Lelouch of the Senate
Chapter 1: 180 Degrees
2 years later
Lelouch watched the electoral map fill in on the television with his Black Knights. He knew that this wasn't his election night, but yet, he knew that this was as important. Lelouch was starting to shake a little. 'Why' Lelouch thought to himself 'Why am I shaking so much? I already know what outcome this election is going to produce.'
Indeed, Lelouch, and nearly everyone except delusional Democrats, knew that Charles Zimmer was going to win reelection tonight. Even his challenger, Kyoshiro Tohdoh, knew how this night was going to end.
Sure, Tohdoh was able to pull off a miracle against Zimmer by winning the last of the three debates that the candidates participated in. But even he knew that it would take Jesus, Moses, and Noah put together to pull off a miracle win against Zimmer. Democrats were still political pariahs to the public, and it showed in the polling of the election. It wouldn't be as large of a victory as it was in Charles Zimmer's first running, but it was still substantial enough to where it was clear that Zimmer would have at least 350 electoral votes by the time the dust cleared.
By this time, it was also clear that the Republicans would maintain their majority in the Senate and in the House, so the political landscape wasn't slipping from beneath his feet.
So the question remained. Why was Lelouch so nervous?
'I am this close to ascending to high power' was what Lelouch had in his mind 'I know it is going to happen. It was always a dream of mine to ascend to a high role, a role in which I could command the entirety of the army, or the entire foreign policy of the land. Finally, I will be able to institute my strategy on the grand scale for which it was built.'
Over the past two years in the Senate, Lelouch had managed a meteoric rise through the chamber. To bolster his reputation for Secretary of State, as he felt that his case for Secretary of Defense was already polished, he decided to set his sights for the chairman on the Committee on Foreign Relations. The position was vacant as the previous holder, Schneizel Ellison, had resigned from the Senate to run for Governor of New York in the past election cycle, and he did win that election. The majority of the Senate didn't take Lelouch's desire for the chairmanship seriously, as he hadn't even had any Senate experience at this point. However, with a little bit of, ahem, coercing, the Senate soon complied to Lelouch's desire, and as the chairman on the Committee of Foreign Relations, he had managed to be universally hailed by his peers, and was starting to impress the media as well. Lelouch, even though he is not a member of the Republican Party, and, on rare occasions, is willing to compromise with the Democrats, he is maybe the member of the Senate with the most sway.
So why doesn't he just stay there? 'Staying in the Senate for too long would be too stagnant. I don't want to be another Ted Kennedy, and finish out my political, and maybe physical life in this office. I need a new challenge, a new frontier, to conquer, on my way to the top. I can fix the mess that these incompetent dullards have made over the decades, even centuries, and change the entire world. Yes, I will destroy this corrupt system, and create it anew.'
"Lelouch, we're going to win! Why are you shaking?" asked his top staffer, Kallen Stadfelt.
"It's nothing, Kallen. Just a bit of overanalyzation. No, this election has already been decided. We're so close to the time, I can feel victory."
"I couldn't see how we wouldn't win. We've been campaigning all around the swing states, and I think we made a real dent." That came from the throat of the organizational leader of the Black Knights, second only to Lelouch in the ground campaign, Kaname Ohgi.
"Yes Ohgi, The Black Knights' strength has only been increasing over the past two years. I even think we could win this election by ourselves at this point. Covering all of the Zimmer Campaign's missteps was no easy task, but thanks to you all, we did it."
The clock was only about a minute or so away from hitting the 11 PM Easter Time number, and that was when the California polls would close. California was safely Zimmer territory, and the massive total of 55 electoral votes would push Zimmer over the needed 270 electoral votes to win, not to mention his sure grabs of Washington and Oregon.
The clock struck that sacred number, and this election was, for a lack of a better word, over.
"We can now project that the winner of this election is the incumbent president, Charles Zimmer. Four more years of Zimmer leadership, that's what the electorate wanted, and now, that is what they have."
About a month later
Lelouch walked into the oval office. This was his time. The time. This was his meeting with the president, who would give him the keys to the kingdom of power. Yes, it felt like an eternity, but now, he would enjoy the fruits of his labor.
"Ah, Lelouch! Come on in, boy! I've been expecting you!" Came the bellowing sound from the resounding voice of Charles Zimmer
"Good morning, Mr. President. I of course wish you congratulations on your victory in the past election! Granted, the public never doubted you, but some of those Democrazies sure doubted you on television."
"Well, it did help that you, the independent, gave me an endorsement. I had a feeling they would have a semblance of hope for their dear candidate, Tohdoh. He's not a bad candidate. Unfortunately, he's in the wrong party!"
Lelouch let out a laugh
"Well, too late for him to change now. So why'd you ask me to come?"
"Well, I'd like to discuss the matter of my cabinet. I wanted to talk about it with you."
"Alright, President Zimmer. What were you thinking?"
"Well, a very obvious vacancy is Secretary of State. I plan on giving that role to Schneizel Ellison. He was very respected as Chairman on the Committee on Foreign Relations, and he is doing a damn good job as Governor of New York."
'Yes, Schneizel is a good fit for Secretary of State. A bit disappointing considering how much work I put in to get the chairmanship, but I'm sure he's about to say that I'll be Secretary of Defense.'
"Yes, Mr. President, that's a good choice. Schneizel is good with people, and a great politician. As chairman of that very same committee, I think he'll be a great fit."
"I'm glad to hear that. My next vacancy is Secretary of Defense. Something that really needs to be done right."
'Here it comes...'
"I plan on appointing General Cornelia Lindon to be the next Secretary of Defense."
A/N: Yep, I'll cut it off here for now, let you guys imagine Lelouch's gleeful reaction to this. In response to some of the reviews, yes, many characters from the show will play a part in here, and I am unsure on if I'll include Knightmares in this story. I'd like to use them in some fashion in the story, but not in a way that would detract from Lelouch's political endeavors, which is the main point of this story. So, now you can see the House of Cards inspiration here. Now, I'll be off planning Lelouch's next move. I'll try not to have the characters be too OOC. Of course, in modern-day Washington, things will have to be altered. With that said, see you next chapter!