Sabé

"This is my decoy, my protection&hellip; my loyal bodyguard."

- Padmé Amidala, to Boss Nass

Sabé was a female human who served as a Royal Handmaiden during the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo. As a handmaiden for Queen Padmé Amidala, Sabé doubled as the queen's decoy, often switching roles for her monarch's protection. Sabé carried out this role during the invasion, using it to trick the Federation into believing she was the queen.

Biography
"Viceroy! Your occupation here has ended."

- Sabé, as Queen Amidala

A human female, Sabé was one of five handmaidens that served Queen Amidala during the Trade Federation's blockade and subsequent invasion of Naboo. When Federation forces captured the Theed Royal Palace, Sabé switched roles with the queen, who posed as a simple handmaiden, going by her less commonly known name, Padmé. Sabé, pretending to be the queen, rejected Viceroy Nute Gunray's efforts to have her sign a treaty that would make the invasion legal. She and the rest of the royal retinue were then escorted by battle droids to a separate holding facility.

On the way, they were rescued by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. Proceeding to a nearby hangar, Jinn insisted that the queen be taken to Coruscant to plead her case to the Galactic Senate. After conferring with her handmaiden Padmé, the real queen, Sabé agreed. She subsequently left Naboo aboard the Royal Starship with the Jedi, taking Padmé, Captain Panaka, as well as two other handmaidens, Eirtaé and Rabé, with her.

They eventually managed to get through the Federation blockade and leave the Naboo system. Sabé&mdash;as the queen&mdash;commended R2-D2, the astromech droid that guaranteed their ship's escape, and ordered Padmé to clean him up. However, the Royal Starship's hyperdrive was heavily damaged. Forced to land on the desert planet Tatooine, Sabé remained on the starship while Jinn and Padmé sought a new T-14 hyperdrive generator.

When they reached the galactic capital of Coruscant, Sabé was presented as the queen to Supreme Chancellor Valorum and Senator Sheev Palpatine, who represented Naboo in the Galactic Congress. She then switched back with the queen, and attended to Amidala before she went to speak to the Senate.

Sabé once again switched places with Amidala when they sought help from Gungan forces, and began negotiations with their leader, Boss Nass. However, Padmé quickly revealed the deception as a confidence-building measure, and the two parties finally agreed to work together in order to free their planet from the Trade Federation. Despite being exposed, Sabé remained disguised as Queen Amidala during the mission to reclaim the palace. When Padmé was captured, she played an instrumental role in deceiving Viceroy Gunray, who ordered his troops to follow Sabé, believing she was the real queen. This provided Padmé the opportunity to retrieve her blaster and take the Neimoidian into custody.

Sabé was later present when the queen welcomed Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and the Jedi Council to Naboo, and at the parade celebrating the freedom of Naboo and the reconciliation of its human and Gungan populations.

Ten years later, a handmaiden named Cordé was serving as Amidala's decoy.

Behind the scenes
Sabé first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, portrayed by English actress Keira Knightley. She was credited as "Kiera Knightley" in the film.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace
 * William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First