The Senate Chamber always reminded him of the the arena on Geonosis.
Circular and enormous, but that was the only way it resembled the barren arena on Geonosis.
Unlike the Geonosis arena, the Senate Chamber was lined top to bottom with doors, ramp ways, and vast openings.
the Senate Chamber looked like moving gears.
At the center of the chamber there was a tall, thick pillar that towered over everything else. It acted as a support for the Chancellor's platform, a broad, semi enclosed area that allowed Palpatine, who was already present, to sit or stand as he chose in the company of his vice chair and staff.
The interior walls of the arena were smooth, senate boxes were situated on hangar bays, each of them with dozen of entry doors and even more rampways.
Some remained in place as senators spoke in hushed tones with staff and visitors, others floated away from their spots as they chose to observe their quarry for the day.
A few circled around each other with more clustering into the middle, obviously scheming something up in their collective minds.
Anakin went over this in his mind as a way to distract himself from his current surroundings. He knew what the end result was going to be in the long run with this sham that they wanted to call democracy. Nothing more than a bunch bureaucratic nonsense.
He trailed after everyone else and didn't dare move at full speed. He decided to stay behind with Cadus to simply observe, and not be in the middle of everything this time around. Usually, he was front and center, but realization had come, and then there was that dream he had recently.
Different from the rest that always had people he knew, had known, or didn't even know dying and screaming at him to help.
Mom...
Ahsoka...
He had too much on his mind.
The entry doors opened, leading to a long ramp that went to the Chancellor's platform, and there was nothing but noise and chaos.
To say noise wasn't quite accurate.
Voices were echoing and every podium was moving up and down, to and fro, delegates from all planets, on both sides of the war, conferred, argued, and schemed.
Thousands of droids bustled along the exterior ramp ways, carrying messages from hundreds of delegates to the next hundred, and then the next until the whole chamber looked like an assembly line and it was moving in ten direction at once.
"If the CIS has paid off all of the judges...I hope that you will hold Count Dooku accountable for everything that he has done and give him the proper measure of punishment." Padme said, her voice low and insistent.
"That is why I have Emergency Powers, M'lady. I will see to it that the rabble known as Dooku gets the full punishment."
Padme did not look at him, nor did she react to his comment, but continued to look around the arena with a narrow stare.
"I wish I could believe that. Nute Gunray is bound to hold things up. There's also the planets in the Outer Rim that could be affected by Dooku's capture, it could be a threat to the galactic economy as a whole, and even transportation."
Obi Wan noted there were Hutts, Trandoshans, Twi'leks, and other known species in known territories of the galaxy that promoted, supported, and profited from slavery.
If the species were not present, delegates who spoke for them were present.
"She makes a viable argument, I am afraid. The CIS has legalized slavery and has even put taxes on the practice. More so, they have built certain transportation craft, specifically for the transportation of slaves from world to world." Obi Wan commented, remaining stoic.
Anakin felt a hot rage burn inside, but he kept it contained. "Dooku needs to pay for what he has done, everything that he has done!"
"As he should, Anakin." Cadus nodded his agreement.
"As he will. I will pass Statute 312b. Otherwise known as the Fourth Constitutional Amendment. If Nute Gunray or anyone else causes the whole chamber to clamor, I will ensure that they never step foot on this planet, let alone within this chamber again. If senators squabble I will ensure that it never holds up a proceeding again."
"What would Statute 312b be?" Padme asked, curious.
"If it's enough to get Dooku confined for the rest of his life or executed I hope it is passed." Anakin remarked, not bothering to hide his contempt for the Count.
He would never forgive slavers.
"It...Depends..." Obi Wan said, tone carefully detached.
"I promise you there are many who will support it and this is our best chance. This is our only chance. If we allow those mega corporations to do as they please, it could send every system scattering out of the Republic right now." Palpatine said.
He glanced toward the podiums belonging to the Mid-Rim and the Outer Rim delegates.
At the same time, so did Obi Wan.
"This is our only chance to ensure that Nute Gunray and those other CIS rabble do not cause the whole chamber to clamor."
Obi Wan didn't press in to make a comment on that. If Palpatine did do something like that, it would affect the worlds loyal to the Republic, not just worlds loyal to the CIS.
A murmur began to rise from the assembled beings within the chamber as they caught sight of Dooku being ushered in by two Clone Commanders and Jedi Master Plo Koon.
The murmurs quickly exploded into echoes.
If Dooku heard or even noticed the change in volume and of conversation around him, he gave no sign. His eyes shifted momentarily to Palpatine, but when they lingered for a few minutes, he just turned away and focused on the chamber.
