— Darth Sidious —
"Thank you for hosting us today, Chancellor," Padme said. "We have much to report."
Palpatine treated her to a polite chuckle and fond smile, "Yes, I do imagine this meeting will be an… interesting one. But first, tell me, are you well, my girl?"
Meanwhile — truthfully — Sidious couldn't care less. But Chancellor Palpatine, that genial grandfatherly persona of his, would care. So Sidious was stuck asking after a fool girl's well-being and making… small talk. Oh, the sacrifices he was forced to make. Oh, the mask he was forced to wear. Oh, how loathsome.
The fool girl smiled back at him, "I'm well, Sheev. The mission was a… trying one, an eye-opening one. But I'm glad I undertook it as I did. As trying, as tragic and terrible, as telling as all I've learned has been, I would much rather see it than remain in blissful ignorance."
"Ah, I see…" Palpatine nodded in somber understanding. "May I assume that this won't be an entirely pleasant conversation, then?"
"It will not, Chancellor," Bail, that dangerously competent and well-connected Senator for Alderaan, confirmed. "But it is a conversation that needs to be had. Ignoring this subject isn't just unwise; it will quickly become utterly impossible, even here on Coruscant."
"Then, I'll freely cede the floor to the two of you, my friends. Please, don't keep us waiting," Palpatine said with a humorous tint to his tone.
Of course, Sidious was sure he already knew much of what would be reported here. But even the Chancellor's intelligence network had blind spots (or needed to seem as if it did, at least). And he was far from the only one present to hear the report.
The Supreme Chancellor's Council had been gathered for this. It was an unofficial thing — an almost casual assembly of aids, advisors, loyal trustees, or figures too important to ignore — but in politics, it was more often the unofficial things that mattered most.
Such was the game they all played, the game Sidious did so love to play. None played it as well as him. Every twist, every manipulation, every deal struck, every flex of hard or soft power; it all sustained him. The game was what he lived for, and the power that came from it. Nothing else in the galaxy compared.
Some would say he'd won the game. He was the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, after all, and well entrenched in his position. Blind, unimaginative fools would say that was the end of it, that he'd reached the pinnacle. Sidious, however… Sidious knew that the 'end' they saw was only his beginning. Now that his power was assured… it all came down to what he did with it.
Oh, there were plans. Grand Plans. Now, every move he made in the game went towards seeing those Grand Plans succeed. He knew the board well, knew all the players. All that remained was execution, in all its forms. But still, that place at the top of the game didn't mean Sidious would easily disregard… new players…
Thus, the report he would now hear, a summary and further development of the interesting, interesting events occurring in Hutt Space. Nothing that could threaten Sidious or his Grand Plans, of course, for his position was and always would be ironclad, thanks to all the work he'd done. But… everything coming out of Hutt Space was certainly a new consideration to include in his calculations. Certainly, as Bail said, impossible to ignore.
Sidious wasn't hosting the Council session in his usual offices. That would be much too official. Instead, he'd commandeered the lounge space of his second-in-command and invited that unofficial assembly to join him there.
The space was nice enough, well-furnished and classy. A testament to his second's wealth, taste, and subtle power. It bore a soothing color palette of browns and silvers, with a few art installations that were pleasant enough to look at and genuine, flimsy books to stock the shelves. The assembled Council sat in a rough circle upon comfortable and rich seating. Sidious had one chair all to himself, while his second had another, opposite him. The rest were relegated to wide couches between and around them, upholstered in Krayt Dragon leather and with enough space to comfortably seat everyone there.
In that room, and in Sidious's time in office, Mas Amedda was made, pointedly, second. The Changrian man was a career politician, carrying over from Sidious's predecessor's time in office and retaining rather a lot of significance on the political stage because of that.
He was Vice Chair of the Senate, and while Sidious gave the orders between them, that didn't stop Mas from playing the game himself. It was a compromise Sidious had had to make, keeping Mas around. But the man was competent enough, and kept his ambitions in check so long as Sidious was there to check them.
