demonicbeauty | Deer Country Inbox

[ Flanked by two girls in flame colored robes, Sabé sat on the throne in a small starship in a large black gown with oversized black feathers fanning out from the back of the hood. Her face was made up with heavy white makeup, two red dots under her eyes, and a full red top of her lip with a stripe of red in the middle of the bottom. With all that makeup it would be easy to mistake her for another. That was the plan.

A blue holo-message played before her: "The death toll is catastrophic. I must bow to their wishes. You must contact me."

Stone-faced, Sabé watched the Governor's plea- the two girls at her side also masking their emotions perfectly- until it cut out. Her gaze swept over to a young man- a Jedi easily recognized to anyone who's been here for some time... even with his hair in a traditional Padawan's cut.

"It's a trick-" Obi-Wan insisted immediately as he stood and addressed her. "Send no reply. Send no transmissions of any kind."

The young decoy didn't get a chance to answer him as he left the room immediately, the door hissing shut behind him. All that was left in there were the three girls and their Captain of the guard. She couldn't help but worry about the state of the planet, even knowing that Governor Bibble was smarter than the Jedi gave him credit for.

"Well of course it's a trick! Does he think we're stupid?"

Sabé turned to look at her friend, Rabé, with a wisp of a smile tugging at her lips at the outburst. As Amidala, she had to shield her emotions and facial expressions to keep them as neutral as possible... but with everyone in the room in on the ruse, she could slip up just this bit.

They could do nothing but wait and fret at this point- books only posed so much of a distraction and as Amidala, she was expressly forbidden from leaving the ship. The Jedi knew that the girls were hiding something from him, but with as much care as they took she knew that he wasn't aware of exactly what they were up to- and it needed to stay that way. ]

[Ariadne watches the transmission a couple of times. First unexpectedly, then in shock, and then with a spy's eyes, analyzing the details. She's always been hungry for more information about that galaxy far, far, away. But this is something else entirely. She's only encountered something quite so vivid once before.

...in Obi-Wan Kenobi's memories.

But this clearly isn't from him. Their relationship is tenuous at best. And there's no mistaking that particular voice.

She debates whether or not she should say anything. But it's only right. She'd want to know, if the situation were reversed.]

...um...Sabé? What was that?

[ When Sabé checks the device, she makes a face- to see a memory projected so clearly to someone else... Of course she'd heard that these things were possible, but she hadn't anticipated dealing with them.

It takes all her strength not to slip back into Amidala's tone- the sonorous pitch that she'd developed with Padmé to make telling them apart more difficult when they spoke. But most importantly, she tried her best not to slip into that mask they'd built to keep people from reading their emotions.

Ariadne was trustworthy, she'd proved that to herself and Padmé. ]

This place's idea of a practical joke, I guess...

Ah... we were stuck on a planet, Tatooine, while our aircraft was broken. Because Padmé's life was in danger, I took her place as Queen.

Tatooine?

[Give her a second.]

I know that one! That's where Luke Skywalker is from. He told me about it. It has two suns!

[Which seems a little excessive to her, but who is she to judge?

Her excitement is short-lived, though. A frown quickly settles on her face.]

Was that...Obi-Wan?

[ She smiles just a bit and lets out a short laugh. ]

It does have two suns, yes.

[ Though- about Luke. She hasn't met him yet- and that's honestly on her being extremely anti-social in her grief. She'll set aside that knowledge for later and instead focus on the question presented:

Obi-Wan. ]

It was. This was somewhere around 15 years ago when he was still just a padawan. He and his master were sent to our planet to aid us when we were blockaded by the Trade Federation.

Is that when he cut Maul in half?

[Which is a sentence she never really expected to utter. But that's the way of these people from that world.

Full of the...unexpected.]

I've seen a little of it before but...

You know, you're very, very good at impersonating her. Padmé, I mean.

[It's beginning to make a bit more sense, how some people could so easily just accept that Ariadne wasn't her.]

That happened after this. On Tatooine they found Anakin and... [ She pauses for a half moment- Anakin's past isn't hers to tell, and she knows that if she'd grown up a slave she wouldn't go around advertising it. ] Brought him with us to make the plea to begin his training.

It's... when we returned to Naboo and tried to get back into the palace that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fought Maul.

