Star Wars: Specters of the Past
By SSG Michael B. Jackson
Disclaimer: Star Wars and all associated characters belong, ultimately, to George Lucas, and aren't mine, more's the pity. Still, he's done a damn good job so far, so who's complaining?
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and here are some specific replies.
Tribun: Yeah, a certain somebody definitely had it out for Padmé. You'd think someone with a whole galaxy to oppress would have better things to do, wouldn't you? But everybody's got to have a hobby, I guess, and now you know what one of his was.
Tuskin of Raider: Sorry if you don't like the expletives I'm using, but they seem to be the ones I've come across in most of the novels. The Star Wars galaxy has a completely different cultural background from ours, so it's a little hard to pin down just what 'cuss words' people tend to use without resorting to the ones we find so familiar. I've heard 'damn' and 'hell' used in the movies, but nothing involving any 'higher power'other than the Force and the Sith. If anyone out there has a better idea of how people curse in Star Wars, please enlighten me so I can improve this. Also, now that you mention it, a Jar Jar appearance is a definite possibility, although I won't lie and say that he's one of my favorite characters. Let's just say that Padmé wasn't the only one blamed for what happened (who called for a vote on granting Palpatine emergency powers, after all?), and Jar Jar probably has something to contribute to her case.
Delles: Thanks for the praise, and I plan on seeing this through. Just be patient though; sometimes the updates will be frequent, and sometimes they won't.
labrisa: Yes, I am an evil author; I was corrupted by a Dark Plot Bunny of the Sith years and years ago, and it's been so damn much fun, I've never looked back! Seriously, though, you're right. If I didn't throw some of these curves and complications in, we'd be left with 100 pure grade 'A' fluff, and while that makes very nice (and in my opinion necessary) padding for a serious story, normally it shouldn't BE the story. Glad you like my work so far, and hopefully I'll be able to sustain the pace, so to speak.
stocktonwood: Thanks for commenting on the scene between Luke and Padmé. It just sort of struck me as her natural reaction, and I really thought Luke needed to hear that from her. I suspect on some level he's always had a hard time accepting what happened at Endor, that he probably thinks there was more he could've done, so I think hearing that from Padmé would be a very good thing for him. Glad I managed to surprise you too, and I'll be laying things out this chapter.
Doreen: Believe it or not, this 'arrest' sub-plot just hit me one morning in the shower. I was just sort of going over what I wanted to happen on Naboo, and I suddenly realized that maybe Padmé wasn't the only one who blamed herself for Palpatine's rise and the Republic's fall. More to follow on that.
dtaylor16889: Bad luck is one way of putting it. I prefer to think of it more as simply the past catching up with poor Padmé. That, and yet another dose of betrayal from our favorite long-departed galactic monarch… Oh, BTW, always happy to mention a reader ; )
Tempest in Blue: Odd, sudden and interesting, huh? Well, that's a pretty apt description, I guess. And I'm glad this caught a lot of you by surprise; it wouldn't be any fun otherwise. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it interesting, but I think I can manage that.
Mara Angel: Glad you liked my setup for this; it just sort of came to me, and I ran with it. As for bridging all the different Star Wars eras together, well, that wasn't exactly my goal at the start, but it does seem to be happening, and I'll try to keep that trend alive.
Diane: Well, last but most certainly not least! You gave me a lot to mull over in your multi-chapter review. I'll try to cut down on the soapbox speeches, though a few might still crop up. You've read my email, so you know I can be awfully long winded at times ;-) As for the 'Star Wars cursing', well I hit that one above. And again, if anybody has any suggestions, I'm open to them. Glad you like the way I'm doing Han and Mara, BTW. The way I normally write is to just sort of build a simulation of the character in my mind, based on what I've seen and read, and then just plug in my scenarios and 'let them go', so to speak. I guess that comes from about ten years of role playing games, of which Star Wars was one; you get used to building characters and letting them do their own thing. As for the Jaina thing, well, she's always been one of my favorite EU characters for some reason, so it figures she's getting the screen time. I'm not intentionally cutting anyone short, but there are a lot of characters involved, so things kind of have to 'go around the table' so to speak. I'll try to give them all their fair share of the spotlight as much as possible. Also, I think you misunderstand the charges against Padmé. These aren't charges leveled by the Empire; they're charges that were leveled by Naboo's government AFTER the Empire's fall. Backlash pretty much demanded that everyone involved in Palpatine's rise be charged with something if there was even a chance that they were still alive and might someday be brought to justice. Glad you like this overall, though, and hope it continues to keep your interest!
