moment, and finally plunged us into darkness. Distant alarms rung in the distance as a hand reached out toward mine and gripped tightly; their fingernails embedding themselves deep into my palm.

?Sabé! I?m here, Sabé.? A small voice called from my left.

The ship took another blow and we were thrown to the ground as the lights flashed back to life. Rabé clutched the walls with whitened fingers as her other held on tightly to the Queen ? suddenly I wondered if this was the end. I would die as Queen, and the Queen would die as a handmaiden ? was that justice? For all she worked for did I have the right to take her place in death?

If only I could be in the cockpit ? anything would be better than being thrown around in a pitch-black room, while certain doom lie just outside your vision. With another jolt from the ship I realized that I don?t even know about Rabé?s family. The fellow handmaiden was always quiet and concentrated on her training. I never sought out the time to ask her, and now it looked as if I never would.

The ship stabilized for a moment and silence engulfed us all, drowning any conscious thought. Closing my eyes I tried to control my breathing and convince myself that I was still alive.

?Are you all right, Your Highness?? Eirtaé, always the caring, questioned with a hushed voice.

?Yes.? Came the firm reply as Rabé helped the Queen to her feet. If only I could be as confidence in my well being as she was.

Captain Panaka ? looking as beat as I felt ? entered the now brightly light room followed by a rather smoky-smelling astrodroid, and the two Jedi. Quickly positioning my bothersome headdress and pulling all the strength that I had buried deep within me, I tried to make myself presentable. After all, now I had to switch from razzled handmaiden to poised Queen once again and communicate with the crazy Jedi.

At least we were past the blockade and on our way to Coruscant.

?You?re Highness, may I introduce Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn.? The elder two of the Jedi slightly bowed his head. ?And his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi.? The youngest, who I recognized as the brave fool who volunteered to set the pilots free in the hanger, bowed deeply ? his thin braid flowing as he did so. He seemed more at ease then he did when I first saw him. No wonder, we weren?t surrounded by hostile droids who carried blasters.

?We?ve successfully crossed the blockade, Your Highness.? Panaka continued with a somber voice. ?An extremely well put together droid here helped us greatly by repairing the shields. Without a doubt it saved the ship, as well as our lives.? Finishing he gestured to the blue droid ? covered from wheels to dome in smoke and ash.

?It is to be commended then. What is its number?? Anything to help Naboo and the Queen deserves such credit.

?R2-D2, Your Highness.? In the back of my mind I wondered just how many times the Queen was addressed as ?Your Highness? in a day.

?Thank you, R2-D2.?

The droid emitted a beep as I tried to soften my voice.

?Padmé.? The Queen stepped forward. ?Clea

 

Glad to see you back, Bjorky!!!!

So the first time I read this again, I had the strangest feeling I had read it already... took me a while to remember this is a reposting... love it the second time I'm reading it, and waiting for some of the new parts!!!!