Precipice by shadowsong26

Aftermath: Chapter 5

The warren of hallways outside the Senate Rotunda was eerily quiet. Normally, after a session, especially an emergency full session like this one, there would be the constant babble of thousands of languages, as knots of Senators gathered throughout the complex, arguing over what had been said and plotting strategy for their next maneuvers. Today, though, what little conversation Bail noticed was quick and quiet, and on the move. Mindful, too mindful of the risk of being overheard.

No one's even pretending, not out here, he thought. I suppose faking adulation is easier than faking normality, when you're this afraid.

He and Padmẻ were likewise quiet as they made their way to her apartment. She kept her head down, eyes on the datapad she'd been using to take notes, but that might have been a cover. He thought he saw her exchanging hand signals of some kind with her handmaiden-Motee; he was pretty sure this one was Motee. Sometimes it was hard to tell, under their hoods. He supposed that was part of the point, for them to be more or less interchangeable and fade into the background-at least until their lady was threatened and they needed to spring into action.

For his part, Bail kept his eyes on the other Senators surrounding them, trying to gauge their reactions beyond the general raw fear as discreetly as he could. Even if-even when-Master Yoda and General Kenobi removed Palpatine from power, the damage he'd done while in office wouldn't be easy to undo. It would take months, maybe years, of hard work. The more he knew about what they'd have to work with in the Senate when the time came, the easier it would be.

Unfortunately, he couldn't get much of a read on anyone. Maybe it was too soon, or maybe he was just too tired, too stressed-maybe everyone else was, too. He did spot a few known allies in the crowd but was careful not to meet their eyes just yet. If...if the worst should happen, if the Jedi were to-if a conspiracy should become necessary, they could not let anyone catch on until they were well-established. Until they were too widespread to wipe out.

Mostly, he was successful, but, as luck would have it, Senator Mothma managed to catch his eye from across the hall. She looked intensely relieved, and started towards him, but he shook his head minutely.

Not here, not now, not safe yet, he thought, and hoped it was clear to her and no one else.

She frowned faintly but nodded her understanding and continued towards her office without approaching him, joined shortly thereafter by Senator Bel Iblis. Bail allowed himself a faint sigh of relief and moved on.

By some miracle, he and Padmẻ avoided any further interruptions as they continued down to the garage and her speeder-his was still covered in Skywalker's blood, so he couldn't exactly drive it openly at the moment, and he wasn't sure he ever would again; but for now, it was well-hidden. Padmẻ set the datapad aside, but continued her conversation with Motee, verbally now, rather than starting on the questions Bail knew she was burning to ask him.

The message in her conduct was clear, and almost certainly accurate. Not here. Not now. Not safe yet.

She was holding up better than he'd thought she would, given how distressed she'd been the last time they'd met. Her eyes were a little red, and she was pale, but composed. He only hoped he was doing half as well.

With that in mind, he took the opportunity, as Typho moved them through traffic-out here, if you manage to avoid seeing the ruin of the Temple, it almost feels like everything's normal again-to make a few calls to his staff, and to leave a message for Breha at home. Things that any eavesdroppers would find innocuous; some might even question why he didn't check in, since he'd been offplanet on an undisclosed personal matter right before the session.

Business as usual, was the impression he was trying to give. There are no conspirators here. Certainly no fugitive Jedi under my protection.

He also, with great care, sent a coded message to General Kenobi. Hopefully, he'd figure out what it meant, and he and Master Yoda would know that their planned meeting place had to change. Bail worried about them being exposed, if they went to his apartment as discussed and he wasn't there to meet them.

Those tasks kept him busy, and their speeder made good time back through the city. Typho let the two Senators and Motee off at Padmẻ 's balcony, then headed off in the direction of the building's parking garage. Motee went straight into the bedroom in the back; Padmẻ took Bail's hand and pulled him into the sitting room.

He started to speak-there was so much he needed to tell her-but paused.

I never noticed how open this room was before, he thought. Between the balcony taking up a full third of the outer wall, and the expansive windows taking up most of the rest…

"We can talk freely now," she said. His reticence must have shown on his face. "I've put the best possible anti-surveillance measures in place. I'm...very careful about my privacy in here." She met his eyes. "I think you've guessed why."