"You truly believe Nute Gunray has the guts to bring that fallen Jedi's imprisonment or execution to a vote?" Palpatine asked quietly.
Padme shook her head. "Not to a vote. He will distract them, he will distract everyone, and he will get us to clamor among ourselves to prolong things. There will be pointless arguments and people are going to be jumping out of their pods to fight."
Palpatine looked at Padme with a half scowl, but she shrugged a little in response and hardened her gaze.
The chamber was now in a frenzy since Count Dooku was present.
"It wouldn't be the first time he's done such a thing. With Count Dooku here, there will even be clamoring about the economy."
"I assure you this. It will be the last time such a thing happens before my eyes, if it should. If Nute Gunray and his cronies try to do such a thing as letting Dooku off with a mere imprisonment instead of paying the full price of his crimes and atrocities..."
"This whole thing makes me uncomfortable." Padme admitted, not wishing to speak further.
Meanwhile, far from the noise and chaos of the inner chamber, Cadus and Anakin leaned against the walls in relaxed positions, just observing the chaos roll and dissipate. From here, it wasn't nearly as deafening nor overwhelming.
"They're going to have his trial right here."
"Seriously?" Anakin asked.
"The Supreme Court is almost dissolved completely at this point. Too many judges and officials on payrolls of the CIS. If they aren't on payrolls they show favoritism."
Anakin frowned a little, shaking his head. "There's way too many people involved with this whole thing. Why is Dooku even in here? It should be cut and final, he is a criminal and the Head of State of the CIS...He should be executed for his crimes, it is the proper punishment...He should have already been executed."
"I just hope something sticks with all of this. Count Dooku being alive, even imprisoned, is a dangerous situation. The man is too good with his words, too educated...He knows what to say to whom."
"But, he lacks any sincerity and he is glib." Anakin noted.
Cadus regarded Anakin with a small smile. "Very perceptive on your part. That is very true. Dooku has always been well spoken even from a young age, enough that he could convince Yoda, but he has always been glib."
"He seems completely at ease."
"Are you able to feel the undercurrent of emotion now? Or perhaps you have learned to see straight into a person's heart and see their hidden secrets."
Anakin thought of how Count Dooku cut off his arm. But, he had cut off both of the man's hands, so they were even. He thought of how the man talked, how he moved with power, how he kept the CIS stable and unified.
He exuded the same power as Palpatine in the Senate Hall. Both were comfortable with their power and found no reason to flaunt it. Dooku just walked with a pompous arrogance, whereas Palpatine moved with the smoothness of a gentleman.
"Perhaps both..." Anakin didn't sound entirely sure.
"Everyone can keep their emotions in control, most of the time. Sometimes it is the slightest impulse, that small glimmer in the way their voice changes, their expression changes minutely, their fingers may twitch just a little. From the way you tell it, Dooku is afraid of a straight forward approach and prefers to dance around and talk. In other words, he is just a sideshow."
Anakin's brows creased.
"Yes. I was thinking in terms of light-saber combat, but now that you mention it...A direct approach has never been his forte and more over...There's no way he could have assembled the CIS together, not unless someone turned on them at a certain point in time...Which would mean..."
"Darth Sidious is the one pulling strings."
Anakin turned towards the chamber, sensing movement.
The Cato Neimodia box detached from its docking and floated a short distance toward Palpatine's platform, waiting for permission to advance all the way.
Palpatine, Padme, Obi Wan, and the rest of the occupants were seated now, facing forward.
Palpatine nodded in the direction of Rute Gunray.
"The chair recognizes the senator from the system of Cato Neimodia."
The box glided to the center of the arena, and Palpatine rose to his feet, taking in the delegation with a sweeping gaze.
"Supreme Chancellor and fellow delegates of the Senate." Rute Gunray's voice boomed, quieting the chamber.
"A tragedy has occurred on my homeworlds. There have been Republic troops stationing themselves in my homeworld's system, and there is also the fact you have tripled the taxes. It began with a taxation on our products, than when we didn't want to play along you raised taxes on our trade routes. The CIS will bear no responsibility for slaughtering the Republic troopers. This an injustice to us...You must release Count Dooku to right this wrong!"
A second box rushed forward, this one bearing the markings of the Alderaan, Bail Organa, Mon Motha, and a handful of the delegation stood tall.
"Your demand is outrageous!" Bail Organa thundered, gesturing towards the podium.
Palpatine's head swiveled briefly.
"The demand is outrageous. The chair doesn't recognize the seat of Cato Neimodia. Return to your station."
Rute looked like he wanted to say something, but Nute whispered into his ear. Rute lowered himself back into his seat and the box slowly retreated.
