Imperial Chancellorship 2 (Patreon)

Imperial Chancellorship 2 - or ‘The Dark Irony of a Dead Sith Lord creates a most wonderful Empire’ (Star Wars, SI)

“Are you still upset?”

I was sitting on my chair in my flagship, the clean and sterile office making my ‘honorable guest’ stand out like a malevolent dark thumb despite gray and black being two similar shades of dullness at times. Then again, her red hair tended to draw attention, that and her red sabers when ignited.

The scowl also added a sense of genuine anger and frustration at my question. I was aware that this Emperor’s Hand that had been kept by my side for a few years had reasons to be particularly furious about recent events.

“He has been slain by the one I warned him to let others deal with,” The woman known as Mara Jade growled in response to my inquiry. “And I hope it is not smugness coming off from this event, Emperor.”

“You can still call me Admiral or John if you want, Mara,” I argued calmly, yet I didn’t appease her any further. “Still, you can’t deny that ‘smugness’ is a fitting reaction to something we both warned him about. He got too greedy, he got too obsessed, and it ruined decades worth of ruling over the vast known galaxy. If only he had seen that he created a fief worthy of him and no one else…”

“Yet now you can claim it for yourself,” The redhead argued stiffly, trying her hardest to oppose my view, but I knew, after hearing her views on things, that she was just grieving over the events rather than accept them within her usual objectivity.

“Only because he demanded that I take over. If Palpatine wanted me to rule after him, then there had to have been a few reasons for this decision- and I think I don’t need to explain that he wanted this also because you are with me in this.”

“Unless you seek to remove me. Replace me,” She mumbled with a hint of… genuine unease.

I chuckled at that and her sorrowful display morphed in a most adorable scowl.

“W-What?”

“As if there is anyone I trust to be around me more than you, Mara,” I pointed out, smiling as I could tell she was so flustered by this claim. “Why, I do appreciate the way you keep on challenging me and putting me in the spotlight. I could even make a case I may as well think of courting you if you allowed me.”

That seemed to partially surprise her… but in truth, it made her amused to some extent. Time ago, this would have baffled her immensely, it would have enraged her even. But it’s been close to ten years since we took this chore of killing the Yuuzhan Vong and any potential threat to Imperial Stability in the Unknown Regions, and the experience had forged a relatively strong bond between us.

Mara was no paperweight, not when she was more than eager to bolt to action to show her strength but also acquire more knowledge in combat. As a Force User, the Yuuzhan Vong was the greatest threat to her, but she successfully pulled through thanks to the support she got in the effort. It was a difficult battle, but our foes were disorganized and far from capable of competing against us.

The extermination had proved to be a successful ordeal, freeing planets that had massive resources to establish an ‘inter-system trade policy’ which allowed for a closed affair to unfold within its economy with limited resource exchanges with the Empire.

And now, with Governors left behind to preserve the system together with a reserve fleet meant to protect the system, the bulk of the large fleet that had been born through this campaign and use of aggressive industrial expansion was on its way to replenish the Imperial Navy and Ground Forces to match up with the Rebellion Front.

“You ask for my permission? And here I thought you would be a strong Emperor.”

I snorted. “Strength doesn’t come from pure absolute tyranny. It can work for so long, but it will generate more foes than friends. And those friends, as you may know yourself, are not exactly trustworthy.”

The woman nodded as she remembered the few ‘unpleasant’ sights of Palpatine talking with corrupt bureaucrats that were not contemplating secession.

“And?”

“And I like it more to see you as an equal partner than property. I like you in your own strong self rather than a servile fashion. In fact, I would say that I just can’t see you appealing as a ‘servant wife’.”

That led her to silence for a few minutes and… she sighed.

“I may consider it. Of course, it all depends on what you plan to do with me. I can’t exactly work as Vader as that would only reinforce a ‘status quo’ you don’t want to keep.”

“I will give you a more ‘interior affair’ situation. Truth be told, I think we can both agree that some rules between the Jedi and the Sith should be broken.”

As I was done replying, Mara raised a brow at that, standing up from her chair and walking around the desk. I frowned at the gesture as she just sat down on my lap and… looked around her shoulder with a smile.

“So, you like this?”

Teasing, but also a test.

“Sorta, but there’s something else that I like even more.”

That’s where I saw tension, but as she eyed my hands as they approached her hips, I could see unease spreading- and then breaking as I proceeded to tickle her. She twitched and contorted, a melodious laughter erupting from her pretty lips before she stood up, holding her flanks and giving me a ‘dirty look’.

“W-Why did you do that, John!?”

“Well, I told you. I am not trying to push you into anything,” I argued mirthfully. “Plus, I wanted to hear you laugh. And I got that much.”

She flashed a look of surprise and a degree of embarrassment, soon bolting out of the office with a red face.

Ah yes, she is so into me.

—-----d-d-d-d—-----

AN

The new Emperor may have an Empress. But who will be his… ‘Chancellor’?