Corruption in the senate continues unabated amidst the violence of the Clone Wars! Senate leaders struggle to find a solution. Debates in the senate are broken down between two main camps: those who support Supreme Chancellor Palpatine seeking to centralize power to eliminate corruption, and those who oppose it, led by Bail Organa and Padmé Amidala who seek democratic reforms instead. Senator Riyo Chuchi of Pantora falls into the latter camp, yet is dissatisfied with the methods used to bring constituents to the reformist movement. Politically desperate and facing mounting pressure from powerful backers, the senator increasingly comes to believe that more persuasive techniques are needed…
The Senate Convocation chamber was in busy session. The dull lighting of the Grand Chamber gave the impression of a world caught in endless debates and protocol that eluded all sense of time and daylight. Cam droids zipped from platform to platform as countless senators observed or bickered from the platforms that ringed the outer walls of the chamber.
"We shall now hear from senator Riyo Chuchi on the matter of the Senate Corruption Reform Bill." Said Mas Amedda, calling to the Pantoran delegation. "Senator, you have the floor."
Riyo felt strongly about this bill. It was not only her faith in the democratic system, and the bill she advocated, but her ambition. This bill was the brainchild of Padmé Amidala and Bail Organa, two major members of the Loyalist committee. Riyo had earned Padmé's trust during Ahsoka's trial nearly a year ago, being one of the few senators that voted on behalf of her innocence. Letting go of one of her only actual friends had been painful, but Riyo did not let her feelings stop her from using the opportunity to build direct ties between her office and the Committee.
Riyo took a deep breath, feeling the gaze of the two other Pantoran delegates behind her—men who never really spoke to her, as they tended to represent the interests of the Pantoran Assembly rather than that of her campaign. The Assembly, now led by Chairman Papanoida, had been urging her that she had not been doing enough to stem the powers of Palpatine, and if she did not start bringing about changes, her career would be at an end.
If she could help this bill through, she could place herself closer to the Committee and perhaps gain membership, securing herself a place within the Bureaucracy, and out of Papanoida's hegemony.
So with a confident breath, Riyo began her speech.
"Fellow senators." Riyo began, "While the Outer Rim Sieges remain fluid, it seems that this chamber has remained in a strange twilight between progress and regression. While we are faced with prospects of political centralization on the part of the Supreme Chancellor, the ranks of the senate are subject to rampant corruption, bribery, extortion and fraud. The only way to bring an end to this twilight is to bring about a bipartisan panel, sponsored by the Loyalist Committee, that would handle all corruption charges on a case-by-case basis. This Bill would allow such a notion to become reality."
"The delegation of Raaltiir objects to these claims." Said senator Kern of Raaltiir.
Riyo stared at Kern. Tall, dark eyed and young, Kern had clashed with her on the floor numerous times in the months since the trial. "This fucking idiot again?" She thought.
Palpatine smiled at Kern's request, and nodded. "Senator Kern of Raaltiir, you may provide your objection to the Pantoran delegation."
"Thank you, Chancellor Palpatine." Kern said, smiling. He turned to Riyo. "Perhaps idealistic revelry has forced senator Chuchi to become disconnected with the facts. Such measures will not work to end corruption in our senate. The shadow of Ruusan has led our Republic down a path to instability. The time has come to learn from our mistakes, and leave this authority where it belongs, in the hands of our Supreme Chancellor."
"Such remarks made by honorable Senator Kern of Ralltiir only highlight the shortsightedness of further political centralization. You speak of political instability…" Riyo said, turning to Kern, "What of the previous militarization, which helped to bring about the carnage of the Sith Wars?"
"Again the ever-dramatic Senator Chuchi resorts to history lectures and abstraction in place of political pragmatism."
"An inappropriate response to corruption within the senate is akin to Senator Kern's opinion— it's something that nobody asked for."
"I resent Senator Chuchi's attempts at ad hominem as I resent her lack of patriotism!"
"I think what we should all be resenting is Senator Kern's lack of intelligence!"
"Savage and vitriolic Pantoran assaults against the dignitaries of the Raaltiir system aside," Kern yelled over his shoulder as he turned to the rest of the senate, "The point remains that more power is needed on the part of the chancellor as a first line of defense against this chamber's enemies, from both within, and without."