"This fallen Jedi turned ruthless politician has committed every atrocity there is to commit. I will now present Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker, the man who brought this tyrant to justice, who will speak on our behalf."
Anakin blinked, surprised.
"You better move, Anakin." Cadus half joked, nodding towards the chaos.
"Why me?"
"You're the one that arrested him?"
Anakin finally remembered he did do that and moved as fast as he could, not wanting to miss his timing.
Chances were he already did miss his timing considering he didn't move right away.
Palpatine still stepped aside, giving him the proper respect and space.
Anakin rose to loud applause.
He moved to the front of the platform.
"I speak to you all with only sincerity. I do not care about politics or the power that comes with it. I do not care about this system. I care about harm to innocence. Those who cannot defend themselves who are butchered, that it what I care about. That is why I fight."
The chamber quieted as Anakin spoke, his voice pitched with sincerity, strong, and powerful.
"This man, Count Dooku...Has invaded entire worlds and subjugated the population by brute force with the droid armies of the CIS, they gas entire populations and villages, the men and women are killed, the children are made slaves or they are killed. I have seen these atrocities with my own eyes. This man is in league with the Hutts, the slave syndicates, the Twi'leks who sell their own...They are all in league together. All of these slavers. This man has began a taxation on the transportation of slaves within his territories. He has began a taxation on the practice of butchering other species!"
"Objection!" Poggle The Lesser cried. "Objection! I object!"
"That is outlandish!" Nute Gunray was on his feet again, voice rising.
Rune was quick to follow the trend. "I object as well! It is General Greivous that has laid waste to entire populations. Our Head of State is a practical and educated man, he wouldn't indulge in such barbarism when there is cooperation to be gained."
"I agree." The delegate of Ryloth seconded.
"Then why does it happen in the first place? I think Dooku gets off on it, he is a villain after all. The only reason you rally around Dooku is for a percentage of funds!" Bail roared.
Nute Gunray found no need to wait for recognition as he turned to the chamber.
"I recommend a commission be assembled in the Supreme Court to determine the truth of these allegations thrown at us. We will send out parties to the planets where all of this supposed butchery trade is going on and see what the facts tell."
Palpatine shook his head. "Overruled."
One of the Hutts podiums moved towards the Chancellor. "Your Honor, you cannot allow us to be condemned without granting our request for an impartial observation. It is against all the rules of procedure!"
He scanned the chamber for help, and there was a murmur of agreement from the delegates from Ryloth. There were murmurs from the delegates of Geonosis. There were murmurs from the delegates of Cato Neimodia.
A third box glided forward to join those of the Hutt and Cato Neimodia.
The chair recognized San Hill, the Senator of Muunilinst, and major backer of the CIS.
"I concur with the honorable delegate from the Hutts and the delegates of Cato Neimodia." His voice was high pitched and grating.
"You say slavery is illegal, and yet there is nothing done about it. The Republic and its laws do not stretch to the Outer Rim." The delegate for the Hutts spoke up.
"Slavery is forbidden! It is the law. It is the constitution! Under the Rights of Sentience, every single citizen of the Republic is treated equally! The act of slavery is formally outlawed." Palpatine snapped.
"But, that is our space." The Hutt delegate said.
"It belongs to the Republic! You criminal slime have gotten your way too long to even have a realm called Hutt Space is a gross insult! The Hutts should be ousted and thrown out of the galaxy as a whole!" Palpatine all but roared.
"Slavery is needed for the economy. Those in the Republic wouldn't begin to understand the hardships we face in the Outer Rim." The delegate from Ryloth reasoned.
"Where the Republic authority means nothing!" Rune added snappishly.
"There are other means of making money that doesn't involve exporting your own kind or another species. Do not pitch me a sob story. Poor you. Poor Ryloth. You've done it to yourself." Palpatine's tone broke no argument.
"To slander our Head of State with such claims is uncouth. There should be an impartial party sent to any world that is under CIS control to ascertain these fiendish claims of us profiting from the practice of transporting slaves and butchering them. We are not monsters and we are not evil." San Hill jabbed back.
"He is a criminal. He is the leader of the CIS. You are all criminals!" Bail Organa bit out.
"If you execute him, what will happen to us? What will happen to the worlds of the CIS!? You don't very well expect us to join the Republic do you? That would be your way to strong-arm us."
"That would be the wisest thing for you to do. You can call it strong-arm if you want." Bail said.
"Nonsense! It is no different than holding us at blaster point!"
"You still think you have power all the way out in the Outer Rim, puny Organa!?" A delegate from Ryloth snapped, their podium coming forward.
"It is part of the Republic!"
"We don't get any of your resources! When was the last time a Core world gave Ryloth food? When was the last time you even came to my planet Bail? When has Aldreaan ever given Ryloth anything?"
