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Index Theed Palace, v. 2: Naboo Index/Discussion Thread.

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Pandora, Jan 24, 2006.

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  1. AngelQueen

    AngelQueen Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 1, 2001
    It's so hard to judge Jamillia, given we really know so little about her. We only saw her in one scene throughout AotC, and there is little further information about her other than she abdicated and left Naboo after serving only one term as Naboo's Queen.

    Given what we saw in AotC, I'm willing to believe that she was rather similar to Padmé in her beliefs. But whereas Padmé continued to hold to her idealism when the Clone Wars broke out, Jamillia only saw the failure of the Republic to prevent the bloodshed in the first place. That's where the two diverged.

    Personally, I'm rather wary of the idea that she 'had begun to side with the Separatists.' The Separatists were, publicly anyway, spearheaded by the Trade Federation, an organization that no Naboovian would have any love for. Whyever would someone from Naboo even begin to consider siding with the Separatists, given their current membership?

    Further thoughts?

    AQ
     
  2. Alishu06

    Alishu06 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 29, 2005
    Interesting, Queen Jamillia siding with the seps. Never thought about that. I would like to think not, but it sounds cool. lol. Anyway I think it would be cool if she would go to Alderaan. IDK.
     
  3. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    It's been a while, but I'm back with more thoughts on Queen Jamillia.

    First, my impressions based off her very little screentime: She appears to be in her early-mid twenties, around Padmé's age. (I don't know how old the actress was at the time of filming, so I'm not bringing that into account.) Clearly, she wasn't the child queen Amidala had been. She's also more relaxed that Queen Amidala, and she doesn't have the cold, distant, almost robotic voice.

    I wonder if, perhaps, Jamillia was always at a disadvantage. She would always be in Amidala's shadow, though she seems to have accepted that. (I mean, she had to know that appointing Amidala as senator would help her popularity, so maybe she made it work for her.) She was not a child prodigy--or if she was, she didn't advance as quickly. I've wondered if maybe one reason that the Naboo chose such (at times) ridiculously young queens is because they weren't old enough to have made enemies.

    Jamillia would be old enough.

    Her accent is supposed to indicate that she comes from the southeast(or west?) part of Naboo. It's been suggested that Rabé may come from the same area, though I'm indifferent on that. The actresses are certainly from different parts of the world.

    Jamillia is mostly a good Naboo girl. She believes in the Naboo version of, well, god and apple pie: Democracy, peace, and freedom. But then the day came when Jamillia could no longer pretend that she was serving those ideals. When she saw the Republic for what it truly was. I agree with AngelQueen--she did not side with the seperatists. She had reached a point of realizing that, well, both sides were mad. Or so I think.

    leia_naberrie quoted this from the wiki article:

    Jamillia had stated that she no longer had faith in the Republic. Jamillia made these feelings clear, and was asked to abdicate in favor of a new and more effective monarch. Jamillia, however, did stay until the election was over, supporting then Nabook Princess Apailana the whole way through; when the time came, Apailana helped the former Queen to leave Naboo peacefully. It was rumored Jamillia left, because she was frightened of what the Naboo would do to her outside the Palace, seeing as she was not going to be asked to continue within Government, due to her beliefs. However, Queen Apailana did not hold this against her.

    This is quite different from the wookiepedia article I read. Clearly, Jamillia is a much better person than I am. (But then, I would never be a Queen of Naboo to begin with. Too damn cynical, and too old.) That she stayed the whole time, and supported the girl who would take her place. And Apailana did not betray that support.

    There's another option: Maybe, when she was asked to step down as Queen, she was relieved. It had to be quite stressful being Queen--the Queen is not just a politician or a ruler, she's an idealized figurehead. And Jamillia could no longer pretend to be that image.

    (An aside: Personally, I wonder how many of those Naboo child prodigies just got burnt out. It might explain, if only a little, Padmé in Episode III.)

