It made no sense to her. First, they criticized the Sith Lord, and now they praised him? What did they mean? The Emperor was the one who was a monster, a madman, and, as Bail had mentioned, a liar. She knew that from experience, and she hated him for it. To her, no one could ever be worse than Palpatine, not even the monstrous Darth Vader. But even she had to admit that if the rumors were true about Darth Vader—about his slaughters and abilities—then Vader had to be the most terrifying monster of them all, and an unredeemable one at that. She had understood up until that point—where the two senators had complimented Vader over Palpatine. This left her with the question: who was worse? Bail turned to the young senator, again sensing her confusion. "Don't think we are complimenting him," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder before letting out a sigh. "Vader is a monster, just as much, if not more so than Palpatine. We are merely trying to convey that Vader doesn't disguise his feelings like Palpatine does. If you say something to Palpatine, make a proposal or a complaint, he will behave like—well, a politician. His approach is much more secretive and cunning than Vader's. Palpatine will act as if he agrees until you leave his presence, and only then will he command someone, most likely Vader, to deal with you. Darth Vader, on the other hand, does the opposite. If he dislikes you or your words, he will either tell you or eliminate you on the spot, not wait until later.
Padmé paled, her breath catching in her throat. And he considered that better? How was that any better? If Vader was killed on the spot, then that meant he was a man—no, a machine of action. It meant that he was not only not a politician but also not sensible and, in return, not a being of reason. It was his way or no way at all, no reasoning, and no negotiation. But deep down, was Palpatine any different?
She knew the answer to that question because she had been at the front lines of Palpatine's deceit long before anyone else—far longer than anyone else. She was aware of his corrupt and sinister ways. She understood the game he was playing, and although it seemed that Palpatine could now outsmart the other senators, he would not fool her again. She would prefer to deal with someone honest like Vader rather than a liar like Palpatine any day.
Taking a breath to regain her composure, Padmé gazed at the crowd. "So Vader is just brutally honest."
Bail let out a slight chuckle at her remark. "More like deathly honest." "You know what this means," Mon sighed, disregarding their conversation and interrupting. "Don't you?"
"What?" Padmé and Bail asked together, their eyes shifting toward the redhead.
"That the Emperor is growing tired," Mon replied bitterly, crossing her arms and looking out into the crowd with a sickening glare. He didn't even bother sending spies because they take too long. That's why he brought Darth Vader instead. He can walk through this room without even questioning us and still know what we stand for."
"I agree," Bail nodded, his face remaining strong, though his voice seemed to tremble. "The Emperor wouldn't bring Vader into the public eye without a good reason. He likes to keep him hidden, creating an invisible fear. Revealing him like this does not align with his character." "Not to mention," Padmé breathed, attempting to sound professional. "As you pointed out, it doesn't make sense for Palpatine to pull Vader away from his hunt when he was making such progress. Not unless he knows we're here."
"He's instilling greater fear in people," Mon added, her voice betraying her anger. "Not just us, but the whole galaxy. If people see Vader as a real threat, they won't join our cause. They'll be too scared."
Padmé frowned, knowing Mon was right. It was a problem they had previously faced due to the Sith — people fearing for their lives or too scared to fight because of him. Some simply embraced the mentality of "it wasn't a problem if you don't look up," but even then, Vader had always been a hidden threat to everything and everyone, a whisper in the darkness, not a being constantly visible throughout the universe. If he was being revealed, just as Bail had said, Palpatine must have a good reason: his reason being, as Padmé suggested, the Rebellion members in the room. Still, they had to hold onto hope. They still had a chance, and Padmé fully believed that.
"We must remain hopeful," Padmé insisted, her voice filled with confidence. "We still have a chance!"
Bail nodded at her statement. "We shall put up mental walls," he instructed, his voice filled with authority and hope as he agreed with the woman next to him. "Vader will not get any information out of us! The people will have nothing to fear!" He motioned for Mon to cross the room to where another group of Rebellion members had gathered. "Go!" he commanded. "Spread the word! Hurry!"
"I hope this works," Mon nodded before walking away, whispering under her breath. "Or we'll all be dead…" As the senator vanished into the crowd, Padmé turned back to Bail, her eyes reflecting the anxiety bubbling in her stomach. "So Vader doesn't speak?" she asked, her concern evident. "He won't even question us? He'll just read our minds and judge for himself?"
Bail shook his head, attempting to control the emotions that were showing on his face. "I'm not sure," he replied honestly. "But Vader does speak. Not often, but when he needs to."
Padmé could see that Bail was lost in a memory—a memory that the man had obviously tried to forget but had burned into his mind. The emotions on his face told Padmé that Darth Vader's voice was not something she wanted to hear, and if she did, she wouldn't soon forget it.
"Is it that terrifying?"