Bail clenched his jaw, getting angry. "That isn't the point!"
"It is the only point!"
"You are a criminal."
"I would rather be a criminal than a glib man who says one thing but does another, you are no different than the Republic. You're a husk of lies and deceit."
"Count Dooku is Head of State of the CIS. If he is executed, all of those systems could be thrown into a frenzy. You can't expect us to surrender or join the Republic just because you have Count Dooku and these heinous accusations that we've been bombarded with." Poggle the Lesser argued, trying to get things back on track.
"And what of the crimes against Naboo recently? You thought you could just sweep it under the rug or pay off half of the people in this room?" Sio Bibble challenged the whole contingent.
"Your massive war machines are about to be brought to everyone's eyes! The warship of that warlord Asajj Ventress, The Executioner! You made unreasonable demands and if it wasn't for Amidala and the brave Jedi Master Cadus, Naboo would still be under siege!" Another Naboo delegate yelled.
"I heard about that. It breaks every Republic law pertaining to Star Destroyers and any warship in that category. To go to such extremes shows the CIS's intent." Mon Mothma seconded.
"Let us stay on topic, we will not break off into arguments! We will not get lost in a dozen topics just to pointlessly squabble!" Mas Amedda rose his tone.
"We are well within our rights!" Rute Gunray argued.
"It is a threat to everyone in this galaxy and even your own allies! That warship had more than enough firepower to wipe out everything on Naboo! It had a whole planet's worth of firepower!" Sio Bibble snapped, irate.
"Your money is only going to take you so far. Don't think you can create massive war machines and there will be no consequences." Bail seconded Sio, staring at every delegate and representative of the CIS.
"We will not argue! We will not throw out accusations!" Mas Amedda rose his tone once more.
Palpatine nodded his thanks as the whole chamber went quiet.
"Count Dooku should be executed without any shred of doubt. It is the suitable penalty, his list of atrocities and crimes against the Republic and citizens of this galaxy is far too long, heinous, and diverse to even speak on..."
"But, you can't kill him!" San Hill all but yelled.
"We need him!" Rune Hakko echoed.
"You should be lucky he is even alive right now and is having a trial! That man is one of the reasons this whole war was started in the first place, next to you and your avarice ways, Nute Gunray." Bail thundered.
"Is this a dictatorship now!? Since when do you hold any power, Bail Organa of Alderaan? Your ancestor may have wrote the Constitution of The Republic, but you have no sway here! You are not in the same league as your pompous ancestor and your words have no merit! You power hungry fool!"
"Nor do the words of war criminals who have exploited countless Republic worlds and neutral worlds, not to mention worlds loyal to your cause all for your own profit!"
"Call it even. You of the Republic have always taken from us, take, take, never give, want more, want things free, and you just want to step all over us. You want to colonize us, you take our supplies, our worlds, and you are all too arrogant! While you take everything we need to live we are left to fight for our own survival and enslave our own just to have food!" The Ryloth delegate snapped.
"You are a part of the Republic!"
"The Republic is a husk. It is not what it once was, and even when it was reasonable, we of Ryloth were never treated with due respect. I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth, puny Organa."
"Luckily I can still speak, because this is the Republic! I have rights!"
"We'll see about that."
Palpatine said nothing, just letting them all go back and forth.
It was laughable that Bail was speaking, as if, he had some shred of power-Poggle and the others were not wrong in their statements or assessments.
"What is happening?" Anakin asked, more than aware of the fact butchery and slavery being legal and taxed was just brushed aside.
How what he said was just forgotten.
They were really arguing about power in the Senate, and just casting aside...
Anakin clenched his teeth.
"What is happening right now? There is slavery going on and profits from butchery of other species, and they just sit here..."
"Arguing?" Cadus finished, more out of thought than anything.
"I don't even know what to call it. It has always bothered me, but now it is starting to really make me mad..."
"This is the Senate, Anakin. You never see what goes on here as much as I, Yoda, and Windu do. All of these people are selfish and self motivated bureaucrats, they are all greedy, hubris, and suffer from avarice...Almost all of them are on the payroll of the CIS, a super majority belong to Palpatine, and the mysterious sith lord..."
Anakin narrowed his gaze, crossing his arms over his chest. He really hated hearing the word sith lord, it just left a bad taste in his mouth.
"He controls them all."
"This is where Chancellor Palpatine's power will wax. This is what is going to decide a lot moving forward, even with the Jedi Order, the Jedi Council, and our own movements." Cadus said.
Anakin felt a little shock. "What do you mean by that?"
Cadus nodded towards the arena. "Just listen."