    After she leaves Naboo, her story turns into questions. Where would she go? We don't know, so I'll guess: Perhaps she went to a planet with a culture similar to Naboo, like Alderaan. Quietly, and uneventfully. Since Jamillia was likely only her royal name, she would simply go back to her birth name. Without the white makeup, she would be unrecognizable as the woman who had been Queen Jamillia. I like to think she went on with her life. (Though if it was on Alderaan...)

    And when history proved she was right? Maybe she just shook her head. Naboo hadn't been ready to hear her truth. Perhaps she remembered just how lonely it was when she realized that her world hadn't changed--but she had.

    *

    And an update:

    While I've been quiet, I've been adding stories to the index. I've noticed that quite a few of the recent stories are what I call Padmé's Funeral Angst. It does seem to be a good way to write a big canon sc
     
  4. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    It's time for another discussion topic.

    This time, we'll be talking about Sabé.

    She is Queen Amidala's decoy in Episode I, and, of all the handmaidens, has the most lines (though she speaks none of them as herself). There is very little canon about her, but a good deal of fanon.

    Thoughts?



     
  5. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    In Jude Watson's Amidala Journal, Padme claims Sabe is her best friend. There are glimpses of personality in TPM - the fact that she's not above sending her Queen on an errand when she gets the chance is one - but not much. Does anyone know what happened to her? Why she left Amidala's service? What she did afterwards?
     
  6. Obischick

    Obischick Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 25, 2001
    Yay! A Handmaiden Fanfic discussion thread! :)

    Queen Jamilla

    I agree with AngelQueen, it's hard to really say anything about her because she does only have that one scene in AotC. If we were going by that alone, and none of the other things that have been writen about her, it would be hard indeed to say what her character and personality are. To me, Jamilla is almost wiser than Amidala. She seems much more like a politician.

    Even in her one little scene, she shows much more tact and maturity than Amidala does in that movie. Especially when they are talking about where Amidala will go now that she's on Naboo, and Jamilla wants to here Anakin's "professional" opinion and Padmé just blows him off and basically crushes his ego into a smear. Jamilla looks so uncomfortable that Padmé is being rude. That one look makes me think that perhaps Padmé and Jamilla don't necessarily get along that great. They may hold the same ideals or ideas, but they seem to differ on how to deal with people. Perhaps it's her voice alone, as Pandora26 indicated is enough to just make people more comfortable than Padmé's Robo-Queen voice. And one must admit, that Rabé and Jamilla sound more similar to each other than they do to other people in the movies, so perhaps it's just a matter of convienence that the canon people say they come from the same area.


    Sabé

    Sabé, Sabé, Sabé... the one who inspired a love of Handmaidens in me, and probably, a great number of other people. Based on the movie alone, I would say that she is mildly reckless (drawing the Viceroy away in the end battle), very brave (agreeing to be decoy) and EXTREMELY loyal (whole movie :p). What I like about TPM, handmaiden wise, is that even though they are not major characters, they are there for all the major events. And that even though everyone knew that the handmaidens were basically glorified extras in the movie, the actresses still attempt to act, and be their parts. This provides us fans with some great moments. Namely the smile Sabé as Decoy gives Artoo right before she tells Padmé to clean him up. Why would she smile? Is she thinking about how fun it would be to boss around the real Queen? Does she have a soft spot for Astro-Droids?

    Ah, leia_naberrie brings up the interesting Queen Amidala's Journal, and Padmé's claim as Sabé = Best Friend. I sort of take that with a grain of salt. A huge bolder of salt, actually. The movie is so different from what Jude Watson writes in the Journal, I see no more affection between Padmé and Sabé than between Padmé and any of the other girls, really. (Please correct me if I'm wrong! :) )

    As for what happened to her, no one quite knows, and everyone has their different idea. I like to think that the old handmaidens were eventually replaced with the handmaidens from AotC, and Moteé and Ellé were brought on after Versé and Cordé died, and then Dormé retired. Per Sabé specifically, I like to think that she left the Queen's service when Padmé stepped down as Queen, and got married and had babies and eventually joined the Rebellion and helped Luke and Leia find out about their mother, post RotJ. :p but that's just me!

