This is my first ever fan fiction so be nice. Plus it's going to be going through changes most likely, I just felt like posting the first unproofread (spelling errors may be in here) part and seeing what everyone thinks so far.
I guess that means tell me in the RHS or something. Also any helpful hints or criticism would be appreciated since I tend to think my writing is bad ;-)
Oh and I'm really bad with names. hence the corny names ;-D
Oh, and i'm not to great with speaking either so um you may wonder why i wanted to write a fanfic. i don't know ;-)
Sabé took a deep breath as she stepped off her ship and viewed the inside of the palace's hanger. "It's been far to long,"she thought to herself.
While the thought was still lingering in her mind she quickly made her way towards Queen Amidala's chamber. She knew the queen would want to know about how the mission had went right away. Sabé also suspected that the queen would want to sit and talk as well.
Sabé reached the door and entered her code; she was immediately let in. When the door had finished shutting behind her, Amidala walked forward and embraced her friend.
"I have missed you, Sabé. How did your mission go?" With those words the queen lead her longtime friend to a seat.
After they were both seated, Sabé began. "It went rather well considering the devastation the food shortage had had on all the citizens before we were notified. The Tano were very happy to see me arrive with supplies, and they expressed not only their deep thanks for our help but also confusion over the cause of their plight. I must admit that after doing research and poking around, I am also confused as to what caused the food shortage. Obviously, their food supplies were taken but I did not come close to any answers. Why? By whom? How? All remains as much a mystery as when Chancellor Palpatine first told us of what was happening."
With that Sabé paused, hoping that her feelings for the chancellor were not obvious. She could not explain why she did not trust him. All she knew was that she didn't, and she had never trusted him. Perhaps it dated back to when she'd first met him, and Queen Amidala was about to address the Galactic Senate. He seemed oddly eager to get Valorum out of office and the way he'd suggested it made it clear he wanted something. Of course, after Amidala had done what he wanted and called for the vote of no confidence, Sabé had known Palpatine wanted to be chancellor. From that moment on, Sabé had not trusted him. Anyone who would oust their own allies for more personal power was disgusting in her book and not worthy; however, due to his station she had to pretend to like him.
"In conclusion, the mission was a success in that we did aid the people and they are no longer starving. However, it was a failure in that it is a mystery as to why it happened. Even the most powerful on the planet had no food so it was not the powerful looking for more power. It is a mystery."
After Sabé was finished, Amidala was thoughtful. "This disturbs me. I fear that I no longer understand anything that is happening in this galaxy. Everything seems so changed. Sure, it looks the same on the outside but it doesn't feel the same." Amidala finished in a rush.
"There is a dark taint hanging over everything,"Sabé said thoughtfully, half to herself and half aloud. "We must be cautious. Something is not right and we do not want to be caught unaware."
"Oh, I nearly forgot,"Amidala began with a slight giggle after deciding to change the subject to something more pleasant. "Obi-Wan and Ani are coming for a visit. They have some kind of leave due to the clone wars being over. A little break, and they've decided to grace us with their presence."
Sabé began to grow excited. It had been quite some time since they'd last seen the two Jedi. Actually, it had been about a week after Ani's and Ami's wedding and that was some years ago. After that they'd received updates from the two of them on what was happening, but those updates were few and far between due to the war. She admitted to herself that she had grown rather fond of Obi-Wan. Of course, if she listened to Ami's and her fellow handmaidens, she'd think she loved him and turned all gooey eyed in his presence. "Ha, the day she became silly over a man was the day....well, that wouldn't happen!"she thought.
Almost as if Amidala had read Sabé's mind she began lightly humming a Naboo love song and batting her eyelashes. Sabé was about to tell Ami off in good fun when the door opened and in rushed the remaining four handmaidens. They all proceeded to hug Sabé one at a time, each girl trying to crush Sabé's bones. Sabé raised her hands in mock terror and started mumbling about the pain she was experiencing in her ribs. The handmaidens and the queen glanced at each other and burst into laughter before embracing each other in one huge group hug.
"What did you do to your hair?" Yané suddenly exclaimed as she lightly tugged on Sabé's hair.
"Wha-?"Sabé began as another handmaiden made a comment about Sabé's nails.
