~*~The One that Belongs to Me~*~ (featuring Handmaidens!)*UPDATED: 7/25!!*

I've had a strange new obsession over Eirtaé and Obi-wan, especially after seeing AOTC, and noticing her absence. So I thought, hey, why not make a story about what happened to her?


So, well, here it is. Yay.



Chapter 1, Part 1
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Eyes bright, shining, wet, blue, so blue. Spilling over tears of salty water in private mourning. Blonde hair, roughly cut, hanging loose, hanging short, covering tear-stained cheeks. Her face was smeared with dirt and mud and the dark hue of dried blood. Nothing was right. Everything had gone wrong. She was alone. Alone, in a body throbbing with dull pain, with a mind filled with a tempestuous storm of regret, disappointment, with a heart wiped clean of joyful emotion.

Where was her friend? Why hadn't she come yet? She had failed, and suffering was her punishment. Failure was unacceptable. Life was unacceptable. One person, one lone woman against a world of frightening horror; she didn't have a chance.

"Hey, are you all right?" She squinted through her tears and looked to the side. She was lying on the ground, on the dirt and dust of the under levels. A voice thundered in her ears. "Lady, are you all right? Do you need some help?" Concerned brown eyes met her own. Familiar eyes. Familiar face. What was her name?

"Who are you?" she asked in a voice that hadn't been used in days.

"My name is Rabé. Do I know you?" Nodding was too hard, too strenuous. She blinked once. Twice. Silence passed for a long moment.

"Yes?" She didn't know. Maybe this woman knew.

"Can you tell me your name?" The woman used a tone usually reserved for small children. That angered her. She wasn't a child.

"Damn right I do," she muttered. "It's..." She thought for a moment. Nothing came to mind. What was her name? Oh yes, Eirtaé. "My name is Eirtaé." Brown eyes grew wide, black pupils dilated for a split second and then retracted to normal size.

"It can't be. You...No. It's not- Stars of Alderaan, I can't belive this!" Eirtaé stared with a dull gaze at the woman who called herself Rabé. The name was familiar. She knew her from somewhere, long ago, from a life she had forgotten. A dead past. Suddenly, she was being lifted by small hands onto her feet.

"Ah!" Her feet, covered in sores, bleeding, tender, so tender. Rabé grunted and managed to lift the thin figure of Eirtaé into her arms.

"What's happened to you?" Eirtaé closed her eyes and murmured something too softly for her to hear. She leaned close as she began to walk towards her speeder. "What was that?"

"Don't tell Padmé. She'd kill me if she knew." Rabé swallowed audibly and frowned.

"Knew what?" Silence. She was asleep. Rabé sighed and keyed open the door to her speeder. She gently put Eirtaé down on the back seat and climbed in front. This was amazing. Her best friend disappears for five years, and is found half-dead in the under levels of Coruscant. Half-dead. Throwing a glance behind her shoulder at Eirtaé's sleeping form, she wondered if her friend was even close to being alive.





Mmkay, there ya go. Respond please, and tell me where you think this'll go. This was a spur-of-the-moment thing, so I'm open for suggestions. Review!!!

 

This is very interesting so far! Great descriptions. Poor Eirtae. I feel so bad for her. I can almost feel her pain. So how did she get their? It's good that she was found.

 

I'm not too sure of where I want to go exactly with this, but I have an idea as to what happened to Eirtaé.


Truth be told, I got so excited about learning how to make the "é" that I had to write a story with lots of them included. Rather sad, no?

 

Chapter 1, Part 2
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A drizzle of clean water running over her face woke Eirtaé up from her dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes, squinting at the bright light she was unaccustomed to. She felt a cloth, soaked with cool water, lying on her forehead. Reaching up with a hand, she removed it and wrung it between her hands. The water droplets ran down her hands, soothing her dry skin.

She slowly sat up, groaning as her tense muscles stretched.

"You're up, I see." She groggily looked around for the source of the voice. Her eyes focused and Rabé's kind face appeared. Rabé. She looked so familiar. Where had she met her? It was sometime long ago, in a beautiful place. There were waterfalls, and emerald green grass, graceful buildings. Peaceful. Calm. Home? Maybe. She couldn't seem to grasp the memory that would confirm the thought.

"Where did we meet?" she asked aloud. As soon as the question was out, she knew. Naboo. Naboo, her home planet, where she met Rabé, where she had lived contentedly for more than a decade. Handmaiden. Amidala. Trade Federation. Invasion.

