God Save the Queen Chapter 3

A/N:  Sorry for the delay, everyone, next chapter of Devil's Foundry will be up as soon as it's edited.

Chapter 3: In Session

We did make it to Coruscant in the end, with minimal delays. I didn’t speak with Anakin much during the trip over, even though I vaguely remembered Padme taking the time to talk to him once or twice during the trip.

I swapped back into my handmaiden robes mainly for a chance to stretch my legs. Even after years as Padme, I still wasn’t used to royal gowns. He hadn’t said much to me, almost like he seemed kind of scared of approaching me.

I guess his mother told him to stay away from me, which I’d count as a win overall.

We’d landed, my guards had ushered me off to a councillor’s suite, and the Jedi took Anakin to the temple. Perhaps under normal circumstances, I’d worry that I had butterflied things enough so that he wouldn't become a Jedi; both of the prequel series I had watched tended to agree that Anakin was pretty important during the clone wars, even if Sidious won in the end.

But I had far scarier things to worry about.

I rose as the door to my suite chimed. Sabine stepped back from where she had been putting the finishing touches in my hair. “Enter.”

Captain Panaka opened the door as I turned, folding my hands in voluminous sleeves, and across the threshold stepped the man who would in just a few short years crush the Republic under his thumb.

Now the just Senator of Naboo, Sheev Palpatine.

“My Queen.” The man gave a weary smile, dipping into a deep bow. “I was incredibly relieved to hear you’d escaped Naboo. When I heard of the Trade Federation’s perfidy, and for our allies to abandon us so…”

He pulled off the aggrieved look rather well. For my part, I couldn’t help but wonder how much of a hand he’d played in keeping Naboo isolated. But aside from that, I found myself almost calm as I stood across from him.

“No one could have foreseen these events, Senator.” I walked forward, clasping his hand. “Your assistance here, on Coruscant, has allowed us to salvage an untenable situation.”

It was far from the first time I’d stood across from an enemy and smiled.

Sheev nodded, squeezing my hand briefly before stepping to the side. “Shall we proceed, your Majesty?”

I followed him out into the hall. “What can you tell me of the current lay of the Senate, how likely are we to find support?” If nothing else, Sheev Palpatine was a political genius. After we’d missed the date of our first scheduled hearing due to the blockade, Palpatine had managed to procedurally stall the date, lining it up so that I got my moment on the Senate floor the day I landed on Coruscant.

To be completely honest, I’d worked with worse people for fewer benefits in the past.

“Unfortunately, it seems that the Trade Federation is fully committed.” He sighed. “I held out hope that Kuat, at least, would be able to see past transient greed to do the morally right thing, but it was not to be.”

I nodded. “Our allies abandon Naboo.”

“I’m sorry to say that there are no such things as allies on Coruscant, your majesty. Only people whose interests temporarily align.”

I couldn’t stop myself. “Even yourself, Senator?”

He gave me a sad expression without missing a beat. “I am ever your humble servant, the servant of my homeworld and its people, but there is a limit to what a single senator can do.”

He was good, I’d give him that. Aloud, I simply chuckled. “My kingdom for five good men.”

Senator Palpatine blinked. “Indeed.” We arrived at the entrance to the Senate chamber. “Perhaps… one good man in the right place might also suffice.”

“Oh?”

“Chancellor Valorum alone could settle this dispute in our favor, were he not already bought and paid for by sector interests.” Palpatine looked into the chamber. “But if he will not be swayed…”

I felt my lips quirk into a small smile. “Perhaps we should move to appoint a new chancellor? A strong chancellor?”

“One that will not allow our people to suffer while standing idly by.” Palpatine nodded. “I have not been idle, your Majesty. I can assure you that at the moment Valorum will not survive a vote of No Confidence.”

“Can we pressure him with this information?” I asked.

“He will, unfortunately, also not survive ruling in our favor, for much the same reason.” Palpatine frowned. “The waters run deep and fast in the Senate, Valorum climbed to power by being the compromise option.”

I bit my lip, taking care not to smudge the elaborate face paint. “The moment one side feels as though he moves too far from the center, they’ll destroy him.”

At that, Palpatine chuckled. “One side? My dear, there is a reason the Senate Chamber is a circle. Each point on the circumference represents a different interest and faction.” He gave me a solid look. “The only reason Valorum has lasted for this long as Chancellor is because no side likes the look of what might come after him.”

I blinked. “Enter Naboo, with nothing left to lose.” What a masterful set up. I’d never been a puppeteer, that was Lisa’s wheelhouse, but even I could appreciate the house of cards Palpatine had set up for a naive queen to come and knock down.

“You see clearly, your Majesty.” Sheev gestured with his hand. “Shall we?”

“You’ve given me much to think about, Senator.”

He nodded. “Would that we had more time for me to explain the current landscape, but we will have but one chance to state our case.”

“I’ll have to make the best one I can, then.”

Without another word, we started inside.

*~*~*

“The Boy is too old.”

“Then I will train him instead.”

