A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Away

Chapter 148

Anakin stood at parade rest a pace behind and to the left of the Chancellor's chair, which Palpatine was currently occupying, with Luna, who was struggling to mimic the Jedi's pose without fidgeting or swaying, directly beside Anakin to his left. In front of them, on the other side of Palpatine's desk, was the Senate delegation. They were in the private office in opposed to the public one, which made since considering this was supposed to be a private meeting.

As Anakin had expected, the fact that the Supreme Chancellor had invited a Jedi to attend him during the supposedly private meeting had brought across a rather large message on the stance, and a rather false one at that considering if Anakin hadn't known any better, he could have easily believed the Council had been speaking with this group, of the Jedi.

Also, as he had predicted, Luna's presence managed to relax them slightly, but only enough to for Padmé, because she was, of course, the only one brave enough, to dare to ask about it.

Anakin had managed to come up with a brief explanation that due to recent assassin related activity and other dangers pertaining to Palpatine's safety that was completely unrelated to the topic at hand, the Chancellor had requested for Anakin's presence to ease his own worries and that Jedi had not true place or part in the meeting. He had even added a small lie of it applying to all private meetings that involved three or more people meeting with the Chancellor.

Worry had gone up at the reasoning, but after the initial explanation, they had all mainly relaxed.

Well, everyone but Padmé, who knew Anakin was lying. Her expression and voice remained profesional, but her eyes informed him they would be discussing it later.

It was in that way that Anakin stood; watched; and as Palpatine had requested, constantly scanned the intentions of the senators while keeping a mentel eye on Luna's presence in the Force to make sure that nothing got by him this time. As Anakin had expected, there wasn't anything that raised a red flag. Fang Zar had something on his mind but didn't seem open to talking about it. Anakin hadn't been around the Senator enough to be able to know if it was something retaining to the matter at hand or or something personal. Nee Alavar and Malé-Dee didn't speak at all, and it seemed to Anakin that they hadn't really wanted to come in the first place. Sidious seemed to have decided against making a move against Luna, not that she had relaxed at all. Part of the reason she was fidgeting was that Luna had been standing tense for most of the meeting, although she covered it up pretty well.

And then there was of course Padmé, glowing in her Senatorial regalia and the picture of perfection—

Speaking in her Politician Voice and wearing her Politician Look that took all emotion from her as if it had literally been drained from her body only to leave a machine in her place.

Anakin knew Padmé loved her job, and that such a look was necessary in the realm of politics, but he highly disliked it when she used it.

And she did the talking. He wasn't that surprised.

"We are not attempting to delegitimize your government," she was explaining. "That's why we're here. If we were trying to organize an opposition—if we sought to impose our requests as demands—we would hardly bring them before you in this fashion. This petition has been signed by two thousand senators, Chancellor. We only ask that you instruct your governors not to interfere with the legitimate business of the Senate, and that you open peace talks with the Separatists. We seek only to end the war, and bring peace and stability back to our homeworlds. Surely you can understand this." If Anakin hadn't known any better, he'd think the entire thing was her idea.

"I understand a great many things," Palpatine said, evenly.

"This system of governors you have created is very troubling—it seems that you are imposing military controls even on loyalist systems."