Her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, Leia said, "A warrant for her arrest? For what?"
The supervisor bit her lip once more, obviously extremely uncomfortable with the entire situation, and then, rather than reply directly to Leia, she turned to Padmé. Taking in her stricken expression, the supervisor said reluctantly, "Former Senator Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker, in the name of the duly elected monarch of Naboo, King Evandarius, I place you under arrest for high treason, conspiracy to overthrow the government of the Galactic Republic, and crimes against the galaxy. Please surrender yourself willingly, or- or necessary force will be used to secure you."
There was stark silence for several seconds as everyone struggled to digest the supervisor's words, and then, finally, Han Solo said, "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute now! Treason? Crimes against the galaxy? What kind of trumped up bantha poodoo are you guys trying to push here? If anything, this lady's a victim, not a criminal! The guy you want has been dead for about a quarter of a century now, in case you haven't been keeping up on current events."
Putting on a resolute expression to hide her obvious nervousness, the immigrations supervisor said, "Captain Solo, believe me when I say that I'm extremely sorry for this situation. Arresting the mother of two of the most famous veterans in the galaxy, who just happens to be one of my world's former queens and an ex-senator, is the last thing I expected to have to do when I got out of bed this morning. But the charges, and the warrant, are there; I can't just ignore them. Whether or not I like the situation, I've got a job to do." She sighed then, and, in a somewhat more subdued tone said, "I'm hoping that you're all really the kind of people your reputations make you out to be, and we'll be able to handle this in a civilized manner. I don't think any of us have any illusions about walking away from a fight with three Jedi Knights, but we'll do our duty if you force us to. Please don't make me have to make that decision."
Hearing the sincerity in the young woman's tone, Padmé sighed, and, straightening, her bearing suddenly very much that of a monarch, said, "Of course we wouldn't do anything like that, Officer." She glanced pointedly around the circle of family members who surrounded her then, confirming for herself that this was actually the case, and then said, "We all understand duty and responsibility, and, if these charges have been leveled against me, I want the chance to stand up to them. Naboo's my home, after all, and shooting our way off the planet wouldn't do anything to dispel whatever stigma has been attached to my name." She paused once more, allowing her words to sink in, and then, in a lower but still regal tone said, "So, yes, Officer; I surrender myself willingly, and no violence will be necessary. Will that be satisfactory?"
Padmé's tone and bearing affected the immigrations supervisor deeply, and she felt a wave of respect for the woman, whatever her alleged crimes were, wash over her. Straightening, she looked Padmé in the eye and said evenly, "Yes, Your Highness, it will. And if you would, please, just allow the security officers to escort you to a waiting area until a representative of the Planetary Constabulary arrives to take charge of this affair."
Padmé nodded slowly, and, turning toward the nearest security man said, "Officer?"
He looked down at her solemnly for a moment, and then said quietly, "All things considered, Your Highness, I don't believe physical restraints of any sort are necessary. If you'll follow us, please?"
She nodded once more, and said, "And my family?"
The officer considered for a moment, and then replied, "There are no charges leveled against any of them; they're free to go if they like, although undoubtedly the constabulary will have questions for them at some point. And, of course, if they like, they're more than welcome to accompany us and speak to the constabulary representatives when they arrive."
