Chapter 9: Episode 9: How to Defeat Clankers with Jesse! (No, you can't punch them)Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextFox was in a good mood for once. He was getting a record two hours of sleep every night. His amendment to the food donation bill had been a huge success both in the Senate and with the civilians. His brothers were happy. He had received a pair of very nice turquoise gloves that kept his hands warm on chilly Coruscant nights. His men were happy. No one had gotten spit on in several weeks. Rex and the 501st weren't being complete chaotic nightmares. And one day he went a whole thirty minutes without needing caffeine.
This month might actually be the best month he had ever had in his entire life!
He should have known better than to think that.
He should have known better than to assume that this good, calm, happy feeling was going to last.
It all started with an innocent knock on his door.
He was used to people knocking on his door. It felt like everyone constantly needed him. The knock didn't ruin his day. It was just a fact of life. People knocked on his door.
He looked up to see Thorn, Archer, and Sol all hanging around.
"Sir," Thorn said, "Senators Amidala and Chuchi are here to see you. Do you have time?"
"Yes, I have time," he said, putting away a datapad and straightening out his desk to be a bit more presentable.
In reality, he didn't have time. He never had time. Just because he was having a good month didn't mean his workload had lessened. If anything, it had grown since he started working as a sort of shadow liaison to the senators.
However, he couldn't bring himself to tell Thorn to send them away. He didn't want to be difficult to work with. He couldn't be difficult to work with. Right now the senators were willing to talk to him about trooper issues because he was accessible to them. They knew he was at their beck and call. The second he started forcing them to rearrange their schedules to accommodate him, he feared it'd be all over.
And he refused to let that happen.
Sometimes, as a Corrie, he felt separated from the rest of his brothers on the front lines.
They were out there dying every day. They were risking their lives every day. They were in danger every day. Meanwhile, a 'bad day' for his men involved food getting thrown at them and some drunk neverd that was looking for a fight.
Sometimes he felt like his brothers hated him and the rest of the Corries. They despised their relatively safe existence in the stable Coruscant away from the actual horrors of war. That wasn't to say there weren't horrors here. Fox was exposed to them every time Palpatine called on him.
But sometimes he felt guilty for being so far from the front lines. For not having to lose hundreds of men every day and pick back up like it was nothing. For not getting shot only to have a bacta patch slapped on the wound and sent back out on the front lines before it even healed.
It was for this reason he had to keep working with the senators. No matter how much work he had to do. No matter how little sleep he got. No matter how much of an inconvenience it was to drop everything the moment Senator Amidala called. He had to keep working with them. His brothers were sacrificing themselves on the front lines every day for the Republic. The least he could do was sacrifice himself every day for them.
So, unless Coruscant was actively on fire and only hecould put it out, he would be at the beck and call of Amidala. He would show up to whatever meeting she requested of him, day or night. He'd give his input on any piece of legislation she put in front of him. He'd help write as many fluff bills as she wanted.
All in the name of his brothers.
"Great," Thorn said. "I'll go get them." He turned to Archer and Sol. "You know what to do."
"Yes, sir!" They saluted.
"What do you mean?" Fox asked.
Thorn swept away before he could respond and the two troopers entered his office.
"What's going on? What are you two up to?" he asked.
Sol didn't answer and immediately started trying to dispose of as many empty caf cups and charger cans as possible. Scooping them all up into a bag to clear a path on the floor.
"Okay, thank you for cleaning my office, I guess," Fox said.
Archer stepped in front of him. Not cleaning his office. "Sir, can you open your mouth?" he asked.
"What?"
"Please, just do it," he said.
Fox looked at Sol, who had successfully filled one bag and was currently in the process of trying to open another.
"Please, sir. We promise, there's a reason for this."
He furrowed his brow but opened his mouth without argument. Archer sprayed something in it. The minty burn hit the back of his throat and made him cough.
"What the hell was that, Archer?" He wrenched his head away from him. Fuck, that burned.
"Breath freshener," Archer said.
"Why did you spray breath freshener in my mouth?"
"Cause I don't think you've brushed your teeth in a while. And it's not attractive to have bad breath."
"Why do I care about being attractive?"
Archer didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a small jar of what looked like gel. He scooped a bit onto his hands and then reached out.
"What are you doing?" Fox cried as he tried to duck out of Archer's reach.
It didn't work and soon Archer was running his hands through his hair, doing his best to slick it back. He kept trying to duck out of his way but Archer was a persistent bastard and successfully chased his head around.
"Just trying to give you a new look is all, sir."
"Why? Is this some sort of joke?"
"No, it's not," Sol said. "And we all voted on it. We think you'd look nice with your hair all slicked back."
"I don't care what you think. Can you stop? It's sticky."
Thankfully, he did stop, wiping the sticky, goopy mess on the side of Fox's desk. He was going to kill these two. He was actually going to kill these two.
Archer wasn't done, yet. He pulled out yet another bottle and sprayed it right at Fox.
He once again tried to dodge whatever was going on here. It worked about as well as his attempts to dodge the hair goop. If anything it worked worse as he managed to move through the cloud of whatever the hell Archer was spraying in his office.
"Stop! Stop! What are you doing?" The smell hit him. It was a weird mix of earthy, woodsy notes. "Is that cologne? Are you trying to put cologne on me?"
"Sir, please hold still. It needs to get on your pulse points," Archer sighed.
"It's all the rage on Pantora right now," Sol added. He began filling up yet another bag with empty cups and cans.
Alright. Maybe Dice had a point. Maybe Fox was more than a little addicted to caffeine and should probably be cutting back.
Archer managed to get a huge cloud of cologne right in Fox's face.
Screw Dice. He had bigger things to worry about.
"Why do I care what cologne they're wearing on Pantora?" Could he salvage his dignity by jumping out the window?
"No reason." Archer hummed.
Sol had finally gotten most of the cups and cans stuffed into trash bags. "Shit, they're coming. I don't have time to get rid of this stuff!" He cried.
"Hide it under the quilt," Archer said, finally leaving Fox alone as he rushed over to shove the overstuffed bags in the corner and try (and fail) to drape a donated quilt on top of it.
Fox had had enough. "Get out of here before I hand you off to…" –Shit, who was a hardass commander they wouldn't want to work with?— "Ponds!"
Ponds wasn't exactly threatening but it was the only one he could think of at the moment.
"We got to go," Sol said, not seeming to care about the threat at all. He grabbed Archer's arm and dragged him out of the office just in time for Senator Amidala and Senator Chuchi to enter with Thorn.
Chuchi immediately started coughing and Amidala put a hand to her mouth.
"What is that smell?" Chuchi asked.
"Sorry, my men are idiots," Fox growled.
Thorn shook his head and walked past him to open a window. Fox could have sworn he heard him muttering about how he told them to only use a spray or two.
"I see you're experimenting with a new look," Amidala said, gesturing to his poorly slicked-back hair.
A glob of hair goop fell off it and landed in the gap between his armor and neck. Rolling down his back. Leaving a sticky, cool trail of slime down his blacks.
"Not of my own free will." He gritted his teeth and forced himself to smile at them. He'd deal with Archer and Sol later. Right now, he needed to figure out what the senators needed.
"Please, have a seat." Alright, it was kind of nice that Sol cleared out most of the trash in the office. Maybe he'd just punish Archer. "What can I help you with? Is there a bill you need my input on?"
As much as he did not like the increase in workload, he did like the work itself. He liked giving his input. He liked helping make his brothers' lives easier. He liked that at least a few senators were listening to him.
"Not exactly, "Amidala said as she sat in the very chair deemed unacceptable for Orn Free Taa.
Chuchi also took a seat. It was then that he realized they were both nervous. Chuchi was needing her hands with her thumbs and Amidala was just a bit too stiff and formal.
Something was wrong.
Almost immediately Fox's head started spinning with possibilities. What if they had decided to sever ties with him? What if they had decided that getting his input all the time was more work than it was worth? What if he had pushed them too far by seeking them out instead of letting them come to him?
What if Palpatine had found out?
That last one caused a pit to open up in his stomach.
He peered around them, half expecting Palpatine to be there. Lurking. Glowering at him. Eyes burning with hate that sometimes it seemed only Fox could see.
If Palpatine had found out, Fox would be punished severely.
If he were lucky, it'd just be a straight decommissioning. No frills. Just shipped back to Kamino and put down like a wounded animal.
But Palpatine wouldn't do that. He'd want Fox to know how badly he had fucked up. He would want Fox to feel every single second of punishment. He'd want to make an example of him to all the Corries.
He'd string up his battered and abused corpse for all the men to see.
This is what happens when you step out of line. This is what happens when you start trying to get people to treat you like a person.
