NABOO REVIEW

by ardavenport

- - - Part 1

The X-Wing fighter came out of hyperspace, appearing out of a streak of stars into the black space over a green and blue planet.

Luke Skywalker adjusted his speed, gliding his ship into orbit around Naboo. R2-D2 already had made contact with the planetary space traffic control, the routine text scrolling across his screen.

"Commander Skywalker," a voice from the planet addressed him from over the com. He had not been a commander since the establishment of the New Republic, but he did not bother correcting people he talked to in passing.

"Skywalker," he answered, checking the landing coordinates forwarded to R2. They were for the hangar of the Royal Palace in Theed.

"Naboo is honored to welcome you. Queen Tamiya is eager to meet you. If there is anything we may do to serve, please feel free to ask."

"Acknowledged," he answered, then, ". . .permission for a change of flight plan?" Luke signaled a hold-com while he quickly keyed in a more circuitous orbit and flight path. He wanted to see the planet, but Naboo was very particular about keeping clear skies. He hoped that his status might allow him the chance.

"Please wait," the voice answered after Luke saw the 'com-received' blinking on his screen. R2 beeped an inquiry.

"Permission granted," the voice finally answered.

"Copy that," he replied, "Thank-you." He cut the com. R2 bleeped another inquiry.

"We're going to do a little sightseeing." R2 whistled approval.

Luke took the X-Wing in a spinning turn to a different trajectory before descending. After a quick reentry he flew high in the upper atmosphere over a blue ocean, only a few fluffs of clouds below, the sky layered from thin-atmosphere deep twilight down to light blue.

Another spinning turn took him lower, the mountains of a continent in the distance. Enjoying the pleasure of flying, Luke zoomed toward the land mass. It seemed that he had hardly ever flown so freely since he had been flying a skyhopper on Tatooine before . . . .everything had happened. Flying in the Rebellion always involved the threat and rush of attack at any time. On crowded Coruscant, where he spent most of his time at the Jedi Temple, flying was severely limited.

Luke's X-Wing crossed over the line between land and water. His new task of reviving the Jedi Order after more than twenty years of Sith rule left little time for flying anyway. Now released from the tangle of details that filled his days now - - the New Republic's reconciliation over the Empire's purge of the Jedi, the old Temple on Coruscant, who to choose to train, how to find them - - Luke felt as if he had not breathed fresh air since Emperor Palpatine had been defeated.

The rippled yellow-green hills grew larger, rolling into deep green forests. Luke gently swerved his ship around snow-capped mountain peaks, descending among them. Twisting rivers wound among dark green and gray valleys. To his left, Luke saw the spires of a mountain city, small in the distance, in the midst of wilderness.

Passing through the mountains Luke saw glints of lakes and tiny settlements.

So alive and beautiful, it was the kind of planet that Luke used to fantasize about traveling to when he got off of his uncle's farm on Tatooine.

Ahead, Luke saw a scar of black on the landscape. He swerved to circle a devastated plateau, only the spindly skeleton of a city that had defied and been crushed by the Empire remained. The Naboo were planning a memorial in the future, but for now they had left it as a reminder of what they had suffered under the Emperor.

Luke resumed his course, heading for the plains. In the distance, he saw small specks perched high over a green valley. His navicomp displayed his objective in yellow lines, the capitol city, Theed.

R2 bleeped confirmation of their approach. The landing permission scrolled on Luke's com screen and he tapped an automatic reply.

The hangar of the royal palace perched atop a cliff next to a graceful waterfall, the cluster of tan stone buildings and blue-green roofs of palace and city around it. Luke quickly killed his speed, cutting the engines and bringing his ship level. He eased it into the large enclosed space with the lifters. A line of official-looking persons waited for him.

As soon as he cut the power, techs rushed up, one with a ladder, two to remove his astromech. Glancing at the officials outside through the tinted canopy, Luke exhaled before popping the canopy.

Nobody cheered when he took off his helmet and got up (that had happened on other worlds), but he heard bodies snapping to attention. He climbed down.

"We are honored that you would come to our world for this dedication. I am Commander Senchu, your Highness," said a tall man in a maroon and black uniform with a graceful bow, a line of six militia members behind him. Luke did not correct him.

