It's been more than a year since the Clone Wars had begun, and yet despite the repeated assurances of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, there was still no end in sight. To the Republic at large, it seemed as if the war was expanding as more and more systems were drawn into the conflict. These worlds put pressure on their Senator's to do something, and so they did the one thing they could think of that might change things.
Led by Senator Gial Ackbar of war-torn Mon Cala, they formed a coalition which came up with just enough votes to put a motion for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Palpatine. Once it became clear the motion would pass, many Senator's jumped at the chance to put their names forward as the next Supreme Chancellor.
Many thought Senator Ackbar would be the next Chancellor as traditionally the one who challenged the incumbent almost always won, but instead he put forward his fellow Senator Zeik Kestee, the Nautolian Senator.
Ackbar's coalition threw their support behind him, then the Senator from Naboo, Padme Amidala's loyalists coalition joined with theirs and they elected Zeik Kestee as the new Supreme Chancellor. He asked the Senator of Naboo to be his Vice Chancellor, this ensured that he would enough votes to pass his agenda.
Which he was still trying to figure out, and he only had about a day to come up with one before he would be sworn in, Republic law stipulated that a Chancellor's term, no matter how long or short would have to end at 11:59 am, Coruscant standard time, and the incoming Chancellor would be sworn in at noon, just a minute later.
"Congratulations on your election Chancellor," the outgoing Chancellor Palpatine said as the two of them met inside of the Chancellor's office. "I strive to make this transition as smooth as possible, given galactic events,"
"Of course, thank you Chancellor, and I do apologize my friend, I hope you know I had nothing to do with this, it came as a shock when Gial put my name forward." The blue skinned Nautolian said as the two of them moved to the side to avoid a moving droid. The Senate Architect was already preparing the office for the incoming Chancellor, and only had about eighteen hours to do so in.
"It's alright my friend, I would rather have you and Padme, at least I know the Republic is in the hands of patriots rather than those who could be bought. Besides, I'm getting old, maybe it's best for younger leadership, I understand you're the youngest person to ever win the Chancellorship."
"I'm only thirty-two, so yes I would say that's pretty young." Zeik replied.
"I believe it's customary that I show you around the office, and all of it's hidden secrets, so you can make it your home, it will be your prison for at least the next five years."
"It's a rather nice prison then, by all means lead the way."
"Now you already know, the reception area, but I don't typically use that entrance way, now the room where we are standing in now, this is your public office, it's where you hold your official meetings, greet dignitaries, make your public addresses and such. Hence why it is in such pristine shape. I would recommend using it for most official duties, there is I guess intimidation factor with it." He then pointed to a part of the wall, to the left if you had walked in from the reception area. "It's suppose to be an emergency airlock, but my security chief felt that with the increase threats on my life, due to the war, I typically use that when I leave the office building. It leads to a few different places, all heavily guarded, and this is the only entrance besides one service entrance somewhere else in the building. But your security will tell you of all that, shall we move on down to your private office." They started walking down the hallway to the left the Chancellor's desk, which was the only hallway there besides the one leading to the reception area.
"I don't typically use this hallway, the chairs and table sets are really for decoration, if I use it, it's because the person or people I'm talking to, I want them to know who is in charge but also let them feel more personal, which you can't achieved sitting across our desk back there." His head nodding back to the room they just came from.
Then they entered another room, circular in shape with a raised platform going around the room, and stairs leading into a small pit, where there were three chairs, a holo-projector, and what looked like a desk built into the platform, although the user would have to face away from the door, which would give them a spectacular view of the cityscape.
"This is your private office, I used it for late night meetings when I have other work to do, or less informal meetings where I know the person on a more personal level. These doors to the right, one leads to the Chancellor's Archive, everything ever written by a Chancellor, and other important documents are stored on holo-disks, the Senate Historian's are in there now, archiving my stuff, and we should not bother them. The other door leads to your bedroom, the fresher, and such and I you can understand why I don't want to show that to you."
"Understandable, you know I had no idea all this was here, I assumed it was just your public office and well a bedroom." He looked at the time on the holo-projector, "It's about time I have to meet with the Senate Architect,"
"Probably why I have a meeting, all though I'm guessing, it's a farewell party. Anyways, I don't believe we will see each other again, at least not for a while, good luck Chancellor,"
"Thank you, I'm going to need it." Palpatine turned left through the reception area followed by his red guard.
Zeik decided he would wait for the Senate Architect and walked over to stand behind what would be his desk in about eighteen hours and looked outside at the vast urban cityscape.
"It's a beautiful view is it not Chancellor."
He turned around and looked at the person speaking to him. "Hello Kel, ready to decorate my office again," he said greeting the Kel Dorian.
"I walked fifteen minutes across the building to get here, and knowing you, I will only spend two minutes while you tell me how you want everything decorated Chancellor,"
"There's that cold sense of humor that I like, if you could and it is possible to adjust the private office, and my bedroom area to something a little more wet and humid that would be great. Otherwise surprise me, remember I like the colors blue and black," which was probably because he was blue skinned with black spots on his tentacles.
"Don't worry Chancellor, by noon tomorrow you won't recognize this office as Palpatine's. I have a couple of ideas already, just need to pull out my data pad and," he stopped as walked into one of the moving droids who was carrying an ornate golden statue which fell out of the droid's hands and onto the floor.
The statue broke into many fragments but something stuck out from the debris, a silver object with gold trimming, "What is that," he bent over and picked it and examined it.
"Quick droid, clean all this up and be sure to properly document it, if Chancellor Palpatine asks about it," Kel ordered the droid. The droid acknowledged and began to clean up the mess.
The soon to be Chancellor pressed what looked like a button and jumped back but still holding onto what he just found out was a lightsaber, Kel also took a few steps away.
"Is that a lightsaber."
"Yes, but I don't believe it's a Jedi's,"
"Why not,"
"It's red, Jedi don't use red lightsabers, only the Sith due I believe, it must have been encased inside the statue,"
"Shall we ask Chancellor Palpatine,"
"No, I would not want to alarm him, just do whatever it is you said, about documenting the damage, and say everything has been thrown away. I have a briefing with the Jedi Council in an hour, I will hand this over to them, and let them decide what to do,"
"Of course, sir."
"And to be on the safe side, wipe all the droid's minds and don't tell anyone, I can only imagine what kind of rumors would spread around."
I hope you enjoyed that, and please stick around, I know this chapter was somewhat boring but every story has to start somewhere. Also the tour around the Chancellor's office, I suggest getting a book call Star Wars: Complete Locations, that is where I got my layout from. I personally love the illustrations, and will try to use them more to create a more detail orientated world, unless people start to find that boring.
I have not forgotten my other story, The Archivist, I was having a hard time fleshing out my character, and so I had to brainstorm his early life, and somehow this led me this idea. It has helped tremendously and chapters should start coming out, probably every two weeks I hope if my schedule allows it.
Upcoming in Chapter 2
The Senate guard held out the lightsaber extending it to the right if body to where it faced nothing but empty space and ignited it, drawing the eyes of every Jedi Councilor in the room.
"Where did you find that," Master Mace Windu asked.
"Palpatine's office, it was encased in a statue that a cleaning droid dropped and shattered." The incoming Chancellor replied, answering the Jedi's question.
Master Yoda and Windu looked at each other, "Suspected we have that a Sith Lord has infiltrated the Chancellor's office,"
"But that statue is the personal property of Palpatine," Master Windu pointed out.
"He's the only person who could choose to put that statue in his office," Master Plo Koon pointed out, Zeik looked at the Jedi who were all sharing glances with each other, having realized the implications of what Master Plo had just said.