#star wars: queen’s peril

[skywalkr-nberrie]

I was rereading some chapters of Queen’s Peril, and I just love how the book talks about how as a kid Padmé use to travel off world with her dad, Ruwee, to other planets and doing public service, like food distribution, relocating citizens, etc. Padmé even suggested to her family that they grow a kitchen garden in their backyard, and save the crop (vegetables, fruits) they grow and donate it to starving families, on world and off world.

I also just love how the story parallels Anakin and Padmé in the narrative, in the sense that they both come from modest origins, and humble beginnings, (Of course, Padmé’s dad is well endorsed in relief movements and public service, but the Naberries still aren’t noblemen.) but are destined to become prodigies whom were both identified as gifted and brilliant young people at an early age. Also they’re strong sense of justice, with Padmé wanting to aid anyone in need, and Anakin vowing to leave Tatooine someday and free the slaves. It’s giving ✨ “made for one another” and “soulmatism” ✨

[naboopalace]

“You overthrew the chancellor," Sabe said. “I wish you had seen it." Padme sounded sad. “So many people from all over the galaxy, and all they could do was squabble. I told them that our people were suffering, and they would have made us wait until some committee flew out to the Chommell sector and checked. They were more concerned with voting along the lines of their alliance than they were with listening to problems and trying to find solutions. It was a mess, and Chancellor Valorum did nothing. Nothing.” —Queen's Peril (E.K. Johnston)

[torturedpoetskywalker]

moodboard: padmé naberrie (queen amidala)

“The girl in the white dress was going to be Queen, and she was ready.” — EK Johnston, Star Wars: Queen's Peril

[of-naboo]

On a dusty world with two bright suns, a little boy looked up from his work and saw an angel.

Star Wars Queen's Peril, E.K Johnston

[fiatluxillustration-portfolio]

“Whatever else you could say about Anakin Skywalker, he might just be the most genuine man in the whole galaxy.” 

-Padme Amidala Trilogy

[iamanerd1]

Hey I wonder if anyone cares about this but here is my book ranking of all of the star wars books i've read so far

click for better quality

List of books: Aftermath Trilogy (Aftermath, Aftermath: Life Debt, Aftermath: Empires End), Heir to the Jedi, Ahsoka, Dark Disciple, Inferno Squad, Dooku: Jedi Lost, Thrawn Trilogy (Thrawn, Thrawn Alliances, Thrawn treason), Thrawn Ascendancy Trilogy (Thrawn Ascendancy Chaos Rising, Thrawn Ascendancy Greater Good, Thrawn Ascendancy Lesser Evil), Lost Stars, A Crash of Fate, Catalyst, Queens Series (Queen’s Shadow, Queen’s Peril, Queen’s Hope), Lords of the Sith, Tarkin, Alphabet Squadron, Light of the Jedi, Leia: Princess of Alderaan, Rebel Rising, The Rising Storm, Star Wars Jedi: Battle Scars, The Princess and the Scoundrel, A New Dawn

Number total: 30

To be read: Phasma, Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire,  Last Shot, Bloodline, Canto Bight, Padawan, Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade, Most Wanted (??), Battlefront: Twilight Company, Shadow of the Sith, Force Collector, Resistance Reborn, And the rest of the high republic books (what in the name of hell is the reading order)

These rankings are somewhat loose and not cemented in my mind, but I would be interested in other peoples (respectful please) thoughts.

[melwa-rat]

A repost of my Padmé poem. About her life growing up in the public eye, learning how to disguise herself amongst her handmaidens. How the secrecy of her relationship with Anakin drew her to him, and she let her guard down, only for the appeal of that secrecy to slowly turn into an element of horror. Her funeral. How naboo watched her even in the end.

[handmaidenofamidala]

Headcanon that Sabé does not enjoy music, instead preferring silence or the voices of the people she loves.

This of course, stems from the fact that she grew up in a house full of older brothers who were musicians. Since birth she heard nothing but the clamouring sounds of so many different instruments at once.

She only chose to study music because of her family. What else was there going for her? Sure, she could pluck a decent tune on a seven-string hallikset. But merely decent wasn't good enough for her family.

Her parents weren't disappointed in her exactly, but her accomplishments meant nothing compared to her more talented brothers. Tsabin watched them rise to fame, and thus spent her entire childhood in their shadow.

And perhaps that is the root of her insecurities. From such a young age, she became accustomed to being "second-best". Passable. Never in the spotlight, living comfortably behind. Her real name unknown to the galaxy.

It was with relative ease that she was able to quickly adjust to her new role as the Queen's Shadow.

[cleopatrachampagne]

i want a padmé trilogy style of books for mon mothma so badly after watching andor. i’m re-reading queen’s peril and the way it fleshes out the culture of naboo and the political intrigue of padmé’s life would be so interesting for mon and chandrilla like maybe i actually have to start writing fanfic again because god i wanna read the story of mon moving to coruscant and becoming a senator at sixteen and her friendship with vel so much but the book doesn’t exist :(((

[jewishcissiekj]

SABEDALAAAA

[morosecloud]

i wanna talk about this scene in queen’s shadow that perfectly mirrors padmé’s funeral

“Padmé Amidala was completely still.

