Senate guards are patrolling the sides of the landing platform as the two Jetii disembark first, bowing to the Chancellor – and Senator, presumably. Din can't really see much from his place in the back, but Queen Amidala descends next, accompanied by her security captain, her handmaids following her. All four are, of course, wearing the same robes, hoods raised, partially concealing their features. Din, Shmi, and Anakin descend last, standing behind the group of teens. It makes them less conspicuous, especially since all eyes are on the Queen, but Din knows that his presence will only remain unnoticed for so long.
"It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty," Senator Palpatine says as he formally greets the Queen. "With the communications breakdown, we've been very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your report on the situation."
Din decides, instantly, that he doesn't like him. It's not only because of his name. Din doesn't really like politicians, in general, because they're so crafty and manipulative and false. Besides, the way that Grogu buries himself into the satchel with a quiet whimper, only the tips of his ears sticking out, when Palpatine begins speaking, sets off alarm bells. Din moves his arm to shield the satchel – and his kid – from sight, and Anakin seems to take a hint from his vod, ducking back to hide behind Din. Good. The less people that see them, the better. If Din could have safely left his aliit on the starship, he would have.
"May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum," Palpatine continues, turning to the tall, gray-haired man at his side. Valorum does not outwardly appear to be dangerous, but Din is still wary. He's a politician, too, after all.
"Welcome, Your Highness," Valorum greets her with a smile. "It's an honor to finally meet you in person."
"Thank you, Supreme Chancellor," the Queen replies, aloof and distant as always.
"I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation," the Chancellor offers. "I've called for a special session of the Senate to hear your position."
That sounds like a good step forward, but Din doesn't really know. Politics have never interested him, and it's not something which has ever concerned him in the past.
"I'm grateful for your concern, Chancellor," the Queen replies politely. Din is careful to listen to the conversation, silently storing everything away for later analysis. If he's going to help the Queen, he needs to understand the situation, even if it all is going over his head right now.
Palpatine steps forwards, gesturing to a speeder which will presumably take them to their destination, wherever that is. "There is a question of procedure but I'm confident we can overcome it," he tells the Queen as they begin walking.
Her handmaids and guards follow, along with Jar Jar, and Din leads his own aliit behind them. He could swear that the Senator gave him a brief, lingering, thoughtful look, but perhaps it was nothing more than his imagination. When he spoke with the Jetii, Qui-Gon told him that he would come to pick up Anakin and take him to the Temple after speaking with the Jetii Council. Din is somewhat relieved at that, because it means that he won't have to be separated from his foundling so soon. Shmi, he suspects, is sharing the same sentiments.
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan stay behind with the Chancellor, speaking to him quietly, and Din doesn't bother trying to listen, instead helping Anakin and Shmi settle into the speeder. Most of their possessions were left behind on the starship since they won't need them for now. He doesn't know how long they're staying on Coruscant, but he doubts it'll be for too long, especially once the Queen realizes that the Senate won't help them – at least Din very much doubts it will.
The speeders fly to a large apartment-like complex, and Palpatine escorts everyone inside, showing the Queen to rooms which have been prepared for her and her entourage. One of the handmaids – Din doesn't know her name – directs them and Jar Jar to a small waiting room with an attached 'fresher, before requesting that Din accompany her to be with the Queen when she speaks to Senator Palpatine about the situation.
"I'm Rabe, by the way," she adds with a friendly smile.
"I am not skilled in politics," Din points out dubiously.
Rabe laughs. "That's fine. You promised us your help, so if you're there, you'll at least know the situation. Besides, you'll be able to provide us with a unique perspective, no doubt."
Din sighs, taking off the satchel with Grogu entirely and passing it to Shmi. The kid makes a quiet sound of protest. "It'll be okay, ad'ika," he promises. "I'll be back soon." Grogu blinks at him, a whine escaping from him, but he doesn't otherwise object when Din steps back and follows Rabe from the room.
