The Royal Handmaiden Society

Editorial

In Memoriam: Cordé

And now, an R.H.S. Pronouncement -- a eulogé, if you will:

Please join me in a moment of silence for dearly departed Cordé.

{moment}

Thank you.

Cordé -- alas, dear Cordé -- we hardly knew ye.

So mindful, dedicated to the last! Your last breaths of canonical dialogue an actual apology to the one you served -- acknowledging the limitless measure of Handmaiden integrity: one can never be too assured of safety, one can never be too cautious.

One must be ready to die.

At any given moment.

And for you, on a misty Coruscant morn, that moment came.

What can we conjecture now, that our more enterprising fanfic authors may not take the initiative soon enough? Were you there by choice? Did Amidala choose you? Queen Jamillia appoint you? Whatever the way, indeed you upheld most nobly the purest Idea of the office of Handmaidenry: to be ready to lay down Life itself, in the name of Duty. To serve, to the very last, with integrity and honor. In a fallen world, a corrupt galaxy, in a time of fading light, you discharged your office to its ultimatum . . . and past.

And so you have become one with the Force. Indeed, may all Naboo -- nay, all civilized systems -- know your heroism, and may even the most stoic Handmaiden -- retired or active, sequestered or public -- shed at least a tear, intoning softly to herself those syllables of truth: "We are BRAVE, your highness."

To Cordé, then! {raises glass; notices nobody else is, and some are looking expectantly. Someone clears her throat.}

What; what is it?

{A Protocol Droid sidles up and converses in hushed tones}

Versé? Who in Naboo is . . . ?!

Oh. OH. Oh, wow; I didn't realize. Well, then!

{*ahem*} Um, yeah. All that goes for Versé, too then. Brave, noble, thrifty, clean, reverent, etc. etc. O Versé, we really hardly knew ye.

Anywé. To Cordé . . . and Versé, then!

** Lt.P. **