From the rest of Sidious's Office of the Supreme Chancellor came four more figures, each with their own roles and importance. Two administrators, an advisor, and an aide. The first and most important of whom was Armand Isard, Sidious's Director of Senate Intelligence. The grizzled and well-built Human man was brutal and efficient, well-suited to his position. Best of all, he was a Loyalist, not just to the Republic, but to Sidious personally.
After him came Ishin il-Raz — a noticeable drop in quality. But what Ishin lacked in competence, he more than made up for in fervor and belief. He was another Loyalist, but even more so than Armand. He'd completely bought into Sidious's cult of personality as Palpatine. While it was still in its fledgling stages, even.
He was merely an administrator for now. But Sidious knew the fanatical man had plans to found something he'd call the 'Commission for the Protection of the Republic' (or COMPOR). Even now, however, Ishin was a strong humanocentric voice in Sidious's camp. As was only proper. Perhaps a bit early in the Grand Plan for such a stance, but Sidious knew how important it was to establish the 'fringe' early so that it could grow to its proper place in his order.
The second administrator of Sidious's Office of the Supreme Chancellor was an old friend and effective agent named Sate Pestage. He was another Human man, and a ruler in his own right, though few would see the latter with how little he tended to make himself known. He did rather a lot of good and covert work for Sidious.
If given the chance, Ishin would likely declare himself 'Palpatine's Strongest Soldier!'. He was fanatical and outspoken like that. If he was, though, then Sate was Sidious's, with all the work he did in the shadows. He didn't just administrate as his title of 'Chairman of Executive Agenda' implied; Sidious could always count on him to act, a quiet dagger when he needed one.
Next in the room from Sidious's Office was a Human woman named Jannie Ha'Nook, Senator for Glithnos. She was one of his closest advisors, but not for her loyalty. The opposite, in fact. She was so influential in his camp for her independence, looking out for her home system before anything else. That consistent self-interest was helpful to Sidious for judging where the majority of the Senate would fall on any issue he pushed forth. Additionally, she was sharp as a vibroblade and not half bad to look at, either.
The last from his Office held a… special place in Sidious's mind. Not his heart. Darkside, never his heart. But molding Sly Moore into what she was today had still been a fulfilling experience. Outwardly, she was his Senior Staff Aide — the kind of position to sink into the background. Only Sidious knew the delicious darkness that lurked within.
Sly hailed from the night-stricken world of Umbara, and the potential irony there had been too much for Sidious to pass up. He'd taken the 'Shadow' woman and twisted her to his side. Her Force-sensitivity — not enough for a proper Sith, but still enough for a Darkside agent — became his to mold. Her Fall had been exquisite. And now, she was a hidden blade of dark bone that he kept by his side, utterly unnoticeable and unimportant to anyone else looking in.
The rest of the group he'd gathered for this unofficial session didn't come from his Office, but they were still very important figures in the running of the Republic. So, of course, Sidious as Palpatine had extended open and friendly hands to them, inviting them to join him for the report.
There were Padme and Bail, the ones to give the report. Then, there was Mon Mothma, Senator for Chandrila. She was one of the leading figures of the current Senate, an influence that couldn't be ignored. She was young to have risen so far and retained the potential to rise even farther. With short-cut, auburn hair and noble features, Mon was a beautiful woman.
'Shame about her conviction and good morals and upstanding nature, and all,' Sidious considered with an internal smirk that didn't show on Palpatine's face.
Also from the wider Senate were Mina Bonteri — Senator for Onderon, political mentor to Padme, and similar to Mon in beauty and conviction — and Avi Singh — Senator for Rexus Secundus, a dignified and important older man. They were both more aligned with the Separatist movement in the Senate than the Centrist movement. At the same time, neither had outright given up on the Republic yet (he only needed to give them time, Sidious knew…), and that earned them a spot on his unofficial Council for this occasion.