Padmé glanced over quickly to make sure that everyone heard this, and, receiving a nod of acknowledgement from Leia, she turned back to the security officer and said, "Whenever you're ready then, Officer."
As they moved slowly away, the elder members of the Skywalker/Solo clan in tow, Mara turned to Luke and, in a slightly bemused voice said, "You tell me, farmboy; was that an arrest we just saw, or a ballroom waltz of some kind? That had to be the politest incarceration I've ever been witness to."
Luke just shook his head, and said, "I guess Naboo really is as civilized as Mother's made it out to be. No wonder they don't have any more to do with the rest of the galaxy than they absolutely have to."
Behind him, Han snorted disdainfully, and said, "I don't know, kid. All of this so-called 'courtliness' just gives me the willies. Usually when people are acting this polite to your face, it's just because they're waiting for a chance to shove a vibroblade in your back. In my experience, anyway."
Leia, walking at Han's side, sighed and said, "My husband; the eternal optimist." Then, ignoring his frown and muttered, "Gee, thanks, Your Worship," she said, "Any way you look at it, though, this complicates matters. Just how much, I guess we'll have to wait and see."
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All things considered, their wait wasn't a long one. No more than half an hour after they'd been escorted to the 'waiting area', a surprisingly comfortable, though blandly decorated lounge-like room with a security door and obvious holocams near the ceiling, the constabulary representatives arrived.
The delegation consisted of five people, two uniformed officers and three others, a woman and two men, in civilian clothing. After exchanging a few words with the security officers outside the holding area, they entered, one of the men, an older gentleman with graying, salt-and-pepper hair and ice gray eyes leading.
Padmé stood as the group approached, and Luke, Leia and their spouses moved just a bit closer to her, unconsciously protective of this woman who'd become so important to them all so quickly.
Noticing this, the older gentleman quirked an eyebrow just slightly, and, extending a hand formally, said, "Your Highness. Please believe me when I say that I regret the circumstances of this meeting, but allow me to introduce myself and these others. My name is Rondahl Severen, and I am the Royal Liaison to the Ministry of Justice, of which the Planetary Constabulary is a part, though I'm sure you're aware of that."
Padmé nodded in acknowledgement, and, turning to indicate the others, he continued. Pointing to the other gentleman, a light-skinned black man who appeared to be somewhere in his middle years, he said, "This is Director Matin, the current head of the Planetary Constabulary. Given the… high-profile nature of this matter, we thought it best that he be present." Then, turning to the third member of the party, an attractive, brown-haired woman who appeared to be perhaps a few years older than Luke and Leia, he said, "And this is High Magister Kerliné. She's one of the most respected advokats on Naboo, and a subject matter expert in cases of this kind. Normally, she acts as one of the Crown's senior legal advisors, but she's accompanied us here to offer her services in rendering your case; apparently, there are… personal concerns involved."
Padmé cocked her head just slightly at this, and, turning to the High Magister said, "Personal concerns? I'm sorry, Magister Kerliné, but… what sort of personal concerns? Have we met before?"
The other, who'd been examining Padmé minutely since entering the room, an odd though subdued expression on her face, now smiled just slightly, a bit wistfully even, and said, "You could say that, though it's been a terribly long time. You don't recognize me, though, do you?"
Padmé frowned, a bit vexed by this, and examined the other woman more closely, looking for anything familiar. She found it, finally, in the eyes. In their color, a brown deeper than her own, nearly black, and also in the way they crinkled when the woman smiled. She remembered eyes very much like this woman's, but on another face, a face she'd seen every day growing up, and hadn't seen for nearly half a century. This woman had her sister Sola's eyes. And then, as this realization struck her, she began to notice other things, little things, really; the shade of her hair, the cast of her features, a tiny scar just over one eye that she remembered once placing both a bacta-strip and a kiss over.
As all these things registered on Padmé, a picture slowly formed in her mind, an image of a bright-eyed, smiling little girl who'd been washed away from her on a river of time, and, in a whisper she said, "Pooja?"