Riyo felt her heart pounding. "The sovereignty of the republic cannot be… prostituted by the power of the chancellor!"
"It would seem that the young Senator Chuchi has allowed herself to take up this matter with an apparent personal bias." Palpatine said, his stern voice echoing with a degree of contempt amusement. "So as to preserve the dignity of this chamber, I have decided that the issue is adjourned until the next session."
Kern winked at her. Riyo shot him a violent glare.
With the conclusion of the bill discussion, the rest of the senate moved back to its business with a mix of muttering and commentary, including laughter that made Riyo twitch in livid, silent anger. Feeling the gaze of her delegates behind her, she simply took a deep breath, and sunk back into senate business until the end of the session.
With the end of the day's activities, the senators began to funnel out of the chamber. Riyo bid her delegation goodbye, and promised to meet them outside of the building. In the meantime, she caught up with Senators Organa and Amidala to discuss what had happened on the senate floor.
Riyo sighed, following in step behind Bail and Padmé. "Perhaps I said too much."
"Don't take this personally, Riyo." Padmé said, making her way towards the shielded doorway to the pickup veranda. "Kern was baiting you."
"I wouldn't worry." Bail said as the doorway to the veranda opened. The late-afternoon light set a strong glare. "Nobody will come kicking down your office door for telling the truth. Next time, just be careful how you phrase it."
"I agree with Bail." Padmé said warmly, moving towards one of the many transports docking at the edge of the platform, its ion engines whirring lowly. "At least for now, telling the truth won't land you in prison. A few of the other senators and I are headed to the Fountain District for dinner. Care to join us?"
"I would love to, Padmé. But unfortunately, I must return to my office." Riyo said, stopping in her tracks. "I've been meaning to speak with Chairman Papanoida about these developments."
"Well, we wish you the best of luck, then." Bail said, walking on with Padmé. "But once you're finished, please go home."
"Thank you, Senator Organa." She said, and waved them off. The two exited towards the shuttle which would take them to the pristine Fountain District.
Riyo made her way to a separate transport, boarding just after three Ithorian delegates. She found a quiet seat near the back of the transport, a place where she could enjoy the view, avoid others and brood over slights.
There she thought idly of what Padmé and Bail had told her. Somehow, pretending that she was somehow morally above Kern wasn't enough. She brooded over what Kern had done to her before the senate. The words he used in the rotunda began to echo in her head. Disconnected. Ever-dramatic. Abstractionary.
Riyo kicked the durasteel paneling beneath the window with her boot. The result was an audible clang.
A gran sitting two seats up from her left suddenly turned around, putting three eyes on her.
Riyo made a fake smile.
The gran made one back, and turned back around.
Riyo stopped smiling and returned to brooding. She hadn't been this humiliated since she was attacked by a hawk-bat during a live HoloNet interview, or when news paparazzi caught her topless sunbathing at a winter resort on Ando Prime.
"Who does he think he is?" She thought, gripping her fists at her side, glaring. "I won't stand for this indignity. I'm going to find that idiot Kern, and we'll see who needs to learn from their mistakes..."
Riyo silently brooded over Kern's insult for the rest of the brief trip. When the shuttle arrived at the Office platform, it came to a lurching stop. Riyo was flung forward slightly in her seat.
"Do you have a lead foot!?" Riyo shouted.
The pilot at the front of the transport turned around. He was a droid.
"… Oh." Riyo got up and quickly left.
She exited the transport along with the rest of the passengers. She made her way across the drafty platform, through the entry, and into the turbolift that would take her to her office floor.
She rode it up in silence along with several other senators who conversed quietly together. When the turbolift reached her floor, she inched her way out of the group and turned down an empty corridor towards Kern's office.
After rounding the corner to the next hallway, she saw none other than Kern standing in the middle of the hall. She could hear him finishing up a conversation with several guests, one being a Gotal in a blue jumpsuit, and the other a protocol droid.
"Just fixed it up." Kern grinned. "We're speeding it out to the Crystal Lakes next recess."
"They pushed that back." Said the droid.
"Again?" Kern asked, turning to his goatlike friend.
"It's some craaap." He said.
Kern looked over to see Riyo standing at the far end of the hallway, and met her gaze.
Riyo narrowed her golden eyes to a spiteful stare. She stomped towards him.