Lastly, there was Voe Atell, an alien woman of indeterminate species, who acted as a liaison for the Corporate Alliance. Another Separatist-aligned figure, something Sidious had arranged on purpose. With her, Mina, and Avi forming the majority of the external portion of his Council, Mon would be unconsciously pushed straight into his arms. It was a minor manipulation, but Sidious found it oh-so-fun to pull those kinds of strings.
With the stage set and the players established, the unofficial Council session could begin in full swing, Bail opening the report, "Now, I'm sure we've all heard something, at least, of the happenings in Hutt Space."
Internally, Sidious cackled. Even for him, it was unavoidable. And he'd assigned three different agents to keep a closer eye on it. They'd slid well into the black hole that was the Hutts' need for mercs. One had perished in the all-out revolution, but two had survived long enough to make their reports known.
Sidious, of course, had no obvious stake in the revolution. But the chaos… Oh, the chaos… It was rich and savory and tantalizing, a meal he would always come back to. The more chaos there was in the galaxy, the more chances to profit and succeed Sidious found. That was his stake: the chaos. And in that chaos, he'd found something… truly interesting.
He'd assigned Tyranus to investigate that 'kyber-spice' phenomenon, but hadn't heard back from his apprentice since. The man was still alive, Sidious knew, but likely licking his wounds. A good 'test of humility' for his ambitious apprentice, Sidious felt.
And… that result was probably for the best. Even Sidious felt uncomfortable with the twisted and damned spice, and he'd come to realize it would be more trouble than it was worth.
It didn't, he'd learned, result in any valuable Force Users. Just mindless husks, chewed through in a terribly fascinating way. And while they might be useful as disposable assets, Sidious preferred his minions able to think to some degree — if only to better fulfill what he demanded of them — and unable to corrupt his very Force-soul with mindless, Force-damned, spice-driven 'connections'.
For all his Darkness, Sidious did still have the sense to stay off the Force's outright bad side. The moment he'd ordered Tyranus to investigate, the Force had made its feelings on the matter very clear. Sidious had been lucky to be within his warded sanctuary at the time, for the backlash had been intense.
If he hadn't been secreted away, his screams would've echoed throughout the whole Senate Complex. Discretion — in this case, Sidious had decided — was the better part of evil. Not even The Dark Lord of the Sith could afford to make himself an enemy of the Force itself.
Since then, he'd decided to take a more passive and adaptable approach to the happenings in Hutt Space. All the better to use the chaos spawned there from afar. He wouldn't get involved outright, not as Sidious or Palpatine, he'd decided. But that didn't mean he'd ignore the matter. If nothing else (unlikely, for Sidious would find a way to use the ripples), the chaos was at least entertaining.
"We've kept tabs on the news there, yes," Armand calmly stated. "But much of it is secondhand and unreliable. I'm sure our sources of information fall firmly short of yours, Senator Organa."
Ah, yes, Sidious concealed a slight scowl. The Alderaan Espionage Corps. Half of what made Bail so dangerously competent, with the other half being him as an individual. The worst thing about them was how much was unknown, even to Sidious. He could hardly factor them into his Grand Plans very well with what little he did know.
Mon snorted in good humor, "'Something' is a bit of an understatement, Bail. It's dominating a significant portion of the galactic attention span."
Avi nodded, "My constituents have already begun asking me where I and Raxus Secundus stand on the matter. I've had to defer answering those questions until I feel like I have enough information to do them justice."
"The Corporate Alliance is still trying to decide if it's good or terrible for business," Voe said with a scowl.
"How frank," Jannie chuckled. "Do your masters even much care for who comes out on top?"
Bluntly, Voe deadpanned, "No. Just who and where we can continue to buy from and sell to."
"And what conclusions have the Megacorporations come to?" Palpatine asked, friendly and curious. "Off the record, of course."
"Off the record…" Voe hedged. "We see profit to be made. The only question is the most efficient and best way to make it."
"The Megacorps would even side with the Hutts?" Padme asked with a frown.
"Other than the credits to be made or spent, we have no pod in this race," Voe imperiously stated.
