DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the original Star Wars characters. They belong to their respective owners/authors. I do own the OCs, however.

This fic starts a bit before the events of The Phantom Menace, well before Grievous shows up as a cyborg to rain all over the Jedi's parade during the Clone Wars.

At that time, Kalee, his homeworld, had just come out of an unspecified long war against the Huk/Yamrii, an insectoid race hailing from a nearby system. The Kaleesh were first enslaved, then rebelled and kicked ungodly amounts of arse. At that point, the Yamrii petitioned the Senate via the Trade Federation and the Senate sent some paramilitary forces and some Jedi to put the Kaleesh "back in their places".

How and when that happened is a bit hazy, so you're going to have to go with my interpretation, which has a lot to do with the Moroccan colonial wars and the war in Vietnam.

The result is that Kalee was put under embargo and sanctioned. There was famine and the warlords had to do something to save their people. In canon, Grievous gets hired by the Muun-controlled Intergalactic Banking Clan, which then sides with the Separatists.
The IGBC is the ultimate responsable for the assassination attempt that lead to Grievous becoming a cyborg.

Ever wondered what would have happened to Grievous if he hadn't been hired by the IGBC as chief of security before the Clone Wars?

What if instead he had been contracted by a young Queen in need of military expertise against the oppression of the Trade Federation?

Here's my take at it, hope you like it.

A few explanations might be necessary, however.

First of all, you will notice that I am not calling Grievous with his usual name.
This is because in my head that is the translation in Basic of his Kaleesh name. I have rendered it with the urdu word that means grievous.

Also, as you might expect from a person that has recently learned a language (Basic) he will speak a bit oddly and ceremoniously.

Finally, if you think that he's being too OOC, you might want to read the wookieepedia article about him. They way I see it, he was a responsible ruler and a honourable warrior, but YMMV, as they say.

All the handmaidens are canon.

CHAPTER WARNING: none

Flame me all you want, I'm fireproof.

Enjoy!

The shuttle landing at the private spaceport of the palace looked definitely out of place among the sleek and polished Nubian craft.
Originally some sort of passenger or merchant craft, it had clearly seen some military action in his recent past. Its original livery had been erased and strange symbols had been painted over it in lurid red paint, heavy plating had been riveted to its frame and an assortment of salvaged weaponry had been fitted in every suitable space.
It looked handmade and half-finished, but solid and its motley surface had been polished until it gleamed dully. The owner must be proud of it, Padme thought.
Even though it reeked of poverty and destitution, the shuttle also exhuded a certain fierceness, an almost animal savagery.
Padme saw some of the courtiers wrinkle their noses at the sight and deprecative murmurs floated to her ears.
"Well, dear, what did you expect from a savage?" one of the undersecretaries said, not quite under her breath, to his neighbour.

The landing was smoother than she expected it would be. Evidently the pilot knew all the ins and outs of his makeshift craft, and was in complete control of it. That quieted the murmurs, but only until the landing bay opened and the owner of the craft stalked down the gangway and into the light.
A hushed murmur pervaded the crowd again.
The stranger was about six feet tall, lean and wiry. Padme had seen taller and bigger men, but the stranger was undeniably imposing and even menacing.
A bone-white mask covered his face, hiding his features and expression. A pair of smouldering golden eyes, vertical pupils reduced to the narrowest slit by the change of light, showed through the eyeholes and slowly scanned the crowd with hungry intensity.
The old and new scars that criss-crossed his scaly, red-brown skin, the faded leather cape that streamed from his broad shoulders, the two wickedly curved swords that gleamed at his waist, and the way he moved with contained power, everything about him identified him as a warrior, as a dangerous, wild man.

"He has had a hard life, child, - he grandmother had said, when they were still discussing their plan - harder than any of us can imagine, here on our peaceful world. It has made him a hard man, but not an evil one. You'll see when you meet him."
Padme could see the hardness in his eyes and in the way his whole frame was tense, like a tightly coiled spring, ready to pounce, ready for violence.
She could also see the contemptuous looks some of the courtiers were casting at him.
To the narrow-minded snobs, he must have looked not only savege and barbaric, but also poor, which was worse.
His clothes, a sleeveless tunic a pair of knee-lenghth baggy trousers and a headscarf, all in white, were spotless clean and well-kept, but they were also clearly homespun and well-worn. The edges were slightly frayed and a few holes had been discreetly darned here and there. All the same, it was quite obvious that it must be the best set of clothes he had, and that apparently wearing shoes was not compulsory on Kalee. The courtiers must have though it ludicrous and didn't really bother hiding it.
She saw that he had also noticed the stares, but was choosing to ignore them, for now.

