Chapter Text
Captain Panaka gives Anakin permission to be in the cockpit again during their final approach to Naboo, and it is totally wizard to watch the blue and white light of hyperspace blur into the star speckled black of regular space. Naboo is a blue green planet, nothing like the orange and burnt yellow of Tatooine the last time he saw it through the tiny cabin porthole of the cruiser, transparisteel misted with his own shaky breaths, or the foggy grey of Coruscant that filled the viewports the last time was allowed to sit in the copilot's seat.
"This isn’t the usual exit point," Eirtaé says from the doorway.
"We decided to amend the coordinates to exit hyperspace a bit further out," Captain Panaka tells her. "In case the blockade was still in place."
"Best to be cautious," Eirtaé agrees with him, stepping closer. "Looks like Senator Palpatine's play in the Senate worked though."
Everyone in the cockpit nods. The space between the cruiser and the planet is empty, just the occasional glint of metal off of the small satellites in orbit catching Anakin's eyes as he looks around.
Anakin knows that Padmé and the other handmaids are mostly concerned with what condition the people will be in when they get to the surface. He had been present when the first communications had come in from Naboo, confirming that the droids had dismantled the holding pens that they were keeping the population of Theed hostage in, and confirming the death toll.
The droids had shot a significant number of Nubians, and had also provided the bare minimum of care during the sixty seven days they had occupied the capital City. No provision had been made for medical or dietary restrictions of any sort, and both Padmé and Rabé had cried themselves to sleep the evening after the communication ban was lifted. Anakin hadn't dared approach Padmé, and besides Sabé and Eirtaé seemed to have a better idea of what to do, but he had brought Rabé some hot tea and sat with her until they both fell asleep, heads resting together on the soft pillow.
Anakin is allowed to stay in the cockpit until they break atmosphere and angle to make their final approach to Theed, and then he is told to go make sure his travel case is all packed and ready for the Palace staff to take to the Handmaiden's quarters.
Task done, he goes and joins the rest of the party in the main lounge, where Jar-Jar Binks nearly runs into him.
"Ani!" the Gungan calls cheerfully. "Howya doin' okieday?"
"I'm good thank you," Anakin replies politely. Jar-Jar had been bunking with the guard since their arrival and he hadn't really seen the being much at all during their time on Coruscant, but Jar-Jar is the only person other than Padmé who shared water with his mother on Tatooine, and Anakin feels a little guilty that he hasn't acknowledged that. "What will you do now, Jar-Jar? Do you have a house in Theed?"
Jar-Jar warbles out a laugh. "Gungans aren't so welcome in Theed," he says cheerfully. "And meesa been banished from Otoh Gunga." He bounces on the spot for a moment before shrugging. "Meesa have no plan," he confesses. "Meesa just glad to be being back on Naboo."
Anakin looks over at Eirtaé, who shakes her head at him and looks at Padmé, who is considering the Gungan carefully.
"Jar-Jar Binks," she says, a hint of the Amidala accent in her voice, he straightens at once and turns to her with his head tilted in curiosity. "It has become clear to me during this crisis that it would likely benefit both our people to work more closely together than our current uneasy truce allows. We would like to open negotiations with the Gungans to move forward together towards a united Naboo. Would you be willing to be our envoy, to take a message to Boss Rugor Nass?"
Jar-Jar looks at her for a long moment, and then nods. "Meesa can be doin' that," he confirms quietly.
***
The Handmaiden's quarters in the Palace are only a little bit like the Queen's suite in 500 Republica. There are still hangings, and rugs, and tall vases that would probably usually be full of flowers on tables and shelves everywhere, but there's also so much more space that Anakin is more than a little overwhelmed.
Rabé shows him around, while the others speak with Saché and Yané, the Handmaids who stayed behind. There is a whole room just for Anakin with a private fresher, and a room that is just for the Handmaids to relax in together, and then a room for the Handmaids to get ready in and a separate room for Padmé to get ready in, and another sitting room that is for private audiences or family members to visit in, and a small kitchen for making their own snacks or drinks, although Rabé explains that most of the time food will be sent up from the kitchens or they'll eat in one of the main dining rooms of the Palace.
