What Are We Coming Two?

—continued

It was late, or maybe really early might have suited the situation better, and Padmé had not slept a second that night. Shortly after her call with Anakin had ended, she received a text-only message saying that he and some clones were going out to search for Ahsoka in the underlevels. He had provided her with the codes to a live feed of the chase, but she had other plans.

First, she contacted a law firm on Alderaan, calling in favours by the dozen so as to have a worthy defence for Ahsoka if it came to a trial. Sadly, her efforts did not yield anything positive; most of the professionals needed for such a case were already occupied. She indeed came to wonder if their cases were set up so as to deliberately leave Ahsoka defenceless at this time of need. Having patiently listened to the twentieth secretary say that Mr so-and-so would call her back when they were available, Padmé resigned this effort as futile and determined that if anything, she'd represent her friend.

Thus, the next hours were dedicated to more calls, favours, requests, and rank-pulling to obtain evidence. Which was rather miserable as a matter of fact, if she could say so herself. The joke was in finding the facility in which Ahsoka was imprisoned. Correction, in finding the designation of said facility. You could easily drive up to the base, the location of which you could deduce from the skyline visible on the numerous HoloNet reports, you however, could not obtain the alphanumerical designation. The staff had even put a drape over the plaque to obscure it. It was utterly ridiculous!

Still, Senator Amidala was nothing if not diligent as many who ended up on the wrong side of her arguments knew. She dug through recent appropriations forms and discovered the facility's name. When however she wrote an order to release to her the surveillance vids, they came back to her with, "The facility you mentioned does not exist in our database."

Next, and feeling utterly infuriated, she got to the troublesome facility. The shock trooper on duty recognised her as a senior senator and gave her the requested item. The datachip though, only had the footage from the cell. Nothing else. It was all she could do not to start spraying profanities right and left, shooting uncooperative personnel with her hold-out blaster and generally acting like her husband.

When she got back to her apartment in 500 Republica she was surprised to find a guest. The Pantoran senator, Riyo Chuchi, eyes bloodshot, and manner sagging from exhaustion, fairly slumped in the anteroom couch. With a polite greeting, Padmé invited her friend into the apartment proper. The two women had much in common, in that their worlds were both blockaded by the Trade Federation, were freed by a young Jedi, and themselves were friends of the Jedi Order.

"I guess you are here about Ahsoka?" Padmé inquired distractedly while fixing up two cups of strong caf. She was not distracted by the situation, or really by worry – she was not one to worry excessively when it served no purpose – no she was distracted with containing her outrage. It would not do to start damaging objects indiscriminately.

"Yes, Ahsoka is a good friend of mine and of my system. The chairman personally owes her a debt not easily set aside. Pantora will not abandon our allies so callously…" Riyo gratefully accepted the mug and sat beside her hostess.

"So you too do not believe Ahsoka is guilty?" Padmé asked, just to start the conversation as much as to be sure of the other woman's stance on the matter and hear her opinion.

"I have not known may Jedi personally… I consider Ahsoka a good friend. We talked a lot when we searched for the chairman's daughters and at other times…. What is that which is most important in a criminal investigation? Means, motive and opportunity? Ahsoka was away with her Master on the frontlines at the time of the bombing and for a few weeks before the incident. She has, I regret to say, grown up in war. She knows little of peace, however she respects lives, even of the enemy. She has no motive for this crime. If she wanted the war to end, she would have done it a different way, and not by damaging her own Order. And frankly speaking, she has no means to commit such a thing. She barely owns her lightsabers and two changes of clothes, which in her case isn't much to be honest…." Chuchi sighed sadly, it was not a pleasant business, this.

"I know Riyo, I know…" Padmé sounded world-weary, as if the whole galaxy rested on her shoulders, and above that, the life and integrity of a friend – of family. "However the courts will not see it so. From what I managed to understand, she is being set up quite efficiently and effectively. Whoever is doing this, they will most likely fix the jury. The prosecution can easily say that she planned this in advance, and credits could be acquired easily by with a Jedi's set of skills. Then they'd say that she was secretly on the separatists' side or even that she masterminded the whole thing to win sympathy for the Jedi."

"But that is ludicrous! That level of planning should be far beyond a normal Jedi of her age. And if she had that much intelligence, than she would have orchestrated it so that she wouldn't get caught. Say, framed another Jedi…."

"All too true, but unfortunately the court is not likely to see it so, not a skewed court anyway…" with another sigh, Padmé drained the last of her caf and jerked slightly as her wrist began to vibrate. Realising it was her comlink on silent mode, she pulled it out. "Senator Amidala," she gave her official acknowledgment.

"Padmé," Anakin was seemingly too focused on something to pick up on the cue that his wife was not alone. "We captured Ahsoka. She appeared to have fallen into a room with some nanodroid crates. I'm afraid that even Master Plo is beginning to believe in her guilt." The anger was unmistakable in the low growl, it was justifiable, after all, Plo Koon was the Jedi that found Ahsoka in the first place. By all rights, he should know her as well as Anakin and be on her side.

"Anakin, that's … bad, really bad. What do the clones think?" What would they think? They were bread to follow orders from the one with the highest rank badge! But, maybe there was hope. "Are there any Jedi on her side?"

"Few…. The Council seems to have taken the popular view, like all those politicians." He spat that last, he knew his wife would understand. "I have however gotten together a group, Club Tano. Barriss was unavailable, but I put together a group of Ahsoka's friends and Masters who believe in her. Can I send then over to you? I'll be a little busy!"

Padmé was overjoyed. At least some people believed in her friend. "Go right ahead, Anakin. You handle things your way, I'll take the diplomatic approach." The pair signed off, professionally, and Padmé put away her comlink. She turned to Chuchi and the other woman nodded that she heard the conversation.