The stranger stopped a few paces away from the crowd, in front of Sabè, who was once again playing the queenly role.
"I am Ghamdzan, khaghan of the Kaleesh." he said. He had a nice voice, deep and strong, and a thick but still understandable accent.
"Who of you is Amidala, rhani of the Naboo?" he asked, quite peremptorily.
Padme had learned enough about Kaleesh culture to know that he had denoted himself as the supreme military leader, and her as the equivalent civilian authority.
"I am. - Sabè replied in the same loud and resonant tone - I welcome you, Ghamdzan khaghan, in the name of the people of Naboo."
Ghamdzan inclined his head politely. "Your hospitality honours me, rhani." he said.
Sabè inclined her head in turn. "Come, then, honoured guest. We have much to discuss. My handmaidens will give you food and drink to restore you after your long journey. Then we will talk." she declared, with equal ceremony.
The formality was not excessive, if one thought that Ghamdzan was to all intents and purposes, the legitimate ruler of Kalee. He was penniless and non-human, and he ruled over an underdeveloped world of the far end of the Wild Space, that was true, but Padme had thought it would have been wrong to treat him with any less respect than she would have treated, say, the Duchess of Mandalore or the Chairman of Pantora.

Ghamdzan nodded in acceptance and followed suit as Sabè turned on her heel and slowly proceded towards the entrance to the palace proper.
Padme smoothly took her place in the pretend-queen's retinue and found herself quite close to her guest, practically walking at his side.

Hoping that he would not take offence, she cast him quick glances out of the corner of her eye as they walked down the corridors, trying to get a feel for the man, for how best to treat with him in their upcoming negotiation.

He kept on casting quick glances around every time they arrived at an intersection or passed by a closed door, as if trying to memorise the way in case he had to make his escape towards his ship, but at the same time he was evidently impressed by the lavishness of the Royal Palace.
Padme wondered if his impression was positive or negative. Coming from famine-stricken Kalee, the riches of Theed might just infuriate him with their sheer wastefulness. The luxury of the Royal Palace had always made her uneasy, but now she was feeling genuinely guilty about it.

Trying to distract herself from her train of thought, she cast another glance at her guest.
Closer and from a different perspective, she was noticing more details of his remarkable appearance. From the layers of his headscarf, a thick braid of inky black hair dangled between his shoulder-blades. It looked like normal, human hair, and somehow the idea of it clashed with the fact that he was essentially some sort of sentient lizard. The ivory tusks she had taken for part of his mask, instead, were actually part of his face and seemed to grow out of his jaw.
He looked terribly alien, but not ugly. Rather he was fascinating, like one of those sleek jungle predators she had seen sometimes on HoloNet documentaries.
For a moment she found herself wondering if women on his planet found him attractive, then dragged her train of thought firmly back to reality, and none too soon, as Sabè made the whole party stop in front of the door to one of the smallest (but also most lavish) reception chambers.
"I will leave you to the care of my handmaids, Ghamdzan khaghan. Eat, drink and rest, my honourable guest. We will speak again in an hour." Sabè said.
Ghamdzan acquiesced with a curt nod. "So be it, rhani." he replied.

Sabè glided away with part of the retinue, while Eirtaè opened the door and ushered Ghamdzan in.
The interior was cosy but lavishly decorated with glazed tiles painted with floral and geometric motifs in delicate tones of blue and green. A rug had been laid on the floor and several cushions had been arranged over it, around a low table laid with an array of fresh food, water and a small jug of wine. The furniture had been arranged especially for her guest, but the ensemble looked like it belonged together and in that room.

Her grandmother had told her that the Kaleesh in general and in particular the tribe to which Ghamdzan belonged were not used to using chairs, so she had made sure that he had a bit of familiarity to ease the cultural shock.
Judging from how his eyes had widened for a moment, Ghamdzan seemed to have liked the place.
"This is... beautiful." he commented quietly, pausing shortly to find the right word.
Padme smiled at him, delighted by his reaction.

