Mom, what's happening?"
"Shhhh,"
Footsteps grew closer, and the three hiders waited with bated breath.
"...It's okay. Daddy will be here soon, I promise," she whispers, holding her children close.
"I wanna go home," one of the children sobs quietly.
"I'm scared," the other hiccups.
The Mother sniffles. "Your Dad will be here soon," she says again, although it's equal reassurance for her and for her children.
"What if they...what if they-...g-got him?"
"They didn't. He's stronger than that."
"There's so many of them, Mom...how can anyone stop that? E-even Dad?"
"...I don't know." she finally admits.
Coruscant
"Please enter your ballots for the final vote." is the simple announcement over the loudspeaker.
The entire Senate- the entire Republic, is voting.
The tension is so thick, you could cut it with a knife (or a lightsaber).
"This is it," Bail whispers to Sabé. "If that monster is found innocent, Senator Mothma and I have it covered."
Sabé glares at him. "I do not support your idea. It will only villanize the Jedi even more,"
"Trust me, Senator. Everything has been meticulously planned with the time we had. Either way, he's not winning."
"Senator Organa, what you're insinuating sounds like terrorism," she lowers her voice. "Padmé would not agree with such ideals."
"I'm not asking for your or, rather, her permission. The Delegation of 2,000...this...Alliance that has been born, has already communally decided."
Sabé frowns. "I hope you know I do not support this terrorism."
"I don't expect you to." He says calmly. "I expect you to report to our friend why this may or may not be happening. As a member of the Delegation, she has every right to know what has been planned."
Sabé huffs. "I don't approve...but it's my duty to inform her at my earliest convenience."
Bail nods. "That's all I ask, my Friend."
Naboo
Padmé stirs awake.
She opens her eyes blearily, finding Anakin sitting next to her, watching the HoloNet.
"...Hi." She croaks.
"Hi." Anakin responds, shifting to the side to see her.
"The twins?" She asks.
"They're fine. They're in their bassinets," he gestures to his left. "Do you want to see them?"
Padmé nods.
He places them in Padmé's arms, still asleep, and the new parents take a moment to admire their children.
"Ani, we really did it. We're parents, Ani," she whispers softly.
"Yeah," Anakin replies, "I guess we are. Strange, isn't it?"
Padmé nods, still in awe of them.
A few moments later, her next question is, "How long was I asleep?"
"Four hours, maybe? It's..." He trails off, glancing at the Chrono, "One in the afternoon."
"I need to feed Leia, unless the nurse fed her?"
"The nurse gave her and Luke a bottle about forty minutes ago," Anakin answers. "Which means you three can relax, for now, I suppose." he smiles.
Padm relaxes just a bit, leaning back.
"What are you watching?" She asks, noticing a news reporter on Coruscant outside of the senate building.
"Palpatine's trial," he responds, his tone a touch angry. "They're about to do the final vote."
"What's it been like so far?" She questions, concerned.
"I don't know," Anakin replies. "If he wins...I swear I'll keep you safe. I won't let him get near you three." He says adamantly.
"I know you will, Ani," she says in an attempt to soothe him.
He reaches out to touch her shoulder. "I promise. I won't let any harm come to you, or Luke and Leia, or anyone else. I'll die before that happens. I won't let that monster destroy any more lives. He deserves to be executed."
"The death sentence is illegal on Coruscant...do you really think they'll push for that?"
"I hope," he says simply. "prison is too much of a mercy for him."
"Palpatine's ruined so many lives, torn so many worlds apart with war and chaos," Padmé says. "I don't want Luke and Leia to grow up in a galaxy like that."
"They won't," Anakin says vehemently. "I...I won't let that happen," he says, softer.
"What are we going to do if he wins?" Padmé murmurs. "If he wins, he'll execute or arrest the Jedi for sure. The Senate is likely to get dissolved...we'll have to go underground."
Anakin nods stiffly. "Probably. The Galaxy's a big place. There's a lot of places we could go."
"I was- or, am, a part of a group...it's called the Delegation of 2,000. We were going to petition for the Chancellor to give up his emergency powers, and hopefully get him out of power."