*~*~*

The Senate was vast, a massive hollow pillar in the center of a massive building in the center of the planet that was the center of the galaxy. There were thousands of senators, each representing a different planet. Hell, if I craned my neck, the upper reaches of the chamber were so shrouded in shadow that I couldn’t even make out the top rows.

“It’s time, your Majesty.” Sheev said.

Almost as if on cue, the Supreme Chancellor rose on his central pillar.

“The Chair recognizes the Senator from the Sovereign System of Naboo.” At the words, Palpatine pressed his hand against the console, and our floating disk detached from the wall, spiraling out into the central void.

“Supreme Chancellor, delegates of the Senate.” Palpatine looked past the hovering camera bot with a stoic mien. “A great tragedy has occurred, one which started right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the depredations of the Trade Federation.”

“This is outrageous.” I let out a breath as the Senator from the Trade Federations spoke. “I object to the Senator’s statements.”

Don’t you love Democracy?

Valorum cut his hand through the air. “The Chair does not recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation at this time.”

A low murmur went through the chamber as the Neimoidian sat back from his control console with a disgruntled expression on his face.

Palpatine continued as if there had been no interruption. “To support our allegations, I present Queen Amidala, recently elected Ruler of the Naboo, who speaks on our behalf.” Then he stepped back, and I moved to take his place.

Show time.

I’d never been impressed by the scale of the Senate Chamber in the movies. The CGI, perhaps, made it seem too much like a set piece. In person, its vastness could be felt. Standing on a floating platform, gently whirring camera bot circling me, it was easy to feel nervous.

But then, I’d stood on smaller platforms in front of far more terrifying foes, as well.

“Honorable representatives of the Republic.” I tilted my chin. “It is a grave moment indeed, when the sovereignty of system is infringed upon, as Naboo’s has been. The Trade Federation has blockaded my homeworld, landed their droid enforcers upon its soil and—”

“I object to these spurious accusations!” The Senator from the Federation leaned forward, red eyes glinting in the low light. “There is no evidence of this. Instead of throwing around baseless slander, I suggest we appoint a commission to investigate—”

“No evidence?” I laughed, the noise rang out through the vaulted room. “We have more than enough recordings and telemetry of your Lucrehulks in orbit, Senator. Unless the Federation has come into the habit of selling its capital ships to its rivals, there can be no debate into the origin of our invaders. My own Flagship bears laser burns that match the profiles of their main batteries.” A low murmur ran through the Senate. “The Trade Federation has not only invaded a Sovereign Planet of the Republic, but attempted to assassinate its head of state to prevent their crimes from being laid bare! Honorable representatives, this attack on the foundations of our Republic can not be allowed to stand!”

“The representative from Mallistar rejects these claims.” I bit my lip as a new puppet entered the fray, dancing on the Federation’s strings. I didn’t remember the three-eyed aliens stepping in, but then, there were many things I didn’t remember.

All that mattered was what was happening in the now.

“Such evidence can be easily fabricated.” The orange eyestalks shifted, one staring directly at me. “Without the verification of an independent special commission, it is impossible to give credence to these outrageous claims.”

“What reason would I have to lie about the attacks upon my planet’s sovereignty?” I raised a hand. “Will this body truly brush aside claims as dire as these, for the sake of expediency? Will each representative stand by as the Trade Federation cannibalizes whichever system it sets its eyes upon?”

Another low murmur went through the room. For a moment, it looked as though Chancellor Valorum would rule in my favor. Or at the very least, sit back and allow us to have it out on the floor of the Senate, with the entire Republic as our witness.

But instead, he looked down at his console, before clearing its throat. “The Chair recognizes the Honorable Senator for Kuat.”

Palpatine leaned forward. “And now the wheels begin to turn, as Valorum proves powerless to stop them.” I allowed myself a small frown.

The murmurs rose to a low roar as another platform detached from the wall to join us in the center. On the platform was a handsome young man, dressed in the traditional robes of Kuat. “Honorable Representatives, while Queen Amidala’s words are certainly cause for fear, I believe there is a much more reasonable explanation.” He tapped a few buttons, sending documents to the various senators.

“Earlier last year, Naboo signed several trade agreements with Kuat as well as other members of the Republic in good standing. It is my belief that Naboo insteads to use this so-called ‘invasion’ to renege on the terms of their agreement.”

“We signed defensive pacts, Honorable Representative.” I raised an eyebrow. “And here you speak of reneging on agreements, while you let your own responsibilities languish unfulfilled.”

But the man only smiled. “As the Senator for the Trade Federation has said, there is no clear evidence of an Invasion. Thus Kuat has been given no reason to intervene in the sovereign affairs of another system.”

“Queen Amidala,” Valorum said, voice aggrieved, “If your own allies will not support your claims, it appears that the Federation has a point. Therefore, will you agree to table your demands until such time as a commission can verify the nature of this ‘invasion’?”

I sighed. And here I hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but Palpatine was too shrewd a player to leave this to chance. There was only one card I had left to play.