Shortly thereafter came a chime at the door. Padmé was neck deep in a hacked security network – courtesy of her husband's bad habits – so Riyo went to admit their visitor. Said person happened to be another one of Ahsoka's friends. "Senator Bonteri ," the Pantoran greeted her colleague. She did not know him well, as the boy – for that was what he was – only recently took up his mother's fallen post. "How can we be of service?" Padmé ducked up from her illegal activities for a moment only to grant Lux permission to come in and immediately bent over the terminal again. Riyo waved Lux in, asking him the usual, did he want anything to drink? Was he alright? Was it alright for him to be here?

"I'm… am… I am… here about Ahsoka..." he fired off on full auto after some rather comical stuttering, blushing, shifting from foot to foot and other un-senatorial behaviour. The friendship between this particular senator and the beleaguered Padawan was rather complicated. The whole thing started on Raxus when Ahsoka escorted Amidala to meet with the then-still-senator Mina Bonteri in hopes of a peace treaty. Their next meeting occurred under less than ideal circumstances on Mandalore from whence they had to flee. Going to a Death Watch camp on Carlac, stunning the Padawan, hiding her lightsabers, and to top it all off, kissing her, did nothing to ingratiate him with the Togruta. She however came to aid him, and the Onderon resistance to take back their world.

"You are a friend of hers?" Riyo inquired out of genuine curiosity as much as out of social obligation. A startling change came over the usually composed senator. He shifted, mumbled, tripped over his feet, and fell gracelessly into the nearest seat. In short, he was doing everything a good politician should never do.

Padmé, ever observant, though she seemed to be utterly engrossed in her slicing just seconds ago, seemed to read correctly into his bumbling manner. "You have feelings for her?" when no reply came, she prompted him, "You love her? It has happened before you know, to a Jedi and a senator…" Maybe Padmé's head was not as out of the gutter as at first thought, for she nearly gave away her secret, and well, admittedly she could have been a trifle more … diplomatic.

Lux, well he went as red as the object of those inquiries and stayed incoherent for a few minutes more, though when he spoke, he apparently put himself back to together. "Love her? Yes… respect… admire… all those and more…" None of the occupants of the room were expecting such a mature answer; they had no reason to, least of all Padmé. "But I would never act on those feelings. I would never jeopardise her place in the Order. I love her, and that is the very reason I will protect her, but I won't interfere with her life. I will leave it up to her, her discretion, her initiative… She is a Jedi first and foremost, and that is where she belongs, where she can do more good."

The others were speechless, they did not expect that. And Padmé, she was embarrassed that she did not consider such things at the time of her and Anakin's marriage. Their collective silent spell was broken by another chime of the bell. This time Padmé greeted the newcomers, the so called Club Tano.

It was an impressive turnout, Chewbacca, Jinx and O'mer from the Wasskah incident; Katooni, Petro, Gungi, Byph Ganodi, and Zatt from the Ilum adventure; Bant Eerin, a friend of Obi-Wans from back in the day when the Galaxy was still young; Aayla Secura, a Jedi Master befriended on Maridun; Tera Sinube, a criminal expert who honestly saw more holes in the case than in a sieve; also were present Gial Ackbar from Mon Cala; an armoured and cloaked woman; Saw Garrerra, a prominent member of the Onderon militia, and perhaps most telling: two Jedi Knights, Hondo Ohnaka, Sugi and Embo, and Bail Organa of Alderaan.

In short, it was a veritable assault squad. It was amazing how people from all over the galaxy came together to aid a friend in need. She was a warrior who went into the enemy's citadel to fight injustice, who did not shirk her duty. She was a leader who never made those under her command do what she would not, a loyal comrade who did not leave behind friends in dire straits. And for that, they were all gathered here, she helped them when they needed it, now they were ready to repay the debt in the time of Ahsoka's need.

"I have a taskforce under my command," offered Ackbar sometime during the discussion, "It is stationed just outside the Anaxes system. They can jump in here on my signal and we will have an escort to get her out!" It was sedition, but they did not really care. If the grand Galactic Republic was coming to this… it was their duty to serve justice, and serve it they would.

"I have two elite platoons of militia standing by on Vandar." Saw threw in his support.

"And I," the cloaked woman spoke for the first time, pushing back her hood she revealed herself to be Bo-Katan, "…have three Kom'rk class transports with my best Nite Owls aboard. We Mandos can give even the Jedi a run for their credits at a pinch."

Silence reigned supreme for what seemed like minutes until Padmé, having trouble believing her ears and eyes asked, "Death Watch?"

Bo-Katan laughed mirthlessly. "I wish…. You ask me why I came to help a Jedi of all people? When Vizsla torched that settlement, she had no weapon save her Force and a metal pipe, still she fought us, knowing it was futile. She fought for her beliefs, unlike so many…. Then, when she was tied up, and in our tent, awaiting execution, she showed no fear. Her droid gave her her sabers back, and before we could blink, several of us were dead. We Mando'ade respect strength, and that was strength. No warrior should die by firing squad! Let it be a blaze of glory!"

The group discussed their plans further, looking at the situation from all angles. The general consensus was that they would wait for the verdict. It would not do to show their hand if everything worked out. If however it was unfavourable, Padmé would hit a comlink alerting everyone that the plan was a go. Within half an hour, Ahsoka Tano would be away from Coruscant, no matter what…

Continued elsewhere....

Dramatic? Overly dramatic? Quite possible, I however have strong emotions on this matter. No, not about Ahsoka's fate specifically I'm not that fanatical, but about the situation. Obviously what I wrote will not happen, it is too ludicrous for the show, but I have left myself an out for any outcome, and even for an AU!

May the Fiction Be With YOU!