"That concludes my report."
Padmé stood before the wide desk inside the Chancellor's office. The curved windows behind it revealed the crowded skies of Coruscant. Sunlight reflected from passing vessels and moved across the polished floor while traffic flowed between the surrounding towers.
An older man sat across from her in dark senatorial robes. Chancellor Palpatine held his hands together beneath his chin as he considered everything she had told him. He did not respond immediately.
Padmé waited. She had repeated the account several times since returning to Coruscant. First to members of the Senate's diplomatic committee. Then to representatives responsible for relations with Serenno. Each conversation had left her feeling as though she were explaining a failure everyone had already decided belonged to her.
Palpatine lowered his hands. "You believe there was still a possibility of reaching an agreement before Master Unduli entered the Count's chambers."
"Yes." Padmé kept her voice composed. "Count Ramil had agreed to continue negotiations the following morning. He had not accepted any of our proposals, but he was still willing to speak."
"And after the intrusion, he possessed a reason to end those negotiations without appearing responsible for their failure."
Padmé looked toward the city beyond him. "I should have recognized what Master Unduli intended to do."
"You asked her not to interfere."
"I knew she believed something was wrong."
"You could hardly have confined a Jedi Master to her quarters."
"No." Padmé looked back toward him. "But the mission was my responsibility."
Palpatine rose from his chair. "There is a difference between accepting responsibility and accepting blame for every decision made around you." He moved from behind the desk. "Count Ramil was already attempting to place the Republic in an impossible position. He wanted exemptions from the new restrictions, greater control over Serenno's trade routes, and assurances that the Senate would not examine how his influence was being used beyond his world."
"He believed the Republic was taking more from Serenno than it returned."
"Perhaps he believes that."
Palpatine stopped near the window. "Or perhaps that belief has become useful to him."
Padmé remained silent.
"Ramil wanted the Republic to prove how much it needed Serenno," the Chancellor continued. "If you had conceded to his demands, he would have presented those concessions as evidence that pressure succeeded. If you refused, he would have accused the Senate of disregarding his people." He turned toward her. "You were sent to persuade a man who had already discovered the value of withholding cooperation."
"That does not mean the mission was impossible."
"No."
A faint smile crossed Palpatine's face. "You would not have accepted it if you believed that."
Padmé lowered her gaze.
The Chancellor's expression softened. "You are disappointed because you believed you could succeed."
"I believed I could at least keep him speaking."
"And you did."
"Until we were ordered to leave."
"That decision was not caused by your diplomacy."
"It happened during my mission."
"Yes." Palpatine approached the seat across from his desk and rested one hand against its back. "Remember it. Learn from it. But do not allow one failed negotiation to convince you that you were unworthy of the trust placed in you."
Padmé looked toward him.
"You will face more people like Count Ramil. Some will enter negotiations honestly. Others will decide what they want before you arrive and use the discussion only to determine how much pressure you will endure." His voice remained patient. "Learning the difference is part of becoming the senator I believe you can be."
Some of the weight across Padmé's shoulders eased. It did not disappear. Serenno remained farther from the Republic than when she arrived. Lady Jenza's quiet warning continued to follow her. More worlds will begin to believe they are already treated as enemies.
"I still intend to speak with Lady Jenza," Padmé said.
"I would expect nothing less."
"She may be the only person close to Count Ramil who still believes cooperation is possible."
"Then protect that connection." Palpatine gestured toward one of the chairs. Padmé sat. The Chancellor returned to his side of the desk but did not lower himself into his seat. "There is another part of your report that concerns me."
Padmé knew what he meant. "The intruder."
"A young man capable of using the Force."
"That is what Master Unduli told me."
"But she could not identify him."
"No."
Palpatine looked down at the report resting upon his desk. "His face was concealed. He possessed considerable ability with the Force and escaped aboard a modified Jedi starfighter."
"A Delta-7," Padmé said. "Or at least a vessel built from one."
"With an astromech."
"Yes."
Palpatine considered this. "And you believe he may know why Count Ramil's records were important."
