This was all he needed to justify the next step.
He leaned across his desk and tapped the internal comm. Droids didn’t mind how many times they were summoned to the office.
“Aitch,” he said. “I need you right away.”
“Certainly, sir,” said HM-3.
The droid took ten minutes to show up. When he clunked in, his arms were laden with datapads and even bound flimsi. He’d come prepared for one of Jacen’s explain-the-law-to-me sessions. Sometimes it was disturbing to meet a droid who could anticipate needs that well. Jacen settled for being impressed.
“It’s time to action the amendment,” Jacen said.
If a droid could have registered disappointment on an immobile face, then HM-3 did. His voice left no doubt. He enjoyed going through the finer points of administrative law with Jacen, probably because nobody else wanted to hear. The fact that he carried the statutes around with him rather than simply tapping into the GA networked archive was a sign of his genuine … affection for the law. It was an entity to him, not simply words.
“Let me recap, then, sir.” HM-3 laid the armful of legal reference sources on the desk and pulled out his working datapad. “… amend the Emergency Measures Act to include in its scope the GAG’s powers to detain heads of state, politicians, and any other individuals believed to be presenting a, genuine risk to the security of the Galactic Alliance, and to seize their assets via the Treasury Orders Act. “
“That’s the one,” Jacen said. “When might that be enacted?”
“I can circulate it right now, sir, and it becomes effective at midnight. You’re very regular about these amendments.”
“I’ve learned a lot about the importance of administrative discipline from you, Aitch.”
“Thank you, sir. So many don’t.”
“And my apologies for dragging you in here for so little.”
Even with a droid, humility and gratitude could go a very long way. HM-3 gathered up his source data and made for the doors.
“My pleasure, sir,” he said.
Jacen waited for the doors to close and let out a breath. He steeled himself not to think of Tenel Ka and Allana, because that was a luxury he couldn’t afford at this moment, but he missed them so muchespecially Allanathat it hurt him to breathe sometimes when he thought of them. Lumiya was occupied elsewhere; there was little chance that she’d catch him reaching out in the Force to his family. But he was taking no risks, not now that so many things were coming within his grasp.
I’ve got you now, Cal Omas. I’ve got you, you fool.
At midnight, he would have the legal authority to arrest Chief of State Cal Omas for actions likely to present a risk to the security of the Galactic Alliance. He would notify the Supreme Commander, who wasuntil 0900 tomorrowthe acting Chief of State in Omas’s absence, and who would step into his place if for any reason he couldn’t discharge his duties.
Like when he’s arrested for selling us down the river to the Corellians, and planning to assassinate me and Niathal. She’s going to love that bit.
It was too late to pull back from the brink now. This had to happen. Niathal knew it was coming, and the promise of power had secured her silence. She needed to take the evidence to Senator G’vli G’Sil, chair of the Security Council, to “clear her bows” as she liked to put it. Once that nicety was out of the way, she could participate in the coup with a clear military conscience.
After that, the next stage would be to settle her in the titular role as Chief of State while consolidating his own power base quietly behind the scenes, because he wouldn’t be part of that structure laughingly called democracy.
It was chaos, pure and simple. It was a glorious word to justify abdication of responsibility by those who could, if they were prepared to make the effort, create a better galaxy for the vast majority. It was a word for finding someone else to blame.
Democracy, freedom, and peace. They were all tricks, like words used to train veermoks to come to heel or attack. They were sounds with no real meaning, nothing definable, just triggers that everyone had been conditioned to think were desirable, tangible things. Peacewell, Jacen could define that. But democracy? Freedom? Whose freedom, and to do what? Freedom was a pretty nebulous concept when all most beings wanted was an absence of disorder, a full stomach, and some hope that their offspring would have a more comfortable life than they had.
Jacen rubbed his eyes, feeling the lack of sleep of the past week but determined not to doze even for a few minutes. Shevu hadn’t called in. Half the job was done, but Jacen didn’t yet know what had happened to Gejjen. Whatever had happened, Ben had either shot him or missed by now. Jacen switched on HNE, expecting a newsflash about the assassination, but it was still showing some nonsense about a holovid star with an embarrassing personal life. There was nothing to do but fill the waiting time with productive work. He opened the comm to Niathal.