"The schedule will be a bit all over the place until we get things settled, but I wanted to explain what a normal week looks like," Rabé said, opening one of the hallway closets and filling her arms with jewel coloured blankets. "Is this enough blankets?"
"Yes Miss Rabé," Anakin replies. He doesn't know what she wants so many blankets for, but her arms are quite full with them and she can barely see over the top of the pile, so it's probably enough.
"Pick out four or five pillows then, and then let's go."
Anakin grabs the two closest, and then after reviewing the selection a little more closely, picks out one that reminds him of the gold dresses the handmaidens wore when they arrived on Coruscant, and another that reminded him of the way Naboo looked from space, blue and green and white all swirled together. He follows her back to the rooms that she had explained were his, and dumps her armful of blankets on the bed.
"You can arrange it as you like later," she promises, sitting down on the wide window seat and holding out her hand for a pillow. He hands her the Naboo from space one, and she tucks it behind her back. "Come sit with me," she invites, patting the padded sill.
"Are… all those blankets for me?" he dares ask.
Rabé nods seriously. "We don't want you feeling cold," she smiles at him and he does his best to hide his shock as she already seems to have lost interest in the blankets. "Right! Schedule! So Court is held every morning we are in residence, we all take firstmeal together and then there's a rotation of who is in the room with Padmé, usually between two and four of us. You and Saché and Yané have morning classes the days that you are not in court, at least three times a week if you can, but if there's a diplomatic envoy it all gets swapped around and classes come second. The afternoons are more of a mix up, but we all have blaster training once a week and we have our individual duties around that. Eirtaé is in charge of security, I am in charge of the wardrobe and so on. You will work with Eirtaé on security, with a particular focus on the droids in the palace. Does that all sound ok?"
Anakin nods, more than a little overwhelmed, but pleased that the days were at least somewhat organised. He had been used to working set hours with Watto in the shop, with changes based on the Troydarian's moods and luck at the dice, or the desert storms that rolled through at irregular intervals. This didn’t sound all that different.
"Ok, what have I missed?" Rabé taps her fingers together as she watches a group of colourfully dressed beings make their way through a garden outside. "Oh, time off of course. And stipend. As a Handmaid you earn a stipend from the Palace treasury, Eirtaé will set up an account for you to deal with that. It's in a currency specific to Naboo, but it can be converted into Republic credits or any other currency easily enough. If you're going out into Theed it's the best currency to buy things in though. And we all get one day off in every ten, on a rotation. There's a schedule for that too, but it's quite flexible."
Watto had closed the store, some days. Once he had gone away for nearly two tendays and they had run out of money and nearly run out of food. It was the most stressful time that Anakin had ever experienced, scouring the edges of the dune sea and walking the canyons for hours looking for anything edible to stretch what little they had a bit further, by himself because Watto had set the range on his slave chip to allow Anakin to race but his mother was confined to town. They had worried the whole time that the Troydarian was dead and some other, crueler, master would pick them up. This didn't seem all that similar though, if it was just one day. Hopefully he would get his stipend before the first day off, so that he would be able to buy some food, because he probably wouldn't be allowed to eat at the Palace when he wasn't working. And even if that didn't happen, one day wasn't too bad.
Rabé smiles at him, smoothing her hands over her skirts. "If you work nine days in a row you are expected to take the tenth off," she continued her explanation, "barring diplomatic events or emergencies. And I think that's enough to be getting on with for now! It's time to head down to the dining hall anyhow."
Anakin follows her to what he expects is considered a small dining hall here, about the same size as the room they ate in on Coruscant, and he sits on the chair that she indicates. When Padmé comes in they all stand up again, but that too is becoming normal. Padmé sits at the top of the table, Sabé on one side and Eirtaé on the other, and she smiles down at them all.
