Obi-Wan spends the day guarding the perimeter of the summit, but finds no trouble. He turns his mind to his investigation into the attack on the Queen. As the meetings draw to a close for the evening and the delegates disperse, he manages to corner a potential suspect.
"Viceroy Gunray!" he exclaims, taking on a threateningly friendly tone, "Haven't seen you in awhile. How long has it been?"
"Not ssssince you tessstified againssst me, Massster Jedi," says Newt Gunray, the Neimoidian who lead the invasion of Naboo years ago.
"Ah, yes, I remember now," says Obi-Wan, leaning against a wall to block Newt's attempt to pass. "I must admit it's fairly impressive. After all those hearings and four trials in the Supreme Court, you're still the Viceroy of the Trade Federation."
"My innocccenccce ssspoke for itssself," Newt hisses. "My actionsss were approved by the Ssssenate, who had acccesss to the sssame intelligenccce I did."
"Of course," says Obi-Wan, putting his arms around Newt's shoulder and leading him away from the Federation guards, who are unable to protest the interference of the Jedi. "And as an upstanding citizen, you wouldn't mind answering a few questions about what you were doing yesterday when Queen Amidala was once again attacked? Seeing as how you're the only person alive to have ever attacked her, I'm sure you're eager to once again establish your innocence."
"Massster Kenobi, I underssstand why you sssuspect me, but I did not arrive on Toydaria until thisss morning, and I know nothing of thisss attack. But I will sssay, I believe you are looking in the wrong placcce, if you are looking to the Sssseparatistssss."
"Where should I be looking, then?"
Newt glances around nervously, then leans in close and whispers to Obi-Wan.
"You remember the Sssssith?"
Obi-Wan begins to take the Viceroy's words seriously. "Yes. You claimed as part of your defense that you were tricked by the Sith called Darth Maul. An easy claim to make, given that I had already slain Maul. You still want me to believe that your alliance with that monster was entirely out of your control?"
The Viceroy doesn't even bother to defend himself. Whatever's putting the fear into his voice, it's not Obi-Wan.
"Massster Kenobi, I will tell you thissss, then never ssspeak of it again. There wasss another, the one who trained Darth Maul. Darth SSSSssss-Sssidious. He controlsss the Sssenate from the sssshadowssss. Thisss isss why the Sssseparatistsss resssist. The ssstakesss here are much greater than you can imagine."
"And why would this Darth Sidious want to kill the Queen?"
"Becaussse ssshe opposssess the creation of an army for the Republic. The Sssith desssire war for itsss own sssake, and ssshe is a woman of peaccce."
"Then why not go after the Chancellor? Surely his commitment to peace is greater than even the Queen's."
The Viceroy shudders. "I have sssaid too much. Take what I have given you, Jedi, and be thankful for it."
Newt pushes past the Jedi and nearly runs out of the building, his delegation following. Obi-Wan is surprised to discover that he believes the Viceroy.
This investigation is going to be more fun than he thought.
*****
"So, Anakin, what did you think of the first day?"
After standing mutely in the background all day, Anakin is startled by Padme's question, so it takes him a moment to respond. They sit in the AT-CT walker as it plods its way through the colorful streets of Felucia back to the Queen's temporary palace. They are escorted by fluttering Toydarian police and the yellow landspeeders of the Chancellor's Guard.
"I...uh...found it very enlightening, Your Highness."
She smirks with curiosity. "Enlightening? In what way?"
"Well, no one really agreed about anything. Not even the ones who were supposed to be on the same side. I can see why the system doesn't really work."
"How would you have it work?"
"We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problem, decide what's in the best interests of all the people, and then do it."
"But that's exactly what we're trying to do here," Padme explains, "The trouble is that people hardly ever agree."
"Then they should be made to," Anakin says.
Padme looks surprised. "By whom? Who's going to make them? You?"
Now it's Anakin's turn to look surprised. "Of course not me!"
"But someone."
Anakin nods. "Someone benevolent and wise."
Padme frowns. "That sounds an awful lot like a dictatorship to me."
"It just depends on who we put there, Your Majesty," Anakin says, a mischievous grin creeping across his face.
"You're making fun of me!"
"Oh, no, I'd be much too frightened to tease my Queen!"
For a moment, Anakin fears his sarcasm has gone too far, and he is relieved when she gives him a friendly smile.
"If only everyone could know one another's hearts and minds the way I know my people, perhaps none of this would be necessary."
"Amidala, Queen of the Galaxy!" Anakin declares with a laugh.
"Oh, Ani, I don't think I could bear--"
She is cut short when Anakin grabs her by the waist and leaps from their carriage. They tumble to the ground, and he covers her with his body as their walker explodes.
Anakin peeks out from his cloak just in time to see the bounty hunter take off, rocketing away faster than their escort can chase.
"He's getting away again!" Anakin shouts, scrambling to pursue.
"ANAKIN!" Padme cries.
He looks back to her, then to the escaping bounty hunter. He lets out a roar of frustration that echoes down the city streets, then dashes back to Padme, who has already stood back up.
"C'mon," he says dejectedly, "let's get you out of here."