"You said her family name was 'Bladesinger'?" Palpatine's voice steady and smooth as the politicians and Senatorial Guard exited the shuttle in the apartment complex.

"Not her family name, Senator. Apparently, she took it as a deed name while learning about the Force from her Mistress.'

'Talzin, I knew it.' Opening the door to his suite of apartments, he lets the Queen's entourage inside, as he does so one of his aide's chimes in as she had been leaving.

"Hego Damask has accepted your invitation to the Courscant Symphony tonight Senator."

"Thank you Lira, is everything ready?"

"I'm heading over to the Senate Hall now to make sure everything will be at your dias."

"Thank you, dear girl."

The aide smiles and shuffles out quickly.

"Magister Hego Damask?" Amidala inquires.

"I am surprised you know the name, Your Highness."

"When the Trade Federation blockade began, I asked for research and that name came up came up during the research into the deal for our plasma."

"Correct, he has been an occasional partner on work to improve the Outer Rim. He also helped lay the groundwork for tying the Trade Federation to the Republic, thus I have been trying to cultivate my relationship with him to help find a way to remove the Federation from our world."

"I take it then that you feel that the Senate in its current form is powerless?"

'She's learning faster than I thought she would' Palpatine fights the urge to raise his eyebrow. "Correct. The Supreme Chancellor is mired in baseless accusations of corruption, his power has been scattered amongst bureaucrats appointed by the Senators to keep him in check during the investigation."

"Even with that, how many Senators would support our cause or be at least against the Federation?"

"A solid amount, but nowhere near enough to cut through any procedural objections without a strong Chancellor."

Amidala lowers her head to ponder and think. "What are the other options?"

"We submit a plea to the courts and take our chances." A flash of suspicion and frustration echoes from the young Queen as she listens. The frustration is understandable to Palpatine, he wants her frustrated. But suspicious?

"The courts take even longer than the Senate." Her tired worn voice makes Palpatine want to smile, but he holds it in.

"Agreed your Highness, but without a strong central figure to keep the Senate in line…" Pausing for effect, "it's our only recourse." Again, that feeling of suspicion from the young woman. 'What is causing that?'

*BEEEP BEEEP* The sound of a commlink alert in one of the handmaiden's robes. She turns it on and holds it towards the Queen.

"Yes, Captain?"

"Success your Highness."

*********************************************

Palpatine wanted to both congratulate the Queen and kill her as they made their way to the Senate Chamber. She had managed to find options he had tried to deny her. He'd done everything rush this moment, to force her to remove Vallorum and clear the path for him to achieve the Supreme Chancellorship. It was all Bladesinger's fault. Intentionally or not, and he was leaning towards intentional, she had given the Queen avenues that were downright ruthless and legal. He could only watch these next few moments play out.

Opening the door, he motions for her to join him upon the dais. The large room was raucous and loud.

"ORDER ORDER!" The room quiets down.

"The Chair recognizes the Senator from the sovereign system of Naboo at this time." The words both dreadful and hopeful to the people on the platform as Palpatine moves the dais towards the middle of the room.

"Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate. A tragedy has occurred, which started right here with the taxation of the trade routes and now engulfed in our planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation. To state our allegations, I present Queen Amidala, a recently elected ruler of Naboo, who speaks on our behalf.

The young woman steps forward to the front of the dias as Palpatine steps back. "Honorable Delegates of the Republic. I come to you under the gravest of circumstances, the system of Naboo has been invade by the droid armies of the Trade Federation…"

"I object!" The representative for the Federation rushes their dias towards the Chancellor's center podium. "These accusations are baseless!"

"The Trade Federation has not been recognized at this time." Valorum tries to cut off the Federation.

Amidala just takes the dataslate she'd kept with her and plugged it in. Sending its data to all of the representatives.

"It's no lie." Her words quiet and resonating in the stunned silence. "They fired upon my ship as I tried to come plead my case here."

"A committee should be appointed to ascertain the facts and validity of the data and accusations!" A random senator chimes in and the room devolves into chaos.

"Leaning over Amidala's shoulder Palpatine whispers in her ear, "And here is how Valorum's powerlessness stalls this approach."

Vallorum after a heated talk with his political minders calls for order. "The allegations are grave and have merit, would you consent to a committee?"

"If these ships are not the Trade Federation, then pirates have bought or stolen an entire fleet of their ships, and therefore reach the threshold for emergency Judicial Forces taskforce to be dispatched to Naboo as threat to the surrounding systems and to ascertain their purpose."

Valorum's grim face starts to smile as he sees the path the Queen has chosen. "Delegate for the Trade Federation, are those ships on the presented data yours?"

Palpatine can feel the distinct unease of the Neimoidans, trapped between acknowledging an illegal blockade or having their fleet declared 'pirates' "We have no ships around Naboo, and resent such an implication!"

"Then the Judicial Forces in the Chomell sector will do a sweep for pirates to make sure no pirates linger." Valorum sends his glare towards the Federation representatives, as the move their dais back to its niche.

Palpatine also moves their dias back. "I am impressed your Highness, I did not think about capital ships being pirate vessels to force the issue that way."

"Neither did I, Senator, until I talked with Callera on the way here. Is there a way to talk to the Trade Federation delegates from here privately?"

"Of course, but why?"

"I want to reinforce the lesson that just happened in front of everyone."

"Is this about what your Captain mentioned over the phone?"

"It is Senator."

"Then I see no harm in it." 'Bladesinger seems to have given the Queen an edge.' Pressing the proper buttons to establish a secure connection, "Our Queen would like to deliver a more private message to you now."

She steps forward to speak into the microphone, "Pursuant to the deals you have with several of our companies we have asked for and been granted an Audit of all your business dealings with us by the Treasury and Audit Department. According to a conversation with them, the sensor data you just witnessed is also making them question the rest of your financial dealings within the Republic to see if you have been lying on your taxes to afford to use so many ships on a blockade. By the time this Senate session has ended, many of your assets shall be frozen while they pour over all your records. I hope your paperwork is in order and please send my regards to Nute Gunray when you see him, and remind him this would not have happened if he had left my home alone."