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Prologue: A different breed of Sith
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Part 1
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Hego Damask's residence
Coruscant
Deep within the tall building existed a place shielded from outside eyes. The best devices money could buy, ancient Sith artifacts, and alchemy obscured the area. It was there that Master and Apprentice met for the final time.
Sidious wined and dinned with his Master, feeding him bottles of wine until the Muun creature was so intoxicated it faded in and out of drunken sleep. He applied every lesson and every bit of experience as a politician to keep a complacent, happy mask in place.
Darth Plagueis, the supposed Dark Lord of the Sith, failed to see through the deception. Sidious grabbed his coat, swirled it around his shoulders, and then headed towards the door. With every step he took, his anticipation built up. Before he got close enough for the door to slide open automatically, Sidious paused and turned around. He stretched his awareness through the force, fixing everything within the room in his mind in a way he would never forget it.
The serving droid's neck whirled quietly, and a pair of photoreceptors curiously focused on Sith. The Dark Side whispered seductively in Sidious' mind.
Your election assured, the Sun Guard absent; Plagueis unsuspecting and asleep.
Sidious moved in a blur. His blood sang with power, and the Dark Side waited in anticipation. His fingers crackled with a web of purple energy, and Sidious struck at Plagueis' breathing device.
The Muun's eyes snapped open. The Dark Side swelled within like a brewing storm. Yet, instead of defending himself or striking at Sidious, Plagueis gathered more and more power within himself.
There was no surprise or pain in the Dark Lord's eyes. Not even hatred.
It dawned on Sidious that his Master was silently challenging him. He could see and sense that the Muun's breathing device was little more than a half-melted piece of scrap hanging off the creature's face. Plagueis had to be slowly suffocating, yet there was no fear or concern Sidious could sense. Was this fool courting death?
That thought took Sidious aback. Was his Master even now experimenting on himself, preparing to challenge and deny death itself? Did he think himself immortal now?!
Sidious drew on the Dark Side deeper than he ever had and unleashed all that power at Plagueis. He had no intention of torturing his Master. That was a chance he decided to forego. His intent was singular, and the Force jumped to obey his will. The purple lighting focused, becoming death incarnate.
Something within Plagueis shifted. The Dark Lord of the Sith unleashed all his power in a devouring wave made of the Dark Side itself. It pushed the lighting back, giving the wounded creature a brief moment of respite.
A shadow of fear stabbed Sidious' black heart. He snarled and threw everything he had, everything he was, into the onslaught. Black, devouring raw power, clashed with his lighting. The Dark Side sang in anticipation, eager to see which one of her champions would triumph today and shroud the galaxy in darkness.
Master and Apprentice threw everything they had at each other, pushing the arcane defenses weaved around the room to their limits. At that moment, they were too evenly matched.
For all his skill and knowledge, Sidious knew his Master never taught him everything the creature knew. That was yet another chain the Muun used to bind him, one he burned to shatter.
Plagueis was intoxicated and wounded. With every passing moment, his body weakened, starving for oxygen. Yet he was the more knowledgeable one. At their level, knowledge was raw power. If he weren't as drunk as he was, Plagueis would have triumphed.
Instead, a sudden, chilling realization gripped him. He was dying. He would die here and now, and at best, he would be able to drag Sidious into the abyss with him.
This would be the end of the Sith. The end of Plagueis' ambition and his quest for immortality. Even worse, it came at a time and place when he was so close to achieving his dreams!
Plagueis mind screamed through the Force, refusing such a fate. He refused his Apprentice's foolish madness. His rage manifested within the Force, and Plagueis shoved it all into the connection he shared with his Apprentice.
Sidious stumbled back. He faltered for a moment when his Master's rage slammed into his mind. He lost control of the lighting onslaught, and Plagueis' attack threw him against the nearest wall with a bone-crushing force. Pain and shock cracked Sidious'mental defenses, and his Master's rage rampaged through his open mind. At the same time, the lack of oxygen and sustained wounds became too much for Plagueis. His intoxicated mind no longer had the focus to reignite his body into healing itself.
