Near the Senate Building on Coruscant, Padmé Amidala's shuttle slowly descended.
As soon as she stepped out of the airlock, she felt the tension in the air. The impact of the Rendon Incident was far greater than she had imagined.
Holographic news screens continuously broadcast footage of the duel between Solo and Ventress. Pedestrians stopped to discuss the matter, and reporters swarmed around her, asking for her opinion on the Jedi's combat style.
Padmé evaded the reporters' questions and hurried toward the Senate Building.
She had no time to dwell on the video's popularity; a series of emergency meetings awaited her.
The following week, Padmé was immersed in a "political marathon" of endless Senate debates, secret meetings with supporters, and negotiations with legislators from various planets. It wasn't until the evening of the seventh day that she finally met with her core supporters in Bail Organa's suite.
In addition to Organa, the attendees included Mon Mothma from the Chandrila Sector, Chi Eekway from Fren, and several newly elected Senate representatives.
"It's unfortunate that we weren't able to gain all the benefits we hoped for from this incident," Bail Organa said, examining the drink in his glass, his voice tinged with regret. "The news spread to Coruscant earlier than we anticipated."
"The media always gravitates toward fresh war stories. They couldn't care less about the possibility of peace talks."
"Indeed, these journalists are relentless. I don't understand why they don't report directly from the battlefield?"
"I'm afraid they'd be risking their lives if they did," Amidala replied. "War is dangerous, and it's best to end it as soon as possible. What are your thoughts on this?"
Padmé turned to a female senator who had been invited to the gathering for the first time.
The senator was a Pantoran, and Chi Eekway followed the traditional dress of his homeworld: a black-blue gown accented with gold.
"Thank you for the invitation," he said, nodding to the assembled senators. His earrings swayed as he spoke in a clear voice. "Of course, I can only speak for my sector, but I can assure you that many senators share the desire to end the war quickly. You may not be aware, but the Command has stationed a clone trooper garrison on our planet—they call it a 'security force.'"
Padmé gave the Pantoran a approving look, rubbing her throbbing temples. "I've received reliable word that the Jedi have destroyed the Separatists' 'Dark Reaper,' a superweapon capable of absorbing the Force. This might accelerate the war's end and convince more senators that war isn't our only option."
"I'm not sure that will change anything," Chi Eekway said, his voice tinged with worry. "The Republic has deployed clone troopers on Pantora, calling them a 'security force.' But we don't even know where the real threats to our 'security' are coming from—whether it's the Separatists or... the Republic itself."
Padmé turned to Chi Eekway again, recognizing the young Pantoran senator's keen perception of the hidden dangers behind the clone army.
Just as she was about to speak, Organa leaned forward, interlacing his fingers, his tone grave. "What we should be more worried about now is Palpatine's expansion of power. The Senate granted him 'Wartime Emergency Powers,' which should have been revoked as the war subsides. But he holds the authority to declare the war's end. Worse still, I've heard his supporters are drafting new proposals to further expand the Speaker's powers."
"How many supporters do we have?" Mon Mothma suddenly asked. Despite her delicate features, her gaze was remarkably resolute. "As far as I know, at least two thousand Senators in the Senate support Palpatine."
"We've confirmed the support of 520 Senators and Representatives," Organa replied. "Some Senators remain neutral, focusing solely on their planet's interests. It's difficult to persuade them to join our cause."
Padmé shook her head helplessly.
The Senate was a deeply "complex" power structure.
Initially, after the Ruusan Reforms, the galaxy was divided into over a thousand sectors, each containing ten to a hundred inhabited planets. Each sector elected a single representative to enter the Republic Senate.
But this arrangement didn't last long.
Independent planets and even organizations like the Trade Federation began sending their own representatives to the Senate, which later became formal Senators. Different races living on the same planet also frequently sent their own representatives. For example, the Naboo and Gungans, the Mon Calamari and Quarren... Currently, the Senate recognizes over seven thousand Senators and Representatives.
Yet the Senate had become unable to fulfill its duties.
Constrained by procedural norms, endless debates, and an imperfect legal system, laws often conflicted with one another. Moreover, the Republic's efficiency in combating pirates and other aggressors was declining.
The Senate's "just" rulings, such as its handling of the Kalis-Hak Conflict, its stance on the Sepan Civil War, and its clashes with the Separatists, only served to exacerbate tensions.
Furthermore, an increasing number of senators became embroiled in corruption and bribery.
Kuat's senators controlled forty-one votes, including those from sectors or planets that supplied Kuat with essential resources, minerals, or other products.
