politic apart.
Mace looked back at the floor and finally spotted Jar Jar, floating out before the podium on his platform, flanked by Gungan aides.
'Senators!' Jar Jar called. 'Dellow felegates-'
The laughter was almost as deafening as the arguing, but the humor was lost quickly, as jeers erupted once more.
'Stay strong, Jar Jar,' Mace quietly mouthed, looking down at the Gungan, whose face and ears were now bright red from embarrassment.
'Order!' Mas Amedda shouted from the podium. 'The Senate will accord the Representative the courtesy of a hearing!'
The floor quieted, and Mas Amedda signaled to Jar Jar, who was by this time gripping the front of his platform tightly.
'In response to the direct threat to the Republic,' the Gungan began, speaking clearly and directly, 'mesa propose that the Senate give immediate emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor.'
There came a brief silence as everyone turned to look at everyone else. Gradually, a clapping began, and when the jeers erupted from opposing factions, the cheering grew even louder, soon drowning out the opposition.
Though she wasn't even present, it was Amidala who had done this, Mace understood. All the years she had worked to win the trust of others had led to this crucial victory. If anyone other than a Representative of Naboo, a voice speaking for Amidala, had suggested such a drastic measure, then the debate would never have been so cleanly decided. But since she had apparently thrown in with the other side on the debate for the creation of an army, so, too, did many of those who had originally followed her lead in opposing that army.
The noise went on for many minutes, and while the jeering died away, the cheering only gained momentum. Finally, Chancellor Palpatine held up his hands, asking for quiet.
'It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this calling,' Palpatine began. 'I love democracy-I love the Republic. I am mild by nature and do not desire to see the destruction of democracy. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated. I promise you. And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a grand army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the separatists.'
'It is done, then,' Mace said to Yoda, and the diminutive Jedi Master nodded grimly. 'I will take what Jedi we have left and go to Geonosis to help Obi-Wan.'
'And visit, I will, the cloners of Kamino and see this army they have created for the Republic,' Yoda said.
Together, the two Jedi walked away from the Senate Hall.
It looked like many of the courtrooms scattered about the galaxy, a round room sectioned by curving railings and tall boxed-off areas, with rows of seats behind the main area for interested onlookers. But the makeup of the principals told Padme that the resemblance to a hall of justice ended right there. Poggle the Lesser, the Archduke of Geonosis, presided over the gathering, helped by his Geonosian aide, Sun Fac, but clearly there would be no possibility of open-mindedness. Padme recognized the others as separatist Senators, dignitaries of the various commercial guilds and the InterGalactic Banking Clan.
She watched them carefully, noting the visceral hatred in their eyes. This was no hearing, no trial. It was a proclamation of hatred, and nothing more.
And so Padme was hardly surprised when Sun Fac stepped forward and announced, 'You have been charged and found guilty of espionage.'
So much for evidence, Padme thought.
'Do you have anything to say before your sentence is carried out?' Archduke Poggle the Lesser asked.
Unshaken, the cool Senator stared the Geonosian straight in the eye. 'You are committing an act of war, Archduke. I hope you are prepared for the consequences.'
The Geonosian chuckled. 'We build weapons, Senator. That is our business! Of course we're prepared!'
'Get on with it!' came the voice of Nute Gunray from the side. 'Carry out the sentence. I want to see her suffer.'
Padme only shook her head. All this because she had foiled the Neimoidian's plans to exploit her planet when she was Queen. All this because she hadn't rolled over before the power of Gun-ray and his followers. And to think that she had agreed to mercy for the Neimoidians after their defeat on Naboo!
'Your other Jedi friend is waiting for you, Senator,' Archduke Poggle the Lesser announced, and he waved to the guards. 'Take them to the arena!'
At the back of the hall, the young boy soaked it all in and looked up at his father, a perfect older-version replica of himself. 'Are they going to feed them to the beasts?' Boba Fett asked.
Jango Fett looked down at his eager son and chuckled. 'Yes, Boba.' He had many times told Boba stories of the Geonosian arena.
'Oh, I hope they use an acklay,' said Boba matter-of-factly. 'I want to see if it's as powerful as I've read.'
Jango just smiled and nodded, amused that his son was already so interested in such things, and glad for the dispassion in his tone. Boba was being strictly pragmatic here, even in the face of the executions of three people. He was taking in the entire scenario with the cool and collected pragmatism that would allow him to survive in the harsh galaxy. He was a good learner.
The jumble of information they were downloading into C-3PO would surely have overwhelmed the droid, conditioning him as intended, had his circuits not already been filled to near capacity with linguistic information. C-3PO engaged in multiple translations of each instruction pattern, and in doing so, managed to water them down enough so that they lost any real effect. His subtlety seemed lost on the brutes programming him, and after a few
