Queen's Hope

In this gripping Padmé Amidala story from the celebrated author of the New York Times bestsellers Queen's Peril and Queen's Shadow, a senator devoted to peace confronts the realities of war!

As the Clone Wars rage on, Padmé adapts to her role as a senator in wartime. Her husband, Anakin Skywalker, [sic], excels as a Jedi warrior on the front lines. However, a visit to the war-ravaged front lines leaves Padmé deeply disturbed by the devastation. The stakes for both the galaxy and the newly married couple have never been higher.

Meanwhile, Padmé embarks on a secret mission, leading her handmaiden Sabé to assume the role of Senator Amidala, a task not undertaken by a handmaiden for such an extended duration. Sabé, while in the Senate, is equally appalled by the political maneuvering she witnesses. This leads her to a difficult decision as she realizes she cannot condone fighting a war in this manner, even for Padmé.

And above it all, Chancellor Palpatine manipulates events to serve his own sinister agenda…

The story commences on Naboo, where secrets begin to unfold. Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker are making preparations for their clandestine wedding in the wake of the First Battle of Geonosis. Padmé finds herself struggling with the challenge of adhering to Naboo wedding customs in the absence of the significant women in her life. The emotional weight of this situation makes it difficult for her to proceed, but she perseveres, reminding herself of the necessity of maintaining her secret with Anakin. Ultimately, she reaches out to Yané, a former member of her Naboo Royal Handmaidens, who agrees to incorporate the traditional cloth and create a veil for the secret wedding. Throughout the wedding preparations and the ceremony itself, Padmé is filled with regret at not being able to share the truth with her closest friends, her former Royal Handmaidens.

Simultaneously, Skywalker is also preparing for the wedding. Reflecting on his decision, he comes to the realization that he was not fully prepared for it. He acknowledges that pure selflessness and detachment were not enough for him. He realizes that he decided he wanted to marry Padmé when he watched Beru and Owen Lars move simply together, without the Force. Anakin visits Qui-Gon Jinn's memorial shrine to offer an apology for his brutal actions against the Tusken village.

On the morning of the wedding, Jamillia, the current Queen of Naboo, requests a favor from Padmé: to retrieve a group of Naboo artists from the Torada Collective who are studying on the planet Nooroyo. Uncertainty was spreading across the galaxy as the Separatist Droid Army spread. One of the artists was revealed to be Queen Jamillia's sister. Following the rescue mission, they return to the lake house to finalize the wedding preparations. Both Anakin and Padmé dress and prepare separately, a fact that weighs heavily on Padmé. She feels a profound sense of loneliness, knowing that almost none of her friends are aware of her situation, nor could they be, and that her family is unaware of her presence on the planet. She repeats to herself that she is making this choice for herself, and that she has Anakin. The ceremony is witnessed only by the officiant, R2-D2, and C-3PO.

Meanwhile, Sabé, Padmé's closest friend and one of her most trusted Royal Handmaidens, is en route back to Tatooine with Captain Tonra. Their mission involves liberating the slaves on the planet and smuggling them to safety. This being their second attempt, they plan to proceed more cautiously this time, integrating themselves into the community to earn trust. Sabé is settled and content with her mission. Always being second best and pushing herself to the side, she was enjoying becoming her own person.

Back in the senate, Senator Bail Organa and Senator Mon Mothma have a crucial mission that only Padmé can pull off, as it requires her presence in two locations simultaneously. Padmé accepts the secret mission and summons Sabé to Coruscant to impersonate Senator Amidala during her absence. Padmé feels a strong desire to confide in Sabé about her secret marriage, but she is unable to muster the courage to do so. Padmé departs for her mission accompanied by Captain Gregar Typho, while Sabé assumes the role of Senator Amidala. However, Padmé's secret is exposed when Anakin Skywalker returns from a Jedi mission and encounters Sabé instead of Padmé. Sabé harbors a dislike for Anakin, particularly for his casual discussions about the Clone Wars and his apparent enjoyment of the destruction it causes. Sabé is hurt that Padmé did not confide this in her, but understands to a degree. Sabé experiences minimal difficulty in convincingly portraying Senator Amidala at various senatorial gatherings and meetings.

Padmé, on the other hand, finds herself on the front lines delivering medical supplies while awaiting contact with her mysterious contact. She witnesses firsthand the devastation caused by the two manufactured armies and learns about the clone troopers. Padmé later discovers that her contact is a Neimoidian named Oje N'deeb who is attempting to atone for the Trade Federation's previous aggrievances and replace the senatorial spot that Lott Dod currently holds. Given the Trade Federation's past with Padmé and Naboo, her support would be monumental in the Senate. To show good intentions, Lott Dod was freeing slaves in the Chommell sector.

Upon Padmé's return to Coruscant, Sabé confronts her about her secret marriage to Anakin, expressing her sadness at the secret between them. Sabé intends to return to Tatooine to continue her work. She tells Padmé that her hands will always be Padmé's, but to never ask for them again. Upon returning to Tatooine, Sabé discovers that Tonra found a contact that is also trying to assist slaves in their escape. Beru Whitesun created a device to find and deactivate the slave chips to allow for their escape.

During the creation of Queen's Hope, Brotherhood by Mike Chen, another novel also set during the early Clone Wars, was in development with a similar release timeframe. As a result, Johnston and Chen collaborated to ensure their narratives were interconnected. According to Chen, Queen's Hope is set directly before Brotherhood.

The novel incorrectly refers to the weapon installed on Naboo after the Trade Federation's invasion as an ion cannon when it had been previously established as an ion pulse.

• ISBN 9783833240829 ; January 25 , 2022 ; Panini Verlag ; Germany paperback [7]
• ISBN 9781368075930 ; April 5 , 2022; Disney–Lucasfilm Press ; US hardcover [1]
• ISBN 9781368077439 ; April 5, 2022; 6-Copy Indie Exclusive Prepack (Indie Exclusive Signed Edition)
• ISBN ‎9781368093767 ; October 3 , 2023 ; Disney–Lucasfilm Press; US paperback [8]