You would have to be. The scandal would have, if not ruined, at least derailed your career, and what it would do to him... He nodded. "I trust you." I trust that you believe we're safe here, in any case.

On the other hand, he had promised Kenobi he'd be careful, and until they knew exactly what surveillance capabilities Palpatine had at his disposal, he couldn't be entirely certain how secure Padmẻ 's apartment actually was. With that in mind, he decided to hold back certain details-Skywalker's current location principle among them-as a precaution. He'd play it by ear, depending on what she asked.

She took a deep breath, and started with, "Is he alive, Bail?"

"He was when we left," he said.

She sank down onto the couch. "But it's...it's bad."

"Yes." He would be circumspect, but he wasn't going to lie to her.

"How bad?"

He hesitated, not entirely sure how to phrase his answer. He didn't want to mislead her, but he wanted to cushion the blow as much as he could; it had been a heavy enough one even without being particularly close to Skywalker. A litany of burns and lacerations of varying severity from blaster bolts and shrapnel; broken arm; shattered ribs; the blood he'd lost… Bail hadn't had the heart to read the full results of the med droid's diagnostic scan-though he was fairly sure General Kenobi had gone over it in detail-but he'd seen enough to know the mere fact that they'd gotten Skywalker to Polis Massa still breathing was some kind of miracle.

Clearly, she read enough of that in his face. "Oh," she said, her voice very small. She blinked rapidly a few times, resting a hand on her stomach and, at least in that moment, did not press for further details. "But he's...he's safe now, right?"

"As safe as I could make him," Bail promised her. "Offplanet, being treated."

She nodded. "Right." She paused. "You said...who's...who's 'we'?"

He hesitated half a second-but, on the other hand, Palpatine might already know the two Jedi Masters had survived, if they'd been observed or recorded at the Temple. If he didn't, he soon would, when they came after him directly. The greater danger was Bail-or Padmẻ -being tied to the two of them. But Padmẻ was a part of this now, she needed the information, and if they let caution cross too far into paranoia, they and their efforts would be crippled by it, rather than protected.

Compartmentalization can come later, he decided. Besides, I already at least tried to tell Kenobi he'd find me here. It's a little late for second thoughts on the subject. "Me, Master Yoda, and General Kenobi."

It was the right choice, he saw immediately. Padmẻ sat up straighter, something like hope starting to kindle in her eyes. "They survived? Are they all right?"

"Yes, and they're not hurt," Bail said. Though whether or not either of them could be described as 'all right…' Both were Jedi, of course, and Jedi played things close to the vest, but he'd seen little flashes, particularly from Kenobi, of utter devastation behind the mask of serenity. "They're...they're the only others I found, though. The two of them and Skywalker."

"Hell," Padmẻ breathed, deflating a little again. "Wh...where are they now?"

Before he could answer, there was a soft noise on the balcony.

Padmẻ stiffened a little and rose at once, producing a blaster from-

"You keep a gun in your couch?" Bail asked, blinking at the hidden compartment between the cushions as he pulled his own from his boot.

"You don't?"

On second thought, knowing Padmẻ, he probably shouldn't have been surprised.

The door from the balcony pushed open softly and-

"Don't shoot, it's us."

Bail relaxed and lowered his gun. Beside him, Padmẻ did the same. "General Kenobi. I see you got my message."

"I did, yes." He came all the way into the room and pulled his hood off, followed close by Master Yoda.

"Obi-Wan," Padmẻ started, her voice cracking a little bit.

He took half a step back. "Padmẻ." His eyes spoke volumes; the same look Bail had given Mon in the hallway earlier.

Not here. Not now. Not safe yet.

She nodded once and sat back down on the couch, deliberately setting her blaster on the table and clenching her hands together. "It's...I'm relieved to see you. Both of you," she added, her eyes flickering over to Yoda, who remained inscrutable as always.

"Gratified we are as well, Senator," the Jedi Master said, after a moment. He climbed up into a chair across from her; Kenobi remained standing behind him.

"I intend to leave the planet," Padmẻ said, after a moment, glancing up at Obi-Wan again. "Discreetly."

Kenobi bowed slightly but said nothing.

