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Phase 4

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Part 3

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Senate Building

Coruscant

As soon as the politicians left, Jan whirled around and glared at Terrinald.

"You are a right bastard!"

The scarred man smirked at Dodonna and gestured for him to go on.

"I'm aware enough of the political realities! I know many in the Senate don't want more powerful Judicial Forces, much less anything looking like a real military!"

"Everyone in this room was among the people who would prefer the Republic has a proper military and that the executive has some teeth to get things done. They sadly can't agree on giving anyone that much power," Screed explained.

"Kriffing politics." Jan groaned. "We'll be left cleaning up the mess again, aren't we?"

Screed just shrugged and calmly pulled out the data chip from the terminal. The holographic image between them vanished, bathing the room in twilight until the lamps glowed brighter to chase away the shadows.

"And since when do we have politicians with the vaguest ideas about military realities?" Dodonna demanded.

"You noticed that, didn't you?" There was no mistaking the pride in Terrinald's voice.

"We have the beginning of a plan. It would take a lot of work for proper command staff to turn it into anything but a mirage. I could see it in their eyes. Most of the Senators thought it was as simple as we outlined it!" Jan shook his head in disgust. It was apparent just Iblis, the Bothan, and the Chancellor had any idea of what taking on three Sectors at the same time might entail!"

"I couldn't tell for sure about a few of them in the back. They looked properly attentive." Screed noted. "Now, we need to get back and start turning this idea into a proper plan."

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Chancellor's residence
Senate Building
Coruscant

I sat on the couch and rubbed my forehead. Dealing with so much concentrated idiocy resulted in an unpleasant headache combined with the desire to burn down the Senate with all the Senators locked inside.

"Sate, what are the realistic odds I haven't been wasting my time trying to become Chancellor?"

"That remains to be seen, boss." My spymaster didn't try to sugarcoat it too much. "The Core Faction has enough votes to ram a vote through if it wants to. The Rim is going to be divided on the subject. Numerous sectors need military help."

"Unfortunately, the Core Faction is divided and without a leader. The odds of a united stance are remote." Sly noted. "Our backers are divided as well. We have 'requests' to solve the issue and orders to prolong the crisis, so some of our patrons could make fortunes through speculation. I don't believe it's going to be different throughout the Core."

"I'm eighty percent sure that we are heading towards an economic crash as fast as we are due to rampant speculation all over the galaxy. The right, or well, wrong people saw constriction of raw resources coming due to the Trade Federation issues and are taking advantage of it. That's what all economic advisers I trust are telling me. You've got their reports as well." Sate waved at my office, where my desk was buried under data chips with reports and forecasts.

"Sate, contact our benefactors, at least those who want this issue solved, and inform them what the plan is. Do remind the rest that the situation is now out of control. Make them understand that I won't see my political career ended and reputation tainted by presiding over the worst economic catastrophe since before the Reformation."

"Heh, you were serious when you told that bunch you will resign if it comes down to it?" Sate asked.

"Of course. We do have other options to get what we want. Being blamed for the unfolding catastrophe would be a great setback."

"In that case, there isn't much we can do. The Senators you met with are in contact with their governments using encrypted channels. We all know what they're discussing. What their backers will decide, and if they can get to a decision fast enough, is out of our control." Sate shrugged. "If that's all, boss, I have people to contact."

"Do so." I nodded.

Sate got up and rapidly left. He knew better than to get into contact with our supporters from here. We might be free to speak inside. However, I wasn't about to trust the 'secure' channels going out of the Senate building. Every spy agency in the galaxy watched this damn place and the people responsible for fending off such efforts more often than not facilitated them.

I should know; some of them were on Sate and, through him, my payroll.

"I'm surprised you aren't out lobbying for a solution." Sly pointed out now that we were alone.

"The Senators of the largest alliances and powers in the Core already are talking with the people holding their leashes. Sate is about to speak with our backers. I can't be seen more actively supporting a rejuvenation of the Judicial Forces and an intervention in the Outer Rim. That would lose us support from parts of the Rim Faction for this crisis and in the future. I'm playing a longer game. If the Republic is determined to destroy its economy, so be it. If a catastrophe happens, it will close some paths and open others. That said," I gave Sly a sly smile. "I think it's high time you have a quiet word with Senator Chappel. I'm sure we'll be able to scrounge an anti-piracy detachment to her Sector if she introduces the bill she spoke of to the media."

