Chapter 37 - Politics

"Hello, Mr. Lars. It is a joy to see you today." Greeted a woman with pretty hair.

"Greetings, Ms. Swirtle. You may call me Cliegg." Cliegg nodded to her from his seat, where he was desperately trying to look comfortable, and not at all nervous.

"Please, call me Genevieve." She turned her head to the side, so she wasn't looking directly at him anymore. "My guest today was recently elected to be the next representative of the Arkanis sector. Mr. Lars, whose name wasn't even on the ballot, was elected as a write-in candidate. He's the first electorate to win that way in years. Cliegg, why don't you tell our viewers what your secret is?"

"Oh. Uh- I don't know." Cliegg gulped. "The results of the election took me by surprise as well." Cliegg hoped she wouldn't dig too far down that path. His "advisors" all strongly suggested that he not say anything implying he wasn't trying to be elected, didn't want the position, or that he would rather almost anyone else have it. Even though all three of those statements would be true.

Genevieve smiled, then turned to the camera again. "Cliegg hails from Tatooine, the newest member of our Republic. How have your people taken the news of your election?"

"Tatooine is very happy to be a part of the republic." Cliegg felt relieved to have something else to talk about. "Having a democracy and creating our own laws is new to us. We have been under foreign rule for a long time." Cliegg sighed. Foreign rule, that was a downplay for Hutt tyrany, but then the Hutts were still a legal power in the galaxy, and would probably try to sue him if he badmouthed them in such a public forum.

Genevieve nodded. "It must be an honor for you, then, to represent your people in this way."

"Oh, I am honored." Cliegg forced a smile as he lied.

"How has your family taken the news? I understand your wife inspired you to make your first public appearance. Was she happy for you?"

His first public appearance, being the one time he got frustrated with Watto and stepped up to correct the audience on the truth behind his wife's former master's speech. It had spread farther than Cliegg imagined, and this woman would no doubt play clips of it on her show.

Cliegg's smile became more genuine and he laughed. "My Shmi, I think she was happier than I was." Which wasn't saying much. "We were invited to a party by one of the other candidates. I knew a few people who had mentioned my name in regards to the vote, but I wasn't expecting to, you know. It's not like I was running for election. But then they announced the results over the Holonet and people began to pat my back and give me their cheers. It was so shocking. But my wife, she just smiled and said she couldn't imagine anyone better."

"Awe," Genevieve gushed. "What are the goals for your first term? I would normally be asking about your campaign promises, but," She left her sentence hanging.

"But I never made any." Cliegg finished for her. "I guess my first priority is Tatooine's merger with the Republic. I want to see to it that it goes well. Then, of course there are things like trade agreements that have become outdated and need looking into."

"Yes now. Tatooine has, how do I say this? A reputation for being where traders can go to follow a less strict set of rules."

Cliegg nodded. "Yes, one of the things we hope to do is to change that reputation. With our newest laws, such individuals will soon find it harder to go about their business."

"So anyone from a certain side of the tracks, hoping to find a sympathetic senator from a world where smuggling and slave trade dominate the economy…"

"Not going to find it here. No, I wasn't elected by the smugglers or the slavers. I was elected by average citizens whether they be moisture farmers or newly freed slaves, and it's their interest that I will look after first. This you can quote me on."

Genevieve nodded enthusiastically to that statement.

Cliegg went on. "And I wasn't just elected to represent Tatooine, but the whole Arkanis Sector. For instance, while our sector has many mines, few are represented by the guild. This means their miners don't have the same protections that others have. I am now in a position to negotiate on their behalf, and I don't take that lightly." Cliegg rubbed his head. The research he had been doing over the last week alone showed him more problems each time he looked. This included the grand problem, what happened to the Geonosians.

While their world is highly populated, Geonosis entered a grand total of zero votes in the recent election. This was the reason he was elected, no doubt, as he doubted the Holonet news spread his name that far into the sector. His predecessor, a Geonosian, would also be considered missing, except none of his party, in fact none of his people, reported it. As far as anyone is assuming, he went home and stayed there. Then the time period passed with no senator reporting in, and it went up for election again, thanks to an old law that is hardly ever used anymore. Cliegg was tempted to report him missing, so once they tracked him down, he could shove his workload in the Geonosian's face and ask 'Why, have you NOT done any work since you entered office?'