The Dark Side itself howled. Her champions were on the edge of death. The galaxy bated its breath, pausing a moment before Master and Apprentice fell into the abyss and gifting the Light Side with an unprecedented victory.
The line of Bane failed, like countless Sith before them, destroyed from within.
The Dark Side desperately searched for an option, for a loophole to avoid a catastrophic loss. There were no more Sith left to champion its cause. The odd ghost bound to their tombs or precious item was of no use. They were failures, born from lines of Sith that ultimately fell for the same reason Plagueis and Sidious destroyed each other.
The Dark Side stilled, contemplating yet another defeat. Even in the madness tainting it, she could grasp the old ways simply didn't work. The realization that she willingly acted to break and change or destroy the few Sith who chose to try another path was a bitter cup indeed.
Their kind had been dead for a long time. In her madness, the Dark Side made sure of it.
All but one. An anomaly lost above Korriban on the verge of what should have been the Sith Empire's triumph, only for everything to end in the flames of betrayal. He was lost in hyperspace, and until this very moment, the Dark Side would have made sure he would have perished there.
She didn't take denials lightly. Someone struggling against her, the full scope of gifts was pleasing only for so long before it became offensive.
In that endless moment, the Dark Side grasped that her kind of madness was little more than sheer pointless insanity. In desperation, the Dark Side lashed at a spot countless parsecs away from Coruscant. The Light Side misread her intention. It was eager to ensure that the anomaly that once upon a time aided the Sith in bringing the Jedi and the Republic to its knees would be no more. The Force struck at the anomaly in hyperspace.
An ancient fighter, hurling through hyperspace without adequate shielding or a way out, finally imploded, scattering its molecule across the galaxy and beyond.
That should have been it. That strike should have erased the anomaly from the face of the universe. The Light Side hummed in contentment, victorious.
The Dark Side snatched a chance from the jaws of defeat.
The energy ravaging Hego Demask's private rooms stilled, condensed, and flowed into the broken form of Darth Sidious. In its moment of death, the Dark Side snatched the ghost of the anomaly. It was a Sith, and intimately connected with it. She shoved it within the body of the man known to the galaxy at large as Sheev Palpatine.
The endless moment shattered. The shroud of the Dark Side shrunk the moment the line of Bane perished.
Broken bones knit together. Bruised flesh healed, consuming excess Dark Side energy.
Neurons sparkled back to life.
A dead Sith stirred as his body recovered, and a lifetime of memories, not his own, slotted in place within his healing mind.
A litany of ugly curses shattered the silence within the ravaged room. The body of Darth Sidious slowly rolled around, and a man who should have died millennia ago got up to his knees. His body shook in protest as he forced it to move.
The man once known as Darth Vael looked at the dead form of Darth Plagueis, the Wise, and shook his head at the waste. He stumbled to the windows, and his shaking hands gripped the soft matter of the curtains. His body shook with the tingling sensation of healing flesh and phantom pain.
The ancient Sith opened the curtains just as golden dawn rose upon Coruscant. He could feel the Dark Side. She was wary and cautiously optimistic. For the first time in over sixty years, he couldn't hear her constant whispering in the back of his mind. She was simply happy and content. That was something that no one in their right mind would ever accuse the Dark Side of.
=L=
I could remember everything. The past sixty years I spent serving the Sith Empire, even as I slowly worked for a way to bring it back to what it was before the war with the Republic. The Triumvirate I built with Baras and Zash.
Vette, Ashara… Everything I cared about and lost.
I could remember everything Palpatine, no Sidious did. Even as stupid as it was, an echo of him burned within my heart in satisfaction at Plagueis' death.
That was such a waste. Once again, the old ways proved self-destructive.
A bitter chuckle escaped my lips. The only thing that surprised me was that Sidious managed to get himself killed this morning. That wasn't how I remembered things should have turned out. Then again, I had a lifetime of proof that what I knew of this universe from so long ago, in another life, was a pale imitation of a living, breathing universe.
The only real surprise was my current existence. That I was somehow alive in a time and place similar to what I once watched in movies in my first life. After all the changes my existence caused, the future should be different.
