The Apprentice Legislature, also known as the Junior Senate or junior legislative program, was an organization for politically-minded youth that was founded under the Galactic Republic and continued under the Galactic Empire.
Padmé Naberrie, future queen and Senator of Naboo, joined the Apprentice Legislature when she was eight years old where she was given a tour of the Galactic Senate Building and would think of her family home when she was lonely.
However, after she joined the Galactic Senate, Naberrie, now going by the chosen name of Amidala, admitted to Rush Clovis of Scipio that it was still a great difficulty adjusting to the demanding life as a full time senator, especially after having served as queen of Naboo.
After the rise of the Galactic Empire, due to the declining power of the Imperial Senate, many planets stopped sending representatives to the Legislature. The Apprentice Legislators dealt with real, but minor, issues and the majority hoped for a future career in politics and used the program as an opportunity to form connections. By 3 BBY, only forty worlds still bothered to do send representatives.
On her Day of Demand, Princess Leia Organa stated that she would represent her planet of Alderaan in the Junior Senate for Challenge of the Mind, as part of her trials to become crown princess. At the opening of the Apprentice Legislature that year, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin served as the guest speaker. When she joined, Organa served alongside Amilyn Holdo of Gatalenta, who she was in a pathfinding class with, along with several other Apprentice Legislators, which had been arranged by Organa's adoptive mother Queen Breha Organa and was taught by Chief Pangie of the Chandrilan Pathfinding Corps. Organa would become friends with Holdo along with several other of the Apprentice Legislators including Harp Allor of Chandrila. Organa's adoptive father, Senator Bail Organa encouraged her to find allies in the Apprentice Legislature which she attempted to do, starting with Allor.
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