The Children of the Stars

Madrassa

On a moon far from Hapes proper, the sun rose, coloring the sky like the special breed of roses that were originated here. Under the fiery sky, a procession of young Hapan women lounged in a garden dedicated to the current occupant of the Rose Palace.

In a scene similar to many that took place on Naboo almost a century earlier, all of the girls looked eerily similar to one another— and not just because of their matching gowns.

Dark hair, heart-shaped faces, pale skin, and dark eyes united the young women in their phenotypes. One would have to study their faces and body language to find the specific quirks and slight differences that were easy for close friends and family to spot, but not strangers or acquaintances.

There would be more precautions taken in the vein of Naboo royalty if they were on Hapes proper, in a more formal environment.

But because it was the Rose Palace, and it was the sort of morning where bad things didn't happen, the girls wore no makeup, and there were differences in their jewelry.

Allana Skywalker rolled her puffy white sleeve back as she reached out for the Queen's Heart herb that had been imported from Naboo when she'd arrived in Hapan space three years ago.

Her parents liked to grow small gardens with harvested moisture on Tatooine, and the affinity passed on to Allana. However, unlike her mother, desert roses and cacti did not interest her.

Like her father, she preferred Naboo flowers— or, if they could find them, strains that originated on Alderaan.

In other sections of the garden, the Madrassa Sun Rose was prominent, even abundant. But here, in the Chume'da's own leisure garden, they grew what she wanted.

It was another lovely morning. And just like the ones before it, Allana tried to open the petals of the flower with the Force.

But there was nothing to reach out in, a void.

The energy was inaccessible to her now.

She supposed that she should know better. The Force had not called out to her in the three years since the Second Purge.

But all the same, it was a disappointment.

"A lovely day, isn't it, Your Grace?"

Allana turned to see one of her handmaidens, Vanya, lying on the side of the fountain with a sculpture in the likeness of the first Queen Mother.

Another, Inanna, played a small bejeweled harp while sitting beside Vanya. Inanna stopped her playing to smile at the Princess of Hapes.

"I suppose Your Grace is missing home, once again?" Inanna asked, a sympathetic look in her eye.

Allana forced herself to smile. "We all do, Inanna."

After all, each of these young women had left their homes around when she arrived to come to Madrassa.

"Yes, but we must be getting closer to your debut," said Sansa, who was working on a needlepoint as she sat in the middle of a patch of Alderaanian wildflowers, looking more like a princess than Allana felt. "Surely soon we will be able to return to Tenel Ka Chume'dan, and then—"

Vasilisa let out a sigh of contentment. "Just imagine the balls—"

"The dinners!" Amalia cried, touching her stomach.

"The young lords," Vanya said with a wicked look in her pine-green eyes.

Inanna gently smacked Vanya on the head. "You're terrible!"

Vanya rolled her eyes. "At least I'm honest!"

"Blunt," Sansa corrected.

"Well, I do hope for your sake that a lord or lady good enough for you is waiting at my debut ball— whenever that is." Allana looked down at the scarlet light orange skirt of the sleeveless over-dress. "I just wish there was more I could do, for the galaxy."