A/N: Well, I think I may have finally lost my mind. Why not start another work when I already have several others in the works? But this idea just won't leave me be and so rather than fight it, I indulged it. Notable characters in the Star Wars universe give one-sided interviews in the style of the 'The Office' centering around the topic of how, when, where, or why they knew of or strongly suspected about Padmé and Anakin's not-so-secret secret relationship. Just kicking this around for fun. I did a similar thing for The Hunger Games a while back and wanted to try it out in SW land.

Want to hear from a specific character? Throw me the challenge/request, this could get kinda fun. ;)

The title of this little "anthology" is specifically in tribute to the From a Certain Point of View ANH, TESB, and ROTJ books released on the 40th anniversary of each original film. They are awesome must-reads for Star Wars fans. Check them out if you haven't.

From a Certain Point of View

Mon Mothma

I'm not really sure what I believed.

Of course, in those wretched early days of the nascent Empire, no one really knew what to believe or who to believe. Rumors ran rampant. Untruths were everywhere. It was very challenging to know what was real and what wasn't.

For a time, all I knew was the Clone Wars were over, the Chancellor was now heinously calling himself Emperor, the Jedi were all lost, Anakin with them, Padmé had not survived, and Bail had taken in an orphaned infant girl. There was so much chaos and disinformation and outright fear… I never would have guessed all of it was interconnected. Tragically so.

But now that I know what I do, and when I look back on what I did know, what she did let me see – and I fully believe now that was part of her genius strategy – I guess it was so painfully obvious that it was impossible to suspect we were even seeing anything to begin with. Padmé was a tremendously private person when it came to her personal life. After her days as monarch, she kept her regnal name to protect her family. She never entertained the gossip and chitchat that circled the rotunda. Her ledger was cleaner than an astromech straight off the factory line, and so we all just carried on, completely unaware of the scandal happening right in front of our faces.

And yet, she would stand in the halls of the Senate, full-on laughing with Anakin, beaming at him. The two of them chattering away, seemingly not a care in the galaxy. No one even looked twice whenever they were together, because well, it was just sort of normal. Expected even. I remember stopping by her office to finalize the Ryloth Restoration Proposal, and there he was, comfortably lounging in one of her receiving chairs, casually hanging out as if he was meant to be there. I don't know what took me more by surprise: her girlish giggles, his booted feet resting on her polished Hydenock desk, or the fact that I didn't even think anything of his presence at all. They were so openly friendly, no one ever suspected anything untoward because, well, how could someone who guarded her personal life so fiercely, parade around the truth so boldly like that? So publicly? In hindsight, this was just another example of Padmé's unending brilliance.

Understandably, it might have been the only tactic she could utilize. I have no doubt that hiding was more in Padmé's wheelhouse. She was always one of the most difficult colleagues to read. At first, I didn't trust her. What politician comes to Coruscant and actually fights for the greater good? It took me longer than I care to admit to realize how sincere she was in her commitment to democracy, to serving the populace at large. Bail was much quicker to the punch, inviting her into our loyalist faction sooner than I thought wise. I told him as much, but he never made me eat my words after I had witnessed her candor and authenticity firsthand.

Speaking of authenticity, I suppose brings us to the other half.

If Padmé was a master over her emotions, Anakin Skywalker, on the other hand… well, I don't think Anakin could hide anything from anyone even had he wanted to. And he rarely wanted to. I didn't have many interactions with him, but he was about as genuine and forthright as a being could be. Which I now realize might have been one of the things that bound the two of them to each other. He wore his emotions on his sleeve, especially for a Jedi, and was not good at pretending otherwise.

Padmé must have factored that in to how they were going to operate their clandestine relationship.

As I said, she was beyond brilliant. I believe the phrase translates into Basic as "hiding in plain sight"?

Maybe that's why Bail and Obi-Wan employed such a similar strategy when it came to protecting the children. I'd like to believe Padmé would have approved.