Star Wars: The Clone Wars Episode 2.15 Senate Murders

"Searching for the truth is easy. Accepting the truth is hard."

War on many fronts! While battles are fought by clones in the field, a different war is waged in the Galactic Senate. As heavy losses add up, a group of Senators led by Halle Burtoni of Kamino, propose an escalation of troop production.Senator Padme Amidala, recognizing that more troops will only prolong the fighting, works tirelessly with her allies to introducea bill to cut military spending and stop the creation of more clone troopers....

ACT I

On Coruscant, Senator Onaconda Farr is leading a movement to end the war. Padme Amidala braces herself for a monumental speech in support of his cause, a cause also championed by like-minded politicians: Lolo Purs, Mon Mothma and Bail Organa. Before the Senate assembly, Padme warns that an escalation in military production will not end the war, but only prolong it, threatening destruction and financial devastation for the Republic. Her address is met with enthusiastic support, but the cold and methodical Senator Mee Deechi is not applauding. He meets with Padme outside the Senate chamber, and warns her not to make such unpatriotic speeches.

Later, in her offices, Padme and her colleagues share a toast for their success, but their private get-together is interrupted by the intrusive Senator Halle Burtoni. The aged Kaminoan bartered her clone production efforts into a seat in the Senate, and she would like nothing more than to see Padme's peace-promoting efforts fail. Burtoni goes so far as to brand the Senators as Separatists for their anti-war stance. Onaconda asks Burtoni to leave.

Soon, the Rodian Senator becomes woozy. He clutches at his heart and collapses dead. A few days later, a funeral is held at a landing platform as Senator Farr's body is taken aboard a departing starship back to Rodia. Lolo and Padme are saddened by the loss of their close friend. Chancellor Palpatine requests an audience with Senator Farr's allies in his office, where they are met by Inspector Lieutenant Tan Divo, who announces that Onaconda was murdered.

ACT II

Lt. Divo reveals an unknown chemical was found in Senator Farr's bloodstream. Divo's condescending tones indicate he cares little for politicians, and he'd rather not have any of them interfere in the investigation. Padme can't help but speculate who might have wanted Onaconda dead. The clone-troop bill was indeed controversial and could have fostered many enemies.

Padme suggests to Bail, Lolo and Mon that the bill be postponed while they undertake their own investigation. She reasons that the Senate will be too distracted by rumors surrounding a murdered Senator to focus on the bill.

Amidala begins by questioning Senators Deechi and Burtoni, the most pronounced of Farr's political opponents. They scoff at any accusations of guilt, pointing out that Onaconda's campaigns provided grist for so much of their pro-military efforts. Deechi admits that he had Farr followed on occasion, and that the Rodian had a clandestine meeting at the docks under the derrick major.

That night, Bail and Padme skulk about the derricks, looking for clues. A cloaked assailant gets the drop on them, by releasing a cargo container on top of them. The two Senators barely escape being crushed. The assailant fires at the Senators before running away into the darkness.

The police arrive, and Lt. Divo is annoyed that Amidala cannot keep her nose out of his investigation. Amidala nonetheless continues, and speculates that Deechi may have purposely sent her and Bail to a trap at the docks. She races to Deechi's office only to find the Umbaran dead, stabbed through the heart with a dagger.

ACT III

Lt. Divo requests that Senator Amidala and her allies stay in the confines of her office for the time being under police protection, a move Amidala decides is prudent. Lolo, however, is impatient and finds Divo incompetent. She storms away while Divo continues his questioning. Realizing that Senator Burtoni was the only other person present when Deechi suggested the rendezvous at the docks, Divo leaves to question the Kaminoan, but she is not in her offices.

A frantic Lolo Purs comes racing back to Padme's office, claiming she was attacked by Senator Burtoni. The police droids catch Burtoni in the East Wing corridor, and bring her to the Chancellor's office for questioning. Burtoni is mystified by the interrogation, insisting on her innocence. Divo receives the forensic evidence report, concluding that the poison in Ono's bloodstream was engineered by Kaminoans to affect Rodians.

As Divo moves to arrest Burtoni, something nags at Padme. If the poison was in all their drinks and engineered to kill Rodians, then surely Lolo Purs would have also been afflicted. She then realizes that Lolo never drank -- that she knew the drinks were poisoned for she was in truth the killer.

Cornered, Lolo produces a blaster and takes Padme as a hostage. Lolo reveals that Ono's murder was in revenge for involving their homeworld in the Clone Wars and briefly siding with the Separatists. When the opportunity opens, Padme smacks the weapon from Lolo's hand and knocks her out cold with a solid punch to the jaw.

Later, the Senate votes on the clone-troop bill, The motion to scale back war production is defeated, ensuring that more clone troopers will continue to be created for the security of the Republic.