"Well, it sounds like you've got your hands full. My own father used to mine Durelium, so I am very much aware of the risks there are in the industry, and how often the miners themselves are forgotten when people in your position look at the output first. I'd like to thank you for taking the time to meet with me and answer some of our viewers' questions."

"It was a pleasure." Cliegg was tempted to offer his hand to her to shake, but then he remembered she probably wouldn't recognize the gesture. Instead he smiled and nodded.

"And cut." the director shouted, once the Holocams were off. Finally, Cliegg was free to get up and stretch his legs.

"That went well. Buir will be pleased," said his young aide with an adorably serious face.

Cliegg had given his new President a funny look when the man suggested he take a group of younglings, kids that appeared to be no older than his Owen or Anakin were, as his aides on his first trip into the capital.

He was even more doubtful when he found out that they were really only a fraction of that age. Grown in test-tubes, their cloners were experimenting with an age enhancement formula, intending a final product to average at about double. They were a good way off from their target, for these children had matured a lot faster than that, he'd gathered. But that was all in the past, for their father, or Buir, assured him that the age enhancements were removed when he got custody of the children.

"Yes, I think it did go well." Cliegg agreed. "Can we stop back at the apartment? I'd like to comm Shmi and Owen and tell them how it went."

"We are due in the capitol in two hours, but I suppose we have the time." His aide pouted his lip as he studied the schedule.

They were walking out of the press office when a man stepped out of the street, walking directly for them. "Mr. Lars," he called out.

Immediately Cliegg was surrounded by seven identical younglings. He still wasn't sure why he couldn't just greet the man on the street. The guy had to have a good reason to approach him like this. But his young aides were insistent that he hurry along to their speeder.

"What was that about? What did he want?" Cliegg asked.

"If he wants something, he can write to you at the capitol, or your official Holo-mail address. To stop now would be a break in security. Buir would not be happy." The little one glared seriously as he said this.

Cliegg sighed. "Okay, I understand."

The children's Buir, Jango Fett, was hired by their president as Tatooine's Chief Constable. He was responsible for hiring and training officers to enforce their laws on the planet. A job he had already recruited many of his sons into, when Cliegg was there last. And Fett was personally responsible for Cliegg's security when off-world. Though, from what he had already seen, he had few fears while his youngling guards were on duty.

He didn't know what kind of training they had. Jango refused to explain anything about why they were cloned or who by. Apparently he signed a non-disclosure agreement thingy, and was unable to say more. But the younglings all had excellent physical skills, and some type of weapons training. He almost felt bad for the first groups of slavers to have their illegal enterprises turned up-side-down by a roguish gang of eight to ten year olds! Almost. Part of him felt satisfaction for it as well.

So the little gang traveled to the apartment Cliegg had chosen. He made sure to choose one in a safer section of Coruscant, and not just the first one in the senatorial section that became available. It had a good school, for Owen to attend, and had a sizable balcony. His wife could plant a small garden up there. Once she and Owen joined him in Coruscant, that is. She stayed behind so their son could finish his school semester on Tatooine, and so they could hire the proper hands to run the homestead while he was gone.

Cliegg dialed his old number as soon as he got in, and put it on Holo-share, so they could see each other.

Shmi's smile grew warmer when she saw who was calling her. "Greetings honey. We saw you on the Holonet."

"Oh, did you see that?" It still surprised him how fast the Holonet could work. They filmed something today and they were watching it as far away as Tatooine, almost live!

"Yes. Mr. Darklighter had a viewscreen up in his store to show the whole town. Everyone gathered.

Cliegg struggled not to blush. He knew they were all just trying to be supportive. He just didn't like all the attention. "And how are you two doing?" He changed the subject.

"Very much the same. Owen should be coming home from school soon…"

"Daddy!" Owen's voice could be heard calling out to him.

"Your father's on holo," Shmi answered him.