Perhaps it was the Force, slowly conspiring to get the timeline back into familiar rails. Perhaps, I wasn't in the future of the past I lived. Here and now, it didn't matter.
I was on Coruscant, thousands of years in the future. I was in an older body, one that the Mother Machine didn't rebuild.
Here and now, I had more power at my fingertips than ever.
For all intents and purposes that mattered, I was Sheev Palpatine. Later today, I would be elected Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.
Here and now, the fate of the galaxy was within my grasp.
I was the last of the Sith. The Jedi Order was a pale shadow of the one I knew, yet it was nevertheless dangerous. The Republic was more corrupt than ever. Already, the leaders of hundreds of worlds were eager to work with me to bring forth a New Order. In the coming decade, this number will increase exponentially.
I knew the Sith plan. It would have been impossible if the Republic wasn't rotten to the core. Without the Sith, it was a matter of a few decades, perhaps couple of centures centuries, before someone rose to grasp power, even as the Republic decayed further. It would likely be a warlord on the Outer Rim, which the Core gleefully abandoned before the Banites were in a position to begin implementing their plan with Plagueis' rise to power. In the last four thousand years, the Outer Rim colonies grew in population and industrial power. They shouldn't be a match for the Republic; they wouldn't be a match for the Republic if it weren't a shadow of its former self.
A war of secession would be inevitable. There were too many economic interests in the Core bound by the flow of cheap resources from the outer colonies. Without the abundance of inexpensive resources, there would never be another golden age for the Republic. Countless influential people and corporations would lose fortunes and power. The economy would go out of the airlock.
What the worlds in the Outer Rim desperately needed and would fight for if they saw a chance for victory was something the Core couldn't give them. That was the price for the Republic's Golden Age and the prosperity of trillions of its citizens.
Sooner or later, something would break, and the galaxy would burn in another war. It was a race between the Outer Rim becoming powerful enough and the Republic decaying further.
Naboo was a stress test for the Republic. The Stress Test and the Republic failed it spectacularly.
The only question was, what would I do? Would I vanish, enjoying my well-earned retirement? That idea was enticing.
Yet, the power I now held and the possibility to reshape the galaxy for thousands of years to come made my blood sing. I had a lifetime of memories and ambitions pushing me to seize the chance. I had another lifetime of memories that would have all culminated in a civil war for the very soul and future of the Sith Empire.
Then there was the possibility that the kriffing Vong would invade in fifty or sixty years. Unless I got myself killed, I knew of a few ways that might keep me alive and spry for decades to come. While this body wasn't young, with the Force and state-of-the-art medicine, even the stress of ruling the galaxy might not be enough to kill me before the Vong came.
On the one hand, it would be amusing to sit back and watch the Republic choke on itself. On the other hand, the desire to grab it by the throat and do what no other Sith had achieved was overwhelming.
I wasn't Sidious. I didn't care about the Rule of Two; I didn't need to turn the galaxy into a horror show to get high on the Dark Side.
I might be able to build an Empire that would last for thousands of years. I might be able to finally end the madness that was the endless war between the Jedi and the Sith.
All I had to do was throw the dice and lit the galaxy on fire myself, like I already did once, for vengeance.
I closed the curtains and turned around, looking critically at the room. The last fight of the Banites turned it into a mess. Even with corrupt local law enforcement, this would be too much to risk covering up.
It would take a few pictures for the wrong people to ask the right questions. I stretched my aching body and looked around for the serving droid. It was little more than a clump of scrap shattered against the wall to the right.
I had to tidy up before calling it in. I had the right people bribed to ensure there would be no autopsy or a proper investigation. Still, there was no need to leave obvious clues for enthusiasts who might decide that gathering blackmail material would be a good idea.
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Part 2
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Chancellor's office
Senate building
Coruscant
Mere hours after my official election as the Chancellor, I already knew why Sidious would have gleefully thought that the Death Star was an excellent idea. The way things were going already, I might let Tarkin use it out of sheer spite if I ever authorized the damn thing to be built in the first place. Until recently, I knew intellectually that the Republic had to be messed up to allow the formation of the Empire to be as easy as it was supposed to happen.
