THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW:

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Sorry about the wait, I've had some other matters to take care of-and I also wanted to take time to plan this thing out as I'm approaching the end...well, I'm closer to the end than the beginning of this leg. I wanted to make sure I know where all of this is going.

A bit of an infodump chapter, but hopefully one that paints a picture of where Naboo is right now...

THE BLACK QUEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: HOLDING COURT

Two years passed after the revelation that my Shadow Angels, the ruthless and murderous death squad that accompanied the Royal Inquisitor (my other identity). I had been forced to subjugate my own homeworld and desecrate my own memory in my role as the Black Queen, forcing Imperial rule on the people that I had once served as their Senator and Queen. In my dual identity as the Royal Inquisitor, I had sentenced people to death, overseen executions, and purged the population in a quest to eradicate the Resistance on the planet.

I was now settling into my role as the Black Queen, having been performing it-utterly against my will-for nearly four years. I had watched my home planet descend to an authoritarian hell, and I privately hoped that my personal suffering would finally end…

Again, I could not have been more wrong in that hope…

I was holding court over the peoples of Naboo. As ever, I was flanked by my Shadow Angels, in their guises of handmaidens. The throne room was littered with Imperial stormtroopers at every exit, no corner of the throne room out of their cold gaze. There were also scout troopers hidden in strategic areas, their sniper rifles ready to target any would-be assassin. The only ones in here were Imperial officials, or those who were collaborating with the Black Queen. The Royal Inquisitor (my former best friend…that still stung all this time later) was standing by my side in her armour and cape.

It was a typical court session for this period…

"First, how are we doing on the yearly Stormtrooper recruitment?" I asked.

An Imperial officer stepped forward. She had transferred to Naboo shortly after the Emperor's visit, and was trying to maintain a stoic expression in the face of my sinister presence. She held a datapad in her black leather gloved hand, and glanced periodically at this as she delivered her report.

"The number of volunteers is up by about ten percent from last year, which we can put down to the greater emphasis on propaganda since the last quota. However, we still haven't had anywhere near our required quota this year…" she pointed out in a calm, emotionless voice that made it sound as though she were merely commenting on the weather as opposed to dictating the lives and deaths of hundreds of men and women. "Conscription will be required to make the numbers by the deadline date." She finished, her voice still utterly drained of emotion.

"Do it…" I nodded, still as under control as I ever was.

I then turned to another officer. This one was a male, and this one was tugging at his tight collar to make himself comfortable enough to survive the meeting with the much-feared Black Queen. Finally, he cleared his throat and began his speech.

"The department of Compliance is receiving messages daily concerning activity on the planet. Some messages are as a result of the propaganda department's sterling work in trying to capture the hearts and minds of the people. We are as a direct result experiencing an increase of 30% in the number of tip offs from the populace, both in person and via the various more secretive methods that we have put in place. We have also had successful information grabs through other methods such as surveillance monitors and wire taps. Any information we get is passed to the local authorities if the information concerns minor misdemeanours, and if it concerns Resistance activity, that goes straight to the Royal Inquisitor for her usage. Thanks to the surveillance monitors and the audio bugs, we now have at least 90% of the cities under surveillance, as opposed to a mere 50% last year. In short, the surveillance network is working just as planned your majesty." He gave a graceful bow as he finished.

I listened…and passed my Emperor-conditioned comment.

"Good…with this rate of progress, we'll have a much better chance of finding the Resistance terrorists that are still out there. Keep up the good work…"

The words tasted like acid, but what choice did I have when I was no longer in control?

