Chapter Thirty-Eight: Into the Lion's Den
The so-called governor's mansion was an expansive two-story white-washed home with black shutters, tall windows and supportive pillars. There were carriages parked and several passing through the drive, with plenty of well-dressed men standing outside.
Padme and I had dressed in our best attire and I didn't believe we stood out, although we didn't exactly look like we belonged in the city. Surely, they had visitors from the West from time to time, so I was hoping we could blend in.
My hopes were dashed as soon as we stepped inside and a man wearing a black suit approached. He had a scar across his cheek from an injury that had most likely taken his left eye, which was white and lifeless.
"No weapons are allowed past this point. You may store them in the room to your right."
Wonderful. That definitely changed things. Although, I wasn't certain what was going to happen once we confronted the governor, being unable to defend myself or protect Padme had me worried.
Inside the small room were hooks on the walls and benches, where indeed, there were a variety of weaponry being stored. Reluctantly, I hung my gun belt from an empty hook and then glanced at Padme. She looked concerned, possibly even more so than I was.
"Maybe we should speak to him another time; catch him outside. On the street perhaps?" she suggested quietly.
The man who'd informed us of the no-weapons rule stood in the doorway observing our every move – almost as if he didn't trust us.
I smiled at him and then turned to Padme. "Let's just speak with the man and hear what he has to say. All right?"
She was biting her lip with nervous consideration, although eventually, she complied and grinned at me.
"Just let me hang onto you or else I might do something I regret."
When her hand slipped through my arm, I grabbed hold of it supportively and together we stepped back into the foyer. A small group of people was gathered before a large and ornately framed portrait of an older man with beady blue eyes and oiled-back white hair. There was a brass plaque at the bottom which read 'Governor Steve Palpatine', so I had to assume this was the man we were looking for.
The group of people moved on to view a conference room with a ridiculously large mahogany table surrounded by red velvet-padded chairs. They were so expensive-looking, I'd already decided they couldn't be comfortable to sit in.
A debate had begun considering the taxation of shipping lanes, and Padme and I took advantage of that moment to slip out another door. The man at the front had his back to us, and we silently crept down the wide hallway, passing a few more groups in other rooms before coming to a massive staircase with tall cherub figurines at its base. The first step was roped off and not accessible to the public.
That wasn't going to stop us and we both ducked beneath it and hurried upstairs before we were caught.
There were many closed doors on the second floor, although behind one of them we could hear men's voices. I nodded to Padme and put my hand on the doorknob just as a distinctive cylindrical object jabbed into my back.
"I had a feeling you two were up to no good. Step inside."
I didn't have to turn to realize it was the scarred man from downstairs holding a gun in my back. He reached around and opened the door for us, swinging it wide.
"Caught these two sneaking around, sir," he announced.
I counted three men in the room, not including the one holding me at gunpoint. The one I focused on, however, was the well-dressed man I'd seen in the portrait downstairs. He was sitting behind a desk in a velvet chair similar to the ones we'd already seen.
"Miss Berrie," he announced with a sneer that immediately put me on guard. I didn't like him at all, and that wasn't entirely based on the bounty he'd put on my wife's head. He had the look of many of the serpents I'd shot in the desert. I wouldnt have been surprised to have discovered he had a forked tongue.
"Come inside and join us. You came all this way to speak to me, so you might as well be comfortable. Please, have a seat and share what's on your mind."
I could sense Padme's reluctance to comply and could almost hear her teeth grind. Eventually, she did take one of the seats on the opposite side of the desk. I stood directly behind her.
"I'm surprised to see you here," the governor began. "With the substantial bounty Judge Medder put on you, I was certain you'd been captured by now."
"Let's discuss the falsities of this claim," I replied, which only drew the older's man stern glare.
"And who might you be, sir?"
I wasn't about to offer my hand. "Obidiah Kenobi's the name."
"Ah, the one who provoked my son and brought about his demise. Although you did not pull the trigger, young man, you certainly are just as much to blame as she."
"That's not what happened," Padme argued, her voice trembling with barely-checked rage. I'd never seen her emotions so raw and I placed my hand on her shoulder to try and keep her calm.
"I have two witnesses who have testified otherwise, young lady. My boy was obviously intoxicated and you murdered him in cold blood."
The governor continued to smile just as a rattler does right before it strikes.
"I don't care what those bandits told you," Padme replied, sitting forward out of my reach. "Anakin was a vile and conceited young man, who spent all his money on whores and taking advantage of good, honest, hard-working people! The only person he could ever love was himself! I had no intention on marrying him, ever. If there's anyone to blame for his death, it is you! You were the one who funded and promoted his deviant lifestyle! He couldn't accept no for an answer and he threatened me! My husband stood up to him as well as several townspeople. The same people he had robbed and abused! Still, Anakin drew on Obi, not because of his drunkenness, but because he was arrogant and he believed he was better than everyone else! I was the one who fired the bullet that killed him and if I had the chance to do it again, I'd do the exact same thing! I wasn't about to stand there and let him kill my husband!"
I stood nervously waiting for the man's reply. During Padme's emotional explanation, he had done nothing but grin in a rather contemptuous fashion.
"Are you finished?" he asked her.
"Not quite," Padme told him before withdrawing the bulldog pistol I had given her; The one I hadn't realized she had hidden inside the folds of her gown. I heard the clicks of triggers all around the room and had no doubt every man present had their guns pointed at her head, though none were going to risk the life of their employer.
And still, the governor smiled.
"You had so much potential. At one point, you would've made a decent wife for my son. I have no doubt he would've eventually found you unsuitable and went in search of entertainment elsewhere, but you would've given him what he needed: Stability. And you dare to stand in my office, pointing a gun at me? You have allowed yourself to become so inadequate, I am now quite pleased you turned down his offer of marriage. I would be ashamed to have you as a member of my family.
Before my men take you to jail, where you belong, allow me to recognize one thing. You spoke the truth, but I still win. Do you know why? Because I'm wealthy and I'm an important member of society. You are nothing but a rube and no longer worthy of my time. Take her away."
Padme's arm had begun shaking and she had yet to withdraw her weapon. There was little we could do under the circumstances, and I wasn't about to let her hang, so I stepped around in front of her to try and intervene.
"Padme, please. Think about this. Think about what you're doing. Is this really what you want?"
"The man is evil, Obi! What if he someday becomes president? What then? How many lives will he ruin? He doesn't deserve the office he's got now!"
"I know that," I agreed, placing my hand on her outstretched arm, but without any pressure. "But killing him isn't the answer. You're an intelligent woman, surely you can think of other ways to teach him a lesson."
For the first time, her dark eyes drifted to mine and I smiled. As soon as the men saw my reaction, they quickly took away the gun and grabbed her.
"I will use all of my power and influence to make sure you sit in jail for a very long time," the governor announced victoriously from behind his desk.
"Not if I have anything to do about it."
The reply had come from the doorway. There was so much going on that none of us noticed the three men who had entered the governor's office, the most important one being the man who had spoken.
"President Valori, sir! What a pleasure it is to see you. I had no idea you were in town!" The governor had come out from behind his desk and was now oozing charm. He held out his hand in greeting, which I was pleased to see was ignored.
"It's a little too late for that, Steven," the president told him. "I've been standing just outside of your office for some time and heard every word. My men are going to take you downstairs now, and I recommend you cooperate."