Before she could answer any questions, Sabé saw Saché and Eirtaé exchange amused looks. Rabé then spoke in a calm and musing manner,"I don't know how we'll get you looking presentable in time for Obi-Wan's arrival."
The women broke into friendly laughter again as Sabé looked indignantly at each of them in turn.
The ship finally landed gracefully and the ramp was lowered. Two sets of feet appeared walking down the ramp with brown robes swishing gently behind them. Ani and Obi-Wan's faces became visible and the two men walked towards their greeters as the women and Captain Panaka walked to meet them halfway.
"Welcome, Jedi Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. It is a pleasure to have you visiting us once again. I am sure you are tired after your journey here. We will show you to your rooms and after you are refreshed you are welcome to join us for dinner." Queen Amidala may have spoken formally but her eyes held a twinkle and a special meaning for Anakin.
The women lead Obi-Wan to his guest quarters and left him to freshen up a bit. Then the five handmaidens stopped at a discreet distance from the queen's chambers as the queen and her much absent husband entered holding hands and smiling into one another's eyes.
The dinner went smoothly and the women learned much more of Ani's and Obi-Wan's recent adventures. Sabé thought that perhaps, she would try to catch Obi Wan alone and see if he too thought something was wrong in the galaxy. All she had was a feeling of dread, and she was not at all force sensitive. She was sensitive in some aspects to what was occurring around her, but that was her intuition not the force speaking to her. She wanted his input on the situation because her recent mission had raised more questions then answers and she was concerned over the safety of the queen and Naboo, as well as the safety of a certain Jedi or two.
After the dinner, the queen and Ani retired early to the queen's chambers. Saché and Rabé had guard duty and Sabé had decided to walk in the gardens. She paused at a particularly lovely flower and bent down to examine it more closely when she heard the soft swish of a robe behind her and knew that Obi-Wan was the person wearing that robe.
"I thought I would find you here, Sabé. You always did speak of your love of nature and the gardens of the palace. I also sensed during the dinner that you were uneasy about something. What is troubling you?"
"Obi-Wan, it is nothing really. Just a feeling I have. I have felt it before, but on a recent mission it really hit me. What is happening out there?" Sabé asked as she stopped her examination and turned to face the Jedi. "I do not understand what is causing me to feel such..distress.. It is almost as if something dark is out there and growing. I fear it may soon cover us all."
Sabé hesitated, unsure of Obi-Wan's reaction to her last two statements. Then she blurted out, "Have you felt or noticed anything like what I have spoken of?"
A pause stretched out for what felt like many minutes to Sabé before Obi-Wan spoke. "I have felt it too." He glanced towards the sky which was now littered with twinkling stars. "The council still does not know what happened to the Sith. It has been so long since...that day. No other Sith have appeared and yet there are always two. I suspect the one we faced was not the master, but if that were the case where has he disappeared. What has he been doing? I can not see the dark side of the force when I meditate. I do not know the answers, and yet the Clone Wars and the unrest of so many beings leads me to a rather disturbing conclusion. The Republic is decaying I fear. The Senators still bicker over pointless trivial topics as atrocities occur and go by barely noticed by any save a few. Beings are growing uneasy. And there is something else. I can feel it sometimes. In the dark, a lurking shadow, an impending destruction. I know not whether it is the force speaking to me or just my nerves, but I also have felt what you have spoke of."
Obi-Wan grew silent and the two figures stood side by side, lost in their own thoughts, looking up at the stars. From a distance they could have been mistaken for two beautiful statues for they were that still and silent.
The sun shone brightly over the clear blue waters of Naboo. Sabé sat on the shore with her shoes off and her dress hiked up to her knees. She was swinging her legs and enjoying the cool refreshing water on her feet. Obi-Wan sat nearby doing the same thing. They were joking around as he stood up and walked over to the cooling unit to get a drink. Sabé sat smiling faintly as she watched the ripples caused by her feet. Then all of a sudden she was up in the air and propelled into the water by two powerful arms. In she went with a splash and a small shriek. Upon surfacing she saw Obi-Wan laughing merrily with a naughty twinkle in his eye. She sputtered and threatened, but inside she saw the humor of what he'd done. Of course, just because she saw the humor didn't mean she would not get him back when he was least expecting it.