Kern blinked, wide-eyed. His friends left him, the Gotal giving him a good-luck pat on the back before going.
"Senator Kern!" Riyo announced after reaching him and folding her arms, her eyes looking over him disgustedly.
Kern smiled. "Senator Chuchi." He said, spreading his hands amiably, "To what do I owe this-"
Riyo put a finger in his face. "I'll have you know that I didn't guide Pantora through a Separatist political crisis and fight for my people's recognition within the senate for some no-name like you to humiliate me in front of the entire galaxy!"
Kern simply sighed and rolled his eyes. "What do you want from me, Chuchi?"
Riyo lowered her finger, and stepped up to him. She stared up into his eyes fiercely. "I demand a full retraction of the remarks you made against me on the floor to be presented to the Chamber tomorrow."
Kern's lip shifted discreetly. His brow furrowed. He spoke after a slight pause, softly. "Most politicians would just double down in this case, but I'll bite." He said, and then folded his arms. "What do I get in return?"
Riyo felt a weight easing off her shoulders at the thought of buying him off. She took a step backward from him as her heartbeat slowed. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I can… I can pay your office in credits to have the remarks retracted."
He shook his head. "Senator Chuchi, I'm not short on money. None of us are."
Riyo spread her hands. "There must be some way that we can resolve this."
"I can think of one." Kern looked onward, and then smirked, sharply. "You could kiss me."
Riyo's heartbeat returned. She began to blush, her cheeks becoming lavender. "… Kiss you?"
"Oh yeah." Kern grinned.
Riyo simply stared at him, flushing. "That's..." She began to twitch slightly. Then she stomped her foot, and starting yelling at him. "Are you a child!? Why, it's literally the most juvenile thing I've ever heard! Truly, what kind of woman do you take me for!?"
Kern lowered his hand as if to bring her down to silence. He then simply folded his arms again. "Let's see..." He said, his voice trailing flatly, "New to the political scene, desperate to bring positive change to older and more powerful constituents, along with kicking and screaming just to stay one step ahead of the bureaucracy and political establishment?"
Riyo fumed, speechless. She simply looked on, shaking, still flushed. "I… erm…"
"You okay?" Kern asked. "You look kind of like a big anxious purple grape with pink hair right now."
"Shut the hell up." Riyo growled at last. She looked up and down the hallway, and watched two senate security guards turn the corner, leaving the hallway empty both ways. She noticed a window alcove at the side of the hall, and stepped back into it, as well as an open utility closet.
Kern slowly walked into the alcove with her, saying nothing.
"Let's get this over with." She whispered, and moved up to him. She looked up into his dark eyes. She felt her heart skip slightly, and then a wave of frustration. She simply shut her eyes, and stood on the tips of her boots. Their lips pressed together, warm and wet, and then quickly parted.
"… Right, then." Riyo said, still blushing slightly. "Now you can-"
Kern placed his hands on her shoulders and went in, kissing her again on the lips, this time going harder. Riyo paused, her heart throbbing. "Hmh..." She hummed. For a moment her eyes shut softly, and she swayed slightly into him, submitting.
Then, suddenly, an instinctive anger came crashing through her. Her golden eyes pierced open, and she shoved him off of her, and backed away. Kern looked at her concernedly, but Riyo simply looked on as if he wasn't there.
She thought deeply. Is this what she really wanted to do? Was this the politician she wanted to become? Would it change things? What would Padmé and the Committee say? Her delegates? Her people?
If anyone found out about this scandal, it would be the end of her career. It was all the same. Her sources inside the Pantoran Assembly told her that Papanoida and several other high-ranking officials were already grooming Chi Eekway-the daughter who she and Ahsoka nearly died rescuing-as a potential replacement for her.
Was there time to take what she wanted before she left? Before she wound up like Ahsoka?
As these thoughts went echoing through her mind, Kern stepped up to her again.
The question came with a final echo. "Is this what I want?"
This time, he wrapped his burly arms around her waist and pulled her close to him.
"Yes..."
She felt a sweet heat welling up between her shaking legs as their bodies pressed together.
"Yes!"
He looked down at her, warmly. She felt the throbbing of her heart. The answer came flying into her head.
"YES!"
