"Dark Tower"


Chapter Three

The resultant murmurings following Senator Amidala's confession were ceased by a pounding of the meaty fist of Judge Nelvin. The great man was notorious not only for his appetite, but for his maintenance of order.

"I will have silence in my courtroom, or I will clear it!" his deep voice bellowed, immediately halting all conversation throughout the packed hall.

Once satisfied, the magistrate relaxed in his chair and motioned for the hearing to continue. "You may proceed, counsel."

"I have no further questions," the Jedi representative announced smugly, causing Nelvin to shift in his seat impatiently.

"Attorney Dougin, your witness."

"Thank you, your honor." The woman looked kindly, but seriously at the young woman on the witness stand before approaching. "Mr. Tablis seems to think your personal romantic feelings for Master Obi-Wan Kenobi are significant to this case. Are his assumptions correct?"

"I don't believe they are. At least not my feelings."

"What do you mean by that?" the attorney pressed.

"I think Knight Tachi is the one who can't seem to control her emotions."

"Please explain your theory to the court, Senator."

The young representative of the Senate hesitated yet again, seeming to gather her courage. "I think Siri has had some difficulties in the past with her commitment to the Jedi."

"I object!" the Klatooinian defendant stood up.

"Grounds?" Judge Nelvin sighed, leaning upon his bent arm.

"Heresay!" Tablis barked. "Senator Amidala is not a Jedi! Her testimony is speculative at best! And I suspect is solely based upon rumor!"

It was getting closer and closer to morning break, and the awareness was beginning to show in Nelvin's pudgy face. "Senator Amidala, on what information are you basing your accusations?"

"I have a friend in the Temple, your Honor. Someone who has firsthand knowledge."

"Dougin, is this friend on your witness list?"

"Yes, your Honor," the Attorney for the Plaintiff confirmed. "We will be calling him to the stand momentarily."

"And with alacrity, I presume," Nelvin added.

"Of course," Rella Dougin answered, a crooked smirk lifting one corner of her mouth.

"Get to it, then," the Judge demanded. "Objection overruled."

"You were telling the court about Knight Tachi's difficulties with the Jedi. Can you explain?" the attorney prompted.

"I've been told she has been given several demerits for outbursts of temper, breaking curfew, and actually abandoning a mission."

"Is that so? That last accusation seems quite serious. And the Jedi did nothing to discipline her?"

"I believe the Jedi have their own way of dealing with insubordination," the Senator explained. "There are confinement cells within the Temple, and those who are having difficulty adhering to their Code of Ethics have to undergo intensive therapy. That's what I've been told."

"How interesting," Rella Dougin proclaimed as she stepped forward and leaned upon the witness podium. "And under oath, you claim to have witnessed such inappropriate behavior yourself?"

"Actually, I have listened to a conversation between Knight Tachi and Knight Kenobi where she has basically slandered all politicians, including myself, arguing that it's a waste of time for Jedi to protect any of them."

"Her exact words, Senator?"

The young woman took a deep breath before proceeding and seemed to gaze at Jedi Kenobi with some sympathy. "'It would do the galaxy more good if the Senate didn't even exist. Every last one of them should be gone', she said."

"What did she mean by gone?" Attorney Dougin asked next.

"I assume she meant deceased."

"Objection!"

"Yes? What now, Tablis?" Judge Nelvin leaned back in his chair, sighing heavily.

"Once again, your Honor, assumptions and opinions are heresay! We don't time to listen to what Senator Amidala thinks, we need facts!"

"Counsel," Nelvin addressed the senator's representative. "Do you have any evidence to support this lengthy argument?"

"As a matter of fact," Dougin returned to the long table behind her and lifted a small metallic object from her satchel. "This is a recording of the conversation the Senator is alluding to. For security purposes, Senator Amidala has a variety of recording devices throughout her personal home. I believe, this should answer your question, your Honor."

"Objection!" Tablis jumped up from the Defendant's table, his arm thrown out in direction of the device Dougin held in her hand. "My client did not give consent to this recording, and it is therefore excused under Galactic Law 27.42-B, article seven, paragraph two, which states …"

"I know what the Law states, Tablis," Judge Nelvin growled.

"Your Honor, this recording is not admissible in court!"

Nelvin flicked a tongue over his teeth and looked almost disappointed. "Objection sustained. Have the Senator's prior statement stricken from the record," he informed the recording droid. "Anything else?"

"No more questions at this moment," Attorney Dougin, her unflappable demeanor maintained.

As Senator Amidala stepped down from the podium, Judge Nelvin pounded the marble desk with his fist. "I am calling for a 15-minute break. Court will resume immediately following."

The large man lumbered out of the courtroom, immediately followed by the bailiff, which sent reporters scurrying to the hallways to upload their reports.

Padmé didn't wish to face any of them, but her bladder had other ideas, and she moved stealthily through the crowd, which presently seemed fascinated by their own topics of conversation. She thought she had made it safely through the hallway until one particular reporter she'd had dealings with before, confronted her near the water fountains.

"Senator Amidala, Gail Riordan, from GCHN News 74. Are you happy with the way the hearing is proceeding? Are you surprised by the aggressiveness of the Defendant's position?"

"I'm not, I don't…" Padmé stammered before a dozen other holographic devices were thrust into her face, and she began being bombarded by questions which werel overlapping one another.

She was looking for an escape, an opening of any kind, when suddenly an arm thrust out from the 'fresher door behind her and pulled her to safety. Once inside, the hero immediately activated the locking mechanism on the door.

Padmé immediately sighed with relief. "Anakin! Thank the stars! I didn't know what I was going to do to get out of there!"

The young Jedi grinned and reached into his pocket. "You looked like you needed a hand," he explained before shoving a small datapad her direction.

"What's this?" Padmé asked him, studying the device.

"Give that to Dougin," Anakin told her. "It contains an archive of an old Council meeting I think may help."

"Thanks, Ani," she told him, grinning. "I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"That's what friends are for!" the young man grinned as well before turning sober. "Oh, I wanted to tell you something. It doesn't have anything to do with the case, but it's bad news. Temple Security discovered a dead Jedi inside their own apartment this morning."

"Really? Who was it?"

"Master Agen Kolar," Anakin explained. "I didn't know him very well, but Master Yoda was real upset about it."

"Do you know what happened?" Padmé asked, naturally curious. A death within the Temple was a rare occurrence.

"Master Yoda thinks he may have been poisoned."

"That's terrible! " Padmé exclaimed. Who would want to kill one of their own? Weren't all the Jedi like one big, happy family?

Their conversation was interrupted with a ping from the speaker overhead. "Guess that means the break is almost over."

"It does," Padmé confirmed, and she hadn't even used the toilet yet! "Thanks for your help, Ani. I'll see you later."

"Don't worry," the young man stated as he reached for the door. "I'm sure everything's going to be all right."


A/N: I can't believe it's been 3 years since I started this fic! I definitely had to do some studying this morning to remember what I was going to do with it. I think I've gotten it all lined out now, but it may take me a couple of chapters to get warmed up…. So, hang in there readers!