"Obi-Wan Kenobe," she began in the most annoyed voice she could manage. She began wading her way back to shore as he enjoyed the miffed look on her face.
"How dare you!" she continued as she got closer and closer to the shore. He began laughing even harder.
She had reached the shore by now and he had backed away, continuing to watch her with reservation and merriment on his face. Sabé opened her mouth to tell him off when she heard the familiar beep of her comlink. She grew anxious immediately and quickly answered the call. It was Panaka telling her to come back now. She hurriedly got her things together and her shoes on. Obi-Wan did the same with a concerned look on his face. Sabé shrugged in answer to his questioning gaze and they were off. Back towards the palace they ran, Obi-Wan dry and Sabé soaking wet in a sticking in odd places dress.
Sabé, with Obi-Wan close behind, burst into the queen's room by using the secret passages and quickly stopped short. Sabé got a petrified look on her face. For perhaps the first time in her life, she blushed a deep scarlet. Obi-Wan nearly ran into her before he stopped short and looked around in amazed amusement.
"Happy birthday, Sabé!" the many guests shouted.
The queen, Anakin, and the four handmaidens stepped forward and patted Sabé on her back. Amidala and the handmaidens looked at Sabé's wet dress with amused stares and raised their eyebrows questioningly, while Anakin looked at first Sabé and then Obi-Wan; he too had a questioning look.
Sabé smiled and gave Obi-Wan a mock scolding look without saying a word. The six friends laughed good naturedly and soon Obi-Wan and Sabé joined in.
That night while Sabé was laying in bed she thought of how lucky she was to have such great friends. It had truly been a memorable event, especially after she had ran and changed into something dry. All of the people she cared deeply for had been at the party, and best of all, they were all happy. She smiled in the dark, listening to her fellow handmaidens soft breath. Tears began to trickle down her face. She didn't know why she was crying. "Maybe I have just never felt so lucky before," she thought to herself as she wiped the tears away and closed her eyes for sleep. "Maybe...."
After a few moments, the women turned as one and headed back inside the palace. It was morning and the queen was scheduled to meet with her people and hear a few various cases to give her judgment. Amidala's magnificent pale pink and blue trimmed gown swished in the same rhythm as the handmaidens simpler, yet beautiful dark blue cloaks. Sabé could tell that this day had the makings for one of those never will end days, but like the rest of the women she kept her face emotionless.
"Your highness, he ate my prize winning cake!" "I demand justice!" "Look at my dress." "I found him sleeping in my garden on top of my flowers .."
The complaints rolled in. The queen kept silent and continued to show that she was indeed a just ruler. Sabé watched as citizen after citizen gave their complaints, some seeming silly and some quite grave. They had been listening to cases all morning and it was now the middle of the day. Fortunately, the last person had just presented her case and gotten the official judgment. As soon as she'd left the queen stood up and glanced at her handmaidens.
"I beeped Chad," Yané began tapping her comlink. "He should be here pretty soon with our meals."
The five women cheered.
After the meal, the women went back to the queen's apartments. She had no other meetings that day because the trial days usually took quite a toll on everyone's patience and they just wanted to rest. Each woman sat in a comfortable chair and they began to socialize. After so many years together, they had grown even closer to each other.
Saché was in the middle of telling a humorous story about a young man and woman she had met when Panaka sounded the bell and entered the room. Upon seeing his face, she immediately stopped and all six women rose from their seats. Amidala stepped forward and rested her hand lightly on his arm.
"What is wrong?" she asked as she expertly steered him to a chair.
"Obi-Wan has just sent word. A ship carrying nine Jedi ambassadors has been attacked and destroyed. All aboard were killed."
The women gasped. Never before had anyone dared attack a Jedi ship. In fact, it was nearly unheard of for a Jedi to be attacked. The Jedi were revered by nearly every member of the known galaxy, and only a few beings did not like Jedi. Of those few an even smaller percent would do something so bold. Sabé immediately though of Obi-Wan and Ani. If a ship carrying nine Jedi could be so easily destroyed, what about a ship with just two? She had been worried about the Jedi on many occasions, but with her recent feelings she was terrified of what this attack may mean.