Riyo put her arms around him, and began to kiss him, pushing him up against the side of the alcove. Their hands ran across one another, exploring each other's bodies, and how they responded to every touch and caress. After a long period of close kissing and fondling, the two pulled apart.
"I really don't know why we're getting so hot and bothered." Riyo whispered, her golden eyes glancing over him. She made a mischievous smile. "To get my retraction, I could just threaten to tell the senate that you sexually harassed me, love..."
Kern smiled at her blackmail as if she'd presented him a gift. "You could. But I'd tell my side of the story, sweetheart, the one where you tried to bribe me." He said, whispering lovingly. "Oh, but not to the senate. But to Security Chief Isard. Who will tell Palpatine. Who would love nothing more than to launch an investigation and hunt the Loyalist Movement for witches like you."
Riyo bit her lower lip slightly. "Are you finished?"
Kern gave a single nod.
"Good." She said sultrily. "Now get back over here."
The two returned to kissing, Riyo ran her hands up and down his arms, his chest, his back, and bottom. Meanwhile Kern slipped his hand down past her hip, and then up underneath her skirt.
"You fool." Riyo whispered, biting her lower lip. "The cameras, the cameras..."
"There's nothing in this alcove." He said, his fingers caressing up her thigh.
"I saw guards." She whispered. "They'll catch us."
"They won't." He replied, his fingers brushing against the front of her underwear, hot and moist.
"Then you'd better not stop." She said softly.
He simply smiled, and slid his fingers up under the bands of her thong. He slid his fingertip against her clitoris, slick with wetness. Riyo gasped sharply at his touch and put her hand on his arm. She covered her mouth with the other.
Kern smiled, leaning in closely. He slid his finger down, and slid it up towards her vaginal opening, parting her lips easily, sliding it in slowly…
This time, Riyo moaned softly into his hand, and gripped his arm. She pulled it out from inside of her, and out from under her skirt.
Kern stepped back in surprise. "What's wrong?"
"Shut your mouth." She whispered. "We're going in there."
Riyo took him by the arm, gripping him tightly and pulling him across the hallway towards an open utility closet door.
"Hey! That's my voting arm!" Kern exclaimed.
"Be glad that I'm not pulling you by something else." She replied.
Riyo keyed the door panel shut, and locked it. She then shoved Kern up against the door, and pressed her lips against his. The two kissed passionately, and opened their mouths to let their tongues writhe against one another. Riyo shoved off of him. She stepped back and slowly reached up under her skirt. She pulled her black thong all the way down past her boots before stepping out of it.
She turned around, glancing at him over her shoulder, smiling softly and she strode across to the other side of the closet. She then leaned forward to press her hands on the wall, and hiked up her maroon skirt so that it only barely shaded her spread ass-cheeks and pussy.
"What's the matter Kern, darling?" She teased. "Speechless?"
Kern slowly made his way towards her. He undid his belt.
"Come on, Senator Kern." She said again. She bounced her sky blue-colored ass at him slightly, her small but firm, bubbly cheeks waving in the air. "I'm waiting for your motion."
Kern's belt went dropping to the floor. He unbuttoned his pants, and dropped those as well. Riyo's golden eyes flickered in the dim light as she glanced over her shoulder and eyed his long, erect cock.
"Oh my." She said. "So that's why you're so bold." Riyo spread her legs even further, and arched her back so that he could see right up her skirt, her spread pussy, lips almost glowing purple from desire.
Kern slowly pressed the tip of his cock against her hot, teasing pussy lips. He slipped in past them, and entered in deep until he was nearly at her cervix. She let out a high-pitch sigh as she relished the feeling of her snatch clinging to his cock, clenching, pulling and sucking.
Kern gaped, his eyes going wide. "Oh, shit."
Riyo glanced over her shoulder, her golden eyes glinting. "Quite alright back there, love? How does my cunt feel?"
"... Amazing." He said dreamily.
Riyo moved her ass back into him slightly, shifting his cock down, elongating it inside of her.
Kern gasped out, leaning inwards. She felt again the friction of him moving deep inside her, his hard, hot cock sliding against the walls of her soaking, throbbing snatch.
"Good." She whispered, her purple lips glistening in the dull light. "But I'm afraid that it doesn't fuck itself, darling."
