Chapter 56

Galactic Court of Justice Building – Coruscant

Padmé had slept very little the previous night, for the trial was weighing heavily on her mind. She had been assured that there was no way that Julie could avoid a conviction, and yet, Padmé was anxious. Perhaps it was simply the nature of the threat that had her rattled. It wasn't the first time that someone wanted her dead; but now that she was a mother, and carrying another baby, it made the threat so much more frightening.

Anakin had been quiet as they made their way from their new home to the court building, and Padmé judged him to be as anxious as she was. Upon landing, Anakin and Padmé made their way to the executive entrance to avoid reporters who had gathered at the main entrance.

"Good morning Your Excellency, Master Skywalker," the prosecuting attorney, Melinda Soares, greeted them.

"Good morning," Padmé said.

"Are we all set?" Anakin asked.

Melinda nodded. "We're good to go," she said. "We should be able to wrap this up within a couple of days, maximum."

"Let's hope so," Padmé said.

Melinda smiled. "Don't worry, Madame Chancellor," she said. "This is going to be an easy one."

Anakin took Padmé's hand and led her to a pair of reserved seats on the prosecutor's side of the courtroom. The courtroom filled up quickly with spectators and a handful of reporters who had been selected to attend. It wasn't long after that Dane Mendicino arrived with Julie. Anakin turned and met her eyes as she was escorted in. Julie was unwilling, or unable, to hold his eyes, and looked away. Anakin frowned and watched as she was brought in, her uncle at her side.

"All rise," the bailiff called out. "The Republican Superior Court is now in session. Judge Jeredar Tinswin presiding."

The judge sat down and looked up at the courtroom. "Please be seated," he said. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the Republic versus Julie Banks. Are both sides ready?"

"Ready for the Republic, Your Honour," Melinda spoke up.

"Ready for the defense, Your Honour," Dane said.

"Will the clerk please swear in the jury?" Judge Tinswin said.

The clerk proceeded to do so as the judge looked at the data pad on his desk. He looked up and bowed his head respectfully at Padmé. "Good morning, Your Excellency," he said.

"Good morning," Padmé said.

Once the jury had been sworn in, the judge addressed Melinda. "Madame Prosecutor, you may present your opening statement."

"Thank you, your Honour," Melinda said and stood up to face the courtroom. She walked over to the jury box and smiled. "Good morning," she said. "Your Honour and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: the defendant has been charged with the crime of treason, by plotting to assassinate the Chancellor of the Republic. We have ample evidence and witnesses who will attest to this fact, as well as the defendant's own words. I will also explain the reasons why Miss Banks made this threat, which will help you to understand her state of mind and the level of animosity she has toward our Chancellor. The evidence I present will prove to you that the defendant is guilty as charged. Thank you." Melinda returned to her table and sat down.

Dane stood up next, and walked over to address the jury. "Your Honour and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: under the law my client is presumed innocent until proven guilty. During this trial, you will hear no real evidence against my client, aside from heresy. I will show how the defendant was a victim of an elaborately orchestrated take down, and that her words are being used against her. In addition, I will prove that she was intimidated into submitting a confession by parties close to the plaintiff. At the end of the trial, I am confident that you will agree that she is not guilty."

"The prosecution may call their first witness," the judge said.

Melinda stood up. "Thank you, your Honour," she said. "The prosecution calls CT-7567, AKA Captain Rex, to the stand."

Rex, who was dressed in civvies, headed to the witness box and stood up to be sworn in. Once he was sworn in, he sat down.

"Captain Rex, please state your official designation for the record," the court clerk said.

"CT-7567," said Rex.

"Captain Rex, please describe for the court what happened on the night in question," Melinda began.

"I was working undercover at the Outlander club," Rex began. "Sitting at the bar when I heard the accused ask the barkeep if he knew of anybody selling death sticks," he began.

"And how did you respond to this?" Melinda responded.

"I told her I had some," he said. "She bought two from me."

"And then what happened?"

"Then I asked her if she needed anything else," Rex said. "She asked what kinds of services I provided, and I told her all kinds. That's when she asked how much I'd charge to kill someone."

Murmurs were heard from the spectators.

"Did she say who she wanted to kill?" Melinda asked.

"Not at first," Rex said. "I asked if it was an ex or something like that, and that's when she said it was the Chancellor."

Melinda nodded. "Thank you, Captain Rex," she said. "I have no further questions."

The judge looked at Dane. "Do you wish to cross examine, Mr. Mendicino?"

"Yes, thank you, your Honour," Dane said, and stood up. He walked over to the witness box and stood in front of Rex. "Captain Rex, you're a member of the 501st, correct?"

"I am, yes," Rex said.

"That's the unit attached to General Anakin Skywalker, isn't it?" Dane asked.

Rex frowned, and nodded. "Yeah, it is," he said.

"I guess you feel a great deal of loyalty to him, then," Dane continued.

"Objection," Melinda called out. "How is this relevant?"

"Sustained," the judge decided.

Dane smiled, not at all surprised. "Captain Rex, was the defendant of sound mind when she told you her alleged plan to kill the chancellor?"