Grogu's clinginess... disturbs him. The kid isn't usually like that unless something is scaring him. Somehow, he suspects that Palpatine is responsible. Senator Palpatine who may become Emperor Palpatine in a matter of time. Maybe. It seems like far too much of a coincidence that Din would encounter a politician with the last name Palpatine who isn't the would-be Emperor.
But he pushes it all from mind, refocusing on Queen Amidala and the situation on Naboo as he is ushered into the sitting room. The Queen has just entered as well, and she moves to sit on the couch, the handmaiden with her stepping off to the side, standing in front of a column. Rabe moves to the opposite one, and after a momentary pause, Din takes up a position near the doorway. Senator Palpatine is pacing back and forth, though he stops when he sees Din there, eyebrows rising in surprise.
"Why is the Mandalorian here?" he asks, turning to the Queen.
"He offered his aid, so I requested his presence," she answers.
Palpatine looks back at Din for a moment, and Din could swear that there's something dark and malevolent lurking in the man's icy blue eyes. He won't be cowed though, coolly studying the Senator through the visor of his buy'ce. Finally, Palpatine turns away from him, acting as though he's of no importance as he begins speaking to the Queen.
"There is no civility, only politics. The Republic is not what it once was," Palpatine declares. On that, he and Din can agree. "The Senate is full of greedy, squabbling delegates. There is no interest in the common good. I must be frank, Your Majesty. There is little chance the Senate will act on the invasion."
"Chancellor Valorum seems to think there is hope," Amidala counters evenly.
"If I may say so, Your Majesty, the Chancellor has little real power," Palpatine replies, shaking his head, ceasing his pacing as he looks at her. "He is mired by baseless accusations of corruption. The bureaucrats are in charge now."
"What options have we?" the Queen wants to know, her eyes momentarily flicking to Din before she looks back at the Senator.
Palpatine pauses for a millisecond, as if contemplating. "Our best choice would be to push for the election of a stronger Supreme Chancellor, one who could control the bureaucrats and give us justice," he suggests. "You could call for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum."
Din senses a flicker of surprise from the Queen. "He has been our strongest supporter," she remarks, tone still most inflectionless. It must be a voice she's rehearsed, because it's unnatural for people – a teenage girl, no less – to show so little emotion. Or maybe it's a Nubian thing, Din doesn't really know.
He might not understand politics, but something does strike him as... wrong about Palpatine's suggestion, so he steps forward. The Queen asked for him to be here, and that obviously meant that he can express his thoughts if he has something to add or ask. Well, he does now.
"Mando, do you have something to add?" Amidala questions invitingly, and Palpatine turns, looking at Din over his shoulder.
"I do," he confirms. "I am not a politician, and I do not fully understand how the Senate works, but are you saying that the Chancellor has the final say over the Senate?"
Palpatine seems almost annoyed, but he does a good job at hiding it. "No, he doesn't."
Din frowns. That... makes no sense. "How would it benefit you to have a new Chancellor?"
"Well, he would have more support, of course," the Senator replies. "It would be easier to get an agreement, since more systems would be in favor of his appointment."
"That might help the Chancellor, but how will that benefit Naboo?" Din inquires. He's more than a little confused, at this point, because he hasn't heard any real solutions from Palpatine thus far. Politics aren't his forte, okay? But it seems to him that they should... maybe be trying to find a way to force the Trade Federation to back off if the Senate will be so unhelpful. "If the Senate wouldn't support you before, why would the identity of the Chancellor change that?"
There's an awkward pause of silence before the Queen breaks it. "Mando has a point," she decides. "We will have to discuss a different plan of action."
For a moment, a mere moment, Din could swear that Palpatine is upset. But... perhaps that was only his imagination. He needs to look up more about this Senator Palpatine. Something about him doesn't seem right somehow. He's probably just being paranoid though because he knows about the Emperor Palpatine in the future. This man in front of him has done nothing to deserve this mistrust and scrutiny, but Din promised to help the Queen. If that includes looking into the Senator of her planet, then so be it.
