Dashé Apailana

"No, no, Master, *that's* Queen Apailana!"

- Ardré Kartik

Dashé Apailana, born Dashé Borreno, was the Queen of Naboo during the fall of the Galactic Republic, who chose to resist the Empire at the cost of her life.

Early life (32 BBY to 21 BBY)
Dashé Borreno was born shortly after the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo, to a family that had spent nearly a century ruling their home city from behind the scenes. But following the invasion, her parents had settled in Theed, where by the time she was five, Dashé's potential was recognized and she began serious political training. In both 23 BBY and 22 BBY she was Naboo's representative in the Legislative Youth Program, and shortly afterwards she became Princess of Theed. She took on the name of Apailana, which had been held by her family's only other open leader about a century before her time.

Though all official power remained in the hands of governor Sio Bibble, Princess Apailana took an active role in challenging Queen Jamillia, who was viewed as having Separatist sympathies and was declining in popularity. As a result, she was urged by Bibble, Senator Padmé Amidala, and others to run for Queen herself. Talked into it, and with parental permission, she did so and won. She was the second youngest monarch of Naboo in history, and the youngest to be elected to the position rather than inheriting it.

Attack on Naboo
Shortly after she was crowned, Naboo was attacked for the second time of the war. During the battle, she wished to brave the front lines to negotiate a settlement, but on Captain Panaka's insistence agreed to do so posing as one of her own handmaidens. She was in fact uncertain of how effective this ruse would now be, as it was a known tactic of Naboo royalty, but the only ones who recognized her were those that were or had been handmaidens themselves, and in the end, this likely saved her, as when Jedi padawan and former handmaiden Ardré Kartik realized who she was when she tried to slip off to meet with confederate leaders, she insisted on following her and prevented her from being fatally shot. After that battle it was decided that the practice of using decoys would be discontinued as too predictable.

Going Down Fighting
She had been Queen for about a year when the end of the war brought with it the fall of the Galactic Republic and the death of Senator Amidala, allegedly at the hands of the rogue Jedi. Disbelieving this, Apailana attempted an investigation of her own but found her efforts thwarted. Harboring reservations about the new Empire, she refused to alter Naboo's democratic structure in any way, and started taking in and hiding Jedi.

This would prove her undoing the following year, when the 501st Legion was sent after her. Her handmaidens, other bodyguards, and the Jedi she had sheltered held them off long enough for her to escape the royal palace, but she was shot just outside of it. To add to the tragedy, none of the Jedi she was hiding survived.