Chapter Twenty. The first Assassination attempt
000 HOURS BEFORE THE CHANCELLOR'S ASSASSINATION…..
Chancellor Palpatine smiled and waved at the giant crowd growing in the plaza. It was packed full of nearly ten thousand people. His clone body guards walked beside him, weapons at the ready. These were the elite clones, the ones specialized in nearly every field of operation. They were the best of the best. Trained by both Jedi and Mandalorians. He turned to the captain of his guards, waving for him to come closer. "Captain, make sure that the Jedi do not make themselves visible. It would upset the crowd greatly." He said. He was sure that the bounty hunter Zekk Stilco was still coming after him but he didn't want the Jedi getting in the way and messing up the speech that he had prepared.
The clone shook his head politely. "Sir, with all due respect. I think it would be wise for at least a Jedi Master to be here. If something goes wrong we might need one." He responded. A reporter tried to get closer to the Chancellor, holding out his microphone. A clone quickly blocked his way, telling him to keep a respectful distance. "My friend, if the Jedi appear it would make the reporters start spreading rumors about the Senate being run by the Jedi. It would make the Jedi appear to be the actual rulers of the Republic and not the peace keepers as they clearly are." Indeed, the rumors were already circulating among the members of the Senate.
That the Jedi were ruling the Republic from the shadows and that Palpatine was a puppet ruler who did Master Yoda's and the Jedi Council's biding. Most of those who were spreading the rumors were the energetic and ambiguous young senators. The ones who wanted to take the top spot almost immediately on arrival to office. They were foolish and stupid, but they weren't the cause of worry.
It was the older and more dangerous politicians that waited for the right time to pounce on the Chancellor whenever something went wrong. They blamed him for causing the Clone war, they blamed him for the exorbitant interests rates that the InterGalactic Banking Clan charged the Republic citizens. It was the life of a politician. And if the Republic citizens thought that the Jedi were indeed the rulers of the Republic, they would not see Palpatine as the one who stood between them and the Separatist. "Sir. I will make sure that the Jedi don't come near you." The captain said tersely. He seemed to be questioning if Palpatine was making the right call. Palpatine smiled warmly as he stepped to the pulpit. The cheers were deafening and the flashes of lights were blinding. But he kept the smile on his face.
It was now time to get this started. "My good citizens of the Republic," he started as the cheers and screaming died down, he raised his hands, gesturing them all. "I want you to know that I have been thinking on this… act." He didn't want to use the word law but that is what it was. He found that using other words that sounded better was the best thing to do when appeasing a crowd. Be honest but not too honest, he thought. "That this unjust deed in having Republic planets- our planets- tainted with prostitution and slavery. It is truly despicable and terrible." He waited until the cheering died down. The crowd was eating up every word he was saying. He, of course was a very well-known figure and symbol of hope to the Republic, why would they not listen with such rapt attention? "Although it is all of these, I cannot say that I will abolish this law." He let his words sink in. He had just said that slavery and prostitution was wrong but then added that he couldn't- wouldn't put an end to it. The crowd was stunned- everyone who was watching it on their holo screens was stunned. "I think that right now we are into such a dire time that it wouldn't matter if I did abolish it. We are at war with the Separatist. We cannot focus on two hundred other goals and hope to gain victory, can we?" he glanced over the crowd, eyes resting on one face before moving to the next. "If I abolished the law, do you think anyone would actually listen? They will still do what they're doing, behind the backs of the law. They could even start a revolution right in the middle of the Inner Rim. These slave traders and prostitution lords are powerful people," he didn't say that they had sway in the Senate but they most certainly did.
If the citizens knew, they wouldn't know which way to turn too. They didn't know how corrupt the Senate actually was. Which was a good thing. Being ignorant was truly a bliss.
No one wanted to know more than what was in front of them. No one wanted to find out the actual truth about what they actually believed in. just knowing the basics was the human nature. Going beyond that line was where everything you believed in or trusted in was shattered. Doubt. Mistrust. Confusion. All those things replaced your deepest beliefs.