His next glance was at the food. He averted his gaze almost immediately, but his eyes kept straying in that direction. Padme had the impression that he was quite hungry, but was trying to dissimulate it.
Padme was tempted by the idea of tarrying in the room, to see how long it would take before he caved in and asked them to leave, but in the end her better nature prevailed.
The situation must be really bad on Kalee, if even the khaghan went hungry.
"We'll leave you alone, now, khaghan. Someone will be outside of the door in case you need something. - she explained - One of us will come back for you in an hour."
"Many thanks, handmaiden. I will toast to the health of your generous rhani." he said, with another curt bow.
Padme bowed in turn and left with the rest of the girls, closing the door behind her. Luckily her grandmother's briefing on Kaleesh culture had included the vital fact that a Kalee warrior never took off his mask in front of people who were not his closest friends or kin. If she had not known, the whole situation might have been much more complicated and embarrassing.
Nodding quietly to the valet who was coming to take his post at the door, Padme motioned to the handmaidens to follow her and started down the corridor to the Royal Office.

"That went well." Sabè commented, taking off the heavy wig. She had already cleaned off most of the ceremonial make-up, but her face was still white in places.
"Smoothly. Let's hope the rest of the day stays like that." Padme retorted, struggling to get into her queenly clothes.
Why did the ceremonial gown have to be so heavy?
"Hey girls, is it just me, or the khaghan is smoking hot?" Eritaè asked, plopping down on one of the chairs scattered around the the queen's dressing room.
"Oh, come on, Eir! You can't be serious!" Sabè scolded her, grimacing slightly.
"Well, I am. - Eirtaè confirmed - He's got a nice voice, cool hair, nice eyes... and a really nice ass!" she added, winking knowingly.
"Eir!" Sabè chided again.
"You know what, Eir is right. - Yachè chimed in - I was walking behind him and... well, he has a nice ass, I have to admit it."
"Girls..." Padme admonished quietly, as Rabè applied thick white makeup to her face.
She had to keep a straight face for that, but she really felt like smiling.
The occasions when they could just unwind and behave like adolescents were few and far between, and she didn't feel like killing the fun, unless the jokes became too disrespectful.
"Alright, alright, he has a nice behind... - Fè conceded - But what if, under that mask he is really, really ugly?"
"Well, he can keep the mask, I suppose. I wouldn't mind too much." Eirtaè retorted.
"You have a dirty mind, my dear. - Sabè commented - Anyway, how can you find him attractive? He's not even human... I mean..." she added.
"Well, that singer you like from the HoloNet, what's his name?... Ah, yes, Jass Tin. He's not human either. He's a Twi'lek, but you must find him attractive enough, since your room is plastered with pictures of him..." Eirtaè provoked.
"You little snitch! - Sabè growled - I like his music, that's all. And at least he is near-human..." she added, as a clarification.
"Oh, come on, let's not be speciesist. A hunky guy is a hunky guy, whatever the species. Where is your sense of adventure?" Eirtaè insisted.
"I am not being speciesist, it's just that your species and his are so different... It's a matter of compatibility, like pieces of jigsaw that don't fit, you know what I mean." Sabè retorted.
Many of the girls burst out giggling. "Now who has a dirty mind?" Eirtaè teased.
"That was not what I meant!" Sabè exclaimed, growing beetroot red in the face.
"That's what it sounded like." Eirtaè insisted.
"I think that would not be the main problem anyway." Sachè chimed in with her usual quiet voice.
"And what would it be?" Eirtaè asked.
"Well, for starters he is much older than us." Sachè replied.
"He can't be older than thirty. He's not that old." Eirtaè contested.
"Alright, it's a matter of tastes I suppose, but he's married, several times over to be precise." Sachè insisted.
"Really?!" Eirtaè asked, looking slightly disappointed.
Sachè nodded. "It was all in the briefing, you should have read it." she chided gently.
"I did read it! - Eirtaè protested - Just not all of it. I read the bits about the war. And it's not like I'm really going to ask him for a date. It's just that, well... I'm not blind, you know? And I'm sure it wasn't just me thinking what I thought." she added, sounding rather piqued.
"No, it wasn't. - Padme chimed in - I found him fascinating as well."
"Ha! See? It wasn't just me!" Eirtaè exclaimed, triumphant.
"She didn't say she wanted to get into his underwear." Sabè contested.
"Well, I didn't say that either! I just said he's hot. You imagined everything else." Eirtaè protested.