"He entered the estate specifically to access them. He knew which terminal to use and what information he wanted. Financial records, cargo manifests, and private communications. That was all Master Unduli saw before the data was destroyed."
Palpatine moved one finger across the edge of the report.
"Do you believe he was working for the Jed?"
"No. If the Order had sent him, Master Unduli would likely have recognized him."
"Unless his mission was not meant to be known." Palpatine looked toward her.
Padmé dissagreed. "I do not believe the Jedi would send two people into the same estate without telling either of them."
"No. That would be an unusual degree of secrecy, even for the Order."
Padmé's attention moved toward the windows. "He was willing to risk entering the home of one of Serenno's most powerful rulers. Whatever he expected to find must have mattered."
"Or someone paid him enough to accept the danger."
"He used the Force."
"So do many who no longer serve the Jedi."
Padmé looked back toward the Chancellor. "Then perhaps the Jedi will know where to begin."
"Perhaps." Palpatine finally sat.
Padmé heard the hesitation. "You don't think we should search for him."
"I think searching for a faceless man somewhere beyond the Core Worlds would require more than determination."
"The Delta-7 gives us something."
"It gives us a type of vessel used throughout the Jedi Order. One that has apparently been rebuilt more than once."
"He may still be near Serenno."
"Or he may already be several systems away."
Palpatine rested his hands against the desk. "The Outer Rim is not Naboo, Padmé. Republic authority weakens with every system beyond the major routes. Information is sold, identities change, and entire settlements can disappear without Coruscant learning of it for months."
"I know it would be dangerous."
"Knowing that danger exists does not make entering it alone a wise decision."
Padmé held his gaze. "I did not say I would go alone."
"You were considering going."
She did not answer.
Palpatine's expression carried concern rather than accusation. "You possess courage. I have never questioned that." His voice became quieter. "But courage can persuade us that action is always better than patience."
"If we wait, we may lose the only person who knows what Count Ramil was hiding."
"We do not know that Ramil was hiding anything."
"We know someone believed he was."
"And that distinction matters."
Padmé glanced toward the report. "The information was destroyed because someone did not want it to leave Serenno."
"That is possible."
"Master Unduli believed the destruction was intentional."
Palpatine studied her for a moment. "You trust her judgment despite what it cost your mission."
Padmé considered the question. "I disagree with what she did."
"That was not what I asked."
"Yes," Padmé said. "I trust her judgment about what she witnessed."
Palpatine leaned back. "Then the unknown man may possess information neither the Republic nor the Jedi currently understands."
"That is what concerns me."
Padmé waited.
"I will speak with the Jedi Council," Palpatine continued. "Master Unduli will have given them a more complete account than the one she shared aboard your cruiser."
Padmé remembered the boundary Luminara had placed around her answers. "Do you believe she concealed something from me?"
"I believe Jedi Masters decide carefully which information leaves their Order." Palpatine's tone carried no criticism. "If the Council intends to search for this individual, I will ask them to share what they discover."
"And if they refuse?"
"Then I will remind them that whatever happened on Serenno has already affected the Republic."
Padmé nodded.
The Chancellor looked toward her. "If they take action, I would like you to serve as my representative."
Padmé's expression shifted. "You want me involved in the search?"
"I want someone I trust to keep me informed."
"This may not be a diplomatic mission."
"No. But diplomacy may be more useful than you expect."
Palpatine offered a reassuring smile. "For now, allow me to learn what the Jedi intend. Do not go chasing an unidentified Force-user across the Outer Rim without knowing where you are going."
Padmé understood the warning. "I won't."
"Good." Palpatine's attention returned to the report. "Then we will discover what the Jedi know."
Afternoon had begun fading into evening by the time the doors to the Chancellor's office opened again. Padmé sat in one of the chairs facing Palpatine's desk. A datapad rested across her lap, though she had stopped reading it several minutes earlier.
