Chapter 4: "Anakin, Are You Wearing Makeup?"
Bail's Penthouse, Meeting Room
"This meeting shall forever determine the fate of the Galaxy," Bail told the gathered beings from where he paced at the head of the meeting table. Everyone watched him expectantly and a few nodded their heads in agreement to what was being said. "The Emperor had left the Empire in complete disarray and it is up to us to…"
Suddenly, he stopped and a horrified look spread over his face.
"Anakin! Are you wearing makeup?"
A long tortured groan was his response.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whether or not it was due to his many years in the spotlight, Anakin hated it when people stared at him.
Especially now that he looked so retarded.
For the first time in his life, Anakin felt like retching in front of all these important personages. Within his robes, he tried to scrape off the shiny, sparkly nailpolish off his nails.
"Doesn't he look so handsome?" the Torture handmaiden from behind him asked.
No one replied but still stared at Anakin.
"What happened to you?" Bail asked, obviously thinking that Anakin had been in a dueling accident and had needed plastic surgery.
Anakin sat down with a huge sigh and shoved the curls out of his eyes. "I was tortured and abused."
"Ah… I see," Bail said slowly. "Did you do this to him?" he pointedly asked the handmaiden who silently stood behind Anakin- a position that the Jedi seemed quite wary of.
"How could you suggest such a dreadful thing?" the handmaiden asked demurely, fluttering her eyelashes at the Senator.
Bail did not look so convinced. "Where's Padmé'?" It seemed that he had been so distracted that Bail had just now noticed her missing presence.
A devilish smile spread across Anakin's lips. "She decided that she needed to stay home more and take care of the family like she's supposed to…"
Simultaneously, everyone gasped.
"Quitting… just like that?" Bail cried out, though it seemed he was thinking Anakin had gone mad.
To this, Anakin shrugged. "She just does not like it anymore."
Surprisingly, Bail nodded. "After this meeting, she must declare her departure from the Senate to the Galaxy."
"Ahem," the handmaiden cleared her throat. "In the 'current state', Senator Amidala has left all of her political affairs in Master Skywalker's hands- it would only be appropriate for him to make the speech for her."
"I agree," another Senator said.
"I hope you have her speech with you," Bail said.
"Erm…"
"Oh no!" the handmaiden cried out before laughing. "Master Skywalker doesn't need notes- he always memorizes."
At this, Anakin resisted the urge to run the handmaiden over with his roller chair.
"Terrific," Bail said, seeming much more relieved but rather disappointed in his friend's 'abdication'." Still, he continued to look at Anakin with some degree of apprehension.
"Wait a minute!" Anakin snapped.
"Oh dear, you aren't dressed properly for addressing the Senate," the handmaiden sighed mournfully, touching Anakin's spiral-curled hair.
Much to the horror of everyone present, Anakin slapped the handmaiden.
"You will regret that, Skywalker," she cried out, rubbing her sore hand. After that, she proceeded to cry.
"Anakin!" Bail gasped.
"I will hunt you down and you will regret the day when you broke my nail!" the handmaiden shrieked, holding up a finger that indeed have a broken nail.
"Oh, I am so sorry," Anakin sneered, not feeling the slightest bit sorry.
Wait… what did she just say?
"Senator Organa, what does it take to get a restraining order?" Anakin asked, jabbing his thumb over the still weeping handmaiden that Bail was now comforting.
"Pigheaded nerfhearder!" the handmaiden summed up her ranting.
"Enough!" Bail exclaimed. "We were originally discussing whether or not to allow Tatooine into the Republic."
"Never," Anakin said quickly. "Who wants that sandy piece of…?"
At that moment, the handmaiden howled so loudly that his words were drowned out.
"… in the Republic," Anakin finished with a flourish.
"You know that doing so will cut off our trade with them- and decrease Naboo's food supply?" Bail asked incredulously.
"Ah…"
"Do what the man says," the handmaiden sniffed. "He obviously does not know what he's saying…"
Suddenly, a robed being sat up and slammed his fist on the table. "That's it! I have had enough of your attitude, Jedi! If you do not want our goods, you can all starve for all I care!" With a huff, he stormed out of the room to leave stunned silence.
"Well, how bad could that be?" Anakin shrugged.
Everyone else groaned.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coming Next: Naboo starts to feel the beginnings of an economic depression, Anakin gives a speech to the Senate, and the paparazzi take interest in his new 'do.
