The Edge of Doom Part 7: Tears of Murkhana

by Golm-Fervse-dra

With the Shadowfeeds in disarray, Director Zuro Pax goes into hiding. As the Republic moves to eliminate the Shadowfeeds and headquarters of the Corporate Alliance in one fell swoop, Palpatine inadvertently reveals that he had the power to shut down the droid army the entire time. Will Jazal be able to uncover Palpatine's identity, or will Tarkin's actions prove too distracting?

20. Chapter 20: Mas Amedda

Chapter 20: Mas Amedda

Coruscant

Back in the Republic Center for Military Operations, Mas Amedda, Admiral Padstow, and Colonel Dhanbar of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, and Lieutenant Commander Moss of the Naval Judiciary, stood before the holopresences of Mace Windu and Grand Master Yoda. Where holoprojectors normally displayed footage of battles and fleet formations, today they displayed Wilhuff Tarkin's face and biographical information.

Unsurprisingly to Mas Amedda, his memorised explanation—that Wilhuff Tarkin did what he did because of the "stressors related to the heat of battle," was unconvincing to the Jedi. It sounded lame enough to the Chagrian when he said it. Why did Sly Moore tell me to say that?

Mace Windu's right eyebrow was raised so high it looked like the human's face might break. "The heat of battle? Is this supposed to be a joke, Vice Chancellor?"

"The footage, we have all seen," Yoda croaked. "Very disturbing."

Mas Amedda gulped. "I—I am ordering Tarkin to be moved from the brig and to be confined to quarters, until his guilt or innocence may be established."

"Are you serious, Vice Chancellor?" Lieutenant Commander Moss enquired, straightening her grey-green tunic as she spoke. "What message would this send to the Navy? It will be akin to saying executing civilians is acceptable behaviour."

"Perhaps we should play the footage again, to remind his eminence… Go ahead, play it," Padstow instructed one of the tech officers in the corner of the room.

"Which part sir?"

"The part where Tarkin shoots that Twi'lek girl in the head! Or perhaps the part where he calls his order 'the Amedda Directive,' proving the Vice Chancellor's guilt as well! Let's remind the Jedi what a farce this is!"

Beads of sweat began forming on the Chagrian's forehead. "Might I remind the Admiral that the Jedi answer to the Senate, not the Navy," he spoke nervously, clearing his throat at the end. "If we treat Wilhuff Tarkin unfairly, we may lose support from Eriadu."

"PLAY IT!" Padstow snapped.

"Admiral," the tech stammered nervously. "All of the footage from before minute 9 second 32 has been corrupted."

"WHAT?!" Padstow gasped, storming across the room.

Couldn't you have picked a better time to do that, Sly Moore? Mas Amedda giggled to himself nervously as Mace Windu and Yoda scowled at him. Dark circles of sweat were now forming under his armpits.

"Perhaps we shall consult Chancellor Palpatine," Mace Windu suggested idly. "We need to move this issue to the Senate."

"Quite busy he is, with the coronation," Yoda said serenely.

Mas Amedda moaned in anguish as he felt the topic of conversation change. Sly Moore will be very angry if I can't get Tarkin out of the brig. She will be even angrier if the secrecy of this were blown. "I must insist, Masters Jedi, that you have Tarkin released from the brig. He is certainly not an immediate danger to anyone."

Admiral Padstow snorted angrily, blushing red in the face.

The anger towards him was beginning to feel oppressive. Mas Amedda had an extremely strong desire to apologise as he looked to Yoda, Admiral Padstow, Lieutenant Commander Moss, and Mace Windu. No apologies, he reminded himself. To apologise is to admit culpability.

o.o.o.o.o

"You have done well, both of you."

Mas Amedda and Sly Moore bowed before the cloaked holopresence of Sheev Palpatine. It was projected far larger than the size of the real man, towering over the Chagrian and the Umbaran, even when they stood.

"Thank you my Lord," Mas Amedda and Sly Moore chanted, staring at the floor as they remained kneeling.

"Rise," Palpatine instructed. "Extracting Tarkin from this legal fiasco is important, but it has taken on another level of importance."

Another level of importance… Mas Amedda smirked to himself slightly as he stood. He suspected, for a moment, that perhaps Palpatine was coming over to his point of view. That Tarkin was too dangerous. Too reckless.

Instead however, dark shadows cast even deeper into Palpatine's face. His voice changed to a more crackling and mysterious tone. "Essence transfer, the transfer of a consciousness, is steeped in the Dark Side of the Force. If the Bothans have truly achieved this, even to a limited extent, it means they are far more powerful than I had foreseen."

"I understand, my Lord," Mas Amedda said automatically.

"I doubt that," Palpatine hissed.

Mas Amedda blushed slightly, hot with embarrassment.

"My Lord, our search for the Bothans' power cannot take priority over our plans for the war… For the Galaxy," Sly Moore cautioned.

"Indeed," Palpatine admitted with a sad shrug. "We cannot devote any military resources to it, lest our investigations also draw the attention of the Jedi. However, we must be mindful that those around us may not be who they seem to be. We must also be ready to seize any opportunity to capture one of these Bothans—or to otherwise exploit their security vulnerabilities."

"I will keep an eye out, my Lord," Sly Moore reassured.