"I have to tell you something," Anakin says abruptly. "The Clones...they might be the key to all of this,"
"What? How?"
"Fives..." he says somberly. "Fives...he- he found out that all the clones had these- these microchips that would make them...I don't even know. Fives seemed to think that those chips would make them kill anyone the chancellor wanted. The Kaminoans explained it as chips to make them more compliant and less aggressive, but..." Anakin trails off.
"There are so many Clones...surely they could take out a lot of Jedi. They could sweep the Galaxy and find us with ease."
"I know," Anakin said. "Fives seemed so terrified...I haven't been able to shake the feeling that something isn't right ever since."
"We have to tell someone," Padmé states. "But who?"
"We need to get it to the senate before the final vote," Anakin says. "But we don't have much evidence...unless..."
"Unless?"
"The republic databanks should have something on Fives...there has to be. Maybe one of Fox's reports or, something, there has to be something. I'll have Rex and Ahsoka check it out, and they can report back to me."
"I don't think we have time, Anakin...they're about to announce the results."
They both still, watching the HoloNet in anticipation. "This is it," Anakin whispers, hand protectively on her shoulder. It feels as if the Galaxy stills for a moment. Silence. They waited. Hearts pounding.
Time stills.
The reporter gets information on her earpiece, and after a pause, she begins to speak. "...Well, you heard it here first, people of Coruscant and the wider Galaxy. As it turns out, the results of the vote were a complete tie. The Senate will reconvene in two days' time to discuss the evidence and vote again. If found guilty of his reported crimes, namely treason, terrorism, and genocide; the Chancellor will be subject to life imprisonment in solitary confinement- or possibly even the death penalty. I'm Nya Amerinn, signing off for the evening."
Coruscant
Two hours after the vote, the delegation of 2,000 meets in Mon Mothma's apartment.
"I still find it... remarkably convenient," Bail Organa remarks. "A perfect tie? What are the odds?"
"Practically astronomical," Mothma answers. "Someone, possibly even Palpatine himself, is trying to buy themselves some time. I don't have an inkling why."
"I believe he may be trying to escape the law. If he truly is a...Sith, as the Jedi say, he may want to escape and seek out other Sith." Legislator Bana Breemu says.
"I am inclined to agree with Legislator Breemu," says Sabé. "We all saw the recording in Palpatine's office. The Chancellor knowingly attacked and killed two Jedi. I fully believe Palpatine is in fact a dangerous Sith lord, and he may seek out others. "
"However," A senator by the name of Fang Zar inputs, "Palpatine is currently in a strongly guarded holding cell designed to inhibit dangerous force-sensitives. If he was attempting to buy himself time to disappear, there would be no way he could escape his cell in the first place."
"The Jedi have already demonstrated that Palpatine is a very cunning tactician. All evidence points to Palpatine orchestrating the war. Escaping prison would most likely be an easy task compared to that." returns Sabé.
"All I know is that if Palpatine is somehow found innocent of treason...we need a plan in place," Breemu states.
Mon Mothma nods. "Agreed. I have many contacts that will help us if Palpatine takes control. We will not give the Republic which has lasted hundreds of years away without a fight."
There is a murmur of agreement throughout the room.
Deep in a prison complex, Palpatine sits. His cell is ill-lit; a layer of dust seems to cover everything, and the air is dry.
Unexpectedly, the vote was a complete tie. Palpatine certainly didn't organize it. It was either a coincidence...or somebody was attempting to stall.
Whatever the case, Palpatine can use these extra two days to finish formulating his plan. It was often simple for him to mold whatever was happening around him and spin it his way. Soon, the Jedi will crumble and the Republic will be remade into something new.
A new Empire.
A dark smile grows on Palpatine's face. Once he is found innocent, the first thing he will do is execute Order 66. Then, with the Jedi thoroughly distracted, he can frame them as traitors, and his empire will grow. Though his original plan relied on Skywalker, Palpatine is good at adapting; he worked too long and too hard to fail now.
It is of no matter. One way or another, Sheev Palpatine will be crowned Emperor.