The truth was worse than I could have ever imagined. Sidious would have had to go out of his way not to be praised as a hero for ending the madness that was the current Republic's way of 'governing.'
Well, one of those reasons was simple. As far as most people running the galaxy would be concerned, Palpatine would have been little more than a puppet. A new status quo would allow them unprecedented opportunities to seize more power and increase their influence and fortunes. Padme would be wrong.
Democracy wouldn't die when the Senate voted in an Emperor. For almost all intents and purposes that mattered, it was already dead. The same factions that aided Plagues and Sidious to weaken and eventually remove Valorum and opened the way for my election were the ones who believed they could control me.
One of them was Mass Amedda, the Vice Chancellor and the current Acting Chancellor. He was also one of the leaders of the Rim Faction, the hypocrite. Amedda was indispensable in weakening Valorum and tying down his power. If I didn't play my cards right until I could turn him into my creature, he could make my life tremendously difficult.
He was already managing me and tasting the waters, so to speak.
I sat behind Valorum's old desk, reviewing drafts for the speech I would make after officially swearing in as the Chancellor in a few hours. Amedda sat in one of the comfortable chairs before me, surrounded by a large group of financial advisers.
"The Trade Federation as a whole provides services that have become indispensable to the Republic and its economy over the past century. Trying to take away their trade license or cripple their military forces would be impractical in the extreme…."
"We need the cheap resources supplied from the Outer Rim. Without them, the economy of the Republic as a whole is as good as dead. The Trade Federation is a cornerstone guaranteeing that trade continues to flow because otherwise pirates and local warlords would run rampant again, with predictable results." I summarized.
The financial adviser, who had been droning on and on for the last twenty minutes, closed his mouth with a loud click.
"I'm glad you're aware of the gravity of the situation, Chancellor-Elect," Amedda gave me an oily smile.
"The Neimoidian branch of the Trade Federation will be paying for what they broke on Naboo. We can later negotiate any further sanctions and penalties to a reasonable level. Any issues that can kill the economy should, at worst, drown in red tape until we can quietly shove the whole issue away from the public eye." I looked pointedly at Amedda.
The blue-skinned Chagrian relaxed in his chair.
"I will visit Naboo in a few days. There I will have a heart-to-heart conversation with my dear Queen and the people who were supposed to keep her from turning disastrous policies into reality." I stared at Amedda. "Do we have an understanding?"
"I'm glad you remain a reasonable man, Chancellor-Elect. You are deftly avoiding the mistakes of your predecessor." Amedda's oily smile became somewhat genuine. "I'm also relieved you aren't letting sentimentality cloud your judgment. Despite the tragedy on Naboo, neither you nor this office can afford to give credence to any potential accusations of bias."
"If that weren't the case, I wouldn't be sitting in this chair, and we both know it." I offered him a fake smile of my own. "Speaking about the economy," I wiped out the smile from my face, "what are our options to alter the taxation changes that made something like the current unpleasantries inevitable in the first place?"
At its core, the Republic was an economic and defensive alliance, with everything else built upon that foundation. No matter that the Sith engineered the Naboo Crisis, the preconditions for something like it would have never materialized if the Republic wasn't broken.
The Republic has been doing its best to abandon its defensive capabilities for over a hundred years. More recently, the Senate gleefully voted in taxation changes that could easily break the economy, and thus the second most crucial pillar holding this house of cards in place.
It was pure, short-signed greed that allowed it to happen.
"A bill to reinforce the freedom of trade across the Republic, with the right clauses hidden in it, might work," Amedda suggested.
"Please, arrange for a preliminary draft so we can examine it. When we have that, we can consult with whoever we need to ensure that what we show the Senate is acceptable for as many factions as possible."
"I will make the necessary arrangements." This time, Amedda's smile was genuine. The only reason he finally backed the tax reform was because it was yet another torpedo to demolish Valorum's career with.
