Marcus was the only one of the pair to move, slightly regaining his composure as the captain stepped toward him. He took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his brow, and then saluted. "A–a report, sir," he managed to say, his voice trembling as he held out a datapad. "For the senator."
Captain Typho nodded, his gaze lingering on his guards for a moment before he took the device and handed it to Padmé.
A long moment passed with the device simply sitting in the young senator's grasp. The weight of the datapad seemed to grow heavier every moment, as did the burn from all the eyes on her back. Her hands were even uncommonly shaky as she slid them over the screen, typing in her restricted passcode before the file opened up.
She gasped as she read the report, pain ripping through her chest, and the datapad fell onto her desk. "Oh, moons..." she whispered, her legs growing weak beneath her as she stumbled backward.
Dormé caught her, wrapping her arms around Padmé's waist to prevent her from falling.
"What is it?" Captain Typho asked, assisting Dormé in helping Padmé onto her feet while Jar Jar fanned her with his hands to alleviate her shortness of breath.
"They–they," Padmé stammered, unable to utter the terrible words. "They were executed. All of them."
"Who?" more than one voice asked, Padmé shaking her head as she put her hand on her lips to prevent outright sobbing.
"The senators," she revealed, her words hurting more as she spoke them aloud. "The ones reported missing from Anaxes, Anoat, and Nubia. And others, countless others. Skye, Tomar, Romar Tei, and Sinex." Padmé shook her head, battling the pain. "They were all at the party. They're all gone. They killed them all."
Even as she uttered those words, she found it hard to believe. She doubted that any of it was real. It all felt like a terrible dream.
"Sith," Captain Typho said, grabbing the datapad from the desk, but the device was already locking itself. "What about the others? Senator Organa? Mon Mothma?"
"They're not here," Padmé said, a wave of relief washing over the group. "Their names aren't on the list."
"Then where are they?" Dormé asked, a slight frown on her face. "Bail should have returned after his meeting with Emperor Palpatine."
"Perhaps," Padmé suggested, striving to maintain her faith. "Did something happen in the meeting?" "Arrests?" Captain Typho asked, trying to connect the dots. "Investigation? Perhaps that report was only the first wave." He took a deep breath, his dark face shifting into one of resolve. "What do you suggest for our course of action?" he continued, stepping forward like the loyal soldier he was. "Should I prepare the ship?"
She understood what he was trying to sayattempt an escape. The thought shook her to her core.
"Escape?" Padmé asked. "Whatever for?"
"Milady," he said, extending his hand toward her. "Your life is at risk."
"My life is always in danger, Captain," she retorted, ensuring he recognized who held true authority in the room. "Ever since I was thirteen, it's been this way. This situation is no different, and I will not abandon these people to this unjust madness. I fight for justice and peace. Mon Mothma instructed us to wait here, and that's exactly what I intend to do."
"Milady," the captain attempted to argue, only to be silenced by a lift of Padmé's finger.
"Dormé's right," Padmé continued. "Bail wouldn't leave, not while the Senate is engulfed in such madness. They must be here, but that doesn't mean they can come to us."
"Because'a Emperor Sheev P?" Jar Jar asked.
"Exactly, Jar Jar," Padmé replied. "If the Emperor called him and the others to his office, then the pressure is already hot. They would know Palpatine is suspicious. They can't come to us now, not with eyes on them." Padmé moved to her desk and grabbed her personal datapad. "We'll just need to reach out this way."
She entered her passcode, unlocking the screen and scrolling through her contacts. She tapped on Bail Organa's name and opened the message board. She hoped that, at the very least, there had to be a mistake– or if there wasn't, that perhaps she could reach him on his personal device as well.
Senator Organa,
I need your assistance on these forms that we had spoken about. My handmaiden said you were returning after your meeting. Please inform me of our proceedings.
Senator Amidala
She ensured that matters remained professional, her questions concealed within classic governmental phrases – words that wouldn't trigger any red flags for potential monitoring by Imperial scanners. She understood that every word was dangerously precious, but as she hit send, she simply hoped for some sort of response. Something– anything– that would indicate that he was alive.
"Milady," the captain said, breaking the silence as he stepped closer. Padmé refused to look at anything other than the small message icon in the corner of the screen. "Your orders?"
Padmé looked away, her ears still on high alert for the sound of the incoming message. "I shall stay," she said confidently, holding her head high. "Return to your duties."
"Padmé..." The captain frowned, a heated disagreement evident in his eyes.
"My place is in the Senate," Padmé asserted before he could argue. "My people depend on me. I was not elected to flee."
"But you were elected to stay alive." Captain Typho shook his head, fully aware that he was fighting a losing battle. "Milady, I would highly recommend…"
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