Trial of Palpatine

POV Padme

The senate was abuzz with excitement as everyone was ready to hang or shoot the man who enslaved the entire galaxy. Shmi, Typho, Elle, Ume, and Mire were all with me as we watched the senate react to the man who controlled the galaxy for so many years now face justice.

I felt a hand touch my forearm, and turned to see Shmi sitting beside me. "You do not have to do this," she whispered. "This is such a sure vote that you could go home and sleep."

I smiled, and thought how my own mother would probably tell me to do the same. "I had some Karlini tea. It helped me so much when I was pregnant with Luke and Leia. It has received some muscle aches in my back, and has helped with some cramping in my stomach. But yes, when the hearing is over, I am going home."

"Why not go home now, honey? We can do nothing here," she whispered.

"This is the man who corrupted Anakin. What he did to him, to us, no I can not walk away. I will speak on Anakin's behalf, demanding that Palpatine gets the fullest sentence without prejudice. Others are angry because he enslaved systems, but for us this is personal."

"So Ani should forgive, but we won't. That's your plan?"

"If we are not Jedi, we can not be Sith."

Shmi laughed at my logic. "If that's your plan, then make him pay!"

Mas Amedda called the Senate to order, and everyone was quiet, with a few exceptions. Chancellor Valorum rose gracefully.

"The Senate is called to order. I am pleased to announce that due to the work of a few brave Jedi Knights we have captured Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, and he is to be tried today for treason against the Republic!"

A cheer went up from the crowd.

"Bring out the accused!"

The crowd booed as a center platform opened up and a platform rose up with Palpatine standing between two armed guards. Shmi clutched my arm in terror, and I saw Typho reached for his gun instinctively out of the corner of my eye.

"He has a force inhibitor collar around his neck," I said, "he can't hurt us." But my hand went protectively to my stomach.

"You are Darth Sidious?" asked Valorum.

"Some have called me that," said the monster.

"You have been accused of slavery, sedition, murder, executor of planets, and terror of worlds. How do you plead?"

"Innocent," he whispered.

"Boo!" came the crowd.

"Murderer!"

"Traitor!"

"Liar!"

"Let me explain," he said. The room fell silent. "I was elected Supreme Chancellor because there was a no confidence vote in Chancellor Valorum placed by Queen Amidala of Naboo. I then served a term that was wonderful and prosperous until we fell into a civil war. It was elected by officials to give me emergency powers to create an army, which I did to serve our Republic. Then we had a civil war, fighting against the Separatist. I was captured and rescued by Anakin Skywalker, and then he and the Jedi took a strong interest in me. One day the Jedi attempted to assassinate me, and Skywalker saved me, saying he would let me live if I would serve him and let him rule the galaxy as Lord Vader. It was his idea to make the Senate an Empire, and kill all of those poor people. I was as afraid for my life as anyone else."

I was already maneuvering my platform when he was still speaking that garbage. Shmi was standing beside me looking like she was ready to throw anything she could get her hands on at Palpatine's head.

When the platform got to the middle of the room, I said, "Senators, I hope by now we have learned that Palpatine or Sidious, whoever he calls himself is a deceiver and a liar. He is twisting the truth and fabricating tales just to suit his best interest.

"Skywalker was and is a Jedi Knight, and a hero of the Republic. But, this man is a Sith Lord. He was trained by a man named Plagueis, a man who he killed for more power. He was a Sith Lord when he got into politics. He was a Sith Lord, when he took over the Senate. He was a Sith Lord when he corrupted Anakin Skywalker, and killed all the Jedi. Finally, he was a Sith Lord when he enslaved the galaxy and destroyed our beloved Republic. We were deceived by his lies once, we will not be seduced again!"

A cheer went up from the crowd, and I took a breath of relief. Turning to Shmi and Typho, I smiled at them. They smiled, but neither of them looked relaxed. We still had to vote.

"Order! We shall have order!" said Mas Amedda.

"Let's put it to a vote," said Chancellor Valorum.

On the screen, a nice picture of Palpatine, one form when he was Senator of Naboo. Without hesitating, I hit the red button, then sat back down and held Shmi's hand.

The Senate room went black, like it did when we tried Anakin. I held my breath, hoping that there was enough sane people left in the galaxy to lock up this evil man for the rest of his days. I thought of the children growing in my stomach, my husband on looking in the wings with the other Jedi, my mother-in-law beside me. How many people that I personally knew did this man hurt? What would I do if he went free?

The lights suddenly went red all across the room. Shmi and I both breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sheev Palpatine you have been found guilty in this Senate, and are sentenced to the remainder of the afterlife in Belsavis prison. Take him away!"

"Pay!" He said while he was being hauled away. "You will all pay!"