AUTHORS- Sache8 and Melyanna
RATING- PG-13 (mush, and… well, yeah. Basically just mush. Although I suppose you could count substance abuse issues)
GENRE- Romance/ Mystery
PAIRINGS- Sabewan, Saché/OC, and even more OC's
SUMMARY- Senator Sabé Naberrie of Naboo is unexpectedly reunited with an old friend when she requests aid in uncovering a threat to her people. Sequel to Dance With the Stars.
DISCLAIMER- All hail the Great Flannelled One.
Author's Pre-Note: This is sequel to Dance With the Stars, which was pretty much TPM… with a twist. I'd recommend reading that to understand the details of the Naberrie family and the Naboo government in this story, which differ slightly from canon. Also, the characters of Helaine Trillium and Lanelle Caine belong to padawan lunetta, and make some fun cameos in this tale.
Dramatis Personae
Jon Bakuro- human male – businessman from Naboo
Dooji Bip – Gungan male – Gungan senatorial representative
Lanelle Caine – human female - Jedi Master
Saché Drianna- human female – handmaiden to Senator Vána
Obi-Wan Kenobi – human male – Jedi Knight
Ceidron Metz – human male – political science student from Commenor
Claria Elsinoré Naberrie – human female – Princess of Naboo
Richard Naberrie – human male – Prince and King-Elect of Naboo
Sabé Vána Naberrie – human female – Princess and Senator of Naboo
Yvenne Sorenst – human female – Manager of Retisan Ranch, Naboo
Anakin Skywalker – human male – Jedi Padawan
Helaine Trillium – human female – Jedi Padawan
Chapter One- Changes
Theed, Naboo
The sunlight that streamed into the east conference room seemed to shimmer, to sparkle. In its midst stood Richard Naberrie, hands clasped behind his back and chin raised high. It was a familiar pose for him, a sign of masked impatience that none but his family recognized. But Padmé recognized it, as she always did.
"Good morning, Richard. Sorry I'm late," she said as she entered the conference room. "Did you sleep well?"
"For the two hours in which I was asleep, yes," Richard replied, feeling as if his eyelids were being propped up somehow. "If I didn't know better, I'd think my dear sister planned to have the election happen in the middle of the night by Theed time. Why was that, anyway?"
Padmé merely smiled cryptically. "Didn't you pay attention to the election committee briefings, brother? For shame. I should have the election results declared null and void."
"All they said was that it would be taking place at 1500 hours, Otoh Gunga time—oh." Richard lowered his head. "The Gungans were voting in this election."
His sister shook her head. "Honestly, Richard, it's being hailed as 'the triumph of Amidala's reign,' bringing the Gungans actively into government."
Richard planted his hands on his hips and looked at her. "I think that's the work of historians wanting to forget that you were the first ruler in centuries to send their sons into battle."
"Whether or not that is true," Padmé said in the voice that meant that she secretly agreed with something that could be controversial, "the Gungans are the reason the election was held at that time. I spent the better part of two terms convincing Parliament to abolish the old anti-Gungan laws, and Mother spent the better part of her life trying to. The last thing we wanted to do was tell the Gungans that they had to be up at midnight to vote in this election."
"So it was better to have the actual candidates up later than that?"
"Exactly." Padmé smiled and suddenly hugged him. "Congratulations, Richard. I couldn't have a better successor."
"Thank you, Padmé." Richard hugged her back a little awkwardly. "You've left me surprisingly big shoes to fill, for such a small person."
"You know that you'll always have me around to give you advice," she replied. "Unless, of course, you decide to send your sister off somewhere to keep her out of your hair."
"Well, actually, Padmé," he said, "I was talking with Sabé last night before the vote started."
"Yes?"
"She wants to come home soon. Actually, her exact words were 'I'm sick and tired of being cooped up on Coruscant all the time. I want to travel, and it's frustrating having to be within an hour of the Senate chambers all the time in case there's a vote.' And then she told me not to tell you that."
Padmé smiled, linking her arm in her brother's and strolling toward the doorway. "Well, Sabé did agree to replace Senator Malinz on his passing. I didn't really expect her to enjoy the task—after all, what she's always wanted to be is an ambassador. I'm surprised that she managed to stay there on Coruscant for the last year and a half."
"Poor, poor Sabé," Richard said as they crossed the corridor and into a courtyard. "If she hadn't teased me so much when we were little, I might feel sorry for her."
She laughed. "I think you played enough tricks on her and withheld enough information from her to make things even. Or have you forgotten Master Nenshall so soon?"
