Chronicles of the Garden

Rated: T (violence, mild language, very dark themes, suggestive themes)

Welcome to the anthology series for Naboo Rose! If you haven't read that story, that's ok, but ONLY for this first chapter. It ties into the main story that I wrote, so feel free to check out this chapter and/or the story itself! For your convenience, here's Naboo Rose's summary: AU. Padmé, her adopted brother Obi-Wan, and her sister-in-law Siri walk a tightrope teetering between their roles as Rebels in the Imperial Senate and execution. To keep prying eyes off of their covert operations, Padmé must woo the most emotionless man the Empire has known: Darth Vader. This sends everyone into a world of intrigue, power plays, whirlwind romance, and more..

Beyond this first chapter, if you have not read Naboo Rose please do not read any other part of this anthology series! It has major, major, MAJOR spoilers for the story!

If you have read it, then you'll get to see backstories and different POVs, maybe even the occasional AU if it's requested enough – and yes, you can request things for this anthology. If I think I can write it and it fits with this universe, then I'll happily oblige.

Last thing – since this is an anthology, these are mostly one-shots (with the occasional duo/trio of chapters tied together) and they're not necessarily in chronological order. I'll tell you the dating in relation to the story for each chapter. This first chapter takes place 2 years prior to the onset of the main story. Padmé Amidala is 18, Obi-Wan Kenobi is 23, Siri Tachi is 21, and Almusian Brek is 27.

Supplies

Siri Naberrie coughed harshly. Imperial Center, the capital of the Galactic Empire, was supposed to be the pinnacle of society, pristine and cultured, but to Siri it was too sterile; the air scrubbers removed the pollution but also removed whatever just made air taste like air. She felt like she was living in some giant lab, under the microscope of the emperor as he cackled evilly in his palace. Or at least, that was how she felt when she was in the upper levels of the city. Down here… down here it was like living in a duracrete box, and though she had never been claustrophobic in her life, looking up only to see more buildings and a solid ceiling that prevented sunlight from entering made her short of breath at times.

Twisting some blonde hair to the side and pinning it out of her face, Siri stared at her reflection. Her fair skin looked almost deathly pale in the refresher light, and her blue eyes were hidden under a burgundy hood, shadowing her angular face. She had arrived ahead of her sister-in-law, Senator Amidala, in order to scout their new stomping grounds.

Senator Amidala. As if Padmé weren't crazy enough by becoming Queen of Naboo. No, she had to decide to go to the heart of the Empire as well.

Siri probably wouldn't mind as much if their assignment wasn't so cloak and dagger. Or, really, just cloak; she'd be far happier if there was a dagger involved.

Siri and her husband, Obi-Wan Naberrie, had first encountered Rebels while they'd worked with the Naboo Service Corps in their younger years, helping worlds in need. Their exposure to the Empire's devastation alongside their chance meeting with a Rebel soldier had solidified their desire to help in any way they could. Their involvement had inevitably caught Padmé's attention, particularly after she had been elected to rule all of Naboo.

Siri sighed, rubbing her dirty hands together. Padmé had only become queen to help her planet in the best way she thought she could, but after the Empire itself had sabotaged her efforts, they had all realized assisting one planet wouldn't be enough. It never would be. Not in this conflict.

So naturally Padmé had decided to become a senator after her first term as queen and live in the heart of the danger.

Siri was a woman of action. She appreciated Padmé's drive and desire. But to move into the nexu's den without any weapons was borderline suicidal. Padmé had decided to become a senator to see what good she could do with diplomacy while also being a possible help to the Alliance in enemy territory.

Padmé was living in a dream if she thought diplomacy would do anything in this place. Their main purpose in being here was to spy for the Alliance. But spying wasn't Siri's forte, and she much preferred the idea of fighting in the open field. Nevertheless, here she was, serving as her friend's faithful handmaiden, having done so during her tenure as queen, and Obi-Wan, originally an advisor, now was a representative for Naboo, despite his distaste for politics.

Someone vomited nearby. Siri fought the urge to gag. She'd arrived early on Imperial Center to see if they could make any contacts in the planet's infamous underworld, and it hadn't been pleasant for the past forty-eight hours. However, she had found a promising lead, and she would be meeting with him once she got out of this wretched public refresher.

