[Legacy Of The Force] - 08(132)

But that’s not how it happened. It wasn’t like that.

The report made him look like a common gangster, a thug who had seized power and then went about removing anyone who offended him or stood in his way, like some Hutt crime lord. Caedus wanted to comm the holozine and tell them they’d got it wrong; he was serving the common good. Gangsters were driven by wealth, by lust, or by some sick desire to see people cower. He wasn’t a criminal. He didn’t deal in drugs or rob anyone. He’d done what he had to do, because nobody else was willing to tackle the anarchy, or stand up to the old power elites. Did they think he could change the galaxy by asking people nicely to stop being monsters to each other?

All those things had to be done.

Mara, Lieutenant Tebut-I didn’t kill them for personal reasons. They were part of the path I had to take to be worthy of this office. How can you understand what a Sith has to do? How can you apply laws to us? Your ordinary laws weren’t meant for us.

Who would make the tough choices if they were hide-bound by conventional law? Had anyone protested about Luke Skywalker bringing down Palpatine? The Rebellion broke every law in the book, and killed many people, but citizens were ready to accept that because change was needed. Caedus was only doing the same thing, and yet he was vilified for it. He was wounded by the blindness around him. Why could they not understand? He wasn’t explaining it clearly enough, perhaps.

He slammed his cup down on the desk and commed the droid. “Tell Senator G’Sil I can’t see him today. Tell him we’ll reschedule.”

The droid’s voice was even and patient, not a hint of disapproval in it. “Sir, he says the Security Council must meet within the next week because it’s a legal requirement that they convene a minimum of once every three months, and he must have your input.”

Caedus could feel his perspective changing, as if the office was a holoimage being adjusted to monochrome and its depth of field distorted. His desk appeared to recede into the distance, bleeding color. “Well, if that’s all he’s worried about, just get the law changed.” “Sir?”

“I set that up months ago-the amendment to the Emergency Measures Act.” Had everyone forgotten how he’d stripped away all this bureaucracy? Memories were short, it seemed. “The clause I used to change the law and arrest Cat Omas. I can change any law I need to without taking it to the Senate. Just use my administrative powers. Change it. Go on, remove the whole section about any requirement to hold meetings. Simple.”

“Yes, sir, “said the droid. Like HM-3, the excellent legal droid who had spotted the loophole for Caedus, he didn’t fuss over right and wrong, only what was definably legal. And Caedus decided the law. It was a legitimate government responsibility, and he was the government. “Oh, and get Captain Shevu in here, please.” While Caedus waited for Shevu to arrive, he took deep calming breaths, seeing the color return to the room and its proportions revert to normal. I don’t meditate much these days, do I? Action had to be his meditation. He had so much to do. Tahiri would have to shoulder more of the burden. She was a Sith apprentice now, and that meant work.

Caedus had been planning to summon the editor of the holozine to his office and demand a full retraction and a new article explaining the truth of his actions, but the longer he waited, the less pressing it seemed.

Did anyone who mattered read the holozine? Had it started riots? No. All that really mattered was that the few key people around him understood his burden.

Shevu, for example.

Caedus changed his mind. He wouldn’t ask Shevu to send a GAG squad out to arrest the editor and so guarantee that the hack would listen to Caedus carefully. It was a tawdry errand for a man who’d done a fine job of keeping Coruscant safe during the last year.

A pot of caf, then, and time to catch up on policy. Cae-dus had missed having Shevu at his right hand during the battle. Valuing loyalty was something his grandfather had understood well, but Caedus was also aware that subservience wasn’t necessary. A little honest contention was far more important.

The doors opened. Shevu, looking carefully unemotional as always, walked in and stood in front of the desk.

“Welcome back, sir.” His quiet dislike was tangible. “Eventful few days.”

Caedus gestured to the chair. “Are you surprised about Niathal?”

Shevu sat down. “Not really, sir. Just the timing.”

“Better that than trying to oust me while I was offplanet.”

“Yes, I can imagine that would have been messy, sir.”

He was telling the absolute truth as he saw it. Caedus could feel the solid certainty in him. “Look, “Caedus said, offering him the holozine. Just thinking about the report triggered his anger again. “Look at this ungrateful nonsense.”