Part III
"Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." -Stephen King
Chapter Twenty-One:
"I'm going to assume, from a lack of reports, that the assassin failed," Mothma said, her tiny form radiating worry.
Padme took the seat that the ghost of Qui-Gon had once occupied. She nodded.
"Vader killed him. And, as it turned out, saved my life in the process. Your assassin seemed hell-bent on killing Vader and whoever got in his way."
Mon Mothma sighed, shaking her head. "I feared that, but we were left with little option. My apologies, Triana. I hope you went unharmed."
"He shot me, and had I not attempted to stop the shot, it would have killed me."
Padme set her lips in a grim line, and suddenly, a chair appeared in the hologram as Mothma sank into it. The senator rested her head in her hands, sighing once more.
"You were right, of course. We must fight the Empire, but we mustn't sacrifice what we believe in… we should have never tried such a desperate tactic, not when we had warning against it. The New Republic shouldn't be built by such actions. Please, I beg your forgiveness."
Padme nodded. "It's all right. Now, what was the problem? Is someone asking after the assassin?"
"No, no. We made sure there were no loose ends. No, this concerns reports I've received from inside the Emperor's offices. Palpatine is pushing to remove the last remnants of the so-called traitor Jedi from the Empire. Or so he says. His next target will be Jedha City."
Padme used her free hand to press her fingers tightly to her lips. She recognized the name. It was a holy city, of sorts. Anakin had told her about it. There was a great temple built there, and when they were ready, Jedi were sent there to construct their own lightsabers. Anakin had told her that the main reason for this being that there were mines located underneath the temple that were rich in the main component needed for a lightsaber—kyber crystals. Padme shook her head. This was no simple erasure of the past. Palpatine had something else up his sleeves.
"It has to be the crystals," Mothma said, and Padme agreed.
"But what could the Emperor want with them?" she asked.
"Honestly, I am unsure. But whatever it is, it can't be good. If you can believe it, that isn't the worst news or the biggest problem at the moment."
Padme arched a brow. "What else?"
"The citizens of Jedha City have caught wind of a possible Imperial regiment being placed in the temple. You see, in that city, they never believed the Jedi were traitors. They believe that Emperor Palpatine was the deceiver. There's no love for the Empire there."
Padme had to fight down a smirk. How right these people were. After a moment, Mothma continued.
"These people… it's never been a rich city. They want the Empire gone, though. They are planning an uprising. While I approve of their idea in concept, the execution would be disastrous for them. The Imperial Army would out-man and out-arm them one hundred to one. And that's at my best guess. If they rise… the Empire will kill them all."
"And then Palpatine would have unimpeded access to the mines," Padme murmured.
"Just one of many reasons why this must not happen. Triana, I know that most of your assignment is dictated for you, but I need someone I can trust. Someone who has proven themselves loyal to the welfare of the people. Undoubtedly, the Emperor will send his right-hand man to set up the regiment. Could you… I don't know, worm your way into joining Vader somehow? Perhaps you could stop the uprising from the inside."
Oh, how little did she know… This would have been nearly impossible only a handful of days ago, and Padme had to marvel at her luck. She nodded, confident.
"Yes. Yes, I can. I will."
Mothma returned her nod. "Triana, the lives of thousands are in your hands. I wish you all the luck in the universe. May the Force be with you."
With that, the transmission ended. Padme let out the breath she was holding. She put the comm back in her drawer, but otherwise didn't move from her seat. Instead, she closed her eyes, thinking over it all.
What did the Emperor need with a whole mine of kyber crystals? Anakin had told her enough of the Sith to know that there were only ever two: a master, and an apprentice. So Palpatine didn't need an army's worth of kyber crystals. Then there was the other issue. She needed to go with Vader on this mission, but… could she tell him why? If she was honest with the man that was her husband, would he aid her? Would he stop the potential deaths? She thought upon her prior conversation with Qui-Gon and got a rumbling in her stomach that had nothing to do with hunger.
After a time—she wasn't sure how much—a chime sounded indicating a visitor. She granted them entry, seeing it as a droid.
"Lord Vader asks for your presence in his private wing, my lady," he said.
Padme smiled a small smile. She stood, nodding. "Thank you. Lead the way."
She wasn't sure if he would help. But she would be damned if she was just going let thousands of innocents die. She was going to go on this mission, and nothing was going to stop her.