He hoped that he would be the only one receiving Palpatine's wrath. He prayed that the man thought only he was responsible for this insubordination. He begged whatever gods and goddesses there were out in the universe that his brothers were not caught up in Palpatine's wrath.
"So… Um… that is to say," Chuchi started rambling.
Fox could barely hear her out of the roar of blood crashing through his ears. He could barely focus on her as his entire body tensed. Fight or flight instincts rearing their ugly head once more. Only, he couldn't fight or flee. He was a clone at the mercy of Palpatine. There was only ever one option when you were caught in his crosshairs: accept.
Thorn was by his side, stiff as a board as well. To the outside observer, they probably looked the same as always. A little stiff. A little too formal. But otherwise calm and collected.
Fox wasn't sure what Thorn was thinking, but he knew himself. And he was panicking right now. And he was pretty sure Thorn was panicking as well. Or at the very least nervous. He was picking at the frayed edge of his glove. That's how Fox could tell he also didn't know what was going on.
Amidala put a hand on Chuchi's to stop her rambling.
They looked at each other and nodded.
Amidala turned to him, eyes burning with a passion she usually only reserved for the Senate floor.
She spoke, her voice clear and strong. Every word was distinct and powerful.
"We would like to formally petition the Senate to allow troopers to represent themselves on both the Senate floor and the Kaminoan government under the Special Interest Groups and Internal Sovereign Powers Act."
Fox would forever be grateful he was already sitting. Had he been standing, his legs would have given out. Thorn had to grab onto the back of his chair to keep himself upright.
His lungs refused to work.
His body felt both all too numb and all too present.
Every muscle was clenched. Flexed. Stiff as his back was ramrod straight and his hands were clasped in front of him so tightly, he wondered if it was possible to break one's own hands.
The senators were not done yet.
"And we would like you to be the Senate Representative," Chuchi finished.
Fox's mind seemed to go blank.
They wanted a clone to be a representative in the government.
They wanted him to be a representative in the government.
They wanted him to speak on behalf of his brothers in an official capacity.
They wanted him to stand in front of all the senators in the Republic and argue with them on bills and acts and politics.
They wanted him to be a representative as if the clones were a people worth representing.
"I don't understand?" Fox said slowly. His tongue felt numb in his mouth. The words did not feel like his own. Maybe he hadn't spoken at all. Maybe it was Thorn who had spoken.
"You want me to be a representative?" He could feel his mouth moving. He could feel the vibrations against his vocal cords. He was speaking. It was him.
"That's correct," Senator Amidala nodded.
"How do we even qualify for such a thing?" This time, it was Thorn who spoke. He still had the back of Fox's chair in a vice-like grip. It was likely the only thing keeping him standing at the moment.
"Well, the Special Interest Groups and Internal Sovereign Powers Act was created specifically because in some systems there are groups of people not represented by the government. The gungans on Naboo are the best-known example of this. They have their own government. Own society. Own interests that may not be considered with the human-led government. Other systems have this as well. If there is a particular species not represented in the government, or perhaps a moon colony that requires special consideration. Things like that."
"And… and we qualify?" Thorn asked.
Fox was very glad his brain still seemed to be working well enough to ask questions. Because Fox couldn't seem to form words anymore.
"We've gone through the requirements," Chuchi said. "The troopers fit all of them. You're a specialized group whose government is not representative of you. You have specialized interests that may be overlooked or exploited by your government. You have a distinct culture different from that of the current government. And you have a distinctive role in the Republic and on Kamino that you have no say in. Honestly, the troopers fit the qualifications better than some of the other representatives we recognize."
Something about this explanation allowed Fox to snap out of his stupor. He shook his head. "What's wrong with the way we're doing things now? I've been giving my input on bills. Is that enough? I… I don't get why we need to petition this."
"The bills we've passed with your help are a good start," Senator Amidala said. "But on our own, we can't make any big changes. We need you out there advocating for your brothers in an official capacity."
"You are doing that, though. I've seen you arguing for more medical supplies and to cap how young the soldiers can be. You are speaking for us just fine."
"No, we are not," Chuchi said. "Neither of us are soldiers or troopers. We can be empathetic. We can listen to your problems. But that will never be enough. And it should never be enough. It is egotistical to assume our empathy would ever be enough to speak for you. You should not have to rely on external help to give you access to basic, sentient rights. You deserve to have your voice heard, your own voice heard, just as much as anyone else in the Republic."
"Even if we could understand everything you're going through," Amidala continued, "we have our own people to worry about. Commander, I know you understand better than anyone that there are only so many hours in the day. We don't have enough time to represent both troopers and our citizens adequately. We've had to start making choices and no one deserves that. No one deserves to be an afterthought."
He understood what they were saying and he agreed with them. The senators were great, but their disastrous efforts to create a name bill without his help were proof enough that they didn't fully grasp the position he and his brothers were in. They still didn't seem to fully understand just how Fox and his brothers were viewed by the Kaminoans and the Republic. Even if public perception had changed, the way society treated the troopers still had a long way to go.
And he understood that this, right here, right now, this wasn't their job. Amidala was supposed to be looking out for the people of Naboo. Chuchi was supposed to be looking out for the people of Pantora. This was an act of charity more than anything. A gesture of goodwill that could go away in a snap. And it might not even go away because the senators wanted it to. They might be too busy. Or they might decide to step down from their position. Or any number of things that could cause their support to disappear with a snap.
It was stupid to rely solely on their support to get trooper issues discussed in the Senate.
But just because it was stupid didn't mean that thiswas the better option. If Fox were to accept their offer and be a representative, he'd be putting himself directly in the line of fire.
He would no longer be an anonymous face in a sea of faces designed to look exactly the same. People would know him. They'd see him. They'd have a name to pin all their hatred on.
Wait.
No.
That wasn't the issue here.
That was an issue but it wasn't the main one.
Right now, Fox did everything in his power to keep Palpatine's wrath focused on him. He did everything he could to protect his brothers. To protect his men. If he were to step out into the light, if he were to make his face known, Palpatine might no longer be able to quietly abuse him. It'd draw too much attention. Fox would be under the severe scrutiny of not only the Senate, but the public as well, and Palpatine could not afford to risk exposing himself to the masses like that.
But Palpatine was not a man who accepted defeat quietly. If Fox was no longer accessible, he'd turn to someone else. And there were a lot of Corries he could turn to.
Thorn.
Thire.
Stone.
Any of them were now in danger of being Palpatine's new plaything. His new test subject. His new victim. Fox had made the decision long ago to accept his role as Palpatine's toy. He could not ask the same of his brothers.
He shook his head. "No. No, this… they're not going to listen to me. I'll only be one voice." He tried to be diplomatic about it. To let the senators down easy.
"Sometimes, all it takes is one voice. And you won't be alone. We'll be your allies. And you'll gain more once the senators see you in action." Amidala was just as stubborn as her stupid husband. He should have known she wasn't going to back down easily.
"Senator Burtoni and Prime Minister Lama Su are our representatives." Even as the words left his mouth he knew that was a stupid argument. The whole point of the Special Interest Groups and Internal Sovereign Powers Act was that the current representatives weren't proper for the special interest group in question.
"Representatives that you did not vote for and have a vested, economic interest in your lives that make them biased towards your care and well-being," Chuchi said, anger flaring up in her voice. She had had this argument with Burtoni several times.
He had one last argument that he could use. "I am not a politician."
Surely they had to be aware of this! They had to know that he did not have the background to argue for the rights of his brothers in a hostile senate!
"No one is born a politician," Amidala said softly.
Fuck.
"I was born a soldier," he bit out. "I was trained to be a soldier. My skills are shooting things and that's it."
"You have more skills than that," Chuchi said. "Leadership in the way you handle your men. Diplomatic skills, in the way I've seen you mediate with politicians. And political skills, in the way you've written bills and acts and amendments like it's second nature to you. You are more than just a soldier, Commander Fox. You all are. And you deserve to be treated as such."
The earnestness in her voice almost swayed him to agree with them. She believed that he was more than a soldier. And didn't that make it true? Didn't that mean he deserved rights?
Maybe he did.
Maybe they all did.
But did they deserve rights at the expense of their safety?
What was more important? Having a senate representative or keeping Palpatine's eyes off of them?
He shook his head. "No. I'm sorry, senators, but no. I can't take this on."
Amidala and Chuchi looked at each other, disappointed. The grip Thorn had on the back of his chair loosened.
The senators stood up.
"Alright, commander," Amidala said. "We can't force you and I have no intention of making you do something you're not comfortable with. But, if you change your mind, please be at the Senate building by eight in the morning tomorrow."
"Please, I hope you'll reconsider," Chuchi said.