    What does everyone else think?

    ~Obischick~:cool:
     
  7. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    Good point about Watson's book Obischick. She was not a very good character writer for our Jedi men in JA and JQ, so I'm not surprised that she mussed up Padme's characterization in the Journal. Still, I didn't think the journal varied so widely from the actual film. The last conversation between Padme and Obi-Wan at the end of the Journal was stretching things a bit though.

    I've always wished that Sabe had been Corde at the start of Ep.2. That way her story would have resolved and we would have felt more deeply for the character who gave her life for Padme...
     
  8. Alishu06

    Alishu06 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 29, 2005
    Hey a handmaiden!!!!!
    I liked to think of Padme and Sabe as friends. I also like to think that after Padme's 8 years of being the queen, sabe went off and got married.
     
  9. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    There's a good story in the Fan Fiction Archives that explains a little about Sabe and most of the handmaidens' fate after the Empire was formed. Unfortunately, it came out before RotS and it's been completely retconned. However it's still an interesting take. Pandora26, is it OK for us to put up links here?
     
  10. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    Pandora26, is it OK for us to put up links here?

    Yes, it's okay.

    And I admit I am quite curious about this story.
     
  11. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    This is the link - http://fanfic.theforce.net/fanfic.asp?action=view&ID=1092

    Title - The Decoy
    Author - Elinon Bybeth
    Summary - After giving Leia over to Obi-Wan's care, Padme is on the run from her past and seeks help from an old friend. But what happens when the past catches up with her?
    Characters - Darth Vader; Padmé Amidala; Sabé
     
  12. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    Wavy lines...

    "The Decoy" was one of the first Star Wars fanfics I read at theforce.net. I'm not sure if I read it before or after I knew what Padmé's fate in ROTS was (yes, I was spoiled to the hilt). But since the story was several years old, I was willing to overlook that.

    I'll have some thoughts on Sabé later, but for now, I thought I would mention that, apparently, Naboo will be making an appearance in the EU, in a YA/middle grade novel that should be available soon, if it isn't already. It's called "Death on Naboo," and I understand shows more of Queen Apailana and Captain Typho, amongst others.

    Yes, it's by Jude Watson. Since I haven't read anything by her, I can't comment on her writing abilities (or, if what I've heard is true, the lack thereof).

    I admit to being curious about this book, but I won't be able to obtain a copy. So if anyone has read this, and would like to discuss the new Naboo information (and, well, of course, this is the only way I'll find out) feel free. Be sure to black out spoilers in accordance with board policy.
     
  13. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    O, you've read it before? LOL.

    Yes, it's by Jude Watson. Since I haven't read anything by her, I can't comment on her writing abilities (or, if what I've heard is true, the lack thereof).


    Well in all fairness, she did a good job with Amidala's journal. Although since that was virtually a novelization of the movie, she didn't really have so much room to mess it up. ;) She's a poor character writer as a whole - canonizing Obi-Wan and demonizing Qui-Gon and Anakin; and her own OC Ferus Olin is the definitive pro-fic Gary Stu. However, maybe with a whole cast of lesser characters like the Queen and Typho, she'd cast a better balance.

    I'll look out for the book.
     
  14. Alishu06

    Alishu06 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 29, 2005
    This is the second time I've heard about this book. Is it a kid's book?
     
  15. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    Yes, Death on Naboo is a kids' book. Or more specifically, it seems to be what is called a middle reader book, targeted for children around 10-13. It's fourth in an ongoing series, called... Last of the Jedi. So, yes, the focus is so not going to be on any of the Naboo characters. I might be wrong about that, but somehow, I don't think so.