She hadn't meant to duck into this place, but she'd been strolling through the insanely crowded and messy streets of the lower levels when she'd noticed the one stormtrooper in the entire sector. It was just her luck, she thought glumly.

Glancing at her chronometer, Siri figured it had been long enough. She'd been waiting for ten minutes. Slowly, she blew out a breath and made her way to the exit. Her stomach wasn't as tight as it had been, which she often took as a good sign; she'd learned long ago to listen to her gut feelings. As if to prove her point, she saw that the street was devoid of any Imperial presence whatsoever. Thank the gods.

Pulling her hood lower over her face, Siri slipped into the crowd and headed for the rendezvous point, thinking about her predicament. During Padmé's election process for the position of senator, the Alliance had contacted the Naberrie trio, asking if they could find a supplier who might be willing to assist the Rebel cause. The Rebels had been achieving a slew of victories against the Empire lately and was emboldened by it, and they were eager to build a second base. Siri honestly didn't even know where the first one was right now; most operatives who were in the periphery didn't. In either case, it was promising, and Padmé had agreed to the task, so Siri had volunteered to start making connections to the underworld.

Glancing at the data pad where she'd written the name of the meeting place, she looked up and saw a somewhat dingy looking sign, though it glowed brightly enough to be legible. The Drunken Dewback. This was the place. Nodding to herself, she entered the establishment, looking around. The first thing she noticed was that she had to blink rapidly to allow her eyes to adjust; out in the streets it was depressingly dark, the only lighting provided by neon advertisements. In this cantina, however, blue holograms, colored video screens, and strong yellow lights illuminated the large room. A circular bar was at the center, surrounded by booths and tables in all areas but one, where some tables were provided for games like sabacc. The room was massive, easily sitting a hundred people. Siri was surprised this place looked so clean considering the state of the rest of the underworld that she'd seen so far.

Walking to the bar, she sat and ordered a drink, resting her chin on her hands. She didn't have to wait long before someone slipped into the seat beside her, and her nostrils filled with the musty smell that was typical of Rodians. Biting her lip, she waited to see if this person would speak to her; the drink she'd ordered had been the call sign, as well as her posture, but that didn't mean that someone wouldn't want to butt in and bother a woman.

"Many greetings, Naery," a soft, tenor voice said, using her alias.

Siri leaned back in her seat, eying him under her hood. The Rodian was of average build with rough aqua skin. As far as his species went, he looked on the gentler side, at least, and her intuition didn't feel off around him. "Hello, Kuna."

The Rodian's small mouth pulled at the sides in his people's equivalent of a smile. "How are you enjoying Coruscant's underworld?"

Siri suppressed a snort. "I've enjoyed myself more in other places."

"You get used to it. Learn the good spots." Kuna replied after ordering his own drink. "Now, I believe you have something to discuss with me?"

Siri nodded, getting to business. "I have friends who could use your expertise. Acquiring basic needs is difficult these days, you know."

Kuna chuckled. "I am known for being resourceful. But it isn't free; I have a wife and three younglings to feed."

"I'm not asking for charity," Siri said, sipping her drink and fighting the burning sensation as it went down her throat. Blast, these were not the drinks she was used to; on Naboo they were smoother. And tasted better, honestly. Next time she'd pick a better call sign. "We've got funding."

"Guaranteed," Kuna stressed, facing her fully. "It has to be guaranteed funding. I need payments up front."

Terrific. "I don't have money right now. I'm just setting this up. However, I'll negotiate with my buddies so we can arrange that for you. But we need some guarantees too, like knowing you deliver. I've heard your reputation, but I need more than hearsay."

"I have an associate who can assist you with that," Kuna explained, sliding a data chip over to her. "Go to these coordinates and you'll see everything you need. If you want to have business beyond that, contact me."

Siri took the chip and slipped it into one of the pouches on her utility belt. Nodding, she downed the rest of her drink quickly in order to leave. Obi-Wan was due to arrive in a few hours alongside Padmé, and she wanted to meet them at their new apartment.