Kern smiled, beginning to pump her slightly. Soon, the pain of him penetrating her started to give way to ecstasy as he began to properly fuck her. She lowered herself slightly, putting him at an angle where he slid even deeper into her.
She then began to fuck him, moving her hips backwards, feeling his cock ravage her back and forth, bringing on pounding waves of ecstasy from deep within her body. Kern reacted instinctively, grabbing her slender hips and began to slam back into her with his own thrusts.
Slowly the two began to keep pace, and Kern took advantage from behind, and began to drive up into her deeply. He bent her forward even moreso and Riyo felt the joy of his dick sliding even deeper into her. A deep sigh turned to a heavy moan.
Kern gasped out, and began fucking her quickly, rapidly, his hands clutching at her hips, her body bouncing up and down on his cock. Her legs shook trembled with pressure as she felt successive waves of pleasure rocking her body. She lift her head up and moaned again, loudly. Kern's pace began to spike, this time fucking her with abandon.
He reached up and pulled at her pigtails far back. She arched her back, and screamed out as he cummed inside her.
The two stood together, silently gasping for breath, drenched in sweat. At last, Kern pulled away. She shuddered in a numb bliss as she felt him slipping out of her. She backed away from the wall, and hiked her skirt back down.
She made her way back to where she'd left her underwear, leaving a small trail as drops of thick cum dripped down from underneath her skirt. She bent over and pulled her underwear back up past her feet, and straightened her hair and skirt. Kern stooped down, pulled up his pants and underwear, and tightened his belt.
When the two were ready, Riyo unlocked the door. A maintenance droid stood below, bleeping at them irritably. The two simply walked past it without saying a word. The droid swung its arms around, again sputtering in speech before scooting along back into the closet.
"Welp," Kern said, "You Pantorans drive a hard bargain." He said flatly, before walking away, whistling, punching at the air as he walked. "See you tomorrow!"
Riyo stared at him, puzzled and watched him leave without saying a word. She shook her head, rolled her eyes, and headed back to her office.
Riyo headed down the lavish hallway, dully lit by the light outside. The sun was setting on the Coruscanti horizon, the world of skyscrapers turned into a silhouetted series of towers set against a firey orange sky. Shadows crept up and down the hallways. As she moved along, wondered idly about Kern. What had he meant?
Riyo happened upon her office, and used her keycard to unlock the door. She entered the room, as the lights went on automatically. Her office was silent, neatly kept open with little furniture or art. Barring several favorites, she had mostly forsaken countless pieces of art that she had either obtained personally or had been gifted to her by her benefactors.
She made her way to her wooden desk, which sat before a broad view of the skyline, now coming to life with the passing running lights of speeders and other flying craft moving like sparks through a darkening twilight. When she sat down, she realized that the HoloNet transciever on her desk had been buzzing.
She read the text closely on the transciever, and identified the transmission as coming from none other than Chairman Papanoida, the head of the Pantoran Assembly, and the closest thing to a galactic leader that the small world of Pantora could attest to.
"Shit." She thought before keying on the transciever.
The hologram projected a grainy image of Papanoida standing with his cane, sporting his signature maroon hat and robes.
"Chairman Papanoida!" Riyo chirped, cupping her hands over her desk. "How unexpected for you to-"
The Baron silenced her with a simple wave of his hand. "Stow your pleasantries, Senator Chuchi." He said with an irritable growl. "I want to speak with you about your episode on the senate floor earlier."
Riyo sat up straight. She cleared her throat. "Very well, Chairman."
"I would begin with this question…" He said, lifting a finger, "Was your aim to embarrass our system in front of galactic media, the senate, or both?"
"My aim was to do neither of those things." Riyo explained, keeping her voice level. "I merely spoke my mind on the matter, Chairman. It was senator Kern who chose to gain my attention by instigating an argument in the middle of my-"
The Chairman simply thudded his cane into what sounded like a durasteel floor. Riyo winced as the sound came through crisp and clear, even through hologram audio.
"What you said had a historic precedent, this much is true. But, in speaking out the way that you did, you allowed this no-name boy senator from an uncultured hovel like Ralltirr to humiliate me, your constituents and yourself."
Riyo nearly sprung up out of her seat at the accusation. "To be fair, Kern has yet to cast his vote on the matter, along with the rest of the senate!"
