Chapter Twenty-Seven
Palpatine rose early the next morning. It was an important day, a red letter day, and he had to ensure that everything was in place.
"Good morning, your Excellency," Mas Amedda said as he entered Palpatine's office, a hot cup of caff in his hand. He set it down on the massive desk of the Chancellor and stood awaiting his orders.
"Are your men ready?" Palpatine asked.
"Yes sir," Amedda replied.
"And they know who she is? They know who to look for?" Palpatine persisted.
"Senator Amidala's face is not a common one, sir," Amedda assured him. "She will not be missed."
Palpatine nodded. "Be sure that she isn't," he warned.
"Do you expect her to be present?" Amedda asked. "You told me that you ordered Skywalker to keep her away."
"I did," Palpatine replied. "But Skywalker is not on the planet."
Amedda frowned. "I…I'm afraid I don't understand, sir," he admitted.
Palpatine hated having to explain his genius to this simple minded being; yet he needed Amedda, particularly since Fett was dead.
"I am testing her, quite simply put," Palpatine replied at last. "Should she show her face here despite my orders, she will pay the price. If she obeys, then she has nothing to fear and will be none the wiser to my machinations."
Amedda smiled. "You truly are a genius, your Excellency," he said.
"Yes, I know," Palpatine said. "Now get out, I need to prepare for my big speech."
Amedda left him with a bow and went to seek out his associates.
Two more months of this? Padmé thought as she sat back on the ceramic tile of the fresher. She had already vomited twice that morning, and was beginning to reconsider going to the Senate. How can I sit in the senate if I feel like this? she thought anxiously.
Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, she willed herself to feel better. Taking deep breaths she psyched herself up, the thought of missing the all important vote upsetting her greatly. I can't miss it! I just can't! she thought desperately.
Rising to her feet slowly, Padmé rested her hands on the sides of the massive marble counter. She picked up the glass tumbler and filled it with cold water. Bringing it to her lips, she sipped it slowly, ever so slowly, for she had learned from experience that even drinking water was enough to upset her over sensitive tummy. She stood for a moment, hoping against hope that the nausea had passed. After a few moments of feeling relatively decent, she began to feel hopeful, and decided to get dressed. She decided she would get there early so that should she need to make a trip to the fresher before the vote she would have time to do so.
"So it is just as we suspected; Palpatine has been behind the separatist movement all along."
Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, Master Windu," he replied. "It all fits. He has a vested interest in the creation of a Republican army, while all the while setting up the enemy against which the Republic will be forced to fight. He has set the stage perfectly for him to take control of the Senate and from there, the galaxy."
The Jedi Masters looked at one another grimly, none of them able to deny what Obi-Wan was reporting to them.
"Stopped he must be," Yoda said at last. "Arrest him we must."
Mace Windu nodded. "I say we do it now, before this farce of a vote takes place."
"Agreed," Ki-Adi Mundi said next. "But this man is a Sith," he cautioned. "We should not underestimate him."
"No, underestimating him could be dangerous," Obi-Wan spoke up. "I think several of us ought to go, in case he resists."
Yoda nodded. "Yes, agree with Obi-Wan I do."
"Where is Skywalker?" Windu asked. "Why isn't he here to help arrest this man?"
"He has gone to his home to see to wife's safety," Obi-Wan explained. "He is concerned that Senator Amidala will want to go to this vote."
"The Chancellor will want her absent, surely," Mundi said.
"Yes, of course," Kenobi concurred. "That is why Anakin is so anxious so ensure that she doesn't go, or at least that she does not go alone."
"I think we should get over there right away," Windu said. "This situation is spiraling out of control. We need to put a halt to it before a disaster happens."
"Agreed," Kenobi said. "Let's go."
Anakin proceeded directly home upon reaching Coruscant. He ran all the way from the landing platform into the house, pushing aside the protocol droid that greeted him in the foyer.
"Padmé!" he called, an edge of panic creeping into him as he failed to sense her presence. "Padmé, where are you??"
"Lady Vader left the house almost an hour ago, my Lord," the tenacious droid reported.
Anakin turned to the droid. "Where did she go?" he demanded. "Did she go to the Senate??"
"I do not know her destination, my lord," the droid replied. "I…" the hapless droid wasn't able to complete its sentence as Anakin Force pushed it across the room, sending it crashing against the far wall. His heart pounding within him, Anakin ran out of the house, the fear swelling in him. He bolted for his ship, not even bothering with the seat belt as he blasted off from the platform. He directed the ship toward the center of town, praying with all that was within him that he was not too late.
