Even before they got in the room Anakin could sense Cadus's sad and angry acceptance. The Master was standing far from the center of stage, but it was almost like he was overlooking the Galactic Senate from a perch.
Chaos reigned in the area as he was accustomed to. Roars, screams, curses, accusations, arguments of merit and stature, loud opinions, money, bribes, more threats and threats, and counter opinions were all being thrown and jabbed.
The sheer turmoil of it struck Anakin as he just watched, and he understood why Cadus was so angry and sad.
He understood why Cadus was barely accepting things as they stood.
This was the government that they and the Jedi Order were sworn to protect.
That so many were dying because of this and for this...
Since the war many of the Senators were not worthy of that protection. Anakin never cared for Senators to start with.
Since the war many of the Senators and people in the galaxy hate the Jedi.
Right here and now the failure of the Republic was right in front of him, and all of the bureaucratic nonsense that halted any progress from being made was being thrown right before his eyes. The Republic's inability to take action was burned into his retinas.
This was the chaos that created Darth Tyranus and the Separatist Movement. This was the nonsense that allowed outlandish claims to be logical, that allowed the greedy special interests of corporations, like the Trade Federation, the Banking Clans, the Hutts, and other businesses to exploit the galaxy.
It is what allowed Palpatine to get so powerful.
It was what allowed slavery to continue.
Anakin moved to the end the passage and stood next to Cadus, crossing his arms over his chest and pressing his back against the wall. He stayed quiet for the moment. Technically speaking the Jedi's mandate was to observe and to fight in defense of the Republic.
They served the Chancellor and Judicial Department.
Voicing their opinions was not something they did.
However many of the representatives of that very body they served were on the payroll of Nute Gunray.
Palpatine already had six judges hammered out of the system and imprisoned indefinitely until the end of the war. It was only a matter of time before the other six were treated the same and thrown into cells because they allowed greed and pride to get the better of them.
Then, Palpatine would be the Supreme Court and Judicial Department.
The Jedi would in essence, serve him.
Anakin watched the Senators yell and curse at each other. Their fists and other appendages waved in the air. Saliva, in small or copious amounts began to fly through the arena like blaster bolts as one wanted to be louder than the other and depending on their species, the louder they yelled, the more spit flew from their mouth.
Mas Amedda stood, glancing at the chaos, even between Bail and members of the CIS standing before him. If these beings were not in pods, they would be fist fighting for now. The Senate Chamber would turn into an actual combat arena-not just a place of high talks and face saving.
Finally, after many long minutes, Mas Amedda found it to be enough.
"Order! We shall have order! There will be order!" Mas Amedda yelled, in no mood for another frenzy.
Chancellor Palpatine moved front and center, and cast his gaze all about the chamber.
"In the absence of suitable Supreme Court judges who have not been bought out by Nute Gunray and the CIS. I will handle the sentence of the man named Count Dooku."
"I object!"
"As do I!"
"Bias is being exercised against us."
Anakin looked at Cadus, who only shook his head at the onslaught of cheers, boos, curses, and threats, all of them blending together into one giant echo.
He looked back at the floor, staring at Dooku standing there in his own pod on the lowest level, flanked by two Clone Troopers and Plo Koon.
Dooku was at total ease, relaxed even.
"The Republic is biased against us and always has been!" Rune thundered.
"Like your multi-trillion credit monopolies have ever suffered or have been hindered." Bail remarked.
"We bankroll the Republic!"
"You bankrolled the CIS!" Sio Bibble snapped loud.
"I agree with Sio Bibble of Naboo! Your claims are ludicrous, Rune Hakko!" Bail snapped.
"You exploit others for your own profit. Don't speak as if we are looking down on you because of your species. Don't speak like your vast wealth has bought out every person with a semblance of sense and morals within this chamber." Mon Mothma said.
"That doesn't mean you just kill Count Dooku!" Nute Gunray yelled.
"Afraid you won't get your sixty percent interest and your cut from him?" Mon Mothma asked, her smile serene.
So angry, Nute Gunray could only sputter.
The laughter was deafening, mixing in with the incessant arguing that had taken center fold since the session began, and jeers began erupting anew as insults and threats were traded once again.
"It would be in everyone's best interest to silence themselves before holes are dug too deep that they cannot be climbed out of. This is a place for discussion, but you have all proved that we should forego these Senate Pods and this Podium and just leave it to natural selection." Palaptine said, tone strong.
