A/N: Apologies for the delay. Writing has been difficult, but I do have a plan to finish the story, if you are interested. This is a political chapter. I've tried my best with whatever knowledge and experience I have here. Please give me your reviews.

It had come to this. Anakin was walked out, now in civilian clothes, black trousers or breeches, with black books, a white tunic, with an olive-green overcoat. Clean shaven, and well groomed, he looked the usual handsome self that he always was; one of the factors that did attract Padme towards him; as he walked in cuffs along the halls of the Senate building, he noticed it was far quiet than it had always been and corridors were far less maintained and in good shape; the galaxy had changed, and Coruscant had changed, and the government had also changed. He walked and walked; and noticed everything, finally breathing the air, because he knew it could be the last air he would ever breathe; he'd be executed soon; and while it'd be a clean death, he didn't exactly want to die. He deserved to die, sure, but he had to at least make things right, take care of Padme and have trust that all would go well. Which it would! And he owed it now, thinking at last deeply, of who had truly saved him;

His apprentice, and the faith of his apprentice, the immense, deep, rich and affectionate faith of Ahsoka Tano, who refused to give up on him; who had more power on this endeavour than even his wife; Anakin was selfish, he never really cared about Padme's views, only her life, probably for his own selfish reasons, but Ahsoka brought something back out of him that even Padme could not. He owed everything to her.

She was recovering; that was good; Anakin was grateful.

Perhaps things were moving ahead? Perhaps law, order and the force too were restored, despite the actions of the megalomaniac old gargoyle that Anakin had rather idiotically pledged himself to?

Finally, the holographic and energy gates of the Senate were opened to him; the cuffs were removed, and he was walked inside, on a single podium that was automatically maneuvered and locomoted towards the centre, where around him, Skywalker saw the many many full quorum delegates all looking and glaring at him, and Mas Ameda at the centre, with his staff, and looking pensive.

Skywalker looked around him, and simply stood, waiting for things to begin. It stayed quiet for some time, a sometime that seemed to go on indefinitely, while Anakin stood, in his now resolve to take accountability, culpability and responsibility for his crimes, and atone from them; in this process, he deserved to be humiliated.

Admiral Tarkin began, loudly and boomingly, "Honourable Senators and Representatives of the Galaxy, We are dealing with a crime we have not witnessed in millennia, a murder, of our beloved head of state, by a Jedi! Palpatine was wise in criminalising the treacherous order. Through his bravery, he was able to resist the coup attempt by the vile Master Windu and the corrupt and evil Jedi Council, but now, Knight Skywalker was able to murder him by being the most treacherous, by winning the trust of the forgiving and benevolent Chancellor, and pledging himself loyal to the Empire, but at the end he served his own self-interest and committed this heinous crime. For which, he must now be executed!"

Ameda now, head of state and government for the Empire nodded his head boomingly. "Absolutely right, Admiral Tarkin. It was the most horrendous tragedy to happen, and the first act of mine to carry on my mentor and friend's legacy to ensure the most absolute justice. There is no two ways about this. We will dispose of this traitor, and then this august body will work towards the future bearing in mind the benevolent and just vision of Supreme Chancellor and Emperor Palpatine!"

Many murmurs of approval could be heard. Fine, thought Anakin, I never assumed it would last that long. This was it. This was the prompt, hasty meeting and the hasty justice he deserved. Except – the hideous sounds of pathetic sycophancy jolted another realisation within him - he was being tried for an action that was not the wrong one; his murder of Sidious was the most righteous thing he had ever done in a long time. Some sense of honour and dignity forced him to fight back against this.

"I am not innocent. But I am guilty of crimes that have not been charged against me. Chancellor Palpatine was a corrupt, self-serving leader! Killing him was not wrong. What was wrong was serving him in the first place. Try me for that, I implore you, and for that matter, reconsider the current order that is in place, one I helped create, and which you have the right to punish me most severely for." Anakin rarely ever spoke so formally, but obviously he had to leave his casual and swashbuckler vocabulary behind.

Tarkin said immediately, "You may try to manipulate this Senate, Skywalker, but you will not succeed."

"Manipulation is a funny word," Anakin said. "I, however, cannot escape my own guilt by claiming the excuse of manipulation and deceit. But let me remind you of my evils, that I, in cold-blood, packed the Jedi temple, and murdered my brothers and family. All on Palpatine's orders."

Some people in the hall seemed intrigued and interested to hear this. "Palpatine determined, in the best interest of the galaxy, to hold the Jedi responsible for their crimes, and defeat them. But you cannot be permitted to deviate this hearing to that, an established fact; this trial is for you, Skywalker."

"This is a democracy, and while I am not defending myself, I wish to raise questions on Palpatine's leadership and actions," Anakin said. "Can we really see absolutely nothing amiss with what he's said and done?"

There were now many murmurs across the Senate chamber. It soon got quite loud, and Ameda said, "Order! Order!"

A senator hovered his platform above, and Anakin could sense many other delegates were considered doing the same. Ameda said, "I do hope it is about this trial, Senator Tundra Dowmeia of Mon Calamara."

"This senate is not primarily a judicial body; we do take up trials of exceptional nature, but our primary job is to examine the workings of governments. While I cannot comment on Skywalker, as he has committed an act of regicide, I cannot deny that there are indeed - certain things amiss."

"What's there amiss?"

"Amiss? There are many things amiss. They are quite obvious. Never before in the thousand year history of the Republic has the Republic been re-organised. Palpatine has no power, in his office, to unilaterally transform this galactic government merely according to his whims and fancies."

Another Senator, Darsana, from the planet, Glee Anselm, hovered his pod towards the centre of the chamber, facing both Ameda - who was now with only one assistant and towards Tundra.

"I'm sure Mas Ameda will point this out - the equally obvious fact is that Palpatine did not single-handedly transform the Empire. The Senate itself assented and decided for itself."

"Regardless of whether the Senate voted or not, it's simply not in the constitution for the Senate to strip itself of powers."

One more senator - with a white beard glided his seat forward. He appeared tentative. And scared. It appeared he was mustering courage and then finally he shouted in a raised tone, not concealing his anxiety.

"The Senate did not vote in its wisdom! Many of us have been threatened for ever opposing Palpatine. And many of us have been silenced by Palpatine and his clone army - it's 'his' army indeed even though it should belong to the entire Republic."

Anakin remembered Riyo Chuchi. The Senator from Chandrilla. He had helped her in the Clone Wars.

"Whether or not the re-organisation of the government is a legal process or not, the slaughter of innocent Jedi is simply an unacceptable and unjustifiable massacre. No one in the Senate - or the Security Council which in fact included members of the Jedi Order assented to this. Palpatine himself ordered 'his own' - as this honourable member has pointed out - clone army - to act in tyranny!"

"Order, Order!" Ameda looked incredibly angry and furious. He had not expected such boldness and lack of fear.

"We are deviating," Tarkin began seriously. He seemed more sure of himself than Ameda here, as if his calculating mind had considered all possibilities. It appeared, however, that he too was rather disappointed and zoned out from the loss of Palpatine and his institutional presence and power, and thus his own position and power, though he had committing to supporting Anakin later. "This is a trial for Anakin Skywalker! Let us have a show of hands, and vote together for him to be executed. And decide how this traitor should be hanged for his sins."

Senators murmured a lot now. There was a lack of clarity. Ameda looked around, but he knew now that he could not control the Senate. Within each pod, Senators were talking with their representatives and with the heads of governments of the monarchs, and the sectors and the systems of planets."

Some senators however did return. "You are right, Admiral Tarkin. Perhaps - there is some discussion to be had - though I know by the end of it, our August body will be satisfied with the wisdom and decision of our deceased beloved Emperor. But there must be a discussion. And I am happy to be part of that debate. But that can be held later. Now, there's the trial for Skywalker. And let's get on with it. Have you anything more to say in defence of yourself, Jedi? Keep it to the point."

There were still voices throughout the chamber, but most people now seemed eager and transfixed with what Anakin was going to say.

"I've said all I need to have said. I'm guilty of regicide. Execute me with a blaster, or hang me if you want. I'm just going to say that Palpatine is gone now, so you can see members of this Senate talking more freely and aren't afraid. I close now."

"We are not, and were not afraid of Palpatine, he did what was right. He was a lover of democracy and always took the views of this Senate into consideration. He worked with us, he encouraged us to be as best as we could be. He had to somewhat change our democracy because of a clear and persistent Jedi threat."

"Was there a Jedi threat though?" Chuchi inquired; she had gained even further courage. "We have evidence that - the Chancellor might have been behind the Clone Wars, that he worked alongside Dooku to destabilise this galaxy. And the Jedi were victims of his deceit, as would have been the rest of the citizens of this galaxy. We must thank Skywalker indeed for removing this monster from our lives, even if he did commit regicide, and we must in fact hold him accountable for joining the Chancellor in the first place and wiping out the order that was good and just and brought to him his home."

This was getting personal, Anakin thought.

Bail Organa now spoke again, "Let's be calm, delegates. There is indeed proof, though we can review this more comfortably as soon as all of us are slightly more relaxed and composed; after all of us have rested from the traumatic events present here. But there is proof indeed! Padme Amidala - whom I'm not sure how well she is - she's in labour now…"

"Yes, we all know Senator Amidala was wooed and coveted by this treacherous Jedi, it's quite clear and evident now. That makes us - other than his obvious crimes - question his very character."

More and more personal, and Anakin felt offended. He had only ever loved Padme. And genuinely, he knew. He may have been selfish recently, but obviously what these mongrels were saying stung him; he felt like removing his lightsabre or crushing their windpipes a bit.

"... Allow me to continue, Senator…" Organa went on. "I was saying that she always inspired us, me at least, to speak out for what was right. We can easily in fact shift the burden of proof, and ask what evidence Palpatine had in the first place to accuse the Jedi of treachery and then extra-judicially execute all of them - or most of them at least."

"I have just told you Senator," Ameda spoke after quite a while. "We all remember why - the Jedi tried to take over - and our leader's deformed face was proof of their assault upon him -

"Yes, yes, we know," Tundra Dowmeia spoke again. "It just sort of appears randomly - incoherent with our knowledge and personal impressions of all the Jedi we have known. And it is odd - that even if certain Jedi led a coup - that all Jedi should be destroyed? If I think about it, it's a massacre, or genocide, or purge."

Several senators looked more and more uneasy now.

"Yes, yes, Senators," Organa said. "Lord Ameda - you were Palpatine's closest advisor and his confidant, I believe you now owe it to the Senate to provide further evidence - hard and concrete evidence of the Jedi's so called 'treachery'. Yes, Master Windu did attack the Chancellor, they wished to arrest him, and yes, it was technically a coup d'etat, but the Jedi Council had its motivations too. They believed Palpatine was a 'Sith Lord'..."

"Palpatine's personal views or religious orientations are beyond the scope and business of this body - the Jedi may have been opponents of this 'Sith cult', but that isn't something we should be bothered with."

"I believe you are forgetting history," said Organa. "I'm not such an expert, but for most of the millennia of this Galactic Republic, Sith lords, and Sith Empires were the biggest threat to peace in our universe. They had raided, subjugated and enslaved many. This does raise some questions, certainly, doesn't it?"

Senators again huddled and discussed with each other. Ameda knew he could not control anything anymore.

"Firstly," Mon Mothma spoke for the first time, "We should have some neutrality to discuss these matters at length. But I move a vote of no-confidence in Ameda's leadership - he is far from 'neutral' on this matter."

Ameda looked shocked. But he couldn't do anything.

"Rest assured, Mas Amedda," Chuchi said. "If we find you guilty after our deliberations, guilty of aiding or abetting the Emperor, even in a small capacity, we shall judge you harshly and you will be penalised. It is better you resign peacefully now. We will give you immunity."

Many members in the Chambers moved their pod upwards, and with defiant bravery and courage began shouting. These were far from a majority of the Senate, but it was still something.

"Fine," Senator Darsana said. "We'll review this evidence - this fallacious evidence against the Chancellor - and if you want Ameda out - he may go - he is far from a decisive leader anyway as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was. We will elect a new Chancellor to carry on Sheev Palpatine's legacy."

Ameda sank back, looking terribly shaken and the hall continued in perpetual debate reflecting the uncertainty of how things and the politics of the galaxy were, but after a few minutes, he stood up again, attempting to muster as much dignity and grace as he could. "I have only wanted to step into and continue the footsteps of our beloved Emperor. If this August body feels I cannot do that – and if some traitors among you attempt to challenge his legacy and you will fail – I will step down. And this body may decide the new Senator. But first – I implore you to decide upon Skywalker's fate."

Certain senators again began listing and arguing about Anakin's treasonous acts, and some also now mentioned his very betrayal of the Jedi order. But Mon Mothma said, "Knight Skywalker acted according to his conscience. It's not right that the fate of our galaxy should be in accordance with the whims and fancies of one man and his personal beliefs, but that is the case. Skywalker, why did you really assassinate the Emperor?"

Anakin took a deep breath and spoke, "I was promised something by Palpatine and he is a dark lord of the Sith. I selfishly chose to embrace his promise. I realised he cannot deliver on this promise, and that helped put things into perspective, and I was hit by the true realisation. He was too dangerous to be left alive, Windu was right. And that's another murder I should be booked with, aside from massacring the Jedi order. He's powerful and no one else other than I had even any chance of ending his threat - so I chose the fateful step."

"Whims and fancies, indeed," said another delegate. "You're right Skywalker, obviously, you are selfish in all of your aims, if we look objectively. I don't think anyone can trust you."

There was finally some unison among members and nods were seen from both the zealots of Palpatine and even on certain of the ardent opponents.

"I'm not a Jedi, but I have always known that Skywalker is powerful, and he may be right," Riyo Chuchi said. "He's the only one who really could defeat the Emperor. So we may need to thank him for that, or at least recognise and accept his actions. His actions of murder of innocent Jedi cannot be excused either and we don't know if he'll change his mind again, he may be powerful, but he's obviously weak minded."

This stung Anakin again; he had never been accused of weakness. Obi-Wan and the Jedi would point out about his immaturity before the clone wars, but they had seemed to respect him more as the war progressed and the kind of military leader and mentor he was to Ahsoka.

A Roon Senator, Aang arrived on the podium and stated - a bit tentatively and hesitantly, without much confidence, "I don't know much about Skywalker… And what all has happened here… But obviously he cannot be trusted. He's a threat to the galaxy and what solution we may be able to find to resolve the disorder we are finding right now."

More senators – Anakin could hardly recognise any of them right now decided to speak – these men and women rarely spoke in the proceedings during the war before began speaking with each other.

"Obviously, he's untrustworthy. He failed Palpatine and he failed the Jedi. Certainly we must condemn this man and have his deeds and threats away from us as we deal, with the fate of the galaxy and try and restore order."

Mon Mothma spoke. "But doesn't that show something? Even if his actions are unpredictable, they spoke of something within him – what he felt was right to do."

"Oh, what a romanticised, dramatic outlook on things!" There were sarcastic responses. "Politics doesn't and shouldn't work that way. Politics works on established principles and moralities. And from whichever position you look at it with, Skywalker broke these."

"Our principles obviously didn't work…" said Bail Organa. "If they did, there wouldn't be the Clone Wars, star systems would have felt no need to secede, we wouldn't have such a desire to elect dictatorial leaders to control us, and we wouldn't have the need to thrust aside these very principles when the Republic was transformed into an Empire. This senate itself broke these principles. We aren't very different from Skywalker in that regard."

In ordinary times, this would be a very offensive and treasonous statement and lecture. But here, it just made more and more senators think and try to craft responses.

"So what do you want, Organa?" said Aang. "You want Skywalker to go clear? He'll destabilise this government again and commit more murders and atrocities."

"I just want," said Organa, "for our first act as a reconstituted body after this tragic war to not end any more lives, even if there are cases against them. I believe we should forgive ourselves – it's the first step towards peace and reconciliation. So shouldn't we be slightly more forgiving of others – like Skywalker?"

"Yes," said Mon Mothma. "It's time for healing, talk and meditation. Not any more violence."

Most senators were incredibly annoyed and exasperated by this turn of events. And Tarkin, who was keenly and quietly observing this exchange returned to speaking, this time with some loudness.

"Let us return to the law. And return to the specific crime. Regicide. And Assassination. And Murder. Palpatine's rule was legitimate and whether we question it now or not is irrelevant."

Strangely, though, people seemed to be ignoring Tarkin and continuing with their own discussions. Palpatine's legitimacy seemed to have been finally broken. And people were looking towards the future. Palpatine's zealots were huddled together and trying to make a return, which they would.

"Enough! There is enough traitorous talk right now. If this Senate wishes to continue with this pointless and irrelevant farce, we cannot stop it, but as far as procedure goes, we ask for the very proof that our learned friends have of anything amiss that was really done."

People seemed to be ignoring them as well. "Fine," some Senators said. "Let's log all the intelligence and holographic evidence there is. But the burden of proof indeed should be shifted."

More of the neutral senators – who were now the majority of the Senate – most who did not have separatist sympathies – assented to this loudly with the characteristic indigenous cultural gestures of approval and sanction.

"In that spirit," said Aang, "I don't want to clear Skywalker, but if it's a gesture that will spit on the face of fascist sycophants here, I move that he be exiled. Forever from the core of galaxy."

The whit bearded Senator who was earlier the first to voice out the coercion upon the Senate's will and agency, whose name was revealed to be Fang Zaar, a member of the Delegation of 2000 said, "That would be acceptable."

Other members who Anakin recognised to be part of this delegation – an endeavour Padme had spoken to him about and who met the Chancellor in his presence – shouted their assent.

Finally, there were loud moments of shock and incredulity. Palpatine's supporters began shouting and hurling abuses and it became extremely profane. This soon transformed into a hurl of insults and aggression. Ameda had to say, 'Order! Order!" Ironically to silence those who would have supported him. Such moves only confirmed the ideas of these individuals, which had slowly become clearer and clearer in the rest of the Senate's minds. It looked like with enough time, and enough deliberation, outside the mechanism and threat of powerful authoritarian leaders like the Sith, rationality and reason did see through. "Let's go to the vote!" said Organa.

Anakin was quite zoned out by this turn of events; he still expected to be sentenced to death. Surely, this new charge sheet and proposal wouldn't meet the light of the day would it?