The other woman's smile brightened, and, her eyes moist, she stepped forward to embrace Padmé, much to the shock of the rest of the Skywalker/Solo clan. "Hello, Aunt Padmé," she said softly as Padmé returned her embrace warmly. "I'm sorry that we had to meet again under these circumstances, but… I'm happy to see you again regardless. I- we've missed you all these years."
"I've missed you too, Pooja," Padmé said quietly. "I've missed… a lot of things, obviously." And then, in a tone of quiet determination, she said, "But, no matter what happens, I plan on catching up on the things I've missed. For however long I'm able, at least."
Then, turning toward the rather confused family members behind her, Padmé smiled softly and said, "Pooja, Magister Kerliné, is my sister Sola's daughter. The last time we saw each other, she was about eight years old." Then, wryly, she added, "Obviously, there have been some changes since then."
While Luke and Leia stared, slightly amazed at yet another addition to their extended family, Han turned to Mara and, shaking his head slightly said, "Y'know, Jade, if this family gets much bigger, I'm gonna have to get old Goldenrod upgraded just to keep up with all the Lifedays and anniversaries."
Mara snorted, and said, "You do make the oddest observations at times, Solo, you know that? Unfortunately, I'm thinking that keeping track of Lifedays probably isn't going to be the biggest challenge we've got coming up."
"Probably not," Han said resignedly. "But it sure would be nice for a change, wouldn't it?"
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From the spaceport, Padmé was escorted, of all places, to the palace at Theed's center. Apparently, given her identity and the particulars of the case, the local detention center had been deemed unsuitable for her pre-trial confinement. She knew, as anyone would who'd spent as much time in the palace as she had, that there were a number of 'secure suites' originally intended for high-profile or politically sensitive prisoners, but none of them had been used literally for millennia. They had simply been part of the décor and history of the place during her reign, and a favorite part of the palace tour as well. Now, apparently, at least one of them was to be used again.
The ride over, in an unmarked but obviously official plain black armored speeder, accompanied by only the two uniformed officers and the ubiquitous 2-1B droid, was a quiet one. Severen, Matin, and Pooja were in a separate vehicle, and the rest of her family had rented a speeder to follow. The two officers were polite to a failing, and responded to any questions she asked in a direct, no non-sense manner, though most of their answers were simply, "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I'm not at liberty to discuss that." They volunteered no information of their own.
She was taken first to the palace's infirmary, a place even more bright and modern than she remembered, and given a thorough examination by the Royal Surgeon himself. Apparently, the powers-that-be wanted to confirm the medical information that had been provided by the 2-1B droid, and, most likely, to thoroughly document her physical condition to stave off any possible accusations of abuse on their part. It was, she knew, a fairly routine part of Naboo's judicial process.
Once this was completed, she was escorted to her 'temporary residence' as it was refered to, a fairly opulent suite consisting of a large and tastefully furnished common room, a similarly appointed bedroom, and a full-service refresher with any number of esoteric conveniences installed. The suite also featured a rather heavy and ornate ironbound wooden door that she knew from her previous tenure in the palace concealed blast-door grade armor plate and a state of the art mag-lock system. Traditional, but functional, she thought; typical for Naboo. She, along with the 2-1B droid, was ushered inside politely by the two uniformed officers, who'd accompanied her throughout the process, and instructed to pass any needs or wants she might have to the two palace guards who'd be standing watch outside. Then, once they were satisfied that all was in order, the two officers departed, letting Padmé know that someone would be in to discuss her case soon.
True to their word, within a few minutes, the intercom installed next to the door chimed in a low, pleasant tone, and the voice of one of the two guards stationed outside came through.
"Your Highness?" The low, male voice inquired politely.
"Yes?" She replied in a neutral tone.
"Visitors, if you care to receive them, Your Highness. Your legal council, and, I believe, your children."
