#apprentice legislature

[sw5w]

Padmé Awakens

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones 00:14:18

[wingletblackbird]

The Legislative Youth Program

The Legislative Youth Program is the space!MUN for the citizens of the Republic. It’s supposed to help educate the youth of the Galactic Republic on the workings of the Senate as well as current interplanetary affairs. Some planets, to increase participation in government and civic education, made participation in the Program mandatory. On Naboo, two years between the ages of twelve to twenty-one were expected.

The more “elite” version of the Program, if you will, was called the Apprentice Legislature. It was reserved for the youth of the Republic who desired to enter into politics, and was far more in-depth, and rigorous, providing an education in diplomacy, law, political theory, economics etc.  Given the nature of how a lot of worlds operated in the Republic, it was often limited to the “high-class” citizens: People who were going to rule one day, or be in the Senate one day, or in some kind of office one day, and knew it because of who their families were, as well as a few “scholarship students,” or lower class people with “lofty ideas” (and a lot of talent.) Hence, joining the Apprentice Legislature for Padme was a declaration of her intent to enter into political service, and everyone on Naboo knew it, because on Naboo, only royalty--ambitious royalty at that--went there. Once the individual in question graduated from the Legislature, they were considered “apprentice legislators,” and deemed ready for internships, apprenticeships, work as aides, or other such positions from which they could begin their political career. 

Padme graduated when she was eleven and was assigned to be the “senatorial adviser” to Palpatine. I headcanon he requested her specifically, as he had observed her talent while working with her father for the Refugee Relief Movement when she was just a little girl, and hoped to groom her into a useful pawn, or even a possible ally someday. Certainly her position as his protege was one of the many reasons she was elected Governor of Theed. It was felt her position as his aide, and her family’s stint on Coruscant, meant she possessed a greater awareness of galactic politics, and this would be an asset given the current tension between Naboo, and the Trade Federation which was taking advantage of them. Her rise from there was initially helped discreetly by Palpatine, but was maintained by her sheer talent and genuine compassion. She became one of the most popular rulers in recent history: Palpatine hates her for it. In fact, he is in many ways quite jealous of her; she was offered to become the start of a hereditary monarchy without even trying, (and turned it down), while he’s worked very hard to eliminate his enemies and become Emperor. He hates her on many, many spiteful, petty levels, and relishes his vengeance on her.