Lost in the Familiar

Chapter 14 - And Avenge Defeat

Author's Note: Things continue to fall apart. Literally. ;)

~ Amina Gila

Tech is, in fact, able to generate sufficient security clearance for all of them on such short-term notice, not that there was ever a doubt. It gets them safely into the Senate, and Anakin keeps his hood pulled over his head as he watches the proceedings.

He's been here so many times before, but it still feels different now. Either it's the tension he feels upon being here, that he's hiding, or... the way the Force feels so tense and dark. It never used to feel like that, and Anakin misses home even worse now that he's in a place that's familiar.

Being here is dangerous. Someone could recognize him or one of the Sith could sense him – though, he thinks he would sense it first if Obi-Wan were that close by.

It's jarring to see Palpatine in the Nubian pod instead of at the head of the room, though.

"The Kaminoan cloning facilities were not lost in the Galactic Shrink or to some cataclysmic storm, as the Senate has been led to believe," Palpatine is saying. Evidently, now that more planets are disappearing – known planets – it's something the galaxy is beginning to have to acknowledge.

Murmurs ripple through the Senate. "What are you suggesting?" someone demands.

"The Kaminoan cloning facilities appear to have been intentionally destroyed. I have evidence from the recovered command logs of Admiral Rampart's Venator, which indicate that his own ships caused the destruction on Tipoca City."

Anakin can sense the shock and denial in the room, as Palpatine displays the hologram to the Senate.

"Order," Mas Amedda calls above the clamoring voices, "Admiral Rampart will be summoned to the Senate to answer to these accusations."

As it turns out, the Admiral is on Coruscant – must've come home after destroying Kamino and making sure the clones don't have a home to go back to – and it doesn't take long for him to be called to the Senate.

The hologram is displayed again, this time in the Admiral's presence.

"I request that the Admiral explains the meaning of this attack to the Senate," Palpatine says, "This is not an action the Senate itself would ever condone, so was Rampart working either in his own interests, or was he acting under direction of other forces in the government?"

Rampart is stammering nonsense, and Anakin can see his fear – there's no doubt he was following orders, but that doesn't change what he did. And he was definitely acting in his own interests.

"Senators," Emperor Clovis calls. "I am grateful Senator Palpatine has exposed someone this corrupt among us. I assure you there was no knowledge of this among higher levels of the government. Guards, arrest Admiral Rampart. An atrocity of this magnitude will not go without consequences, I assure you."

He's talking too smoothly, too calmly to actually seem troubled by it. Unless it's just that Anakin knows that he was involved.

The Coruscanti Guard immediately get in a pod, approaching the Admiral's Senate pod.

"Wait, no," he protests, half-angry, half-desperate, "I was just following orders –" Before he can finish, the guards are already shoving him out of the room.

That was definitely an ideal way of interrupting Rampart before he told the Senate what actually happened. Of course.

"I assure the Senate a proper investigation will be established to look into this matter," Clovis goes on, in an effort to calm them all down, and probably before anyone can question Rampart's words.