As they left the room, Chuchi looked back at him once more before disappearing.
Thorn was silent behind him for several minutes; making no move to leave the room and get back to work. The silence was deafening. Crushing in on him and spinning his head in circles until he felt dizzy and sick. He could practically hear Thorn biting on his tongue to keep from spitting out whatever was on his mind.
He couldn't take it anymore. "If you want to say something, say it," he ordered.
Thorn swallowed audibly then walked around and closed the door. It shut them off from the noise of the men. The laughter. The conversations.
He spun around to face him, eyes stormy and jaw clenched.
He said nothing for several more seconds.
Just as Fox was about to order him again, he spoke.
"With all due respect, sir, what the fuck are you doing?" he snarled.
Fox expected vitriol. He expected pushback. But even with that, Thorn's tone took him aback. He felt as though he had just been slapped.
"What do you mean?"
"We just got the opportunity to advocate for ourselves handed to us on a silver platter and you said no? You turned it down? Who does that?"
"You don't understand—"
"Then make me understand!" Thorn shouted, slamming his hands down on Fox's desk.
The rollercoaster of emotions he had been feeling came rushing to the surface. Now that no senators were in the room, he could let loose. He could let his true emotions out. And his true emotions were…. Complicated.
Ecstatic.
Scared.
Stressed.
Angry.
Confused.
And everything in between.
He stood up, shoving his chair to the ground so he could look Thorn in the eye.
"If we push Palpatine too much, he'll only get worse," he shouted.
He had to make Thorn understand. He had to make him understand that he wasn't making this choice willingly. He was trying to protect him. He was trying to protect all of them.
"He'll despise us for standing up for ourselves," he continued. "He'll hate us and when he hates us, he'll hurt us. And if I'm out on the Senate Floor, if I've got all eyes on me, then who do you think he's going to turn to? Who do you think is going to face his wrath? You! You and everyone else in this building. I made the decision long ago that I would be the one taking on most of Palpatine's abuse. I know what he's capable of. I know you think this was handed to us on a silver platter, but it's not. Even if Amidala and Chuchi are on our side there will be consequences for our actions. Consequences that you have to face. I am not willing to put you through that!"
"You might not, but I am! We all are!"
Fox felt the air leave his lungs and for the second time in the conversation, felt as though Thorn had just slapped him. He gaped like a fish, wanting to argue but not able to find the words.
Thorn let out a sigh, deflating slightly. "Sir," he said softer, more controlled. "Fox, we don't get a chance to choose our jobs. We don't get to choose what unit we're stationed with. What planet we go to. What brothers we serve with. What beds we sleep in. We didn't choose to be soldiers. We didn't choose to be slaves. Our brothers didn't choose to get sent to the front lines where they die in droves. We didn't choose to get sent here where we're used and abused by Palpatine and his favorite senators. We didn't choose to be born to die. So give us the chance to choose this."
Fox couldn't move. He couldn't breathe.
"Let us choose to speak for ourselves. Let us choose to make noise, even if that noise is only through you." Thorn continued. "Palpatine may get worse. He may hurt us or even kill us for daring to try and make things better. But it's better to die fighting for our rights than to die as slaves in a war we didn't choose to fight in for a Republic we didn't choose to be born in."
"Then you be the representative," Fox said softly. "Speak for our brothers. Let me keep taking Palpatine's wrath. You can be the one in the spotlight."
Thorn shook his head. "I think it's time you get a break from Palpatine. Besides, I'm not the one who's been writing all the bills. I'm not the one who's been meeting with the senators. I'm not the one they want."
He sighed once more and straightened up. "We can't force you. But please, don't say no because you want to protect us. You can protect us by being our voice. Our brothers are willing to sacrifice themselves to defend the Republic. The Corries are ready to sacrifice ourselves to defend our brothers."
Fox jolted at his words. The exact same sentiment he had felt earlier repeated back to him. Soft-spoken but powerful the words echoed louder than any bomb he had ever heard.
Thorn left him alone in his office, his head spinning and heart pounding. Never before had he felt so unmoored.
This was completely uncharted territory. There were no orders to follow. No reg manuals to consult. He wasn't breaking the rules, per se, but he was doing something that would have never been approved by the Kaminoans. Is this what being free felt like? An endless stretch of options before him and the knowledge that whatever decision he made, he'd be the only one to blame for the consequences that followed?
This was no longer a way to get donations to the troops or help give them an identity in death. This was more than that. This was bigger than that.
Fox was about to do something of his own free will.
Yes or no it didn't matter because as of this moment, he was making the decision on his own.
A decision that would have consequences.
Consequences he didn't know if he could accept.
*****
Thorn had spent the rest of the night with a bitter taste in his mouth. He had told Thire and Stone what had happened and both agreed with him that they would take whatever Palpatine threw at them if it meant Fox got the opportunity to speak to the Senate. Even if it was only a one-time deal.
However, Fox had made no indication that he was planning on taking Senator Amidala up on her offer. When Thorn had left the night before, Fox was still working away on a stack of paperwork that would never get done.
He thought about maybe sitting all of the commanders down to have another conversation. Maybe this time without shouting and desk slamming. But Stone voted against it.
"He needs time," he had said as they walked back to the barracks.
"We don't have time, though. We have until tomorrow at eight. And who knows when we'll get another opportunity like this."
"It's a lot to ask, though," Thire said. "We're not just asking him to talk to the Senate once and be done. We're asking him to fundamentally change how the troopers interact with society. We're asking him to make choices without a reg manual. We're asking him to spit in Palpatine's face. Even if we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for this, that's still a lot to ask."
Thorn agreed with them. Even if it did pain him to say it out loud. The thing was, though, he knew Fox wanted to do this. He could see how much happier Fox was working with the senators. How ecstatic he was to be included in the conversation. To have his voice heard even if it was just by a few people.
He could be a really great representative for the troopers. And if he let this opportunity pass, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. But Thorn couldn't think of a way to make him see that. He couldn't think of a way to alleviate some of Fox's fears and the overwhelming uncertainty that came with this uncharted territory.
He had to accept, in the end, it was Fox's choice. It was Fox's mistake to make. He just hoped the senators would still allow him to work as some sort of shadow representative. In the background, in clandestine meetings that Palpatine would never know about. It wasn't the perfect solution, but it was better than nothing.
Thorn stepped into the office the next morning, freezing when he saw Fox pacing back and forth across the main floor where most of the troopers gathered for mission debriefs, reports, and meetings.
He paced from one end of the room, muttering to himself. When he hit the wall (almost literally) he turned on his heels and walked to the other.
Archer was sitting at a desk, watching him. Following his movements back and forth, back and forth.
"How long has he been at this?" Thorn asked.
Fox didn't normally pace. He sat at his desk for 20 hours before passing out. The fact that he was out here, arguing with himself so early made him worried. But it also gave him hope.
"Since before I got here," Archer said. "Every once in a while he'll call out—"
"What time is it?" Fox shouted.
"0740, sir!" Archer replied. He turned back to Thorn. "And then he'll start pacing again. Do you know why? Has he finally lost it? Do we need to call Commander Cody?"
Thorn furrowed his brow. He couldn't read Fox's mind, but he had a pretty good idea as to why he was pacing back and forth. He was considering Amidala's proposition. Thinking over the benefits and drawbacks. Trying to predict and mitigate the consequences as best as possible. It might actually be a good idea to get some of the other commanders in on this. Maybe if all of them assured Fox that they'd be willing to face Palpatine's wrath, it'd make his decision a little easier.
They were running out of time, though. The Senate session was set to start in twenty minutes and it would take at least that long to get Fox there. But he had to try.
"Maybe. Watch him. I'm going to see if any of the commanders are available."
"Yes, sir," Archer said.
Just as Thorn was about to turn and contact everyone in the GAR for an all-hands-on-deck emergency, Fox let out a strangled cry, grasped his hair in his hands, and rushed to his office.
"Has he finally had a mental breakdown?" Sol asked.
"Or overdosed on caffeine?" Dice added.
"Shit. Maybe." Alright, change of plans. First Thorn was going to make sure Fox wasn't doing something stupid like climbing out the window. And then he would call the commanders and have them talk him into being a representative.
Once more, before Thorn could act, Fox rushed back out into the main room. His arms were full of his (or someone's) greys.
He skidded to a stop in front of Archer. "How fast can you get me to the Senate building?"
Archer snapped to attention. "You said I wasn't allowed to drive anymore, sir."
"Yeah, well, I changed my mind. How fast?" He started snapping off the armor pieces on his legs.
Thorn rushed to his side to help get off the rest of the leg pieces so he could pull on the pants.