This time she couldn't fight back the cough from the alcohol, and she felt herself blushing in embarrassment, though it was thankfully hidden by her hood. "Fine, I'll check it out. Thanks."

Kuna tipped his head and returned his attention to the bar while Siri slipped out of the cantina, blinking again as the afterimages of the indoor lights blurred her vision. Following the coordinates, she descended even lower, much to her dismay, and she eventually found her way to what looked like a dock, though she had no clue how they could ever find an exit out of this underground prison.

An elegant looking teardrop shaped ship with rusty reddish brown coloring was sitting on the dock, reminding Siri of a far dirtier version of a Naboo style ship. Her attention was then immediately drawn to the sound of younglings squealing and giggling, and she saw two little Rodians running around the landing platform as a dark skinned male Zabrak chased them in a highly exaggerated fashion, lifting his knees high and taking the tiniest steps possible.

"I'm going to get you two!" he yelled. "You'll pay for taking my favorite carbunkydoodle!"

Siri stared. What the blazes was going on?

The Zabrak noticed her quickly, and his demeanor immediately changed. He stood stiffly in place, his hand fell to his blaster, hovering over the holstered weapon, and he grew somber. "This isn't a public area. Leave."

"I was sent here by Kuna," Siri immediately explained, her hand also moving towards her hidden weapon.

The Zabrak paused. "Give me proof."

Siri told him about her meeting and handed the data chip to him. The Zabrak stared at it keenly for a few seconds before rolling his eyes.

"It just figures that he—" he started to grumble when his comlink chimed. Grabbing it, he answered, "Brek."

"Al, I'm sending a customer your way—" the familiar voice of Kuna spoke, but the Zabrak interrupted him.

"Yeah, she's here. You could've told me sooner."

"Well now you know." Kuna said with clear amusement in his tone.

The Zabrak grumbled some more and cut the connection before sighing and smiling. "Sorry about the cold welcome, but I'm on babysitting duty and this area isn't exactly known for its safety."

"I hadn't noticed," Siri remarked mildly. "So… care to show me his operation?"

The Zabrak laughed. "You're looking at it. Kuna has a handful of smugglers he hires. He's just the liaison. Keeps things cleaner that way; we don't get connected to you if something goes wrong on our end and vice versa. My name's Almusian. I'm one of his best."

"And I assume your sidekicks are on loan from Kuna?" Siri smirked.

"Uh, yeah, something like that," Almusian laughed. "Right now they're just trying to cause trouble. I want my money back, honestly."

Siri almost chuckled with the smuggler; blast this guy was likable. Almost made it too good to be true, and that set her on edge, even though she didn't think anything was particularly wrong.

"Al, we still have your carbunkydoodle!" one of the younglings shouted whilst hiding behind the landing gear.

Almusian sighed in a longsuffering manner.

"What in the blazes is a carbunkydoodle?" Siri asked, crossing her arms.

"It's their name for a carboxyl filter; handles reactive carboxylic acids in the fuel. I just bought a new one to install and they thought it would be great fun to play with it."

"And butcher its name?"

"Yeah, that too."

As the smuggler turned around to tell the younglings to hand the filter over (apparently play time was over now that Siri was there), she examined the ship again. It didn't look too worse for wear, though it certainly appeared to have seen its better days and had been used for quite some time. "Is this your ship?"

Almusian nodded. "It's called The Invariant Beauty. Believe me, she'll get your cargo where it needs to go."

Siri hummed to herself and then looked at the smuggler again. "You know, if Kuna is supposed to be a liaison to prevent any unwanted mixing between clients and their smugglers, why did he send me to you?"

Almusian shrugged. "You wanted authentication. I'm under his employ. I can barely see your face under that thing and we're likely never to see each other again. Still a clean job to me."

Siri was about to reply when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She stiffened, her hand slipping to her weapon. The Zabrak smuggler noticed her change in demeanor and also reached for his weapon, his face hardening, but Siri's attention was more towards the entrance to the dock than the smuggler himself. Something rustled in the distance, and both Siri and Almusian faced the entrance fully, drawing their weapons. A few seconds later, a tiny fluffy creature shuffled out, pausing in the air to sniff around.

The smuggler puffed out a small laugh. "Well, I sure am glad you're alert enough to hear a scrap hopper from a kilometer away. Real big threats down here, you know."