"Wise, this may be," Yoda agreed. Bail found himself wondering exactly how much he'd known-or guessed-about her relationship with Skywalker before now. Neither he nor Kenobi had put what they knew in explicit terms, but they'd likely said enough for him to put the pieces together. Particularly now, with the evidence of Padmẻ 's pregnancy right in front of him.

At any rate, he did not ask where she planned on going. None of them did. Whether they acknowledge it aloud or not, they all knew.

"Palpatine," Yoda went on, changing the subject and interrupting Bail's thoughts. "What said he, to the Senate?"

"That you had attempted a coup," Bail said quietly.

"Of course," Kenobi muttered. Yoda's ear twitched.

"I recorded everything," Padmẻ said, getting up and retrieving her datapad.

"Good," Yoda said. "Review this, we will."

She nodded, then hesitated, turning the 'pad over in her hands. "I don't want...I have no desire to see it again. Not yet. And I have some final arrangements to make with Motee. Please excuse me." Without waiting for them to respond, she set the datapad on the table next to her blaster and headed into the back room.

When neither of the others moved, Bail leaned forward and activated the recording. The three of them watched without comment, as Palpatine began his speech and presented the clearly-doctored so-called evidence of the Jedi plot to the Senate.

Bail had missed that part, arriving late. He wondered what the reaction was; if there was any way to tell how many of his colleagues actually swallowed it. He closed his eyes, briefly, ashamed of what the Senate had become under this man.

For nearly a full minute after the recording ended, none of them spoke.

Yoda, at last, broke the silence. "To destroy this Emperor, then, I will go," he said decisively.

A great deal blunter than Bail had expected him to be, but-well, what other choice did they have at this point? Especially given what Skywalker had told Kenobi. If that were true, if Palpatine was a Sith Lord…

There was a time when even the Jedi had to be ruthlessly pragmatic. Bail was just sorry he had to live in such a time.

If this works, if we do this right, no one else will ever have to again, he reminded himself, ignoring the chill creeping down his spine. Let us bear this burden, so our children do not have to.

"I'll go with you," Kenobi said. A perfectly reasonable decision, so far as Bail was concerned.

But the little green Jedi shook his head. "No. If fail today we do, to the future, you must look." He very pointedly did not look towards the bedroom, where Padmẻ was still finalizing her arrangements with her staff.

He frowned. "Master, with all respect, there is a time for holding forces in reserve and I do not believe this is it."

"Hmm. So certain are you," Yoda said, eyeing Kenobi.

"Yes." He met his gaze, and for a long moment, they stared at each other.

Bail resisted the urge to fidget, looking up at the ceiling to avoid intruding on…whatever it was they were doing. It felt wrong, to witness this. The Jedi had always-at least in front of outsiders-presented more or less a united front (firebrands and mavericks like General Skywalker aside). This glimpse behind the curtain was something Bail had never wanted to get, and the circumstances made it that much worse.

Whatever it was that passed between the two Jedi, though, it ended with Kenobi backing down. "Very well, Master."

"Good," Yoda said. "Senator Organa, retrieve me, you can, from the Senate, if things go wrong?"

"Of course, Master Yoda," Bail said.

"I will take Senator Amidala to safety," Kenobi said. If he still wanted to contest his assignment, he had hidden his reaction behind what was almost his usual serenity.

It had been-what, a day and a half, two days, since that first explosion at the Temple? The strain was starting to show, on all of them.

I wonder if he's slept at all. I can't imagine he has. I know I haven't.

"We'll need a ship," Padmẻ said, at last rejoining them from her room. She was now out of her regalia, dressed more practically in soft brown suede, no longer even attempting to disguise her pregnancy. "Mine is far too recognizable. Besides, Motee and Typho will need it." She smiled faintly, with no joy. "We've worked everything out between us. Just in case."

Kenobi nodded. "I agree. It would be best to take a ship that can't be tied to any of us."

Which, given that they had no time to waste, likely meant commandeering one. Or would he just be outright stealing one, now that the Jedi no longer have any official authority?

Bail decided he didn't care about the legal niceties right at that moment.

"Go, then," Yoda said. "When finished my business with Palpatine is, join you, we will."

Kenobi nodded again. "May the Force be with you, Master."

"And you," Yoda said quietly.

Kenobi bowed politely, pulled his hood back up and, with Padmẻ following, left the rest of them to get into position to take back the Republic.