She closed her eyes, holding a hand up to stop Rabé from speaking. The stream of thoughts was delicate, fragile, ready to be broken at any moment at the slightest distraction. Jedi. Celebration. Coruscant. And then...

And then...

"And then what?" she whispered to herself.

"Just what I was about to ask," Rabé said. "What happened to you after you left Naboo?" Eirtaé looked up and met her gaze. She shook her head and took in her surroundings. She was in an apartment that was lavishly furnished. Through the large windows, she could see tall buildings, busy air traffic, bright sunlight. Coruscant. Why did this place feel so desolate?

"Rabé..." she started. Her throat contracted and she turned back to look at her friend and former handmaiden partner. "I'm so glad to see you." Rabé smiled sadly and wrapped Eirtaé in a gentle hug.

"As am I," she said softly, moving back to take in her friend's pitiful appearance. "We lost touch after you left Naboo. Everyone wondered what became of you. We thought maybe-"

"What happened to Padmé?" she interrupted. Rabé stuttered a bit, caught by surprise at the sudden change in topic.

"There was an assassination attempt on her life just last week, as she arrived here. She came with myself and Saché, informally, of course. Cordé was killed in the attempt, and so right now I'm trying to keep tabs on Padmé to make sure she is safe until the Jedi come." Eirtaé took all the information in quickly, nnodding her head and then standing up.

"I'm not sure what happened to me. The last thing I remember was coming here to arrange for Senator Amidala's stay. I got on my speeder and checked all of the area surrounding the apartment she had chosen, and then a man in black robes stopped me. He said...I can't remember what he said, but I followed him to a docking bay for some reason. And then he held out...he had a lightsaber. Red. I wasn't afraid, I just stood there and then...it's blank." Rabé frowned.

"Blank?" Eirtaé nodded.

"And then I woke up to see you in my face, asking if I needed help." She turned her troubled eyes on Rabé and bit her lip. Why couldn't she remember?

"Well, little more than a week has passed since we last saw you. What could possibly have happened to you in so short a time? We were getting concerned when you didn't report back to Captain Typho the next day after you left."

"I wish I knew what I did to wind up in such a place as the under levels. And after I woke up, it was like my memory had been cut off and was slowly being allowed back through by some heavy curtain. It was maddening. And to think, an entire week after that assassanation attempt, and the Senator has been unprotected."

"Unprotected?" Rabé laughed. "She has hundreds of guards swarming around her all day, every day. And her new handmaidens are as equally capable of handling her security as we wer

 

Interesting! Please keep writing.

 

Oohh, very good. I've been sucked in. IN case you couldn't tell, my fav handmaiden is Eirtae, and I find your fic about her very interesting. Keep up the good work. I can't wait to find out what happened to her to make her forget.
*sits on the edge of her chair to wait, then decides she better work on her own handmaiden fanfic, then decides she has other stuff to do* Sigh.... Darth Real Life.
Eirtae

 

BTW, I started reading your fic as well, Eirtaé, and you have great talent! I didn't have time to read the whole thing, but I'll try to finish soon and post in your thread.

Alright, new part coming up today, possibly, so stay tuned.


(Eirtaé= teh best handmaiden)

 

Alright, new bit part coming up. Thanks for reading everyone, and remember, if you have suggestions, please PM me and I'll see what I can do for you!


Chapter 1, Part 3
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The sweet, overpowering scent of Nubian jasmine surrounded Eirtaé as she let herself fully relax in the large tub. The steam and heat of the near-scalding water seeped into her muscles and bones, washing away the knots and tenseness of her body. She ran her fingers through her wet hair, wondering when she had had it cut so short. When wet, the blonde locks fell just above her shoulders. She was used to her hair flowing freely down her back, all the way to her waist.
Strangely enough, she felt herself beginning to like the change.

Rabé's voice floated into the refresher unit from across the apartment. "Everything all right in there? You haven't fallen asleep, have you?" Eirtaé smiled.

"No, I'll be out in a minute."

"Oh, I don't mean to rush you. Stay as long as you want, Padmé wasn't expecting us at a certain time."

"First good news I've heard all day," she murmured to herself. She closed her eyes and let her tired mind drift. No matter if she was thinking of Naboo or what she wanted for dinner, though, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the last few hours. It troubled her deeply to not have any memory of the past week, but she was confident the Jedi could help her. She would just talk to them, they'd use the Force to recover her memory, and everything would be alright.

