As the air transport raced across the busy skies of Coruscant, heading for the dome-shape Senate Building. Its occupants all sat in their seats, with very heavy hearts. Mostly for Senator Amidala, who just had not only her best friend, but bodyguard and decoy, die right there in her arms, from the wounds that she received, when the Naboo Royal Cruiser was blown up.
Padme looked at the window and watched the dome-shape and relatively low building, coming into view. What Padme noticed about the building, was that it did not soar up to the clouds, so it could catch the afternoon sun, as the other buildings did, but yet, the magnificent structure was not dwarfed, by those towering skyscrapers that were about it, which included the various Senate apartment complexes.
“ Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Senate Building.” the voice of the pilot came over the intercom.
“ I will get out first and make sure that everything is fine, Milady. I see Dorme waiting for us.” Typho looked out the window and saw a cloaked figure waiting for them and gave him a secret wave, to let him know things were ok.
Padme just nodded, as she looked out and saw her new bodyguard and friend Dorme, standing in the hanger waiting for them. The doors of the transport opened up and the small ramp lowered, then Typho stepped off the transport and waited for Padme to walk down the small ramp, to where Dorme was waiting for them.
“ I am so sorry to hear about Corde. The Senate is already in session and everyone in there believes that it was you, who was killed.” Dorme came up Padme and gave her a greeting hug.
“ Thank you, Dorme. That is good to hear, so that way, no one will see me come inside. We can enter our hover platform, without anyone seeing us.” Padme returned Dorme’s hug and gave her a small smile, before they headed off the Senate Chamber.
The small group of people walked into the building, and went past several Senatorial offices, as they made their way to the rotunda, encircled, row upon row, by the floating platforms of the many Senators of the Republic, representing the great majority of the galaxy’s inhabitable worlds.
Padme’s staff entered the rotunda, while she just stood the doorway in the shadows. From where she stood, she could look around the chamber and see that the room was full of all the Senators that were here to vote for the bill that is causing a rift in the Senate, and the empty seats of the systems, that have left the Galactic Senate to join Separatist. Padme stood there listening to the hundreds and hundreds of voices chattering all at once, expressing emotions from anger to regret to determination. Padme looked over to the middle of the main floor and there, sat Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, just watching and listening to everyone. Sitting next to him was Aide, Uv Gizen.
“ They are afraid, Supreme Chancellor. Many of them have heard reports of the demonstrations, and even the violent activity that is near this very building. And the Separatists . . . “ Uv Gizen leaned over, so that the Chancellor could hear him over the loud voices that are echoing throughout the chamber.
“ They are a troublesome group. It would seem that Count Dooku has whipped them into murderous frenzy, or perhaps their frustrations are mounting, despite the effort of the estimable former Jedi to calm them. Either way, the separatists must be taken seriously.” Palpatine held up his hand to quiet the nervous Aide.
Padme watched as the Aide started to speak again, but Palpatine put a finger to pursed lips to silence the Aide, as he nodded to the main podium, where his majordomo, Mas Amedda, was starting to call the Senators to order.
“ Order! We shall have order!” Mas Amedda cried out, as he tried to get the room quite down, so they could start the business at hand.
“ Senators, please! We do have much to discuss, and many important issues The motion before us at this time, is to commission an army, so they can protect the Republic, will take precedence. That is what we will vote on at this time, and that alone! Any other business must defer.” Mas Amedda called out again, getting some of the Senators’ attention.
There were a few complaints coming back to Mas Amedda, and few conversions also seemed to gather momentum. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine stepped up to the podium, and stared out over the gathering; the great hall went silent. Mas Amedda bowed in deference, to the great man and then he stepped aside.
Padme stood slightly forward and out of the shadow, of the entrance of her hover platform. She watched Palpatine place his hands on the rim of the podium. She also noticed that his shoulders seemed to be sagging some and then, he bowed his head. By doing so, only heightened the tension, making the cavernous room seem even more silent, if that was even possible.