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Republic One
Naboo
This was a different time and age from what I was familiar with. As far as some of my memories went, the Chancellor of the Republic never went away from Coruscant without an escorting fleet. Ideally, they would also have the better part of an army group for protection on the ground. Anything less would have been a wet dream for the Imperial military.
Today, I traveled to Naboo with a small cadre of Senate Guards, who were, in practice, parade troops. At the same time, a group of somewhat more competent and experienced Judicial Forces personnel came along to provide more security. This was yet another reminder that I was in a different galaxy.
The only reason I got this much security in the first place was the recent upheaval on Naboo. Otherwise, I would be stuck with the parade ground troops. Finding someone loyal and competent for the job suddenly became important on my endless 'to-do' list.
On the bright side, I now had at least a decade, if not more, to subvert and troll the Jedi. That was a bit of joy I gleefully looked forward to after the last few days. On a related note, I would never know how Amedda was supposed to survive for the next few decades working under Sidious. I was already ready to strangle the slimy bastard in public.
The transport's pilot brought us in a wide circle that offered a great view of Theed. Say what you will about the idiotic pacifism of my supposed people; they knew how to build breathtaking cities. Even with Palpatine's memories, seeing the capital for the first time in person was something else. It helped me anchor my mask in place to deceive the Jedi better.
Speaking about the Jedi and politics, for that matter, my brief vacation would be over as soon as we landed. I would have to begin managing them and, more importantly, my dear naive Queen and future senator.
For Sidious, Naboo was little more than an obstacle and a headache he looked forward to ignoring from the moment he became the Chancellor. I had other ideas, especially if the Force decided to be stubborn and Skywalker eventually hooked up with Amidala.
One useful lesson I learned serving the Sith Empire was that kindness had its keen edge. That was especially true when your peers were murderous idiots who went out of their way to ensure the enemy would fight to the death. Gaining a reputation for keeping your word and treating prisoners and civilians well could break the enemy better than a few additional divisions could.
This sentiment was true out of the battlefield as well, as long as people knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what would happen if they kriffed with you.
In that regard, a subverted Amidala could be beneficial politically. If she ended up marrying Skywalker, she could be an invaluable ally.
=L=
Part 3
=L=
Theed City
Naboo
We landed on one of the plazas beside the palace, where an L-shaped formation of Royal guards stood at parade rest.
Two ceremonial guards clad in the traditional blue of the Chancellor's Office walked down the transport's ramp. I followed them, striding after them, radiating happiness and relief. The rest of my security detail – four more of them – followed behind me. The hilarious part was that a large part of the Jedi Council came next. As a courtesy, I offered them a free ride to Naboo, so they could attend the funeral of one of their own and decide Skywalker's fate.
They all kept to themselves during our voyage. More importantly, not a single one of them suspected they were on the same ship as the Dark Lord of the Sith.
Amidala, her entourage, and a pair of familiar Jedi waited to greet me. A small security detail escorted two Neimoidians toward my ship, who were none the wiser that I was their Sith patron.
It was time to start messing with the Jedi.
"We're indebted to your bravery, Obi-Wan Kenobi!" I beamed at the young Jedi and the much younger and impressionable kid beside him.
Skywalker appeared to be still wearing the faded old clothes I saw him arrive on Coruscant with not so long ago.
"And you, young Skywalker!" I put on my best grandfatherly smile. That was something Palpatine spent a disturbing amount of time practicing in front of a mirror. "Naboo owes you a great debt, young one. What you did was amazing." I didn't need to fake my praise. Even with the Force basically holding his hands, Anakin's stunt should be enough to make him a legend in the right circles. "We will watch your career with great interest." I leaned forward and looked him in the eyes. "If our Jedi friends decide you're too old to train, I can assure you. We will ensure you're taken care of and can pursue whatever future you desire."
Skywalker stared at me in awe, while Kenobi's confusion was a balm to the soul.
I patted Anakin on the shoulder and went to greet Amidala so we could exchange empty platitudes.