    (I was doing a bit of web surfing, and the focus will be on Watson's character Ferus Olin, who leia_naberrie mentioned. I also didn't find anyone saying anything nice about him. So if you hates Ferus, you might just want to skim for the Naboo bits. I mean, if I ever find a copy, that's what I will do.)

    I know the book's been mentioned on the Royal Handmaiden Society thread in Star Wars Community, but since its official release date is in April, I doubt many people have read it as of yet. I will say, that, follow down to the maybe spoiler--

    .


    .


    .


    .







    You do find out what Captain Typho's first name is. I saw this in the Royal Handmaiden Society thread, though the poster didn't reveal the actual name. I remember there have been several threads here on and off about the Captain's elusive name, so I'm curious what it is.
     
  16. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    My thoughts on Sabé:

    For me, Sabé is a mystery. That may be because for most of her time in the movie, she is the decoy Queen, and so she *is* Queen Amidala. She has the cold, digitally altered voice, and the regal, distant posture. As Queen, she is someone you can admire, with her doll face and voice, but never touch or know. She is (as she is constantly described in the TPM novelization) regal, above everyone else, untouchable.

    When she's Amidala, she is, naturally, mostly emotionless. But only mostly. There is that smile when she tells (it's more polite than an order) Padmé to clean R2. I don't think it's a smirk; rather, she seems amused. So does Rabé, who is also smiling at the inside joke the handmaidens know, and the Jedi do not.

    Then, she doesn't look too happy when Padmé steps forward to reveal herself to Boss Nass. In fact, she doesn't look like she approves at all, as if she's about to ask "What are you *doing*?" Most likely because she doesn't feel it's time or safe enough for Padmé to come out in the open. I do remember that in the novelization, Padmé reassures her that she was doing well, but that this was something only a Queen (a real queen?) could do.

    So, who is Sabé?

    She is perhaps fourteen, the same age as the Queen, and she is young, idealistic, and earnest, with the sort of fervor you have when you know you are right. She is brave (shooting down battle droids with teeth clenched in the hangar battle), and perhaps even reckless--though her recklessness is always calculated, and never for its own sake.

    As a handmaiden, she is serious and silent, (well, of course) and watchful. She seems to regard being the decoy as her duty--she does it, and then she is ready to go back into the shadows. Probably, since she is only human, she is relieved. But then, at the victory parade, we can clearly see Sabé standing behind Obi-Wan and Anakin. Again, she smiles. This time, she is herself, and it is the closest we ever see of Sabé as Sabé.

    I've also heard that she is supposedly Padmé's best friend. In my opinion, the movies do nothing to prove, or disprove, this. You don't see a particular emotional connection with Sabé, but then, you don't really see that with any of the others, either.

    That is where canon ends, and fanon begins.

    Of all the handmaidens, Sabé is the most popular in fanfiction. This usually takes the form of sabewan (which I am not going to discuss here. I know people have strong feelings about it, and I'm not interested in that debate). She is usually shown as brave, strong-willed, perhaps a bit reckless, and not afraid to say what she means. She's not Padmé's yes-woman. And I can see, in flashes, these qualities in the TPM.

    One of the more interesting portrayals of Sabé would be in Amidolee's "One Prick to Bleed." It's certainly one of the more complicated ones.

    As for what happened to her:

    It's hard to say. But most likely, she left Amidala's service, and moved on to other things. I can't assume that she even stayed for both of Amidala's terms, though she might have. (Or she might have had a growth spurt and gotten too tall to play decoy, if we're to look at real life.) I like to think she went on with her life. And after Padmé's death, she would know that the best way way to honor her Queen would be to do just that: To go on living. To live the life Padmé couldn't.

    I like to think that last about all of them.
     
