Chapter Text
Annabeth wasn’t naïve. No offence to Padme but as much as the girl reassured her that she could trust Palpatine she wouldn’t trust him as far as she could throw him. So, she had been keeping tabs on him, but she had been distracted. Which Annabeth thought was fair given that Padme’s life had been threatened.
Anyway, she had been keeping tabs on Palpatine and oh boy was he doing some shady shit. Okay, so she didn’t have proof. The thing was that most of her evidence was based on methods not accepted in the republic.
The facts were these Palpatine had been paying money to an offshore account for the last five years. She had found out because money had disappeared mysteriously from his account, she had an in with his secretary Hetis Shensin or in other words she and her went out for coffee every Sunday she had the best gossip. and she had traced it to an account on a planet in the outer rim. But it had been a dead end his security was intense which only solidified the idea that he was doing something extremely shady.
Probably tax fraud.
She had put her investigation off for a while. Mostly because she was busy but also in case her investigation had made anyone suspicious. She didn’t have the respectability it would take to convince anyone that the chancellor of all people was corrupt.
So instead, she was strolling around the senate pretending to be Senator Amidala, which wasn’t hard she had plenty of practice but usually, she would get a break from being another person. Specifically, Senator Amidala. She had been stopped all morning by different representatives who wanted her input on the situation with the separatists and also the ginormous headpiece was making her neck cramp. She reminded herself to give Padme a gift bag when she got back.
She had been walking to her office and had decided to step by Hetis with coffee, she was working late today, when she heard it. “How is the project coming around?” she couldn’t hear what the answer was, but her curiosity had been peaked. “Good, great update me if anything changes.” She heard the call end.
“Senator Amidala what a surprise.” She had been caught.
“Chancellor, I was just stopping by to say hello to Hetis,” she gestured to the coffee in her hand.
Palpatine laughed “Oh how nice of you to think of her, you know she works very hard, but she could always be replaced” his smile was unnerving. “so what are your thoughts on the separatist.”
She smiled back. “it’s a terrible situation.”
“Someone should do something about it” She understood the hint.
“Well, I'll just be going then.” She had a speech to write.
…
“Fellow delegates of the republic we the kingdom of Naboo have a proud tradition of democratic rule which we treasure over everything else. We have long stood up for the values of our proud nation and that is something we will continue to do.
We see the Separatist movement for what it is a terrorist group with only one goal; to create chaos and fear in the republic and destroy the precious democracy that we have worked so hard for, we propose that we in response to this clear threat give immediate emergency power to the supreme chancellor with only a direct opposition in the senate from a majority being able to beat it.” Judging by the shouts from the other senators her proposition would be voted into effect.
Annabeth knew she was handing Palpatine a lot of power on a silver platter but if her plan was going to work, she needed him to trust him. Also, she knew without a doubt that if she hadn’t done it somebody else would and worst-case scenario, they would have granted him even more power than she had.
But he would lose it again she would squash him like the cockroach he was even if it was the last thing that she did.
…
“Annabeth” Anakin’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She ran to give him a hug. He was taller than her now. Tragically.
“Anakin; you’re back” she smiled.
“… Yeah.” Oh no, that couldn’t be good. “Annabeth there is something I have to tell you. it’s about mom.”
“You saw mom,” she asked, “how was she? Wait why were you on Tatooine?” this was so Anakin always breaking Jedi rules and he hadn’t even invited her.
“We flew to Tatooine because I had a dream that she was in danger, when we showed up it was already too late.”
“What do you mean? Was she hurt?”
There were tears in his eyes now “Annabeth she’s dead.”
“no” she cried out.
“Annabeth.” Anakin’s voice was hard like this conversation was physically hurting him.
“She can’t be.”
“Annabeth, we need to go home for the funeral they delayed the funeral so you could be there.”
they were quiet for a while the only thing breaking the silence being her cries when she couldn’t hold it in anymore. and Anakin seemed content to let it be that way.
After a while, she broke the silence” How did she die?” She asked her voice was still hoarse from crying.
“Tusken Raiders” he answered.
You couldn’t see his anger with the bare eye, but Annabeth knew her brother. “Anakin you didn’t do anything stupid did you?”
“Why would you think that?” he laughed but it was hollow.
She gave him a look that translated to Because I know you.
He huffed “I wanted to, but then I thought what Annabeth would do? and I stopped myself.”
She laughed and dried the tears from her cheeks. She forced herself to bury the despair with all the other bad thoughts she carried with her. “Of course, we’re taking the first ship we can get.”
…
She had been to her fair share of funerals most of them for people who had died way too young. Most of them had not been interrupted by the dead person ctashing their own funeral but more than most people could say.
Annabeth would give everything for Shmi to show up alive like Percy had but she knew that would never happen.
“Annabeth how about you show me how to make those special muffins they were always Shmi’s favourite.” Beru who was Owen’s girlfriend asked. She had a stepbrother now apparently.
She was still sad but the knowledge that Shmi had been happy and free made it a little better.