Sidious internally noted the question and showed it with an external raised brow as Palpatine. Padme saw the unspoken inquiry and shook her head.
"It should all become clear with our report, Chancellor."
Palpatine nodded. Sidious considered.
Interesting… It seemed that she'd already made up her mind on which side of the conflict to support. He'd anticipated as much from a bleeding heart, fool girl like her. Turning her further and directing her against the Hutts would be a simple thing if he ever needed to do so.
"Other than personal curiosity and maintaining a general awareness of the galaxy at large, I fail to see how these developments should concern the Republic. If anything, they spread further unrest that we truly don't need with the current state of things," Mas said, a low and rumbling tone that immediately called Padme's whole mission into question.
"The latter is certainly a consideration in this report," Bail allowed. "And the former is an understandable, if flawed, point of view. As we shall surely demonstrate. For now, all we ask is that you listen and come to your own conclusions with the information we present."
"They're Hutts," Ishin scowled, showing his usual fanaticism. "There's only one conclusion to come to!"
"Please, Ishin, let's keep this civil," Palpatine mediated.
Internally, however, Sidious couldn't agree more. The deplorable slugs could certainly be useful, but there truly was only one conclusion to come to wherever they were concerned. As always, though, he put his personal beliefs aside slightly and kept an open mind for how all of this could serve the Grand Plan.
Strangely, Sidious noticed, both Bail and Padme seemed to agree with Ishin's slightly vitriolic statement against the Hutts. He wouldn't have expected that from either of them. They'd gone to secure peace from both sides. What had changed for that goal over the course of their mission…?
"Now, I believe we should begin with a summarized assessment of both sides of this conflict," Bail said.
"Both sides?" Palpatine asked. "Are the Hutt Cartels not well-known to all of us?"
"Unfortunately," Avi joked. Yet his tone was as curious as it was amused.
"Before this mission, I would've said so as well…" Bail began.
Padme finished for him, "But over the course of our time on Free Nar Shaddaa, we discovered we truly knew nothing about the entrenched institutions that claim a significant segment of our shared galaxy. Nothing of their true extent, their true depths. The Hutts… Hutt Space… It's truly so much worse than I could've imagined."
"I could have told you that, milady," Ishin chuckled, preening with vindication.
"No," Padme shook her head. "You really, truly couldn't have, Administrator. No one outside Hutt Space could. Whatever the worst image you have in your mind of the Hutts and all they reign over, I guarantee that the reality is worse."
Mon's brow furrowed in concern, "Padme…? Are you… Are you truly well? This is… unlike you, to say the least."
"Mon…" Padme muttered mournfully. "Oh, Mon… It was so, so, so bad… I… completely lack the words. The stories we heard, the damages we saw, the evil… And not even 'excusable' evil, as oxymoronic as that phrase is. In Hutt Space, the evil is open and blatant, ever-present and borne proudly.
"It is fact. It is reality. It is… institutional, inherent to the Hutt Cartels as a very concept. Their very culture is founded on cruelty and depravity and evil and sheer, soul-deep sadism on a scale impossible to comprehend. They don't know any other way, and don't want to. Confronted with the reality, we couldn't even bring them to the table, for they would entertain no idea but their own complete supremacy and tyranny."
Palpatine stopped and blinked at how viscerally shaken and torn Padme's voice was, how damning her words were. And even Sidious joined his external persona in being brought up short. He could sense how shattered the fool girl's worldview had been. Padme's bleeding heart was a known factor in his mind, but this…? It almost seemed as if she would turn that bleeding heart into a zealous hatred and revive the Pius Dea Crusades of many millennia past.
As amusing as that idea was, Sidious found himself having to reevaluate the foolish girl. It… was almost as if she'd found simple good sense and proper hatred in her 'good' heart, an awakening so unlikely that Sidious hardly recognized her.
Mas frowned at Padme's damning assessment of the Hutts, "That seems… extreme, Senator Amidala. While the Hutts maintain their sovereignty apart from the Republic, they contribute significantly to the galaxy, both economically and culturally. Who are you to declare a whole species and way of life 'evil'?"