  17. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    Interesting analysis on Sabe. Like you said, the movie doesn't give us much to go with. I always wished that it had been Sabe who had been killed at the start of Episode 2 - not because I don't like the character, but because it would have been more of an impact if a character we knew (if only vaguely) died in the film - not Random Handmaiden X. Generally, all Amidala's handmaidens are quite inscrutable.
     
  18. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    Generally, all Amidala's handmaidens are quite inscrutable.

    That's true, and especially so for the handmaidens in Episode I. They are cloaked and silent, and the film's narrative doesn't want you to look at them or notice them. In the novelization, I think it says whenever they are mentioned that they are "cloaked and hooded in flame" and their faces are hidden.

    Of course, their faces aren't hidden completely, not if you look closely enough. Still, it's almost a shock to see Rabé and Eirtaé in their battle dresses, because you can really and truly see them for the first time.

    I don't think it applies as much to the Episode II handmaidens. While the Episode I handmaidens stayed shadows, you see Dormé and Cordé much more clearly (as for poor Versé, alas, I wouldn't even know she was there if it weren't for the RHS). They are both addressed by name--none of the Episode I handmaidens are. Also, there are several extremely close up shots of both of them, of Cordé in her last minutes, and of Dormé in the goodbye scene. But I've gotten off the subject.

    *

    Since we know so little about Sabé, I thought perhaps we could focus on the portrayal of Sabé in fan fiction. (And, well, this *is* a fanfiction board, so why not.) She is, as I mentioned earlier, the most written about handmaiden, and clearly, fan fiction is a way of understanding the girl who plays the queen.

    I guess the questions would be: Based off what we see of Sabé in TPM, how do you choose to portray her in fan fiction?

    Given that there is so little about her, what do you base your interpretation on? How much can you know from only a few lines?


    I've never written about Sabé, so I don't have much to add here myself. (I'm sure I could say *something* at least...)
     
  19. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    Based off what we see of Sabé in TPM, how do you choose to portray her in fan fiction?


    I've never written Sabé myself but if I were to answer this from the perspective of a reader and what I would read as acceptable interpretation of her character:

    She should be gutsy and clever - with a penchant for espoinage/under-cover work. Imagine Elizabeth of PotC & Sydney Bristown of Alias rolled into one. She has a great sense of humour and is a little bit of a practical joker. She's an excellent shot with the blaster, and is even more physically aggressive than Padme. She and Padme should be friends - and she should be extremely protective of Padme.

    Given that there is so little about her, what do you base your interpretation on? How much can you know from only a few lines?

    I base my interpretation on the movies, the TPM novels (both the Terry Books and P. Wrede's versions) and the Amidala journal. At first, it doesn't look like there's much to go on then when you look again, you see that they tell us that:


    she's brave (being a decoy to a hunted Queen takes some major guts)
    she's clever (her improvisation in the palace helped Padme win the day)
    she's good with disguises (she's so good at being a decoy that she even fools Obi-Wan)
    she's a fighter (she certainly didn't shirk during the battle; and part of her decoy duties involved her leading a small troop of older soldiers)
    she's a better fighter than Padme (she's trained as a full-time bodygaurd while Padme probably knows basic survival skills)
    she's loyal (to Padme and consequently, Naboo)
    she's a professional (goes without saying that all the handmaidens are)
    she has a sense of humour/practical joker (the little R2 stunt she pulled on Padme)
    she and Padme have a close relationship (again, the R2 stunt. Decoy or not, she had to be pretty chummy with the Queen to order her around like that)


    Re-reads list. Pretty dense stuff from a few minutes here and there of screen time. :D
     
  20. Obischick

    Obischick Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 25, 2001
    Based off what we see of Sabé in TPM, how do you choose to portray her in fan fiction?

    I've never written from Sabé's POV before, because it intimidates me a bit. I know that there are a lot of people out there who expect so much from the character, and can get upset when she isn't portrayed the way they are either accustomed to or like. That being said, what I have written for her from other's points of view is that she's kind of quiet, kind of shy. She's very smart, has a good memory, and is an actress. Yeup, an actress. She's got to be good at deception, and it seems to me that the Naboo are all about the arts, so I figured that Sabé would always be an actress.

