Parhelion: A Fixated Story

Meet Your New Bodyguard

Bright light filtered in through the windows, flowers in the garden of the Theed Royal Palace on Naboo gently swaying in the breeze.

Bored, brown eyes watched herself in the mirror, dress being tied and fixed to her body for her by a handmaiden. SN-10 sighed for the umpteenth time. She was a member of the Naboo Royal Guard, though she mainly followed the princess as protection detail.

"There... almost got it." The handmaiden at her back mumbled, fingers deftly tucking in pieces of fabric so that the dress would not impede motion from the legs. "See? The Princess has such good taste, don't you think?" It was a routine she and the handmaidens had down to a science.

Every morning, before the princess awoke, the handmaidens would dress in their matching gowns and would assist SN-10 with her altered version - usually something of similar style and cut with altered length and trousers so she could run if she needed to.

SN-10 hummed her response, a simple sound. In truth, the dress was lovely. A deep red color with gold trim that would accentuate the features of the wearer. It almost matched the dresses of the handmaidens with the exception of less fabric and no train. The princess would be wearing a gorgeous gold and red gown of her own for when the First Order arrived.

And the Supreme Leader.

"SN-10!" A deep voice called from outside of the room, causing all of the handmaidens to jump.

She quickly left the group of young women and exited the room, taking her place in the hallway where an expectant Royal footman awaited her. "Report." She said.

"The First Order ship has landed and the Duke is currently greeting them. The Supreme Leader has a small entourage of his own, and they're-" The young man stopped, his voice suddenly dropping as his eyes focused on something far away, distracted.

"Yes?" she prompted.

The footman cleared his throat, "They're huge. And terrifying."

She tsked, eyes narrowing, "Anything of importance to report?"

"Ah-yes... sorry. Only..."

A beat, "Only..?"

"One of the entourage manhandled the Queen in the southern hall... and she did not allow the guards to remove him!"

SN-10's brow twitched at the info. If the Queen allowed a stranger to openly accost her in her own palace... something was off, or at least out of the norm for these visitors. "And what of tonight's agenda?"

"The Duke is having the Supreme Leader sit down to dinner with the royal family and negotiations will begin early tomorrow, I believe. The Queen will be sitting in for dinner, along with the Princess, but the Duke demanded that her handmaidens not attend."

"And my station?" SN-10 watched him carefully - sweat beaded on his brow, his eyes scanned the spaces above her shoulders, avoiding her gaze. Ah, great. She mentally mused.

"You will stay your post, but not attend the meal."

"Hm." A beat, then, "Thank you for the report. I will escort the handmaidens to the Princess now."

The footman nodded and turned on his heel, the soft tap-tapping of his shoes fading as he walked down the long Theed Palace halls.

SN-10 knew that Duke Praji was only hosting the Supreme Leader and the First Order in hopes of gaining some sort of affiliation that would boost his standing in the current power climate, especially since Naboo had been historically defiant to both the Empire and First Order, respectively. This meant that whatever talks made during dinner would be a careful dance to orchestrate negotiations of peace, or something feebly similar. It also meant that she would have to stand behind the princesses chair and watch her eat a full coursed meal without so much as a glass of water for herself - until the princess went to bed and she could creep back to the kitchen for a morsel or two of leftovers.