"Saché, Yané, I want to introduce you to the newest member of our group, Anakin Skywalker," she says, nodding at Anakin. "He was an invaluable help when we were stranded on Tatooine due to the damage the cruiser took running the blockade, and without him I suspect we would still be there, or worse. Naboo owes him a great debt."
"Pleased to meet you," Anakin offers the two older girls.
"Welcome to the retinue," Yané replies.
"I hear you'll be joining us in lessons?" Saché asks, serving first him and then herself stuffed rolls from the large platters in the centre of the table as the others also fill their plates and start their own conversations. "Rabé mentioned that you know Ryllish and I've been really struggling with it, it will be wonderful to have someone to practice with."
"I'll be happy to practice with you," Anakin replies in Ryllish and her eyes widen.
"Oh my goodness your accent is so good!" she exclaims. "Here, try this fruit, it's my favorite."
Anakin does so, eyeing the elaborate braids she has woven her dark hair into as he does. "Should I grow my hair out?" he asks. "You all have really long hair."
"It’s not a requirement," Rabé says, putting a scoop of crispy salad leaves in dressing on his plate. "But I guess having the option for you to also play decoy won't be a bad idea. The Queen has another four years on this term, and if she is reelected we could be here for ten or even sixteen years."
"I am not running three consecutive terms," Padmé interrupts them. "I might consider a second, I really want to get our relationship with the Gungans on a better footing. Meeting Jar-Jar Binks was… enlightening. As was meeting you, Ani."
Anakin blinks up at her in confusion. "Me? But… you've helped me, but I don't…" he tails off, not sure how to avoid offending her.
Padmé smiles down the table at him. "I was very naïve, before we landed in the Desert," she says softly. "You opened my eyes to a great many things, and I made you a promise on Coruscant that I want to build on."
Anakin looks around the table, and sees the way that Eirtaé is smiling at him and Rabé is looking a little guilty and a lot determined. "The Freedom Trail," he concludes. "You want to help free slaves."
Sabé nods at him approvingly. "Very fast," she says. "You will be an excellent addition to the retinue with a mind like that, Anakin. You are quite right, we intend, with your help, to get in contact with the, the…"
"Freedom Runners," Anakin supplies.
"Freedom runners, and see what aid Naboo can provide. But that is a big topic for our first day back, and right now we need to finish recovering from the Trade Federation's occupation. I'm sorry if it seems like things move slowly here, Anakin."
"It'll still be faster than Coruscant," Rabé promises with a smile.
***
Anakin is deep in the maintenance shafts when he first spots it. A small, blinking red light and a skittering sound. It takes him three long days and two modified mouse droids to corner the interloper, but eventually it trips over a small tangle of electrical conduit that someone had left in a mess and Anakin is able to capture it.
He carefully disconnects its wireless access board and its main camera before leaving the shaft, although his heart hurts at the small chirps of binary distress it lets out once he takes away its ability to see.
"Just for a bit," he promises. "Until I can figure out what you're doing in this part of the Palace. You're not a model from the list."
The droid tried to tell him that it was just lost, but Anakin knows better than to believe that.
He leaves the droid secured in his room and makes his way to the Palace hangar, where he asks the mechanic in charge of droid maintenance to lend him R2D2, figuring that the most opinionated astromech he had ever met would be a good ally in his planned interrogation. The mechanic looks at him very suspiciously, and Anakin has to show the ID that Eirtaé had made him promise to carry everywhere, but he is eventually allowed to leave the hangar with R2D2 rolling along beside him.
"Come on, R2, let's go to my room!"
R2 beeps 'affirmative route unknown' at him.
"Don't worry, I'll lead the way."
'Designation query' is R2's response.
"I don't know what the room is called," Anakin shrugs. "I just know how to get there."
The astromech flashes his lights in patterns that Anakin suspects are supposed to convey exasperation or frustration, but settles into keeping pace with him. 'Query' the droid whistles again after a few corridors.
"I found a droid in the maintenance shaft for the gun range," Anakin explains. "I wanted your help to interrogate it."
'Query unknown'
"It's not on the list of droids Sabé gave me, I don't think it's supposed to be in the Palace. It says it got lost, but…"
'Query negative', R2 beeps.