I cast my head back, meeting Valorum’s gaze dead on. “I did not come here to let my people die while you discussed their suffering in committee!” In this my anger was real, a hint of my Thessian coloring my words. “If the Senate is truly more concerned with trade agreements and profit than the guiding principles of democracy, than I shall give its Honorable Representatives something to be concerned about!”

I pulled a data slate from the fabric of my sleeve, tapping it against my control console. “As the terms of the defensive pacts between Naboo and other parties have not been met, I, as sovereign ruler of the Naboo, declare the agreements binding Naboo to Kuat, Wroona, Sullust, Pax, and Kalinda to be null and void.”

This time a true roar rose up from the gallery. The majordomo stood, banging his staff upon the central dais. “Order! Order!”

But of course, there would be no order.

With the push of a button I sent out the document I’d preloaded to every member of the senate. “In addition, Naboo offers these trade terms, without reservation, to any system or polity that will offer material and immediate aid in repelling the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation.”

“This is outrageous!”

I looked over to the side. “You’ve said as such several times, Honorable Representative.” The Neimoidian glared at me, even as the majordomo continued to call for order. Valorum stood there, silently. “But it seems there will be no need for your biased commission, for the truth will come out shortly.”

“You intend to turn your back on your own agreements so readily, Queen Amidala?” the Representative from Kuat asked.

I gave him a wan smile. “If our so-called allies will not stand with us, then Naboo will find those who shall.”

“Order! There will be Order!”

I keyed off my microphone. “I believe that is all we’ll be accomplishing here today.”

Palpatine was looking at me, eyes wide, but he still brought the platform back to its dock on the wall. The senate continued to clamor, and already, we’d received several pings from various senators, offering to ‘put pressure’ on the Trade Federation in return for such a lucrative trade deal.

Not a one of their offers was worth considering, in my opinion. Not unless they offered military aid.

“You’ve not made us much in the way of friends, my Queen.”

I sighed. “Nor would calling for the removal of the Chancellor outright. This, at least, offers an immediate solution to our immediate problems.” I cast an eye back to the central chair. “Though I imagine Valorum will not… long survive this debacle either.”

Palpatine looked at me for a moment longer. “Indeed he will not.” He offered me a hand to the surrounding walkway. “Shall I have an aide return you to your suites, your Majesty? I would join you, but it seems as though we must keep someone on hand, to monitor the situation you’ve created.”

In other words, ‘You messed up my plan, Amidala, get lost.’ But then, I didn’t expect this would set him back much.

Hopefully, it would be enough to get me something out of the mess as well. “Good luck, Senator.” I gave him a nod as I left the room. “You will most likely need it.”

The walk back to my suite went uninterrupted. Within the hour, the news of my ‘trade agreement’ would be all over the capital, but for now there was a lull before the storm hit in truth.

It was… not my best piece of legislation. But the Parliament of Naboo had authorized me to make any concession in order to free us from the blockade. Especially after it became clear that help from our defensive pact had already been preempted.

Not that I’d held out any hope that Kuat would actually send aid. They were too deep in the core for that to ever be feasible. So too, apparently, was the hope that their name would be enough to ward off the Federation.

Panaka was waiting for me in my quarters. He took one look at my expression before pulling out a bottle of wine. “I take it things did not go well.”

I shook my head, sinking into one of the low couches as my handmaidens came up behind me, quickly undoing the elaborate ornaments in my hair. “I had to offer the trade proposal.”

He gave a grimace. “That deal locks us into a ten year contract, with no escape clause like the defense pacts. Add in shipping fees, and we’ll be lucky to turn a profit even at the highest of bulk rates.”

I chuckled. “And yet it’s still better than the deal the Federation tried to ram down our throats.”

He growled. “They’d have beggared the system in a year.”

“And had us thank them for the privilege.”

He nodded, pouring us both a glass of wine. As was tradition, I waited for him to take a sip, even though the bottle was one that had been in the Royal Starship’s galley. One could never be too careful as Queen.

I reached for my glass, only to pause as my personal holo chimed.

Panaka half rose out of his chair before I held up a hand.

“Marei, fix my hair, if you would.”

“Yes, your majesty.” I set my comm down on the table as she quickly set my hair into a simple style.

“How did they get your frequency?”

I gave Panaka a glance. “I believe we’re about to find out.”

Marei stepped back, and I keyed my comm.

An armored figure appeared, clad in a familiar jetpack and wearing the iconic helmet of the Mandalorians. My breath caught.

“Queen Amidala.”

“You have me at a disadvantage, Madalorian.”

The man gave a chuckle, tilting his helm. I noticed three white claw marks adorning the top of the visor. “Yes, I am Mando’a. An exile to my homeworld, just as you are now to yours.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You watched the Senate session,” I replied. “That still doesn’t explain who you are.”

“We are Deathwatch.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “And for exclusive rights to that deal you offered on the Senate floor, my warriors and I promise to deal with your little trade dispute… personally.”

Well, this certainly hadn’t happened in the films.

I leaned forward. “I’m listening.”