"Twenty minutes, sir!"
Fox pulled off his gloves with his teeth. "How fast if you drive like you normally do and break the laws of physics and traffic?"
Archer grinned. "I can make it in ten, sir."
"Great, let's go. Thorn, you're in charge until I get back!" He and Archer rushed out of the office. Troopers had to jump out of the way to avoid getting bulldozed.
"You're still wearing half your armor!"
"I'll change on way!" He knocked right into Thire, a cup of caf splattering on the ground. But he and Archer just kept going, running out of the building and leaving a stunned trail of silent troopers in their wake.
"What was that about?" Thire asked. "Has he finally lost it?"
Thorn smiled and shook his head. "Nope. He's going to the Senate. Come on. Let's start working on his paperwork."
Thire realized what he was saying and grinned back. "I knew he'd come around."
*****
Commander Fox: I have made a huge mistake.
CommanderCody: What'd you do?
CommanderCody: Seriously, Fox, what'd you do?
CommanderCody: Okay, you can't just type that and then not respond. What's going on?
CommanderCody: @CommanderThire, @CommanderStone, @CommanderThorn what's going on? Is Fox okay?
CommanderCody: Seriously, one of you call me and tell me why none of you are answering
CommanderCody: Can anyone get ahold of the Corries?
CommanderBly: Nope
CommanderGregor: No luck on my end
CommanderBacara: They're not answering any of my calls.
CommanderGree: I'm hearing nothing on the comms. No chatter or anything.
CommanderWolffe: Guys, relax. I'm sure it's fine.
CommanderGregor: Since when has Fox ever been fine?
CommanderWolffe: Fair point. Any news that something's going down on Coruscant?
CommanderBly: Nothing that I can see.
CommanderCody: Alright, meeting in ten. We need to figure out what's going on.
*****
Another minute passed.
Now they only had five more to go until eight AM.
Padme sighed. The disappointment had long faded to begrudging acceptance. They had sprung this on him last minute, after all. It wasn't her fault. This was the only time they had open. A rare occurrence. When she saw they had about an hour today that was completely open, she jumped at the chance, along with Riyo. But, it looked like it would be all for naught.
Commander Fox wasn't here.
"I'm sorry, senator. I don't think he's coming," Senator Organa said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I know, I was hoping, though."
Riyo was beside her, equally disappointed by the outcome. "It is a lot to ask of him. He'd be opening himself up for scrutiny and the Kaminoans probably wouldn't be very happy about it."
"Still, I was hoping for a step in the right direction," she sighed. "Even if they didn't get representation today, I want their voices to be heard."
"It's only been a few weeks since he started working with us," Senator Mothma said. "Perhaps in a few months, we can bring the issue up again."
"I'm not sure we'll have another chance," Padme said. "This is the first time in nearly a decade that we've had an opening in the schedule."
"We can always petition it formally," Senator Organa said. "Instead of springing it on the Senate in a surprise attack."
Riyo shook her head. "Chancellor Palpatine would never let it get to the floor. And Senator Burtoni would likely block it as well."
"Then we can work with him on a better, more permanent solution," Senator Mothma said. "After we finish up with our work here, let's all meet with him again and see what his thoughts are."
"Of course. It's better than nothing," Padme said.
An aide came up to them. "Senators, I believe the session is starting," she said. "Please, make your way to the floor."
"Of course, thank you."
"Change doesn't happen in a day," Riyo reminded her. "It takes time, even if we wish it were not so."
"I understand. We'll keep looking for other opportunities to better their lives."
They turned to make their way to their respective booths when a voice cried out from down the hall. "I'm here! I'm here!"
They turned to see Commander Fox and Archer rushing through the corridors. Fox was busy trying to simultaneously strip off his armor and pull on his greys, shoving pieces at Archer. He hopped on one leg, trying to pull on a boot only to faceplant into the carpet. He popped up and finished yanking it on. He practically ripped off the chest piece he was wearing, the back half crashing to the floor as the front half was shoved into Archer's already full hands.
Senator Mothma picked up the back piece and handed it to the trooper.
"I'm here." He panted, skidding to a stop in front of them and pulling on the grey jacket. He looked down at them and furrowed his brow. "These aren't my greys. These are Stone's."
"I'm sure no one will notice, sir," Archer said as what looked to be a piece of armor that went on the bicep clattered to the floor.
"I'll hurry to put the item on the agenda," Senator Mothma said, rushing to her booth.
"I'll prepare opening statements. Senator Organa, can you stall them for a few minutes?"
"Of course," he nodded and rushed towards his booth.
"Alright, Commander, you're with me. Come on." Padme grabbed his arm and led him to her booth. They paused in front of it. She helped him button his jacket correctly and tried to smooth out his hair. It was still crunchy from whatever gel he had put in it yesterday. She'd teach him how to properly style using gel later. For now, they had bigger things to worry about.
"Question," Archer said, arms still full of armor.
"Yes?" Padme motioned for one of her guards to come to help him.
"What exactly is going on?"
She looked at Fox questioningly.
"I didn't have time to explain," he shrugged. He turned to him. "We're fighting for our rights."
A little simplistic and not at all-encompassing the magnitude of the situation nor the complexities, but Archer didn't seem to mind.
He gave him a thumbs up. "Sweet!"
"Archer, you can give the armor to my guard. We'll keep it safe in my office until the end of the session."
Archer obliged and dumped the pieces into his waiting hands. "Wait, I get to come with you?"
"Moral support." Padme smiled at him.
He beamed at her.
Fox fiddled with the sleeves of the jacket, frowning. "Alright, what exactly is going to happen? What do you need me to do?"
She didn't step into her booth just yet. She wanted to keep Fox and Archer hidden for as long as possible. If Palpatine saw them in her booth, especially with Fox not wearing his armor, he might derail the entire session. She didn't know how or why, but he was tricky like that. He always seemed to be one step ahead of her. So, if she wanted to get anything done, she needed to blindside him. Wait until the last possible moment to make her move and then pray he didn't have a contingency plan.
"Senator Mothma and Senator Organa will petition the Senate for an emergency debate. Senator Chuchi will then introduce the bill and explain the legality of it and why we are debating it at all. Then you will have a chance to argue the reason why you and your brothers deserve to be classed as a special interest group eligible for representation. Anyone who wants to argue against you will have the chance to do so. You'll be asked questions from the senate. After about an hour, we will either vote on the issue today or vote to extend the arguments until the next session," she explained.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait," Fox said, taking a step back. "I can't argue this. I thought you were going to argue this."
Padme shook her head. "Fox, no matter the outcome today, as of this moment, you are the representative for the clone troopers. I cannot argue it for you. I am not your representative. Not anymore. You are. It has to be you."
"I can't do this!" He hissed. "I am not a politician. I… I am a soldier, senator. This is not my job. I can't. I can't do this. I can't argue against a senate that doesn't even see me as human."
She put a hand on his cheek. "You have more allies than you think."
He turned away from her, still not convinced.
She took a deep breath and remembered why she wanted to be a senator in the first place. She remembered the drive she had to protect and help her people. The burning need within her soul to make the galaxy a better place for all. The worries and anxieties kept her up at night, screaming at her that she wasn't doing enough.
"I know this is overwhelming. And I'm so sorry this is the way it has to be," she started. "But you can do this. You can stand up there and argue for your rights. You may not be successful today. You may not get the representation you want, but you don't have to win this to change the galaxy. Right now, what you're doing, being here despite your hesitations, that's a win. And no matter what happens, no matter how they vote, even if you only get fifteen minutes to speak, that's fifteen more minutes than you had in the past. And that fifteen minutes can change the course of history. Even if it doesn't today."
"I've never done this before," he said softly.
"Remember, no one is born a politician. You become one when you seek to make meaningful changes on a larger scale. And you've already proven yourself willing to do this. You've already proven yourself capable of this."
He hesitated, still not convinced. He had likely made a snap decision to come here and was now faced with the consequences of his actions.
She needed to connect with him further. She believed in him, she truly did. She would not have suggested this or even entertained the idea if she didn't think he had the chance to be successful. She just had to make him see it for himself.
"I know you are used to battles being fought with guns and bombs, but not all battles are violent or loud. Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad, kyr'amur" The words were clumsy and poorly pronounced. She had only heard them a handful of times before. But it did the trick.
He looked up at her. "Today is a good day for someone else to die," he translated. "I'm not killing anyone, senator."
"Maybe not literally, but figuratively. You're killing the view of troopers as we know it. You're killing all the arguments against your human rights. You're killing the way this government will move forward with the war. You're a soldier, Fox. So be a soldier on that floor. Make them see that you are a force to be reckoned with. You have sat with hundreds of senators, and listened to them argue and debate. You are a smart man. I know you can use that experience to fight just like your brothers fight on the front lines."
