Midnight in the Garden

Chapter 33: One

-- "If you wanted a subtitle for these movies, you could ... it could be, 'Fathers and Sons.'" 

-- Ian McDiarmid.

Of course there was to be an attack on Padmé's life. Palpatine would not sit idly by while she, instead of one of his lackeys, ascended his  podium as the next Supreme Chancellor. Anakin knew this.

The problem, of course, was where? How? Would there a bomb be smuggled into the Senate building? Would there be a sniper on a rooftop? Would there be a convenient mechanical problem with the official shuttle that conveyed Padmé and her entourage to the ceremony?

After several days of worrying about it, Anakin decided to chuck it all. Predicting Palpatine in this case would be next to impossible. But it was certainly possible to preempt him.

The holocams followed everything at the Senate building the day of the inauguration. Two hours before it was set to take place, the news showed footage of last minute decorations being put up, crowds lined up early for a glimpse of the new Chancellor, a special carpet rolled out, even custodial droids sweeping the walks. "And they're rolling out the red carpet now," intoned the holojournalists, describing the most mundane details in their war for the highest viewership.

At half past the eighth hour, the official shuttle set out to collect Padmé Amidala from her Senatorial apartments. The holocams followed it as it docked at her veranda.

The explosion that rocked 500 Republica several minutes later reached several billion households across the galaxy.

Safe inside the Valorums' 300 Republica apartment, Anakin, Padmé, Finis, Sereine, Bail, Breha, and several staff looked on at the explosion along with the rest of the viewing audience.

"Right on time," said Padmé, turning to look at her husband. Anakin grinned.

"What will they say when they find out nobody was even in the apartment?" said Breha.

"It won't matter," said Anakin. "I'll say I had everyone moved two days ago because I suspected an attack. It's the truth."

"If anyone ever discovers that you planted that explosive yourself ... that's  where it will get interesting," said Finis.

"They won't," said Anakin, straightening his shoulders. "It'd be the last thing anyone would ever consider. And anyway, if we want to blow up our own house, it's our right to. It looks ugly on the holonet, but that wasn't enough explosive to cause any more than minor damage to the floor below us."

"I think we may have to remodel the living room, though," sighed Padmé.

Smoke billowed from the Naberrie-Skywalker veranda. Holocams mounted on speeders zoomed in to capture the emergency vehicles arriving on the scene. A medium-sized FireSpeeder and a smaller one buzzed up to the veranda. Burly firedroids repulsored themselves down and hosed the burning remains of the government vehicle with arm-thick blasts of water sprayed through spoutlike chrome hands.

A speederful of clonetroopers arrived and rushed into the smoke. "And the desperate search for survivors begins," breathed the news commentator.

Padmé stirred. "I'd better get to it," she said. "People are worried about us."

She borrowed the Valorum's comm unit and had herself patched directly through to Coruscant's Chief Justice, who had been preparing to administer the Oath of Office.

"Madame Senator!" the tall Rodian exclaimed, waving his robed arms in surprise. "You're alive! Are you unharmed?"

"Yes, we weren't even home," said Padmé. "We had flown over to pick up the Organas."