    She's also worried about failure. She doesn't want to fail at her job, she wants to be able to protect her Queen. I think she looks on this as her biggest acting debut to date.


    Given that there is so little about her, what do you base your interpretation on? How much can you know from only a few lines?

    For me, it's not so much the lines that she says, because she doesn't say anything when she's herself, but the way she looks at someone, the tilt of her head, the hint of a smile on her face, how at peace she looks during the parade. That and just common sense. I mean, no matter how alike you look to Padmé, you have to be able to pull off the role of Queen. You have to have the composure, the air, the graces of a Queen. She has to be smart, and be able to ad-lib and do improvisation. It isn't as though she's given a bloody script to follow, is it? Well, she is, but... you know what I mean! :p

    We also know that she's a Naboo. In a very general sense, that means that she's wary of Gungans, she's not liable to get off the planet anytime soon, she doesn't really like violence or fighting, and she's appreciative of the arts in some form or the other. So how does someone with those general characteristics get to be the Decoy of Queen Amidala who can pick off two battle droids while attempting to draw them away?

    That is a very interesting question.

    One that I think everyone has a different idea about. I think it will be interesting to see what happens when George Lucas realizes the potential the Handmaidens have in the EU and something "canon" comes out about them. I wonder what they will be like, if the authors will be as in depth about it as we fanfic writers are. And I hope to God it is not Jude Watson writing those books... yeesh.

    ~Obischick~[face_peace]
     
  21. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    My response.

    Now, as I mentioned earlier, I have never written Sabé, not even as a walk-on. No particular reason--I've just never felt moved to tell a story about her. And, I think partly because she is the most popular handmaiden, I don't feel she's a mystery I need to explore. Like, say, for example, Ellé and Moteé.

    I've noticed that her characterization seems to be fairly consistent in most of the fanfiction I've read that features her. She is usually portrayed as having some of the traits everyone has mentioned:

    She is brave. She is intelligent, because she would have to be to impersonate the Queen (and, well, a good actress). She's loyal, or otherwise, she wouldn't be playing decoy to begin with. But she is not without a sense of humor (note her smile while telling the real Queen to clean up R2 after he saves the day). I suspect that these portrayals influence how Sabé continues to be written in fanfiction.

    Obischick, you brought up some points that, for me, lead to seeing other sides of Sabé. I had never thought of her as rather shy, but it makes sense. It's often easier for shy people to do things while playing a role. And the actress training makes sense too. Most stories I've read assume the handmaidens are trained in politics, but that wouldn't necessarily have to be the case. Yeah, I'm thinking of all the English or Philosophy majors I knew who went on to law school here.

    We also know that she's a Naboo. In a very general sense, that means that she's wary of Gungans, she's not liable to get off the planet anytime soon, she doesn't really like violence or fighting, and she's appreciative of the arts in some form or the other. So how does someone with those general characteristics get to be the Decoy of Queen Amidala who can pick off two battle droids while attempting to draw them away?

    That's interesting, and a good point. One of the best ways to understand a character is to examine them within the context of their culture.

    Especially when you consider that, as you said, Sabé, who comes from this pacifist culture, is a pretty good shot. The movies just present this, without examination. It is indeed an interesting question, and not one I'm sure I've an answer to.

    So, if I were to write Sabé?

    I would base my portrayal of her off my interpretation of the movie--which is pretty much what I always do. I use the EU that works for me, and ignore that which does not. (Note: I'm not starting a canon wars here, or suggesting that EU is not canon.) I would try to come to my own understanding of her as a character--but yes, how others have portrayed her would have some influence on me.


    *

    We can continue to discuss Sabé in fanfiction (or really, if you've missed one of the previous topics, feel free to share your thoughts. It's pretty slow moving here), but I thought I would bring up a new topic.