"Is it known who has attacked the ship? What system were they in?" Amidala questioned. She looked up at the handmaidens and Sabé realized that her friend had had the same thoughts concerning the safety of Ani and Obi-Wan.
"I do not know. Obi-Wan said that details are not being given out. The Jedi and Chancellor want this attack to be very hush hush. I imagine that the subsequent investigation will also be very low key. News of the ships destruction is already on the newswaves, but there are no details. Not even how many were aboard. Obi-Wan said that he just wanted to inform you so that none of you would worry." Panaka finished to the sound of his comlink buzzing. The queen dismissed him and he rushed off to see what was the matter on the training grounds.
Sabé swallowed. The Sith disappearance after Qui-Gon's death. The Tano's unexplained food shortage. The dissent in the Senate and among the beings of many worlds was more pronounced than ever. The dark cloud both she and Obi-Wan felt. All these things flashed in her mind and added to them was the death of nine Jedi and the unknown attackers. Her stomach sank and she swallowed a lump in her throat. She looked up at her five closest friends and saw her worries mirrored in each of their faces.
"What is happening?" she thought.
Sabé starred at the screen, watching as file after file flashed by in quick succession. Her feet swayed back and forth underneath the table. She glanced up to find that the room was still empty. When she'd walked past the room, she'd known it was small but she hadn't realized it only contained two computers, one of which was apparently unfunctional. She glanced back to the screen and took a sip of her flavored water. Still nothing of interest, she stifled an irritated sigh. She had been at this for hours each of the four days they'd been on planet and still found nothing. She was beginning to think that she was going insane or had imagined the need and knowledge that something was hidden. In fact, she was about to give up for the day when her eye hit something as it flew by. Her heart sped up and a spark ignited inside her. She quickly stopped the flow of data and backtracked to the name that had caught her eye: Naboo Mining Corporation.
A puzzled look crossed her face. There was no mining on Naboo so why would there be a corporation for mining based in Naboo? She used her slicer skills and got into the file. She had just begun to read the first paragraph when the lights flicked. She paused and looked up as the lights flickered again. Her hand went to her comlink and her finger hovered above the button as a precaution. The room had grown cold and she began to turn around and get up.
WHAM! Something slammed into the back of Sabé's head. Her hand was on her comlink's button as she fell to the ground. The weight of her body and the angle of her hand caused her finger to press down on the signal. She slipped into darkness.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" Eirtaé asked while holding up three fingers.
"Two on your left hand and one on your right." Sabé answered.
A cool cloth was pressed against her forehead by Amidala's hand as the six women took seats on Sabé's bed and peered at her in concern.
"You gave us all quite a fright. What happened? Can you remember?" Amidala questioned gently.
Sabé shut her eyes and focused on remembering what had gotten her here. She opened them and spoke slowly with growing strength. "I was searching like I have done for the past four days and was about to give up when something caught my eye. It was the name of a business. Naboo Mining Corporation." she paused as the women gave a small gasp and glanced at each other. There was no mining on Naboo and there had never been any mining on Naboo. "I had just hacked into the file when the lights flickered. I thought nothing of it until they flickered again. Then I put my hand above my comlink and started to turn around. Aside from a sudden pain in my head that's all I remember."
"We found you lying on the floor. Your computer was off and your credits were gone. We thought you'd been robbed, but.."Saché trailed off. There was no need to say it.
"Do you think you could find this file again? If it is still there?" Rabé piped up.
"Yes, of course. We can go now." Sabé spoke as she began to rise. Amidala caught her right arm and helped her up. Sabé smiled gratefully and the women slowly made their way to the computer terminal room.
Sabé sat down at the computer and began going to the file as the six women crouched down beside her chair looking in all directions of the room just in case the culprit returned. Sabé reached the spot, but there was no file. She ground her teeth and did countless searches which all came up negative.
"It's not here. I did not really expect it to be here, but it would have been nice if it was. I'm sure now that this is what I needed to find, but I didn't even get to read anything aside from the name."
