Her eyes slowly moved across the crowd, suspiciously searching for "the could be" spies—looking for anyone who appeared mistrustful, which was a challenging task all on its own, since that particular description fit three-quarters, if not more, of the packed room. Not to mention, she hardly trusted anyone anymore, leading the young senator to feel that just about everyone looked just as mistrustful and suspicious as the next. That was, until she spotted her dear friend, Senator Bail Organa, one man she still trusted faithfully with her life. Like her, the male senator hid in the shadows of the party to avoid drawing attention to himself. He, however, was blending in far better than she was, her eyes shifting to the evidence of her continuous failure: another man standing beside her, his gaze lingering on her body. Oh, joy.
Annoyed at herself and needing relief, she took a step toward Bail. She left the safety of her corner and ventured into the throng of partygoers, quickly making her way across the room toward him. When he noticed her approach, he greeted her with a smile, which she happily returned as she joined him in the shadows.
"Hello, Bail. Are you having fun?"
The man with darker skin nodded, lifting his drink into the air as he gestured to the room around them. "Who wouldn't be having fun?" he answered with a small laugh and smile. His lie was nearly unnoticeable, hidden perfectly from years of politics.
Padmé laughed too, replying sarcastically. "That's right," she said, stepping closer to him with a low, bitter voice. "Everyone is enjoying the party because he hasn't shown up yet."
Padmé watched as Bail's round eyes narrowed, his head nodding while his gaze scanned cautiously around them, hoping that no one had heard the emphasis he placed on the word "he." In truth, they both knew that no one had, as they were too far from the crowd to be overheard, but that didn't stop his vigilant gaze. After all, they could never be too careful—not at a time like this. She knew Bail understood that she meant the Emperor, the sick bastard who had deceived them all years ago. The elder senator truly grasped the bitterness she felt toward the Emperor and why her resentment ran deeper than anyone else's, which was another reason why Padmé preferred his company. Bail had shared in that terrible journey with her, witnessing the Republic crumble and, with it, watching Padmé's confidence disintegrate as well. A significant portion of her achievements faded from memory, overshadowed by her one misstep, with much of the galaxy believing she was to blame, a belief she internalized. Bail had told her this was far from the truth, but she could never accept it, and because of that, her hatred only grew. She detested Palpatine, and everyone knew it—even the Emperor himself. Although that made her more of a target, she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Even Bail, who rarely hated anyone in the universe, placed Palpatine at the top of his hate list, just like many others in the galaxy.
When he felt satisfied with his search, Bail turned back to her with a much more relaxed expression. "Arriving late to his own party," he mused aloud, almost mockingly, as he set his glass down on the tray of a passing droid. "How kind of him to keep us waiting."
"Impeccable manners, don't you think?" Padmé laughed in agreement, but her eyes filled with resentment. "If we're lucky, maybe he won't show up at all."
Bail raised his eyebrows in response, nearly smirking. "Now," he breathed. "That's a great idea."
They both shared a laugh, their amusement filling the small corner of the room and, in turn, attracting the attention of a young Chandrilian senator. Unamused, the young woman excused herself from her conversation and made her way toward the laughing couple. Bail, noticing her approach first, turned to her with a broad smile.
"Hello, Mon!" he said with a slight bow. "It's a pleasure to see you! Are you having a good time?"
"Quite," Mon Mothma said, bowing slightly as she moved closer to the two senators. Her eyes were filled with disapproval as she glanced back and forth between them, a look that did not go unnoticed. "Causing quite a bit of attention, aren't we?"
Here we go, Padmé thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes inappropriately. A frown formed on her face. She opened her mouth to raise her objections but was silenced when her friend immediately came to her defense. "Of course not!" Bail shot back, his voice low yet powerful. "I just thought Padmé and I could use a good laugh," he explained, trying to soothe the woman's nerves. "No one noticed."
His statement did not ease any part of the woman's disgruntled expression; instead, it provoked the opposite reaction, making her frown more pronounced and her disapproval grow dramatically. Mon Mothma was one of many senators who had turned against Padmé since the formation of the Empire, believing that the once powerful and intelligent woman was now nothing more than a silly girl with no place in politics. She even went as far as advocating strongly for Padmé's resignation, becoming increasingly bitter when Padmé's home planet and many supporters across the galaxy maintained their faith in her and refused to dismiss her as their senator. The vindictiveness seemed unending, almost as if they were all children in grade school—or so Padmé liked to think of it. Mon even appointed herself leader of the Rebellion, despite Padmé's initial idea—something no one besides Bail had ever acknowledged.
In truth, Mon Mothma had done everything in her power to make Padmé's life a living hell, taking every opportunity to push her towards failure—and unfortunately, Padmé had allowed her to do so. The young senator seemed to fail time and time again in ways she never had before, almost as if the cards had been stacked against her personally, by the people, by her peers, and by Palpatine alike.
There was a time when Mon Mothma and Padmé Amidala were peers, even close acquaintances, but that time had long since passed. Back then, Mon Mothma held nothing but praise and hope for the young Queen Amidala of Naboo as she transitioned to Senator Amidala of Naboo. She believed, and even broadcasted, that the young woman possessed courage, necessary stubbornness, and a heart of gold. She referred to Padmé as the next great senator of the Republic, someone who would make a significant positive impact in the galaxy and serve the people well… That was, until Palpatine turned against them.
After the fall of the Republic, Padmé tried hard to make up for her mistake, fighting Palpatine whenever the opportunity arose, even when others remained silent. It was true that Padmé had taken it upon herself to ensure his life and job were anything but uncomplicated. She had to admit she was good at it, despite what Palpatine might lead her to believe. She knew she irritated the older man, no matter how much he pretended otherwise, and that alone was a small victory in her eyes. However, such actions never came without backlash—backlash that Padmé could handle, even if other senators thought she had lost her mind. They began calling her a child, rebelling like a self-righteous teenager who didn't like the consequences of a decision she had made. This was a funny statement to make when they were starting a rebellion themselves. In truth, Padmé was only trying to do her job, but as her peers continued to criticize her and the consequences weighed heavily on her, she had to admit she was starting to feel a bit lost. She had tried repeatedly, and yet seemed to fail, allowing herself to be crushed over two years, taking her good reputation with her. The Rebellion was her last chance for redemption, her final opportunity to be a woman and a respected senator in the eyes of her peers again… but she could sense that many of them already expected her to fail—expected her to be the reason for their downfall.