But what would that missing memory tell her? Rabé hadn't made any mention of what she had said before passing out. 'Don't tell Padmé.'

"What have I done?" she whispered to the walls. She couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened during that missing week. She remembered faintly the feeling of absolute failure, that dark disappointment in herself.

She sat upright slowly so as not to splash water onto the floor. The bath was no longer relaxing. She got out carefully, still conscious of her bruised and recently bandaged feet. She examined her body as she gently dried herself with a warm towel. There were a few dark bruises on her legs and arms, as well as red skin that felt raw in different patches on her back and sides. She hoped she hadn't been attacked and lost her memory of the event due to traumatic stress.
No, she hadn't been attacked. She felt that these bruises and burns were self-inflicted somehow. "Great, now I'm a frelling masochist."

"What was that?" Rabé asked as she walked past the 'fresher unit.

"Nothing. Do you have any clothes I could borrow?"

"Actually, I have some of your clothes here. The suitcase you packed is still here where you left it." Eirtaé had completely forgot about unpacking at this apartment. She guessed this was the one she had rented for her stay on Coruscant, but she didn't want to ask Rabé to confirm. That would be a tad embarrassing.

She walked into the room Rabé had shown her and flipped open the suitcase. Lots of silk and fine materials, lots of color. She pulled out a silk dress that was tinted in muted shades of blue and black. Pants would just be too painful to wear with all of her burns, she decided.

After dressing and drying her hair, she hobbled out into the main room where Rabé was waiting.

"You know, I think I'm starting to like your hair," she said.

"I don't know what possessed me to have it cut, but I like it, too," Eirtaé replied with a small laugh. Despite her worrisome situation, she was beginning to feel happier as the day went by. "That bath works wonders," she commented to Rabé.

"I thought as much. Now, are you ready? I belive the Jedi will be there, so you can talk to them then." Eirtaé nodded and followed Rabé out of the apartment.

 

Mmmmm...now I feel like taking a bubble bath! Very nice post! I wonder if the Jedi will be able to help her, and what she did that caused her so much regret.
Eirtae

 

That makes two of us, then.

 

Chapter 2, Part 1
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?Ani? My goodness, you?ve grown!? Senator Padmé Amidala was nearly at a loss for words as she looked up into the heated gaze of Anakin Skywalker.

?So have you. More beautiful, I mean. Er, for a Senator.? Padmé laughed at his awkwardness and showed him and his Master to their seats. She started to ask about the assassination attempt when the door chime sounded.

?Senator Amidala,? came Rabé?s distinctly accented voice. Padmé signaled for the door to be opened and Rabé and Eirtaé came walking in, the latter with a slight limp in her stride.

?Eirtaé! Where have you been?? asked Padmé as she stood up to embrace her friend.

?Gently,? Eirtaé groaned as the Senator?s arms tightened a bit too much around her sensitive arms.

?Oh, I?m sorry. Are you hurt?? Eirtaé smiled to put Padmé at ease and shook her head.

?Just some minor scrapes, Senator, nothing much. I didn?t mean to interrupt, I was just-?

?No, no, you didn?t interrupt. The Jedi and I were about to discuss a few things. You know about the?? Eirtaé nodded. Rabé had told her all of the events surrounding Cordé's death.

?I?m so sorry about Cordé.? A misty look of pain and sadness clouded Padmé?s eyes for a brief moment as her smile faltered.

?Thank you,? she said softly. She quickly recovered her regal presence, though, and waved her hand towards the few remaining empty seats. ?Please, make yourselves comfortable. Eirtaé, Rabé, I believe you may remember these two men.?

?Anakin!? Rabé exclaimed, finally recognizing the tall padawan. Anakin smiled sheepishly as Rabé looked him over in obvious awe. Eirtaé was also amazed at the young Jedi?s growth spurt. During the Trade Federation invasion, the handmaidens had befriended the easy to get along with boy, but had lost touch when he left Naboo to train at Coruscant. They were equally amazed at how much the boy had matured.

?Rabé, Eirtaé, it?s good to see you, too,? he said politely, grinning. Eirtaé turned to the Jedi Master who sat beside Anakin.