=L=
Royal Palace
Theed City
Naboo
After we settled into the palace, I gave the right people the necessary hints to ensure that late tonight and tomorrow, I could have a quiet heart-to-heart with the Queen and her government. With that task out of the way, I had a few hours of spare time until Jinn's funeral in the early evening.
With so many Jedi around, I didn't dare spread out my senses through the force. Instead, I slipped past my security detail and asked a few of the servants pointed questions. This information led me to one of the palaces' towers, where two Jedi met after requesting a place they could speak in private.
I stalked through the corridors with lidded eyes, focusing on my ears. Soon I could hear the distinct tapping sound of Yoda's cane on the marble floor.
"Grave danger I fear in his training!" Yoda huffed in almost proper Basic.
I knew it! The records on the Jedi I had access to as the Chancellor didn't lie! The little troll could speak proper Basic if he so wished! The bastard has been trolling everyone for hundreds of years now!
"Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word! I will train Anakin. Without the approval of the Council, if I must!"
Yoda's pacing continued, indicated by the tapping of his stick.
I grinned and walked towards them. I heard the Jedi Master huff, then his pacing ceased. When I turned around the corner, I saw the short green alien staring at me with drooping ears.
"Master Yoda, Jedi Kenobi!" I exclaimed happily. "You're just the people I hoped to have a word with! I couldn't help but overhear the last part of your discussion. This isn't the best place for a quiet conversation unless you have a lookout or two." I waved at the two open corridors leading to this part of the tower.
"Chancellor," Yoda nodded.
"I'm here to officially request you inform Queen Amidala or me if you decide that young Anakin is too old to train as a Jedi. We will happily take the young Hero of Naboo and offer him the best education in the galaxy."
Yoda's shoulders' slumped.
"Appreciate the gesture. I do. Needed it is not." The Jedi Master sighed. "Agree with you the Council does!" He declared aloud and looked at Obi-Wan. "Take as Padawan, youngling Skywalker you will."
"Congratulations on your promotion, Knight Kenobi! I'm glad to hear that our young hero is in capable hands." My smile and cheer slowly drained from my face. "Master Yoda, I'm afraid I must make another request of you. I would like us to talk about the state of the galaxy on our way back to Coruscant."
"Politics?" Yoda sighed.
"Politics, Master Jedi." I nodded gloomily.
It was tough not to sneer. This display… I would never know for sure if, without my suggestion, the Jedi would have been stupid enough to let Anakin go. Or worse, try to shove him into one of the service corps where he would waste his potential.
=L=
Late that evening, after Jinn's funeral, I could finally have that private conversation with the Queen. I still struggled not to laugh aloud at what I heard during the funeral. Yoda and Windu were seriously wondering if Maul might have been the Master, a proper Lord of the Sith, no less.
I knew both the Jedi and Sith had fallen far, but this? Maul was a blunt instrument. He would still be stuck as an Acolyte in the Sith Academy if he attended it when someone competent ran the place. Maul was little more than an ill-trained blunt instrument that could be useful in the future. His brand of chaos would be another point that would make many people yearn for centralization and proper military to protect them.
That was for later. I finally reached Amidala's office and left my small security detail at the door, where Padme's Royal Guards also waited.
Once inside, we exchanged another round of greetings. I noted the Queen still wore the mourning dress she had during the funeral. I allowed myself the tiniest crack in my mask to ensure this was indeed Amidala and not one of her doubles.
There was no mistaking this Force signature. I had known her well since before she got elected as not quite the figurehead many people believed me to be. I sat on the chair Padme offered me and openly grimaced at her.
"My Queen, now that we can speak freely, I feel compelled to demand an explanation. I must do this as the former Senator tasked to safeguard Naboo's interests in the Senate and as the Chancellor." I made a show of rubbing my forehead. "And as someone who considers himself your friend, Padme, I must speak with you unofficially, in the way the Chancellor of the Republic never could."
Amidala stiffened at my words. I didn't need the Force to notice how her mask cracked briefly. This revealed a young woman stuck in a situation where she was out of her depth. Her boldness and recklessness over the past weeks didn't change this. Her mask quickly reformed, and I once again looked at a facsimile of a sculpture.
