And the reminder made Padmé's eyes grow cold as she watched the older woman.
"No one noticed?" Mon repeated Bail's words with a sarcastic tone, raising an eyebrow at him. "I did."
"You were only a few feet away," Bail retorted, a frown crossing his features, refusing to let the woman blame Padmé for such a minor mistake. "There are over a hundred people in this room, Mon. No one noticed us."
"Yes," Mon sighed in response, the obvious mockery lacing her voice. "There are hundreds of people in this room: Grand Moffs, royalty, politicians, military leaders, and…" She paused, her expression hardening and her tone dropping. "Traitors," she finished, chilling the air before delivering another sarcastic remark. "Who would pay attention to you?" She let her comment linger, the weight of her words growing with each second. After another pause, she glanced around the room cautiously before turning back to Bail and pointing a finger at him. "Wait and see, Bail. You laugh now, but I'm sure even you will be investigated by the night's end."
Bail stayed calm, composed, and confident. "I have no doubt about that," he agreed without hesitation. "I'm sure we all will be."
"Yet you continue to draw attention?" Mon growled, turning her gaze to the left and fixing Padmé with a fierce glare. "If she weren't here, you wouldn't be behaving this way. I told you she wasn't ready!"
"I am too ready!" Padmé interrupted angrily, unable to hold in her comments any longer. I am not a child, Mon!" Unaware that her outburst did nothing to help her case, her objection made her sound like the very thing she was arguing against: a petulant child.
Mon glared back, her eyes shifting from the young senator in a manner that conveyed both her satisfaction and hesitation. "I never said you were."
Padmé nearly growled. "You don't need to say it," she replied. "I can read between the lines, Senator Mon Mothma. Your lack of support has made that perfectly clear. You may not call me a child, but you still treat me like one."
The woman did not try to deny Padmé's words; instead, she raised her face to meet the younger woman's gaze. "I have my reasons," Mon shrugged before taking a big sip of her drink.
Padmé opened her mouth to retort, but taking advantage of Mon Mothma's inability to speak, Bail placed his hand on Padmé's shoulder. "What Mon means," he said softly and kindly, trying to ease the tension between them, "is that she— we have to take every precaution. You have been on Naboo for some time now and haven't been on these political front lines. We are in a room full of enemies, which means any sort of attention is negative. This is very dangerous, and it is crucial that everything remains a secret from the Empire– even from ourselves if necessary."
"I understand that," Padmé replied, annoyed and feeling like she was being treated like a child all over again. Was Bail taking the woman's side? What did they not understand? She was ready! She was fit for this job! How many times did she have to prove herself? What would she need to do to be seen as an adult in their eyes—to regain her honor?
"I know you do," Bail said with a smile, attempting to comfort her as he pulled her closer. "I don't mean to talk down to you, Padmé." He paused, looking down at her with sadness in his eyes. "I apologize if I offended you by doing that, but I'm just trying to be sure. You are such a dear friend, and I don't want you to get hurt again." He offered her an encouraging smile, then dropped his hand and turned professional. "Mon is right, though. Every precaution must be taken. You are one of the targets because you are young and have made a mistake, so people will underestimate you."
"I'm human," Padmé retorted, a bit less annoyed but still feeling the need to defend herself. "I acknowledge that I made a mistake, and I've taken responsibility for my actions, but that doesn't make me weak or any less of a leader." She paused, her expression hardening as she looked at both of them. "I won't fail," she asserted confidently. "I am not afraid."
Bail appeared satisfied with her statement, but the female senator nearly spat out her drink when she heard Padmé's words.
"Ha!" Mon laughed, then turned to stare directly at Padmé with a bewildered stare. You will be!" she exclaimed, a hidden promise within her words. You will be!" She said nothing more before turning and disappearing into the many groups of people, leaving Padmé and Bail once again alone in their corner. They watched her go, a silence falling upon them before Bail erupted with another laugh.
"I think she likes you," he teased, and Padmé smiled, aware that his joke wasn't true.
Still, something lingered uneasily in the pit of her stomach. "What is she so afraid of?" she wondered aloud, not intending to actually ask the question.
She hadn't meant it in the obvious way. She understood that these were fearful times. It was clear that all the members, leaders, and creators of the Rebel Alliance did not want any information or their names reaching the Emperor. This was something Padmé had heard many times before, but not in the way Senator Mon Mothma had just articulated it. She was different—her fear was different. When she spoke, another kind of fear resonated in her voice, one that had not been present before. "It's–" Bail paused, searching for the right words. He always understood Padmé's curiosity, for which she was deeply grateful. Bail, ever the supportive friend, helped her instead of judging her like so many others did. "There are supposed to be many spies here tonight," he said, his voice shaky. "She wants to ensure that no one—and unfortunately, especially you, because of your past—gives anything away while speaking to them."
That wasn't it. Padmé knew from the moment his words reached her ears that this wasn't her answer. There was something else, but a part of her urged her to let it go. So she simply nodded as confidence surfaced on her face. "I'm ready for this," she reiterated. "In case you've forgotten, I am a politician. I have honed the skill of hiding my emotions and important information while serving as the Queen of Naboo. I mastered the art of remaining cool, collected, and professional throughout my years as a senator. Just as you have. I possess significant experience that seems to have been overlooked by many. Whatever the new threat is that has everyone fleeing in fear at this party, I'm ready for it.
"I understand, Padmé. They understand that too, but–"
The sound of the giant ballroom doors swinging open interrupted Bail's comment, accompanied by a loud eruption of claps and cheers echoing throughout the room.
"His Majesty, the Emperor!" a man's voice proclaimed, prompting a surge of applause—until the cheers abruptly ceased and were replaced by gasps and murmurs.
Hearing the commotion, Padmé pushed herself onto her tiptoes, trying to see what had happened at the front of the room, but her short stature made it impossible. Even at her tallest, she couldn't see over the crowd, only catching glimpses of the flashing lights from the press standing far beyond. She hoped that the old man had suffered a sudden fatal heart attack, but it seemed unlikely that such a simple fate could rid her of such a vile monster.
"What is it?" Padmé whispered to Bail, hoping that his height would give him a better view than she had. "What's happening?"
It didn't seem like he did; his own face reflected the same confusion. "I'm not sure," Bail whispered, turning his head towards one of the speakers, listening to the crackling sound on the other side, as if the announcer were also in shock.
"A– And we have a surprise guest," the man finally announced, his voice trembling and astonished. "Lord Vader."