By this point, Padmé Amidala was already looking somewhat weary. "This was the longest part. It took two full days. Together with the Supreme Court, we reviewed and discussed the major executive orders Palpatine had issued since taking office... He was indeed properly carrying out the Duties of the Chancellor of the Republic, and the Supreme Court even believed he had done better than many previous Chancellors."
"Then what do you think, Padmé?" Anakin Skywalker asked.
"Palpatine is twisting a fundamental fact!" Padmé Amidala said firmly. "That is, this war! He is the greatest beneficiary of this war! On the surface, he claims to be safeguarding the unity of the Galactic Republic, but in truth, he wants this war to continue more than anyone! That has always been the key to our struggle against him!"
"Palpatine? Are you saying he started this war?" Anakin Skywalker countered. He found Padmé's idea difficult to accept, because he had always believed that the war had arisen from the weakness of the Galactic Republic's executive branch, which had allowed the major corporate giants to run rampant.
And that was also what Sheev Palpatine had always told him. He had always taught Anakin to see through appearances to the essence of things—for example, why Separatism had emerged. Under Palpatine's guidance, Anakin had gradually come to realize that the war had broken out because of the injustices and exploitation within the Galactic Republic, and that these existed because the Republic's executive branch was weak and corrupt.
In fact, that claim was not wrong. It merely required ignoring the role Palpatine himself had played in it all.
"No! Anakin! Why would you say that?" Padmé looked at Anakin in disbelief. "But Palpatine's role in this war is not as positive as he claims! He is profiting from