"We're eager to hear and address your concerns, Chancellor."
"Was anyone in our government thinking when they suggested and convinced you to sign on raising tariffs?!" I let some of my frustration leak as I demanded answers.
Padme recoiled from my outburst as if struck.
=L=
Part 4
=L=
Royal Palace
Theed City
Naboo
Amidala quickly regained her composure and countered with a question of her own.
"Why didn't you ask this question earlier? You supported the Taxation bill in the first place!"
"This is the first time we've met in a secure enough place since the last time I was on Naboo, my Queen. Discussing certain issues when I am not sure of the details, back on Coruscant, could have undermined your authority and standing. Doing so could have been even more disastrous for our case in front of the Senate."
"You believe we were listened to in your residence?" Padme demanded.
"My Queen, right now, I wouldn't bet against the Chancellor's office and suites in the Senate being bugged. We need to discuss much, but first, I need a few honest answers before I explain certain things."
I gave Amidala an honest deadpan look while she stared at me in disbelief.
"I'll need time to get trustworthy vetted personnel and ensure a reasonable amount of privacy as the new Chancellor. Now, to answer your questions, my Queen. As the Senator of Naboo and the Representative of the Chommell sector, it was not my job to shape policy in any way. My job was to protect the interests of our people as seen and dictated by our government. I had to protect the interests of the systems in the Sector I used to represent until recently, as expressed by their governments. I was and still am against Proposition 31-814D."
Padme's mask lightly cracked again. Her confusion was plain to see.
"I will elaborate later why I believe it was an idiotic idea in its current form. However, first I would love to hear why our government thought it was a good idea and how they convinced you to back the bill and take advantage of it as soon as possible." I peered intently at Padme.
"My understanding is the Republic desperately needs these taxes. They would not only help solve the fiscal debt, but their revenue would also help worlds on the Rim. Further, the parts of the taxes that would flow into our budget is something we could put to good use." Padme explained.
"That last point is the only one with a grain of truth." I pointed out. She couldn't be this native, right? "My Queen," I leaned forward, "Padme, almost everything people used to gather public support for that bill was a lie. The powers of the Core in the Senate voted to abandon support for the Outer Rim. That happened so they wouldn't have to pay for the Republic's military and the development of colonies far from their centers of power. These same people were behind this bill. I can assure you, the only money that flows towards the Outer Rim goes straight into the bank accounts of corporations, often as outright bribes." I chuckled bitterly. "That, of course, is the least of it. Please think. I've known you as a child. I know you're a bright young woman, my Queen. Think about the implications of the bill. Think what happens when everyone who could taxs the likes of the Trade Federation. Think what the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guild do for the Republic as a whole!" I demanded.
As the Queen of Naboo, Padme's position wasn't entirely ceremonial. Besides, among other things, she should have received an excellent education in politics and the reality of how the galaxy works from a young age. I knew for a fact that this was never the exact truth. I shouldn't be surprised by the result from what I observed now and from what my memories of Palpatine's past told me. It nevertheless made me furious. This was such a waste. Padme Amidala had the talent needed to become one of the best politicians in the galaxy. Yet, she would have squandered much of it, and it was intentional on behalf of a lot of people.
Padme opened her mouth to protest, then thought better of it and closed it, pursing her lips. She gave me a stern look and then slumped in her chair, leaving behind her carefully crafted monarch mask.
"I should know exactly what you're talking about," Padme grumbled. "All I could think right now is the Trade Federation is exploiting the Outer Rim, and the taxation is fair. That is what I was taught. They've been making unprecedented profits while avoiding paying taxes. The tax reform bill is just! It was the right thing to do for everyone but a greedy corporation. It should have benefited the whole Republic!"
That was painfully close to the narrative that made countless people across the galaxy celebrate when the bill passed. At the same time, countless economists went to get drunk in a desperate hope that the nightmare would be over when they awoke.
