Supreme Court Building, Hall of Judgement, 31 BBY

Light from Coruscant's sun bathed the nine judges of the Supreme Court as they sat in judgement on their elevated seats. Their deep blue robes and white neckpieces gave them an air of prestigious sagacity that befitted their status as the chief legal minds of the Galactic Republic. They were flanked by members of the Judicial Forces, dressed in their parade uniforms, serving as the bailiffs in one of the most important cases in the Galactic Republic's history. The person under scrutiny stood below them in his finest robes, flanked by five attorneys, the maximum possible number of representation allowed in case tried before the Supreme Court. They were only the tip of the iceberg that was his legal team, which the defendant retained at huge cost. Nute Gunray seemed to do everything for the sake of appearance, as if this whole procedure was a huge theatrical production whose final act he could easily influence and control.

And as it seems, the cowardly bug will get his way. Again!

Queen Amidala was angry. That anger might have been expertly concealed under the many layers of her intricate make-up and neutral, cold expression but by the Goddess, it was there. She had been absent for the Viceroy's first trial, preferring to remain with her people as they strove to rebuilt after the Invasion. The backbreaking schedule of a reigning Monarch, the government meetings, the tours of the affected areas, simply put the work of Government didn't leave her any openings either. When the jury was tied and the case was rescheduled, all she could do was smile and wave. It was as Sio Bibble had described it, a normal Coruscanti affair.

Everything changed after Palpatine's death. The Acting Chancellor had turned the whole affair into a battle for the soul of the Galactic Republic. Mas Amedda wasn't afraid to point fingers at the Trade Federation and its Viceroy. The HoloNet was buzzing with stories of secret deals made in seedy tapcafs and underworld Cantinas, of credits exchanging hands in order for the Chancellor's life to be ended. Very intricate reconstructions of the explosion that killed the Chancellor were touted by experts, recording in very vivid detail as to what explosives were used. Others speculated as to why the Chancellor's guards were missing from both his office and residence, trying to implicate the Senatorial Guard as well.

In effect, the Viceroy wasn't merely on trial for an Invasion and Blockade anymore. The Neimodian found himself under the microscope of the largest investigation in recent Republic history. It was something that Padme couldn't stay out of. Even if she wanted to, the new Chancellor wouldn't let her. Soon after the first news of Palpatine's death reached Naboo, Mas Amedda had called her personally to extend his condolences and ask for her help in bringing this through.

And so she travelled back to Coruscant, moving her court in Palpatine's old apartment. It's technically mine now, she thought. As the last living member of House Palpatine and without the existence of a last will and testament, the late Chancellor's considerable fortune had reverted to the Crown. From there she had dived into the capital's political scene trying to whip as much support as possible to the endeavor of bringing the Neimodian and the Trade Federation to justice. Even if she couldn't sway the Court, Padme would try to sway as many Senators on the Special Committee that was created to investigate the assassination as possible. Publicly, her confidence in the Committee's success was high but privately, she had her doubts. If they had no trouble in killing a Chancellor so blatantly and making his son disappear without a single trace, what more can I do? , she thought. His son…, her thoughts strayed to the sweet young boy once again, as they had when she had arrived on Coruscant. Palpatine's death had been a sad affair in and of itself but Anakin's demise, a child so close to her age was affecting her differently. If they were willing to hurt an innocent boy, they are willing to do anything. They have grown uncontrollable. The report of the Judicials mentioned that some of his personal effects were missing, clothes and such, pointing to an abduction but without any demands for ransom or other concessions, the boy's fate had been sealed in the minds of a lot of people, including her own.

I am sure he proved too much for them to handle.

"Your Majesty", Sabe whispered in her ear, breaking her train of thought.

"Hm…", Padme hummed before she noticed that all of the assembled members of the crowd had risen up at the insistence of the Judges. Looking once to the left and then to the right, she rose herself slowly, moving at the slowest speed possible balancing, respect with the regal prerogative.

"In the case of the Nute Gunray v. Kingdom of Naboo, the Supreme Court of the Republic, after consulting a jury of his peers has reached a tied verdict…"

The Chief Justice kept speaking but it didn't matter. The court had erupted in tirade of screams, shouts, shrieks which were quickly answered by calls for order and the sound of electro-staffs activating around the Viceroy as Senate Guards rushed to protect him from the crowd. The Neimodian seemed to enjoy the whole ruckus, having turned on his seat to observe his detractors, snickering with glee at them.

Padme was frozen in place, as she kept her jaw firmly closed, trying to suppress her anger as best she could.

Again!, she thought, absolutely livid, her eyes tightening into slits while she felt her face contorting in some spots. The Queenly mask was cracking alongside the Queen that wore it.

"Sade, we must leave lest We resort to aggressive negotiations", she whispered at her handmaiden, receiving a nod in reply. As she left her place and began making her way towards the exit, the crowd took notice of her. One by one, they stopped their infernal ruckus. Whether they were moved by her response or they read something else into her actions, the crowd began to break into to two, leaving only a corridor for her to pass through.

Padme would have wanted to nod in thanks to them. It was the right thing to do, the Queenly thing to do. But she didn't, she couldn't, wishing instead to make a quick, clean exit.

Just as she had covered half the distance towards the door, she heard a single shout from the crowd.

