How had such a time ever come? Sabé could barely process the painful question as she threw clothes, valuables, and necessities into her large luggage case. If she had looked the large wall-spanning window, she would see smoke billowing up from the center of Theed, a black cloak spreading and settling across the beautiful jewel of Naboo’s Capital. The looting had begun after the panic had set in, and the arrival of troops to “negotiate” would be soon. As much as Sabé loved Naboo, she knew it was already gone.

Just under an hour ago, she had seen the announcement from the new Emperor, and she had immediately known that her world was at an end. Still crying uncontrollably from anger, fear, and shock, she shoved a strong pair of combat boots into a smaller travel bag, and then shakily took her Nubian blaster and its holster on the wall, buckling it around her small waist. She took a deep, sobbing breath, prepared to do anything to fight the rise of this Empire.

Already in her flight gear—a pale, tailored uniform trimmed in colors of wine—she hurriedly gathered her hair and secured the deep brown mane with a hair band. The days of fancy hair and embroidered gowns were over. Sabé sadly regarded her still-full closet, in which many ornate gowns, cloaks, and hair accessories would stay to be stolen.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Sabé speedily shoved one last flightsuit into her luggage case, snapped it shut, and glanced around her apartment for what felt like the last time. Sabé felt her sorrow well up within her anew at the sight of her soon to be looted home. How had the Jedi Council have let this hostile takeover happen? How could they have all perished so easily? The news reports were unclear, slanted, and as far as Sabé was concerned, all lies.

A3-G7 beeped and chirped cheerily as Sabé motioned for it to come over. The little droid was clueless about what was really happening, and Sabé felt almost jealous. She regarded her droid sadly as she removed the files and information Padmé had sent just a day or two ago—information and contacts of a rebellion against the way the senate was being handled. Grimly, Sabé shook her head—the senate did not exist anymore, but the information that Padmé had sent could be vital in working against this new empire.

“Sorry, old friend,” Sabé said softly, and entered the command to erase the droid’s memory. She was unwilling to leave any liabilities in the path of her flight.

Pocketing the disk that now contained the endangering information, Sabé glanced at the outside world, newly afraid to venture outside, but knowing her time was very, very short. If she waited much longer, her only method of transportation, a small starship, would be taken or damaged by the increasingly panicked citizens of Naboo.

Sabé attached her luggage handle to A3-G7, and hoisted her travel bag onto her shoulder—it was now or never. She locked the door behind her, entering the security code on the console. Even though she knew her home would be broken in to, she wanted the bastards who did it to have a hard time.

Outside, it smelled strongly of smoke and fire, and Sabé forced back new tears, striding toward her starship where it rested, nestled beside her apartment under the blood-red sky. A3-G7 followed behind, merrily rolling along the cobblestone terrace. Sabé tried to take in everything around her so she could remember it—the rain-washed cobblestones beneath her feet, the light sandstone walls that crept with ivy and flowers. She was on a top-level apartment, and the city, even burning, was beautiful as it stretched out underneath the terrace she walked along.

But the beauty of a fading Naboo seemed to be impossible for Sabé’s mind to process: A million doubts were raining on Sabé’s mind—where would she go? What could she possibly do? How could she fight this unexpected breakdown of her world? What was she thinking, one small person against an Empire? And then, all of the thoughts vanished as she set sight on her ship—beside it was a small Jedi fighter, and Obi-Wan was getting out of it.

Overcome with shock—she hadn’t seen or heard from Obi-Wan in months—she felt something within her break. He saw her and his step quickened. Not letting a second thought cross her mind, Sabé dropped her bag and rushed to him. She ran into his open arms, and they embraced each other tightly, creating a semblance of harmony within the chaos surrounding them. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to find you…” Obi-Wan said so softly that Sabé could barely hear him.

“Obi-Wan, I was so afraid for you…” Sabé whispered, drawing back to make sure it was really Obi-Wan standing in front of her. He looked devastated and tired, and Sabé’s heart ached for the fallen Jedi whose eyes looked so weary, whose hands felt so fragile as they held her.

“Tell me it’s not true… that the Jedi did not try to overthrow the senate. How could that be true? What has happened?” She searched Obi-Wan's face desperately for answers, needing to know that the news had been wrong. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, and Sabé's anticipatory fear grew tenfold at the Jedi's silent weariness.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and lifted his head. “It was not the Jedi who destroyed the Republic. Palpatine has deceived us all. Even Anakin.” He paused to lightly place a gentle hand at the base of Sabé’s neck. “Anakin has betrayed us all. Especially himself.” Obi-Wan said heavily, searching Sabé’s eyes.

He looked for the first time at the burning capital spread out before them, and almost as an afterthought, he said, “This galaxy will never be the same.”

“I can’t believe any of this,” Sabé choked out, trying to shut out the sights and sounds of her dying home as several tears spilled onto her cheeks. The hopelessness in Obi-Wan’s voice scared her more than anything else. “I can’t believe this is how everything ends.”

Obi-Wan pulled the trembling woman close and rested his forehead against hers, invoking many memories of times he had done so in the past. It was a simple act, but it brought a sudden peace to Sabé. She could feel Obi-Wan breathing, and she shut her eyes, allowing herself to be lulled to a temporary calm in the rhythm of his breath.

He held her tightly, and whispered comfort into her ear. Sabé’s tears abated into sniffles, and Obi-Wan drew back enough to look at her and give a sad little smile. Slowly, a more somber look overcame his face. Sabé knew from the way he was looking at her that there was much more she didn’t know, and she wondered if he was going to tell her right then and there. But instead, his eyes grew softer, and it was as if he was seeing her for the first time.

“It has been too long, Sabé.”

Her gaze faltered and she felt her skin flush under his gaze. When she looked up at him again, he had not looked away. “Why are you here, Obi-Wan? I thought that we had…”

The sounds of explosions from deeper in Theed cut her off and made them both turn their heads toward the brightly burning capital.

“How can this happen?” Sabé asked, her voice a whisper in the dark. Obi-Wan brought her back, gently turning her head back to him with his hand.

"There is still hope." Obi-Wan said earnestly, and Sabé felt his sincerity ripple through her body. The way he was looking at her and how closely he held her caused her to wonder what he meant by his statement.

There was another explosion deep within the city, and Obi-Wan’s face grew tense.

“Listen. Come with me now.” He looked at her as he never had before, and Sabé felt her heart beat a little harder. He spoke again, a little quieter. “You’re all I have left in this place.”

His fingers grazed the worn locket she wore around her neck, the secret gift he had given her so long ago. "I've realized so many things. Some too late." His eyes searched her out, doubtful. "Some almost too late."

Sabé didn’t even have to think—this was the moment she had waited for, it seemed, forever.

“You know I am with you until the end.” She answered fiercely, and a small smile appeared on Obi-Wan’s careworn face. He gazed at her for a moment before closing the distance between them with a kiss that had been too long coming; and Sabé pulled him closer, losing herself in the first kiss he had given her in a long, long time.

As the sun set, the two figures drew back and together took one final look at Naboo, remembering the day they met, when the burning treasure laid out before them was a beautiful maze of cobblestone and ivy, when love was forbidden, and when their story had first begun. The galaxy was not the same as they had found it… but both knew that the only thing that mattered now was each other, and the hope they had for a brighter future.