?Master Obi-wan,? she said, nodding her greeting. His light blue eyes met hers briefly as he gave her a small smile. She noticed a distinct change in the Jedi?s demeanor. He certainly seemed wizened, more calm and graceful, but his eyes held that same mischievous twinkle she remembered from Naboo. He had let his hair grow to his shoulders, and a neatly trimmed beard added to his appearance of a wise Jedi Master. He carried the confident aura of an experienced warrior, an aura she noticed she herself had, as well as Padmé and the other handmaidens.

?It has been too long since we have last met,? Obi-wan replied. ?I believe my young padawan has almost begun to forget about his experiences on Naboo.?

?Oh, I don?t think that would be possible, Master,? Anakin said while looking straight at Padmé. The Senator smiled graciously, but Eirtaé could tell the Jedi padawan?s eager, almost obsessive looks in her direction were making her feel uncomfortable. Truth be told, it made Eirtaé uncomfortable as well.
They sat silently while Padmé talked with the Jedi about future safety precautions and attempts to find her would-be attacker. It was decided Obi-wan and Anakin would stay in the apartment for the night to keep guard, just in case. Eirtaé shared a look with Rabé? she could tell neither of them liked being so far away from the Senator when danger could strike without a moment?s notice.

?Will you be needing our assistance, milady?? asked Rabé. Padmé shook her head.

?No. Taré and Maré will be staying here tonight as well,? she replied, speaking of her new handmaidens.

?Very well. However, if have need of anything, please do not hesitate to call.?
Eirtaé looked at Obi-wan.

?And if something happens, we would like to notified immediately,? she added. Padmé wasn?t one to ask for help, being the independent woman she is, so Eirtaé spoke directly to the Jedi, knowing the Senator would just object. Surprisingly, she re

 

This is really good JediofJade! I like your use of imagery. But I was wondering... is there a reason you switched the dead handmaiden from being Cordé to Dormé?

 

Bravo! Eirtae's captain on Naboo regoinal intel? Hhmm... Interesting.
I know how it feels when you kinda don't have control of the plot or you don't know what the result of writing something will be. That's happened to me a lot! I'm not an outline person; I just write as I go. But don't worry; it'll work out.
Thank you for your complimentz on my story I've finally finished TPM part, and now I get to make up some of my own stuff. I felt rather frusterated when I had to work under the guidelines of TPM. But the whole story will be over soon. I don't know how I feel about that...

Good work!

Eirtae

 

It's really good! I love it, Obi-Wan's my fave. Though there is only one thing...

HURRY UP AND WRITE THE MUSH!!!!!!

just joking but please...

post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post post!!!!!!!!

I'm waaaaitiiing...

 

Damn those handmaiden names...


Okay, I'll edit the Dormé part, I totally messed up on that. Forgive me, please...

 

okay, you can expect an update tomorrow, with Eirtaé and Obi-wan's first real 'encounter.' Will sparks fly?

I doubt it. But one can hope, right? Actually, there won't be much mush for a little bit, but things will heat up in due time. I promise...

 

JediofJade, I'm going to be gone the next two weeks, so I won't be able to reply to your story. But you can bet that I'll get caught up as soon as possible when I get back!
Eirtae

 

Thankies! You'd better get caught up!

And thanks, everyone, for your replies. Here we go, now...


Chapter 2, Part 2
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"I was wondering what was troubling you so much, Captain," Obi-wan said as Eirtaé took a seat beside him. "I could sense your unease."

"Uneasy is an understatement, Master Jedi. I came here a little over a week ago to make sure preparations for the Senator's arrival were going well." She looked down at her hands and took a deep breath before continuing. "I was traveling in my speeder through some of the lower levels of Coruscant, just checking perimeters, and I met a man. He was wearing black robes and he looked very regal, calm, kind of smug. He told me something that convinced me to follow him, but I can't remember what. He led me to a near-by docking bay, and that's all I remember."

Obi-wan sat silent for a moment, face blank. "I mean, Master Jedi, that that is all I remember from this entire week. I have somehow lost my memory of the past seven days. Rabé found me beat up and close to unconsciousness in the under levels of Coruscant." Obi-wan's mouth parted slightly as he sighed and shook his head.

"And who do you believe did this to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe that man I mentioned. He carried a red lightsaber, maybe that will mean something to you..."

"It most certainly does, Captain," he replied with wide eyes. "However, let's not go into that right now. First, I am supposing you would like me to retrieve your memory?" Eirtaé nodded. "Alright, then. Keep your eyes on mine, and try to stay still. This may take a while." He lifted his hands level to her forehead and his fingers brushed aside the hair covering her temples. He let them rest just below her hairline and then immediately started immersing them in the Force. She gasped quietly as the feel of his thoughts tenderly picking through her mind, little tendrils of the Force lightly working their way inside. She was tempted to close her eyes and fall asleep, but his gaze was locked with hers.