Siri gauged the man for a second, debating if he was actually being serious or not. The tiny fluff ball looked harmless enough, at least. As the seconds passed by and she watched the creature's nose twitch before it hopped back into a pile of trash, she felt her embarrassment rise. Growing slightly defensive, she said, "Well it could have been anything."

The smuggler looked like he was going to give a snarky response when Siri's gut clenched and someone screamed down the alley. Blasters in hand, Siri and Almusian ran from the ship as the smuggler barked for the children to board and close the ramp. The two rounded the corner in time to see someone lying motionless on the ground. As Almusian kept watch, Siri knelt down and checked on the person only to find out she was dead. Initially, disturbingly, she couldn't find the cause, but as her eyes traced downward, she noticed a perfect hole burnt through the woman's chest. Siri could see all the way to the ground beneath the body, and her stomach churned. Her hand hovered over the wound confusedly; blaster burns were more grotesque than this, leaving bits of flesh and bone splattered around the wound and general area. What had done this?

"We shouldn't linger," Almusian noted quietly. "Whatever caused this could come back."

Siri looked up on a hunch and caught sight of a silhouette vanishing into the upper walkways, and a chill went down her spine as the air was sucked out of her lungs. "I don't think it's coming back."

"Well someone is," the smuggler suddenly hissed, and Siri turned to look where he was watching only to see a handful of stormtroopers heading their way. Cursing softly, she rose and started to run in the opposite direction while the smuggler made his way to another area entirely, going farther from his ship; he probably didn't want to attract Imperials to his operation. Siri turned a few corners before becoming hopelessly lost, completely unfamiliar with the environment. She felt her adrenaline spike, growing steadily more nervous, when the smuggler reappeared out of nowhere, waving madly at her. She followed his lead as he ran through multiple streets and ended up in a hostel. An Imperial probe droid hummed closely in the background.

The hostel attendant, looking only half interested that customers had arrived, muttered, "How many hours?"

Almusian swung an arm around Siri's shoulder, pulling her close and laughing loudly. "With something as fine as this? All kriffing night."

Siri felt her body tense before she reluctantly slid into character, letting out an excited giggle as she simultaneously tried not to roll her eyes.

"Fifty creds."

"'Course," the smuggler said jovially, shifting his weight on his feet as if he were suddenly unsteady. Drunk. He was acting drunk. Siri went with it, stumbling alongside him with a laugh. However, as the smuggler dug into his pockets, Siri quickly realized that he was coming up short – or, rather, with nothing at all. Almusian let out a nervous chuckle.

Well, great. It looked like she had more money than the blasted smuggler she was hiring. Well, he'd be motivated for his pay, that was for sure. "Don't worry, hon, I got this."

Pulling out her money pouch she carefully counted fifty credits and tossed them onto the counter as the Imperial probe droid entered the lounge, scanning the area, though it didn't seem to particularly hone in on the two of them. The attendant held out the room key, which the smuggler grabbed quickly and then dragged Siri down the hall. Finding the room, he unlocked it and the pair entered to see a small, poorly lit space with barely enough room for a bed and an exposed refresher area in the corner. Siri shuddered at the sight and smell.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Siri pulled away from the man, who blew out a sigh. "Thanks for the save."

Siri nodded in response and the two stood in silence for a while, listening for the probe droid. When they heard nothing, the smuggler looked around, his eyes lingering on the bed, and shrugged, putting his hands on his hips and smiling slyly with raised eyebrows. "Hey, you know, since we're here…"

Siri looked at him, her jaw dropping. "Uh, the Imperials? The kids you're babysitting?"

"They're smart, they know to hide. And we're safe here."

Siri rolled her eyes. Men. Honestly. "Well, I do love shooting men's balls off when they get too close. Please, do give me a reason."

Almusian's eyes widened to twice their size. "All right, all right, take it easy! It was just a suggestion. Getting into character and all that."

Siri crossed her arms. "Do you woo all women this way? Taking them to a disgusting hostel? I mean, the least you can do is find a nice hotel room. And I want room service."