Richard chuckled appreciatively. "Of course not. But that wasn't withholding information, that was not speaking until spoken to."
"Which is exactly what Sabé would call it if she did such a thing." Padmé sighed. "How is it that you're more like my twin sister than I am?"
"I don't know, Padmé," he replied. "I don't know."
They took a turn through the courtyard, and Richard asked, "So what will my oldest and most ambitious sister be doing with herself now that she's unemployed?"
She gave him a sharp look. "I've got another three months to figure that out, Richard. I haven't left office quite yet."
They stopped and faced each other. "Mother and Father would have been so proud," she said. "I wish they could have seen this day."
Richard nodded solemnly. It had been two years since their father had died, from the lasting effects of disease and age. Before the Trade Federation invasion, not many people would have realized how old the Prince Consort was, but afterward everyone remembered that while Leiandra had married young, Armand had not. He had never fully recovered from the disease he'd contracted in the camps, and finally his weakened heart had failed him.
It had been their father's death more than anything else which had forced Richard to look at his life and his responsibilities. At fifteen he was the only male left in his line, and it was time for him to get serious about his place in the Naberrie family. He had begun then to look at Padmé as a mentor, and to everyone's surprise he showed a remarkable aptitude for politics. Family connections or not, he'd never shown an interest in it, let alone talent.
By the time he reached his seventeenth birthday, Padmé had sent him around the planet on missions negotiating trade agreements, settling labor disputes, and even attending formal functions in her name. And she had sought his counsel when she decided not to run for a third term, wanting to know if he was ready for the crown.
Padmé squeezed his hand. "You will make a good King, little brother," she said. "And you will one day make a good husband and father, if you ever decide to settle down."
He smiled and kissed her cheek. "And what a scandal that would cause. Youngest child married before his three older sisters."
"If a scandal keeps men from chasing me everywhere, then so be it." Padmé smiled, and together they laughed.
Coruscant
Scientists and historians had long speculated as to Coruscant's original landscape and climate. What had it been like before it became the great city? Jon Bakuro was no scientist, but he always imagined that its people had been driven indoors because they were cold. He always felt a chill when he was out-of-doors on the capital.
Perhaps the chill was due to the never-ending breezes, which whipped in a random cacophony over, under, and around him. They came from everywhere and nowhere. They were without order, created by the endless lines of traffic speeding its way through the skies. They brought the smell of industry and commerce, the sounds of trillions of people, and (to some) the taste of power.
Jon, like many of the Naboo, saw Coruscant only as a necessary evil. He was a businessman, and galaxy-wide business thrived best if Coruscant was part of it. But compared to the fertile, lush fields and spectacular waterfalls of home, the capital seemed cold and imposing. He'd been coming here at regular intervals for nearly seven years, but it was only recently that he'd begun to look forward to his visits with genuine anticipation.
His footsteps fell heavily on the duracrete of the landing platform as he stepped off the gangplank of his ship, Kaserta's Glory. Coruscant's gravity wasn't very different from Naboo's, but it was nonetheless noticeable. He raised his arm in greeting to a young man standing several feet away, who returned the gesture with a pleasant smile.
"What brings you to the eyesore of the galaxy on this fine day, Bakuro?" the young man called, his voice muffled slightly by the whipping wind.
"The usual," Jon called back. "And yourself?"
Immen Rizzo grinned. "Baby-sitting the Princess. What else would you expect?"
Jon laughed, and reaching his friend, gave him a hearty handshake. "Where is she? I thought she was coming to see me herself."
Rizzo shrugged. "She got a call from a friend here in the city who wanted to see her about something important." Jon gave him a puzzled look, and he added, "I don't know what it's about. She seemed pretty distracted over it, so I'm wondering if I should have gone with her."
"Didn't you send someone?"
"Yeah, I sent Typho. He's very capable."
"Ah yes, I think I met him once or twice. Didn't either of the girls go with her?"
"Nah. I think she wanted to get away, or as much away as we'll allow her. Saché's been really agitated the last couple of days. I think she dusted the suite at least three times already. It was starting to drive Sabé crazy."
Saché drives me crazy, Jon thought wryly. Aloud, he said, "That doesn't seem like Saché." At Rizzo's surprised expression, he added hastily, "the agitation, I mean. I know the obsessive cleaning isn't unusual."
"Oh, yeah. Well, don't look at me pal. I don't know what's up with her. So what exactly brings you to town this time?"
"Red tape. We're looking to get a license to ship to Rinalio. I need to come get the paperwork filled out."
"How long you staying?"
Jon shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'll play it by ear. What is it?" he asked, when Rizzo started laughing.