"Yeah I didn't believe it either."
With R2 helping Anakin is able to confirm that the droid is a newer model XK20, that it was designed on Akiva but made in a factory on Fondor and that it had been reprogrammed on Naboo. Anakin wasn't all that sure about the last piece of data, but R2 was most insistent that he was right. Something to do with peculiarities of the coding language. Which meant it probably wasn't leftover from the droid invasion, and his first guess was wrong.
"So, you're saying that this is local?" he asks the astromech as they resolder the droid's main camera. Without wireless capability and with R2 babysitting the smaller droid, Anakin feels reasonably confident restoring its sight.
"Affirmative," R2 replies. "Danger query."
"I'm not sure," Anakin confesses, looking at the droid. "I guess we go tell Eirtaé about it and she can decide."
***
Eirtaé had known that Anakin Skywalker's abilities would fill a security gap. Still, it was very gratifying to be able to stand during a Council meeting and report of a mitigated risk with him standing at her elbow, supplying pertinent details. The two advisors who had protested his inclusion in the retinue looked like they were sucking on sour candies.
"My main concern is that this droid seems to have been adjusted locally, specifically to slice into the Palace systems," Eirtaé concludes. "And that it was discovered very close to the royal apartments. We know that it was performing reconnaissance, and that implies that either the party behind this intrusion will try again when it does not report back, or will potentially escalate. Losing one droid is unlikely to have thwarted their overall goal, and we still have very little idea of what that could be."
"It might be nothing more sinister than a reporter trying to get an inside scoop," the Finance minister points out.
"Or a pervert trying to get some pictures," Sabé murmurs with a dark look at her fellow handmaids.
"Anakin, do you think you can find out where on Naboo the droid came from?"
Anakin frowns. "I can try," he promises. "It might have connected to the ship it arrived on, if I can get a vessel identifier, we'd be able to check the flight logs, right?"
Eirtaé smiles at him. "Let me know if you need any more equipment."
Padmé dismisses Anakin, who trots cheerfully from the council room, his soft indoor shoes making barely a whisper of noise on the marble floor, His hair has started to curl a little at the ends, and Eirtaé makes a note to get Rabé to trim it into a neater style, as he probably won't be all that comfortable with a stranger.
"What progress has been made with our request to investigate the Freedom Trail from the Hutt Empire?" Padmé asks.
"Mostly rumours," Councilor Saroo replies immediately. "But we have identified several space stations on the edge of Hutt space that are likely transit points for the Trail, and I have been able to confirm with reasonable certainty that some of the Pirates operating on the edge of Wild space and in what remains of the Mandalore sector are actually against Slavery. There are accounts of them hitting slave transports and freeing the Slaves, not passing them on."
"That is encouraging. Councilor Edma, how is the infrastructure of Theed recovering from the droid occupation?" Padmé asks next. "We cannot offer aid to others if we are still recovering ourselves."
Councilor Edma nods seriously. "The majority of the affected have been released from hospital, although some do require ongoing care, and some are still being treated as outpatients. The streets have been cleared and the damaged buildings made safe. More than half the affected businesses have reopened. The farmland has suffered from neglect, but I have been told that 75-80% of the crops will be harvestable or are being harvested at the moment, so we will not need to ration or import, but we will have to think carefully about exports, which will have an impact on the economic outlook for next year."
"Honestly, your Majesty," Councilor Nacysh interjected, "Aside from being morally the correct thing to do, adding to our available labour pool would be beneficial to the reconstruction effort."
Eirtaé wasn't all that sure about the Force, but every now and again moments happened in her life that made her believe in its existence wholeheartedly. Just as Councilor Nacysh finished speaking, the main doors were pushed open by one of the Palace aides, who trotted in looking excited.
"Yes?" Padmé allowed the interruption.
"Your Majesty, we have had a priority flag come in from the main communication satellite, one that was marked for your personal attention. The spacecraft Erkshal is in orbit and has requested permission to land."