Fox looked at Archer.
"Oya?" Archer asked
Fox nodded. "Oya. Let's do this."
She breathed a sigh of relief, glad he finally agreed to go out there and fight. She was running out of things to say to him and they did not have time to stall much longer.
They turned to face the senate as the session was called to order. Beside her, Fox was rigid, practically radiating off nerves and anxiety.
Chancellor Palpatine read over Senator Mothma's last-minute agenda item, brow furrowed. "Senator Mothma, I see you've added an emergency vote to the agenda this morning but have not explained what it is or why you've called it. This is most unorthodox."
He was angry. Annoyed that he didn't have time to prepare for this. Good. Padme wanted him off kilter. She wanted him to struggle.
"Yes, it is, but we have a good reason," Senator Mothma said. "My colleague, Senator Chuchi from Pantora will introduce the item."
Before Palpatine had the opportunity to argue, Senator Chuchi's booth went to the center.
"My esteemed colleagues," she said in a strong, clear voice. "Pantora, in an effort with the Chandrila, Alderaan, and Naboo Systems, formally petition the Senate to recognize the Clone Troopers as a special interest group eligible for separate representation under the Special Interest Group and Internal Sovereign Power Act."
Gasps rang out through the senate and several senators started arguing and shouting at the ridiculousness of the notion. Several hundred eyes turned towards Padme's booth, spotting Fox standing next to her which just caused more commotion.
"Well, this is going well," Fox muttered.
"They're dramatic. Give them a chance to calm down," she whispered back.
"Everyone please, let's have silence," Palpatine demanded. As soon as the command went out, the senate settled down. He turned back to Riyo. "My dear senator—"
Fox tensed beside her. She wanted to grab his hand to give him some sort of silent support but didn't. Right now, all eyes were on them. If Fox appeared weak, even for a moment, they'd pounce on that and rip him to shreds. He had to stand on his own now.
Palpatine continued. "The clones have representation already. Prime Minister Lama Su and Senator Burtoni are their representatives."
"Representatives that they did not vote for and whose economic interests in their production may have direct and negative impacts on their health and well-being," Riyo argued. "The point of the Sovereign Powers Act was to give groups not otherwise represented by their governments a voice in both the Senate and on their home worlds."
"They do not qualify for the special interest protection," Palpatine said.
"You're wrong on that, chancellor," Senator Organa said. "The clone troopers are not the same species as the elected officials. They do not hold any positions of power in the government. They have specialized interests that may be overlooked or exploited by the government. And, as Creche to Command has shown, has a distinct culture different from that of the current government."
"Not to mention their active participation in the war elevates their status and need for representation. The Kaminoans are not the ones fighting the war, but they are perfectly content to send men to die without even giving them proper names," Riyo continued.
"We solved the name issue with the Post-Humous Clone Name Act," Senator Burtoni said.
"An act that only came about after you failed to properly care for the troopers," Riyo argued.
Senator Burtoni's eyes narrowed. "Senator, I do not like what you are implying. We have a vested interest in doing what is best for the clones."
"On an economic level," Riyo replied. "Your interest is tethered to your economy, which, by nature may neglect the health and wellbeing of the troopers. You have voted against at least three bills that would increase the budget for healthcare-related costs because it is more profitable for the Kaminoans to provide new clones to the Republic rather than heal the ones you already have."
"You do not understand the intricacies of the cloning operation," Burtoni argued.
"And you do not understand the intricacies of being a trooper." She shot back. "They are a fundamentally different class of people on Kamino and are treated differently by the government because of that. Therefore, they have the right to special interest representation."
"Even if you do wish to request representation," Chancellor Palpatine said, "you would need a clone to be a representative. And I don't know of any clone with an interest in politics."
Padme was taken aback by this. Palpatine hadn't looked their way? He hadn't noticed Fox standing next to her, ready to argue for his rights. Either he did and didn't take Fox's presence seriously, or they had done such a good job at surprising him that he was making little mistakes.
Either way, it didn't matter. "Now is your time. Ready?" she whispered.
Fox tightened his jaw and nodded. "Yes, sir."
She directed her booth to the floor. Palpatine had made a mistake. He had allowed an opening for her to formally begin the debate. Before, they were simply debating the merits of introducing this piece of legislation. No doubt he wanted to keep the debate there, with Riyo and Burtoni going back and forth until the hour was up and no conclusions had been reached. But by specifically calling for a clone representative, he had sealed his fate.
"Naboo would formally like to begin the debate for trooper representation. Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard has volunteered to be the representative for the troopers at the Senate during this debate and moving forward if the motion is passed."
Something dangerous and ugly flashed in Palpatine's features. Dark enough to make her shiver and feel as though her lungs were collapsing in on themselves. Her entire body shook with fear and all the failures and thoughts of her inadequacies came flooding back to the surface. What was happening? She had never felt this way on the Senate floor before.
As quickly as it came, though, it left and Palpatine schooled his features back into a neutral face.
"Then I do believe the floor is yours, commander." The way he said 'commander' made it sound almost like a slur. And his voice had a dangerous edge to it.
One that seemed to threaten Fox as he swayed by Padme's side. He seemed to go pale and she swore he could hear his heart beating against his ribs. For a second, Padme feared he'd back off. He'd say this had all been a big misunderstanding and withdraw the appeal.
He shifted ever so slightly so he was standing more firmly in front of Archer. Then, he straightened up and looked Palpatine in the eye. "Senators, I am Commander Fox, official designation CC-1010 of the Coruscant Guard. I am here to officially petition the special interest representation in both the Senate and the Kaminoan government."
Though he was addressing the entire Senate, he did not take his eyes off of Palpatine. This was a battle, and right now the enemy was the supreme chancellor.
A ripple of whispers echoed through the crowd, though they did not shout and argue like before.
"What makes you think you are a capable politician? You are a soldier. You were bred for war, not for this," Palpatine said.
"No one is born a politician," Fox said, echoing the words Padme had repeated to him time and time again. "And, many of the senators here had other careers before going into politics. Senator Nuei was a banker. Senator Gungri was a soldier, like me. And Senator Waxum was a comedian, of all things. By the way, Senator Waxum, my men enjoy working with you. You always make them laugh."
Senator Waxum seemed amused by this. "Happy to put my previous career to good use, commander," he said.
Padme was impressed. Fox was commanding the room and gaining allies in the process. That was a difficult skill to perfect but he made it look so effortless. Padme could see now why he was the leader of the Coruscant Guard, why his men looked to him. And why she had made the right choice in coming to him with this proposition. That small glimmer of hope that this might work was starting to grow. The flames were being fed and even if they were extinguished, no one would forget today. It'd haunt the senators' minds. It'd haunt the war. It'd haunt every interaction they had with a trooper. And that was exactly what she wanted.
Fox turned back to Palpatine. "The clone troopers, as Senator Chuchi stated, are eligible for Special Interest Representation. And I intend to fully follow through with this petition and start the debate."
"Politics is more difficult than war," a senator said. "You cannot just shoot things and expect to get your way."
Fox's eyes narrowed slightly. "The Senate has already passed one bill, one act, and one amendment that I have written. My name was not on them, true, but the bills were passed in almost their original state. Senators Organa, Mothma, Chuchi, and Amidala can attest to this fact. And, with these three successful pieces of legislation, I have a better track record than many of the senators here."
Padme winced. So that wasn't super diplomatic, but they'd work on it.
She'd also have to get in contact with Ahsoka to see if there was any way to get this on Creche to Command, or at least talk about it. One of the most powerful influences in politics was a mass of pissed-off people. And with the amount of coverage the troopers were getting along with the celebrities that had started speaking out on their issues, she could foresee this blowing up in Palpatine's face.
Just as she came to this conclusion, she realized Archer wasn't just sitting back and watching Fox argue. He was actually filming the entire exchange. She bit her lip to keep from grinning and to keep from Palpatine realizing what was going on.
She should have known better than to underestimate the troopers. Palpatine might constantly be one step ahead of her, but the troopers were pretty good at that too.
The flames of hope grew bigger.
Fox might just get representation for the troopers after all.
*****
Archer: Hey, @Echo, do you know how to livestream something on C2C?
Echo: Hang on.
Echo has added Tech to the chat.
Echo: @Tech, any ideas?
Tech: Are you recording now?
Archer: Yep. Got it all set up and ready to go.
Tech has added a link to the chat: Livestream directions so simple even Wrecker could follow them
Tech: Just click the link and follow the instructions.
Echo: What are you live streaming?
Archer: Commander Fox being a fucking badass.