"Oh, nothing. It must be nice, that's all. Rich entrepreneur. Come and go as you please, you know. While I'm stuck here for the rest of forever babysitting Princesses and handmaidens."
"It will hardly be for the rest of forever. You did hear the election news, right? I can't imagine Sabé will want to stay here once Richard is on the throne."
"Okay. Maybe it just feels like forever."
"You know, Immen, in some ways I envy you too."
"Right. How's that?"
"Oh, surrounded by beautiful women all the time, you know. It gets lonely being an entrepreneur sometimes."
Rizzo snorted. "You know as well as I do that Sabé's beauty quickly becomes forgettable when she gets angry. Besides," he added, a small measure of regret creeping into his voice, "I've already been the handmaiden route."
"My cousin hasn't changed her mind again, eh?"
"No." Rizzo looked sad, but resigned. "It was nice that we had something for a little while, but I don't think she ever really felt the way I do."
Jon gave his friend an encouraging squeeze on the shoulder.
"And what about you, Jon? You should have been married ages ago. You're starting to get too old for your ladies' man reputation now, don't you think?"
At the ripe old age of twenty-five, Jon thought no such thing, but by Naboo standards he was indeed past his due time to settle. "I suppose it's just not time yet," he said. It was a neutral answer, something to waylay Rizzo from this particular topic. The truth was that he'd long decided exactly whom he would like to marry, but it was a secret he'd shared with few.
She'd been only thirteen when they'd met seven years ago- a quiet little slip of a thing who had amused him with her antics. He remembered it very clearly, how she'd boldly reached over and straightened his vest because it's crooked state was annoying her. Sometime afterward, both Sabé and his cousin, Eirtaé, had warned him not to bait her anymore.
"Saché is not like the other girls here, Jon," Sabé had said firmly. "She doesn't know how to play the games that you and I play. She's already quite taken with you, and I won't have you hurting her."
He had heeded their advice, and treated the lady afterwards with the utmost cordiality, doing his best to never lead her on. It was a novel experience, for flirting with and teasing any girl was just something he did. Eventually, Saché had come out of her shell and they'd become respected friends. It wasn't until this had been going on for nearly four years that he began to realize he'd never had a friend quite like her. There was something so refreshing about her modesty and reserve. He felt so relaxed when he was around her, and it didn't take long for this newfound respect to start becoming something more.
Jon had been sorely tempted, on many occasions, to forget his promise to Sabé and Eirtaé, and try to woo the shy handmaiden. They had said she'd admired him, after all. Once or twice he had even tried it, but the alarm in her mannerisms on those occasions had led him to conclude one thing. She no longer had any feelings for him, and he'd best leave off.
So he had devoted himself to his thriving business, keeping himself so occupied he hardly had time to think of her, yet every visit to Naboo, and more recently Coruscant, when he knew he'd see her, was both an anticipated and dreaded experience. He wondered if he would find any hope this time.
"You're having dinner with the Senator tonight, I believe?" Rizzo asked as they boarded the shuttle that would take them to Sabé's apartments.
"Yes, that's right."
"I'm not sure when she'll be back. I don't think it'll be too long. Until then, you'll just have to let the girls keep you company, I've got some other things to get done. Will that be all right?"
"I think I can handle it, Immen."
Rizzo laughed. "You are so bad, Jon. Well, you know Saché, she buttons up like a muskbowl in a crowd, but Dormé seems like your type. You should get on pretty well." His eyes twinkled.
"Thanks, Immen." On the outside, Jon laughed, but inside he found Rizzo's conclusions to be bittersweetly ironic.
Outside Rialdas, Rial, Naboo
The core waterways of Naboo connected most of the major bodies of water on the planet, supporting a global habitat of sea life which would otherwise be impossible to sustain on a planet with no oceans. The ecosystem had proved enigmatic to scientists for centuries. In the latter part of her second term, Amidala had expanded ecological research all over Naboo, dotting the landscape with scientific outposts, most of which were staffed by personnel from the University of Theed.
One such outpost was situated on the banks of Lake Erana, in the southern hemisphere district Rial. Its primary focus was the colo claw fish, which had nurseries there. But at the moment, the personnel of the outpost were far more concerned with the tusk-cat which had been found on the premises early that morning, its shoulder badly injured.
Tusk-cats had once roamed that area wild, but centuries ago the Naboo had domesticated them. They were used as mounts and beasts of burden all across the Rial district. The nearest ranch was Retisan Ranch, which actually encompassed the small outpost. So, the marine biologists had wasted no time in calling the ranch's manager, and now they were relieved to see her arrive in a huge vehicle, one large enough to transport the tusk-cat without any difficulty.
