Across the chamber, Lott Dod rose again, voice loud and accusatory. "This video must be a fake! A ploy by Queen Amidala to sully the good name of the Trade Federation! How can we trust this so-called 'evidence'? And where is this mysterious armored man of yours? If you truly had such a champion, you could've repelled the invasion with ease. But all I see is a little queen and a fraud—working together."
A ripple of gasps and murmurs echoed through the Senate. Delegates leaned into one another, whispering, debating, suspicion growing.
Then, slowly, twenty congressional boxes floated out toward the central zone.
One of the senators among them stood and addressed the chamber. "We Senators also agree with Senator Dod. This video could have been fabricated to damage the Trade Federation's reputation. In light of that, we believe the Senate should proceed with the appointment of a Commission to investigate these… outrageous claims."
Supreme Chancellor Valorum conferred quietly with his aides and Vice Chairman. whispers exchanged for several tense moments before he stood again. His voice, though steady, betrayed the weight of the moment. "I have made my decision. Although it is known that Naboo once hosted the hero known as the Armored Man… the evidence you presented does not conclusively prove anything beyond doubt. Therefore, a Commission shall be formed to investigate whether the Trade Federation has, in fact, unlawfully invaded the system of Naboo."
Padmé didn't speak.. But inside, her thoughts churned. The Armored Man is right behind me.It's just that Jin-Woo hasn't chosen to rampage… .
But now I'm at the crossroads. Two choices remain. Stay silent, like Jin-Woo told me… or the drastic move.
Her gaze lowered slightly. Declare Naboo's independence from the Republic.
Padmé stood still at the center of the platform, her eyes lowered, heart quietly aching. Jin-Woo was right… Democracy here is dead.
Palpatine stepped forward, his voice hushed but pressing with dangerous charm. "You see, Your Majesty… The Chancellor is weak. Powerless to help our people. What Naboo needs—what the Republic needs—is strength. Call for a vote of no confidence. That is the only way forward."
But Padmé didn't move. Instead, she turned her head slightly—gaze falling on the one person who had never lied to her. . Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "Jin-Woo… can I ask you to stand beside me?" she said. "Not as Queen of Naboo… but as a fifteen-year-old girl who's been forced to learn hardship… truth… and love."
Jin-Woo didn't reply aloud. He simply nodded and stepped forward, coming to her side with slow, deliberate calm. A subtle surge of mana radiated from his form—reaching Padmé, invisibly amplifying her voice for the chamber without any technology. She felt the warmth Of him.
Then, Padmé raised her chin and stepped forward. "Honorable Senators," she began, "I do not come before you as a beggar—but as the sovereign ruler of a proud and peaceful world that has been unjustly invaded."
"I've heard your debates. Watched your hesitations. And now I see clearly: our cries have fallen on deaf ears. Chancellor Valorum speaks of uncertainty. Of doubt. But there is none in my heart—or in the hearts of my people. Naboo has been violated. Our citizens, oppressed. Our sovereignty, crushed beneath the boots of invaders. The Republic has failed to act. It is paralyzed. Corrupted. Powerless."
She took a final breath—Jin-Woo's mana flaring subtly, deepening her final words to a thunderous clarity. "And so—I say this now, with the full authority vested in me as Queen of Naboo—we will no longer submit to the dictates of this broken government. From this moment forward… Naboo declares independence from the Republic."
It was a blade to the heart of galactic politics.
Palpatine stood frozen. His mouth opened. What… what!? His thoughts slammed like a thousand alarms. WHAAAAATTTTTTTT—HAAAHHHHHH—HOW—HOW THE FUCK DID THIS HAPPEN!?
Inside, his mind screamed. But outwardly, he tried to remain composed, standing with the eerie poise of a man holding back a meltdown. Still… his breathing became shallow. Uneven. His left eye twitched just slightly—enough for the trained eyes of Captain Panaka to catch it from the side of the Naboo platform.
Panaka stepped beside him without a word. Calm, methodical, loyal. He reached into his side pouch, pulled out a small silver canister and a blister pack of tablets. In one hand: a discreet breathing mask laced with calming vapor. In the other: dementia pills. He held them out, silent as ever.
Palpatine blinked. Then saw them. His pride almost refused. Almost. "Do you… have any spice?" he muttered under his breath,.
Then it hit him. Did I just ask for spice?Am I having a fucking panic attack?
Panaka, unfazed, handed him a low-grade spice inhaler—used medicinally in warzones for stress cases—and followed it with a packet of calm medicine."I always help an old man in need," Panaka said flatly, almost respectfully.
Palpatine didn't hesitate this time. He clutched the inhaler like it was his lifeline, took a long, deep pull, then swallowed the calm pill dry. The tension across his face faded just slightly. "…Thank you, Captain," he said hoarsely. "Very appreciated."
Panaka merely nodded.
Palpatine stood there in quiet, his breathing steadying. Plan A is dead, he thought. But that's fine… Plan B exists for a reason.And this time… it will be flawless.
He was just beginning to trace his next move—his next words—when the silence shattered.