Once you weren't sure of yourself anymore than you were a walking dead man. That is why no one questioned or searched for the actual truth anymore. It was too confusing and never brought the results you wanted to hear. "We would be dealing with two war fronts instead of just one. The Republic could not hold out forever." He started to say more but he was interrupted by a muffled cracking sound. The sound of a suppressed weapon. Something whizzed past his ear so close and so fast all he could hear was a soft whistling sound and smell the discharged gunpowder. The guard closest to him dropped down, weapon falling from lifeless fingers as his body hit the cold hard deck.
A bullet hole drilled right through his T-shaped visor. He was no doubt dead. The remaining clones pushed the Chancellor down and started moving back, blaster rifles aimed outward. "Get down, get down." The clone captain shouted, he shoved the Chancellor to his knees, motioning for him to crawl. It took the large crowd below to turn into a mob in a matter of seconds as they realized what was going on.
They fled, pushing and trampling over anyone in their way. Some tried climbing up onto the raised lectern that had been installed for the Chancellor's speech. The clones shot them dead. Not caring if there was a child or if they were elderly. It didn't matter to them, their job was to protect the leader of the Republic. At all cost. Another shot echoed out, nearly toppling the clone pulling the Chancellor behind a tall garden lattice work. The shot tore through his left arm and exited out the other side, slamming into the duracrete ground beside Palpatine's shocked face. "He got me in the arm." The clone said, he grunted as he raised his hand. Pointing on the building across from them. "I think he's up there. I barely managed to get a view of him." The captain nodded, he pulled the Palpatine to his feet again. "We have to go, we don't know how many there are." Another shot rang out.
This time it nearly did hit the Chancellor. It literally tore right through the wall they were using as cover, exiting right near the man's face. "Lets go." They raced for the Senate Building. "XEC, call in for the Chancellor's armored vehicle." The clone captain ordered. "Already on its way, sir." the clone holding onto Palpatine's elbow answered swiftly, he was holding his weapon out in front of him, covering the Chancellor. They made it to cover again, ducking down and keeping low. "We need to keep low. We already got more soldiers looking for the shooter. Once we get you to safety, we will personally track down that man." Palpatine nodded, breathing deeply.
This was getting out of hand way too quickly. Was it Zekk Stilco? He didn't know. That bounty hunter was indeed a legend. He kept in the shadows and never actually earned a place in the galaxy's most infamous bounty hunter list. But he was an entirely different breed altogether. He seemed more machine than human.
He never gave up on his search for his bounty, not till they were either caught or dead in his ship's hold. The events caused the Chancellor to smile somewhat. The hunt was always exciting. "Ok, lets move. The vehicle is here." Chancellor Palpatine looked up, watching as the heavily armored three wheeled tank rolled up.
The side door slid open, revealing a Mandalorian crouched and armed with a high powered laser cannon. He fired. The clone captain tossed a small object at his feet and suddenly they were surrounded by a plasma wall. The laser bolts from the cannon splashed off of the barrier harmlessly. But the volley from the clone's weapons passed through the shield and lanced right through the Mandalorian's armored body.
The body fell, smoking holes still glowing from the heat of the discharged energy. "Move up." The captain pointed to three other clones, gesturing for them to push on the vehicle. "The rest, stay here and protect the Chancellor." "I didn't think they would hijack my personal vehicle." Palpatine muttered. He turned to one of the clones guarding him. "I don't think we are safe here. We must leave." He heard the sound of blaster fire as the clones who went to investigate the vehicle opened fire. "Sir. We stay put. This shield will hold, we just need to make sure your armored transport is clear of any hostiles and any explosives." The clone responded back, he gently pushed the Chancellor behind him. "All clear." the clone captain said.
The sound of screaming and yelling still filled the air. The crowd still was out of control. They didn't know what was going on. People rushed through the streets, climbing over parked speeders or just running into them. "We need to move out now. They were Mandalorians, there is more of them. Once we get to the Jedi Temple you will be safe." the captain rubbed the set of fresh scar marks on his armored chest. "Those Mandos aren't playing around." No they weren't, Palpatine thought.