Padme sat there behind Captain Typho and just watched the other Senators chattering and having private conversations. Mas Amedda stepped up to the podium and was trying to get everyone to quiet down. After the complaints came back to Mass Amedda, before bowing in defense to the Chancellor, as he came up to the podium. Palpatine placed his hands on each side of the rims of the podium, his shoulders noticeably sagging, his head bowed.
“My esteemed colleagues . . . “his voice wavered and seemed, as if it would break apart.
“ Um . . . excuse me . . . .” Palpatine straighten and inhaled deeply, seemingly to gather inner strength.
“ My esteemed Colleagues. I have just received some tragic and disturbing news. Senator Amidala of the Naboo system . . . has been assassinated” he began to repeat what he was about to tell the Senate.
A shock wave of silence rolled about the crowd. Eyes went wide, mouths, for those who had mouths, hung open in disbelief.
“ This is a grievous blow and is especially personal to me. Before I became Chancellor, I was a Senator, serving Amidala, when she was Queen of Naboo. She was a great leader, who fought for justice. So beloved, was she among her people that she could have been elected Queen of life! Senator Amidala believed in term limits, and she fervently believed in democracy. Her death is a great loss to us all. We will all mourn her as a relentless champion of freedom and as a dear friend.” Palpatine gave a great sigh and a helpless chuckle, as if that motion had been received, as purely preposterous by the idealistic Amidala, as indeed it had. Then, he titled his head and lowered his eyes and then he sighed again.
Many Senators nodded their heads in agreement with Palpatine’s eulogy. The Senator Malastarian maneuvered his floating platform to the center of the area.
“ How many more Senators will die, before this civil strife ends? We must confront these rebels now and we need an army to do it!” the Malastarian cried out.
A few more platforms moved all at once.
“ Why weren’t the Jedi able to stop this assassination? How obvious it is that we are no longer safe under the protection of the Jedi?” Darsana demanded, who is an ambassador of Glee Anselm.
“ The Republic needs more security now! Now! Before it comes to war!” said the Twi’lek Senator Orn Free Taa, his thick jowls and long blue lekku head tentacles shaking.
“ Must I remind the Senator from Malastare, that negotiations are continuing with the Separatists? Peace is our objective here, not war.” Supreme Chancellor Palpatine interjected.
“ You say this, while your friend lies dead; assassinated by those same people with whom you wish negotiate.” Ask Aak asked.
All around the central arena, shouts and cries erupted, with Senators arguing vehemently. Many fists and other more exotic appendages were waving them in the air at the explosive point. Palpatine kept his disarming stare on Ask Aak.
“ Did you not, just name Amidala as your friend?” Ask Aak screamed at him.
Palpatine simply continued to stare at the man, and center of calm; the eye of the storm that was raging all about him. Palpatine’s majordomo rushed to the podium then, taking the cue that his master must remain above this petulant squabbling, if he was to be the voice of reason through this ferocious debate.
“ Order! Senators please!” Mas Amedda cried out repeatedly.
This went on and on. The screaming, the shouting, along with the fist waving.
Unnoticed through it all, another platform, bearing four people, approached the Senate gallery for the side, moving slow but deliberately. Senator Amidala was shaking her head with disgust at the shouting and the lack of civility emanating from the huge gallery before them.
“ This is exactly why Count Dooku was able to convince so many systems to secede.” Padme commented to her handmaiden, Dorme, who was standing beside her, along with Captain Typho and Jar Jar Binks, in front of them with the Captain driving the platform.
“ There are many who believe that the Republic has become too large and disjointed.” Dorme agree with her Mistress.
Standing at the podium, though Palpatine did see Amidala. His expression was one of blatant shock, for just a moment. Then, he shook himself out of it and a smile widened upon his face.
“ My noble colleagues. I concur with the Supreme Chancellor. At all costs, we do not want war!” Padme said loudly and the sound of her most familiar voice quieted many of the Senators, who turned to regard her.
The Hall went quiet and then, came a thunderous outburst of cheering and applause.
“ It is with great surprise and joy that the chair recognized the Senator from Naboo, Padme Amidala.” Palpatine declared, as he bowed his head towards the young Senator.
“ Less than an hour ago, an assassination attempt was made upon my life. One of my bodyguards and six others were ruthlessly and senselessly murdered. I was the target, but more important, I believe this security measure before you, was the target. I have led the opposition to building an army, but there is someone who will stop at nothing to assure its passage.” Padme waited for the cheering and clapping to subside, then began slowly and deliberately.
Cheers became boos from many areas of the gallery, as those surprising words registered. Many others shook their heads in confusion. Had Padme just accused someone in the Senate of trying to assassinate her?
“ I warn you, if you vote to create this army, war will follow. I have experienced the misery of war first hand. I do not wish to do so again.” Padme took a deep breath, steeling herself again the growing rancor in the audience that steadfastly went on.
The cheering began to outweigh the booing.
“ This is insanity, I say! I move that we defer this vote, immediately!” Orn Free Taa yelled about it all, but that suggestion only led to more yelling.
“ Wake up, Senators! You must wake up! If we offer the separatists violence, they can only show us violence in return! Many will lose their lives, and all will lose their freedom. This decision could well destroy the very foundation of our great Republic! I pray you do not let fear push you into a disastrous decision. Vote down this security measure, which is nothing less than a declaration of war! Does anyone here want that? I cannot believe they do?” Padme went on, shouting him down.
Ask Aak, Orn Free Taa and Darsana exchanged nervous glances, as the cheers and boos echoed about the great hall. Orn Free Taa demanded the floor, and was given it promptly by Palpatine.
“ By precedence of order, my motion to defer the vote must be dealt with first. That is the rule of law!” Orn Free Taa demanded.
Padme glared at the Twi’lek. Her expression both angry and frustrated by the obvious delaying tactic. She turned plaintively to Palpatine, but the Supreme Chancellor, though his responding expression seemed to be sympathetic to her plight, could only shrug.
“ In the view of the lateness of the hour and the seriousness of this motion, we will take up these matters tomorrow. Until then, the Senate stands adjourned.” Palpatine moved to the podium and held up his hands for order, when the room was quiet enough as he announced.
Captain Typho maneuvers the platform back to the docking bay. Once they were docked, Typho stepped off the platform. He helped Padme and Dorme off of the platform. They headed down the hallway, to a waiting shuttle that took them home, to the apartment at 500 Republica.
“ Can’t these people understand what will happen, if they vote for this act? There will be war!” Padme looked down at the platform and saw char marks of where her cruiser used to be.
“ Yes, we know that first hand. I can’t believe some of those people blame the Jedi.” Dorme said, as she looked over to Padme and saw her staring at the Jedi Temple.
“ They are so wrong about this attempted assassination. How could they help, when they did not know when I was really going to be here? I think I will soak in the tub before dinner.” Padme looked away from the Jedi Temple and gave a small smile to her handmaiden.
The air shuttle just flew through the traffic, as it carried the young Senator and her staff to the building where many Senators live.
Authors Note *(pages 48-54 – Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones – by R. A. Salvatore)