At dinner that night, Taffyta told the news to the other racers and her parents, and they were thrilled.
"Mayor, sounds nice" said Felix
"You're definitely a strong leader" said Jubileena
"But I gotta be smart about this. I don't know who I'm running against" said Taffyta
"Just be yourself, I'm sure you'll be fine" said Candlehead
"I hope so. The first debate is in front of the castle tomorrow" said Taffyta
After a not so pleasant night sleeping, Taffyta dressed herself in a nice dress and prepared for her debate with her opponent for district mayor. A crowd of citizens formed in front of a stage in front of the castle gates. It was there Taffyta met her opponent, a well dressed and fancy looking man named Gabriel.
"You're my opponent?"
"Yes as a matter of fact-
"This'll be way too easy. No one's gonna take a strawberry seriously" said Gabriel
"This strawberry happens to be tough and capable, more than I bet you are. I didn't see you saving princess Lucy's life from that machine that tried killing her 2 months ago" said Taffyta
"No, but where were you? Nail salon?" Gabriel asked
Before the 2 could continue, they were summoned to the stage to give their cases on being mayor. Gabriel went first, and Taffyta grew nervous, he made a lot of promises.
"I see a bright future for district 1. I see bigger homes for new characters, shopping and dining, the sky's the limit. Money is no obstacle to me" said Gabriel
The crowd cheered at his promises, whether they were true or not was up for debate. When it became Taffytas turn to speak, she was nervous. She couldn't offer what Gabriel could, and the crowd knew it.
"If I'm elected, I will do my best to make sure our lives improve. We can't rely on Vanellope and Ralph for everything. I'm talking new homes and businesses to boost our economy, possibly trade with other games and districts, I will lower the crime rate plaguing the town at night. What happened with princess Lucy in February I won't let happen to any of you" said Taffyta
The crowd gave a small applause, they were impressed, but when asked how she'd make things better, Taffyta was at a loss for words. Gabriel used this to his advantage, promising hired protection. Nothing Taffyta could say for the rest of the speech could change anyones minds about her. After the debates were over, she sadly walked away with her parents.
"That went horrible" said Taffyta
"Don't worry, I'm sure we can think of something to get them on your side" said Felix
"Perhaps meeting with the local businesses could-
"Perhaps I can be of assistance" someone told them
The 3 turned around to find a man in a gray uniform leaning against the stage.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Moff Julian Raythe, you can call me Raythe. I represent a portion of the Galactic Empire"
"Yeah, I know what that is. Not really an empire when you only have 1 ship" said Taffyta
"That'll change, someday. I believe I can be of service to you. I see a leader in you. You want peace and order to your neighborhood. Join me, and I will give you our resources necessary to ensure victory" said Raythe
"Why would I join you? What's in it for you?" Taffyta asked
"We both want the same thing, Miss Taffyta, peace, order, unity, strength, security. All things we can provide but we can't do it alone. We imperials may be seen as villains by some, but we do mean well. Imagine all the great things we can accomplish together. I can even dig up some dirt on Gabriel. I know him well, he's not what he seems" said Raythe
"Taffyta I must advise against this" said Felix
"I don't know, could be beneficial to the city" said Calhoun
Taffyta thought for a moment before shaking Raythe's hand.
"I accept" said Taffyta
"Excellent, you get to work on getting to know the businesses better. I must report back to my superior about this if I'm to help you" said Raythe
(Sometime later, high in the sky of Litwak City)
High in the sky of Litwak city was a lone Imperial Star destroyer known as the Tarkins revenge, which was home to most of the imperials living in the game. In a private office near the bridge, Moff Raythe stood talking to his superior, Grand Moff Alex Williams, who led the imperials and oversaw all their activities.
"As you can see Grand Moff, while we can't control this whole game, we can try and convince the city's population that we have their best interests at heart, all the while increasing our numbers. It's a slow game, but we already know after the failed assassination of princess Lucy that it's her who will bring our rise to power. We just have to get to that point" said Raythe
"I will say, while it will definitely take years, increasing our military is a wise decision. We definitely need more of the citizens on our side if we are to return to our former glory" said Williams
"I see promise in that strawberry themed girl, she'd make a good imperial" said Raythe
"You do whatever you want with strawberry shortcake, just get us the resources we need. We need factories, infrastructure, and troops. I'll give you the 110th legion, tell the girl they are the neighborhood's protection from criminals. Do whatever needs to be done to ensure the empire thrives"
"As you wish Grand Moff" said Raythe before he turned to leave
The Moff turned in his chair to face a map of the entire city.
"One step at a time we will bring that racer and wrecker down. Order cannot exist with them in control" said Williams