Auteme busied herself, looking over the documents once more, but in truth it was to buy time for her to think things over. The two representatives before her -- Vela Sipal of Pantora, and Xeyn Kronn of Rhen Var -- had brought her a great deal to think about. The crimes were many, and though aged, reading them felt no less severe. They made her stomach turn.
But it was her own reaction to the proposal that hurt her the most.
Romi Jade was a friend. A good one -- Auteme had been given the incredible joy and honour of being the godmother of her child. Their conversations had become fewer and further between, but each time they met again, it was always easy to talk, to learn from the other; to sit and exist.
Romi Jade was a Jedi. A great one -- among the few names reliably most known throughout the galaxy. She was a steadfast defender of the good and the Light. She walked the stars, fought back the dark, building up those forgotten places and peoples into bastions, the little motes of light in that sea of darkness.
And Romi Jade was -- had been -- a terrible evil, for a thankfully brief time. Sipal and Kronn had brought a condensed list; the longer and more specific detailings of the destruction Romi had caused would be a read for later. Still, to see the fruits of the woman's hatred hurt Auteme.
She'd always suspected something like this in Romi's past, but it wasn't something they'd spoken about. Auteme hadn't wanted to entertain such thoughts; they were far in the past, and she was sure that Romi's actions by now had made up for any pain she may have caused. She still believed that, even if things now seemed a little tighter than before. Now her ignorance cost her, if only emotionally.
But the Pantoran Assembly wanted a trial; a public showing. Even late that there might still be justice served.
Was this justice? Auteme's heart lurched.
That political, sinister, cynical parasite in the back of her mind snaked forward to whisper in her ear. Romi was one of very few who knew Auteme's own dark secret. It had cost the lives of so many on Coruscant. Put her away, the voice said, silence her, discredit her, so that she may never harm your position, and then the same to the rest-
She shut it out with a thought. No, if anything, she hoped that it would signal the same to Romi -- that, when the time came, Auteme also expected to face a similar justice, and then she would atone with the truth brought to bear.
It scared her. It hurt her, that she saw this, and thought immediately that it had to be done. She couldn't tell if it was truly right; she couldn't tell how the trial would pan out. But it had to be done. She felt bound to do it.
In silence, Auteme took her pen and signed the papers, then pushed them across her desk to Sipal. The old Pantoran gave her an understanding look, but took them swiftly and stood to leave. Kronn seemed a touch more thoughtful. Regardless, the both of them said their farewells, prize in hand.
Romi Jade would be extradited to Pantora.