    Staying with the handmaiden theme, we will be discussing Eirtaé.

    She is the only handmaiden who, as a blonde, does not resemble Queen Amidala. While she has no lines, she accompanies the Queen to Tatooine and Coruscant, and then fights in the Battle for Naboo. She is usually represented in fanfiction as being a bit, or more than a bit, of a snob.

    Any thoughts?
     
  22. Obischick

    Obischick Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 25, 2001
    Pandora26

    I would base my portrayal of her off my interpretation of the movie--which is pretty much what I always do. I use the EU that works for me, and ignore that which does not. (Note: I'm not starting a canon wars here, or suggesting that EU is not canon.) I would try to come to my own understanding of her as a character--but yes, how others have portrayed her would have some influence on me.

    HA! I do that too. ALL the time. I tend to ignore books or information that I think is either stupid or doesn't make sense, yoink what I like and get on with it. I think if they had a more streamlined information source and novels that actually tried to make sense together, then I wouldn't have such a big problem with it. That and I don't have a lot of $$ or spare time to do a whole lot of research, or read all the books that come out.

    Eirtaé

    Oh man... Eirtaé was always a mystery for me. Which is why I think I like her so much.

    Eirtaé in the movie: Let's see. She's chosen to go with Amidala et al to Coruscant (by way of Tatoonie), so the Queen must value her in some way that she doesn't value the others. She doesn't smile a whole lot (that I've noticed) in her scenes, so she's probably either lacking in a sense of humor, or takes the situation a lot more seriously than Sabé or Rabé. She is a blond and the least comparable to Padmé when it comes to looks, yet she was chosen as a handmaiden. During the battle, I only see her firing once or twice after they get into the hanger and before they meet Darth Maul. She is probably firing at the Destroyer Droids later in that scene, but we never quite get a clear view of her, if I remember correctly, I haven't watch TPM in a while.

    In the "We don't have time for this, Captain" scene, I believe she shoots a couple times, and then somehow meets up with Sabé for the "Your Occupation Here Has Ended" scene. After that, we see her in the greeting Palpatine Scene, we sorta assume she's at Qui-Gon's Funeral and I think you can see her in the Parade.

    So what do we glean from all that visual information but without one line? She's loyal, to follow Padmé into all that trouble, she's important to Padmé for some reason despite her inability to play decoy as well as the other girls, she is, perhaps, one of the girls less willing to go into battle, compared to how many shots Padmé, Rabé and Sabé get off.

    I think the snob thing comes from the Episode I Visual Dictionary, where it gives a little blurb about Rabé, Sabé and Eirtaé. I think Eirtaé's went something like: Grew up in a noble house in a small village, helps the other handmaidens and even the Queen with Etiquette. People assume that a noble girl teaching people etiquette is going to be something of a snob, perhaps they are right. Perhaps people are biased against blonds? I don't know.

    I must admit I'm guilty of making Eirtaé a bit of a snob when I wrote her, but I didn't have her character come full circle and realize her behavior. I wrote Eirtaé as loyal to her few good friends, kind of sneaky and manipulative, very interested in politics, very loyal to Amidala, and very smart and aware for her age, which I made 15, since she seemed to be a bit more mature than the other ladies. She also does Amidala's make up, and helps her with political advice and hostess duties/etiquette.

    Oh, brain hurts now... back to my psychology paper...

    ~Obischick~[face_peace]
     
  23. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    I'm glad you responded, Obischick. I was hoping you would, since I know you've written a story about Eirtaé. In fact, it was one of the first handmaiden stories I ever read on the boards.

    Okay, so here are my thoughts:


    I would also guess that Eirtaé is perhaps a year or two older than the Queen. She does seem older and more mature, but then, so does Saché, and she is supposedly one of the youngest. I do think I've heard that Eirtaé is one of the eldest handmaidens-- Though I might be getting that mixed up with my own impressions, and what I've read in fanfiction.