The next one to speak was another woman-cold blue eyes, face like steel, jet black hair. Not a native of Naboo, but evidence that the Imperial machine was imposing its will on Naboo nonetheless…

"The prison population has increased tenfold since you took over, Your Majesty. We have allocated a number of older Clone Wars era warships to serve as offworld prison hulks to ensure that the tide of criminal scum will be less likely to escape into the ether, or be broken out by Resistance fighters. There are now a lot more offences that carry prison time, and sentences can also be transferred to hard labour should the offence justify it, or should the needs of the Empire require it. The option for conscription into the Stormtrooper corps also exists, which I refer to my colleague here to organise…" she paused, indicating the first one to speak, who merely nodded in agreement. With my silence being my only response, she carried on. "As for the death penalty, the number of offences that are subject to termination has been increased and will be left to the Royal Inquisitor to sign off on. As it is, executions have risen as the number of offences that are punishable as such have increased. Most remain at the order of the Royal Inquisitor, signed off by Your Majesty, and are for Resistance activity. Extending termination to the civilian population for crimes such as collaboration should ensure that the population remains under control and that any dissident elements that might consider resisting will be dissuaded and fall into line." She finished her speech, her face remaining as cold as ice.

I nodded. "Encouraging…now, what of the labour projects?"

Another man stepped forward. This one was bald and scarred, as if he had taken a few marks from those "labourers" he had been superivising. I sincerely hoped that he had, and wished it had been Wookiees for the simple reason that he would have been torn apart. Such a vile, repugnant man…

"Other parts of the Empire have put in requests for further Gungan labour for other aquatic projects, but this threatens to strain our current Gungan labour force. I therefore request permission to send aquatroopers to search out the last remaining Gungan holdout cities to allow us to recruit the labour that we need to complete our own projects and to fulfil the Empire's requested quota of labour. I have the operations set up, as you will see in this datapad" he handed me a datapad to confirm what he was saying was indeed true, "and I will proceed with Her Majesty's permission. Sixty percent of the Gungan population is currently employed in labour projects, but I estimate that this could up that number to as high as seventy-five percent. Quite the labour force, I'm sure one will agree."

The Gungans were already on their knees, now limited to a number of fringe cities only accessible by negotiating the waters of the core, a very dangerous prospect indeed with the marine leviathans that roamed those depths. They had been safe simply through isolation…until now. They were due to be enslaved too, and there was nothing that I could do to stop them…

"Commence the operations, Commander" I simply replied.

He gave a slimy smile and stepped back.

Having received reports from every other corner of Naboo's subjugation, I had one final report to come in. This one was another female, a redhead with a strong non-Naboo accent. Her eyes were cold, her uniform crisp. She spoke harshly, as if love was no part of her life at all.

"Immigration is now under strict control…the planet is under effective Imperial lockdown. Nobody gets in or out without Imperial authority…however, there is evidence that this is not actually the case. Smugglers seem to be getting past blockades, either to drop off dissidents for the Resistance or to collect people hoping to flee the planet-escaped prisoners, fleeing Resistance fighters with the heat on them, that sort of criminal scum. We need to clamp down on these smugglers, Your Majesty…I request assistance from the Royal Inquisitor to shut down these smugglers. After all, these smuggling missions may be the key lifeline keeping the Resistance movement on this planet supplied with personnel and equipment." She looked to the Royal Inquisitor, who remained stoic beneath her mask. She looked to me, and I could see Sabe' in my mind's eye once again looking to me for an answer, just like before where we had become adept at communicating with each other indirectly to help our ruse with the decoy queen.

I answered swiftly…

"You will have the help you seek. This dissidence must be clamped down on…"

The redheaded officer bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

This court session was to have consequences that would play out a few days later…

I was sitting in my quarters, alone except for my brainwashed former handmaidens for company. I suddenly found the communications system bleeping, so Sabe' answered it.

"It's a message for the Royal Inquisitor…apparently those smugglers that they've been tracking down? They believe that they have found a noble house that they have been using as a safehouse, possibly for both sides of the ratlines. We should definitely investigate-may be a lead towards a Resistance cell."

I agreed, well-my conditioned mind agreed, and pretty soon the Shadow Angels were on the hunt, with the Royal Inquisitor leading the charge. It was a cold night, so we had some good cover.

Had I known what we were walking into, I would have felt immeasurably worse about the entire scenario…I was about to cross a line that I would scarcely have thought possible previously.

This was the beginning of the end for Padme' Amidala…