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The long-anticipated special session of the Senate - the last under the Valorum | Finis Valorum(Human)CharacterSupporting Characters | government - had only two items on its agenda: a hearing of the Naboo | NabooPlanet | delegation's case, and a debate on the Trade Federation's continued opposition to Senate Resolution BR-0371. Few expected it to be anything other than routine. Lott Dod | Lott Dod(Neimoidian)CharacterSupporting Characters | , the Federation's representative, stalled the proceedings with every procedural tool at his command.Dod and his allies threw up objection after objection; Queen Amidala | Padme Amidala(Human)CharacterMajor Characters | , unable to even finish her plea, grew more and more frustrated. Finally, Dod moved that a Senate committee be created to go to Naboo to determine if her "accusations" were valid, citing senatorial procedures that Amidala had no hope of understanding. Then, Mas Amedda | Mas Amedda(Chagrian)CharacterSupporting Characters | - as expected - pulled Valorum aside, subtly forcing Valorum to concede that Dod was within his rights according to Section 523A. "Enter the bureaucrats," Palpatine | Palpatine(Human)CharacterMajor Characters | whispered into the queen's ear, "the true rulers of the Republic, and on the payroll of the Trade Federation, I might add. This is where Chancellor Valorum's strength will disappear." When Valorum turned back from Amedda and asked the queen if she would defer her motion to allow the committee to do its work, it was the last straw. She had seen with her own eyes that Palpatine had been right - Valorum was ineffective - and she had nowhere left to go. Amidala delivered the words that sealed Finis Valorum's fate: a Vote of No Confidence.Valorum was surprised by the motion, never anticipating the betrayal - events had moved past him. Senator Edcel Bar Gane of Roona seconded Amidala's motion, and the vote was on the floor. The Senate had waited for this for months, perhaps years, and so unpopular was Valorum that there was little resistance to removing him from office. The senators erupted into a frenzied uproar, calling out, "Vote now! Vote now! Vote now!" All the Chancellor could do was to postpone the vote until the following day. When the Senate convened the following day to vote on the no confidence motion, the outcome was decisive. Valorum had few friends left, and the Senate so badly wanted him gone that they did not hesitate. Finis Valorum was swiftly voted out and with his political career in ruins, he was left to start his life over from scratch.Read more... |
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