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I didn't get to rest that evening. Shortly after Sly left to speak with Chappel, Amedda walked into my residence, looking exhausted. He collapsed in the closest armchair with a groan.

"You are one crazy human!" Amedda grumbled quietly.

"That's the Senate. We're paragons of sanity in comparison."

Amedda chuckled at that.

"I didn't believe my career could end over such foolishness." He bemoaned.

"Oh, yes." I chuckled. "You'll get blamed for not managing me effectively enough and allowing the crisis to reach too far before being stopped. Not that we have the official power to do anything about it but ask nicely." I didn't bother to hide my sarcasm.

"You were supposed to be easy to manage and grateful for becoming a Chancellor." Amedda continued.

"You've been the Vice Chair for ages, and I've been Senator long enough." I reminded him.

"You have plans." Amedda accused.

"That should have been obvious to anyone paying attention." I agreed.

"Yet you're ready to throw all this hard work to the wind!" He waved around.

"If the people behind the Senate want to throw the Republic out of the airlock, I can't possibly stop them. If enough of them want to avoid an economic crash, then I can do something constructive if they can get on the same page. Thus what I did earlier. If not, I will enjoy being CEO of one of the largest corporations in the galaxy and take advantage of the economic meltdown."

Amedda made a choking noise at the frank admission.

"I recommend you speak with your allies. If they want something constructive to happen, we will need the tools to fix this idiocy. If not, I have my resignation ready, awaiting my signature."

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Part 4

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Corellian Engineering Corporation (CEC) announced that CEC has the resources to meet its ongoing shipbuilding contracts for the next three months. Unexpected changes in the resource market would lead to increased shipbuilding costs and delays from that point onward.

HoloNet News

The Techno Union joins Rendilli Stardrive and CEC in announcing increased prices in the future. The extensive Fondor shipyards will soon be unable to meet their contracts at negotiated costs due to the increased price of resources and decreased availability of crucial trace elements on the market.

GNN Morning News

Kuat Drive Yards Director Onara Kuat confirms that KDY will be able to meet its current obligations for the next six months. This is only possible due to the policy of maintaining extensive material stockpiles implemented eighty years ago. After that point, delays and prices might depend on the situation in the open market.

Kuat Business News

A recession is now inevitable!

HoloNet News

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Senate Chamber
Senate Building
Coruscant

Two days of bluster in the Senate served as a cover so that most Senators could speak with the people they represented. Then, those governments, corporations, and special interest groups had to figure out what was acceptable for them, decide, and give their Senators marching orders.

The only surprise was it took only two more days for enough people to reach a consensus. Cheap resources had to flow, the economy had to be salvaged, or heads would roll, and political careers would end.

The first overt sign that the waste of time and aggravation was over came in the form of Senator Chappel's pod lighting up. That was a sign she finally wanted to speak. As soon as the current speaker finished their bluster – more idiocy about reducing corporate taxes, which were pathetically low already, my Vice Chair called her. Enough people were clued in on how dangerous the situation was and had the foresight to understand what giving Chappel the ability to speak could mean. The die-hard opponents of centralized power rose in an uproar, and Amedda had to spend nearly five minutes making them shut up.

Finally, it was time for something constructive to happen. Hopefully.

Chappel was an older, veteran Senator. She was in her late eighties, though save for her silver hair, you wouldn't know it by looking at her. Despite representing a Sector of little consequence in the Outer Rim, she was respected and connected with many factions within the Senate. That, in practice, made her one of the "neutral" voices various factions in the Senate went through to push agendas that would look better if put forward by someone else.

"Esteemed colleagues, there is much that can be said about our current situation and how we got here," Chappel's voice was lould and clear. "This isn't the time for pointing fingers. Changes in taxation won't fend off pirates or scare warlords. They won't stop even one of the countless conflicts flaring over the Outer Rim Territories due to ancient vendettas. Right at this moment, the why's don't matter. We need to explore them and make sure history doesn't repeat itself, yet that is a concern for the future. As we speak, the livelihoods of countless beings across the Republic are endangered by a looming economic crisis. For many in the Outer Rim Territories, the threat is greater and more personal – pirates, petty thieves, and would-be conquerors threaten their lives. Such groups are responsible for the core issue behind the current economic woes facing the whole galaxy!"

I had to give it to Chappel. She knew how to make people listen. She had charisma, the odd kind that made her sound like your grandmother explaining things to you instead of a regular, sneaky politician. Somehow, this also worked on many aliens, especially the near-human ones. Others looked on with bemusement, and some agreed with the sentiment anyway.