“ My esteemed Colleagues . . . “ Palpatine began slowly and deliberately, but even with that effort, his voice wavered and seemed as if it would break apart. This sent murmurs rumbling though, because they all knew that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine appeared very rattled.
“ Um . . . Excuse me . . . My esteemed Colleagues. I have just received some very tragic and disturbing news. . . . Um . . . Senator Amidala of the Naboo system . . . has been assassinated!” Palpatine straightened and then inhaled deeply, as if seemed to be gathering inner strength, which was amply reflected in his solid voice, as he repeated.
Those words sent a shock wave of silence about the huge crowd, not only did every eye grow wide, but so did mouths; well for those who had mouths, all hung open in total disbelief.
“ This grievous blow is especially personal to me, because before I became Chancellor, I was a Senator, serving Amidala, when she was the Queen of Naboo. She was a great leader, who fought for justice. She was so beloved among her people that she could have been elected Queen for life! Senator Amidala believed in term limits, and she fervently believed in democracy. Now her death is a great loss to us all, and we will all mourn her, as a relentless champion of freedom. As a dear friend.” Palpatine gave a great sigh and a helpless chuckle, and then he tilted his head and lowered his eyes and then sighed again.
A few conversations began up again, but for the most part, the reverential silence held strong, with many Senators nodding their heads in total agreement with Palpatine’s eulogy. It was at this time, Padme stepped on to her hovering platform and sat down, next to Dorme. They both looked at the people in the Senate and just shook their heads. Then, the movement of a hover platform moved to the center of the room. She noticed that it was the volatile Senator of Malastare, Ask Aak,
“ 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 to the Chancellor and to the other Senators in the room.
Of course this bold statement brought out many shouts of assent and dissent from the huge gathering. Several platforms began moving all at once and one of them carried a blue-haired, scrunch-faced being, who came up next to Ask Aak.
“ Why were not the Jedi able to stop this assassination? How obvious it is that we are no longer safe, under the protection of the Jedi?” Darsana the ambassador of Glee Anselm demanded.
Then, another floating platform joined the Ambassador and Ask Aak in the center of the room.
“ The Republic needs more security now! Now! Before it comes to war!” the Twi’lek Senator Orn Free Taa agreed with the ambassador.
“ Must I remind the Senator from Malastare, that the negotiations are continuing with the Separatists? Peace is our objective here, Ambassador, not war.” Palpatine looked at the two creatures and trying to reason with them.
“ You say this, while your friend lies dead, assassinated by those same people with whom you wish to negotiate?” Ask Aak asked, as he looked around the central arena, and heard the shouts and cries began to erupt though out the room. Many fists, and appendages began waving through the air, at this explosive point that the Senator had made.
“ Did you not just name Amidala, as your friend!” Ask Aak screamed at Palpatine.
Only thing that Palpatine simply did was, to stare at the man, as he is the center of calm, like the eye of the storm that was raging all about him and the room. It was Palpatine’s majordomo, who rushed up to the podium, as he took the cue that his master must remain above this squabbling. Among the Senators and Ambassadors, he must be the voice of reason throughout this ferocious debate.
“ Order! Senators, please!” Mas Amedda cried out repeatedly on and on, and the screaming, the shouting and fist waving.
Unnoticed through it all, another platform bearing four people, approached the Senate gallery from the side, moving slowly but very deliberately.
“ This is exactly why Count Dooku was able to convince so many systems to secede.” Padme just sat there, shaking her head with disgust, at the shouting and lack of civility, emanating from the huge gallery that was before them. She leaned to her handmaiden Dorme, so that way, she could hear her.
“ There are many, who believe that the Republic has become too large and disjointed.” Dorme agreed, as she too watched all the Senators that were around them.
They finally got to the center of the arena and most of the Senators were so involved with their shouting and arguing, to even notice the unexpected appearance. Standing at the podium, Palpatine did see Amidala, and his expression was one of blatant shock, but only for a moment though. He shook himself out of it and then, a smile widened up his face.
“ My noble Colleagues, I concur with the Supreme Chancellor. At all costs, we do not want war!” Amidala loudly said, as the sound of her most familiar voice quieted many of the Senators, who turned to look straight at her in disbelief.
