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Treason?

An emergency meeting had been called, calling all Senators in the sector to return to Coruscant and attend a meeting in the Senate Building. The hazy sunlight within hours darkened with bodies, casting shadows across the glittering jewels of the skyline, all cramming themselves into cars, and seats. Traffic was immense filled with politicians, bureaucrats, journalists desperate for a scoop, the Republic military was even called in to aiding the direction of traffic.

Rumours were flying all across the holonet, not even the Republic's own public relations and communications officers could keep track of them all. Some said Palpatine was murdered, others claimed they had proof that he was vacationing in the southern reaches of Naboo, rumours that the Jedi were planning a coup, or that the Separatists had succeeded in assassinating the chancellor. No one knew what to believe, but if there was something senators on Coruscant loved it was good gossip.

The Senate was oddly hushed, with only the waves of whispering ebbing and flowing. Bail Organa could hardly calm himself as it was, he could feel his heart reaching into the back of his throat, and had to wipe his palms on his cloak. His aide noticed, and lent him her handkerchief. "Thank you, I feel like a newly hired staffer." She smiled, "Happens to the best sir." He could see several other familiar faces, all with the same look of confusion, their eyes darting all over the room. The Senate seemed like it was awaiting the latest musical act, the excitement and anxiety was palpable.

Bail saw a figure stand up and float towards Mas Amedda's platform, it was Admiral Wilhuf Tarkin alone in a pod. He straightened his shoulders, silently letting the Senate be aware that he was ready, even the most chatty of senators quickly quieted themselves, it was an eery prowess Tarkin had to make others bend to his will with little to no obvious action. Grand Vizier Mas Amedda banged his cane on the floor of his repulsorpod, "Silence" boomed his voice throughout the Congress.

Tarkin cleared his voice, and took a step forward, "As you know, our Grand Chancellor, who we, the people voted emergency powers is dead." The room rose up in argument, Mas Amedda again rose his voice, banging, "Order! Order! We will HAVE order!" Beginning again Tarkin rose his voice ever so slightly,"There are many rumours flying around that our beloved leader was what the Jedi will have you believe, a Sith." The last word hissed from his mouth and Tarkin raised a hand to silence people, "Yes, the superstitious alleged peacekeepers of this Republic believed that the Chancellor was a member of an order than was many eons ago the enemy of the Jedi."

Tarkin allowed the Senators to shout over each other, filling the room with a vile smoke as people hissed and booed, several factions had been battling in a cold war in the Senate. Those that opposed the excessive powers granted to Palpatine, and those that seemingly disliked free will and wanted nothing more than for Palpatine to take his rightful place as supreme leader, he could hear them battle now, some booed at the very implication of wrongdoing of Palpatine's, other simply booed for hearing his name, many others however distrusted the Jedi, these quasi secretive order that was not accountable to the very democracy they fought for.

Bail Organa knew these feelings had been stewing for years, even before the Clone Wars, people disliked Palpatine's growing influence and style of rule, but they distrusted the Jedi more, Bail himself teetered on the fence, he was very close friends with many in the Jedi Order, but even he questioned their part in the War.

Clearing his throat again, Tarkin raised his right hand gesturing for silence, and the audience obeyed, "As part of our Constitution, the Republic has promised freedom of Religion, in the Republic we have millions of worlds, thousands of languages, cultures, races, ethnicities, and creeds." Pausing for dramatic effect he placed his arms behind him, "Grand Chancellor Sheev Palpatine was allegedly a follower of the Sith faith, this is not against our own laws of our Republic Constitution, it is not even against the law of any planet of the Republic."