[ There's a bit of pride that creeps up on her features at the compliment. She knows that she's good at it- there's been many times they've fooled people and only certain angles had given them away. ]

Thank you. We worked together a lot to make sure I could when I was recruited.

Recruited? Is this a common practice in Naboo?

[On Naboo? She's not sure of the grammar for planets yet. She didn't even know planets were a thing until about a year ago. Give her time.]

Is that how the government works? With...decoys?

Edited 2022-05-27 15:39 (UTC)

Yes? No?

[ It was... hard to explain- she pauses a moment to chew on her lip and thing about it. This memory was hard- it was hard to remember the meaning behind Bibble's message, to remember that Saché was being tortured in the camps back home when they were stuck on a planet in the outer rim that seemed to be nothing but sand.

Infinite sand.

And for the Jedi at the time to underestimate them, regardless of that being their entire purpose. ]

Our Queens are elected... and handmaidens a long time ago were recruited as security detail- until that just stopped being common practice. But the Captain of the guard when Padmé was elected was- ah... very vigilant. He made it his mission to bring the practice back into play. So five of us were recruited for our various skills, and mostly because we bore resemblance to Padmé.

[ She licks her lips and takes a deep breath. ] We changed our names to match hers, in solidarity. And we came up with several security protocols- one of which was my switching places with her. She and I worked on the public image of the Queen so that I could step into the role as needed. For her safety.

Well, that's all very...pragmatic.

[Although she can't help but feel like it's kind of erasing who those girls were. It's not her place to judge. But something about it feels...off.

Maybe just because she met Sabé first.

Or maybe because her experiences being mistaken for Padmé have been completely disastrous for the people around her.]

I've never heard of anyone electing a queen before, though.

I don't know if it's very common outside of Naboo.

[ Most Queens they've met have been so by birth or marriage as far as she's aware. ]

It's nice because there's no familial pressure to rule- it's really saved for those who are called to it. Padmé was a very popular Queen. They tried to change the law so she could run again... Of course she didn't allow that, she had too much respect for our government.

She really is extraordinary.

[And though she might be, Ariadne is not begrudging of the fact.]

And so are you.

She is.

[ Sabé smiles at that... to her, Padmé is the most extraordinary being in the galaxy. She's not perfect- neither of them are...

But to hear Ariadne tell her that she's also extraordinary... She pauses for a moment. She doesn't need to be extraordinary- she's been comfortable being second to everyone in her life: her brothers, her time at the conservatory, and most importantly to Padmé.

But she also doesn't want to burden Airy with any of this. So even though it's obvious the compliment took her by surprise, she manages a smile shortly after. ]

That's very kind of you, Airy.

[Airy has been known to say things just to be kind. But in this particular instance, there's something more.

She wants to learn more about Sabé. But just as you can't force a cat to let you pet its belly, she knows that Sabé is guarded.

Goes with the job.]

I know it wasn't your choice, but thank you for the memory.

[ Sabé's smile remains- though it's fragile now, as though it'll break any moment if she's not careful. ]

I'm glad that it went to you. [ A small pause before she elaborates: ] I trust you with it.

Oh! I won't tell anyone! I promise!

[ Oh!

Sabé manages a bit more of a smile as she shakes her head. ]

I know you won't- thank you. I really do appreciate it... and you.

[She bows her head.]

Listen, I told Padmé this, but I don't think I mentioned it to you. I'd...like to invite both of you over. To see my garden.

I thought maybe you might enjoy some plants that don't try to bite.

That sounds lovely. [ Her smile comes a little easier this time- it's easy enough to distract herself from the real reason they're talking when she has something like that to look forward to. ]

It would be nice to be around plants that aren't actively trying to murder us... which is something I never really had to worry about before finding myself here.

[Ariadne laughs.]

Well, I'll trust the two of you to find a time.

I'm...I'm always here.

Is there any time that works better for you, though? I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality.

Well, I suppose mornings are best. That's when the garden is quiet. And the sunlight just looks so pretty in the trees...

[ She smiles a bit more and nods. ]

I'll talk to her about heading over one of these mornings, then.

Wonderful! I look forward to it!

Deer Country Inbox

video - accidental transmission; un: tsabin

[VIDEO]; UN: [USERNAME NOT SET]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject