"This is an interesting document," Palpatine said, looking up from it at Senator Amidala. "But you must understand… at this critical time in the war, to change the means by which it is being waged would be a terrible mistake."

"I must understand no such thing, Chancellor," Padme replied. "The argument for your emergency powers was that they were necessary to cut through the gridlock of Senatorial factions. No such gridlock now exists. The Grand Army of the Republic exists and has been winning victories. The powers you have are emergency powers, and it is no longer an emergency."

Palpatine gave her an odd look. "I was kidnapped yesterday, Senator."

"We are quite aware," Bail Organa agreed. "However, a move like that is…"

"Similar to what I did, during the Naboo crisis," Padme said. "A desperation move – and one that failed. The Confederation would not have launched an attack of that nature if they were confident in bringing about a successful conclusion to the war."

She clasped her hands. "Chancellor – this is a request, out of friendship, that you give back your emergency powers before it becomes necessary to force the issue."

"Are you threatening me?" Palpatine asked. "Senator, I realize that your past may have given you an exaggerated view of how easy it is to replace a Chancellor, but this is a time of crisis."

"I think our views on the crisis are different to yours, Chancellor," Mon Mothma stated.

"Chancellor, you don't appear to remember one of the core principles of the Republic," Sweitt Concorkill added. "That principle is democracy. You have been taking all kinds of actions based on a single vote from the start of the war, and you are refusing the clearly expressed will of the Senate."

"What?" Palpatine snapped. "I am doing no such thing! You don't speak for the Senate!"

"Read the title of the document," Padme said. "None of us would have come here to make empty threats, Chancellor. We represent two thousand Senators who are of like minds on this matter."

"That's eighty percent of the Senate," Mon Mothma provided, helpfully. "Indeed, this is the most unified that the Senate has ever been on anything."

Palpatine scowled.

"I disagree with your assessment," he said, shortly. "And you will not use weight of numbers to bully me into doing the wrong thing."

"Isn't that literally the definition of democracy?" Meena Tills asked, quietly.

"Well, that could have gone better," Bail muttered, as they left the Supreme Chancellor's office.

"I know," Padme replied, already on her comlink. "Hey, Ani! Just to tell you, we met with the Chancellor…"

There was a pause, during which Bail Organa leaned in to Mon Mothma.

"You know it's not quite eighty percent?" he asked. "Thirty-six columns, seventy-two rows, it's actually seventy-seven percent. Seventy-three if you account for junior reps."

"I was accounting for the Senators and Representatives who've left their positions during the war," Mon replied. "It's actually eighty point five if you do that. Does Padme really think she's being subtle?"

"All I know indicates that she's the subtle one of their relationship," Bail shrugged. "Maybe she should have had some body doubles pretend to be in a relationship instead."

Padme shook her head. "...yeah, he refused because he didn't believe he should give up the powers, like the war might still go the wrong way," she said. "Like you guys would just stop fighting if he lost emergency powers! It's weird… yeah, I'll probably have to no-confidence him… I know, I know, but it's the principle of the thing, he could get voted back in again but that would reset the emergency powers and that's what actually matters… love you too!"

She turned the comlink off. "I intend to call a vote of no confidence in the next session tomorrow morning."

"Wow," Chi said, blinking. "Padme, do… do you understand that people can overhear com calls?"

"No, I'm not using speaker mode," Padme replied, with a shrug.

"Just let it go," Bail advised the Pantoran senator.

AN:

The size of the Senate is not well constrained.