Padme hesitated, "… In any other situation, I would agree with you, Vice Chair. But not after what I've heard, what I've seen, what I've learned. I spoke to hundreds of former slaves, saw the lingering damage inflicted on thousands more, and learned how a whole moon felt to be Free. I experienced the effects of evil at the source, straight from those who suffered most. It is, as I said, institutional."
"To deny what we saw on Free Nar Shaddaa would be to close our eyes in willful ignorance," Bail added. "Neither Padme nor I can conscience disrespecting — damning — Free Nar Shaddaa and its people like that."
"I know Padme, Vice Chair," Mina defended. "I've taught her and guided her since she was but a girl. She wouldn't say any of this lightly. She doesn't, I can tell. That she's saying it still speaks volumes. From her, I don't feel a testimony like this can be so easily brushed off."
The Vice Chair's frown deepened, but he had the experience not to venture into 'ad hominem' territory by potentially calling Padme's character to cast moral judgments into question in front of those who knew her better. He certainly wanted a reason to dispute her testimony, though, Sidious sensed. Interesting, how made up his Vice Chair's mind already was toward defending the Hutts…
"Even if you can't take our words as a definitive moral ruling, Mas, the reality and evidence of institutional Hutt evil will soon be laid out for all to see," Bail shared.
"Wait, if you must," Padme encouraged with a nod. "And assess for yourself. I'm confident you'll come to the same conclusion as Bail and I have."
"What's this, then?" Palpatine asked, a curious rise in his brow.
"As part of our negotiations for this mission, Alderaan has committed its Espionage Corps to a cooperative project called HUTT FILES," Bail said, with all the telling gravitas of an official statement in an unofficial setting. "But that's all I can say at this time."
Internally, Sidious grinned and seized on that information. From every angle, it was good for him. The mysterious Alderaan Espionage Corps would have to reveal more of itself, and the loathsome slugs would be exposed to their slimy cores. Sidious had always been careful to limit the Hutts from his version of 'the game'. It wouldn't be him who got exposed in whatever project Bail had running, but there would certainly be many who would find themselves in precarious situations. Situations that Sidious could then take advantage of.
He almost laughed out loud. Oh, how rich! The upstandingly moral and dangerous Bail Organa would be gathering blackmail material for him! And if the Hutt-leaning stance he'd noticed was anything to go on, perhaps Sidious wouldn't even have to lift a finger to rid himself of that infuriatingly unimpeachable, powerful-in-his-own-right, and welcome-overstaying Vice Chair of his!
Sidious sensed the tense discomfort in Mas's mind. But he also sensed something similar from Jannie… The latter, Sidious noted, would likely need to be protected from implication in these HUTT FILES.
It could be done, he decided, and would push Jannie further into his camp. Unlike Mas, Sidious wasn't sick of her continued presence. And she was much easier to work with than the second most powerful man in the Senate, with all his unpredictable self-interest and his personally established power base. Still, these HUTT FILES would offer options to further his interests in both cases. Corruption could be a deliciously double-edged sword, after all…
Slowly, consideringly, Armand blinked, "That… is significant news…"
"Cooperative with whom?" Avi asked.
"That would bring us to the other side of the conflict out of Hutt Space, the side we were actually able to meet and negotiate with," Bail explained. "The Gonk Cartel, speaking for Free Nar Shaddaa."
"You stressed the word 'free' there, I notice," Palpatine pointed out.
"Such is the new and preferred name for the Smuggler's Moon, now that it stands Free of Hutt rule," Padme confirmed.
"Ah, a necessary rebranding, then," Palpatine nodded. "It's a good name. Maintaining recognition while adding something striking and meaningful. Sly, make a note of that for any potential future interaction. Using the moon's newly preferred name is only polite, after all."
"Yes, Chancellor," Sly nodded. Unnoticed by anyone else in the room, dark devotion shined through those two simple words, and Sidious reveled in it.
