Chapter 14

"We must take immediate action!" The Aqualish senator demanded.

"My planet has been invaded," the Rodian senator said. "I want the invaders driven out!"

"Maybe they can be reasoned with," the Mon Calamarin senator said. "They have not hurt anyone yet."
"Except those that have tried to fight back." The Bothan senator said. "I have messages coming in from my people, saying they are ready to fight back, but we need Allaince support."

"And us too!" several senators shouted at once as their voices grew louder in the increasing ruckus of senate debate. In the center of it all stood the Chief of State, trying to be patient and calm as he listened to all the senator's demands. The original meeting he had planned to discuss with the senate had been cut short by the recent reports of invasions of many planets. The still as of yet unidentified attackers were still at large and spreading and no one had any idea where they had come from. It seemed that they had just appeared out of no where.

"Senators, please, I know each of you wants to do what is best for your own planet," The Chief of State called out from his center podium, trying to keep his voice loud enough to be heard over the shouting of the senators. "But there are simply not enough resources to push these invaders back. They have taken us completely by surprise and unprepared."
"And who's fault is that?" The Kuati senator said. "Maybe if more resources had been allocated for defense this never would have happened."

"It does not matter how many defense capabilities we might have had," The Chadra-fan senator said. "They would have completely overwhelmed our forces either way. Our only chance now is to negotiate with them."

"That is easy for you to say," The Aqualish senator said once more. "Your planet has not been attacked. Nor has Bakura or several other worlds. Perhaps you have joined forces with the invaders to try to conquer us all."
"You know that can't possible be true." The Chadra-fan senator said.

"I have recognized these so-called unknown invaders," the Nemoidian senator said. "They are clone troopers."

"How can that be possible?" The Bothan senator asked. "All clones eventually died out after the Clone Wars, and all other cloning machinations were destroyed in later years."

"Yet they are," the Neimodian senator said. "and I do not know how to explain their sudden appearance."

"What about the reports of the attack on Ossus?" Another senator said. "I have heard reports that a huge force decimated the Jedi Temple."

"How can that be?" The Mon Calamari senator said.

"How am I supposed to know? But I've heard reports from some of the non-Jedi survivors that were allowed to live."

"Then it is settled," The Kuati senator said. "We must strike back at the clones before it is too late."
"Senators, silence!" The Chief of State shouted. At once all the senators were silenced and all turned to look at the Chief of State. He stood their calm and collected as he stared at each of the gathered senators. "Thank you. I have heard all the reports you have mentioned. It is true, some planets have fallen to the aggressors while others have not, though I am not sure about the attack on Ossus. I shall contact Master Skywalker on that when this meeting is over." He hesitated, knowing that last statement may not turn out to be true. "However I have also heard the reports of a huge fleet of ships, far larger than even all planetary and Alliance ships combined. There is chance for us if we fight. Our only hope is to negotiate a peace with the aggressors or whoever sent them."

"Do you have any leads as to who might have orchestrated this in the first place?" The Bothan senator asked.

"Yes, I do," The Chief of State said. "And I have even begun negotiating a truce with him." The senators began to stir after he said that. "Senators, please, be silent." The senators quieted. "I have met with the leader of this plot and we have already come to an agreement on how to avoid any unnecessary blood shed."

"And how is that?" A Quarren senator asked.

"Being transmitted to each of your terminals is a law, made in the days of the Old Republic," The Chief of State said. "I suggest you access and review the file." The senators began to do so. "This was an obscure law, made as an attachment to another more influential proclamation, the one which had allowed the former Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to stay in office past his term." The senate hall was dead silent, except for the Chief of State's voice. "This attachment was made in secret, thanks to some of Palpatine's most trusted accomplices. It states that, if the Chancellor of the Republic deems it necessary, he can abdicate his power and position and give it to another, bypassing any voting in the Senate. I realize that I am not the Chancellor, and we are no longer the Republic, but after this law was made another even more secret one was declared, stating that any leader of the Galactic Government deems it necessary, he can give his position to another. And so not, consider this my resignation as Chief of State."
The Senate went into chaos at the statement.

"This is madness!" The Aqualish sentor shouted.

"Palpatine was a madman," The Mon Calamari senator said. "We cannot follow laws he made. This law goes against everything we have done as the Galactic Alliance. We cannot follow it."

Every senator shouted their own opinion of the law, declaring that they would not follow it. The former Chief of State only stood their silently and accepted their hatred. "I'm sorry." He said silently, the only one how might have heard him was the Sullustan senator.

And the shadow that had appeared behind him.

"Enough," The shadow said in a quiet voice, yet at once all the senators fell silent. "I am the one who initiated the invasion of your worlds, and as I have told your former Chief of State I will withdraw all of my forces, on one condition, that being he gives me the power and title of Chief of State."

"You cannot do this," the Aqualish senator said in an uproar. "How dare you think you can just gather your forces and demand we cooperate. We will never-" The sentence got caught in the senator's throat as his air was cut off. He struggled to breath, raising his hands to his throat to remove the unseen thing that was choking him. Slowly he began to rise in the air and off his floating podium. He floated up and above the other senators, who merely stared. He stopped as he approached the center of the Senate, nearly directly above the Chief of State's podium. And then whatever was holding him, let go. The Aqualish senator plummeted hundreds of feet down, past the center podium and hit the ground far below. The shadow lowered his hand.

"If no one else has any other objections I would like to continue," The shadow said. "And please, no one bother to call the guards in, or try to fight for themselves. I promise that you will not succeed." No one moved. "Very good, and now as I was saying I control the clones that have taken over your worlds, and they will do everything I command. But as I have also promised, I will remove all troops from Alliance worlds once I have been declared Chief of State. And it has been done, so I will fulfill my promise." He paused. "However, it has come to my attention that under the rule of the former Chief of State, it had become apparent that the Galactic Alliance is crumbling. Even you senators have said yourself that things are too slow and are long in debate. The beings of this galaxy need safety and security, to protect them against any threat. My forces have proven that none of you are safe. But under my leadership we will no longer have to worry about any insecurity, any danger. We will all be able to live safely." Though they did not understand it themselves, the senators began to cheer. "I promise that all beings will be protected. But first changes must be made, the first being the end to the Galactic Alliance."

The senate cheered even more, though they still did not know why.

"To do so we must initiate a new form of government, one in which the ruler makes the decisions for all, to guarantee safety and security."

The senate cheered more.

"The people of the galaxy no longer need an Alliance, but an empire. But not as such the empire of old. We need one that will always be there, that can never die, that will signal a rebirth for the galaxy and usher in a new golden age."

The senators cheered even louder.

"And it shall be on this day that I, the once Chief of State, now Emperor Nexus, declare this to be the first day of the New Empire!" The Emperor ended with a triumphant yell as his voice was drowned out by the cheering of the senators, who still were unsure as to why they were cheering. But they could not stop. It was glorious to see the birth of the new government, the promise of security and safety. Today was truly a new day for all.

It was the day of the New Empire.