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I will be Chancellor.
Senator Sheev Palpatine walked into the VIP suite apartment given to Queen Amidala with a spring in his step and a genuine smile on his face, although his darker self yearned to show the Queen his true gratitude for getting this far with his plans. Escorted by the Queen's chief of security, Captain Panaka, Palpatine was pleased that the Sith Grand Plan was showing signs that one of its greatest goals had been met.
Palpatine, Darth Sidious, apprentice to Darth Plagueis, heir to the legacy of Darth Bane, was on his way to becoming the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, a major step in the Grand Plan orchestrated a thousand years beforehand by Darth Bane following the New Sith Wars which had seen the virtual extermination and the resultant extinction of the Sith. However the Sith had survived in the form of the Rule of Two - a master and an apprentice, and over the years, the apprentice would come to kill their master and attain mastery themselves.
With each new generation of Sith, the Grand Plan would be accelerated. The aim of the Grand Plan was to ripen the galaxy for Sith rule, by infiltrating the Republic itself and turning it into a Sith Empire. Each new Sith Master had contributed to the Plan in some way, by fostering conflicts aimed at demoralising the Republic and weakening the Sith's sworn enemy, their spiritual counterpart, the Jedi Order.
But Palpatine was exceptional. And it wasn't arrogance. But a pure fact, for Palpatine was the first Sith Lord to ever become a senator of the Republic while hiding his Sith persona so well that even the Jedi were fooled. And now he was well on his way to becoming Chancellor; it was part of his plans of course, and that of the Sith Grand Plan, but Palpatine had expected that victory to come to him within a few months. He had been laying down the foundations of that outcome for months now, by using the Force to manipulate the minds of various allies and senators so then he would be voted in as the new Supreme Chancellor the closer that fool Valorum came closer to the end of his term in office. But he knew he had the chance, for he had been manipulating them all the entire time, so he would be voted in.
When he and Panaka stepped into the suite, Palpatine spotted the young woman who had called for a Vote of No-confidence and ended Valorum's time. Palpatine would be forever grateful to her. "Your Highness, Senator Palpatine has been nominated to succeed Valorum as Supreme Chancellor," Panaka announced.
Palpatine stepped forward even as Amidala turned and gave him her full attention. "A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one," he said putting on a modest guise that masked how he had truly ensured he was on that track "I promise, Your Majesty if I am elected, I will bring democracy back to the Republic. I will put an end to corruption. The Trade Federation will lose its influence over the bureaucrats, and our people will be freed."
And the Separatist movement which has been seeded already will gain more track in time to set up the interstellar war which will help the Sith's new empire rise from the ashes of the Republic, he privately thought to himself, not caring about his people at all although he did have a soft spot for his own world.
In a way, the Sith really would end the corruption…by eventually dissolving the Senate, but really the corruption in the Senate was one that a trained politician, especially a Sith Lord, could manipulate like a fine tool.
Amidala turned to Panaka. "Who else can be nominated?" She asked curiously.
"Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Ainlee Teem of Malastare."
Palpatine knew they would fail; while he had manipulated the Force steadily over the last few months as Valorum's term reached its end, the Sith Lord knew it was the Will of the Force he became the Supreme Chancellor and he had ensured that the others would only receive a few votes, whereas he would receive many more. "I feel confident...our "situation" will create a strong sympathy vote for us... I will be Chancellor, I promise you," Palpatine said with certainty as he sat down.
Amidala was not in a celebratory mood. "I fear by the time you have control of the bureaucrats, Senator, there will be nothing left of our cities, our people, our way of life…"
Palpatine nodded with faked solemnity. "I understand your concern, Your Majesty; unfortunately, the Federation has possession of our planet. The law is in their favour."
As it was, thanks to him. Truth be told, Amidala's presence on Naboo, if she had stayed without the interference of the Jedi would have been part of the greater Sith design to help him become Chancellor anyway, but thanks to the Jedi which Sidious found ironic since the Jedi had never helped the Sith, but now after millennia they had brought the Queen from Naboo and with her aid, after he had seen the advantages, the Sith Order would finally be on the track to ultimate victory. "With the Senate in transition, there is nothing more I can do here," Amidala's remark as she stood watching the Coruscanti skyline with the towering buildings of the metropolis and the speeders flying outside drew Palpatine's attention back to her. "Senator, this is your arena. I feel I must return to mine. I have decided to go back to Naboo. My place is with my people."
Palpatine stood up in genuine surprise. He had not expected this from her, while he knew she was tenacious and strong-willed, Palpatine hadn't expected her to be suicidal. "Go back! But, Your Majesty, be realistic! You would be in danger. They will force you to sign the treaty."
Amidala's eyes flashed. "I will sign no treaty, Senator. My fate will be no different from that of our people. Captain!"
Panaka jumped to attention immediately as the Queen walked towards the door. "Yes, Your Highness?"
Amidala's order was brisk and blunt. "Ready my ship!"
Panaka looked torn between following his orders and following his mandate of protecting the Queen from harm. He tried one last-ditch effort. "Please, Your Majesty, stay here...where it's safe."
But Amidala was as obstinate as she was beautiful underneath the traditional Royal Makeup of the Nabooan royalty. "No place is safe if the Senate doesn't condemn this invasion. It is clear to me now that the Republic no longer functions as a democracy," Amidala paused and turned to face Palpatine. "If you win the election, Senator, I know you will do everything possible to stop the Federation. I pray you will bring sanity and compassion back to the Senate."
As Amidala and her retinue of bodyguards and handmaidens left the suite, Palpatine wore a self-satisfied smile on his face as he watched her. While it didn't ultimately matter to the Sith Lord one way or another if she lived or died, or even if she signed the treaty. If the Trade Federation had a signed treaty, it would make Valorum and the Senate look even more foolish, making people believe they cared more for votes for new Chancellors rather than a member world's wellbeing.
Such an act would make it easier for others to see when the inevitable foundation of the Separatist movement that the Trade Federation was strong and powerful.
But if Amidala succeeded in fighting the Trade Federation, then it would make no difference. One day, Darth Sidious would be the long-awaited Sith Master who would end the Grand Plan and bring it to fruition.
