At the mention of war, Natasha's eyes narrowed as she thought back to a conversation she'd had with Sam not long ago—a discussion filled with questions that had been troubling her for some time.
"I wanted to ask you something. What do you think about this war?"
"Hmm?" Mothma responded.
"I've heard from various sources that you and your colleagues here are part of the anti-war faction."
"It should surprise no one that we oppose this conflict completely," Padmé said firmly. "This war is tearing apart the Republic, the galaxy, and all the innocent people caught in between. This isn't what the Republic stands for."
"We understand that sometimes conflict is unavoidable," Organa added. "But this war could have been easily prevented. Everything could have been resolved diplomatically if we'd just had more time."
"True, but most parties involved are simply too greedy and impatient, profiting from the war," Hope observed. "That Trade Federation and those Banking Clans—I've heard plenty about their involvement."
The other senators nodded with bitter understanding.
"They claim to be neutral," Riyo scoffed. "But it's obvious which side they really support."
"If it weren't for their interference, this war could have been resolved much earlier," Mothma said.
"There's something that's been bothering me since I arrived here," Natasha said with a frown. "Can someone explain this whole clone army situation to me?"
"What do you mean?" Organa asked.
"I mean, where exactly did it come from?" Natasha pressed. "Just days after your Chancellor called for remilitarization, this massive clone army magically appeared, fully trained and ready for deployment. Doesn't that timing seem a little too convenient?"
The senators stared at the spy-trained Avenger, hesitant to speak as they considered the implications of what Natasha had just suggested.
They, too, had seriously wondered about the clone army's origins.
"Well..." Padmé crossed her arms thoughtfully. "From what Anakin learned from his Master, the Clone Army was commissioned by a Jedi Council member who died ten years ago—Sifo-Dyas."
"Sifo-Dyas?" Riyo muttered. "I've never heard of him."
"Why would he do such a thing?"
Padmé shook her head. "No one knows for certain. It's as much a mystery to the Jedi Council as it is to everyone else."
"So even the Jedi don't know how this clone army came to exist?" Wasp questioned, her brow furrowing with concern. "That... honestly sounds rather disturbing."
"Indeed," Organa agreed grimly.
"Has anyone investigated this matter?"
"No..." Padmé said, shaking her head. "No one has. And no one has had the time."
An uncomfortable sense of foreboding settled over this group of heroes and politicians, leaving several of them feeling distinctly uneasy.
"They appeared out of nowhere precisely when they were needed most," Mothma summarized, "and the Jedi learned about them at roughly the same time we did."
"Hopefully we'll get some breathing room to finally investigate this properly," Padmé said as her comm device suddenly activated. She excused herself and walked to the far end of the room to answer it.
A holographic projection of Master Yoda soon materialized, and the Naboo Senator smiled politely.
"Master Yoda?" Padmé asked respectfully. "What can I do for you?"
Yoda bowed his head. "A moment of your time, if possible. Speak with you, I must, Senator Amidala."
Standing in the Jedi Council chambers, Padmé positioned herself beside Wasp and Natasha, who had accompanied her back to the Temple. The three women faced the diminutive Jedi Master sitting before them.
"What can I do for you, Master Yoda?" Padmé asked.
"A mission, I must ask of you," Yoda began. "Dangerous it may be, but necessary it is."
"Did he just talk backwards?" Natasha whispered, and Hope motioned for her to be quiet.
"How dangerous?" Padmé inquired.
Beside Yoda, holographic projections of Plo Koon and Mace Windu appeared.
"Intelligence suggests there's been infiltration between the Separatists and the Republic," Plo Koon informed the Naboo senator. "Someone has been conducting secret meetings with Separatist leadership. Someone you know personally."
"We believe Senator Rush Clovis is conspiring with the Separatists. We need to determine what he's planning," Windu stated directly.
"Rush?" Padmé said in shock. "How can you suspect him? Rush is an old friend of mine. We entered the Senate together."
"We understand your skepticism about this matter, but we wouldn't approach you if we weren't reasonably certain," Plo Koon replied gently.
"Our intelligence operatives discovered his communications with the Trade Federation," Yoda added.
"Clovis's involvement with the Banking Clan and Trade Federation doesn't inspire confidence for the Republic's future," Windu said bluntly.
"Do you want us to interrogate him?" Natasha asked directly.
"No, absolutely not. Any misstep in this matter could lead to a diplomatic catastrophe," Windu rejected the suggestion immediately.
"A hasty interrogation would make it much harder to uncover his true plans."
"Precisely," Plo Koon agreed.
"But why come to me?" Padmé asked.
"We know you both entered the Senate the same year and served on the same committees."
Padmé clasped her hands, fidgeting slightly as she said hesitantly, "We were... close friends."
Natasha noticed her body language—the subtle changes in tone and other tells that suggested Padmé's description of Rush as a "close friend" was far from the complete truth. In fact, from what she could already deduce, they had been romantically involved at some point.
"We know this is an uncomfortable request," Windu admitted, "but we hope you'll prioritize the greater good and fulfill your duty to the Republic, just as we must fulfill ours."
Padmé considered this for a long moment, weighing her options carefully, before looking up at the Jedi Masters and nodding her agreement.
"Are you sure about this, Padmé?" Wasp asked with concern. "You don't have to do this if you're not comfortable."
"Rush is an old friend," Padmé said. "I need to be certain. I have to make sure he's not betraying the Republic. It's been years since we last spoke, and... well, someone needs to discover the truth. As his friend, I should be the one to do this."
"Want me to be your handler?" Natasha offered.
"What do you mean?"
"Then we leave this in your capable hands," Windu said as his hologram flickered alongside Plo Koon's. Yoda bid them farewell and closed his eyes in meditation.
The three women left the Jedi Council chambers, beginning to discuss their plan of action.
"I can provide guidance and tell you exactly how to handle this situation."
"I... honestly don't know what to expect. Like I said, it's been years since we last spoke," Padmé admitted.
"What you're about to do is basically my normal job back on Earth. I'll be supporting you from the shadows, and you're going to do great."
"Did this kind of work happen before or after you joined S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Wasp asked curiously.
Natasha raised an eyebrow at Wasp, and that expression said everything.
"So what's your primary strategy?" Natasha asked, looking at Padmé.
"I suppose I'll start with a call," Padmé said simply.
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