Shaking her head slightly at the formality and civility of this place, barely remembered after so long off-world, any number of flippant replies to the guard's polite question came to her mind. But of course he was only doing his job, and she knew there was no reason to take the situation out on him.
Thus, instead of one of the sardonic replies she was tempted to use, she said instead, "Let them in then, please."
"Yes, Your Highness," he said. A moment later there was a muted click from the door's locking mechanism, and it swung open ponderously to reveal Luke, Leia, and Pooja standing outside. With a muttered thanks to the guards, they entered, the door swinging shut quietly behind them.
They all stood a bit awkwardly for a few moments, no one quite knowing what to say, and finally Padmé motioned toward the large, white leather-upholstered sofa at the center of the common room and said, "Well, I suppose we might as well sit down."
With muttered agreements they did so, Luke and Leia on one side of Padmé, Pooja on the other, and then, turning to Pooja, Padmé said, "So. I guess you've come to lay things out for me, so to speak?"
Nodding slowly, Pooja took a slim, modern-looking datapad from the small attaché case she carried, and, powering it up said, "That's about the size of it, Aunt Pa-" Then, catching herself, she paused, finishing sheepishly, "I mean, Your Highness."
Padmé frowned, and said, " 'Your Highness'? What, exactly, is the significance of that, Pooja?"
A pained expression on her face, Pooja said, "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I really should get used to calling you that. It wouldn't go over well at all if I were to call you 'Aunt Padmé' during the trial."
Her expression lightening, Padmé said, "I'm sure that you're more than professional enough not to do that, Pooja. Or should I call you High Magister Kerliné?"
Pooja winced, and, smiling said, "Okay, point taken. You win that one, Aunt Padmé."
With a satisfied smile, Padmé said, "Well, let's just hope I can be as persuasive on the stand."
A grave expression settled onto Pooja's features at these words, and she said, "Definitely let's hope that, Aunt Padmé." She paused, sighing, and then said, "For all the politeness and cordiality built into the system here on Naboo, the charges against you are quite serious. That's something that you need to understand up front."
From her place at Padmé's side, Leia, frowning, said, "I think we all understand that, and we heard what the charges were. But what, exactly, do they mean? What are they based on, how solid are they, and… what's the penalty likely to be if we… lose this?"
Setting the datapad down on the transparisteel-topped caftable in front of the sofa, Pooja touched one of the icons on the screen and the text suddenly leapt off the page, hovering in the air a hand span above. Leia raised an eyebrow, somewhat impressed. While she'd seen datapads with integrated holoprojectors before, they were by no means inexpensive or common items. It was just another indicator that her cousin, the High Magister, had indeed done well for herself over the last few decades.
Scrolling through the text, Pooja said, "High treason, conspiracy to overthrow the government of the Galactic Republic, and crimes against the galaxy. Those were the charges that were read to you, correct?"
Both Padmé and Leia nodded simultaneously, something that Luke and Pooja both noticed, though apparently they didn't, and Leia said, "That's right. And?"
"And," Pooja said slowly, " those are the major charges lodged against Aunt Padmé. There are a whole host of other, lesser and included offenses, but they all fall under the umbrella of those three." Gazing levelly at Padmé, she said, "I think you can at least guess what these charges are based on."
Padmé sighed deeply, and, in a leaden voice said, "They're based on the actions I took as queen and then as senator. The actions that… helped Palpatine gain the throne."
Pooja nodded wordlessly, and before she could reply Luke said quietly but firmly, "Mother told us about that already. It wasn't her fault; she was just as much a victim as anyone else. She was simply caught up in the Emperor's plans along with the rest of the galaxy."