"Do not worry about it, Sabé. We will find out about this so-called mining operation. You did good. Without your finding the name of the corporation we would never have known it existed. It does not matter to me that it is not still here. That just proves that whatever it is, it's something we are not supposed to know about. However, now we do know it exists and that is something we can build on." Amidala spoke as Eirtaé helped Sabé up.
Her happiness was short lived, of course. Almost immediately following the women entering the palace, Captain Panaka appeared.
"Amidala and Sabé you both have a message waiting in your quarters."
Sabé glanced at Amidala and could see the same confusion and slight hope that she was feeling. The women made their way to their quarters and Sabé picked up the small encoded package. It had been set to her fingerprints and as soon as she'd touched it, it began to play it's short message. Obi-Wan's voice was just loud enough for her to hear, "I am sure not all is as it seems. Be wary. I believe your feelings serve you true."
Then it ended and destroyed itself so that she ended up holding a useless metal box. Sabé starred into the wall for a few moments turning over his short message in her mind. He'd sounded rushed and...afraid? She dismissed that almost immediately. What would he have to fear? Yet, that was how he'd sounded. She concentrated on the message and repeated it in her mind. There were no hidden meanings that she could figure out. What had happened that had caused him to be so afraid that he'd felt the need to send her that message? He knew she was already being wary due to her feelings, so why send a rushed message? Had he encountered something on his mission? "Not all is as it seems," she thought as she lightly bit on her lip.
She thought of her feelings. "Not all is as it seems." Now, she had a new thought, "Nothing good can come of this....Nothing."
The five handmaidens glanced at each other as the familiar sounds of Amidala getting rid of her food could be heard from the restroom. These past couple weeks Amidala had been sick each morning. The five women moved forward as one. The restroom was quite large so they knew they would all fit. As they stepped inside they saw Amidala kneeling on the floor with her head hovering above the bowl.
Sabé went forward and kneeled behind the queen. She began to rub her back. Yané, meanwhile, had gone to the sink with a towel. She wet it, approached the queen, and began to wipe her face off. Saché and Rabé both wet a towel and waited behind Yané. When Yané's towel was dirty, she exchanged with Saché. Saché then took the dirty towel and cleaned it while Rabé waited for Yané to need her clean towel. This cycle repeated while Eirtaé spoke into her comlink quietly. She requested that the queen's doctor be sent for immediately.
After the queen was cleaned off, she rose with a grateful smile for each of her friends. Sabé and Yané helped her to the sink where she brushed her teeth. Then the women escorted her to her bed.
"Thank you, but I feel much better now. I do not need to stay in bed." Amidala spoke gently.
"Nonsense. The doctor has been called for and you will remain in that bed until she sees you and tells you otherwise." Eirtaé spoke in a voice that left no room for argument, not even a queen's argument.
The doctor arrived shortly after this exchange and gave Amidala a check up.
"You're pregnant and right now you are having quite a case of morning sickness." Doctor Zoé informed Amidala.
Amidala thanked the doctor for seeing her and dismissed her. Once the doctor was gone the five handmaidens gathered around Amidala. Each hugged her in turn. The six friends beamed at each other.
"When will you tell Anakin?" Rabé asked the question on the five women's minds.
"After his mission when he returns to Naboo for his next time off. I realize that may take a few months or more, but I do not want to worry or distract him while he is on a mission. It would be unfair to him and may cause his concentration to slip. I will not be the cause of needless worrying and danger. The news can wait until he is able to share in the joy with us, and not on an important mission." Amidala spoke. She explained herself so that she knew her friends would understand that this was for the best.
Of course, she need not have explained to her five friends because they understood and agreed with Amidala's reasoning immediately. Jedi missions were dangerous and important; it would be unfair to all involved to give him the news while he was on a mission.
Amidala made sure that all in the palace knew not to inform Anakin of her pregnancy or to speak to him of it. The rest of the day was a happy occasion filled with much celebrating. The women laughed and joked. None of them had felt this enlivened and joyous since the departure of Anakin and Obi-Wan.
That night Sabé reflected on the great news while she lay in her bed. She was happy for her friend and knew that Amidala would make an excellent mother just as Anakin would make an excellent father. And if the galaxy seemed to be going towards dark times, a new life was always cause to rejoice.