"Our only other choice would be to submit a plea to the courts," Palpatine offers.
The Queen is visibly displeased. "The courts take even longer to decide things than the Senate," she retorts a bit sharply. "Our people are dying, Senator. We must do something quickly to stop the Federation."
Palpatine shakes his head, looking a bit regretful. "To be realistic, Your Majesty, I think we're going to have to accept Federation control for the time being."
Amidala lifts her chin with defiance. "That is something I cannot do." She rises, unexpectedly, signaling the end of the conversation. "Let me know if you have any other solutions to our predicament, Senator. Mando, I would like a word with you."
Din steps forwards, waiting until the Queen exits the room before following, her handmaids falling in step behind them. He says nothing as he's led into the next room, which is a large, spacious bedroom. Amidala walks to the window, looking out, and he pauses awkwardly a few feet inside the room, waiting for her to speak.
Finally, she turns to face him. "What would you do in this situation?"
The question is wholly unexpected, and Din is a bit taken aback by it. "If the Senate will not help," he says carefully, "Then I would fight."
"We do not have an army. We are peaceful," she replies.
Din gets the feeling that she's assessing him as much as she is asking for his advice. It's disconcerting. "Are you entirely without any security?"
The Queen hesitates. "We have a small air force now, but it would do little against the entire Trade Federation army."
This is not his area of expertise at all. He's led small strike teams in the past, but managing a whole war? Not so much. Strategies for large-scale operations aren't something he knows much of. "What about the Gungans? Do they have any weaponry or defenses which might help?"
"I do not know," she admits, "But we can find out. Even if they do, they may not wish to help us. Tensions between us and them have been... strained." She gestures to her handmaids, and Rabe leaves the room quietly.
"Given the situation, they may be willing to help," Din points out, mind racing. "Is there a way to shut down the droid armies? Even if we do collect a force for a ground assault, it will only serve as a distraction."
The Queen looks at her other handmaid. "Eirtae?"
"The droids are likely controlled via the central command ship," she – Eirtae – answers him. "If we could, by some chance, get our pilots up in the air, they could attempt to destroy it. It would be risky, and we'll have no assurance of victory. The Trade Federation ships will have droid fighters to protect them."
"It's better than nothing. I can help you, but I cannot fight this war for you. I know you may not want war, but I don't see another option." He looks between the two girls as a heavy silence descends on the room.
It's broken when Rabe returns, Jar Jar following her. The Queen turns to the Gungan. "Jar Jar, if we go to war against the Trade Federation, can your people help us?"
"Theysa don't like the Naboo," Jar Jar answers, "But wesa warriors. Wesa got a grand army."
Amidala looks back to Din. "I hope the Senate will answer our pleas, but if not, then I feel we will have no choice but to return to Naboo to take on the Trade Federation alone."
Din thinks about the Jetii and wonders if they would help, but then, he remembers what Qui-Gon said to Anakin about the Order. No. The Jetii won't help. Perhaps they'll come and protect the Queen, but they won't fight the war either. Queen Amidala is on her own, and Din doesn't envy her one bit. She's far too young to be dealing with something of this nature, especially alone like this. At least she has her handmaids, not that it's much comfort, because they're children too. All of them are children. As wrong as this seems, for mere teens to be fighting on behalf of their planet, Din can do nothing to stop it.
All he can do is go with them and use his vast array of skills to help them in their efforts. It will have to be enough.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Inwardly, Sidious is seething. All of his plans are coming undone, because that stupid Mandalorian couldn't keep his mouth shut. He was supposed to use this crisis to get sympathy and become Chancellor. Now, nothing is a guarantee. Oh, he can still manipulate events as he sees fit to guarantee his ascension, but it will now take longer. Maybe he should have Maul kill the Mandalorian too. Or maybe he should do it himself.