"Chancellor," Mas rumbled his disagreement. "We can't seriously be considering the official recognition of a revolution out of territory we don't even have a stake in."
"A bit late to be worrying about that," Bail chuckled before Palpatine could answer.
Mas turned back to him with a stern look, "What do you mean, Senator?"
The reminder of his place as a part of the Senate made Bail give a bit of verbal ground, "Nothing official, of course. Padme and I don't speak for the Senate as a whole, after all… We can, however, speak for Naboo and Alderaan, respectively."
"And… you have, Bail?" Mon asked.
"We have," He confirmed. "Another result of our negotiations throughout this mission: Alderaan and Naboo will recognize Free Nar Shaddaa as sovereign."
Palpatine sat back in his chair at that, visibly thinking. Internally, Sidious did the same, his darkly sharpened mind picking through both implications and consequences. With the backing of Naboo and Alderaan — both diplomatic and political powerhouse planets — a new state had just stepped onto the galactic stage.
It would never, however, challenge the Republic (or Sidious's Grand Imperial Plans…). The largest shadowport in the galaxy was certainly a significant starting line, but it was still only one moon — or one system, at most. If they tried to expand into Republic territory, they'd be slapped down as easily as the Republic breathed its obesely stagnating and decaying breaths. But as an alternative to the Hutts…? Well, this 'Free Nar Shaddaa', these 'Gonks', could be… interesting neighbors…
"What strange bedfellows Alderaan and Naboo have decided to lie with," Avi chuckled. "A cartel — revolutionary, yes, but still criminal — granted legitimacy?"
"A movement willing to stand up and fight for freedom," Padme gently but firmly corrected. "I may not agree with all of their methods, but I do agree with their goals and results."
"Even the fighting portion, Padme?" Mina softly asked, a mentor testing her prodigy's resolve. "Even the war they wage?"
To Sidious's great surprise, Padme nodded, "Yes, for I've seen the alternative. I've seen what a ceasefire will bring them. And it isn't peace; it's surrender. So long as the Hutts try to tower so tyrannically over them, peace is not an open option for Free Nar Shaddaa and its Gonks. As they are now, they must fight to make it possible."
"Besides," Bail waved. "They live and operate in a very different part of the galaxy. The reality of life out there is rather unrecognizable to us. We may dub them 'criminal', but when they live in lawless space, can they be? We may know peace to be possible and preferable in the Core, but on the Rim, in the heart of Hutt Space, is it the same?
"They live fundamentally more fragile lives than us, where life itself is cheap currency to be spent at the fickle whims of masters they might never see. The only way they know is to fight. The only way that will work is to fight. And they do so not for conquest or tyranny replaced, but for the freedom of themselves, the memories of their loved ones lost, and the hope of a better way rising from the ashes."
"Pretty and poignant as that is, Bail," Mas scowled. "You can't do this."
"Can't we?" Padme raised a judging eyebrow in response.
"You may claim to speak solely for your respective planets, but that doesn't change the reality that those planets are a part of the Republic, and that you stand for them in the Senate. Your words and actions, the legitimacy and recognition you've freely given, are inherently tied to the Republic and the Senate," Mas firmly argued. "And thus, you had no right, certainly not to recognize a revolution in a neighboring, if unallied, state."
"Oh, old friend…" Bail shook his head regretfully before straightening his spine.
"Censure us, then. Call for a vote, organize a committee, or place us in front of a jury of our peers, if you must. What is done is done. Padme and I will stand firm. We have no regrets. None at all."
"Alderaan and Naboo will stand with Free Nar Shaddaa," Padme agreed. "Yet we hardly need to when the Gonks and Free Nar Shaddaa have made their legitimacy and sovereignty an undeniable reality. They proclaim their mandate for all to see — de facto —, and now, have proved their commitment with ink on flimsy — de jure.
"So, more than just acting as representatives, Bail and I will personally stand with the founding document we helped sign into existence. Mighty Leia's Laws speak for themselves. But even if they didn't, I would gladly and enthusiastically proclaim them for the whole galaxy to hear."