"Sound mind?" Rex said. "Not at all, she had just smoked both death sticks. She was stoned."

Dane nodded. "I see," he said. "I have no more questions."

"The witness may step down," the judge said. Rex stood up at once, and left the box, glancing at Anakin as he passed him.

"Why was he asking about the 501st?" Padmé asked Anakin.

"I have no idea," Anakin asked. "But knowing Dane, he's got his reasons."

"The prosecution calls Bufon Taire to the stand," Melinda called out.

A rather surly looking human male approached the witness box and was sworn in. He looked at Melinda expectantly as he sat down.

"Please spell your name for the record," the court clerk asked.

Taire did so, and shifted in his seat.

"Mr. Taire, would you please state your occupation," Melinda asked.

"I'm the chief bartender of the Outlander Club," Taire replied.

"I would like you to look at the defendant, please," Melinda continued. As Taire looked at Julie, Melinda went on. "Have you seen the defendant in your club before?"

"Yeah, lots of times," Taire said. "She's a regular."

"And as a regular, have you ever witnessed her purchasing narcotics?" Melinda asked.

Taire shifted his eyes nervously at the question, not wanting to admit that he permitted that sort of thing in the club he worked in.

"Speak freely, Mr. Taire, you're not on trial," the judge assured him.

"Oh, okay thank yer honour," Taire said, feeling somewhat relieved. "Yeah, I seen her buy them plenty of times."
Melinda nodded. "So, you would probably say she was an addict?"

"Objection!" Dane called out. "Speculation."

"If someone is using a narcotic plenty of times, I'd say that constitutes an addiction," Melinda countered.

"Objection sustained," the judge said. "The defendant is not on trial for alleged drug addiction."

Melinda nodded, but continued her questioning. "You were working on the night in question, weren't you Mr. Taire?" she asked.

"I was," Taire replied. "Them clones told me not to say nothing, but I was there."

"And you witnessed the transaction between the defendant and Captain Rex?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was standing right there," he said. "Saw the whole deal."

"Did you also witness the conversation that took place between them?" Melinda asked.

"Only parts," Taire asked. "I did hear the chancellor mentioned a coupla times," he said.

"Thank you, Mr. Taire," Melinda said. "I have no further questions."

"Do you wish to cross examine, Mr. Mendicino?" the judge asked.

"I have no questions, your Honour," Dane replied.

"The witness may step down," the judge said.

"The prosecution calls Aimee Giroux to the stand," Melinda said.

Julie was shocked that her best friend had been subpoenaed and glared at her as she was sworn in.

"Miss Giroux, could you tell the court how you know the defendant," Melinda said.

"Julie and I have been friends since we were in high school," she said.

"Are you aware of her connection to Anakin Skywalker?" Melinda asked.

"Connection? I know she's infatuated with him," Aimee said.

"She has spoken to you about this?"

"Oh yeah, all the time," Aimee said.

"Tell me something – did she ever mention Chancellor Amidala to you?" Melinda asked.

Aimee looked at Julie, unnerved by the look in her eyes. "Yeah, she did," she said. "Said that the Chancellor had had her chance with Anakin, and that she broke his heart. Figured she could make him happy."

"And were you aware of her plans to engage the services of a bounty hunter?" Melinda asked.

"Yes," Aimee said. "As a matter of fact, I was with her at the Outlander when she first had the idea," she said. "I stopped her before she had a chance to talk to any of them."

Melinda nodded. "Thank you, Miss Giroux. I have no more questions."

"Does the defense wish to cross examine?" the judge asked.

"I have no questions," Dane said.

"The witness is excused," the judge said. Aimee stood up and walked to the back of the room, avoiding eye contact with Julie who was glaring at her.

"The prosecution calls Master Jedi Anakin Skywalker to the stand," Melinda said next.

Anakin glanced at his wife before standing up and heading to the witness stand.

"Please spell your name for the record," the clerk said, which Anakin did once he was sworn in.

"Master Skywalker, how do you know the defendant?" Melinda began.

"I met her at the law office of Mr. Mendicino," Anakin began.

"And how did she act around you when you first met her?" Melinda asked.

"She was friendly," Anakin said. "Kind of flirty, admitted that she'd had a crush on me for a long time."

Melinda nodded. "Did she ask you out?"

"She did," Anakin said. "I agreed to go out with her, since I wasn't married at the time."

"And how did that go?" Melinda asked.

"Well enough," Anakin said. "I went out with her just to be nice."

"And how did things progress after that?"

"Well, she became pretty pushy," Anakin said. "Kept popping in to my home, being really flirtatious, even when I didn't reciprocate. Made me uncomfortable."

"So, is it safe to say that Miss Banks developed an obsession with you, Master Skywalker?"

"I'm not sure I'd quality it as an obsession," Anakin said. "But she got pretty aggressive. Called me once in the middle of then night to tell me she loved me and wanted me."

"Did you tell her to stop?"

"I told her I was in love with someone, and never gave her any indication that I was interested in a relationship with her," Anakin said.

"And the woman you refer to, the woman you are now, in fact married to, who is that, Master Skywalker?"

