A/n- Thank you for the lovely reviews and also I'm updating this a bit early because of the holidays next weekend. Please R&R or follow!
Chapter 40
Location: Naberrie Residence, Imperial Center
Month 1 Day 25, 27 BBY
Padme's eyes land across the table at her newfound friend Ashoka Tano. Ashoka sucks down the noodles laying between her mouth and her silver fork in her hand. Padme sips her glass of wine and tries to think on how to bring about her thoughts of late. She needs a confident, someone who can be trusted with her plan. Her usually confidant is confined in prison and he wouldn't approve of her methods. He'd get blood on his own hands before allowing her to become the person who murdered another. But her hands are already stained by murdering that bounty hunter, which had been by pure luck. She knows the little training Anakin and Ashoka had provided would come in handy, but she needs to learn more. Ashoka seems to know more about combative training than even what she has been taught within the confines of the Imperial Academy.
" What is it Padme?" Ashoka asks, sensing her friend's focus on her. She didn't need the force to know that Padme' wanted to ask her something of importance.
Padme' sips her wine again and questions, " Ashoka, those moves you showed me the other day at practice- where did you learn those moves?"
Ashoka shrugs and mutters, " From my mentor back home."
The answer was a simple but complicated one. Ashoka hadn't shared with anyone about her past. Her past is not a simple tale or a happy one.
" I want to learn offensive moves," Padme' gets out between her sips of wine for courage.
Ashoka eyes her friend out of curiosity and questions, " And why is that?"
Padme' bites her lip. How can she share with her friend that she wants to create an alias and take down her ex-husband? She wants him to suffer at her hands for what he's done to her daughter- and Corde', if she can find her. But she'll need help tracking her down. Corde' had disappeared after the blow up with their divorice hitting the holos. She had felt it was the right time to resign from her lady's service as well. But to find her, she would need Ashoka's computer skills. The young woman had such skills that Padme' does not possess.
" I want to take down Rush and when I'm done with him- kill him." Padme' says seriously.
Ashoka's fork drops to her plate and she leans back. " Padme', there's a fine line between getting lucky shots at a bounty hunter and killing a Senator. I know he hurt you and he deserves all that he gets, but killing him? You'll be locked up just like Anakin is now."
Padme' places her wine glass down on the table and states clearly, " I have evidence that he was involved in poisoning me which led to the death of my daughter."
Ashoka's eyes widen and she sips her own glass of red wine. " Why-why would he try to murder you and his own daughter?"
Padme' flexes her fingers and murmurs, " I don't know exactly all his reasons, but one could be that someone found out that it wasn't his daughter."
Ashoka takes another sip at this revelation. Her blue eyes keep their focus on her friend. How had she missed this juicy detail in her time knowing her? She asks, " And how do you plan on tearing down his reputation? You work in the same office as him."
Padme' smiles and suggests, " I have an idea for an alias who can go after him. But I need help- first of all training to be able to fend off guards and him."
Ashoka sighs and adds, " And you need someone to do the splicing which you have no idea how to do."
Padme' smiles and takes another sip of her drink. She points her finger in her friend's direction murmuring, " Exactly, and you're the only person I can trust with this mission."
Ashoka groans and mutters, " I can see how he's rubbed off on you."
Padme' laughs at the mention of their locked up friend. Ashoka is right though. Anakin had taught her to enjoy the dark side of life, or rather the dangerous side of life. It had all begun with her first speeder chase.
" He's left his mark for sure." Padme' comments, waiting on her friend to agree to their pact.
" He wouldn't agree to it either," Ashoka comments and smirks, " But when have I ever listened to him? I'll help you, but only if you have the right alias which I'm helping you create."
Padme' reaches for her friend's hand and shakes it upon the pact.
(Location: 500 Republica, Senator Clovis' Residence)
The Senator sits back examining the datapad in his hands. The datapad contains the charges held upon the former Commander who has rotted away within the detention center for over a month now. It does not pain him to watch the young man suffer. He never liked the youth, when he had first met the young man at the ball so long ago, he hadn't liked the look he had shared with his former wife. He had known the two had known each other for many years, but over time he has figured out there was more to them. It had taken him awhile to figure out the connection between them, but that night he had come home to find them locked in an important conversation had revealed to him the truth. The boy held her heart. It had been his child that had been murdered. It was clear that the boy had feelings for his soon to be ex-wife. His thoughts drift back to the woman whom his former wife had turned into. She had held such
promise when he had met her a year ago- promise to be a woman who would do his biddings and not strike out against him. He had seen a woman who didn't need taming in his mind, and she had almost been broken by her child's death. But now- now she seems stronger without being caged in her thoughtless world.
" She's a nuscane that should have been contained." Coos a voice from behind the Senator.
He whirls and jumps to his feet, throwing the datapad to his feet. His hands clutch his chest as he eyes the Count entering his residence without his knowledge. " Dooku, it is a pleasure. What may I do for you at such an hour?"
Dooku uses the force to bring the datapad to his hands and he glances at the attainment and date of the boy's arrest. He mentions, " It is a pity the boy's potential has been wasted away for these few months."
Rush narrows his gaze upon the Count. He snips out, " That boy sent me to the infirmary, if you recall Count."
Dooku shrugs and states, " And you sent your wife to the infirmary."
Rush chuckles darkly at his mention of his wife's injuries during her attack. " She deserved every wound given to her by the bounty hunter. That bitch has left a scar on my face and reputation for my entire career."
He eyes the count through the scar reaching across his left eye and across the bridge of his nose. It has healed nicely, but being a Senator with this sort of scar put a smudge on his reputation. The ladies liked his pretty face and he hated looking into the mirror knowing his soon to be ex-wife left him with a reminder of what she was capable of.
Dooku's voice is demeaning and full of warning." Your reputation is far from being ruined. But you will ruin yourself if this charade of keeping a young soldier locked up for assaulting you and not leaving any damage behind other than bumps and scrapes will come out into the open."
Rush's green eyes turn to the Count and in an accusing tone says, " Is that a threat Dooku? The boy is worthless. What would you have me do? Drop the charges against him?"
Dooku nods and replies, " Precisely. End this farce. Tell the Inquisitors that you mistook the boy for someone else who assaulted you."
Rush leans back into his chair and replies, " And what is your threat against me this time? What do I get out of this?"
Dooku smirks at him with a formal wisp of a wave of his hand and he conjures up a datapad from his cloak. " This datapad contains the files and orders you asked for your wife's murder and all transactions leading back to you and to the bounty hunter that she killed. All traces of the attempted murder lead back to you. If this were to go public, it surely would alter the committee's decision against you- and the public shame…"
Rush's cocky smirk turns into a puddle of mush. His reputation would be slandered if this went public. He tries to negotiate, though they both know he won't win this battle against Dooku. Dooku always seems to get what he wants.
" If this goes public, then who will help the Emperor fund his little battle station? I have connections to the Banking Clan. He won't like having his funds dry up for his plans. Or what of the Kyber Crystals on Jedha? You need me in the Senate." He says with feign confidence.
Dooku's formal stance of a smirk grows. Rush had been deemed their primary means to the banking clan, but if he were to be deposed of… that was another matter altogether. " Yes, you have been an asset to the Empire up until now. But per say you are disposed of. Your inheritance and position in the Banking Clan goes to your wife. She is an up and coming polictation in her own right- she's interning in Senator Organa's office, is she not? Perhaps she'd be willing to help us."
Rush's confidence drops. Dooku had him where he wanted him. He sneers out, " Fine, I will speak to Inquisitor Maul about my error. I was wrong in my description of the man who assaulted me. I will also look into finalizing my divorce in the coming weeks. I do not want my wife to inherit everything. Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to retire for the evening."
Dooku bows to the Senator and states " The Emperor will be pleased with this information. I will see myself out."
As the Count leaves the broken Senator to his thoughts. It only makes Rush Clovis yearn to murder anyone who is standing in his way. No one would take his position in the Senate. He won't let his wife, Dooku or even that bastard of an Emperor take away his reputation. It would be his undoing.
To Be Continued.