Gates of Hell

Chapter 24 - Snips

Author's Note: This is veeeery slow-paced. Lol. I hope that y'all enjoy the probably unexpected reappearance of Ahsoka. ;) Also, Anakin kinda ran off on a philosophical tangent about the Force. It was interesting though. ^-^ And I hope that y'all enjoy the chapter! :D

~ Amina Gila

Ever since Padme spoke to Anakin yesterday, she can't get their conversation out of her head. She can't forget how readily Anakin jumped to defend Vader, how unwilling he was to even listen to her concerns. It caught her by surprise, because she had thought that she could reason with him, make him see her point of view, even if he wouldn't actually take any action against Vader, and it reminds her of what Obi-Wan told her so long ago, about Anakin joining the Sith.

She knows that the Jedi believe that those who Fall to the Dark Side cannot come back, but she doesn't know if she can believe that. Or, at least, she didn't know if she could believe that. Now... she isn't certain.

But she'll have to deal with the situation of Anakin later. For now, she needs to focus on a meeting with Bail in which they're discussing the issue of the Empire and what they can do about it. It's not easy, not when there are so many who seem willing to support Vader's tyrannical grab for power. It feels as if the people are too complacent and unwilling to see what is happening right before their eyes. And then... it will be too late.

"We can't outright take any actions against him without being branded traitors," Bail is saying. "I think we should just wait and see what Vader will do. We don't know what his political ideologies are." And that is the crux of their problem. None of them have any idea what Vader is truly like, unlike with Palpatine. With Palpatine, they could guess, because they have seen firsthand what kind of skill he has. Vader is an unknown.

"The longer we sit back and do nothing, the more likely it becomes that it will be too late," Padme points out, feeling frustrated. When she was fourteen, she went to war to free her planet from the Trade Federation. She's older now, but she's still just as willing to go to war again if it means saving the Republic. "The Empire is evil. Tyranny is not the way to restore peace. We needed to negotiate with the Separatists, not force them to join us."

"Did the Republic force them to join it, or was it the other way around?" There's a hint of amused sarcasm in Bail's voice, and Padme has to concede that he has a point. He pauses before continuing, "Padme, I don't think Vader's Empire is evil. He is talking about rooting out the corruption, and he, unlike Palpatine, is actually doing something to reach that end goal."

"It's an Empire," she protests harshly, "And he is the only one with power. It's wrong."

Bail meets her gaze levelly. "Do not forget that you were elected queen of Naboo, and Alderaan has a queen as well. We are no strangers to having a monarchy."

"That's different."

"Is it?"

Padme wants to protest, to point out to him exactly how different it is to follow traditions that only affect one planet as opposed to the tyrannical regime that Vader has instituted, but she gets the feeling that he won't listen to her. Somehow, without her even noticing, Bail is being swayed to Vader's side. And it doesn't make sense. Of all people, she would have thought that Bail would agree with her. Does that mean that he's being deceived? Or that he's seeing something she's not?

***

Omega is adorable. She is adorable and Anakin loves her as much as he loves Ahsoka somehow, however that's possible. Maybe it's just her youth, and the fact that she radiates the innocence and curiosity which all children do.

"Can I help?" she wants to know, leaning on the desk at Vader's side and peering at the scrolling information in front of him, information which is highly classified. The only reason she's being allowed to see it is because of who she is, and because she's so young that she can't fully understand everything she's seeing.