FORBIDDEN ATTACHMENTS ─ star wars

XLV. The Message

One year and a half later...

Chapter Forty-Five
Genevieve

"Our village has not been able to meet the quota for medicine development, my queen," the young man informs me. "Our machines to grind the leaves has broken and we have had to grind them by hand."

"How many cases of the medicine will we be able to ship out to the ports?" I ask.

"About half of what we usually provide."

I share a glance with Fallon, who seems off in her own head. She's been very distracted lately, but by what I have no idea. Now is not the time to ponder over my advisor's lack of focus, so I smile at the young man, resting my hands on the arms of the throne.

"We don't have to ship out the medicine until next week, so in the mean time, visit the neighboring village and ask to use their machines. Tell them the queen orders it. We won't be able to reach the quota but we can get close. I'll send people to fix your machines and provide additional workers to help you meet the next quota and compensate for what we missed this shipment."

The young man bows his head to me, visible relief flooding into his features. Even his voice sounds looser, not as tense as it was before. "Thank you, my queen. That is most generous."

I nod my head to him, watching him as he exits the throne room. Commander Dawn leans forward, dropping his voice. "Shall we bring in the next citizen?"

I shake mr head, getting up out of my throne and stretching out my muscles. "I need a few moments alone, Dawn. Could you ask them to wait?"

He bows his head. "Of course, your majesty."

He and the other clones in the room begin to exit the throne room as well, and just as Fallon starts the join them, I grab onto her hand, giving her a look. She gives me a curious look but nods, waiting for me to speak first.

Once the doors are shut and we are alone, I squeeze her hand, giving her a small smile. "What's the matter?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing, Genevieve. I'm fine."

I raise a brow at her, searching her eyes to find a wall there. She's trying to hide something. "Fallon, you are more than just my advisor you know. You're my friend. Whatever it is, let me help you."

Fallon lets out a sigh, waiting a moment before speaking again. "I'm worried about Anakin." She tells me, her voice low, so low I begin to wonder if I had imagined her saying it.

I grip onto both of her shoulders tightly, understanding her worry more than she could ever comprehend. "I know. I'm worried, too. For him, Ashoka, and Obi Wan."

The three of them have been assigning a group of rebels on Onderon take back their planet from the separatists. Obi Wan contacted me a few days into their stay, but I have not heard from him since and it has been a few weeks. I worry for my friends; what are Anakin's hotheadedness and Ashoka's recklessness getting them into? I worry even more for Obi Wan, my husband. I don't even want to imagine what could be happening to him right now.

I snap myself out of my thoughts, finding Fallon analyzing me. The wall she was keeping is now crumbling down, having now seen that I truly feel her worry. "We must trust in the force," I tell her. "We have to hope they are all safe."

Fallon nods, giving me a small smile. I lean forward and wrap my arms around her shoulders, resting my head against hers. Fallon embraces me back, letting out another sigh. The two of us are still embracing when Commander Dawn bursts into the room, startling us. He is carrying a holo projector in his hand, a serious expression on his face.

"My queen, sorry for the interruption. Senator Parr is calling you and he says it's urgent."

I nod to him, holding out my hand to accept the holo projector. I click on it and find Aiden and Padmé both starring up at me, their expression's as serious as Commander Dawn's.

"My queen, Fallon," Aiden says with a bow. "We have some news. The senate convened this morning because a message was sent to us from Mandalore. Duchass Satine is in trouble."

-

Obi Wan

The rebel leaders, Saw Gerrara and Lux Bonteri, raise their hands in triumph atop the steps of the cap sail building. The people of Onderon cheer and scream their names, happiness flowing through the force around them all. The separatists are gone, their planet has been returned to them, and freedom has returned to these oppressed people.

Anakin, Ashoka, and I are standing closer to the door to the capital building, in the shadows away from the rebel leaders. They are the ones that deserve the praise, not us. We only taught them what they needed to know to win their planet back. They did the hard part themselves. The true fight is yet to come; rebuilding now that the separatists are gone. But Onderon is in good hands, I have no doubt of it.

My holo projector begins to alert me of an incoming call. I fish it out of my robes, clicking on it to find my wife's concerned face appearing before me. I knit my eyebrows together in confusion. "Genevieve, is everything alright?

She shakes her head, looking very dire. At the tone of my voice, Anakin and Ashoka looked my direction, now crowding around the hologram of Genevieve to hear what she has to say.

"Padmé and Aiden have informed us that Duchass Satine has sent an urgent message. She said that Mandalore is being attacked and she needs our help. She didn't give much detail, but she sounded very frantic."

"Is it the separatists?" Anakin asks her.

"We don't know, she didn't say. But Aiden said the senate is debating whether to send aid or not. If it is the separatists then the republic will probably vote to help her, but if not, she's probably on her own."

Anakin and Ashoka look concerned, but only as concerned as they are for the well-being of all planets and people. My own worry is far deeper, and Genevieve knows it. She is the only one who knows of my past with Satine, of what Satine once meant to me. Genevieve and I share an unspoken conversation, where she lets me know she knows how hard this must be for me, how she wishes she could be there to comfort me.

I smile at her, wishing the exact same thing. "We are finished up here on Onderon. We will return to Coruscant immediately and discuss this with the Jedi council. Hopefully they will see things differently than the senate."

Genevieve nods. "Padmé and Aiden are both going to try their best to fight on Satine's behalf. But since Mandalore is neutral in the war I don't know what good it will do."

I let out a small sigh. "I'll let you know what the council says."

She smiles sadly at me, a million unsaid things lingering in her eyes, in her voice as she says; "Goodbye, Obi Wan."

I bow my head to her, my heart pushing hard against my ribs, like it's trying to fly out of my chest and to her. "Goodbye, my queen."

The hologram fades away, leaving the three of us alone. I don't even have to say anything, Anakin just nods his head. "I'll get the ship started."

Anakin walks out of the shadows and towards the crowd, with Ashoka following closely behind as she always does. I wait another moment to follow after them, letting the information I just received sink in. If this were any other planet then we would be heading to Satine's aid right now without struggle. But this is Mandalore, and Mandalore is neutral. I can sense a darkness brewing, something threatening to swallow Mandalore whole. But I won't let that happen. We all won't let that happen.