He glared down down at the arguing Senators, their faces and ears burning red from rage and indignation. More than a dozen had their hands gripping something on their pods to the point it turned their knuckles white.
"That is not my intent. I am merely expressing that Count Dooku should be trialed justly and fairly. It should be impartial and not biased by the likes of Republic agents or the Jedi Order." Nute Gunray explained.
"The Jedi have nothing to do with it."
"Oh, contrary to your belief, Organa...They do. Count Dooku is a fallen Jedi who left the Order. If Palpatine's close confidants Cadus and Anakin Skywalker are present, or are asked to explain what they witnessed, then certainly they will have some bias. Cadus tried to get Dooku to stay in the Order, or at the very least, not take the path he has taken with the formation of the CIS."
Bail looked Nute Gunray right in the eye, paying no heed to anyone else.
"You seem to know a lot about the Jedi and their business, Nute Gunray. Would you happen to know any of their enemies in the same detail as you know the Jedi?"
"You mean the sith?" Nute Gunray questioned.
"Of course."
"I was in league with-"
"Order!" Mas Amedda shouted from the podium, loudly. "We will not get into abstract discussions!"
The floor quieted, and Mas Amedda nodded, giving Palpatine the floor.
"In response to the direct threat Count Dooku has posed to the Republic and neutral worlds, I will imprison the fallen Jedi for the rest of his life here on Coruscant."
There came a brief silence as everyone looked at each other. Then jeers erupted from opposing factions, the cheering grew even louder, and the jeers grew louder, until both sides tried to drown each other out.
"I will concede with your point. Count Dooku's vast wealth, stature, and not to mention his monopoly must remain intact. Count Dooku must remain alive so the economy does not crash to a standstill. The proper penalty of execution cannot happen."
He nodded in the direction of the Naboo box.
"Sio Bibble of Naboo, will you defer your motion in order to allow an unbiased observation party to be sent to Naboo and explore the validity of the accusation you presented of such a massive war machine?"
Anakin watched the older man stiffen in anger, and when he spoke, his voice was edged with determination.
"I will not defer! It is pointless to defer now!" He declared, eyes locked on Palpatine.
"The attack has been resolved thanks to a Jedi Master. Naboo's sovereignty remains. I will not sit back and watch just not my own people suffer, but the people of other worlds suffer and die while this is discussed in a slanted committee paid off by the CIS. If the Chancellor Palpatine is not capable of action against these CIS rabble...Then I suggest..."
He paused, but Bail spoke before anyone else could.
"I move for a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Palpatine."
Voices and beings rose in response, some in support, some in protest, and some staying on both sides of the situation.
Senators and spectators alike began to yell back and forth, loud shouting matches quickly building to volatile confrontations.
Palpatine stood at the podium, almost at a loss, stunned and in total disbelief. He didn't account for this, not entirely.
He stared at Bail, then flicked his eyes onto Sio, his face grimacing in fury as the impact of the words finally registered.
Bail faced him boldly, waiting.
Mas Amedda moved in front of Palpatine, taking charge of the podium.
"Order! We shall have order!"
The assembly went silent.
Anakin noted that the CIS pods had maneuvered into position close beside the Ryloth box. They all exchanged quick glances, none spoke, and they remained close.
Mas Amedda recognized Mon Mothma, the senator from Chandrila, but who was currently flanking Bail.
"I second the motion for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Palpatine." Mon Mothma said in a soft voice.
"And I support her." Fang Zar said.
Mas Amedda cursed under his breath and wasn't the least bit pleased.
"The motion has been seconded with additional support."
He turned to Palpatine, keeping his voice low and his words hidden behind his hand.
Palpatine looked at him calmly, eyes cool and expression stoic.
"Why is there a delay? There are no delays." Bail declared, drawing Amedda's attention back on him.
"The motion is on the floor and must be voted on at once." Fang Zar jabbed.
Poggle The Lesser was on his feet. "I move for it to be sent to an unbiased and impartial committee for further study before anyone says anything brash."
The whole Senate chamber erupted.
"Vote now!"
"We need Palpatine!"
"Palpatine is power hungry!"
"Vote now!"
Mas Amedda huddled back with Palpatine, hands on his shoulders and head tucked so no one could hear what they were discussing.
"The tide is with Palpatine."
Anakin blinked, coming out of his stupor.
His eyes went from the pod arena back to Cadus.