Many senators even openly traded their votes to secure personal or galactic benefits.
Despite these challenges, Padmé continued to fight against the corruption and inefficiency.
She devoted all her time to politics, and, in her view, her efforts were beginning to bear fruit.
She established the Loyalist Committee, aimed at reducing militarization and promoting peaceful conflict resolution.
However, when the vote to create a new Republic military was put forward, too many senators succumbed to fear or financial incentives. Ultimately, bloody conflicts erupted across the galaxy with terrifying intensity.
Amidala had hoped that with the support of a large number of senators, she could stop the war and negotiate peace with the Confederacy leaders.
Yet the war only grew more intense...
Mon Mothma continued, "This conflict... it gives the Speaker's supporters a tremendous advantage."
"We need military action least of all, especially on our own planet," Bail Organa added, casting Mothma an approving glance. "Alderaan doesn't have a proper army, only the Royal Guard, which mostly performs ceremonial duties. We don't even have a planetary defense system. Our only option is a political solution."
"That's precisely what we're striving for," Padmé affirmed. "We hope that by demonstrating unity, we can prevent Palpatine from further distorting the constitution. However..."
"Perhaps we should seek the support of the Jedi," Gideon Danu suggested, his dark-skinned face creased in deep thought. "I plan to propose a military budget cut at the next session... Palpatine intends to order another batch of clone troopers from Kamino, as if the millions already on the battlefield aren't enough. Meanwhile, the people of many planets are still starving. That money could be used to alleviate their suffering. If the Jedi publicly supported us, we might at least win over some of the neutral legislators' votes."
"The Jedi will never support us," Bana Breem said, shaking her head. Her well-manicured fingers tapped lightly on the table. "They're now commanders of the Clone Army, and the more intense the war becomes, the heavier their 'responsibilities' grow. In their eyes, 'winning the war' is their top priority, not questioning the Speaker's authority."
"You're wrong," Padmé countered immediately. "The Jedi are no more satisfied with the current situation than we are." She recalled the occasional complaints Anakin had shared with her—the Jedi Council had long been worried about Palpatine's expanding power.
Breem's gaze, filled with suspicion, settled on Padmé. "Senator Amidala, your understanding of the Jedi seems far greater than ours."
Padmé's heart tightened.
Realizing she had nearly revealed her relationship with Anakin, she quickly changed the subject. "I've had diplomatic contacts with several Jedi Masters and know they're anxious about our endless war. Perhaps I could meet with the Jedi Council again to explain our position... our last meeting was too rushed to delve into the matter properly."
"Even if the Jedi support us, we're still a minority in the Senate," Organa sighed. "Our immediate priority remains persuading neutral senators to join our cause. Only when our supporters number over a thousand will we have the power to prevent Palpatine from amending the constitution."
The group fell silent, the atmosphere in the study growing increasingly heavy.
Outside the window, Coruscant's neon lights flickered, but their glow couldn't penetrate the power vortex of the Senate.
Fang Zar withdrew his finger from his thick beard, the knuckles pale from the force of his grip. Yet his voice carried a pragmatic calm: "We can't directly weaken the Speaker's power right now, but we can at least show him... that the opposition is growing. Perhaps this 'pressure of growth' will force him to slow his expansion of power."
Bana Breem didn't look up, her gaze fixed on her impeccably manicured fingertips. "By the time we confirm the Jedi Order's stance, it will likely be too late. Once Palpatine submits his proposal to the Senate, his supporters will push for an immediate vote. We won't have time to mount a proper rebuttal."
"Don't rely on the Jedi just yet," Organa said, setting down his glass. Droplets of water slid down the glass's sides, leaving a small wet patch on the table. "We should focus on winning over neutral senators—mining representatives from Fren and agricultural legislators from Rylos Sector. They're more concerned with resource allocation. If we promise to advocate for greater policy favoritism for them after the war, we might be able to persuade them to join us. Once we double our number of supporters, we'll have enough leverage to negotiate with the Jedi."
The senators nodded in agreement. Some began discussing specific strategies for winning over the neutrals, while others pulled out data pads to record the names of key senators to target. The atmosphere in the study shifted from heavy to pragmatic and urgent.
Padmé sat in a corner of the sofa, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the traditional Naboo patterns on her skirt, remaining silent.
She watched her colleagues argue about "stopping the expansion of power," but she knew that every step Palpatine took was premeditated. She feared that merely "winning over senators" would be insufficient to shake his foundations of power.
Yet she remained silent. At this moment, the Senate needed "consensus for action," not "acknowledgment of despair."
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