Then, gradually at first, but then, more quickly, the Senate Hall went quiet, just before a thunderous outburst of cheering and applause.
“ It is with great surprise and even joy that the chair recognizes the Senator from Naboo, Padme Amidala.” Palpatine looked straight at the young woman, as more cheering erupted throughout the arena.
“ Less than an hour ago, an assassination attempt was made up 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.” Amidala waited for the cheering and clapping to subside, before she began to speak.
Then, all the cheers became boos, from many areas of the arena, as those surprising words registered. Many others just shook their heads in total confusion. Had Amidala just accused someone in the Senate of trying to assassinate her? Padme just stood there and gazed around the room, and knowing that her words could be seen as an insult to many. In truth, she was not thinking along those lines, concerning the source of the assassination. She did have a definite hunch who it was. She took a deep breath, steeling herself against the growing rancor in the audience, steadfastly before moving on.
“ I warn you, if you vote to create this army, then war will surely follow. I have experienced the misery of war firsthand, and I do not wish to do so, ever again.” Padme looked around the room, before she continues her speech. Of course, this brought the cheering to outweigh the booing.
“ This is insanity, I say! I move that we defer this vote, immediately!” Orn Free Taa yelled above everyone, but of course, this suggestion only led to even more yelling.
Amidala looked at the Twi’lek Senator, and even understood his sudden desire to defer a vote, that her mere presence had cast into doubt.
“ Wake up, Senators . . . You must wake up! If we offer the Separatists violence, they can only show us violence in return! So many will lose their lives, but most of all, they all will lose their freedom. It is this decision, that could well destroy the very foundation of our great Republic. I pray that you do not let fear push you all into a very disastrous decision. So, please, vote down this security measure, which is nothing less, than a declaration of war! So, does anyone here really want that? I cannot believe they do!” Padme continue her speech, once the cheering quieted down some.
Ask Aak, Orn Free Taa, and Darsana all exchanged very nervous glances, as the cheers and boos echoes about the great hall. The fact that Senator Amidala had just survived an assassination attempt and yet, here she was, begging the Senate to put off raising an army against the likely perpetrators, only added more strength to her argument; only to elevate Amidala higher in the eyes of many. . . This from Queen of Naboo, who had stood firmly against the Trade Federation a decade before and they knew that she was held in very high esteem by so many, here in the Senate.
It was at Ask Aak’s nod, that Orn Free Taa demanded the floor of the Senate, and it was given to him by Palpatine.
“ By precedence of order, my motion to defer the vote must be dealt with first. That is the rule of law!” the Twi’lek demanded in a loud voice.
All Amidala could do, was glare at the Twi’lek. Her expression was that of both anger and frustration and she turned to Palpatine, Supreme Chancellor, though his responding expression, seemed to be that of sympathy to her plight.
“ In the view, of the lateness of the hour and the seriousness of this motion, we will take up these matters tomorrow. So, until then, this Senate will stand adjourned.” Palpatine came up to the podium and held up his hands for order, when the room was quiet enough, he announced to the room.
Everyone moved back to their docking platforms, while Padme just stood there, staring at Palpatine. She noticed how weary he was looking, but it was at that moment, she also felt that there was something he was hiding. Whatever it was, she had this feeling that it could change everything that she was trying to avoid . . . War.
“ Come, Padme. Let us head back to the apartment and get cleanup for our meeting, that we will be back here in hour and half.” Dorme touched Padme’s arm and felt her friend jump slightly at her touch.
“ Um . . . ok. I do need to change my clothes.” as she looked down and noticed that her front of her clothes was covered with Corde’s blood.
Dorme hit the button on the hover platform and they began floating up to the docking platform. The plan was to leave the Senate Building and head back to the apartment, so they can get Padme and Captain Typho cleaned up, so they can be ready for their meeting with the Supreme Chancellor in his office. . . At this meeting, something will change her life forever.
(Pages 46-57 of the book Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore)