Star Wars 2.0
Episode 4: The Secret of Naboo
Chapter 4
The Galactic Senate consisted of representatives from most populated planets across the galaxy; only non-starfaring races, or planets with small populations were not included. Thus, the enormous dome under which they met was resultantly huge. Someone standing at the bottom would not see the top, nor vice versa. Representatives stood in floating disks that included seating and amenities for the diplomats and their staffs. When a delegate came forward to speak, their driver maneuvered their disk into the center of the chamber, and their voices were sent via comm-link to each disk in their various languages.
The Senate Chairman controlled this communication, providing ample time for delegates to make their motions and argue their cases. Today was a session that kept him busy trying to maintain order. The Neimoidian were complaining that the Jedi had aggressively attacked one of their star bases, causing millions in damages, and they demanded reparations. Senator Kittani Seafireof Sullust pressed forward her disk at this, insisting that the Neimoidian story could not be true. "The Jedi have defended the galaxy for a thousand generations!" she declared. "They have always proven their worth and their word!"
"Are you accusing me as a liar?" the Neimoidian delegate retorted.
"You are accusing them of lying!" the Sullustan delegate responded, and the argument degraded from there.
It climaxed with the Neimoidian senator accusing the Jedi of having too much unchecked power. "They have an unfair hatred of our race," the senator claimed. "They must not be allowed to persist!"
Yoda had had enough. Normally quiet at such proceedings, he now stepped up to the mic of the Coruscant disk and insisted, "Attacked we were, and unprovoked. Never have the Jedi been the aggressors. We came only to negotiate."
"We can prove our innocence, and our intentions," the Neimoidian representative said. "We will welcome a delegation from the Senate. But without the Jedi! You will see that we wish for peace, and the damage the Jedi have done."
Now another disk entered the verbal fray; that of the planet Naboo. Its senator, Palpatine, was speaking from it. "The Jedi have never been anything but peaceful," he said. "I believe what they are saying, and I urge everyone else to as well."
"The senator from Naboo is no doubt influenced by the Jedi," the Neimoidian representative said. "Likely under the power of one of their mind tricks. They even have a Jedi among them right now!"
It was true that Master Tosho Shiro was among the small entourage on Naboo's floating disk. He had been speaking with Senator Palpatine about the troubles on his planet just before the session of the Senate. He had come with him to be supportive, but was instead giving credence to the Neimoidian claim.
Yoda rose up in defense, telling the Senate that the Jedi had sensed a disturbance in the force near the Neimoidian they have not felt since the time of the Sith. This did little to help his cause, as the cynical yet quiet sneers of doubt that whispered through the chamber revealed the growing uncertainty of the Jedi and their religious fervor.
One representative's voice expressed their feeling as he rose up in his disk speaking directly to Yoda. It was Prince Organa of Alderaan. He spoke in a patronizing tone as though speaking down to Yoda's height, saying, "You should not hold onto old grudges, Jedi Master Yoda. It could be clouding your mind and causing you to rewrite what happened in your memory." Yoda's face visibly wrinkled, and he said nothing in response for fear it would come from a place of anger. Organa continued, "One small incident can grow imperceptibly until it is the backbone of great wars across the stars; which we have had. This Senate itself was created to avoid such incidents from ever tearing apart our systems again." He was not speaking to one person or delegation, but rather to the entire assembly. Prince Organa was one of the great orators of the galaxy. His dynamic presence and his steadfast integrity captured the attention of everyone present whenever he spoke; and no one dared to interrupt him, no matter what side he was on. "We should form a committee to go with the Neimoidian and see their claim. I shall go with them as the first volunteer."
After a few formalities with little to no opposition, the Galactic Senate agreed to create a delegation under Prince Organa to return to the Neimoidian Federation star base orbiting the planet Oresys.
Yoda was not satisfied with the decision. He entered Senator Palpatine's office after the meeting. He was already talking before he was through the door, his conversation having started while he was in the hall. "Some action we must take. If satisfied we are by the present investigation, this matter will be white washed. Senator Palpatine, you know what I am saying is true."
Palpatine ceased what he was doing and gave his full, undivided attention to Yoda. "I believe the Jedi have always had the purest of intentions, Master Yoda."
"Then believe me now when I say we must perform our own investigation on the planet Orsys. The dark side, I sense there. It must be uncovered before it is allowed to fester."
"Are you suggesting that the Jedi go in covertly?" Palpatine asked, offering a seat.
As Yoda took his offer, he looked around briefly to make sure the door was closed, then turned back to Palpatine and said, "We must. The Neimoidian will only cover up what is hidden there. Stealthy and discreet must the Jedi be."
Palpatine nodded understanding. "But this is not why you have come to me, is it, Master Yoda? The Jedi could go there without me. Even appreciating my support out there in the chamber isn't enough for you to risk discovery by telling me this secret."
Yoda's ears lowered slightly as his eyes fidgeted. It was one of the few times he'd been caught in a deception. "The conspiracy might be linked to your world, Senator. Discovered, we have, that…"
Just then Palpatine's comm link buzzed on his desk, interrupting their nearly hushed conversation. It was identified as important, and coming from his world. Yoda began to excuse himself to give the senator privacy, but Palpatine stopped him, asking his secretary who the caller was. His secretary told him that it was Queen Amidala. Palpatine urged Yoda to stay, and took the call.
Amidala told Palpatine about the visit from the Jedi, and that they had revealed to her a secret base on the planet. She was both confused and irritated, and was asking his advice on the matter.
Palpatine casually revealed to her and Yoda that the base was his, an admission that bowled both listeners over. But he persisted as though it was an everyday occurrence, informing them that he was using it to create a clone army to defend everyone against threats, such as the one the Neimoidian were now posing. "You saw today, Master Yoda, that the Senate cannot be trusted with important matters such as these."
"Master Yoda?" Queen Amidala exclaimed. She did not know until then he was present. She had only heard rumors about the outspoken yet powerful Jedi leader, and she wasn't even sure she believed all the things he could supposedly do. Right now, however, she had hoped to have a conversation with her senator in private, especially considering this new information.
"Dangerous are movements of armies without public notice," Yoda said.
"Like sneaking onto a world without notifying its representatives?" Palpatine said with a slight hint of accusation to Yoda.
Then Amidala cut in with the royal formality of command in her voice, "I do not like having secret armies that can contest the will of my people on my planet. Especially when we have no control or knowledge over them."
"You will, your highness," the senator assured. "The base was kept from you to keep you clear of any backlash if the plan did not work. But the first tests have come out positive, and we should have a usable force very soon."
Neither Yoda nor Amidala were satisfied, he could tell. Their silences spoke louder than their words ever could, especially the expression in Yoda's face. So Palpatine leaned forward and said very earnestly, "This trouble with the Neimoidian is not the first. We have had uprisings of greedy factions trying to take control of more than their allotment of space for centuries now. When does one of them become too powerful for the Republic's forces?" He turned his attention to Amidala and said, "And even when the Republic navies move, they sometimes have to sacrifice one planet for the greater good. Shouldn't individual planets be better suited to defend themselves?" Palpatine was clearly winning them over, but had not closed the deal, so he continued, "And now there is this new threat. The one you worry about on the planet Orsys, Yoda. If it is truly the Sith, won't that prove to be a greater danger than we have known for centuries?"
Yoda nodded, "Yes," with a slight sense of uncertainty in his voice.
Palpatine kept his momentum, saying, "I have a ship that can sneak you past the Neimoidian star bases and get you onto the planet's surface. You can take a small group of Jedis with you to learn what it is. We can't let anyone know, however. Anyone in the Senate may tell the delegation going to the Neimoidian bases, and they'll stop you at the first opportunity they get."
"What about the secret army?" Amidala asked, still wearing her formal, demanding voice.
"We should look over the facilities together," Palpatine said. "I've needed to go visit home for a time. And you can send some Jedi representatives as well, Master Yoda. Make certain it meets with your approval."
Yoda nodded, yet he was still deep in thought. He did not like the clandestine nature of all of this; though as he used the force to walk through the future of other choices, such as receiving public support for their efforts, he did not like the outcomes. This was the only way.
