The Decision

Chapter 10: Padme's Ruminations

She sat at the table in her dining room.

Bail, Bryana, Riyo, Eela, and Mothma were seated at the table as well.

They were over primarily as a friendly visit. Padme offered dinner, which they all kindly accepted due to having not much to do.

Anakin entered shortly after she sat down, all of them knew of her and Anakin so there was nothing to worry about.

"Hey Ani."

"Hey love, been a long couple of days."

Padme raised a brow as he kissed her on the cheek.

"How so?"

Anakin seemed reluctant.

"It's a topic that would ruin your evening."

Bryana chuckled.

"No, war is a topic that would ruin the evening."

Bail nodded.

"Agreed dear."

Anakin sighed as he sat down and took a sip from a glass of water he poured.

"Recently I've...uncovered a lot, and I mean a lot."

Padme was curious.

"What of?"

Anakin sighed, and told them, explaining every detail.

All were taken aback.

The entire clone army had chips in their heads, just waiting for an order to be issued to wipe out the Jedi order?

Palpatine was a Sith lord? The one behind the clone wars at that?

This was disturbing.

Padme considered Palpatine a friend and a mentor, though from Anakin's information, he had played them all for fools.

After a moment of silence, Bryana turned to Bail.

"Do you think those senators, Halle Burtoni, Lott Dod, Po Nudo, and several others are in Palpat...or rather, Sidious', pocket?"

Bail nodded to that.

"Lott Dod is obvious. I doubt Halle Burtoni is though, something tells me she is only in the equation for Kamino, not the Chancellor."

Mon Mothma was worried.

"You think it likely he will execute his plans shortly?"

Anakin shook his head.

"No. I think he needs something else, I just can't figure out what."

Padme thought on it, she had it.

Palpatine spent a lot of time with Anakin, and if he was a Sith, that means he must have been trying to groom Anakin to be his next apprentice.

Maul was currently in hiding somewhere on Mandalore. Satine was staying on Earth for the time being, just as a precaution. Queen Bonteri felt it unwise for her to remain on Mandalore right now, she'd be a target for Maul and the death watch.

Well not so much the death watch anymore, Bo-Katan had told her sister half of death watch sided with Maul, and the other half didn't, more so rogue mandalorians.

Anakin clearly wasn't falling for Sidious' plan anymore, thank the force for that, Padme wouldn't be able to handle it if Anakin became one of those evil sith.

She had multiple thoughts.

What if Anakin had become a sith?

Would he no longer be himself? Would the Jedi be destroyed?

Would the Republic be destroyed? Molded into something else?

Most importantly, would she have gotten to tell him she was pregnant?

That thought really ran through her mind.

If he had been a sith, would he have loved her?

Likely not, if anything he'd probably have killed her.

Palpatine would have gotten what he wanted, the Jedi would be wiped out by order 66, Anakin would be his apprentice, and force knows what would become of any surviving Jedi, or any senators who went against Sidious?

Surely if that would have happened, Bail, Bryana, Mon Mothma, Eela, Chuchi, and several others would be killed for sure, and no one would dare oppose the dark lord's reign.

Thankfully she didn't have to worry, Anakin was far from the dark side, farther than ever before.

She returned to reality as Chuchi spoke.

"Would it be best to get him removed from office?"

Eela agreed though the twi'lek senator was reluctant.

"Yes, but we'd have to convince a majority of the Senate to get him removed from office. Even then though, who's to say he won't just remain in office despite that, and threaten or kill anyone who opposes him."

Riyo understood that.

"Ah, I should have accounted for that. But you have the chips yes? And proof of those orders and who can issue them? So maybe we could convince a majority."

Bail frowned a bit.

"That may be true Chuchi, but it's not like he's going to just stand there and do nothing and let us foil his plans."

Eela nodded.

"Agreed."

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The rest of the dinner went by fast.

The others had all left, and Anakin went back to the Jedi temple, for whatever reason.

Padme just stood at the window in her bedroom in deep thought about all the revelations.

Nothing had been as it seemed.

Palpatine was a manipulator.

He'd played her for a fool thirteen years ago.

He'd convinced her to place a vote of no confidence in the Senate to oust Valorum, who to be fair wasn't trying to do much to help her people when they desperately needed it.

Regardless, the sith lord had played her, and that ticked her off.

How dare he do that. How dare he try to create an army, its true purpose to destroy the Jedi.

Most of all, how dare he try to manipulate her husband.

Sidious thought he could rise to power and then seize ultimate power in the Senate, which would effectively destroy the Republic, and turn it into something else.

She didn't want to know what would be created in the ashes of the Republic, she hoped Anakin and the Jedi put a stop to his plans and fast.

Padme could do nothing except comfort her husband or friends when needed, stay out of the situation, and try not to get caught in the crossfire as the Jedi, Anakin, and Sidious all made their moves.