Hey all! I want to say sorry for how long I've been gone! This year has been so stressful with my new job and college that I never had the motivation to write. I'm so incredibly sorry! But here's the second chapter in a row today to try and make it up at least a little bit!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
My restful sleep did not last long. Padmé shakes me awake while calling my name. I stare up groggily at her. "What's wrong?" I ask.
"Get dressed," she says. "We have to go to the Senate Building." At the urgency in her voice, I rise quickly and change into the first dress I see. As I pull back my hair, I exit my room and see Padmé waiting there with two guards.
I glance at the guards before settling on my friend. "What did you do?" I ask, hoping to get some answers this time.
We follow the guards to the speeder platform. "Senator Deechi was killed," she says.
"What?" My head whips around to her as we climb into the speeder, the two guards sitting up front.
"He was stabbed," Padmé explains. "He gave Bail and I information about Ono meeting at the docks, so we went down there to have a look. Bail and I were attacked. Then we went back to see Deechi, but the killer had already gotten to him. Now Lieutenant Divo is gathering the Loyalist Committee to my office in the Senate Building."
The wind whips what strands of my hair were left out of the bun. "But I'm not in the committee."
Padmé shakes her head and takes my hand. "No, but you were at the party." That statement isn't foreboding at all.
The rest of the ride is quiet. The walk through the lobby is quiet. The elevator ride is quiet. The senator's office is quiet. Lolo and Mon are seated in two of the lounge chairs while Bail is waiting next to the Mon. Bail seems physically relieved to see Padmé and me when we enter, but none of us speak. We only wait in silence for Divo.
The moment the office doors open again, Divo is already speaking. "The killer is obviously targeting the leadership," he states, swaggering through the entrance followed by two police droids and his droid attendant. "You must stay here under my protection."
"Why?" Lolo asks. "So the killer can take us all out at once?" The irritation in her voice was obvious as she gets up from her chair and takes a few steps forward.
Mon rises as well, but to pacify Lolo. "I don't quite understand why a handmaiden has to be here as well then," Mothma adds quietly. I'm here to bring drinks and entertainment, of course. I'm probably here so he can see if I'm the murderer.
"Oh, that's preposterous," Divo replies. "The handmaiden is here so someone can try and quell Senator Amidala's natural curiosity. But even if the killer did get through my security, it's very unlikely that all of you would end up dead." Divo speaks so nonchalantly that every time he says anything even remotely morbid, it makes people want to tear their hair out.
His statement did not sit well with Lolo. "We are far too easy a target sitting here. I am leaving."
"No, you can't leave, Lolo," Padmé says rushing forward to placate the Rodian. "I think, in this instance, the inspector is right."
Lolo shakes her head angrily. "Out of my way," she says to the detective.
Divo raises his hand, motioning for the police droids not to do anything. He sighs and turns to Padmé. "Who else knew you were going to the docks?"
"Just Senator Burtoni. She was the only other one in the room with us," Padmé answers.
"Burtoni, eh?" Divo rubs his chin, but in a more irritating way than Obi-Wan. At least Obi is attractive when he's thinking. Divo exits the room with that last thought.
I take a seat in a lounge chair as Padmé goes to the window. Bail follows her over, but they don't have much time for conversation as Divo returns simply a few minutes later and speaks to Mon. I rest my head on my hand. Why does this have to be so stressful? Padmé's first few years as a senator were so calm. And now it is like a nightmare. Assassinations, murders, warmongering, and I'm pregnant.
Then Lolo comes in screaming. She leans on the door frame. "Help!" she exclaims. While I do sit up, it is not in concern. I've seen plenty of people in crisis, and this isn't it. Lolo breathes heavily as she enters the room, glancing at the hallway. "I have been attacked. She's over there. She tried to kill me." Lolo embraces Mon Mothma who actually looks as though she believes Lolo. Divo just looks annoyed. "Senator Burtoni. She jumped me. She-she's in the east wing corridor. Hurry!"
"Guards, go!" Divo orders.
I glance back at Padmé who also looks skeptical, but she doesn't want to be. I rise from the chair slowly and follow the group. Padmé rests a hand on my shoulder as we enter a room. Senator Burtoni is already speaking to Divo while in handcuffs. "You're insane. I didn't kill anyone," Burtoni says. This is the first time I have every actually seen her look even the slightest bit concerned. "Last thing I remember, I was walking to my office. Then I woke up here." This is also the first time I've ever seen her be completely honest. Convenient, but seemingly honest.
"Senator Lolo has a very different story," Divo informs the Kaminoan. "She says you attacked her."
