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sunnyskywalkerI'm surprised this question didn't start niggling at me a long time ago. Maybe there is an official explanation, but if so, I missed it.
How did Padmé's body get from Polis Massa to Naboo?
Supposedly, the official story was that she died during the Jedi insurrection. But she was last seen on Coruscant, and of the Imperials, only Vader, Palpatine, and possibly some lackeys knew Padmé went to Mustafar, right? And only Obi-Wan, Yoda, Bail Organa, and unnamed extras knew where she went after that. Obviously Obi-Wan and Yoda couldn't take her back, so that pretty much leaves Bail. But Bail couldn't just show up announcing that he found Senator Amidala's lifeless body somewhere, or Palpatine would have a lot of questions for him. (And how did you stumble upon the exact location the Jedi dumped the body mere hours after they left, Senator Organa? Blind luck, you say? Sure...) So what happened?
If Bail managed to smuggle the body back to Coruscant and plant it somewhere for someone else to discover it, Palpatine would definitely suspect something, but he might not be able to connect it specifically to Bail. He might think Obi-Wan or Yoda did it, for instance. Bail would probably have had to make sure those close to Padmé, like her handmaidens, knew nothing so they wouldn't get in trouble. They could still discover the body, maybe - they just couldn't be in the know.
On Palpatine's end, he would have to make sure that any air traffic controllers who could bollix up the official story by mentioning that Padmé left Coruscant before she died stayed quiet. Or come up with an elaborate cover story - but the more complicated the story, the more likely people are to find holes in it. Maybe that is what happened. "Senator mysteriously killed by Jedi with no witnesses during Palpatine's ascension" already sounds fishy, so maybe he figured a little fisher would make no difference.
Whatever happened, I'll bet that Padmé's death became one of those near-legendary mysteries on Naboo, with everyone having their own conspiracy theory, right up there with "what really happened to the Princes in the Tower," "what happened to Jimmy Hoffa" and "who really shot JFK." (I wonder how Bail figures in these stories? Probably in many roles.)
I think she's a prime candidate for the Elvis-style conspiracy theories, too - many Naboo would probably say she's not really dead, you know, it's a wax dummy in the coffin and she's really still out there, in another galaxy or disguised as Sabé or Mon Mothma or any of a thousand others, helping the Rebels from afar and planning her return. Or she's in a secret Imperial prison, bravely resisting every torture they can invent, a symbol for resistance and the Empire's eventual failure. Or maybe the Arthurian version - she's in the coffin, but she's really just in an enchanted sleep, and someday, when Naboo needs her most, she'll wake up and return to lead them again.
Wouldn't that make a great bedtime story?
How did Padmé's body get from Polis Massa to Naboo?
Supposedly, the official story was that she died during the Jedi insurrection. But she was last seen on Coruscant, and of the Imperials, only Vader, Palpatine, and possibly some lackeys knew Padmé went to Mustafar, right? And only Obi-Wan, Yoda, Bail Organa, and unnamed extras knew where she went after that. Obviously Obi-Wan and Yoda couldn't take her back, so that pretty much leaves Bail. But Bail couldn't just show up announcing that he found Senator Amidala's lifeless body somewhere, or Palpatine would have a lot of questions for him. (And how did you stumble upon the exact location the Jedi dumped the body mere hours after they left, Senator Organa? Blind luck, you say? Sure...) So what happened?
If Bail managed to smuggle the body back to Coruscant and plant it somewhere for someone else to discover it, Palpatine would definitely suspect something, but he might not be able to connect it specifically to Bail. He might think Obi-Wan or Yoda did it, for instance. Bail would probably have had to make sure those close to Padmé, like her handmaidens, knew nothing so they wouldn't get in trouble. They could still discover the body, maybe - they just couldn't be in the know.
On Palpatine's end, he would have to make sure that any air traffic controllers who could bollix up the official story by mentioning that Padmé left Coruscant before she died stayed quiet. Or come up with an elaborate cover story - but the more complicated the story, the more likely people are to find holes in it. Maybe that is what happened. "Senator mysteriously killed by Jedi with no witnesses during Palpatine's ascension" already sounds fishy, so maybe he figured a little fisher would make no difference.
Whatever happened, I'll bet that Padmé's death became one of those near-legendary mysteries on Naboo, with everyone having their own conspiracy theory, right up there with "what really happened to the Princes in the Tower," "what happened to Jimmy Hoffa" and "who really shot JFK." (I wonder how Bail figures in these stories? Probably in many roles.)
I think she's a prime candidate for the Elvis-style conspiracy theories, too - many Naboo would probably say she's not really dead, you know, it's a wax dummy in the coffin and she's really still out there, in another galaxy or disguised as Sabé or Mon Mothma or any of a thousand others, helping the Rebels from afar and planning her return. Or she's in a secret Imperial prison, bravely resisting every torture they can invent, a symbol for resistance and the Empire's eventual failure. Or maybe the Arthurian version - she's in the coffin, but she's really just in an enchanted sleep, and someday, when Naboo needs her most, she'll wake up and return to lead them again.
Wouldn't that make a great bedtime story?