Within minutes his son's head popped up into view of the camera, and Cliegg felt at home again.

Later, Cliegg arrived at the capitol building on Coruscant. Another new youngling came out of the building and met with his advisors. "Kote, I've searched the building and swept the offices. They're clear."

"Okay." answered his senior advisor, a boy who up till now, he thought was named Cody.

"He will meet the Supreme chancellor first, then go down to his own office," the other boy went on.

"Wait a minute." Cliegg interrupted. "I thought your name was Cody. have I been pronouncing it wrong?"

"No, the boys call me Cody. It's just Buir that calls me Ko-tay. He's trying to legitimize our nicknames."

"That or he got tired of you giving your status updates as word puzzles." The other suggested.

Cody rolled his eyes dramatically. "It's an insecure communication method, so I added an encryption. If a spy tries to breach our network, he'll appreciate it."

The others laughed.

Cliegg decided to change the topic. "What is your name, young man?" he asked, referring to the new one.

"Ramikadyc, but the boys call me Rex."

"It's nice to meet you Rex. Now, what did you mean by a meeting with the Supreme Chancellor?

"Buir suggested it," said Rex, proudly.

"Come along now, we don't want to be late," Cody ushered him forward.

"Wait, what am I supposed to say to the Supreme chancellor?"

"You just need to shake his hand, really." Rex turned to look at Cody. "Is he always like this?"

Cody, the little traitor, just nodded.

Rex turned back to Cliegg. "You'll want to start making social connections with people here. It'll make it easier to do things later on. You'll see."

The boys led him up to a large office where he was greeted by a man in a white suit, and a colorful stole over his shoulders.

"Hello, your honor. It's nice to meet you." Cliegg tried to be polite.

"Please, it's Bail. Bail Antilles." The politician poured him a glass of a bubbly drink. "I hope you will find we share a lot of views on the issues… I am thinking about recommending you for a number of committees… You know what! You should seek out my brother in law, Alderaan's newest senator…

As they began to chat, Cliegg found himself thinking that he hoped this Supreme Chancellor lasted longer than his recent predecessors. The last one inherited the position after the previous one died, but couldn't get the support to keep it. The one before that was only in office a couple of weeks before, the unlucky fellow, he fell off a balcony. Cliegg hoped nothing like that happened to this one. Bail Antilles was a good man, and the universe was in good hands under his leadership.

Hello,

Well, it turns out I couldn't live with my canon inconsistencies from my last chapter of the clone's ages. I thought about having it be a security feature of the cloners, when they were removed from Kamino, their aging increased dramatically. But I don't think that would've worked. So instead I decided that the doubled aging quote she gave Obi-Wan in the movie was a rounded off figure at the end. I decided that they had to experiment to find their perfect aging formula and their first few batches were later slowed down to match. It works for me, now, and I hope it works for you too.

And Cody's name was suggested by a couple of you. Evenmoor from AO3 and Jedi Knight Leia Skywalker from both told me about the fan theory regarding his name. Kote basically means Glory in Mandalorian. It's pronounced Ko-tay or Ko-day.

Rex's Mando'a name is my own idea. Ramikadyc means "A commando state of mind" or a person who is determined and focused on achieving their objectives. I thought it was a good fit. It's pronounced Rah-mee-kahd-eesh, so I can understand why he'd still use the shorter version.

I figure that when Palpatine died, his vice-something would inherit the position. But as I don't remember the guy's name, I doubt he had the political power on his own to keep it. He was probably crooked, too.

And since Bail Antilles was one of the candidates in the Phantom Menace for the role, I figured there'd be a good chance he'd be chosen now. Bail Antilles is not Bail Organa, in case you need the reminder. According to Canon, he is related to Breha Organa, in an unknown and unspecified way. I made him her brother, so when he told Cliegg about his Brother in Law, he meant the Bail Organa who adopted Leia in the original AU.

I know I've been away from our favorite Jedi-Padawan duo for a while now. I plan on getting back to them in the next chapter. Then after that I think I will time jump a little bit, so Anakin will either be getting his Kyber Crystal, or taking his Initiate-to-Padawan trials, but it's a little early to promise anything.