Two Jedi entered. The first was a broad-shouldered man wearing dark robes beneath a brown cloak. His expression remained severe even as he inclined his head respectfully. Master Mace Windu had changed little since Padmé first encountered him four years earlier. The tall Cerean beside him wore lighter robes. The high curve of his head gave him a greater height than the other Jedi, and his divided beard framed an expression that appeared thoughtful even in silence. Master Ki-Adi-Mundi entered behind Mace.
"Chancellor," Mace said.
"Master Windu." Palpatine stood. "Master Ki-Adi-Mundi. Thank you both for coming."
Ki-Adi inclined his head. "Senator Amidala."
"Masters."
Palpatine gestured toward the empty seats.
"Please."
The Jedi sat. Mace took the chair nearest Padmé. Ki-Adi lowered himself into the one beside him.
Palpatine did not begin with pleasantries. "I will speak frankly. What does the Jedi Order intend to do about the unidentified Force-user Master Unduli encountered on Serenno?"
Mace looked toward Padmé before answering. "Chancellor, some of the information Master Unduli brought before the Council has not been shared beyond the Order."
Palpatine followed his gaze."Senator Amidala is here at my request."
Mace remained silent.
"She is a trusted ally," Palpatine continued. "Nothing discussed within this office will be repeated without the Council's approval."
Mace looked toward Padmé.
She understood the question he had not spoken. "If you believe I should leave, I will," she said.
"No," Mace replied. "If the Chancellor is willing to accept responsibility for your presence, we will proceed."
"I am," Palpatine said.
Mace turned back toward him. "Master Unduli's account included a second individual."
Padmé's attention sharpened.
"Another intruder?" she asked.
"Another Force-user." Mace paused. "A Sith."
The word entered the office and changed it. Padmé became still. For a moment, the surrounding city seemed to fall away. She remembered Naboo. While she herself never had to fight one face to face, she remembered the pain it had caused her dear friend.
Palpatine's expression tightened. "You are certain?"
"Master Unduli fought him," Ki-Adi said. "He carried a red lightsaber and used lightning through the Force."
Padmé looked between them. "Luminara never mentioned another person."
"She chose to bring that information directly to the Council," Mace said.
"Why?"
"The Sith have avoided us for four years. Announcing their sudden appearance again before we understood what she witnessed would have created fear without giving us any means to respond."
Padmé thought back to the observation chamber aboard the cruiser. This was what Luminara had withheld.
"Was the Sith working with the young man?" Palpatine asked.
"No," Mace answered. "Everything Master Unduli observed suggests they were opposed."
Ki-Adi folded his hands. "The Sith attempted to take the data slate. When the young man resisted him, the Sith destroyed it."
Palpatine looked toward Padmé. "Then you were correct. The information was destroyed intentionally."
Padmé barely noticed the confirmation. "Why would a Sith care about Count Ramil's records?"
"That is one of the questions we must answer," Mace said.
"Does the Council believe Count Ramil is involved with them?" Palpatine asked.
"We have no evidence establishing that."
"But you are investigating him."
"We are reviewing information already available to the Order and the Republic," Mace said. "We will not move directly against Serenno without further cause."
"A prudent decision."
Palpatine returned his attention to the Jedi. "And the unknown man?"
"He may be our only connection to whatever the Sith wanted destroyed," Mace said.
"The Council has decided to find him."
Padmé leaned forward slightly. "How?"
"The exact approach is still being determined," Ki-Adi said. "The Delta-7 and its astromech provide a beginning. We will also examine reports from systems surrounding Serenno."
"That covers a considerable part of the galaxy."
"It does," Mace said.
Palpatine's expression became thoughtful. "You intend to send Jedi into the Outer Rim."
"A team will be assembled."
"The Sith's presence makes that necessary," Ki-Adi added. "Our knowledge of events beyond the major Republic routes has become increasingly limited. The unknown Force-user appears to understand something we do not."
"And if you find him?" Palpatine asked.
Mace's expression remained still. "First, we identify him. Then we learn what he was searching for."
Ki-Adi looked toward the Chancellor. "If he cooperates, this can be resolved without conflict."
"And if he does not?"