Technically, since his mother had been a former Queen of Naboo, he was a Prince of the Realm. It was a purely honorific title that ill-suited him and he had idea what to do with it, like a third sock. Leia had asked him not to refuse it; the Republic wanted good relations with Naboo. But she had dealt with having a title her whole life. Luke just hoped they would use his Jedi title. He did not think that 'Master' fit him either, but it was better than 'Prince'.

"It's an honor to be here," Luke answered sincerely, bowing in return.

"The Queen is waiting to meet you in her council room."

From above, R2 whistled for attention, two techs still disengaging the droid from the slot behind the pilot's seat.

"That's all right R2, stay with the ship."

Luke thought that R2's response was a bit disappointed and he smiled. R2 did like to be included in things. He walked with Sencho, his men and women forming an honor guard around them.

"Did you enjoy your excursion?" the commander asked politely.

"Yes, very much. Thank-you for allowing me to deviate from your usual approach."

"It was a pleasure for us, though I might add that our world is best viewed from the ground, and I hope you will avail yourself of that opportunity."

"I will," Luke replied.

They walked through the wide columned hallway, their boots clicking on polished floors. Though the Palace was not large as the enormous, damaged Jedi Temple back on Coruscant, Luke found it more elegant.

After taking the lift to a higher level, they passed through another hallway and then into a large room lit by daylight streaming through wide, many-paned windows.

The Queen waited for him behind a circular desk, a quartet of matched handmaidens behind her. A semi-circle of Naboo councillors sat in high-backed chairs on either side of it.

"Your Majesty." Commander Sencho bowed to his elected sovereign. "I present Prince and Master Jedi Luke Skywalker."

Luke bowed as well. "Your Majesty."

"Master Jedi. We are honored that you accepted our invitation." It was difficult to tell her age through the pale face-paint and red accents that smoothed her features to a formal mask of state, but Luke sensed that she was a few years younger than he. Though their tradition of selecting and training their Queens from the planet's youth had been badly disrupted during the reign of the Emperor, the Naboo had immediately resumed their traditions as soon as the Empire fell, though the planet remained undecided about joining the New Republic.

Resplendent in elaborate red, gold and purple robes and a red and gold headdress, the Queen of Naboo looked at him with young green eyes. She stood and her Councillor did as well. She came around the desk.

"It has been too long since the Jedi have been welcomed on our world," she said, coming to him. She was slender with a round face, but very short, the top of her headdress coming only up to his eye level. "They have performed great service to our world in the past and it is long past time for us to honor their sacrifices.

"The statue has been placed in the Palace Plaza. Do you wish to see it?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Luke responded. It was the reason why he had come, after all.

She smiled in return, a little warmth escaping through her formal posture.

The four attendants followed them out of the room, along with Sencho, the honor guard and all the Councillors. The handmaidens were as young as the Queen and all of them nearly as short as she was in their simpler maroon and blue dresses and veils. The Queen did not make any small talk as they proceeded down another stately hallway, but she kept stealing glances at him.

They entered a dome-ceilinged room with a wide balcony where the entire group spread out along the railing to look down on a plaza avenue.

The statue was certainly very large, at least ten times the person it had been fashioned after, who had reputedly been very tall in life. A mixed group of Naboo Humans and Gungans milled below, some of them guiding lift droids away, others with tools working on some carving on the base. The statue's stone was gray and pitted in places from years of being hidden underwater by the Gungans. This would be the second dedication of the statue, the first one having been just prior to the rise of Palpatine in the Senate of the Old Republic. And years before he seized power, after which a statue of a Jedi Master would be considered a dangerous sign of disloyalty to the Empire.

The first dedication had been during the reign of the Queen who's planet had been freed from a Trade Federation invasion, at the same time as the first appearance of the Sith in the galaxy in a thousand years. The Sith, that time, had been defeated, but not before claiming the life of a Jedi Master in combat, the same Jedi Master whose statue was being re-dedicated now.

Though its arms were at its sides, the statue stood in a wide-legged stance, the robe pushed back, revealing the carved lightsaber on the stone belt. The expression on the face was serious and stern.

An expression far different from Qui-Gon Jinn's ghostly, friendly smile looking up at Luke from the foot of the statue.

- - - End Part 1