Professor Lera Morrtenne waved at the woman from the porch of the building. Yvenne Sorenst was surprisingly young for one in her position on the largest ranch on the planet, but most people forgot how young she really was after they spent some time around her. She was more than competent, unlike her predecessor, so Morrtenne was quite happy to deal with her when the situation demanded it.
The redhead was smiling as she and a few ranch hands approached the building. "I hear you have one of our cats, Lera," she said cheerfully.
"Yeah, it gave one of the interns quite a shock this morning when he went to check on the south generator," Lera replied. "Don't think it could do much damage, though, unless you got really close to it."
Yvenne laughed. "Nala's usually pretty docile, but I'd rather not see what she could do when she feels threatened." She looked past the professor, toward the lakeshore. "By the south generator, you said?"
Lera nodded. The manager waved her men off in that direction, and they headed off. Yvenne, meanwhile, walked up the steps of the building. "So how are things going here, aside from the occasional and random arrival of tusk-cats?" she asked.
"Oh, we're doing all right," the professor replied. "Things are getting tight, though. We're having to grapple for funding again."
"Didn't you just get that big grant from the Royal Science Academy?"
"We're one of the finalists for it," Lera clarified. "The winner won't be announced for another month, after a last interview." She frowned as they entered the warm building, the walls of which were lined with computers, monitors, and charts. Most of the people at the various terminals, or at the chemistry station, were pretty young, students at universities. "And I hate to say it, but we've had a problem come up that might actually help us get the money."
Yvenne frowned. "What do you mean?"
The professor led her over to one of the charts. "This is a graph of the colo claw fish population in Lake Erana over the last fifteen years or so," she said, pointing out a green line on the diagram. "It's been fairly consistent, but recently we've seen a sharp decline." She indicated red, blue, and purple lines too, which were lower than the green one, but followed the same basic contour. "These are the male and female populations, and the hatching rate in that population. They've all fallen off the same way too."
"How bizarre," the manager said, still frowning. "What have you ruled out so far as causes?"
"Disease and malnutrition are unlikely," Lera replied. "We'd be seeing carcasses washing up, and we've not seen anything like that." She coughed. "That's part of the reason for the urgency in getting that grant. We'd like to take a one-man submersible down and check to see if there's some sort of new predator down there. We'd be seeing some evidence that way, I hope."
Yvenne started to say more, but then one of the ranch hands reappeared at the door. "Ma'am," he said, "Nala's not letting anyone near her."
"Oh dear." Yvenne turned toward the door. "Well, it was nice talking with you again. Hope everything works out."
"Feel free to stop by any time," said Lera, and then Yvenne was out the door, back into the heat of the morning.
The south generator wasn't far away, and Yvenne could already hear the tusk-cat growling long before she actually saw anything. Then, once they had rounded the generator, she saw the cat flashing her teeth as the two ranch hands stood a good distance back. "Nala!" she called.
The cat turned a look of disdain toward Yvenne, and she smiled. "Should we get the tranqs?" one of the hands asked.
"Just get the transport and bring it down here," she replied. "I'll keep Nala here company."
When the hands came back with the transport, Yvenne was lying on her stomach on the grass talking to the tusk-cat. She figured this was a relatively non-threatening treatment, and it did get Nala to stop flashing her teeth every two seconds, and every time something moved. Still, while most people would have thought that this showed a confidence and comfort level with the cats, she was, in fact, moderately terrified by her proximity to it. She was pretty good with animals, but she still preferred it when they weren't being hostile.
So when the hands got out of the transport, she said, as calmly as she could manage: "Could you please tranquilize this thing now?"
One of the ranch hands had the tranquilizer on hand and fired it at the tusk-cat. Nala roared once before collapsing into a heavy sleep, and the hands started to move her into the transport. The one who still had the tranquilizer in his hand helped Yvenne to her feet, and he said, "Well, ma'am, I'm glad you insisted on coming this morning. I don't think we could have managed getting her calm enough."
"Just be glad this happened today instead of tomorrow. I'm leaving for Rialdas tonight and won't be back for a few days," she replied. The other two men closed the transport doors, securing Nala inside, and she clapped her hands together once, adding, "All right, everyone, we've got lots of work to do. Let's get this kitty back to the stables."
A/N: Thanks to all of you who so patiently waited for us to get this ball rolling. I'm really happy with this story, and sit back for a lovely, romantic (but still plot-compelling, I hope) ride!
Feedback is always loved and adored!
Saché