"SHAME!"

A few seconds later another voice joined the first one.

"SHAME!"

Before she had managed to leave the Hall of Judgement, Padme thought that she could hear the windows above the Judges shaking as hundreds of voices rose in her favor.

Let it break and end this travesty

VIP Waiting Room, Supreme Court Building, Later

Images of the events in the Hall of Judgement were hitting every major HoloNet channel almost all at once. Padme was counting herself lucky that she had managed to make her exit before the tidal wave of the press followed her for a single comment. Through Captain Panaka's impeccable preparation and foresight in studying the blueprints of the Building, Padme and her little group of handmaidens and bodyguards had made it to the VIP waiting rooms without incident.

"You are currently more popular than the Supreme Chancellor, your Majesty", Sache said while studying her datapad.

"It is of no use, Sache. Can Our popularity throw the Viceroy behind bars?", she asked rhetorically. That was enough to silence her handmaiden, the girl returning to her datapad. She rose to her feet once again, handling the weight of her heavy garments with trained ease as she left their booth. She was drawn to the windows, seeking to calm herself. Padme watched at the aircars and speeders that filled Coruscant's skies, filled with beings that went about their simple lives without the cares that she had. Maybe my father was correct. Maybe I shouldn't have been a Queen.

"That was an admirable display of self-control, your Majesty"

The voice behind was soft but confident, its accent being more Core than the Core itself. Padme turned her head slowly to look at the person that addressed her. He was dressed in the official uniform of a judicial officer, a collection of medals and commendations filling the right side of his chest. His hair was thinning but his sharp aquiline features showed no signs of slowing down or fear. The man's piercing blue eyes weren't aggressive but they clearly signified that he was somebody to look out for. Nobody would discount him in any situation.

"You have me at a disadvantage…", she replied, letting her voice trail off.

"Captain Wilhuff Tarkin of the Judicial Forces, your Majesty. I was a close friend of the late Chancellor", he replied respectfully, bowing as low as protocol dictated, the perfect image of a gentleman officer. Padme fully turned to face him, extending her right hand to him. He handled it with care, kissing it for just a moment, again as if he had written the book on etiquette.

"I see", Padme said, trying to read the officer's intentions. "I suppose you would like to give me your condolences"

"No, actually. I suppose that you have heard enough of those", Tarkin replied, his air of supreme confidence still remaining in his voice. "No, your Majesty. You are a busy woman and I am a busy man, so I would like to get right on with business"

Padme nodded and gestured towards the window. "Continue, Captain Tarkin", she said, turning back to the Coruscant skyline. The officer took his place besides her and cleared his throat.

"Naboo's plight has attracted Eriadu's attention, your Majesty. My world had similar issues with the Trade Federation almost a century ago. If it weren't for the timely intervention of our brethren on Corulag, the Trade Federation would have stunted my home's growth for years", he told her.

"You are doing quite nicely these days, Captain", she said. "Some call you the Coruscant of the Outer Rim"

"A well-deserved reputation that has been earned through sacrifice. We Tarkins most of all know what it is to fight for our people. If the Republic had heard us during the Stark War, all of this unpleasantness would have been avoided". Typical Militarist rhetoric, she thought. The Tarkins had been pushing for a Republic military for years, even going so far as to call their Forces, the Republic Navy, as if they were doing what others dared not to.

"In the past, I would have disagreed with you Captain. But nowadays…"

"You are not so sure, aren't you?", Tarkin finished her sentence for her, a break from his previous polite demeanor.

"You said that you were going to get right to business", she reminded him pointedly.

"Indeed. I would like to extend an invitation from my sister, Senator Rana Tarkin, to visit our family estates. She believes that you will find common ground on many pressing matters."

"An offi…", Padme began but she was cut off. A huge red, orange explosion blinded her as it rose into the sky in silence.

"GET DOWN", Captain Tarkin shouted pushing her on the ground and covering her with his body. A moment later, she could see glass peppering the ground beneath her feet as the blast wave of the explosion destroyed the window that they were facing a few seconds before. Her ears were buzzing as sounds failed to register around her. She could only feel the vibrations of feet hitting the ground as she remained glued to Captain Tarkin's side, holding onto his uniform for dear life.

A few minutes later, she looked up. Her handmaidens and Captain Panaka were there while the Captain helped her stand back on her feet.

"What happened?", Padme asked, shaken but glad to be able to hear her own voice. Captain Tarkin had turned on his communicator and was asking for clarifications. After a few seconds, he got his answer.

"A suicide bomber killed the Viceroy and his retinue, your Majesty, as they were exiting the building and talking to journalists", he relayed to the others.

Padme's mind began racing, looking for possible answers to questions that were forming rapidly in her mind.

"Captain, I...", she began quickly remembering that she was still a Queen "We think that We will take you up on that offer", she replied before gesturing to her group that it was time to leave.

Author's Notes:

-No Vader in this one but still a rather important addition to the story.

-I wanted to remind everyone that Tarkin was considered charming when he wanted to.

-The Fallout of the Naboo Crisis and Palpatine's death is still haunting the Galaxy. Was this a plot or simply a result of Amedda's radicalization of the Republic's public?

-ELinkA, I love your enthusiasm and I am happy that you are enjoying this as much I am happy to write them

-Till we meet again