POV: Padme

"Padme, why are we here?" asked my mother in law.

"Because he is a war criminal who tried to have me killed, cut off your son's hand, and started a war that ruined the Republic," I whispered.

"Okay," she said. "That is why Dooku is on trial, but why are we here. If Dooku is as awful as you say then it is a sure fire vote. You are thirty-seven weeks pregnant, you have not slept since Anakin left, and you have been bogged down in work. Go home. He is not Sidious."

"There are deeds that this man did that I can put into evidence that will receive a conviction. It is my duty to be here."

But I realized in my heart that Shmi was probably right. The twins were kicking close to my pelvis and for some reason it hurt. I felt like I was on fire every time Jinn or Ashla hit a nerve. On the other hand, there were several Seperatist here who wanted to witness Dooku set free. This was not a sure fire vote like Palpatine. Dooku still had friends who would do anything to see their leader go free.

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

When the Senate became quite, Vallorum stood up and cleared his throat, "Bring out the accused" he ordered.

Dooku was raised up on a platform. He did not look like what he did when I saw him as an elderly Sith Lord. He had smooth skin, dark brown hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a soft smile as he faced the crowd. He looked confident like he was going to escape this, and not like he was going to join his Master in prison.

"He is handsome," observed Shmi.

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah. The Force restores you to who you were in your twenties and thirties. He was one of the best looking Jedi there ever were." Besides Anakin.

"You are Lord Tyrannus, also known as Count Dooku?" asked Chancellor Vallorum.

"They are one and the same," said Dooku.

"You have been accused of treason, murder, and the assistaning of a Sith Lord. How do you plead?"

"Innocent. I am a Sith Lord in my own right, and I have every right to be. It is the Jedi who are corrupt, and the Senate is corrupt for following it."

I stared in shock at the statement. A smart person would say they were tricked into it like Anakin did. The Senate broke out in an uproar as he attacked our way of life. Many started to shout back as he criticised the Jedi and our way of life.

"Do you have any proof of what you are saying?"

"Anakin Skywalker. He was a loyal Jedi knight, and then look what he did. He enslaved the entire galaxy as a Jedi."

I rose out of my seat, angry and ready for war, but I was pulled back by Shmi. "No! Watch," she whispered. "If you defend him, then they will dismiss it, but they will listen to others."

Bail Organa maneuvered his platform out into the center of the Senate. "The Senate has already tried Anakin Skywalker, and found him innocent. If Dooku's defense is I am not Darth Vader, that is not a solid defense. Skywalker killed the Emperor and restored peace to the Galaxy, sacrificing himself in the process. Skywalker has then become one of the strongest Jedi in the Jedi Order going on their most daring missions, including capturing Palpatine, Grievous, and Dooku himself. If this Senate follows legal precedent, then Dooku will be convicted as a war criminal since he has done nothing to prove his loyalty to the Jedi or his family as Skywalker did. He indeed is not Anakin Skywalker."

When he finished, applause filled the auditorium of the defense of Skywalker. Shmi let me go as I relaxed. I took a deep breath, and grabbed her hand. We smiled at each other.

"See," Shmi whispered, "they will listen to reason, just not from us."

"I am so grateful that Bail is on our side," I said.

"Did I honestly kill as many as Vader?" asked Dokoo. "He ransacked the Jedi Temple, massacred villages, enslaved the galaxy."

"He was acting on the Orders of a Sith Lord," argued Bail Organa.

I moved my platform towards the center of the arena.

"What are you doing?" asked Shmi.

"I can not just say nothing," I said back to her. "Senators, do not be deceived. Anakin Skywalker was duped, like we all were, by Palpatine. Count Dooku has no defense. He knew exactly what he was doing when he enslaved system after system and bowed before Darth Sidious. He followed the Sith Lord, when there was a chance to follow the Jedi. He does not deserve the mercy he is begging for."

"Why did you become a Sith?" asked Chancellor Vallorum.

"When I was a young man, I was trained by Master Yoda, and then I took an apprentice named Qui-Gon Jinn. As I trained Qui-Gon, I saw how the Senate had become corrupted and used the Jedi as puppets to do their bidding. The Senate was taking advantage of the Jedi, and needed to fall. A new system needed to be born. That is why I started the Separatist Council. I turned to Sidious for guidance, but he betrayed me. I owe no allegiance to anyone and wish to be judged as my own purpose for my own actions."

"He speaks so eloquently," said Shmi. "No wonder so many joined his cause."

Dooku's words stirred up so many in the Senate. I wanted to try and say something again, but my stomach hurt so intense. Shmi was right, when this was over, it was time to rest.

"It is time for a vote," said Vallorum.

I hit the red button and sat with Shmi, gently massaging my stomach. After a few minutes, the room went dark. Shmi and I held hands as we waited for the results of the vote. Suddenly, the room was filled with a red light, a guilty verdict.

"The vote was close. But you are found guilty by 55% of your peers. You are sentenced to Desolation Alley on Oovo IV to serve a life sentence. Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?"

"This is not over," Dooku threatened.

"Take him away," said Vallorum.