Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, TV series, books, comics or games. They all belong to their respective creators and/or copyright owners. It's not for sale or rent.

Phase 1

=L=

Part 3

=L=

Royal Palace
Theed
Naboo

Padme didn't expect to see Palpatine grimace and pinch the bridge of his nose as soon as she entered his chamber.

She found him sitting on a couch, reading from a datapad, which he put on the table with refreshments in front of him.

"My Queen, do you wish to spread rumors that we're involved? Or that, at best, I have an affair with one of your little handmaidens?"

Padme gasped in mortification at that accusation. How dare he! Worry coiled in her gut at the reminder of what specific types of journalists, even here on Naboo, wasted their time with. She grimaced and muttered an apology in a very undignified manner.

"Sit down and tell me what's the problem. We might at least ensure something useful comes of this indiscretion, my Queen." Palpatine's silky amused voice sent shivers down her spine.

Padme sat down in the nearest armchair, leaving her dignity behind. It was a bit too late to care about any of that. Palpatine was right. She should have thought about how this might look.

He offered her a calming grandfatherly smile and waited. There were no demands, requests, or attempts to get something out of her. That brought Padme an unexpected sense of relief.

"I know this is not an appropriate conversation to have between the Queen of Naboo and the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. I hope we can talk as Padme Amidala and Sheev Palpatine, the former Senator of Naboo." Padme blurted out.

Palpatine's lips twitched in amusement.

"You can consider that the Chancellor is right now locked in a distant part of my mind. You can talk with Sheev Palpatine, former Senator and citizen of Naboo, Padme."

Padme slowly exhaled in relief, a breath she didn't even realize she held back.

"That's good. I need help. Naboo needs help." She implored.

"That's something I'm aware of." Palpatine nodded grimly. "Speaking as a private citizen discussing the state and future of our home, I might have a few observations to share."

Padme nodded. She felt warmth spreading through her in a way that usually made her happy to learn, to become better. However, this time it was different. It was tainted by the knowledge that her advisers deceived her. She desperately wanted to trust someone, and while that was why she was here, there was that treacherous doubt at the back of her head.

"Padme, worlds like Coruscant can always use more food to buy at reasonable prices. We have large lush fields that could feed billions if developed. With the right cash crops on top of potential food exports, Naboo could prosper in a way it never has. That was the path the previous King wanted to follow before scandals and political intrigues brought him down. All I would advise in that regard is that you do your homework. The rest will be up to you and what you can convince our government to do."

Padme's mind raced. There weren't enough people willing to work in farming to make that feasible. Yet, now that they had peace of sorts with the Gungans, that might open all kinds of possibilities. There were more Gungans on Naboo than Humans, after all.

"It's fascinating how your eyes shine with ideas."

The approval in Palpatine's voice made her heart race. She felt it was more valuable than the acceptance or backing from almost anyone else before him, especially from the people in the government she was supposed to lead.

"The Gungans can help in that regard," Padme said aloud, eager to hear Palpatine's thoughts on the subject. She was also curious how he would react to mentioning them. He was a Naboo, and many of their people didn't hold the Gungans in high esteem until recently.

"Good, you're thinking out of the box. Keep doing it."

"We need to rebuild the Royal Guard and police force." Padme braced. "We need to expand them."

"Ah. I wondered if victory blinded you about how close the whole affair was." Palpatine nodded. "From what I could gather, sheer luck and Trade Federation overconfidence allowed you to win. Make no mistake, what you did with the assets you had was amazing." Palpatine smiled kindly. "However, it wouldn't have worked against a more competent opponent."

Padme closed her eyes and lowered her head. After the jubilation died, her surviving Royal Guards gave her a concise report on what exactly happened in the battles on the ground and in space.

The reports were damning. The Battle of the Green Plains was a diversion and a crushing tactical defeat to the small Gungan army. The police forces that created diversions all over the planet paid for it with blood.

Ultimately, it was sheer luck that Anakin managed to blow up the Droid Control Ship. Even then, it wouldn't have worked if the Trade Federation bought combat droids that could act without direct control from orbit, instead of the cheapest ones money could buy.

There was a third factor as well. Gunray was an arrogant bastard. If he had a bit larger or more competent security detail, Padme knew she might have been unable to take him prisoner.