*****
Ahsoka was enjoying a rare moment alone in her room. As much as she loved her brothers, they could sometimes be a handful. And there were so many of them that she found herself feeling overwhelmed on more than one occasion.
Thankfully, they tended to be pretty respectful of her need for space and there seemed to be some unspoken rule amongst them that if she was in her room, they shouldn't bother her unless it was truly necessary.
She was trying to figure out the next steps for Creche to Command. The barracks episode had proven that the series was powerful and far-reaching. Now she just had to figure out a way to extend its reach and influence as far as possible.
She thought about maybe asking Cody if he had any ideas. Or maybe he knew someone else who might be of some help. He was great with larger scale, longer plans with multiple moving parts. There was a reason Master Obi-Wan deferred to his expertise on multiple occasions.
She'd have to wait until Cody was done with his meeting, though. Apparently, something was going on with the Coruscant Guard and the rest of the commanders were freaking out. As curious as she was about the situation, she figured it wasn't her place to butt in. The troopers were handling this on their own.
Maybe if they handled it successfully, she could use that to petition the senate to allow them to hold higher ranks in the military. She grinned at the thought of General Cody or Admiral Wolffe. Yeah, maybe that should be her next move.
There was a knock at the door.
She furrowed her brow and hopped off her bed. Whoever was on the other side didn't feel anxious or anything so it wasn't an emergency.
She opened it to see Echo standing on the other side. "Hey, Echo. What's up? Want to spar or something?"
Echo snorted. "No thanks. I'd rather keep my dignity for a few days."
"Come on, you were so close to winning last time."
He rolled his eyes. "That's a lie and we both know it. Commander Wolffe did too good of a job in teaching you to fight dirty."
She grinned. "He'd be so proud to hear you say that. If you're not here to spar, what's going on?"
"Archer asked to live stream something on the site. Just thought you should know about it."
Her grin faltered. "Archer? He's not one of ours, is he?"
There were a lot of troopers in the 501st and Ahsoka was ashamed to say she didn't know all of their names. But she knew most of them and Archer didn't ring a bell.
"He's not. He's a Corrie."
Something in Ahsoka's head clicked. "Oh, he's a corrie? Can you tell him to give Rex a call? Everyone is freaking out because Fox dropped a message in the commander's chat and then disappeared and no one can get ahold of any of them."
Echo's brow furrowed. "Wait, is that what the meeting's about that Rex and Skywalker are at?"
She nodded.
"Hang on, he did say something about Fox being a badass."
"Well, what's he streaming?" She hoped it had something to do with Fox's disappearance. Rex was very much on edge right now and she could tell that Fox's behavior was out of the norm and a huge cause for concern. If they had some indication as to what was going on, it might help them figure out a plan moving forward.
Echo pulled out a datapad and navigated to the Creche to Command site he and Tech had set up a while ago. While there were the two playlists (Creche to Command and Best Moments of the Gar) there was also a video up, automatically playing on the screen.
Echo's eyes bugged out of his head when he saw it.
Ahsoka peered over his shoulder, focusing in on the video. "Hang on… is that… is that the Senate?" She'd recognize those grey pods anywhere.
The camera angle itself was kind of bad, but it showed Fox (or who she assumed to be Fox, she had never met him personally) standing in one of the pods.
"Is that Senator Amidala?" Echo asked.
It was. She'd recognize that headdress anywhere.
"What the hell is Fox doing with Senator Amidala?"
"I think he's calling Orn Free Taa a bitch," Ahsoka said. "But in a very diplomatic way that would make Master Obi-Wan proud."
"He's arguing with the Senate. That's what he's doing." Echo gasped. "That's… is this even possible?"
She grabbed the datapad. "If Padme is with him, then that means she found a way to make it possible. It looks like Chuchi and Organa are also on the floor."
"That's Senator Burtoni," Echo said, pointing at a very pissed-off-looking Kaminoan. "He's actually on the Senate floor. They're listening to him argue on the Senate floor!"
"Come on," she grabbed his hand. "We got to show Rex and the others this. I don't know if this will help them solve the problem, but at least we know where Fox is at."
They took off down the hallway and entered the dimly lit meeting room. Rex, Fives, and Anakin were all standing around the holoprojector while images of Cody, Gree, Doom, Bly, Bacara, and Wolffe shimmered in front of them. She could see Master Obi-Wan, Master Secura, and Master Plo all standing beside their respective commanders, though taking care not to take charge of the situation.
"No one's been able to get ahold of the Corries still? It's been almost an hour," Cody asked.
"No, but I'm on Coruscant," Doom said. "I'll head over to the base in a bit."
"And we're sure nothing is going on? No bombings? No hostage situations? Everything's fine?" Wolffe asked.
"Not that I can tell," Doom said. "There's no indication that anything's wrong. I asked the generals and both of them say the Force is pretty… content? I'm not sure if I understood their explanation but they say nothing's out of place."
"Comm chatter's still quiet. Corries haven't made a sound," Bacara said.
"Maybe he just deserted," Gree said.
"Desertion warrants a bit of a reaction, though," Wolffe said. "Especially since it's Fox. Out of all of us, he'd be the least likely to desert and I'm pretty sure Coruscant would implode if he left for more than thirty minutes."
"Well then maybe we're just overreacting and he went to a spa or something for a break. He really could use one," Gree replied.
"Oh, yeah, totally an underreaction," Bly scoffed. "Fox, the most overworked clone in the galaxy, sends Cody a message saying he made a mistake, disappears off the face of Coruscant, and then no one in his group answers our calls for nearly an hour. Totally an overreaction and not at all an indication that something is seriously wrong."
"Well, if he snapped and bombed the Senate building, I think we'd know about it," Gree said. "And if all the Corries decided to launch a coup, again, I think we'd know about it."
Ahsoka decided to put them out of their misery and went up to Rex.
"Not now, vod'ika," he said quietly.
"No, but I know where Fox is," she whispered.
He whipped towards her. "Really? How'd you figure it out?"
"Wasn't me. Archer reached out to Echo."
Rex turned to Echo. "How long ago was this?"
"About an hour ago, sir," he said.
"And you didn't think to tell us?" Bacara cried.
"I didn't know the Corries had gone AWOL, sir."
"Okay, so Archer's alive. But where is Fox?" Wolffe asked.
Ashoka handed Rex the datapad. Predictably, Rex's reaction was the same as Echo's. His eyes bugged out of his head and his mouth fell open.
Master Obi-Wan finally stepped forward to give some direction. "Rex, what is it?"
"Well, you're half-right, Gree. He is at the Senate." He shared the link with the rest of the commanders and brought it up so all of them could watch it.
"Is that Fox?" Bacara gasped.
"Yep." Rex nodded, sounding almost numb.
"And he's on the senate floor?"
"Looks like it."
"What's he doing?" Cody asked.
"Besides calling Orn Free Taa a bitch?" Echo said. "It looks like he's arguing for some sort of clone trooper representation."
"I didn't even know that was possible," Rex said. "We have Burtoni and Lama Su. How would we get more representation?"
"Oh, probably under the Special Interest Group and Internal Sovereign Powers Act," Fives said casually.
Everyone turned towards him.
"What? I can't have a hobby?" He crossed his arms and glared at them.
"I expected your hobby to be less… intelligent," Bly said.
Fives made a rude gesture at him, which was swatted down by Echo.
"I'm sorry, the Sovereign Powers Act? What is that?" Wolffe asked.
"It's an act that allows for special interest groups to have minimal representation in the senate and system governments. Think the gungans on Naboo," Fives explained.
"And we qualify?" Doom asked.
Fives thought it over and then shrugged. "Actually, yeah, we do qualify. Huh. Didn't think of that."
"Okay, so what does this mean for us?" Cody asked.
"Depends on if Fox convinces the senate to vote yes or not. If they vote yes, we get a representative in the Senate and one in the Kaminoan government. We wouldn't have the power to make huge decisions but we would be consulted and get at least one vote on relevant issues."
Cody frowned. "I'm guessing Fox is going to be the Senate Representative, which makes sense since he's on Coruscant. We're going to need someone on Kamino, though."
"We should go with someone stationed there. Blitz and Hammer would be the best options," Wolffe said.
"I'll go contact them and see if they're up to it," Doom said. "Should I still go over?"
"Head to the Senate and talk to him. Make sure he's not having a breakdown," Cody said. "Fives, when can we expect a vote on this issue? And why are you the only one in this room that I'm trusting to know the intricate workings of the Senate?"
"Because I'm smart," Fives sniffed. "And it depends. They could vote on the issue today or they could delay it indefinitely. We'll have to wait and see."