The thought of killing him momentarily takes the edge off his anger. It doesn't matter what Amidala does now, anyways, because she's doomed to fail. The Senate will never agree, and unless she chooses to remain in exile on Coruscant while her people suffer, she will return to Naboo. And when she does, Maul will be waiting for her. He'll follow Sidious' orders to the letter. Perhaps with Naboo having fallen into Trade Federation hands, Sidious will be able to rack up enough sympathy to win the elections when they occur in a year from now.
Stupid meddling Mandalorians.
He should have ensured that their entire race was crushed out before orchestrating this, especially the warriors. And now, that Mandalorian is talking to the Queen in private. In private, as if he is not worthy of being in her confidence. It's laughable, really, but Sidious isn't laughing.
This is only a minor setback, he consoles himself. It won't matter in the whole scheme of things. He can set the rest of his plans into motion, assured that he will inevitably rise, even if he has to raze the entire planet of Naboo to the ground. But on second thought, maybe he should keep the Mandalorian alive. Maybe he should have Maul capture him instead, because there is something intriguing about him in the Force. Sidious can't make out what it is that's drawing his attention, and he would very much like to rip the man's secrets from his mind.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Qui-Gon stands in the center of the Council chambers, waiting for the murmurs to die down now that he's finished giving them his report of the goings-on regarding Naboo. "With your permission," he begins slowly, though he's convinced of the rightness of his course of action, "I have encountered a vergence in the Force."
Even Grandmaster Yoda seems startled by his words, his eyes widening. "A vergence, you say?"
"Located around a person?" Master Mace Windu chimes in.
"A boy," Qui-Gon confirms. "His cells have the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life-form. It is possible he was conceived by the midi-chlorians."
It takes them only a moment to realize what he's saying. "You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force," Windu realizes quietly, expression serious and maybe a bit thoughtful. "You believe it's this boy?"
Qui-Gon hesitates, unsure of how the Council would react to his beliefs. In fact, he is positive that Anakin is the Chosen One. After he saw the midi-chlorian readings, he no longer had any doubt. Perhaps the Force wanted Anakin saved from slavery, and so, sent the Mandalorian who would protect him until the Jedi were able to take him. Qui-Gon vows to himself that he will see Anakin trained, regardless of what he has to do to achieve that. The idea of leaving the Chosen One with a Mandalorian doesn't sit well with him.
"I don't presume to –" he begins.
"But you do!" Yoda interrupts. "Revealed your opinion is."
Qui-Gon doesn't back down. "I request the boy be tested, Master."
"Oh? Trained as a Jedi you request for him, hmm?" Yoda responds.
"Finding him was the will of the Force," Qui-Gon insists firmly. "I have no doubt of that. Besides, he is currently under the care of a Mandalorian. The Mandalorian and the boy's mother have both agreed to let him come to the Temple."
The Council members exchange looks, obviously recognizing the same, dangerous implications of that that Qui-Gon does. "Bring him before us, then," Windu decides.
"I have one more thing to add," Qui-Gon says before he can be dismissed, and Obi-Wan shifts uncomfortably next to him. "The boy is prone to... prophetic dreams, and the night before we left Tatooine, he had a vision of someone with a red lightsaber killing the Mandalorian. I suspect that there is a possibility that the being he saw was a Sith."
"Impossible," Master Ki-Adi Mundi denies instantly. "The Sith have been extinct for a millennium."
"I do not believe the Sith could have returned without us knowing," Windu agrees.
Qui-Gon looks at Yoda, the master of his master and sees that he is silent, reflecting. "Ah, hard to see, the Dark Side is," he admits. It's neither an agreement nor disagreement.
"Bring the boy to us," Windu instructs, obviously intending to bring the debate to an abrupt close. "May the Force be with you."
Qui-Gon – and Obi-Wan – bow before making their way from the Council chambers.
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Mando'a Translations:
Jetii - Jedi
vod - brother, sister
aliit - family, clan
ad'ika - little one
buy'ce - helmet