Pooja looked down for a moment, and then met Luke's gaze, saying, "Of course I believe that. If I didn't, I'd most likely be on the other side of this case, family ties or no. I may've only been eight years old the last time I saw your mother, but I've always known in my heart that the woman I remembered couldn't have done the things they said. My Aunt Padmé just wasn't that kind of person." She paused for a moment, and then said, "I never really thought there would be a chance to clear her name; after so many years, we all thought- well, I'm sure you can guess what we all thought. But now… now there's at least a chance." She paused again, and then said quietly, "Unfortunately, not all that many people believe what I believe, and that's going to make this an uphill battle."
Padmé frowned slightly at this and said, "Pooja, what happened? I don't want to sound like some kind of egotist, but I wasn't exactly an unpopular ruler! When a populace talks about amending the planetary constitution to eliminate the term limit, all so that you can keep serving, it usually means you've done something right! And as senator, well, I'll admit, I supported Palpatine in the beginning, but once he started showing his true colors… I headed the delegation of two thousand! I gathered the opposition against him! True, it was too little, too late, but doesn't that count for something?"
Pooja shook her head sadly, and said, "All too easy for the revisionists to spin that and say that any conspirator would be likely to turn against their partner if they weren't getting what they'd been promised, I'm afraid. And that's exactly what was said."
"But that's preposterous!" Padmé said heatedly. "I freely admit that I made errors in judgment, grave ones even! But there's no way I'd ever have supported Palpatine in any way if I'd had the slightest idea what he had planned!"
"Again, I realize that," Pooja said. "But I know you in a way that almost no one left on Naboo does. For most, it's entirely too easy to believe that- that you betrayed Naboo for personal gain. It- it's no longer even an issue for most really; it's been a generation now since the Empire fell, and the public's attention span just isn't that long. But at the time…" She paused for a moment, collecting her thoughts, and then said, "When the Empire fell, or, more precisely, when we heard that the Emperor was dead, it was… pandemonium here. Like a lot of places around the galaxy, there'd always been an underground, a resistance here on Naboo. They were tied into the Rebel Alliance through intelligence and special operations channels, something I'm sure Luke and Leia are familiar with." Both Luke and Leia nodded at this, remembering similar situations on many worlds, and then Pooja continued.
"Well, as on many worlds, the resistance here had advance warning of what was planned at Endor, and they had confirmation once it was over through their… liaison." She stopped for a moment there, a pained expression crossing her face for some reason, and then said, "Operations that had been planned for a long time were carried out at that point, culminating at the Imperial's moment of maximum confusion in the mad scramble that followed within hours of the Emperor's demise. To make a long story short, a coupe was staged and pulled off successfully; the Imperial governor was captured, and, with Imperial forces at an all-time low, local forces were able to seize the entire system. I guess it was much the same over a large part of the galaxy."
She paused again to let this sink in and then continued. "In the aftermath of this, an interim government was set up, consisting of the senior members of the resistance until such time as the monarchy and it's infrastructure could be reestablished. It was a wild, turbulent time, probably not the best time for war-crimes tribunals, but-"
"But the people demanded it," Padmé said softly.
Pooja nodded, and said, "Exactly. After being under the Emperor's yoke for most of a generation, people were out for blood. So far as they were concerned, someone had to be responsible, and- and the interim government gave them the war criminals they were looking for." She looked down for a moment, vaguely ashamed for her people, and then she said, "Most of those war criminals were genuine, of course. Imperial officers and local turn-coats for the most part. And, of course, Palpatine himself, the biggest turn-coat in the planet's history; we all knew he was dead, but he was tried in absentia and convicted anyway, just to make sure the record was set straight. And as a sort of public catharsis, I suppose you'd say." She paused once more, collecting herself for what came next, and then she continued.
"Some of the charges leveled, though, were, to say the least, less than solid. I was young then, still not a fully accredited advokat, but I was involved in a number of those cases. And I'm ashamed to say that, in some of them at least, people were tried and convicted on very shaky evidence. I always tried to fight that where I could, but… I just wasn't terribly important or influential then. There wasn't much I could do."