The Chairman narrowed his eyes at her, his voice going low. "And just what makes you think that he of all people will side with you?"
Riyo simply paused. She allowed herself to breathe, and return to her seat. "I don't know, Chairman." She said, softly. "Somehow, I just have a feeling that he might."
The Chairman stared at her longways, raising a single, suspicious eyebrow. At last he spoke after a long silence. "Whatever it is that you're playing at, I hope it works, for your sake. Pantoran support for this bill puts us at open odds with the Chancellor. Failure will only undermine our already-questionable image inside the senate."
"Of course, Chairman Papanoida. I won't let you down."
"See that you don't, Chuchi." He said. "Our people expect results."
"They will have them, Chairman." She said, and then cut the transmission. She then automatically dropped her head onto her desk and groaned. "Ugh…"
Riyo spent the next two hours plying through updates on her holocomputer related to upcoming events, conferences, fundraisers and bills. She made several more conferences with various officials and liaisons, but none of them as intense as that with the chairman. As she waded through her work, she found her mind drifting again to Kern.
She glanced up from her work desk, and yawned. She looked at the window, and night had settled in, the brightest of stars and local planets only barely barely creeping out of the reddish haze of Coruscant's light-polluted atmosphere. She sighed, and stood up. It was time to head home.
She gathered herself, and used her wristcomm to summon her black-cloaked delegates to escort her to the platform. Moving down the now dully-lit corridors of the senate hallways, they trailed behind her in silence from her office to her speeder, which waited for her outside the exit platform.
She stepped out into the night, a cool wind swept the platform. She was helped into her speeder by her delegate. The speeder's repuslorlift came to life, and the craft took off at a brisk speed into the night.
Riyo stretched in the backseat, barely keeping her eyes open. She began to lean against the window-pane of the speeder, watching the lights of monolithic skyscrapers and racing speeders turn to bright, lapsing vines of gold and white.
She took one look to her left, to the empty seat next to her, and in a half-dream, saw him riding with her, hanging his head back in the breeze. A smile came across her face. The image faded. Awake again, she returned her eyes to the passing lights beyond the glass, which became duller, and duller until she'd finally fallen asleep against the pane.
She returned to the Senate Building promptly the next morning. She rode silently above the walkways and avenues before her speeder set down at the platform. She was accompanied into the building by her attaches, again in the usual silence.
When she entered, she bid them off. Looking around the crowded atrium, she spotted a group of senators containing a mix of Loyalist Committee members and their allies. Padmé looked up, and waved her over. She got in between her and Mon Mothma, acknowledging them both with a simple nod, hoping not to interrupt their conversation.
Senator Bel Iblis of Corellia folded his arms, wrapped up in his business. "This bill looks like just another Loyalist Committee pipe dream." He said, shaking his head. "The populist movement is swelling, and our diplomatic avenues are shrinking."
"Have faith, Garm." Padmé said. "Projections aren't final until the votes are cast."
"I agree." Bail noted. "There is still a chance things could change."
Riyo felt an opportunity to jump in and bring something to the table. "I spoke with Senator Kern yesterday!" She blurted out.
The other senators turned to her with a mix of puzzled and quizzical expressions, save for Bel Iblis, who saved his cynical frown. "And?" He asked.
"I... believe he may deliver a retraction that could help to swing opinion in our favor." Riyo said.
"Senator Kern is quite stubborn and, frankly, pompous." Mon Mothma chimed in. "How exactly did you manage this?"
Padmé quickly stepped in. "Let's not question Senator Chuchi's methods. I'm sure that the actions that she took were ethical." She put a hand on Riyo's shoulder, and then lowly muttered in her direction, "Correct?"
"O-of course they were!" Riyo babbled.
"Good!" Padmé smiled. "Still, the Corruption Reform Bill isn't the only thing on today's agenda. What about the Marcan Herb Decriminalization Bill?"
"This again?" Bail asked, groaning. "My nephew won't stop talking about it for some reason..."
"He owns that greenhouse in the Commercial District, right?" Bel Iblis asked.
As the senators moved into a more lighthearted conversation, Riyo glanced over her shoulder towards another circle of populist senators and officials. She recognized Senator Burtoni of Kamino, Security Chief Armand Isard, and Kern.