Palpatine had been sitting back with a concerned expression showing on his face, but internally, Sidious was simply enjoying the tension and back-and-forth. Until, that is, those three words were spoken.
'Mighty Leia's Laws'… Whatever they were, they rang through the Force — resonated with something potent, something unknowable, something Sidious had never, could never conceive. It was only the lifetime of practice he had in mastering and hiding himself with the Darkside that kept him from physically flinching as he was suddenly blinded by shining stars in the Force.
Thankfully, none of his Council noticed his jolt back to attention, preoccupied with the obvious, Mon asking, "Mighty Leia's Laws?"
"Hope signed into reality," Padme reverently explained. "The inalienable, all-encompassing right to freedom for every sentient soul who has or will have known chains. It puts Free Nar Shaddaa's newfound freedom in writing. It expands on it — a right, a reason, a reference to spread that freedom all across the galaxy. Everywhere that knows chains, Mighty Leia's Laws can apply."
"This… The unrest this will spread is unconscionable," Mas muttered.
"Vice Chair, I'm sure I don't need to remind you that slavery is already illegal in Republic Space," Bail said.
"You know as well as I do that law is not always reality," Mas retorted. "And this, if widely heard, will spread slave rebellions across a thousand worlds."
"Justice, you mean, upon pre-existing and ignored criminals of Republic law?" Bail shook his head. "I'm sorry if I fail to sympathize with slavers, Mas."
"I don't care about the slavers, Bail. I'm no monster. I care about the inevitable unrest of this so-called justice," Mas growled. "And the consequences that may arise from within and without our Hutt neighbors. This law isn't just a declaration of independence from them; it is a condemnation of their very society."
"Yes, I was there," Bail drawled. "And yes, I'm also aware that their society and influence spread very far, indeed. But this, Mas? This is something new, something special, something meaningful. It's Hope for a billion-trillion sentient souls. And it was inevitable even before Padme and I interfered. We just made it into something official as well. Something lawful and legitimate. Isn't that worth something, my old friend?"
"We shall just have to see," Mas sighed, and Sidious sensed him mentally giving up on his potential Hutt sponsors with the pragmatism of a politician. Too little, too late. Sidious would ensure that didn't save him.
"Personally, I think this is a splendid cause to champion, even if we can't know the consequences that will come of it," Avi said. "Is there room at the bottom for another representative to sign in support?"
"You'll have to take that idea up with the Gonks, Senator Singh," Bail chuckled. "Good luck."
"What of the name?" Mina asked curiously. "It sounds… significant, heavy with meaning that I don't think I understand. 'Mighty Leia's Laws'…"
Once more, Sidious was forced to hide a flinch as stars shone every time the name was spoken. By everything Dark and Unholy, what was that?! Attempting to grasp anything more of the something than a trillion-trillion shining stars utterly eluded him.
"It's… cultural," Padme softly shared. "A culture of circumstances across the galaxy, of siblings in chains. I'm afraid it's not my place to share, but the name was suggested by one of our Jedi escorts, and simply… rang true. Sheev, you remember Ani Skywalker, don't you?"
Sidious froze as Palpatine forced a fond chuckle, "Ah, yes, the Heroine of Naboo! How could I forget young Ani? You're saying that she was the one to name these paradigm-shifting laws?"
"The name came straight from her shining heart and personal history," Padme recounted with a dreamy sigh. "When she first said it, even Bail and I could feel how the Force reacted. Rejoiced, even.
"She was born a slave, you know? And she remembers her chains well, even now, as a Jedi. I think she dreams of freeing the whole galaxy from the evils of slavery, and now, she can. She has. Bail and I were there to watch the first slave be liberated according to Mighty Leia's Laws. Ani's mother, Shmi. It… was a scene I'll never forget."
Palpatine chuckled, "Oh, that is simply wonderful news! I shall have to send her my congratulations and praise."