"Normally I offer them better accommodations, admittedly, but the adrenaline's pumping, we're here, and you're—"

"Married," she interjected firmly.

The smuggler pouted. "Well. Fine."

Siri sighed heavily before grudgingly saying, "Thanks for the help."

Almusian's demeanor softened, and he shrugged. "I figured you were new to these parts since you were trying to establish connections. I wouldn't wish Imperials on anyone."

Ha. If only you knew. "Yeah, no kidding. Not a fan of the Empire."

Both nodded in general agreement before Siri started to grow slightly exasperated. She was going to meet Obi-Wan and Padmé when they arrived in a few hours' time, but at this rate… well, maybe she could still get out of this. Give it an hour or so and she could leave. Hopefully.

"So…" Almusian said, rubbing his hands together. "Up for a game of sabacc?"

"And what, exactly, are we betting? You have no money." Siri reminded him shrewdly with a smile.

"Hey, I got you here safely." The smuggler protested.

"Yeah, and I paid for the room. We're even."

Almusian smirked. "So strip sabacc, then?"

Siri rolled her eyes for the millionth time. Then they were both startled when her comlink chimed. At first she hesitated to answer it in front of the smuggler, but eventually she sighed and relented, though she used her alias. "Naery here."

"I came early. Where are you?"

Siri smiled at the refined, smooth tone of Obi-Wan's voice. It held just a touch of tension; using her alias had alerted him something was wrong, and he was immediately worrying. Poor thing worried too much. She didn't want to get him involved in whatever mess had happened down here, though. "Oh, you know, seeing the sights. Big city, after all. I wanted to surprise you when you got here, though; why are you here early?"

"Well…" her husband trailed off. "I wanted to surprise you."

Siri chuckled softly. "I'll meet you at our new headquarters. Just give me an hour or so."

"If you insist," Obi-Wan sighed, not sounding reassured in the slightest.

Cutting the connection, Siri was going to lean against the wall when she remembered where she was and shuddered, stepping towards the center of the room. Almusian had stepped towards the refresher to give her privacy as she spoke; despite his earlier remark he seemed fairly kind and helpful, and he had saved her skin.

"So…" she started, not sure what she wanted to say, but definitely not wanting to stand around in awkward silence for an hour. "Your ship… it seems… well used? I guess you like it?"

Almusian crossed his arms, getting defensive. "The Invariant Beauty is the best ship I've ever had the pleasure of flying."

"Easy, I wasn't insulting her," Siri backtracked with a smirk. Honestly, boys and their ships. At least Obi-Wan wasn't like that. "How many ships have you flown?"

Almusian bit his lip.

Siri laughed. "So that's the only one, huh? No wonder it's the best."

"Yeah, yeah," the smuggler said dismissively. "She'll still get your junk where it needs to be."

Siri nodded, crossing her arms. The two stood around in silence for a few moments longer as she thought about her predicament, and then she glanced at her chronometer. Blast. It had only been ten minutes. This was going to be the longest hour of her life.

"Well…" the Zabrak smuggler said, shifting his stance and scratching his neck awkwardly. "You want to watch some HoloNet?"

Siri glanced at the receiver. "Does it even work?"

"Worth a shot."

"Sure."

After fiddling with the controller (and beating it against the wall), a two dimensional screen lit up to show a teenager with a lightsaber talking cheerfully to what looked like stormtroopers. No, wait—weren't those Republic insignias? Siri wasn't entirely sure – the Republic had fallen apart so many years ago, she'd been too young to know the difference.

Beside her, Almusian gasped in delight, clapping his hands and making her jump. "Oh, Love Across the Stars! I've seen this before! It's fun!"

"I didn't think it would be okay to air a show about a Jedi," Siri remarked, intrigued. The title did make her a little nervous, though.

"You know, I kind of thought the same thing," Almusian agreed, nodding his head sagely. "But so far it's got a huge following."

Siri watched the screen for a while longer, pondering the issue of the long dead Jedi, before shaking her head and looking to the ground. Another victim of the Empire. Another loss of what was good in the galaxy. She didn't know too much about the Jedi, but she'd heard enough to know they would be amazing help right now. Sometimes she questioned their existence at all – not because she doubted they had been around, but because they simply seemed too mythical and strange to be true.