"Thank goodness, she agreed to let me go in her place." Sabé thought. She appeared to be alone, but to the left and a little ways back Rabé was following at a discreet distance while Saché was on her right. None of the women acknowledged each other and they all wore clothing quite different from each other.
A particularly nasty gust of wind occurred and Sabé had to pause to collect her footing. She glanced around: no one. "Where is this mysterious person?" she fumed. She was suspicious to begin with, but if the person did not soon appear she was leaving.
She walked for a few more minutes and glanced to the left and saw an alley. A figure was in the alley looking into a window. Sabé felt disgusted. Then she paused as the wind lifted the figure's hood back. "Obi-Wan? No it couldn't be. Could it?" she thought. The figure turned from the window and moved down the alley. Sabé glanced around and still did not see who she was supposed to met. Rabé was looking rather interested in some fruit though, but Sabé knew she was watching her every move.
The wind howled and thick ice began to pelt down. Hail! The alley had an overhang so Sabé decided to go for it. Since her mysterious person had not shown up she might as well find out if that was indeed Obi-Wan.
Sabé took off down the alley following where she'd seen the figure disappear. She turned a corner and there he was turning another corner. She ran forward silently and paused at the corner. She peeked around and saw that he'd burst out onto a street. Fortunately, the street was in the richer neighborhood and was, therefore, covered from the hail by an overhang. She made her way into the street and glanced behind her: yes, Rabé and Saché were still following her. She walked along the left side of the street and kept an eye on the figure who was moving along the right side. The figure paused and looked at what Sabé thought was some kind of fruit. She took her chance and darted forward and made her way across the street. Now she was in front of the figure and walking towards him.
She stopped at the stand next to his and purchased a small bowl. She smiled at the woman behind the table and waved her change away. She walked towards the figure's table casually, but paused before she'd gotten to the table. Her head flew around and she saw what had made her feel like she was being watched. On the other side of the street a figure ducked behind a crate on the roof of a store, but not before she had seen him. Without pausing she spun around and ran down the alley between the bowl seller's table and the figure's table. Where she'd been a moment before suddenly erupted in dirt. She'd been shot at!
She ran down the alley quickly, and swore. Dead end. She spun around and cautiously made her way past a large dump heap when she was pulled from behind. She dropped her bowl and her body jerked as she kicked backwards feeling her booted foot connect with something. A hand covered her mouth and she was hauled back.
"So you were the one who followed me. Will you hold still!" an aggravated male voice hissed in her ear.
She twisted around somemore before she recognized the owner of the voice. She stopped moving and the hand covering her mouth was lifted, but the other arm still held her firmly pressed against the man's chest.
"Obi-Wan, what are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." he said in a teasing way. Teasing except for the tension underneath it.
"Queen's business."
"Jedi's business."
"You can let go of me now. I'm not going to take off down the alley. Was I followed by anyone besides you? What of my handmaidens?"
"They were unnoticed. Sash went back down the alley. I think she was searching for the man on the roof. Rab is still on the street pretending to be just a shopper. There was-" he cut off as they heard someone approaching quietly.
Obi-Wan pulled Sabé deeper into the shadows of the dump heap. He moved in front of her. A cloaked man appeared carrying a blaster. The two waited until they knew he wasn't followed, then Obi-Wan struck the man's head lightly enough to knock him out but not kill him. Obi-Wan dragged him behind the dump heap and threw back the man's hood.
Sabé gasped. The man had blood gushing from his mouth. His eyes were open and glazed. He was one hundred percent dead. She bent closer and was shoved backwards. She hit the wall and glared at Obi-Wan. He had also stepped back.
"Poisoned. He poisoned himself."
Sabé did not think she could be more shocked. She was wrong. Obi-Wan's words hit her like a blow. Whoever this man was working for did not mess around and judging from the dead man whoever worked for his boss also did not mess around. But who would want the queen dead so badly or was this just some freak coincidence? She rather believed her first thought: someone wanted the queen dead.
Obi-Wan grabbed her hand. "We're leaving." He marched her down the alley and after a pause right back into the street. Sabé saw Rabé and Saché and felt relief wash over her. Saché gave a nearly invisible signal: whoever was on the roof had escaped. Obi-Wan continued to march her down the street and then through crisscrossing alleys. She soon felt lost even though she'd been trying to keep track of where they were going. He pulled her into a drab house and put a finger to his lips as he closed the door. Then a few seconds later he opened the door and hauled first Saché then Rabé into the home. He shut the door again and put his finger back to his lips.
