functusofficio | ic contact. mask or menace.

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ic contact. mask or menace.

"You've reached Ambassador Amidala. Office hours are between 9 am and 7 pm each day, but if those hours do not work for you I am happy to set up an appointment outside of them whenever is convenient for you. Please leave a message with your name, means of contact and details of our business and I will ensure that it is attended to as promptly as possible."

voice. video. text. drop by her office.

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[Beth hesitates a long time before answering, but...Padme's trustworthy. She's kind and smart, and she might have ideas to do something about Woden.

But she's also ambassador of Nonah, and Beth's got the feeling Padme won't like what she has to say.]

i don't want you to be in a bad position if i tell you
because you can't tell anyone
and it can't get into your political stuff
it has to stay a secret

[ There's a pause between replies long enough to indicate it's something Padme is certainly thinking about carefully. She doesn't know Beth as well as perhaps she would like, but she knows her well enough to know that this is not a request she is making lightly, which means it is likely something Padme will want to respond to. But promises come first, so she sighs and gives her answer. ]

If it helps you make a decision as to whether to tell me or not, I have had a great deal of experience in making political decisions despite knowing the personal costs.

If you wish it to remain a secret, I will keep it so, and I will not let it affect my public policy. I cannot promise I will not counsel a different approach if it is something I feel warrants one, but I will not force any other options on you or do anything about it without your consent.

You have my word.

[It comes out fast, as soon as Padme's promised to keep the details to herself. Beth hasn't told anybody before now--not in more detail than this man tried to kill me, and not under her own name.]

a guy kidnapped me during that week when the same day kept happening
he took me out to the woods with a bunch of other people and told us to run
i don't think everyone lived
i have to make sure he can't ever do something like that again
she said she'd help me

[ The first response comes very quickly. ]

I'm so sorry, Beth. Nobody should have to go through that.

[ The more substantial response takes a little longer, but not a great deal. ]

As I said, I will keep this to myself as long as that is what you desire.

As to what can be done, I'm not sure exactly what she or anyone can do at this time that does not involve killing him and then waiting for him to resurrect, something I cannot personally condone.

What do you hope to do to make sure he cannot do that again?

[She's mostly grateful, when Padme's response comes, that she didn't turn on voice or camera--or went to see her in person. This way, she can hole up with her dog in her bedroom, and nobody needs to see what her face looks like. (She could use a hug, admittedly, but as tactile as Beth is, she's learned to make that a smaller part of herself where she can. Right now, she wants to talk solutions.)]

i don't know
he can teleport, it's not like we can keep him in jail
if we could find a way to cut out his powers we could

[If I were at home, I would kill him feels loud in its absence, but Padme doesn't really know that about her, does she? And Beth has the feeling she should keep it that way--she admires Padme, values her opinion, and she's sure she already knows what that opinion would be.]

The jailing system they have for Imports actually does have the capacity to nullify powers. The sentences given are fairly minimal, but even two months of his absence might be better than nothing.

But that requires him to commit a crime during a time that it can be remembered and proven. So not an immediate solution, but one to bear in mind certainly.

Do you have the support you need, Beth?

so we're supposed to pretend he never hunted people down like animals because the police don't remember repeating any days
we have to wait for him to hurt more people, maybe worse next time
what if that's why he did it during the repeating days????? what if he keeps waiting for times when the police can't do anything because they don't have "proof"?????

[She forgets to answer the question. Whoops.]

There is a question that you have not answered.

I do not believe we are supposed to pretend anything at all, nor would I ask anyone to.

There is a difference between pretending something never happened and seeking the correct avenues to fix the problem. You are very likely right in terms of his choice of time to do things in. That does not mean he is uncatchable, but it does mean it might take time.

May I ask what other options you have in mind?

i'm fine

[Or, you know. The same level of "not un-fine" as she usually is, white-knuckling it until it gets better.]

we shouldn't have to wait
he confessed on the network like it wasn't a big thing
he did it and he admits it
that should be enough to do something

i just want him gone
and since i can't have that i want him locked up

I'm not sure I believe that answer, but I appreciate you giving one.

If there is a recorded confession on the network that could prove to be a different matter. I'm still not sure it would be enough, but even if it didn't result in his arrest now it would give him a record of having been reported and talked about such things.

I can understand that desire, certainly. I will never pretend it was not a great relief to me when Dooku was imprisoned, even for as short a period as it was.

I just want it to be done the right way, and with no risk to yourself.

but there isn't a risk
the worst that happens is i die and then i come back

[How fortunate that this conversation is happening over text--she couldn't come off blandly confident about dying if she had to show her face or voice. Just typing the words takes a breath longer than it should.]

telling everybody has to happen anyway
so people know to stay away from him
it just doesn't seem like enough

Dying is a risk, Beth, regardless of coming back.

That is not something easily recovered from.

Telling everyone without a conviction will most likely seem to many like a grudge of some kind, but it may still serve to warn others.

It may not seem like enough, but once we move outside the bounds of the law and rule, how do we differentiate ourselves from people like him?

i've done it before
i can do it again

[There is a long pause.]

if we only go outside the law for people like him that's what's different
he's out there hurting anyone he wants
we wouldn't do that
we DON'T do that

I have died as well. It's not an experience I would care to revisit.

It's a very slippery slope that starts, Beth. Just consider where it can lead, please, before you do anything rash.

But I have given my word. I will not tell anyone what we have spoken of.

but if it was the only way
at least it won't actually hurt us here

i'm not gonna do anything yet
i wanna talk to anderson and see what she says

thank you padme

I don't think you are correct in thinking that death will not hurt us here simply because it isn't permanent.

I do not wish for you to come to any harm.

All right. If I can help, in the ways that you know I am willing to, please let me know.

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ic contact. mask or menace.

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