    In fact, even more so than Sabé, Eirtaé is represented pretty consistently in fanfiction: She is frequently snobby, and sometimes she doesn't get along very well with the others. She is very much into politics, and she tends to be ambitious. For her, being a handmaiden is only a temporary job before moving on to something bigger. Yet, she is also loyal (otherwise, she wouldn't be a handmaiden) and she uses her skills to serve Queen and planet.

    For that reason, I've never written about her beyond a walk-on role. In fact, even then, I felt overwhelmed by all the versions of Eiraté I've read, and didn't feel I knew how I really wanted to write her.

    But, let's put that aside, and focus on what's in the movie.

    As I mentioned, she is one of the three handmaidens who accompanies the Queen (or, rather, Sabé as decoy) to Tatooine and then Coruscant, and is present at the Battle of Naboo. She is a character who is often there, but stays in the background. She is never in the spotlight, even for a minute, but always at the edges, or in the shadows. She has no lines, which does help make her somewhat of a mystery.

    She is the only handmaiden who clearly does not resemble Amidala, and she is (I think I've read) the tallest handmaiden. Apparently, this means she is the only handmaiden who cannot play decoy. This assumes that while Sabé is the official decoy, all the others are trained and ready to do so. And I do think that, with something as minor as a wig and contacts, Eirtaé could play decoy herself. It's all in the makeup, really. Though I admit that it would be unlikely that any of the handmaidens other than Sabé would ever need to play that role.

    During the scene when Sabé, as decoy queen, tells Padmé to clean the droid, both Sabé and Rabé are smiling, but Eirtaé clearly is not. That may indicate that she lacks a sense of humor, though it is not, in my opinion, enough evidence for that. She does seem very serious, though that might not mean she doesn't realize the joke Sabé and Rabé have--she just doesn't want to give it away.

    And then: In the last scene at the parade, I think you can clearly see both she and Rabé are smiling, though even then, Eirtaé smiles in a serious way, like someone who doesn't smile very often.

    As far as Eirtaé being a snob... There is nothing in the movie to suggest that, since she never speaks, or really interacts with other characters. Like you said, the Visual Dictionary says she comes from a noble family and is good with etiquette, and for many people, that equals snobby. It's possibly that, if anything, she might be shy, and shyness is often mistaken for snobbiness. Like someone said on the RHS thread way, way back, she's the only handmaiden who stands out in the matched set.

    During the battle, I only see her firing once or twice after they get into the hanger and before they meet Darth Maul. She is probably firing at the Destroyer Droids later in that scene, but we never quite get a clear view of her, if I remember correctly, I haven't watch TPM in a while.

    That's a good point, though I admit I've not really noticed that before. There's a lot going on in that part of the movie, and, well, I only have access to a vhs copy, and I believe the pan n scan cut out a lot of the handmaidens. (For example: I've heard people talk about the part where Yané is being silly, but since it's cut from the video, I've never seen it.)

    However: I think it makes sense for Eirta
     
  24. Alishu06

    Alishu06 Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 29, 2005
    Wow so I missed Eirtae.

    Rabe- She is my favorite handmaiden. I have alot of fics about her. I see her as very sure of herself, but not willing to always show it.
     
  25. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    I've added a few more fics to the index.

    Trends I've noticed:

    There are still some Padmé's Funeral Angst (tm) fics showing up, but I've noticed that authors seem to branching out into vignettes about lesser used characters or OCs. No Boss Nass epics (yet, I type with an evil grin) but I hope to see more of this variety.

    *

    Hmmm.

    I guess I'll throw this up, to see if anyone has something to say about Rabé (other than, of course, myself, but there are few things lamer than having a thread stuffed full of your own posts). I know too well how real life can be, and it's easy for threads to run and hide in the depths of the boards.
     
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