Queen's Peril (Star Wars)

by E.K. Johnston

Tobruna drew Padmé into a discussion about grav-ball with a very enthusiastic Eirtaé.

gravball chats with the girls

Sabé’s absence didn’t prevent her from dressing in more comfortable handmaiden-style robes and settling in with her tea, but Padmé found quickly that she missed her company. The others tried to distract her.

sabedala my beloved..

It was almost half an hour before Sabé let herself in. She was a bit breathless, like she’d walked quickly to come back to the room. Or maybe for another reason, but that was none of Padmé’s business.

lmaoooo

“Did you get lost in the corridors?” Rabé asked sweetly. “Shut up,” Sabé said. She looked to Padmé for support, but Padmé refused to meet her gaze. “It’s very good of you to pay so much attention to relations,” Eirtaé said. Yané blushed and Saché looked uncomfortable.

bffisms teasing her for her crush omg

“Neurotransmitter Affection are playing in the Theed Odeon tonight,” Sabé said. “One of Harli’s cousins sings backup with them, so she can get us in.” Eirtaé made an unintelligible noise of excitement and Yané clapped a hand over her mouth. “Harli Jafan invited us to a concert?” Padmé asked.

OMGGG girls night out <3 WAIT AUTHORS NOTE SAYS THIS IS A MY CHEM RENAME PLSSSS

Yes, Neurotransmitter Affection were shatteringly popular,

where was my invite?????

Unless Sabé really did like Harli. If so, Sabé would have to keep secrets from both, and surely that wouldn’t be any fun. Unless she ended up liking Harli more. Padmé refused to go down that road. There was no reason to be jealous or doubt Sabé’s loyalty. They were just going to a concert, like normal girls. One night. They could make that work.

like normal girls <3 also padme jealousy like ok..

It was fun to do more than one hairstyle, and Padmé was glad not to have the usual tight braids under a wig. Eirtaé took the time to curl her hair, since she only rarely got to show it off.

so cute

Before they left, they made sure Saché was as comfortable as possible. She was curled up alone in Padmé’s bed, feeling desolate and also too wretched to move. “If your stomach still hurts in the morning, we’ll call a med-droid,” Yané said, brushing her hair off her face. Saché didn’t flinch away from her, which was new.

Sabé and Harli moved well together, and Padmé almost forgot to watch the band. She didn’t like this feeling. She didn’t think it was jealousy—not entirely, anyway.

lesbianism contagion among the handmaidens naboo ground zero

Sabé was the first of her handmaidens, the one who was the best at doubling for her and who would take the risks if there was any danger. And right now, Padmé didn’t know how Sabé felt about any of those things anymore. She should just ask. If they were normal girls, she would just ask.

And while Padmé could ask as Sabé’s friend, she wasn’t sure if she should ask as Sabé’s queen. No, she would have to wait for Sabé to come to her. And she didn’t like that one bit.

Sabé came over and grabbed Padmé by the hand, pulling her into the dancers. They moved together, and for a moment everything was the way it was supposed to be.

:( <3

Every time Padmé caught sight of Sabé for the rest of the night, she was laughing.

“They went as themselves,” Saché said. “No one knows who they are. Tonight they’re just girls.”

“I ruined a bedsheet,” said Saché, as though it made perfect sense. “And you are covered in glitter.” It was probably the adrenaline wearing off, but Padmé laughed until she cried.

“And so you had to be awful about it?” Sabé said. “You can charm a whole planet into loving you, but you can’t take two seconds to consider her feelings?”

“I just thought for one second, you might have been able to think of someone besides yourself.” There was nothing she could have said to hurt Padmé more, and she knew it.

“Did you think I would give up secrets?” Sabé asked. “Do you really think so little of me?” “No,” Padmé said. “I think the world of you. But it’s harder than I thought to be your friend and your ruler all at the same time, and I can’t do that if you don’t help me.”

:(

“Did you really want to kiss her?” Padmé asked. Sabé knew what she was doing, and why she was doing it, but she couldn’t bring herself to mend the fence. She could do her job, but that was it for now. “Not yet, please,” she said. “I just want to talk about politics.” Padmé dutifully changed the subject.

“I am Viceroy Nute Gunray of the Trade Federation. I require you to sign a treaty.”

BOOOOO 👎👎👎

The treaty was, in Sio Bibble’s professional opinion, a pile of shaak shit.

LMAOOOOO

“I was afraid something like this might happen,” Palpatine said. “But never in my wildest dreams did I think it actually would!

SCAMMERRRRR

Then she turned and caught Sabé’s hand. “Anything we have to sort out, we can do it later,” Sabé said. “From this point on, I’m yours.”

IM YOURS ❗️❗️❗️

Face solemn, she looked out over the city, committing the architecture to memory even as the droid army marred it, and making silent promises she wasn’t entirely sure she could keep.

Jar Jar Binks was having a terrible afternoon. Disaster had always plagued him, it was true, but today the galaxy seemed to be taking it to extremes.

And then they all ended up in the planet core. It was the worst day ever.

