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It is a common fancy, in folktales from Naboo, for all natural phenomena to be ascribed life. One such tale is about a fisherman who saves the life of a storm and dies for it. There is much discussion about the moral of this tale - the popular interpretation is that the fisher is a fool for expecting the storm to behave as anything other than what it is.
One of the pivotal debates that led to the election of Queen Amidala - arguably the debate that won her the title - centered around the candidates’ interpretations of this myth.
“The fisher was well-intentioned but unwise; he should have considered not just the life of the storm, but the lives of his children, and those others in his community who depended on him,” said one of her opponents, attempting to demonstrate forethought but avoid alienating those who look up to the fisherman in the tale.
“The fisher should have found another way to save the storm. Sailing with it out to sea was foolish - he could have released it from the coast, or launched it in a small ship of its’ own, taking appropriate safety precautions,” said her other opponent, trying to woo the crowd with her cleverness while missing the point of using metaphorical tales to examine difficult philosophical positions.
“The fisher’s actions were completely correct. It is better to die with compassion, risking everything to save even a single life, than live with complete safety caring only for you and yours,” said Padmé Naberrie who would become Queen Amidala. “We are measured by how we care for the least and worst amongst us, not for what we do for our best beloved.”
Years later - clutching her throat, black spots dancing in front of her eyes, watching the storm in human form who was her best beloved - Padmé remembered being asked that question. Holding her babes, and realizing how hard this life would be for them, she cries, knowing that even now she wouldn’t change her answer.