As the two watched the program, Siri quickly realized that this was not the show she had been expecting. Although it did have a good amount of action, the focus of the story was that of a Jedi Padawan (at least that's what she thought they called the girl) who was so promiscuous it was almost laughable. However, soap operas were not Siri's forte, and she quickly lost interest, despite her companion's giddy excitement and happy squawking whenever some new twist occurred.

Thankfully, after two somewhat painful episodes, enough time had passed. Siri hesitantly leaned towards the door to listen for any activity, then the wall where the bed rested. There were no windows, but she figured the walls were battered and thin enough that she might hear probe droids or even a patrol. Her nerves had long since settled, which she normally took as a good sign, having learned to trust her instincts after years of noticing they were pretty handy.

Clearing her throat, she said, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Almusian. I'll be in touch with Kuna so if we ever end up in a hostel again, you can foot the bill."

Almusian barked a laugh. "Next time we're stuck in a room together, I'll at least pick somewhere nicer."

"Assuming you can afford it."

The smuggler huffed somewhat irritably, but he still seemed to be in good humor. Siri smiled, relieved to be leaving but not regretting having met the hospitable man, and the two parted ways. Eventually Siri figured out where she was and slowly made her way to the upper levels, backtracking multiple times to ensure no one followed her.

The higher she went, the fresher the air became (though still annoyingly sterile), and sunlight eventually started to grace the area. Siri never thought she'd be so happy to see the sky. What a dismal place the lower part of Imperial Center was.

Finally, after spending several hours longer than she'd ever wanted to down below, Siri made her way to her new home: 500 Republica. Padmé had bought the penthouse, which offered plenty of space for her, Obi-Wan, and Siri. Though Siri honestly was far more inclined to have her own place with her husband, she had long since grown used to sharing quarters with her sister-in-law, and Imperial Center was so foreign and unnerving that she didn't mind staying with her. The planet wide city made her feel small and insignificant, like no one would miss her if Imperial Intelligence just snuffed her life out with a single sniper shot.

Shaking off a shudder, Siri unlocked the door to the apartment and entered. Immediately she felt warm and content, and she turned the corner to enter the lounge, where she found her husband sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine in hand. The dusk bathed him in an orange light, making his perfectly arranged auburn hair glow. His smooth, clean shaven face was initially solemn until he noticed her arrival, and then he smiled, his grey eyes sparkling. He wore a deep blue, intricately embroidered vest over a tan tunic and dark brown pants. Unlike both Siri and Padmé, Obi-Wan was the only one to arrive dressed for his actual role. Siri had arrived looking like an ordinary citizen while Padmé would fly in as a pilot with Cordé pretending to be her for security purposes.

Siri eyed the wine and then her husband. It definitely looked like he'd wanted to surprise her. She smiled slyly, lowering her hood and approaching him. "Well look who it is."

Obi-Wan rose, stepping away from the sofa, his expression growing calmer, but she could tell there was energy bubbling under the surface. The slightest crinkle in his eyebrows eased, his worry vanishing at seeing she was alright. The two were within arm's reach when he stopped abruptly. Wrinkling his nose, Obi-Wan said, "You smell awful."

Siri sighed. "Yeah, well, that'll happen when you have to go to a hostel. I was there for a while with that smuggler."

Obi-Wan's mildly offended face became deadpan. Siri quickly backtracked, "That came out wrong. We were hiding from Imperials."

Her husband watched her a moment longer before chuckling. They both trusted each other, so there had never been cause for concern. However, his amusement vanished as quickly as it came. "Imperials? What happened?"

"Nothing related to me," Siri assured him. "We just happened to be in the area and didn't want to be included in the fun."

Obi-Wan sighed dramatically. "My goodness. My wife isn't even on Imperial Center for an entire week and she's already sleeping in hostels with smugglers and attracting Imperial attention. I knew this was a bad idea from the start. This place has already corrupted you."

"Oh brother," Siri huffed, grabbing him by his vest and dragging him towards her. She eyed him, her smile returning. "If that's what you think, let me show you just how corrupt I am."

Next up: A Night at the Symphony, starring Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader! Remember, this is the point of no return for spoilers!