It was nothing personal, but Sabé was really starting to hate Tatooine.

let it be personal it deserves the hate

Sabé still reached out for Padmé’s hand when she walked by. “I’ll be careful,” Padmé promised again, for Sabé’s ears alone. “You better,” Sabé said. “This wig itches, and I don’t want to wear it forever.” It was almost like normal.

<3

I just . . . get quiet sometimes, that’s all.” “I know,” Yané said. “It’s one of the things I like about you.” Saché blushed. In her twelve years, she had never talked so openly about her affections before. “I know you like to keep your feelings to yourself,” Yané said. “We don’t get a lot of privacy, and I respect yours. But I wanted you to know. I do like you.” “I like you, too,” Saché said, mostly to the uncaring mattress.

GOOD FOR THEM!!!!

On a dusty world with two bright suns, a little boy looked up from his work and saw an angel.

killer sentence omg

“When they write the official history of this era, I hope they give you some of the credit,” Mariek said. “We’re meant to be anonymous,” Yané said. “That was the whole point.”

thank u to these books for giving them their credit 🫶

Sabé’s face was starting to itch under the makeup. This was the longest she’d ever worn it. At the palace, they used the blend Yané had mixed up, but the stuff that had been stored on the royal ship was a generic brand, and Sabé didn’t like it as much. It was a ridiculous thing to be concerned about, she knew, but it was also her face, and so she couldn’t help it.

peak girlisms shes so real for that

This is what it was like for Padmé all the time, Sabé realized. No matter how close to her the other handmaidens got, as soon as the face went on, the walls went up, and Padmé had to trust that when the walls came down again, everyone would still like her. That was why Harli’s interest in Sabé had upset Padmé so much. This distance that Sabé couldn’t shake any more than she could get her face to stop itching.

-___-

“Master Qui-Gon is going to some sort of cultural event tomorrow morning.

aka gambling on podraces to buy a child

“The Jedi are fine, but I like it better when we’re manipulating people,” Rabé said. “Agreed,” Sabé said. “When Padmé gets back, we’ll see what we can do about that.”

Even when Sabé wore the Queen’s face, it was still in her nature to look to Padmé for guidance. It was something she had missed since their argument after the concert, and something she longed to set right. The galaxy seemed to conspire against them in that regard, but Sabé was determined. If she couldn’t find the time, she would simply make it.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Padmé said. “I thought Anakin might have gotten up because he was nervous.” Shmi laughed quietly. “No, my son sleeps like a rock the night before a race,” she admitted. “It’s me who stays up all night worrying about him.

“You are welcome to sit up with me, if you like,” Shmi said. “I’m just trying to fix this screen so I can use it at the race tomorrow.” “I’d like that,” Padmé said.

:((((( thank u for giving them some time together ugh

She’d always known the galaxy was a complicated place, but seeing it, smelling it, living it made her understand how foolish and privileged she had been. She had her own problems right now, and they were massive—much bigger than herself. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by a planet that wasn’t even her own. And yet, her heart ached for this good woman and for her selfless son, and she knew that it always would.

He could not see the Jedi Temple, for which he was quite grateful.

beef with the temple itself is crazy

“If you wanted to run for the office after me, I think you’d be good at it.” “No,” Sabé said. “I wouldn’t.” “I don’t understand,” Padmé said. “There’s nothing I can do that you can’t.” “There’s one key difference between you and me,” Sabé told her. “You command, and I carry out.”

What I learned was that I’d rather be second to you than first to anyone else.” Confessing her feelings was like a weight lifting off of Sabé’s chest. It had taken her so long to figure it out, to put to words what she knew in her heart. And now she had done it. She wanted to fly.

SABE 🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

“I can order you to your death,” Padmé said. Her voice was so quiet that Sabé barely heard her. She reached out and took Padmé’s hands. “And I would go,” she said. “I can’t be that dedicated to you,” Padmé said. “I know,” Sabé said. A long silence grew between them, but it wasn’t awkward. They both knew where they stood.

they are so. -__-

Sabé had a few more doubts about the sanctity of the Republic Senate than Padmé seemed to, but that was why Padmé did things like run for Queen of the planet. She believed in the system, even though she could see its flaws. She would always try to fix them. And Sabé would help her, because that was what she chose to do.

her chosen purpose being to help padme... yea...

“Can I ask a strange question?” Padmé said. “Of course,” Sabé said. “Did you notice that the face paint was different?” In spite of everything, Sabé dissolved into giggles, too.

🫶🫶

His master disapproved of so much punching and kicking in his fighting style, but there was nothing better than the feel of bone fracturing under his touch. A lightsaber was nice, but there was something to be said for working with his hands.

maul crazy mode

He took a flying leap and easily crossed over the chute in the floor. He spared a thought as to where it emerged, and then decided it didn’t matter.

yea about that...

Yané wanted to vomit. Wanted to plug her ears. Wanted to scream herself to block out the terrible noises. She did none of those things. She could only bear witness to what Saché was doing.

sache 💔💔💔💔 SHE'S 12 💔💔

Yané’s eyes ran with tears. She loved Saché and couldn’t help her fight the pain. “She is fighting so hard to keep our secrets, and so far she is winning. She knows all she has to do to make it stop is tell them what they want to know, and she is choosing not to do it. We will not unmake that decision for her.”