The women silently followed him as he led them to a stairway leading down. Then to a bookcase where he did something and it slide open reveling another stairway leading down. After walking down stairs for what felt like an eternity he stopped. Sabé looked to the side of his arm and saw that they were in a long hallway. He turned to the women.
"You can stay here until you get safe transport off of the planet. It's safe here. Relatively unknown."
The women nodded and he lead them to three rooms near each other. Sabé signaled and Saché and Rabé went into Rabé's room. Sabé looked at Obi-Wan with a raised eyebrow once the other two women were inside.
"And how did you just happen to be here at the same time?"
He smiled and lead her into a room that was part library, part bedroom.
"I can not tell you. All I can say is that it's a Jedi mission. Anakin is on the neighboring planet with Windo waiting for me to return. That is all I can say."
Sabé nodded in understanding. She could not tell him of her mission either. She could tease him to lighten the mood though, which she decided to do right away with a light smile, "I'm beginning to think of you as my knight in shining armor. Shall you always rescue me or will you give me a chance to rescue you?"
"You already have rescued me," Obi-Wan said so lightly she thought she'd heard wrong.
"What?"
"You will rescue me. I'm sure one of these times you will. How are you?"
"Good. Tired, but good. And you? I have been worried about you ever since we received news of the one Jedi ship's destruction ." she decided not to mention his message.
"Busy. Anakin is.." he paused looking troubled. "I've been busy."
Sabé decided not to press him for further information. She opened her mouth to speak and then quickly put her hand in front of it as her speech turned into a yawn. Obi-Wan got up and pulled Sabé to her feet. He guided her to the bed and tucked her in.
"Sleep. I will make us all something to eat and wake you when it is finished."
"Sabé! Wake up."
Obi-Wan shook her arm lightly. Her eyes slowly opened and focused on him.
"Finished cooking already? I just went to sleep."
"It's been four hours."
"Four hours! What did you do? Make a feast."
"I burnt the first two dishes I made," Obi-Wan admitted sheepishly.
Sabé giggled. "I'll be up and out in a moment."
Obi-Wan smiled and left, shutting the door behind him.
The meal had gone wonderfully. The three women heaped praises onto Obi-Wan's slightly charred cooking. He had seemed embarrassed and looked relieved when they were all finished eating. Saché and Rabé offered to do the dishes but he waved them off telling them to go and rest up. For a moment it seemed that they were going to ignore his wishes, but then he gave them a look and they fled to their rooms giggling. He turned and walked to the sink carrying an armful of dirty dishes. Sabé followed with her own arms full of the remaining dishes.
"You go too. You've had a busy day."
"You cooked."
"And I'll clean. Go on. To bed with you."
"No. I will either do all of them or you will let me help." Sabe's hands made their way to her hips and she stared into his blue eyes.
"Fine."
They talked while they did the dishes. Occasionally his hands brushed hers and Sabé felt a slight thrill course through her being that she could not explain. If she was honest with herself, she’d know why she felt that thrill, but she was still hiding her feelings from herself. When the dishes were clean, they walked back down the hall. Sabé turned to him when they'd reached his room. She looked up and smiled.
"It has been quite a day. I didn't know you-" Sabé broke off as she realized how close their faces had gotten to one another. She started to pull back, but instead of following her mind's advice she stayed where she was as he drew closer to her. Their lips met gently and their arms went around each other. The kiss grew in intensity and Sabé felt her body shudder as she went limp in his arms. Many minutes later they drew breathlessly away from each other. Sabé's heart was racing and she could feel Obi-Wan's doing the same.
Obi-Wan blushed a bright red and managed to force out words. "I'm sorry..I didn't mean to.. I mean I had no..I mean I'm sor-"now he cut off as Sabé kissed him.
He leaned against his door due to his surprise at being kissed by Sabé and fell backwards as it flew open. He landed on the floor with Sabé laying on top of him. After a moment's pause due to her shock, she kissed him again and he kicked the door shut.