"Only in the darkness can you see stars."
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It has been six years since Ben Solo succumbed to his fate and betrayed the Jedi Order after being seduced by the Dark Side. With the aid of his immense power, the First Order has cast a shadow over the g...
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"Will they be gone soon, my queen?" I ask Nikana, our paces synced as we approach the large gathering room. She easily senses the underlying message and swallows.
"They are demanding more than our resources can tolerate, if we are to continue our trade agreements with other planets and organizations as well- which we intend to do." We turn the final corner, the other five handmaidens close at our heels speaking in hushed voices. My gaze hardens. When we near the Governor, I fall back into the ranks of the other royal protectors.
"Governor Larkin!" The queen greets politely as if she had not just seen him in a meeting before luncheon. The weathered man with graying sandy hair and laugh lines returns her greeting with matching enthusiasm and kisses her cheek as is custom. He briefs her quietly, so that the rest of us are unable to hear, before leading us inside the door he had previously stood in front of.
I visibly pale as we all catch sight of what awaits us inside.
Many stormtroopers. They're everywhere. A pair in charcoal uniforms, the bills of their caps covering half of their faces. At the center of it all, a pale man with a permanent sneer and red hair that starkly contrasts with the blindingly white armor of the soldiers surrounding him. He barely regards us as we pass in our identical blue tunics and cloaks, our hoods uniformly pulled over our heads.
As Queen Nikana enters behind us, he rises respectfully, his sneer morphing into a mischievous grin.
"It is quite an honor to meet you, Queen Nikana." He clasps her hand in his own and kisses the back of it quickly. Ahthi stifles a snicker.
"It is an honor to meet you as well, Mr-"
"General Armitage Hux, ma'am." He corrects, already turning back to his seat. Mariko mutters something about his manners under her breath, and Sheva quickly nods.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, General? Surely someone of such high ranking need not discuss trade matters with rulers of a mid rim planet." Nikana is onto him immediately, voicing the suspicions that currently occupied my own mind.
"The First Order merely respects the importance of trade with a planet such as yours, and it seems that the officer you have been discussing such matters with hasn't been... effective." I know right then that he is lying.
The First Order brought this man of high rank to frighten Naboo into forcing our hand.
Nikana holds her rehearsed cool expression, likely having come to the same realization that I had.
"Let's begin discussions." Governor Larkin suggests, and the two dutifully comply.
It is expected of us to listen to discussions such as this to help the queen make more sense of them later and come to honest conclusions, but I am too distracted to do so.
Blood rushes through my ears as I fix my cold stare on General Hux, trying to decipher what exactly the First Order is playing at, and how exactly they plan to threaten us into submission later.
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The next day, Nikana sits obediently still at her vanity, while Sheva, Ahthi and I help her to get ready. I weave her blonde strands together beautifully while Sheva and Ahthi powder her face.
"Has anything come of the trade deal?" Ahthi questions nonchalantly after painting her lips ruby red, and Sheva and I listen intently for her response.
"That general of theirs was considerably more pushy than the man they originally sent, and I believe that was the point. Still, nothing has become of it. Not yet, anyway." Nikana explains while puckering her lips, inspecting the job Ahthi had done. I frown, meeting her eyes in the mirror. She shrugs.
"We do have something arranged with them however, tomorrow night. An official welcome ball, planned by the governor. It seems they'll be staying a while." She shifts her eyes from my own, seeing the alarmed look taken over my face.
At gatherings such as this, handmaidens don't wear our typical matching cloaks and large hoods. Instead, we dress as honored guests, to blend in with the crowd while simultaneously keeping an eye on the queen.
In other words, I will be much more recognizable. And we are to be mingling with the enemy.
"Perhaps we shouldn't be making a deal with them at all. We could be falsely viewed as enemies of the Resistance." Sheva suggests, noticing the way I had tensed at her side. Of course she would outwardly support the Resistance, as she had every right to. Meanwhile I was forced to stay quiet, only nodding in agreement.
"Whether we make a deal with them or not is out of my hands now. They won't leave Naboo with nothing, that is not how they operate." Nikana sighs.
"Hale, are you okay?" Ahthi asks lowly, seeing my hands frozen over the queen's head. I swallow and shake my head, pushing away the cold sense of dread flowing through my veins.
"I'm okay." I cough. I tell Sheva to finish Nikana's hairstyle and respectfully dismiss myself from the room, stumbling down the corridor to my chambers.
As soon as I'm inside, I align my being with the Force, trying desperately to ground myself after the scene I had caused.
I see the rumbling waterfalls at the edge of Theed, even feeling the cold spray over my face. Sunlight warms my skin, and life bursts at the seams in the lush gardens just outside the palace. An elderly woman slips into eternal rest. Native golden pheasants battle over food, a mother watches her daughter play contentedly in a meadow. And holding it all together, a Force.
The large door of my chambers creaking open breaks me from my reverie and I open my eyes, feeling an overall sense of calm and understanding.
"Lyra." Nikana breathes, easing the door shut behind her. "I'm sorry that all of this is happening."
"Why are we even involved with the First Order? They are against everything the Nabooian people stand for." I say honestly, fixing my friend with an incredulous look.
"The Royal Advisory board insisted it would be prosperous for us all, but so far it's meant nothing but trouble." She shakes her head, perching beside me at the end of my bed.
"They are merciless, Nikana. All they care for is power." I think of all they have cost me and tears brim at my eyes. This organization took everyone I cared for, my closest friends, my family, the love of my life away from me, and now they roamed the halls of my new home, earning elaborate parties as honored guests.
"We'll keep you safe, Lyra." She assures, but it does nothing to stop the impending doom I sense when I think of the ball tomorrow night.
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if any of you are bored with this right now, don't worry! many things to come in the next chapter ;)
what do you think will happen at the ball, if anything?
give this chapter a vote n don't forget to comment, tell me what you think!