"Alright, let's plan for the Senate to come to a vote today and get Blitz or Hammer ready to take a position on the Kaminoan parliament. But if it is delayed, Fives, I want you to coordinate with Fox and any senators that are on his side to see how we can push the issue forward. Understood?" Cody said.
"Yes, sir."
Rex handed Ahsoka back the datapad, everyone watching with rapt attention as the debate raged on. Very clearly, Palpatine was losing his patience. His knuckles were white as he gripped the bar on his pod so tightly, it looked like he wanted to bend it in half.
Fox, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. A little stiff. A little formal. But ultimately relaxed.
"I'm sure there's some way to compromise on this, commander," Palpatine said with a slick smile.
Fox narrowed his eyes and responded back without missing a beat. "I'm not sure you understand, chancellor. This is the compromise. Either we get Special Interest Representation, or the Senate forces Kmaino to give us the right to vote and calls for emergency elections for all positions in the Kaminoan government."
"That's not much of a compromise." Another senator argued. "These are the demands of a terrorist! You are being unreasonable."
Fox didn't seem phased by his accusations. He remained calm and collected as he spoke the next words. Clear and precise. Like a blaster bolt to the heart. He knew how to fight this battle. "It is a compromise. Either we get representation, or we abandon our posts."
The entire senate was in an uproar over this.
Palpatine actually seemed pleased with these words.
"You can't do that!" Senator Burtoni snarled.
Fox remained calm. He was in complete control. "Legally, we can."
Palpatine's smile dropped. His face paled and he went back to looking like he wanted to kill Fox with his eyes.
"With what authority?" Burtoni demanded.
"Under the Anti-Slavery Act, we are legally allowed to leave our posts."
Even Padme seemed surprised by this argument as she whipped towards him, eyes and mouth rounded in shock. Fox held his position. Back straight, chin tilted up in defiance.
"That act only applies to slaves. You are not slaves," Palpatine said. "You get a stipend."
"The Anti-Slavery Act defines slavery as 'any forced labor in which the individual in question did not choose the job and cannot leave the job of their own free will.' You'll notice pay is not mentioned anywhere."
"Holy shit, he's right," Fives whispered. "Damn, he did his homework."
Fox wasn't done with his argument just yet, though. "Under the Anti-Slavery Act, any sentient persons subjugated to forced labor has the right to abandon their posts or positions without repercussions and will be protected by Republic law from retaliation from their former owners. We, as clones who are owned by the Kamioans, have proven our sentience. I am proving it right now in this Senate hearing. We also did not choose to be soldiers and we cannot leave our duties as soldiers, even if we want to. As such, we have every right to abandon our posts without repercussions and take refuge in any of the 698 systems in the Galactic Republic that offer sanctuary to people fleeing slavery. And, if those systems decide that our freedom is worth less than the war and refuse sanctuary, there are 501 systems in the Alliance of Neutral systems that will be happy to take us in. Including Mandalore."
More gasps rippled through the senate.
"And," Fox continued without missing a beat, "if your entire army up and abandons you and joins the Alliance of Neutral Systems, you will not have the firepower necessary to punish them and continue the war with the Separatists."
Fox let his words sink in while he steadied himself for the next argument.
"Trust me," he said, "I am not arguing for this because I don't support the Republic. I am not making these points to scare you. I do support the Republic. All my brothers do. If we didn't, you'd have mass desertion and more than a handful of dead commanding officers at your feet. We give our lives to defend this government. We fight against the Separatists without hesitation. We are doing everything in our power to bring this war to a close as swiftly as possible. But just because we give our lives to defend your freedom, doesn't mean we don't deserve representation. The Kaminoans are biased and do not always have our best interests in mind as sentient beings. Because of that, we deserve the chance to speak for ourselves."
Senator Lezien from Jonda joined the floor. "My people decided to join the Republic because we felt you treated all your citizens with a basic amount of respected and afforded all of them sentient rights. Is this not true? Do these clearly sentient and intelligent men who can feel pain and sorrow and love not deserve representation simply because of the circumstances of their birth? If they don't deserve representation because we need them to fight a war, then what other groups are being left out? What other rights can be taken away?"
There was a murmur throughout the Senate.
Senator Mothma also joined the Senate floor. "I have not heard Representative Fox make any indication that the troopers had the desire to leave the military. If that is the case, then what harm could two trooper representatives be?"
"They could do a lot of harm," Senator Burtoni stated.
Mothma turned to her. "Senator, if you are not confident in your arguments, then having Representative Fox on the Senate floor will not make much of a difference. We have given Special Interest Representation to groups with far less of a claim to it than the troopers and having an actual soldier speaking on the issue of the war would be an invaluable resource for us to have moving forward with our decision making."
Burtoni looked like she had swallowed a lemon. It was glorious.
When no one else came forth with arguments, Fox spoke. "Once more, I petition the Senate for special representation. I will represent the troopers in the Senate and I request another trooper to represent them in Kaminoan parliament."
"We will take your words into consideration," Palpatine said. "We should move on. There are other matters we need to discuss."
"I call for an immediate vote on the issue," Senator Organa said.
"There is no need to rush this," Palpatine replied. "Both sides have made good arguments. We should allow time to think."
"There is no reason to put it off either," he argued. "Bureaucracy can move slowly if there is not someone there constantly pushing it forward. I have a feeling most senators have made up their minds already as to how they will vote on the issue. Let's not waste more of our precious time debating this. As you stated, chancellor, we have other matters we need to discuss. If we do not vote today, this issue will continue to hang over our heads and show the people that we cannot make simple decisions."
Palpatine glared at him. "Fine. As you wish, senator. All in favor of voting on clone representation after a short recess?"
The votes came in.
"And all opposed?"
The votes came in.
His eyes narrowed even more. "It looks like you'll have your way, Senator Organa. I call for a thirty-minute recess. We'll vote for clone representation after."
Even though he was addressing Senator Organa, he hadn't taken his eyes off Fox. Fox didn't break eye contact either. He held that as if they were having another battle. Another war to determine who would break first.
They didn't get to see who won as the screen went black. Archer must have stopped recording.
"I will say this," Master Obi-Wan spoke after a beat of silence, "out of all the possibilities, that was not on my list."
"I… I think I have some calls to make," Doom said, shutting off his holoprojector.
"We're pretty sure Fox has this handled, right? No need to freak out anymore?" Wolffe asked.
"Um, yeah. I guess we can mark this as solved," Cody said.
"Great. See you around, vod."
One by one all their holoprojectors flicked off until it was just Anakin, Ahsoka, Fives, Echo, and Rex standing in the room.
"I can't believe that actually just happened," Fives said. "Like, literally, he was literally on the floor arguing with the senators. That… that should have never happened. It shouldn't even be possible."
Anakin clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, you guys deserve it. You deserve to be treated as humans."
Ahsoka threw her arms around Rex's waist and hugged him tightly. "You guys definitely deserve it."
Alright, so Fox becoming a politician might change a few things as to how she planned on using Creche to Command. But the goal remained the same. And now that he was on the senate floor arguing with them, now that billions of people across the galaxy had tuned in to see at least a portion of his talk, she had another tool she could use.
Whether the Kaminoans liked it or not, Ahsoka was going to make the Republic recognize her brothers as people.
*****
Fox had his head between his knees, panting like he had just run a marathon in full armor. As soon as he stepped into Amidala's office, it was like reality had come crashing down around him. The adrenaline that had kept him going throughout the debate had vanished and he was left with all the anxiety and terror he had suppressed.
"You did fantastic," Amidala said, rubbing his back.
"I hated every minute of that," he groaned. "I think I'm going to be sick. I changed my mind. I can't do this. Once was bad enough."
"I think you did great, sir," Archer said. "And you're a real big hit on Creche to Command. We got over a trillion views!"
Fox peeled his head from his knees to look at him. "What do you mean?" As far as he was aware, he had never appeared in an episode of Creche to Command or Wolffe's stupid short series.
"I live-streamed the debate! We missed some of the opening arguments because I was trying to get the tech stuff all setup, but I got most of it." He grinned.
Fox looked to Amidala. "Are we allowed to do that?"
"Technically, all debates on the senate floor are open to the public," She said. "But something tells me more people are watching Creche to Command than R-SPAN."
"Like I said, over a billion views," Archer said. "And a lot of people chiming in on the chat. Most people were super supportive. A few weren't but what are you going to do? And then a fair bit of them were about how handsome you were."
Fox groaned and collapsed back into his knees. "Don't ever live-stream me again."
"Fine," Archer sighed.
"Actually, that might be a bad idea," Amidala said.
"What do you mean?"
"With the live stream, more people were made immediately aware of this issue and now they're calling their representatives. My aides have gotten at least a hundred calls in the last fifteen minutes voicing whether they want me to vote for or against the legislation."