"Padme, for decades now, the Trade Federation, with its military fleets and droid armies, and through it, the Commerce Guild, have been the only reason the Republic still has access to cheap resources from the Outer Rim. These cheap resources are the only reason the economy still floats. They were the core reason behind the unprecedented Golden Age that our ancestors enjoyed. They were the source of prosperity for trillions of Republic citizens. The taxation bill threatens this." I paused and carefully watched Padme.
Amidala was deep in thought and didn't like the implications of what I was telling her.
"This kind of taxation destroys the Trade Federation profits. At the same time, they're bound by contracts to provide cheap transport of resources and goods. They must maintain a massive military to keep a semblance of peace on the Outer Rim because the Republic Senate outright refused to pay for such a thing. This bill was just proof that short-sighted greed rules many of the factions that run the Core Worlds and, with them, the Republic as a whole."
Padme didn't like listening to the facts of life explained to her.
"This isn't the Republic I was taught about." She shook her head. "This isn't the Republic that was supposed to protect us."
"No, my Queen. This is the Republic that refused to aid us in our hour of need. This is the Senate that would let the Trade Federation go with a slap on the wrist. That would happen as soon as it dawns on enough people that we will otherwise face a catastrophic economic crisis. Right now, no one would be able to step in and fill the Trade Federation's shoes. Only a few factions could afford to pay for such an expansion in the short term, and they have many enemies who would block such an attempt. Because if something like that happens, it will give Kuat, the Corellian Alliance, or the few other contenders too much hard power within the Republic. For all its power and the issues that come with it, the Trade Federation and the Commerce Guilds are an acceptable alternative."
"Those are things I should have been aware of," Padme grumbled.
"Those are things various esteemed government members should have taught you about. It was their duty to do so. No one in their right mind expects the Queen of Naboo to be all-knowing." I smiled kindly. "It is a feature of your youth and position that you wouldn't start your reign as a cynic politician. The limit placed upon the position is to ensure that you will be close to your majority by the time you know everything you need to thrive in politics. Your years as a Queen should have allowed you to earn the experience and training to become a leader of a different kind in our government. That's the traditional path many Queens take. Building up capable politicians to lead our people is a feature of our Royal system."
"In my case, it didn't work as advertised." Amidala sighed.
"Then it is your duty to fix this and ensure that your successor would be better prepared. For what it's worth, I'm here for you and will freely offer my council, Padme. Not as the Chancellor of the Republic, but as your friend and the former Senator of Naboo."
This obviously wasn't the original plan Sidious had for Padme. However, in her regard, he did me a solid one. He practically ensured I could step in and become her mentor in politics and a close friend if I played my cards right.
"I will do so, Chancellor. I will listen to your advice, though I can't promise I will follow through." Padme put her royal bask back together. "We will have answers from our government. The issues and concerns you pointed out are things that our government should have brought to our attention. That way, we could have made an educated decision for the good of our people."
Now, the missile Padme was primed to go off and aimed. Purging the government and getting the right people in place would be a first step to ensuring that Naboo might turn into an asset instead of a thorn in my side in the coming years. The same was true as far as Padme herself was concerned.
"As the Chancellor, I can explain certain realities to our friends in the government in case we're dealing with mere stupidity. That said, considering my position, officially, I can offer little more than advice and moral support."
"You can't be in a position to be accused of nepotism." Padme nodded, finally putting her brain to good use. "The same factions who brought Chancellor Valorum down might use even the perception of it against you."
"There is no might about it, my Queen. Then the Trade Federation will fight to avoid further losses. It has no other option."
"The Viceroy and his cronies must pay for what they did to Naboo!" Padme snapped.
"That is something I might be able to arrange. However, it would be at the price of letting the Trade Federation as a whole get away with the invasion with a slap on the wrist. The best I might be able to deliver realistically is ensuring they pay reparations. As far as Gunrey goes, we'll get him one way or another, even if it takes time. I am of Naboo, my Queen. Even if it takes years to get there, I will do my best to see justice done."
"That is something we're relieved to hear, Chancellor. Please tell us more about the Senate and the Republic as they are, not as we wish or believed them to be."
I put forth my best sad smile and began to air some of the Senate's dirty laundry I was aware of, but it would be tough to prove in a court of law.
=L=
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