"This is… an outrage!" Lott Dod's voice cracked across the Senate chamber, his tone shrill with Neimoidian cowardice. "The Queen has overstepped her bounds! Such a declaration… is treasonous! The Republic cannot stand by and allow Naboo to sever itself from the galaxy! It will—will unravel everything!"
Ambassador Aks Moe of Malastare floated forward in his own platform, his gaze sharp and accusatory. "Chancellor," he said coldly, "the Queen is threatening galactic unity. We demand she be arrested immediately."
A wave of murmurs spread through the Senate .
Valorum sat still at the central podium—motionless, his face unreadable. But inside, his thoughts spiraled. This is bad. Very bad. I'm bound by law… shackled by accusations, by committees, by bureaucrats. I've tried to remain neutral—but inaction now may destroy me. Yet… if I act… if I order her arrest… I feel something terrible will unfold..
Beside him, Mas Amedda leaned in and whispered with cold precision. "Sir… your indecision will cost your position itself. Use this opportunity. Win the Republic's trust—by imprisoning her."
Valorum's stood. "Queen Amidala," he said, "your declaration a direct act of treason against the Galactic Republic. By severing Naboo, you threaten the very foundation of our unity. As Supreme Chancellor, I have no choice but to declare you a traitor —and you are to be held in custody until you retract this declaration and submit your world to investigation."
But before the order could be finalized—before the shock could settle—another congressional box surged forward. It bore the crest of Eriadu.
Senator Ranulph Tarkin stood at the front, his hands clasped behind his back, surrounded by several allied platforms flanking him in silent support.
"Objection," Tarkin said clearly, his voice strong and direct. "Queen Amidala's declaration may be treacherous… but this Senate's paralysis enabled her. It is your inaction, Chancellor Valorum—your hesitation—that birthed this crisis. You've shown the galaxy weakness. And weakness invites rebellion."
Valorum's voice rang out sharply from the central podium. "The Chair does not recognize the Senator from the Eriadu system—"
Tarkin took a single step forward, and the murmurs in the chamber quieted just enough. "I think," he said calmly, "you have no choice but to recognize us now."
He turned slightly, gesturing to the platforms arrayed behind him. "Your leadership has failed the Mid Rim. One of its sovereign planets—Naboo—has declared independence under your watch. That is a historic fracture. And what stands behind me… is a result of that failure."
a holofeed activated in the center of his platform. Dozens of capital ships shimmered into view—row upon row of sleek, intimidating Venator-class Star Destroyers. each bore a red-and-gold sigil emblazoned across the hull: the crest of the Strong Republic faction.
"We no longer rely on your ineffective committees. On empty debates. On hollow orders from a decaying seat of power. Our fleets are ready. The Strong Republic does not seek civil war. But we will protect our systems. We will not allow the Trade Federation to bully the galaxy any longer."
His eyes narrowed on Valorum. "You may continue to call us rebels, Chancellor. Or perhaps… pioneers. That is for history to decide."
Palpatine remained still. within his mind, . I didn't foresee this…WHY DIDN'T I SEE THIS COMING?
The words Tarkin spoke continued to ring across the Senate Chamber like a silent detonation—ripping through the web of schemes Palpatine had spun for decades. His path to the Chancellorship… wrenched off-course in mere moments.
Somewhere, far above in one of the outer congressional boxes—still draped in shadows—Hego Damask observed .
The Sith Lord Plagueis… watching through the mask of a Muun banker.. So that's it, he thought with icy clarity. So that's where the trillion credits the 'armored man' donation went. I thought it was simply a bribe… a gesture of influence. But no.He funded Tarkin. Gave him the ships. The fleet. The voice. And all. That man set the board… so cleanly, not even my apprentice suspected it.
This… this is the worst outcome for us. With Naboo's declaration and the Strong Republic rising in military force, the Senate will fragment. And in chaos, we thrive—but only when we control the chaos.
He exhaled through the nose . Now… it will be very, very difficult for Palpatine to become Chancellor.
Ranulph Tarkin's platform floated subtly closer to the Naboo delegation, his posture perfectly straight, voice laced with commanding poise and manufactured concern. "Queen Amidala," he said smoothly, "may I offer you a seat—as the first sovereign leader to be persecuted by this Senate… and now, a world sovereign enough to join the Strong Republic faction."
All eyes turned to Padmé.
She didn't flinch. Her voice was ice. "I refuse."
Tarkin's brow arched ever so slightly. "I see. Then allow me to speak plainly." He turned to the Senate as though delivering a historical truth. "Let us not forget—Naboo once played host to the legendary armored man. A myth,. And now? He's gone. Vanished. Without a trace."
"You and I both know—he resented the current state of the Republic. He voiced no support for this corruption. And more recently… I have heard, from his very lips, that he wishes for me to reform the Republic itself. I will carry out that will."
Padmé's eyes narrowed slightly, but her expression remained regal, unreadable.
You lie well, she thought. You think if you talk sweetly enough, I'll fall in line?
A breath, slow and inward. Then her eyes flicked briefly toward Jin-Woo standing quietly beside her. But I know better. Jin-Woo warned me… She remembered his words. "People who promise too much? They're the ones already lying."
She said nothing. Merely met Tarkin's gaze with the stillness of someone who refused to play another man's game.