Sidious seethed. No, Sidious raged. A dozen plans for the Chosen One, impossibly disrupted! And he didn't even know until he was now told! Only now could he sense that the futures and strings of fate surrounding his Chosen One had been scrambled! Reshuffled! Almost completely unwound! The ever-present, ever-reliable Veil of the Darkside had nothing to explain its lapse; nothing but the vague sensation of shining stars laughing at him!
"HUTT FILES, recognized sovereignty, and these Mighty Leia's Laws…" Armand considered aloud. "Much to consider, yes… And what was the situation on Free Nar Shaddaa when you left, Senators? I'm starting to believe that when it comes to that shadowed moon and the 'Gonks' who freed it, Senate Intelligence will need all the information we can get."
"Stable," Bail answered. "Startlingly stable. I believe you'd struggle to find a soul on Free Nar Shaddaa that doesn't support the Gonk Cartel and all they're doing. And while they're sensibly trying to crowd out any competition, they're not crushing it. I'd say they're going for a system of… controlled anarchy, not a complete usurpation of Hutt tyranny. For now, they're still in the stage of consolidating all they've won, but I doubt that'll remain so for much longer.
"We weren't made completely privy to their plans and such going forward, of course, but my spooks will be working closely with them for Project HUTT FILES. I could try and open a line of communication for Senate Intelligence, if you'd like, Director?"
"Much obliged, Senator. I can see that being useful for keeping somewhat up to date with the events out there. I feel like they won't slow down anytime soon," Armand nodded.
"Is there truly no room for outside interests on Free Nar Shaddaa?" Voe asked, likely smelling profit for her Megacorp masters.
"Somewhat," Bail waved so-so. "As I said, they're not crushing competition, just making sure their hold on the moon is solid. You'll undoubtedly find the market open to you… but nothing that might make outside powers into controlling interests."
"Unless, of course, you try to bring slavery back to Free Nar Shaddaa," Padme added. "That is being crushed to the best of Gonk ability. I believe Ani had more than a few run-ins with Black Sun operations that were trying to test exactly that. I didn't get the full story of that — something about a 'Dark One' and 'self-termination'…? — But I do know that any hint of slavery on Free Nar Shaddaa will be targeted with extreme prejudice."
"Quite the improvement from its former position as a center of the flesh trade, then," Palpatine said. "For now, I think we've covered all we can. Thank you all for coming. Unfortunately, a Chancellor's work is never done."
His polite humor was met with chuckles and a wrapping up of the unofficial Council session. Later, in his warded sanctuary, Sidious seethingly considered all he'd learned. The shining stars, the impossibly disrupted fate of his Chosen One, the chances — good and bad — to be found in the chaos, and in particular, Padme's last statement lingered curiously on his mind. It, at least, was something he could address almost immediately without spinning into a shattering rage, unlike the rest.
'Dark One…?' He wondered. Sidious hadn't given any orders for his Black Suns to interfere with or test Free Nar Shaddaa. And he certainly wouldn't have chanced revealing himself even as vaguely as that. What kind of Dark amateur would've left evidence of their presence with the grunts on the ground…?
Not Tyranus. His fellow Sith was competent and too tied up with his CIS to attempt to usurp control of the Black Suns from Sidious. There had to be another Dark player on the board, one who Sidious had missed somehow… That alone was concerning, but additionally, the Black Suns were too useful a tool for Sidious to let slip from his grasp. That might need his personal attention…
Troublesome. How troublesome. Everything out of Free Nar Shaddaa was turning out to be more troublesome than Sidious had anticipated.
… And things only grew more troublesome for Sidious when he accessed his bugs in the Jedi Council chambers to gather the other half of the official reports from that troublesome mission.
A returned Master Fay and a reinvigorated Yoda? Troublesome… A 'Spite-side' Force User in a 'crucible of potential'? Troublesome… A shining Chosen One? Troublesome. The sheer impossible reality of this Mighty Leia? Oh, how TROUBLESOME!
In the safety of his warded sanctuary, the leading Dark Lord of the Sith allowed himself to RAGE. Then, he collected himself. He mastered his Darkness. And got right down to scheming.