She studied his eyes while he worked, amazed at their brightness. They were blue and gray, shining mysteriously, playfully, in the artificial lights of the apartment. Shining to hide the darkness of those hidden blue depths. She suddenly didn't care if he knew what she was thinking as she allowed her thoughts to ebb into and out of his like the tides of Naboo. He was hiding something close, something painful. Something similar to her own tight secrets.
He was the same...?
No. Close, but no. He knew the causes of his grief. She was blind to the truth of her own. The only difference. The only wall between her secrets and his. But a wall she instantly needed. She didn't want her thoughts laid out like that, left open to him, now. Distrust. Lack of trust, not in him, but herself. Make the wall taller. Make it thicker, wider. Impenetrable. Safe.

"I can't reach into your mind, Captain." Eirtaé closed her eyes and lowered her head. "There is a dark imprint on your thoughts, milady. Almost like a shield. Are you sure you're ready for these lost memories to resurface?"

"No." She looked up and met his eyes again. "I can't. It's too risky, it?s not safe."

Captain, I assure you, no mental damage will-"

"No, not physically unsafe. You don't understand." She sighed softly and clutched her hands together nervously. Obi-wan's face never showed an expression to clue her in to what he was thinking as they sat in silence.

"You're afraid," he said abruptly. Her knuckled went white as she grasped her hands together tightly. "Afraid of what those memories will tell you." Her gaze remained fixed on his.

"More that you know." He frowned and his eyes clouded with concern. "I can't let you help me, Obi-wan Kenobi." A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. It felt odd to address him by his full name, but it rolled nicely off of her tongue. He looked surprised as well, but just barely. She could also see confusion on h

 

Maybe I should turn this into a Saché/Obi-wan story...

 

up!
more please

 

I'm going to try to post a bit part tomorrow, but I'm not sure. Sorry for not updating in a while, but things will move along eventually...Maybe. I hope.


*sigh*

 

Chapter 3, Part 1
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Her sheets were tangled around her body, clinging to her skin with a fine sheen of cold sweat. Her skin was flushed, her hair wet and plastered to her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell heavily with each hastened breath. In the darkness of her room, she dreamed.

The emotions came at her with blinding speed, security, calmness, haste, need, failure, regret, depression, sadness, all tangled in a lucid embrace with the man she couldn't name. His black robes swirled about his tall figure in dusk's light, his face hidden by the falling light. He held up a hand and she felt herself wanting to reach for it while at the same time loathing his presence. He wrapped her in a loose embrace and whispered in her ear, telling her his plans would succeed if she would just obey his one wish. Just that one wish, and then she would never have to see him again. Not even in her dreams.

She curled up into a fetal postition as she felt the heat of her dream flow into the cold black of sleep. The man disappeared, the light fell to night's dark hues, and she was alone, standing, shivering. A blanket was thrown across her shoulders by a man who stepped into the light surrounding her figure. A man so familiar, bringing her warmth and comfort. His hand lingered on her cheek as he drew closer. Peace lay lightly on her heart.

She woke up to find tears on her pillow and her sheets wrapped around her shoulders.
~~~~~~~~

Okay, sorry it's so short, but it'll have to do for now. Hmmm, wonder who those men in her dream were... (okay, I actually know this one, so don't worry)

 

Up, dag nabbit...


*SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION*
I have a new handmaiden story! "Handmaidens in Lothlorien" a SW/LOTR crossover (obviously). I'm attempting a humor fic this time, but you'll aslo see some romance blossoming, so check it out if you enjoy Handmaiden stories!
*SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION*

Okay, I'm done. Now, this fic will be updated either tomorrow or Tuesday, depending on how my day goes. Thanks for the feedback, and keep it coming!

 

Interesting....

A couple of questions.... Are you going to mention the whereabouts of Sabé and Yané? It'll be cool to have the fab five helping Padmé in the behind the scene mode. Also, is Dormé still around?

Otherwise, look forward to more. BTW, a romance between Eirtaé and Obi-Wan will be different (besides Sabé).

 

Oh yes, I plan to have all five involved eventually. In fact, I think Sabé might be seen in the upcoming chapter, so we'll just see how it goes.