Frowning thoughtfully, Luke said, "So the case against Mother was something that was slapped together by an interim government and backed by an angry populace over twenty-five years ago? If that's the case, this shouldn't be hard to beat at all."
Pooja shook her head slowly, and said, "No, it's not that simple, I'm afraid. As I said, some of those cases had little evidence to back them but… Aunt Padmé's wasn't one of those. There were several… damning pieces of evidence presented. And, unfortunately, the person who uncovered that evidence was- is above reproach."
Leia cocked her head slightly, frowning also, and said, "What kind of evidence are we talking about, exactly? And who's this 'person above reproach'?"
Pooja sighed deeply, and said, "As I'm sure you know by now, the Emperor was a Naboo native, and though he never once returned here during his reign, he did maintain holdings on-planet. An estate and grounds that had been in his family for- well, for as long as anyone can remember or official records can document. Naturally, it was one of the first places secured and searched by the resistance after the coupe, and- well, a great many documents, holos, and data modules were recovered. As you might guess, a lot of dirty laundry came to light from that, including, I'm afraid, several recordings that- well, suffice it to say, they captured the particulars of several people's dealings with Palpatine, both on Naboo and abroad. It was a kind of archive, it seemed, and one that he'd updated periodically right up until his demise. I suppose you can guess who one of the people depicted was."
The color draining from her face, Padmé said in a whisper, "Me!" And then, tears of frustration and anger making their way down her cheeks, she rasped, "He-! That-! Damn him! Damn Palpatine! It wasn't enough for him to play me for a fool all those years ago! It wasn't enough to take my husband, my Ani, from me and turn him into a monster! It wasn't enough to force me to give my children up and live like a hunted animal for a decade, until one of his stinking bounty hunters finally caught me and froze me in a slab of carbonite! It wasn't even enough for him to take forty years of my life, wasted in that block of carbonite, hanging on a wall in his macabre little trophy room, and then to make sure that I'd be infected with a fatal disease if I were ever rescued! No, on top of all that, he had to make sure that if, by some miracle I ever managed to overcome all of that, I'd have nothing to come home to! That my very name would be ruined! Why?! What did I- what did I ever do to him that he thought I deserved this?"
Without thinking, both Leia and Pooja reached out to embrace Padmé, and Luke, with little room for anything else, put a reassuring hand on her back. The 2-1B droid, roused to action by it's charges obvious distress, moved in quickly, carefully moving the caftable aside and politely requesting to be let near. Reluctantly, Leia and Pooja gave it room to work, and it busied itself checking the medical equipment attached to Padmé, supplementing it's constantly updated readings of her basic life-signs with the more detailed data gathered by the instruments on her belt.
From where he sat, Luke, a slight frown still on his brow, said soothingly, "It's not what you did, Mother. It's who and what you are. Palpatine was probably one of the most vindictive creatures who ever lived, and he absolutely delighted in corrupting and despoiling anything good that he could get his hands on. And if he found something that he couldn't corrupt, he did his best to utterly destroy that thing, as if it were a threat to him and everything he represented. You were just one of those things that he knew he'd never be able to corrupt, and so he decided he needed to destroy you instead. It's not your failing, Mother; it's a sign of your strength, and his weakness. And trust me, Mother, he'll fail. Ultimately, everything else he ever tried failed in the end, even his corruption of Father. He'll fail in this too."
Taking control of herself once more, consciously willing the tears away, Padmé turned to her son, a tentative smile on her lips, and said, "Thank you, Luke. You're- I know you're right. And I know we'll beat all of this somehow, but- but it's just so frustrating! Every time it seems that we've overcome whatever obstacle he's put in our path, we just find a bigger one beyond it! And all of this with him twenty-five years in the grave! I hate to even think what this would be like if he were still alive."
There was a moment's grim silence as everyone contemplated this statement, and then, more to break the mood than for any other reason, Leia said, "So, in other words, what we're looking at here is some highly suspect evidence seized from the property of a man who had all sorts of reasons to want Mother and her reputation torn to shreds. How hard can that be to debunk in court?"