"Then the team will determine whether he must be detained."
Padmé remembered what Luminara had told her. The young man had possessed several opportunities to cause serious harm. He had chosen not to. "We should not approach him as an enemy," she said.
Ki-Adi turned toward her. "He entered a private residence, stole information, attacked a Jedi Master, and escaped rather than identify himself."
"He pulled Luminara from a gallery," Padmé replied. "She told me he did not try to kill her."
"That does not make him harmless."
"No. But if the Sith also wanted what he discovered, treating him like a criminal may ensure he refuses to speak to us again."
Mace watched her. "The Council has not decided how he will be approached."
"Then perhaps it should wait until you know why he was there."
"That is why finding him comes first."
Palpatine raised one hand slightly. "On that point, I believe we are agreed." The office became quiet. "Whoever this man is," the Chancellor continued, "he located information important enough to draw a Sith into the open after four years of silence. Discovering his identity and purpose must take priority."
Mace inclined his head. "It does."
"Then I have a request."
Both Jedi waited.
Palpatine gestured toward Padmé. "I would ask that Senator Amidala accompany your team as my representative."
Mace's expression tightened. "Chancellor—"
"She has already encountered the political consequences surrounding this investigation. She understands Count Ramil, possesses a connection to Lady Jenza, and knows what Master Unduli shared aboard the cruiser."
"This will not be another diplomatic mission," Mace said.
"No. But unless the unknown man has spent four years living without contact with anyone, diplomacy may still prove useful."
"The team may be required to travel beyond systems where the Republic can guarantee her safety."
Padmé answered before Palpatine could. "I understand the danger."
Mace turned toward her. "Do you?"
"I understand that a Sith may also be searching for this person."
"This is not the kind of danger resolved through negotiation."
"Neither was the occupation of Naboo."
Mace held her gaze.
Padmé did not look away. "I am not asking to confront the Sith," she continued. "But you may need access to planetary governments, shipping records, customs reports, or Republic communications. I can help obtain them."
Ki-Adi looked toward Mace. "A representative of the Chancellor would give the team access to resources the Order may not receive on its own."
Mace's attention shifted to him.
Ki-Adi continued. "Many systems are already questioning Jedi involvement in Republic affairs. Her presence would also make it more difficult for local authorities to claim we are acting without Coruscant's knowledge."
"That concern did not prevent Master Unduli from entering the Count's chambers," Mace said.
"No," Ki-Adi replied. "But it may prevent another misunderstanding from becoming a political crisis."
Palpatine folded his hands across the desk. "This is an opportunity for better cooperation between the Republic and the Jedi Order. Information can be shared as it is discovered rather than after decisions have already been made."
Mace remained silent. Padmé could see his hesitation. He was not deciding whether she could assist them. He was deciding whether the assistance justified placing her near whatever waited beyond Coruscant.
"If you accompany the team," Mace said at last, "its Jedi commander will be responsible for your safety."
Padmé nodded.
"You will follow that Jedi's instructions if a situation becomes dangerous."
"I will."
Mace studied her as though measuring the certainty of the answer.
Padmé allowed him to.
Finally, he looked toward Palpatine. "The Council will accept Senator Amidala as your representative."
Palpatine inclined his head. "You have my gratitude."
"Her presence does not make this a Republic investigation," Mace said. "The search remains under the authority of the Jedi Council."
"Of course."
"And information concerning the Sith cannot be shared with the Senate."
"It will remain among those in this room."
Mace turned toward Padmé. "That includes your diplomatic staff."
"I understand."
Ki-Adi rose from his chair. "Then we will inform the Council and begin preparing the team."
Mace stood beside him.
Padmé also rose.
Only that morning, she had believed her mission to Serenno had ended with nothing except damaged trust and unanswered questions. Now, the questions had become more dangerous. A Sith had returned. Somewhere beyond Coruscant, a man without a name or face carried the only surviving knowledge of why.
Padmé looked toward the two Jedi. "When do we leave?"
Mace met her gaze. "As soon as the Council is ready."