"Palpatine will never be voted out, unless this war continues within this chamber...He has emergency powers, essentially, even if he were voted out, and taken out, he would be put back in on principle alone. Either that or something drastic would happen, and they'd vote to have him back in the seat of Chancellor. No one else is capable of spearheading the war on the CIS like Palpatine has." Anakin nodded his agreement.
Cadus nodded towards the arena.
"Perhaps something drastic happening. The first one would be something close to redundant. Seems like an impasse has been reached, though. We may not even see the end of this with Dooku's trial, it could be arguing and posturing."
Anakin would have normally disagreed, but seeing how everyone, including Palpatine himself was glossing over slavery and butchery, he couldn't help but agree with the sentiment with all of his heart.
The whole thing was posturing in general with senators, but now it was getting ridiculous.
Mas Amedda moved to the front of the podium, addressing the chamber.
"Chancellor Palpatine has requested that this session be brought to a close, and furthermore the trial of Count Dooku must be finished, and we are not one step closer thanks to these petty arguments and abstract discussions about ancient religions and massive war machines. "
Shouts rose from all of the delegates, representatives, and senators.
Their shouts turned to roars across the chamber.
Palpatine stared at Bail Organa, Fang Zar, Mon Mothma, and Nute Gunray.
Even from where he stood, Anakin could see the look of fury burning through Palpatine's stoic expression at the moment. The three of them, respectively, all said something they shouldn't have.
Nute Gunray almost slipped completely in letting the whole Senate know he had been in contact with a sith lord.
Mas Amedda looked around the chamber, turned to Palpatine who nodded, and finally, he began to speak once more.
"Before the session ends, Chancellor Palpatine has something he wants to add..."
Palpatine walked to center stage.
"It has become clear to me that instead of discussions happening, there is more prolonging certain events and choices from being made. Posturing with a mislead sense of power or purpose. Even going as far as to rise above one's own station."
He looked at the delegates of the CIS.
"And, this hunger for misled power, leads me to believe that some of you want things to come down to natural selection."
He let his gaze trail on Bail.
"For too long has greed, hunger for power, and hubris blinded the Senators of the Republic. Instead of things streamlining, it merely becomes clogged down. Even now with this trial of Count Dooku becoming nothing more than a screaming match proves my words."
Bail clenched his jaw but said nothing.
"This misled sense of power will be put out, for good. I am the Supreme Chancellor. I am the one who keeps the Republic moving. For anyone in here or their associates to be so bold as to try to delay things in regards to Dooku's trial will be sorely hurt. And, to try and rise to my station or take it through force...That is an act of treason."
Anakin felt vindication brew within Palpatine.
He seen the man's eyes snap at Nute Gunray and his cronies.
He seen the hate in his eyes when he looked at Bail Organa, and in that moment, Anakin couldn't help but feel like talons reached out to everyone in the chamber.
Palpatine had their throats clenched.
"Statute 312b will be passed. This will be known as the Fourth Constitutional Amendment. And, after this near warfare that has transpired here...The members, delegates, senators, and representatives of those worlds are no longer allowed to step foot on this world, in this chamber, or on any Republic world. If anyone from the Republic is witnessed speaking to anyone from the CIS-you will be punished to the same severe degree as these rabble."
"What is Statute 312b?" Bail asked, brow arched.
"The Fourth Amendment will grant the Core Worlds, Colonies, and Inner Rim Territories more voting power. This does not mean that the worlds outside of this do not have voting power, they do, but with uncouth rabble like Nute Gunray clogging things up in here, there is no need for someone like him to have any power or voice within these walls."
"By doing this you accelerate the secession of those outlying worlds to the CIS. If they have no voice, they get no help, and no help means they fall to the CIS. It is almost on principle alone! What of unknown worlds!?" Bail argued.
"They will have a voice still, rest assured. But, they will not have as much sway as they have. This session and trial has proven that not all are worthy or should have a voice."
Padme was completely gone though and lost in her mind. Lost in her emotions. She wanted to glance back at Cadus, but kept the impulse at bay. They both knew it would come to this, ultimately. What she feared, what Queen Jamillia feared, and what Cadus was preparing for was happening.
Naboo was in the Mid Rim, just on the early reaches of the Outer Rim.
"Chancellor, I believe a speech isn't needed on my behalf. Things have escalated enough. I am going to retire." Padme said, massaging her left temple, standing up from her seat.
"Of course. You've been through an ordeal on Naboo, and after what has transpired here today, even I am growing weary. It might be a melee when this is all over with."
"I shall be going then."
Palpatine nodded his acceptance and approval.