Pooja bit her lip delicately, and, in a reluctant tone said, "A lot harder than you think, I'm afraid. As I said before, that evidence was collected and submitted by a… very reliable source."
Luke frowned, and said, "Okay, so who's this source, and what's so reliable about him or her?"
Pooja sighed, and said, "The raid on Palpatine's estate was headed by the senior member of the resistance cell here on Naboo, and by the head Rebel liaison officer, an intelligence colonel who… also happened to be a Naboo native. She… didn't make it through that raid. She was killed by one of Palpatine's automated security devices on the way out. But she was the one who discovered a great deal of the material in question, and her counterpart was the one who delivered it to the tribunals once they were set up."
"Okay, I'll bite," Leia said a bit sardonically. "Who exactly were these two, and how does their involvement make the evidence more reliable?"
"Not more reliable, exactly," Pooja said slowly, "but definitely… less open to question. You see, the Rebel liaison officer has become a planetary hero over the years, a martyr of sorts, and… well, anything attached to her name has become sort of sacrosanct. And in this case, that's truly ironic, I'm afraid…"
"Ironic?" Padmé said quizzically. "Ironic in what way, exactly?"
With a shuddering sigh, evidently upset by the subject, Pooja said sadly, "That liaison officer was Colonel Ryoo Naberrie, Aunt Padmé. Now tell me if you think that's ironic or not."
Padmé gave a sharp gasp as both grief and regret hit her simultaneously, and, in response to the puzzled looks from her children, she said in a husky tone, "Ryoo was Pooja's older sister. My other niece. She- I- I was hoping I'd be able to see her soon. I thought, since Pooja was here that- that she-!" But her voice broke there, and fresh tears followed as she realized that yet another piece of her life had been stolen from her, and yet another member of her family had been sacrificed to stop a madman from consuming the galaxy.
As Luke and Leia comforted Padmé, Pooja said in a consoling tone, "I know, Aunt Padmé. It's been over a quarter of a century, and it still hurts me to this day. But she died for a cause, and she died a hero, even if it happened after the shooting had supposedly stopped. No one on Naboo will ever forget her name, or what she did for all of us." And then, after a short pause, she said, "There's more, though."
"More?" Padmé said through her tears.
Pooja nodded, and said slowly, "Her counterpart on that raid… his name was Colonel Staven Kinross. Before the coupe, as I said, he was the senior leader of the resistance here on Naboo. After the coupe… well, his role in things only grew. Soon after the raid on Palpatine's estate, he was appointed chief of state by the interim council, effectively the planetary leader at that time. And eventually, once things settled down and the monarchy was reestablished, he… was elected king by a landslide vote."
Frowning, Padmé said, "So not only is the evidence against me tied to the name of a martyr, my own niece, no less, but to a former king as well?"
Looking down uncomfortably, Pooja said, "It's… worse than that, I'm afraid, Aunt Padmé. You see, there were some… changes made to the old constitution by the interim government, just before the monarchy was reinstated. Small changes, mostly, designed to close loopholes in the system, and to prevent abuse and corruption. But one of those changes… one of those changes was the elimination of the monarch's two-term limit." She paused to let this sink in, and saw Padmé's eyes widen as the full import of this statement reached her.
"That's right," she finally said in a low voice. "Chief of State Staven Kinross was elected King of Naboo twenty-five years ago, and took the coronation name Evandarius; he's been re-elected for every term since by the same landslide majority. So not only will we be challenging the memory of a martyr, a member of our own family, but we'll be challenging the integrity and the competence of the reigning King of Naboo. Now do you see why I said this will be an uphill battle?"
And speaking of uphill battles, Jesus! I never thought I'd finish this! I guess things here have just been too hectic lately, and when there's a lull I've been too damn tired to get much done. Still, here it is, and I hope to follow this up fairly soon. Please review, and let me know what you think!