Even those who knew wouldn't like her proposition did go quiet for the time being. Say what you will, there are points in politics when nothing could substitute for a charismatic speaker.

"This madness must end! The Republic no longer has the luxury of ignoring the Outer Rim Territories and relying on the Trade Federation to deal with the issues there! Over the past year, the Trade Federation proved itself increasingly incapable of keeping the peace in that vast region of space. That is why I propose an Emergency Resolution in front of this honored body!" Chappel declared.

I could hear loud hisses from certain parts of the Chamber. However, my eyes darted between the people representing the major powers of the Core. There was no surprise I could see. Just carefully blank faces or the odd smile of approval. The representatives of the Techno Union, the Mining Guild, and with them, the Senators of Empress Teta and Fondor, alongside their allies, were on board. I should know. They were essentially my quiet backers, or at least most of that same group. Considering how quickly everything else happened, Sate simply couldn't give me more information about the outcome of countless meetings behind closed doors across the galaxy that occurred over the past few days.

For the old Palpatine, that would have been infuriating. On the other hand, I had no illusion that I could control the whole galaxy.

"We must expand the Judicial Forces. We must give them the emergency funding needed to secure the parts of the Outer Rim Territories that burn. We must give the Office of the Chancellor the bare minimum of tools required to resolve this situation before we all face a potentially catastrophic economic crisis!" Chappel declared and pressed a few buttons on her pod's control panel. Within moments, the whole Senate lit up, indicating everyone had just received a bill to review.

The expected uproar didn't disappoint. It was the worst I could remember. Yet, it wasn't just the anger of those who felt betrayed by one of their 'own.' I could clearly hear many cries of support and curses about treachery before the cacophony became too much.

It took Amedda half an hour to calm things down enough so we could continue. Meanwhile, I did take the opportunity to skim over the bill. Doing so forced me to fight to keep a smile off my face. Chappel didn't joke. Among other things, the bill would return much of the theoretical command authority that my Office had over the Judicial Forces into practical command power, like it used to be. You know, in the bright days of long ago, when the Chancellor legally had a lot of teeth invested in their position.

The emergency funding part was an authorization to negotiate loans from the Banking Clan to fund the Judicial Forces and thus sidestep the legal blackhole that was the Republic budget. In practice, there were strict limits on what anyone could do with said budget while the Republic was spending more than came in the form of taxes. That happened because everyone and their uncle thrice removed fought to reduce taxes at every opportunity over the past thousand years. Yet, only two parts of the Republic's budget became longer needed in that period. That came from virtually stopping all development and aid aimed at most assistance to the Outer Rim Territories first. The Republic disbanding its military was the second.

If anything, other branches of the government kept expanding as the Republic technically kept growing in size, yet the money available through taxation kept shrinking. One of the big reasons for this was simple. Most large corporations paid certain local taxes, which ensured the cooperation of their governments and people. On the federal level, their contribution to the budget was a token one.

Hell, in the Trade Federation's case, it was getting all kinds of tax breaks and subsidies until very recently. That was so it could maintain its vast military and do what should be the job of the Republic military on the Rim. While that was an extreme example, it was by no means a unique one.

"Senator Lenoan from Kuat will speak next!" Amedda's thunderous announcement focused my mind away from the bill's contents.

"Dear colleagues, I must support Senator Chappel's proposition in spirit, if not yet in practice. She is right. This madness must end! The galaxy was at peace when we disbanded the Republic military as redundant. It was at peace while this Senate kept reducing the Republic's budget, especially the one of the Judicial Forces. The galaxy is no longer as peaceful as it once was." The Kuati woman's voice sounded like a dirge for an age long lost. "We must face the reality of our situation and seek the best ways to salvage the great peace hard won by our predecessors. We need to act. That is why I propose a short recess to examine Senator Chappel's, Emergency Bill. We must decide not if we should back it but if it's enough to solve the crisis we're facing."

After this, the outrage from many Rim Faction Senators was overwhelming. Amedda had no choice but to call for a recess so we could all cool our tempers.

"We will meet at eight sharp, standard Coruscant time!" Amedda decreed, using the emergency system to boost his voice loud enough to be heard over the shouting.

Now I had to gather my allies, comb through the bill, and figure out how to expand it best tomorrow, if at all practical.

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