"Attacked her?" Burtoni repeats. "Lolo?" Burtoni turns to the Rodian and chuckles as Lolo flinches and hides behind Padmé. "If I ever attack someone, I hope it'll be someone mildly important." She's got a point. Burtoni is not the type of person to risk their wellbeing to harm someone who isn't worth their time.
"Someone like. . . Senator Farr?" Divo offers.
Now Burtoni is looking a little annoyed. "Ono was a harmless bug. I wouldn't bother killing him. And Deechi was my ally."
Divo turns around. "I've been thinking about how you were in Senator Amidala's office right before Farr died."
"So what?"
The detective wasn't done yet. "And I've been thinking about how you were in Deechi's office to hear about that meeting at the docks, a meeting I think Farr had with you."
Burtoni is now panicking. "It wasn't me!" she exclaims. "You have no proof."
Divo holds out his datapad to the droid attendant, who switches it with another. "No? I have this." He holds the datapad high. "I ordered an extensive forensic report on Farr as soon as he died. The poison which killed Farr only affects Rodian blood, and it was developed by Kaminoan scientists." Oddly convenient. Seems more like someone is framing Burtoni for the murder. Burtoni is not stupid enough to use a poison that her own people manufactured. And also, why didn't it kill Lolo if she had some of the wine, as well?
"But. . . that's. . . I didn't kill him!"
Divo points an accusatory finger at her. "You're Kaminoan. You had access to the poison." Circumstantial. "That's motive, means, and opportunity. Guards?" The police droids start towards Burtoni.
"But the scan must be wrong," Padmé says. "If the poison was in all our drinks, Lolo would have died too." Thank you, Padmé. Someone is thinking. My head jerks up in realization. It was Lolo.
"What?" Divo whips around.
"She's Rodian," Padmé spells out. "She'd have been poisoned too. . ." Lolo gains a look of concern and worry. It was Lolo. She killed Ono. "Unless she didn't drink. But you drank, right, Lolo?" Padmé didn't look at the Rodian. But Lolo's increasingly hostile expression confirmed my suspicion. "Lolo, you didn't drink, did you?"
Lolo brought out a small pistol and pointed it at Padmé's head. "You're right." Of course she's right. And now she's in danger again. My hand twitches as I realize I don't have a blaster. "I should have pretended to drink. All right, you're coming with me for insurance." Lolo grasps Padmé's shoulder and pulls the senator with her.
The Rodian slowly backs towards the door with Padmé in her clutches. I don't know what the Lolo expects to gain since this is a secure government building. She won't make it very far, even with Padmé as a hostage. "Why did you kill Ono?" Padmé asks her.
"He brought war to my planet."
"No!" Padmé jerks forward, but Lolo keeps her grip. "He made a mistake, Lolo."
"Which everyone seemed to forget, including you." No one forgot. Ono has simply been bending over backward to try and make things right. I watch the two make it to the door, but I'm not worried. Lolo spins Padmé around, making Padmé face her, continuing to point the blaster pistol. "I didn't. Did you honestly think he had the moral right to lead us after he betrayed us?" He did a better job than you.
"He was sorry."
"He was weak. We needed someone with strength to stand against this war. I tried to scare him at the docks, but he wouldn't go away, so I removed him." I glance around at the others in the room and see that only Mon Mothma seems concerned, but even she seems more concerned for Lolo's line of thinking and actions than Padmé's wellbeing. Anyone with a brain knew nothing was going to happen to Padmé at this point in time. She's probably going to die in action or something. Then Divo starts typing on his datapad. "And when I heard Deechi knew about that meeting, he had to go too."
The doors burst open to reveal two police droids. "Halt," they echo. I take a peek at the datapad to see the command screen for the police droids. The only time Divo has done something right. "Put down your weapon." Lolo didn't even have time to comply as Padmé smacks it out of her hand and punches her in the face.
Lolo collapses on the floor, unconscious as a huge grin spreads across my face. That's my girl. I contain my laughter though since this is a serious situation. Bail, Mon, and I join Padmé and she hugs me and Mon. Bail places a hand on Padmé's shoulder to show his support. At least this series of murders is over.
The next day was the Senate vote on the clone trooper bill. Everyone submits there votes, as I sit in the platform with Padmé and one of her guards. The silence is tense as Palpatine reads the verdict. "With the final votes tallied," he begins, "let it be known that the motion to stop the creation of more clone troopers has failed, and the continued manufacturing of clone troopers shall proceed as scheduled."
Padmé's head bowed in dismay. I can't say I'm glad or sad. I don't quite think the Separatists will listen to negotiation, but at the same time, the conflict needs to end, sooner rather than later so our lives can resume and people can stop dying for a needless war. And maybe then I can actually see Obi-Wan.