"It's all done." Rabè announced quietly a while later.
"Thank you so much, Rabè. I'm no good at this." Padme admitted.
"You're good at so many things that this doesn't really count." Rabè retorted with a smile.
Padme smiled back, her skin stiffened by the paint. Now she was wearing a mask herself.
"Are we done arguing, girls?" she added, more loudly.
The playful but still heated argument between Eirtaè and Sabè died down immediately.
"Yes, mistress." they said in unison.
It was weird how their attitude towards her changed when she was in full regalia. It was as if she stopped being Padme and became something almost otherwordly and almost sacred. It was slightly unnerving, but that aura of awe and respect was one of the reasons why she had chosen to revive old traditions of royal pageantry.
That and because the heavy makeup and the huge gowns made it easier for her and her handmaidens to exchange places as the situation required.
"What is the time?" Padme asked.
"It is time to collect our guest." Fè replied, taking a quick look at her wrist-comm.
"Any volunteers to collect him?" Padme asked.
Predictably, Eirtaè and Yachè raised their hands.
Padme rolled her eyes, but nodded her assent. "Behave yourselves." she admonished.
"Yes, mistress." the two handmaidens replied.
"I'll be waiting in my office." Padme added. Yachè and Eirtaè bowed and walked out of the room.

Ten minutes later, Ghamdzan khaghan stalked into Queen Amidala's office, escorted by two of her handmaidens.
The queen waited for him at her desk, flanked by the rest of her retinue.
Sabè stood at her right, slightly tense.

Ghamdzan stopped in front of the desk and bowed curtly. He hesitated before sitting down on the chair provided for him, frowning and shifting his gaze between Amidala and Sabè.
Cold sweat blossomed on the queen's forehead, but she struggled to keep her composure.
There was no way he could have figured their ruse out, not even Padme's mother could distinguish between them when they were dressed in full regalia.
"This is a clever trick, Amidala rhani, switching places with your izvoshra. I congratulate you." he said finally, clearly smirking below his mask.
Padme fought really hard not to react.
"How... how did you guess, Ghamdzan khaghan?" she asked, berating herself for the slight tremble in her voice at the beginning.
The Kaleesh warlord chuckled slightly. "You smell different." he replied, tapping a finger on his mask over where his nose supposedly was.
"Now, which one of you is the real rhani?" he asked still quite good-humoredly.

Padme breathed a sigh of relief. She had been terrified that he would feel offended by the lack of trust implied in the ruse.
"I am. - she replied - I apologise for the deception, I know you are an honourable man, Ghamdzan khaghan, but in this troubled times, it is ever harder to trust anyone." she added.
He nodded sympathetically. "You fear traitors among your people." he said.
"Among other things. - she replied - My decision to meet with you was not appreciated by many of my court."
"They think I am a savage and a monster." he replied, apparently calm, but Amidala noticed how his fists clenched at his sides as he spoke.
"And I know you are not. Do you know Mistress Jaina Naberrie?" Padme asked.
"Nana Jaina Naberrie of the GSRW? Yes I know her. She is a wise and brave woman. She doesn't believe the lies of the Huk and of the Trade Federation. She helped my people a lot." Ghamdzan confirmed, nodding energetically.
"She is my grandmother. - Padme revealed - She told me the truth about your war with the Yamrii and the current situation on Kalee. She also told me that you are a brave and honourable man, Ghamdzan khaghan." she added.
Ghamdzan didn't comment and she plodded ahead.
"I need a man such as you to help me in the upcoming confrontation with the Trade Federation. There are few I can trust with the responsability of defending me and my people, few of which I can be sure that they won't sell their loyalty to the highest bidder. Too many Naboo noblemen have lined their pockets with Trade Federation money." she explained.
"So you looked for me. You looked for a stranger with a grudge against the Federation to serve you." Ghamdzan continued, sounding slightly offended.
"I looked for a honourable man to help me, for one who is reputed among the finest military leaders of this generation." she replied.
She hoped that massaging his ego would make him warm up to her proposal, but it was true that his name was often mentioned in the same breath as Revan and some of the most famous Manda'lore.
It was hard to tell if her angle of approach had worked, though. Behind his mask, his eyes were inexpressive like a golden mirror.
"We can help each other, Ghamdzan khaghan. - she continued - You and your people have been wronged and I can help right these wrongs. I can petition in the Senate for the cessation of the embargo. I can send relief to your people. I know you are looking for a way to fix everything. Let me help." she entreated.