"And how does that help us?"
"The reason for the debate isn't to convince people who have already made up their minds. It's to convince those who haven't," she explained. "You've got two things going for you in this instance. The fact that Senator Lezien has shown her support openly is a huge boost. People may not care about troopers' rights, but they do understand the importance of having Jonda as an ally. So, they'll vote in line with her to keep her happy."
"And the call-ins from citizens?" Fox asked.
"If a senator realizes this is a huge issue for their constituents and they don't have much to lose by passing the legislation, they might vote in line with what their people want. It's an easy way to drum up further support, especially during re-election season. They can easily point to this as an example of a time they listened to their people."
Fox groaned. All this talk of politics was making his head hurt. Why did they have to play so many games with each other? Didn't they all want the same thing?
No, scratch that. He had been around senators enough to know some people (like Amidala and Chuchi) wanted to make lives better for their citizens. While others (like Orn Free Taa) simply wanted a cushy position of power so they could expand their wealth. Orn Free Taa was likely one of those people that would be swayed by his constituents, not because he agreed with their arguments, but because he wanted to placate them so he could stay in power. Fox hated that. He hated the corruption. He hated the system. And now he was a part of it. Or, trying to be at least.
Was that going to happen to him?
Was he going to start making decisions not because he thought they were the right things to do but because he wanted to hold onto power for just a little longer?
Amidala's hand was back on his shoulders, a soothing, grounding gesture that tethered his mind back to reality.
"Trust me, commander, you did great. Even if you don't get the position, you spoke well for your brothers."
He didn't feel like he did great. He felt like his arguments were rambling messes that only sought to confuse rather than explain. Half the time he wasn't even sure if his words were true or if he was simply jumping to wild conclusions while the Senate laughed behind his back at his ineptitude.
There was a knock at the door. One of Amidala's guards stepped in. "Clone Commander Doom is here to see you," he said.
"Wow, what a name," Amidala said.
"Doom? What's he doing here?" Fox said, furrowing his brow and sitting up to look towards the door.
"We're available to see him," Amidala said.
Doom stepped into the room, took one look at Fox, and let out a whistle. "You look like shit, Fox. Are those Stone's greys? Don't you have your own?"
Fox groaned and collapsed back into his knees. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm in the middle of an internal crisis?"
Doom stepped forward to ruffle his hair, only to make a face and pull his hand away. "What is all crusty in your hair? Never mind, I don't want to know. I'm here because you whipped Cody and the others into a frenzy."
"They're being dramatic," Fox said, rolling his eyes.
"You messaged Cody that you made a huge mistake and then didn't answer for over an hour. And then, to top it all off, we couldn't get in contact with any of the other Corries. Stone, Thorn, and Thire weren't answering any of our calls. Bly thought you snapped and decided to bomb the Senate building and Gree thought you had just up and abandoned your post."
"I wish. It'd be less of a headache and I wouldn't have to talk to Orn Free Taa."
Doom snickered. "Yeah well, it was only thanks to Ahsoka and Echo we even knew where you were." He turned to Archer. "And you, I guess, since you're the only Corrie that reached out."
"Sorry, sir," Archer winced. "We didn't realize we had caused such a stir."
"Yeah, well, you definitely did." He clapped a hand on his shoulder. "We're proud of you, brother. Sticking up for us like that. Palpatine looked like he was about to pop and Burtoni looked even more pissed than usual. The video's making its rounds around the GAR. I reckon by the end of the day, every trooper will have seen it."
Fox slid off the chair and curled up on the floor. "Kill me now, please."
"Don't worry," Archer said. "That's just the caffeine withdrawal talking. He usually doesn't go more than an hour without drinking at least four caffeinated beverages."
"Right," Doom said, wincing. He turned back to Fox. "Um, so I guess I should tell you I got ahold of Blitz and Hammer. One of them would be willing to take on the Kaminoan parliament if we get this. They're already stationed on Kamino and everything so we figured that'd be easier than trying to get someone reassigned."
Fox just grunted in response. Amidala seemed hopeful that they would get them so Fox had hope as well. Even if the last thing he wanted was to spend more time with a group of people he despised. Though, there was one kink in the plan.
"Senator, theoretically, if one of my theoretical brothers were to theoretically have had sex with a handful of senators, how would that impact the vote? Theoretically."
Doom laughed. "Yeah, good point."
Amidala's brow furrowed. "Um… I guess theoretically were the senators satisfied with their experience?"
"I have no idea," Fox growled. He had made it his mission to stay as far away from that mess as he could.
Doom shrugged. "I haven't heard any complaints yet and considering most of them have seen him multiple times, I'm going to go with they were very satisfied."
"Seriously, Archer, kill me now. Gun to the back of my head. Please. That's an order."
"No can do, sir."
"Then it might actually help," Amidala continued. "It's a little corrupt and does implicate bias, but—"
"Most of the Senate is corrupt so at least it isn't a bribe," Doom finished for her.
"Er, yes. More or less. Theoretically, which brother are we talking about?"
"Commander Wolffe."
"Wolffe."
"It's always fucking Wolffe."
She pressed a hand to her mouth to try and hide her smile. "I guess that explains why I see him leaving Senator Trazon's chambers all the time."
"I didn't know about Trazon." Doom let out a whistle.
"I hate him so much."
"Trazon or Wolffe?"
Fox glared at him.
There was a knock at the door, signaling that their recess was over. It was time for the vote.
"Alright, commander, it's time for us to get back out on the floor," Amidala said. "You're almost done."
"Let Archer go instead. They won't know the difference."
Doom hooked his hands underneath his armpits and hauled him off the ground. "Nope. None of that, vod. Go finish what you started. Oya!"
"Oya!" Archer replied cheerfully.
They were only cheerful because they weren't the ones trying to become a politician. Doom was going to go back to the front lines and Archer was going to go back to doing whatever his job was with the Guard. And Fox? Fox was either going to walk out of here a representative or walk out of here with a very large target painted on his back.
Maybe even both!
This was a mistake.
This was a huge mistake.
He shouldn't even be here! He had paperwork to do! Who was going to do that if he was here?
The thoughts circled his mind as they walked back to Amidala's booth and entered the Senate floor.
Doom hung back in the hallway, offering one final thumbs-up before the session was called back into order.
"Is everyone back from recess?" Chancellor Palpatine said.
He looked much more put together than he had earlier. Fox shrank back slightly to avoid his gaze. Thankfully, he didn't look their way.
"Very well," he continued. "There are three options to vote on. Everyone must vote once. Option A: The clones get special representation and have a clone representative in the Senate and in the Kaminoan Parliament. Option B: The Kaminoans will be required to give all clones of biological age 18 the right to vote and emergency elections will be held within the month to allow clones the chance for what they deem as adequate representation. Option C: The clones will not be given representation and the Kaminoans will not be forced to give them the right to vote. Please, place your votes now."
Fox watched as Amidala went to the pad in her booth. For a moment, she hesitated over the options. He held his breath, watching as she finally decided on Option A. Vote cast, she stepped back and they waited.
It felt like hours had passed as one by one the votes came in. Maybe hours did pass. All Fox knew was that he was rigid in his place. Unmoving and unwavering. His eyes straight ahead staring at nothing as his mind raced with uncertainty over what the future held.
Finally, the last vote was cast.
Palpatine read the results. Fox could tell immediately from the way his jaw tightened that he did not like them. Option A or B had won. And he celebrated. Internally, of course. They had won. No matter what the outcome, they had succeeded in one way or another.
He remained at parade rest, breath held as he waited for the chancellor to formally announce the results.
Palpatine finally turned towards Amidala's booth, looking at him for the first time since the debate. His eyes were dark and stormy. His posture screamed that retribution would be had one way or another.
Fox did not cower.
Even if he wanted to bow his head and avert his eyes, he couldn't. His body was too tense. He felt like a tree. Unable to bend or move in the howling wind.
"Congratulations, commander," Palpatine's voice was the only thing he heard echoing through the Senate. Everyone else was silent. It didn't even sound like people were breathing. "As of today, clones are officially recognized as a special interest group eligible for representation."
If he wanted to say anything else, he didn't get a chance to. The thunderous applause and cheers echoed through the chamber, drowning out all other noise. Fox himself was almost numb. In shock, as he expected Palpatine to pull the rug out from underneath him and declare it was all a joke.
That he had actually lost and was to report immediately to Kamino for decommissioning.
But it wasn't a joke.
They had representation.
He was their representation.
Oh god, he was going to have to spend more time with the senators, wasn't he?
He was right in sending Cody that message earlier. He had made a huge mistake.