Her gambit worked, and she was proud of her success. However, Palpatine was right. She could never allow herself to forget how close it all came to outright disaster.

"We were fortunate. That we needed such luck to save Naboo was a failure of our government." She finally voiced a bitter truth she had been struggling with since the battle ended and didn't want to admit to herself.

"You can choose to ignore this lesson." Palpatine reasonably pointed out.

"Can I? If I did it, I would betray Naboo and myself. Would you look at me the same way if I chose such an easy path?" She boldly demanded.

"I would feel disappointed," Palpatine admitted. "Most people in our shoes would explore the possibility of creating a well-equipped self-defense force. Our culture could provide an obstacle for such plans." His intense look bored into her eyes.

Padme felt as if this was a test. Palpatine surely wouldn't be against Naboo being able to defend itself. What they just discussed didn't point to such a conclusion; on the contrary! He was guiding her towards figuring something out for herself. Naboo needed a different option than the pacifism that the Trade Federation ignored.

"The Gungans again? That would…" That would make people scared and worried. It might even push them into enlisting in a self-defense force just in case. After all, the Gungans had their army already, even if it was a small thing.

"It's curious. Our ancestors were so self-absorbed that they overlooked many obvious realities. Others," Palpatine's tone darkened, "are wilfully ignorant and nearly doomed us all."

Padme didn't object. At that point, she was in complete agreement with him.

They spent the next few hours discussing how to best unite the people of Naboo, both Human and Gungan, and how to best use the new peace to protect their world.

When Padme left, she felt sadness grip her heart. The next time she spoke with Palpatine, it wouldn't be with the man who just gave her priceless advice and options to ponder, but with the Chancellor of the Republic.

=L=

Part 4

=L=

Republic One

Hyperspace

This was the supreme test of my enhanced "mask" ability, augmented by Palpatine's knowledge of making himself appear as a regular fellow in front of the Jedi. I had the little green troll, pun intended, Yoda and Mace Windu, sitting in my quarters while the transport flew towards Tatooine.

"Master Jedi, I'm glad you accepted my invitation!" I beamed happily at Yoda.

"We are a bit concerned about our current destination." Windu bluntly announced. "We would also like to hear any concerns you might have, Chancellor." He nodded less tersely.

"It won't be a lie to say that I've spent most of my life in paradise, from Naboo to the governing districts across the Chommell Sector and Galactic City on Coruscant. That was enough when I was a Senator representing my people's interests in the Senate. As the Chancellor, I feel the need to see a taste of the real world beyond the gilded cage I've spent so long. The reason for this is simple. In Galactic City, it's easy to forget the regular people of the galaxy and how every action of the Senate might impact them." I carefully morphed my neutral expression into a grimace. "Or ignore their issues without a thought."

"You can do this by going to the lower levels of Coruscant, Chancellor." Windu pointed out.

"You are, of course, correct, Master Windu. Going to a place like Tatooine will be a reminder and a revelation that the galaxy doesn't end at the Republic's borders. The decisions and policies championed by any Chancellor would have wide-reaching consequences, both intended and not."

"Other motives you have. The whole truth this is not." Yoda kept trolling like a master.

"I will also act as the former Senator of Naboo, repaying in part the debt we owe young Anakin Skywalker. When we head back to Coruscant, his mother will no longer be enslaved."

"I would like to say that doing so would be most irregular," Windu grumbled. "Nevertheless, many Chancellors before you had to tie up loose ends before they could fully focus on their duties to the Republic."

"I do have a bit more duties than some of my predecessors. Fortunately, they're far less than certain notable examples. If I remember my history lessons right, there were more than a few Jedi Chancellors who had to juggle for a few years multiple full-time jobs. I hope to be able to discharge my other duties within the next few months, so I can fully focus on my job as a Chancellor." I gave them a conspirational smile. "That said, I would be remiss not to tell you that I'm using this detour for a selfish reason as well. It is an opportunity for a bit of rest before I jump right back into politics on Coruscant."

Yoda's ears rotated forward, and he chuckled lightly.

"You aren't the first Chancellor I've met who couldn't wait to get away for a bit." He spoke in a clear Basic. "You already have access to your office's private files about the Jedi, I trust?"

