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They would have to be looked after, mostly by Naboo at first, but eventually just like after their return to Sorenno, the ex-slaves would have to be transported home. It would take time and much therapy before they would really be able to realize that their time as slaves was over.
Harry had the fantastic idea of getting Shmi Skywalker and some of the other slaves who had been freed from Tatooine and remained on Sorenno to come and talk to them. Fay and Dooku thought that an excellent idea, and decided to send for Shmi from Naboo. Shmi and three other slaves from Tatooine would stay on Naboo to work with the slaves for nearly a year before returning to Sorenno.
The Nabooans, in contrast to the other, older slaves, were more physically battered than emotionally, and only a few scattered women-folk had been abused. Evidently the Falleen had wanted to sell the majority as untouched merchandise.
All of them, both new and older slaves, had the diabolical explosive devices used on slaves galaxy wide emplaced in their necks or along their spines. Master Fay, with Aayla and Harry's help, quickly began to remove them, but it would be a long, ongoing process, and they could continue it on the way to Naboo, which would have hospitals and doctors able to handle the tragedy.
The Jedi left about a hundred Wookies under the command of a Wookie chieftain named Cuornivaccca and Knight Vosa to continue to see to the rounding up and securing of all the prisoners from the space fortress and the ground installation. The rest of them took the Lucrehulk, whose old name had been scorched from its hull, back to Naboo.
On Naboo the Jedi found the entire planet ready to receive the ex-slaves. The Lucrehulk was met in orbit by hundreds or security and government personnel, who organized the slaves into groups, making certain what few families had been kidnapped together stayed that way, while at the same time making certain those slaves who had yet to have the explosives embedded in them removed remained together, bringing up further medical personnel.
The Jedi didn't even have to take part in this process, so prepared were the Nabooans for the return of their fellow citizens, something Dooku remarked upon in glowing terms as they were escorted through the palace barely an hour after their arrival in orbit. "I have to say that I was rather leery of Queen Amidala before this. She was personally courageous and intelligent certainly, but a leader needs to have an ability to organize more than anything else. This, however, and the swiftness she showed initially in moving to aid us, shows much promise."
The whuffing chuckles of the numerous Wookie leaders around them answered this comment, as the other three Jedi currently with Master Dooku simply nodded. Aayla, however, was rather worried, which she informed Harry about via their mental link. "I hope Padme has gotten some sleep since we left. She was running on the ragged edge when we stopped here before."
"I'm certain she has, Aayla. Don't worry," Harry soothed. "Padme's too sensible to keep pushing herself like she was, whatever the reason. Besides, I wouldn't put it past Sabe or that other one, Eirtae?, to put something in her tea to knock her out if need be."
Aayla nearly giggled aloud at that. "Okay, I was going to call you naïve for the whole 'Padme's sensible enough' idea, but the second point I can agree with."
A few moments later the Jedi, Wookies, and, unseen by all, Lily Potter, were escorted into the throne room. Several men and women in formal robes were standing to either side of the main throne at the far end of the hall, while a space was kept clear around the throne, save for Obi-Wan Kenobi. Even the handmaids were not present.
The queen sat in her full formal regalia, complete with her face done up in the formal, chalk-white style with red highlights and lips. It should have looked regal, but to the two Jedi padawans it just looked ridiculous. Especially since both could tell that the young woman wearing that getup at present was not Padme Amidala.
"Are we really going to do this again?" Harry muttered through their link as he and Aayla fell to one side and slightly behind Master Fay and Master Dooku. That was the traditional place for Jedi padawans who were being part of a ceremony like this, though Master Dooku was substituting for Master Vos at present.
"I think we pricked her pride when we outed her as a princess back on Tatooine," Aayla replied, then brightened up. "Or maybe she's actually begun to delegate things like this kind of folderol to other people."
"That would make sense," Harry sent back as the Queen's body double began to formally give the Jedi thanks for returning her people. It went on for a while, as Master Fay and Master Dooku refused any awards or anything of that nature, and Master Dooku spoke of the battle and the state the slaves had been when they rescued them. He said nothing whatsoever about having taken Dorset alive, and indeed any kind of details were very lacking and would remain so until Master Ranicisis's other operations were finished.
Eventually the meeting wound down, and the body double dressed up as the Queen intoned, "But you are no doubt tired from your journey. I'll have one of my handmaids escort you to your rooms for the day."
At a gesture the door into the throne room opened, and three handmaidens entered. One of them Harry and Alice and the other Jedi immediately spotted as Padme herself.
There was just something odd about Padme Amidala's presence in the Force. It wasn't a Jedi's presence, Aayla thought, but it was far brighter, far more colorful perhaps than most normal people's. It was hard to describe, but Padme's aura stood out among normal people's like a slightly diffuse beacon among glow-bugs.
"If you will come this way, Masters Jedi," said the young woman, with the very familiar voice, bowing her head.
"Of course," Master Dooku said dryly. "Lead the way, please."
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