Hearing Mas Amedda's words, Sheev Palpatine gave an imperceptible nod, though his expression remained grave and solemn.
Mas Amedda continued to hide behind him and whispered, "I hired the best designers and planners to arrange it, pushing nostalgia and sentimentality to the utmost. Padmé Amidala has not been well lately. If the intelligence is accurate and she truly had an ambiguous relationship with Anakin, this will undoubtedly be our opportunity."
"Without Padmé, Bail Organa alone will not be difficult to handle." Palpatine's lips did not even move as he spoke; he produced the words through his throat alone. "Bail Organa acts too impulsively. Now that he believes victory is assured, without Padmé's assistance, he will undoubtedly take desperate measures in an attempt to achieve everything in one stroke... and that will instead be their greatest weakness."
"I have already made the arrangements," Mas Amedda whispered.
Palpatine nodded, then took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of his eye. The grief on his face grew even more profound.
Under the funeral host's guidance, footage began to play of Anakin Skywalker "in life," fighting on the front lines. Through Master Class splicing and editing, every one of his battles appeared incomparably arduous and tragically heroic.
As the footage played, Group One choir chanted praises for the war hero in the most melodious and somber voices.
As Anakin repeatedly faced mortal danger on the screen, the choir's voices rose and fell with the scenes, while the music and lighting supported the tragic atmosphere with impeccable precision.
Padmé Amidala stood amid the crowd. Her relationship with Anakin Skywalker could not be made public, because a romance between a Republic Senator and a Jedi Knight was the greatest of taboos. It would be seen as the Jedi Order meddling in the Galactic Republic's core