"Chancellor Amidala," Anakin said, looking at Padmé.

Julie gasped audibly at this disclosure, not knowing that Anakin and Padmé were now remarried.

Dane looked sharply at her. "Control yourself," he whispered to her.

Julie looked at her uncle with wide eyes. "They're married!" she said, loudly enough to be heard by half of the courtroom. "How could he, Uncle Dane? How could he marry her when he loves me? I know he does!"

Judge Tinswin rang the bell on his desk. "Order! Order! Mr. Mendicino please control your client!"

Dane looked up at the judge. "May we have a brief recess, your Honour?"

The judge frowned, and then nodded. "Fifteen minutes," he said, rang the bell, and then stood up.

Dane turned to his niece. "You need to get a hold of yourself," he admonished. "Disrupting the court won't do you any good."

Julie put her head down on the table as she tried to get herself together. The news that Anakin and Padmé were now married had devastated her.

Anakin, because of the recess, had left the witness box and rejoined his wife. "That was weird," he said to her.

"Was it?" Padmé said. "The girl is obsessed with you," she said. "That's what this is all about, Ani. Surely you must see that now."

Anakin frowned. "I do," he said. "I never did anything to encourage this, Padmé, you must realize this."

Padmé nodded. "I do," she said. "Like I told you, you can't help it if you're sexy and desirable," she said quietly, leaning closer and giving him a kiss.

Julie, who had started to come around, looked up just in time to see the kiss Padmé gave Anakin. She stared daggers at them, as her mind slowly became unhinged.

The judge returned to the courtroom after another few minutes, and Anakin returned to the witness box.

"Thank you for patience, Master Skywalker," Melinda said.

"No problem," Anakin said.

"We were talking about the defendant's attraction to you," Melinda said.

"Objection, your Honour," Dane interjected. "I don't see the relevance of this line of questioning."

"Your honour, the defendant's obsession with Anakin Skywalker is highly relevant to this case," Melinda said. "For it directly led to her actions vis-à-vis the Chancellor."

"I'll allow it," the judge said. "Continue."

"So, to sum up, the defendant has a strong attraction to you, which has created feelings of jealousy for Chancellor Amidala," Melinda said. "Does that sound about right?"

"I think so," Anakin said.

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," Melinda said. "I have no further questions."

"Mr. Mendicino, do you wish to cross examine?" the judge asked.

"Yes, your Honour, I do," Dane said, standing up. He walked over to the witness box and looked at Anakin. "Master Skywalker," Dane began. "My client has told me that you and she developed a friendship over the past several weeks," he began. "And yet, you seem to be denying having had anything to do with her."

"I haven't denied anything," Anakin said.

"I see," Dane said. "Well, then perhaps you could answer a question for me. Did you or did you not visit the defendant, Miss Banks, while she's been in detention?"

Anakin felt his stomach drop. He glanced at Padmé, who looked startled by Dane's question.

"I did," Anakin said at last.

"According to Miss Banks, the visit was rather frightening for her," Dane went on.

Anakin frowned, but said nothing.

"Isn't it true, Master Skywalker, that you threatened Miss Banks? Telling her you'd kill her if she went anywhere near the Chancellor?" Dane asked.

"I was angry," Anakin said finally.

"Angry enough to attack her?" Dane asked.

"Objection!" Melinda cried out, not sure what else to do. "The defendant is clearly delusional!"

"Overruled," the judge said. "The witness will answer the question."

Anakin looked at the prosecutor, and then at Padmé. Her eyes told him exactly what she was feeling, and he felt sickened by it. Finally, he looked up at Dane. "She wanted to kill the woman I love, the mother of my children!" he said at last. "Who wouldn't be angry?"

"So, you admit that you attacked her," Dane pressed.

"She was planning on murdering a pregnant woman," Anakin countered angry. "Can you blame me?"

At this disclosure, Julie jumped to her feet. "Pregnant? She's pregnant!?" she cried. She ran over the witness box. "How could you do this to me?" she screamed at Anakin. "We're in love! We were going to get married! How could you betray me this way!?"

Before she could reach Anakin, she was grabbed by two clones. She resisted them as she continued to scream at Anakin as she was physically restrained and hauled out of the courtroom.

"We will adjourn for today," the judge said once Julie had been escorted away. He rang the bell and stood up.

Dane looked visibly shaken by what had happened, and turned to Anakin. "I …I had no idea she was so far gone," he said.

Anakin frowned. "Guess you don't know your client as well as you thought," he said, and stood up to leave. As he walked towards the table where Padmé sat with the prosecutor, Melinda approached him.

"You should have told me," she said hotly. "How could you keep something like that to yourself!?"

"I don't know," Anakin said. "I guess I didn't think it would come up."

Melinda shook her head. "Well, at least her actions here should show exactly how unstable she is," she said.

Anakin nodded, and looked at Padmé who seemed quite shaken by what had transpired. "Padmé? You okay?"

Padmé looked up at him. "No," she said quietly. "I'd like to go home now."

"Of course," he said, and took her hand. "Let's go home."