Chapter Text
The Galactic Senate was no Naboo, but it had its good points. Not being recognised as the most important person in the room was nice, being seen as a young woman still in training was nice, she liked knowing and feeling that the weight of the Galaxy did not rest on her shoulders alone as the security of Naboo had. She had also made friends, in particular Rush Clovis, a Senator from Scipio who had entered the Senate the same year as her. Things were simple between them, and their friendship was easy.
When the door to his office opened abruptly, Padmé knew it was him, the guests would have announced themselves and her handmaidens would have warned her by their comms, but for all his excellent education, Rush was sometimes very hasty and forgetful when he was with people he trusted.
- Wow, Padmé, you'll never guess who I ran into.
- Who?
- The Jedi, Adi Gallia, she was here, leaving the Senate.
- Really?
Padmé couldn't quite contain her excitement, Jedi Master Adi Gallia was a celebrity in the Senate, a woman with a wider and firmer network of acquaintances than the Chancellor himself, still supported by her wealthy family who were very well established in every domains: economics, politics, the arts, education, charity projects...
She also had the reputation of being the best diplomat in her Order, the only one among all the Jedi to navigate the world of politics and the institutions of the Republic as only the best Senators could.
- She is magnificent.
- Oh Rush, please.
- No Padmé, I swear, she's beautiful, I didn't think a Jedi could be so beautiful.
Padmé knew that Jedi could be handsome, Padawan Kenobi was a very handsome man and had caused a few late-onset crushes among Nubians who had met him. Padmé herself had admitted to her protectors and friends that the Jedi was very easy on the eye, although amusingly none of them had even given a second thought to his attractiveness during the Blockade, he didn't exist as a man then but as a Jedi protecting their Queen, the future of their people, but once the threat had passed these fourteen to sixteen-year-old women had together discovered that yes, Jedi could be attractive.
Well, when he smiled, because otherwise Padawan Kenobi was quite hung-up and cold, clearly he had an insecurity that kept him from moving forward, and Padmé hoped he had since resolved those self-doubts.
She rolled her eyes as she listened to Rush becoming poetic about the beauty of some of the women their age in the Senate, terribly amused. She'd seen the Jedi from afar at Master Jinn's funeral, but at the time she'd had something else in mind.
She hadn't run into her yet, but she wondered if she too would be seduced by a Jedi politician. The Jedi weren't bad, she loved Master Yoda and they had tea together once every fortnight or so, but apart from him, the Jedi stood out. They were uncomfortable in society, they couldn't talk to people like normal people, they had frozen faces or eternal scowls like Master Windu. Master Yoda had a theory about this, Master Windu apparently had a Padawan who had had problems with slavers and he had become tougher since then, but even Padmé could see that he was a calm and caring man, eventually the scowl or sullen look was not a problem but it was still unpleasant to see.
She was perfectly content with Master Yoda who had even brought a vile swamp tea one day, chuckling at her disgust, but very happy to find a tea mate in Jar Jar. It had to be a Gungan thing, or at least amphibious or semi-amphibious creatures adapted to life in the swamp.
The young Senator glanced towards the Jedi Temple and sighed softly, pouting. She wondered when she would see Ani again, she hoped he was happy among the Jedi.
*
The Senators were just... children! And yet, even her three-year-old niece, Ryoo, was calmer and more reasonable, and she barely spoke! In any case, she shouted less than those idiots who couldn't agree. That there were disagreements, Padmé agreed, it was even very healthy in a democracy, but if they didn't bother to argue or exchange, what was the point?
Padmé had kept her mouth shut but enough was enough. She stood up and went out in a rush out of the Naboo pod to stop herself from turning around, activating her microphone and explaining her thinking to them all.
As soon as she was in the corridor, she was pleased to hear much less of the noise of the arguments.
She also had the displeasure of bumping into a large figure and completely forgetting about her ringing ears in surprise and her interrupted fall. She was caught and pressed up against the unfamiliar person who clearly had more reflexes than Padmé - and also pleasantly muscular arms which she had grabbed on instinct to catch herself. The person - who was a woman, Padmé was surprised to see such a large person with breasts - helped her up, steady her and took a step back, and Padmé did the same before slowly turning her gaze to the streamlined silhouette before freezing.
A young Tholotian woman was smiling at her. A young Tholotian woman in Jedi robes.
Oh Kriff!
- Senator Amidala, it's a pleasure to meet you. Is everything alright?
- "Master Gallia," Padmé stammered, "it's an honor, I've heard a lot about you. Yes, I'm fine, thanks to you."
- "Is everything alright?" The Jedi worried. "You seemed eager and troubled."
- "I find these arguments agonising and unworthy of people of their rank," Padmé explained simply, shrugging gently before smiling warmly at the other woman. "And seeing you here, I suppose you feel the same way."
The Jedi smiled pleasantly and chuckled as she lowered her head before looking into her eyes.
- I know who's on whose side, there's no point in me staying, and yes, this kind of conflict does seem very shallow to me.
That little laugh, that timid movement before professional dignity takes over...
Big, bewitching blue eyes, a light, pleasant smile that actually seemed to be a natural curve of the lips, a strict, classic Tholotian headdress, exotic for a human like Padmé...
Her light brown and grey tunics contrasted with her brown skin and dark brown cloak. Her belt accentuated her slim waist and the short tunics above the knees also emphasised her height, for she was a very tall woman, at least twenty centimetres taller than Padmé.
Padmé felt herself blush.
She bowed and walked away before her face was too red to miss.
Oh Kriff... she's so beautiful!