He looked away from her face.
"The money-worshippers of Muunlinst have offered me a contract. Money for my people, more than I could imagine." he said somberly.
Padme stopped breathing for an instant. She couldn't match the offer the Muun must have made him, much less raise the stakes.
Did he come all they way to Naboo just to tell her no?
"I know what money can do. - he continued - It bought the eyes and the ears of the Senators, who were blind and deaf while my people were killed and enslaved for years by the Huk. It bought the blasters of the mercenaries and the sabers of the Jedi to stamp us down when we freed ourselves. It bought our misery and defeat. Maybe it can buy our restoration." he added, nearly trembling in repressed fury, then made a pause and looked back up at her, straight into her eyes, as if searching for something into her soul.
Padme held his gaze even if the pain and anger and hopelessness she could see in his eyes nearly scorched her to the core.
This seemed to soothe him somehow and as he spoke again his voice had lost its angry edge.
"My father used to say that the Muun are like fishermen, that all their gifts have a hidden hook. - he said with an almost faraway gaze - They want me to command their army of metal slaves and help them get money back from those who can't give it. They think their money can buy my honour as a warrior, and make me happy to oppress the weak. My spirit bleeds at the idea. My ancestors would spit on me when I die, and they would be right. But Kalee needs help. For my people, I would do this, I would lose my honour and my chance o afterlife." he confessed, hanging his head in shame.
"You don't have to." Padme said, feeling her heart constrict in pity for him.
Her grandmother was right: she could never understand how it felt like having to choose between betraying one's principles and seeing the people they loved die.

Ghamdzan's golden eyes crinkled at the corners and Padme realised he was smiling.
He looked young and vulnerable and incredibly attractive in that moment.
"Now I know this too, Amidala rhani. - he replied with a curt bow - I don't want their money. I want my people to stop starving. I want children to stop dying of illnesses medicine can cure. I want justice for those of my people who were killed or enslaved by the Huk. Can you help me get what I want?" he asked, now deathly serious and almost solemn.
"Yes, Ghamdzan khaghan. I can and I will." she proclaimed with equal solemnity.
Ghamdzan stood up from his chair and sank to his knees in front of her desk. His swords were out of their scabbards before either Sabè of her could do much more than blink. He offered them to her pommel-first, bowing his head.
"Then I am yours to command, Amidala, rhani of the Naboo." he declared, looking up at her with eyes like golden fire.

Padme hesitated a moment, stunned by the sudden turn of events. He was giving himself up for his people, on the hope that she would treat him more fairly than the Muun would have.
She stepped around her desk, standing directly in front of him, and gently pushed the swords back towards him.
"Rise, Ghamdzan, khaghan of the Kaleesh. You will not be my servant. You will be my advisor, a partner in our agreement." she said gently.
He looked at her in confusion, then stood up, towering over her, and sheated his swords.
"You are honouring me in a way I do not deserve yet." he commented quietly.
Padme shook her head. "You, who have fought so hard for your freedom, do not deserve to be treated as chattel. - she retorted - I will have a contract drawn up to specify the terms of our agreement. The GSRW will provide a neutral litigator in case you find something amiss." she added.
Ghamdzan nodded. "It is good to write down the words of our pact. They will remind us of what we agreed on this day. - he assented - But I would like to hear them from you now. By your own voice and from your own heart." he added.
"Alright. - Padme acquiesced, nodding in turn - let's do this."
"I, Ghamdzan, khaghan of the Kaleesh, sword of the gods and protector of the people, swear to do anything in my power to keep Amidala, rhani of Naboo, safe and unharmed and to help her people fight their enemies. May I never find my place beside the gods and ancestors in the afterlife if I fail in my duty." he declared, pressing a hand upon his chest, over the heart.
Padme felt a shiver run through her, as if with his words Ghamdzan had really drawn the attention of some supernatural entity.
"And I, Queen Amidala I of Naboo, keeper of the peace and protector of the realm, swear never to ask of my advisor to do anything dishonourable in the discharge of his duties. Moreover, I swear to help the population of Kalee, by means of relief and political action, to the best of my abilities. May the Force abandon me, and leave me blind and deaf, if I renege on this vow." she swore, feeling the buzz of unseen power rise at each word.
Ghamdzan looked at her with soft wonder. "It is done, then..." he said, almost in a whisper.
Padme nodded. "Yes it is." she confirmed, extending her open right hand towards him.
His expression, as far as she could tell, shifted back to confusion.
"When two equals strike a pact, on Naboo they clasp their right hands to seal it." she explained gently.
"But you are the rhani." he objected.
"And you are the khaghan. We are equals." she retorted, pushing her hand forward.
Ghamdzan hesitated a moment more before clasping it with his strangely-shaped one. His scaly skin felt dry and oddly pleasant to touch against hers.
"Equals... - he repeated, as if savouring the word - In truth?" he asked, almost timidly.
"Yes. In truth." she confirmed, smiling at him.
Ghamdzan smiled again behind his mask. Padme could almost see the hardness melting away from his eyes, leaving hope in its wake.

It was beautiful.