The Arrival
I arrived on Naboo not with a fleet, but with a single ship and the title of cultural envoy. The Mandalorian clans rarely sent ambassadors, and when they did, it meant something. I made sure to dress the part—formal armor under fine robes, dark blue with silver trim, and the hilt of a distinctive weapon visible at my side.
A lightsaber forged around a rare permafrost kyber crystal. Its blade shimmered pale blue and cold, the very air around it frosting with each draw.
The Queen
Queen Padmé Amidala was cautious, even in her warmth. She met me in the Royal Audience Chamber of Theed, flanked by her handmaidens. Her eyes missed nothing.
"You are a Mandalorian?" she asked. "I thought your people avoided diplomacy."
I gave a respectful bow. "I avoid politics when they're boring. But the galaxy rarely offers that luxury anymore."
A faint smile threatened to appear, then vanished. "What brings you to Naboo?"
"Curiosity. Respect. And a strong suspicion that you're about to be tested."
Her expression tightened, but she didn't flinch. "Explain."
"I see patterns. And I've seen this one before. A blockade. A manufactured crisis. And a Republic too slow to react."
"I'm told that's a trade dispute."
"You're being lied to."
Silence fell between us, tense and heavy. Then Padmé spoke again, her tone controlled.
"You've brought no evidence. Only warnings."
"Sometimes a warning is all you get."
Jedi Watchers
They arrived two days later—two Jedi, cloaked and quiet, meeting with the Queen in private before seeking me out.
We met in one of Theed's garden courtyards. I waited, seated beside a reflective pool, watching swans glide past.
Qui-Gon Jinn was the first to speak. "You seem familiar with the Queen's situation."
I stood. "It doesn't take prophecy to see the storm gathering."
He watched me carefully. "You're… difficult to read."
"That's intentional."
Obi-Wan stood behind him, silent at first. His eyes flicked to my saber hilt, then to my armor. I met his gaze but said nothing. He seemed cautious, but not hostile.
Qui-Gon continued. "Your presence here—unexpected. Your warnings—unproven."
I smiled. "I prefer to act before it's too late. Your Order… tends to wait until things burn."
The older Jedi tilted his head. "And what do you suggest we do?"
"Talk to the Queen. Listen to her instincts. She's sharper than you think."
Obi-Wan finally spoke. "Instinct isn't proof."
"Neither is the Force. But you trust it."
Qui-Gon chuckled. "You have a strange way of speaking."
"It's a strange galaxy."
The Queen's Private Council
Padmé requested another meeting the following night—this time, in a more private setting.
I found her in a quiet chamber overlooking Theed's river canals. No crown. No throne. Just a young woman wearing the burden of leadership.
"You were right," she said quietly. "The Federation is increasing their presence in orbit."
"They'll land troops next. Not officially, of course. Not yet."
She turned sharply. "The Senate—"
"Will argue. Will delay. You'll be told to wait, to appeal, to stay patient." I paused. "You need to be ready before they come."
Padmé looked away, then back. "Why help us?"
"Because this world matters. Because your people deserve better than what's coming."
"And you?"
"I've seen too many peaceful places ruined by those who hide behind legality."
Padmé's voice was soft. "You speak like someone who's lost things."
I didn't answer. She didn't press.
The Shadow in the Swamp
I patrolled Theed's outskirts in person, letting the Force guide me.
That's when I saw him.
He stood on a ridge overlooking the city—black robes, crimson face, horns.
He didn't move. Neither did I.
Darth Maul.
I didn't draw my weapon. I left something instead: a small orb, no bigger than a pebble, humming faintly.
When he found it, it burst in a swirl of frozen mist and sparkling ice. No damage—just a message.
I was here.
And I wasn't afraid.
Jedi and Quiet Warnings
The Jedi and I crossed paths again at a formal reception.
Qui-Gon approached, his voice low. "Something dark is watching this world."
"I've seen it."
"Do you know its name?"
"No. But I know how it moves. In silence. In manipulation."
"Are you prepared to confront it?"
I looked at him. "When the time comes."
Obi-Wan lingered nearby but said nothing this time. His eyes were wary, but the judgment in them had softened.
The Ice Blade
In the training yard outside the city, I practiced with my weapon—slicing through the air with measured precision. The blade shimmered like frost over glass, leaving trails of vapor in its wake.
One of the Queen's guards approached, drawn by the movement.
"What kind of saber is that?"
I looked at the hilt. "One built for focus. It listens better than it speaks."
"You fight like a Jedi."
"I fight like myself."
Conversations with Padmé
She invited me again, this time under pretense of diplomatic advice. We talked for hours—about war, about peace, about the burden of command.
"I thought I was ready for this," she said. "But the Senate… they treat me like a child."
"They treat you like someone they can delay."
"What if I act without them?"
"Then you act like a Queen."
Padmé folded her hands. "And if I fail?"
"Then fail boldly. Better that than silence."
She laughed—just a little. "You're strange."
"So I've been told."
The Last Morning
The next day, I stood beside the waterfalls of Theed and felt the air shift. A message from Mandalore had arrived. I was needed elsewhere.
I left behind a datapad for Padmé. No names. No accusations. Just suggestions—where to look, who to question, how to prepare for a siege that hadn't begun yet.
And one last note:
"You will not be alone."
Departure
My ship lifted off in silence, leaving the green valleys behind.
I looked back once.
Naboo's fight was coming. But they wouldn't face it blind.
They had a Queen ready to defy empires.
They had Jedi watching shadows.
And now, they had me—moving quietly in the cracks of the galaxy, where frost could still hold back fire.
End of Chapter 4