The brown halo of her hair spread out around her, softened here and there by white blossoms that had blown through the air to find their rest amongst her curls. Her skin was pale and perfect. Her face was peaceful. Her eyes were closed and her hands were clasped across her stomach as she floated. Naboo carried on without her.

Even now, at the end, she was watched.

It was no more than was to be expected. Ever since she'd entered the arena of planetary politics, her audience had been unceasing. First they had commented on her interests and ideals, then later on her election to queen. Many had doubted her strength in the face of an invasion, when the lives and well-being of her people would be held ransom against her-hers to save if only she would give up her signature-and she had proven them all wrong. She had ruled well. She had grown in wisdom and experience, and had done both rapidly. She had faced the trials of her position unflinching and unafraid. And now, her time was ended.

A small disturbance, the barest movement through the otherwise peaceful water, was Padmé's only warning before her attacker struck.

An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her down into the clear shallows, holding her there just long enough to let her know that she had been bested.

The Queen of Naboo surfaced, sputtering water in the sunlight as her handmaidens—her friends—laughed around her.”

so clearly there’s a connection between the ends of an era, both for the world/galaxy as a whole and for padmé herself. this scene takes place on padmé’s last day as queen of naboo.

in this scene she’s peaceful by choice; she’s relaxing and waiting for the election results. but then why compare it to her death?

padmé’s funeral is like a marker for the end of the republic as a whole. by the end of the clone wars i’m pretty sure she was one of the only people who still had unwavering faith in the republic that she refused to give up, despite what she’d seen. the jedi were wary, most coruscant citizens were wary, and even though the separatists were losing they had a lot of systems on their side. several clones had either uncovered secrets or deserted, etc etc. so padmé’s funeral is like symbolism for the death of democracy.

and this is especially interesting because after padmé’s term as queen ends, the next queen is someone padmé and all of her friends and bodyguards did NOT vote for and were not happy to see on the throne.

it’s also the death of one version of padmé—the queen— and the birth of the senator. queen’s shadow goes on and on about how different and confusing the senate is and how much padmé has to change and all the political turmoil she gets involved in. the most interesting to me is how upon becoming senator, she was ridiculed by news outlets, ridiculed by fellow senators, mistrusted by bail organs and mon mothma, and made out to be a little, foolish girl under someone else’s control. much of the same as when she was queen! but as we see in clone wars, padmé builds a reputation for herself and is among the most trusted of all senators.

so why was this change represented with a parallel to her death?

i’m guessing it can be interpreted two ways. upon dying, padmé was laid to rest with recall to the most peaceful she’d ever been; no longer a queen, and not yet a senator; just at peace, with the people she trusted most. the scene abruptly ends with one of her handmaidens pulling her under. it’s calling us out of the connection and reminding us she still has a long way to go before she can really have peace. the other is that taking on the role of senator, of joining the republic when it was so clearly dying, was a way of killing padmé in and of itself. to fight for something that will fall in the end would slowly kill her.

anyways. i love padmé and i believe she made the right choices again and again, but she, just like everyone else, was doomed from the beginning

[thanksgiving-isnt-ur-fav-holiday]

just remembered sabé exists and i am torn between reading queen’s peril and avoiding it at all costs. recommendations on how to continue @ekjohnston ?

[naboopalace]

Queen's Peril

Alone for one last precious moment, Padme drifted over to the window in the corridor. The guards gave her space to think. Face solemn, she looked out over the city, committing the architecture to memory even as the droid army marred it, and making silent promises she wasn't entirely sure she could keep.

[torturedpoetskywalker]

moodboard: tsabin (handmaiden sabé)

“This is my decoy, my protection... my loyal bodyguard.” — Padmé Amidala

[of-naboo]

He activated both sides of his lightsaber and swung it around, getting used to the feel of the blades this close to the walls. It would be tight quarters. He would be able to bring all his physicality to bear. His master disapproved of so much punching and kicking in his fighting style, but there was nothing better than the feel of bone fracturing under his touch. A lightsaber was nice, but there was something to be said for working with his hands.

Star Wars Queen's Peril, E.K Johnston

@mutatiio

[fiatluxillustration-portfolio]

“Padme kept her eyes locked with his, a mischievous smile on her face, as she tugged on the bag’s drawstrings, opening it enough to pull out... Folded blankets? But the look in her eye gave all the context he needed. This was the Padme he adored, someone who spent most of her days understanding the nuances of countless beings to do right for them. Yet on occasion, a fire burst through, something brighter and more intense than the hottest sun – when she allowed it. Like now. She walked to the side of the rented speeder, a barely functioning vehicle covered in dents and grime...and unfurled the blankets in the back seat. “A lot of quiet places in these lower levels”

-Brotherhood