Kern looked up from the circle and glanced at Riyo, meeting her gaze.
Several senators began conversing with Kern, and realized he was staring. They then turned to look at Riyo. One whispered something in his ear, smiling. Kern smirked, and turned back into the conversation.
Riyo shook slightly. She took a deep breath, and regained her composure, and turned back to the group, but checking out of the conversation. Eventually, the senators were ushered into the grand chamber to begin the day's business.
Piling into the senate and finding her platform, she was again met by her delegates, who silently flanked in behind her, feeling their looming presence now more than ever. She took a deep breath as she entered her platform, and Mas Ammedda began to recite the day's business, her mind drifted elsewhere, waiting for Kern to speak out and provide his retraction.
The first matters were discussed. Kern simply stood by and listened. As each topic came and went, Riyo felt herself shrinking, loosing hope. Would he ever provide his retraction?
Then came the next bills. Nothing.
Riyo shook slightly, fighting a deep urge to leave the building. She steeled herself, remembering her duty, her people, her strength. This got her through until the final matter came.
"Now, we move on to our next order of business." Amedda said. "The Senate Corruption Reform Bill."
"I believe yesterday we all had more than enough discussion of this matter thanks to the likes of Senators Kern and Chuchi." Palpatine said, dismissively. "For the sake of expedience, I propose the senate vote on the bill immediately."
The senate floor went quiet as the voting began. Chuchi entered her vote, and then eyed Kern. He did nothing.
Once the votes were submitted, she studied the vote statistics shown on the holoscreen on her platform display. A larger proportion of senators had voted in favor of the Reform Bill than anticipated, which she found puzzling. Yet it wasn't enough. Palpatine's own presiding vote allowed his faction to bring the bill to full deadlock.
"The votes for the Corruption Reform Bill have been tallied." Mas Amedda said. "Though the Loyalist Committee deserves a commendable effort for bringing their count beyond bipartisan projections, but not enough to overcome a fifty-percent opposition."
"I suppose with the Corruption Reform bill being at deadlock, I'm afraid the bill will need to be tabled until after the next recess at the earliest..." Palpatine said cheerfully.
"If the Senator of Ralltiir may, Chancellor," Said Kern, his repulsorpod detached from the rotunda, "I should like to submit a late vote."
Palpatine smiled. "Of course you may, Senator Kern. I trust you will vote your conscience."
Riyo felt her heart sink. Kern had beaten her at her own game. How could she have ever competed with the power of Palpatine? How many women could he have sent to his office? How could she have ever thought that giving herself to him would have worked, and made her anything more than a notch on his bedpost, or a story to tell friends?
Kern smiled. "I submit my vote in support of the Reformist bill."
Riyo gasped out loud, causing nearby senators and delegates to turn and face her. She brought her hand firmly over her mouth.
Palpatine turned to Mas Amedda in confusion. "Is he serious?"
Amedda shrugged, spread his hands and shaking his head, mouthing a silent response. In doing so, his staff slid out of his hand. It went tumbling off the side of their platform and plunged down to the bottom of the senate floor, where it landed and splintered into pieces.
The senate floor went quiet. Then, an applause broke out from the Alderaanean and Naboo delegations, joined by those of Chandrila, Rodia, Corellia, Kuat, her own two delegates behind her, and on. Their cheers were met by outraged calls and jeers from the opposition as Amedda attempted to silence the crowd without his staff.
Slowly, Riyo lowered her hand and listened to the mounting applause, closed her eyes, and started swaying to it as if it were imaginary music.
Palpatine looked on with a degree of concern, his voice speaking over the clamor. "If... I recall correctly, Senator Kern, just yesterday you were one of the leading opponents of this bill..."
"Yes, I was, Chancellor." Kern folded his arms and smiled widely, replying into his microphone. "But I changed my mind!"
"… What." Palpatine mouthed, lowly.
"The honorable Senator Chuchi has shown me the merits of the bill." Kern said warmly, extending an arm towards her. "Or at least, the merits of its proponents."
Palpatine simply stared at Kern as the senate became overtaken with shouting and applause. Amidst the hum and din, Kern eyed Chuchi with a sidelong glance.
Riyo opened her eyes, looked down on him, smiled softly and waved, fluttering her fingers.