Windu stared at Yoda almost certainly because of how the master troll spoke.

"Yes, and you confirmed perhaps the most startling revelation in them, Master Yoda."

"Sense of humor I have." The little bastard sounded incredibly pleased with himself.

"This explains much." Windu drily concluded. "I can't in good conscience tell you that liberating slaves is unwise, Chancellor."

"I'm hearing a 'but' coming," I noted.

"There is a reason why we Jedi avoid attachments. What can be a great source of strength, and stability for someone not trained in the Force, can be our downfall." Windu carefully explained.

"Darkness in young Anakin, I sense. Clouded his future is." Yoda nodded in agreement.

"Chancellor, for the good of us all, I must request that you set up Skywalker's mother away from Coruscant. Perhaps on Naboo? He is already too old, which makes training him dangerous enough without adding outside factors." Windu pressed.

"I obviously can't have the same outlook as you two. As a regular person, I don't have the same connection with it." I decided that playing with fire here and now might be for the best.

Yoda's ears twitched, and he smiled sadly.

"A rare insight you show, Chancellor." The troll complimented me.

"Have you considered seriously the possibility that attachments could be a source of strength and stability if handled correctly? I know that your colleagues among the Green Jedi on Corellia have certain views that differ from the more orthodox belief of the Jedi on Coruscant. Then there is Master Adi-Mundi." I made a show of grimacing. "I must confess that my Office has more information on the personal lives of various people that I feel comfortable with."

"Master Mundi is married, yes." Windu's answer was very carefully worded. His face was an expressionless mask you could easily mistake for a statue.

"By all accounts, he loves his wives and children. Yet, he is a perfectly sane and adjusted individual."

"Master Mundi is a special case."

"I never implied that he wasn't. Just food for thought. Sadly, I didn't request this meeting for a pleasant discussion on the Jedi Order and its philosophy." I decided that I'd pushed far enough for now.

"Hear your concerns, we will."

"The Senate is a corrupt mess that almost makes places like Nar Shaddaa look respectful in comparison. Sadly, what I know for a fact and what I can prove in a court of law are two very different things. I would require the Jedi Order's covert help to gather evidence of corruption quietly until we have enough to go through the proper channels."

Windu leaned forward, giving me his undivided attention.

"This is a serious accusation, Chancellor. I don't believe you would joke about something like that."

"The Republic, as much as I love it, is in trouble. Greed and short-signed political calculations allowed entities like the Trade Federation to become indispensable." I explained certain realities we had to live in to the Jedi. Unlike Padme, the Jedi lacked an excellent excuse for being wilfully ignorant.

"Above politics, the Jedi Order must remain." Yoda sighed.

Interestingly enough, Windu appeared ready to speak, yet he held his tongue. His conflicted expression was more than telling.

No one else in the galaxy save for children and bumpkins in the middle of nowhere believed that. To much of the galaxy, the Jedi were the Republic's enforcers, usually dispatched only when a rival faction could sick them to someone attempting to gain an advantage illegally. While that wasn't the precise truth, more often than not, it turned out that way in practice.

Certain conditions had to be met for the Chancellor or the Senate to request Jedi mediation or assistance. Like having the backing of strong enough factions to allow it to happen.

Incidentally, that was one of the things that sunk Valorum. He dispatched Jedi to Naboo without having enough backing from Senate factions. That by itself made many people eager to vote him out so he couldn't send Jedi to look into their dirty laundry.

"Can I at least count on assistance when I find some evidence to justify your quiet intervention, Master Yoda?"

"That you can." Yoda eventually allowed.

Unless you bastards suspected me of being a Sith, because then the legality or perception of the Jedi's action wouldn't matter, would it? Hypocritical bastards.

Sooner or later, I would have them trying to clean up the Senate and begin fighting corruption in earnest. That would be the best way to turn the people who ran the galaxy against the Jedi Order in earnest. Through their propaganda, the masses would eventually follow. The only question was if I could fracture the Order and salvage some more open-minded people from it.

=L=

If you want to support my writing or discuss this story, google the following places:

Pat re on: Delkatar's writing corner

the space battles forums - this is where most discussion over my stories takes place

the sufficient velocity forums

archive of our own

the alternative history forums