Padmé had barely made it to the Senate Chamber when she had to make a dash for the fresher. She felt discouraged, for she had truly thought that the worst was behind her for the day; however, that didn't seem to be the case.
Padmé left the fresher and entered the long corridor that lead to the huge rotunda in the center of the building. It was still early, and very few people were about. She took a deep breath and opened her handbag, routing around for the soda crackers she kept in there for just such emergencies. As she dug around in her bag, she became aware of someone approaching her. She glanced up briefly, expecting to see someone passing her by; but these men were looking right at her. And the way that they were looking at her made her skin crawl.
"Senator Amidala, come with us," one of the men said, grabbing her roughly by the arm.
"And don't even think of screaming," the other man said, pointing the end of a blaster into her back. "Or you'll be dead in an instant, understand?"
Padmé could only nod as the two men escorted her into a nearby room, shutting and locking the door behind them.
"You were told to stay away," one of the men said as they approached her menacingly. "You should have listened."
Too sick to think straight, too terrified to act, Padmé could only send out a silent plea, hoping against hope that Anakin would hear it in time.
Mace Windu, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Saesee Tinn and Agen Kolar entered the Senate Chamber and proceeded to the lift that would take them to the office of the Chancellor. All four Jedi wore expressions of grim determination. They knew that this would not be easy; the Sith were notorious for their treachery. All of them were prepared for whatever destiny awaited them, all of them were prepared to die if need be in order to save the Republic from certain destruction.
As they prepared to step onto the lift, Obi-Wan stopped. He sensed something, the distress of someone close by, the distress of someone he knew. Padmé….
"What is it?" Windu asked.
Kenobi looked at him. "It's the Senator," he said, "I have to find her, she's in danger!" He bolted off down the corridor, leaving the other four Jedi to face the Sith alone.
Obi-Wan ran in the direction that her silent pleas led him in, ignoring the disapproving looks of the senators he rushed past. She was close by, he knew that much…she was terrified, she was in pain….she was here…
Obi-Wan kicked the door open, surprising the three occupants within in.
"Obi-Wan!" Padmé cried.
"This doesn't concern you, Jedi," one of the men said, holding his blaster to Padmé's head. "Get out now."
Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a surge of anger when he saw the bruises on Padmé's face, the rips in her clothing. "Take your hands off of her," he said in a calm voice.
The man sneered, and then started to sputter as he felt his windpipe slowly contracting.
"I did try to warn you," Obi-Wan said as he pulled the blaster from the man's hand with the Force. The man dropped to his knees, coughing and choking, gasping for air.
"Obi-Wan look out!" Padmé cried as the second man lunged at him. Kenobi produced his lightsaber and sliced the man in half before he could advance another step. The second man, still on the floor trying to recapture his breath, put his hands up in a gesture of defeat.
"Are you alright, Padmé?" Obi-Wan asked.
Padmé shook her head, tears spilling out of her eyes. "They would have killed me," she told him softly. "If you hadn't come…"
"It's okay," Obi-Wan said soothingly as Padmé wrapped her arms around his neck. He patted her back awkwardly. "You're safe now."
"Padme? What the…"
Both Padmé and Obi-Wan turned to see Anakin standing in the doorway. He looked at the dead man on the floor, and then at his wife.
"Ani!" she cried, rushing to him. She buried her face against his tunic, weeping and trembling. Anakin held her close, the rage smoldering within him.
"Who sent you to do this?" Obi-Wan asked the man who was struggling to his feet. "Who hired you?"
The man did not reply, so Anakin stepped in. Using the Force, he yanked the man to his feet, one hand closed around his throat. "Tell us who hired you!" he roared. "Tell us now!!"
"It was…" the man gasped. "The Chancellor…he wanted her dead…he…he hired us."
Anakin's face darkened in utter rage, his hand squeezing tightly until the man's neck was snapped. He tossed the dead body to the floor in disgust and turned back to his wife and new ally.
"I will make him pay," he said in a voice full of rage. "Stay with her, Obi-Wan," he continued. "I am going up there right now to see that he pays for this!"
Obi-Wan knew better than to even try to stop Anakin. He walked over to Padmé as Anakin bolted from the room.
"Perhaps we should get you to the hospital," he said gently, putting an arm around her. "Just to make sure you're okay."
Padmé nodded, the tears streaming from her eyes. "Yes, thank you Obi-Wan," she replied softly.