Chapter 12: The Chancellor

Jax awoke the next day, his neck sore and his mind foggy. It took him some time to orient himself to his new surroundings, as he had never been to a planet-wide city before.

Kit had come to escort him to the Chancellor's office, and as they walked from the Central Hospital toward the Executive Apartments, Kit explain Coruscant, the current political situation, the lack of plant life on Coruscant, and many other items of interest until Jax ran out of questions. Kit then explained the Chancellor's history; royalty on Alderaan, then a Senatorial career before becoming a leader in the Rebellion. She had helped steal the plans for the Death Star, enabling Skywalker to destroy it. She fought alongside Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, helping to bring down the Empire at Endor and then again at countless other systems. She had learned that she was the daughter of Anakin Skywalker, the celebrated hero of the Clone Wars, and she was the twin sister of Luke Skywalker. She served Mon Mothma during the latter's tenure as Chancellor before becoming Chancellor herself. She had given birth to Ben Solo and had become a Jedi Master. Jax's head was beginning to spin as Kit rattled off the woman's accomplishments, and he found himself feeling intimidated as he waited outside the Chancellor's office.

Kit had left him at the Executive lobby, where armed guards escorted him to a waiting room. He sat eying the stoic guards standing at position outside the Chancellor's office, anxiety rippling below the surface as images of his past assaults on innocent people persisted despite his attempts to block the thoughts out of his mind. He turned his attention toward a richly detailed landscape stretched across the wall opposite Jax's seat, depicting a cold-looking mountain landscape with a palatial building constructed into a sheer cliff overlooking a verdant valley. Jax marveled at the painting, hardly believing that such a place could be real. After his brief visit to Yavin-4, he had developed a taste for natural beauty that he wished to experience more. Perhaps once he had conveyed what needed to be conveyed, he could vanish into a beautiful planet somewhere far away from war.

As Jax ruminated on the painting, the door to the Chancellor's office opened, and a steady stream of dignitaries accompanied by their aids filed out. Jax had no way of knowing who the war heroes, diplomats, scientists, and economists leaving the office were, and they paid him little notice as they departed in a buzz of sequestered chatter. One of the individuals, a species Jax had never seen before with bulbous eyes, red skin, and a domed head, paused upon seeing Jax. He gazed at Jax for a long moment with an inscrutable expression, and Jax grew uncomfortable. Without a word, the being turned away and continued down the corridor. Moments later, a golden protocol droid appeared at the door.

"Hello. I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations," the droid stated, his voice prissy, and his demeanor vaguely comical. "The Chancellor is ready to see you now," the droid added as he gestured for Jax to enter.

Jax rose to his feet and followed the droid into the spacious office and then continued toward a large, intricately carved desk. Chancellor Leia Organa stood before a rounded window revealing a stunning view of the sun setting over the heart of Coruscant's commercial sector. The Chancellor dressed in an elegant, but functional gown. Her graying hair was tied back in elaborate braids, and her posture presupposed a practiced dignity and calm. The droid had taken a place beside the desk and adopted a posture of patient attendance. Jax also noticed rows of gently pulsating trees shimmering in waves of purple, red, and green lining the walls. The trees seemed to respond to sound, and as his footsteps passed the trees, they rippled. His attention then turned to the only art in the room, if it could be called that - a large rock set on a pedestal. As Jax walked toward the chair opposite the Chancellor's desk, he paused for a moment to look at the rock.

The Chancellor turned toward Jax upon her arrival, and she spoke as Jax regarded the rock. "It's a piece of the planet Alderaan," she explained. Jax looked toward her, and he saw an echo of the same sadness on the Chancellor's face that he had seen in Kit's face. "My home planet, destroyed by the Empire." Jax regarded the rock with sadness, and he had a renewed appreciation for Kit's reverence for the Chancellor. "The trees as well; they are a species called the ch'halla. Mon Mothma had them planted the day the Republic took Coruscant."

Jax considered the trees again as they rippled in response to Leia's voice. The effect was hypnotic.

"Of course, the Alderaanians have found a new planet – one not unlike the Alderaan you saw depicted in the painting outside this office." She concluded, sadly, "But the diaspora cannot forget."

Jax thought of offering an apology, but any words he thought of felt lame and stillborn. Instead, he heeded her invitation to sit. The chairs around him seemed hastily abandoned, and he imagined that he could feel tension lingering in the room from a heated debate. Leia seemed to pick up on his internal observation, and she addressed the delegation that had just left. "I just met with my cabinet on the information you and Luke Skywalker provided. Many of them feel we should act immediately. Some of them believe our legislative agenda should take priority." She fell silent, as if attempting to weigh the two options.

Jax had no answer for the questions, and so he remained silent. In regarding his silence, she asked, "What choice would you make?"

Jax could hardly believe that the leader of the Galactic Republic was asking his opinion on policy matters. He stammered in his response before collecting himself under the onslaught of her gaze. He replied, "Madame Chancellor, I know nothing about politics."

"But you know the Order of Ren?" she asked, leaving Jax with a feeling of discomfort at how much she may or may not know.

"Yes." He responded with hesitation, feeling a desire to hide the truth of what he had done from her.

She recognized his hesitation, and Jax had the sense that she had deduced the motivation behind it. Kindly, she said, "I am sure you've been forced to do terrible things on their behalf. Neither I nor the Republic will hold you accountable for what may have happened." She shuffled through a drawer in her desk and withdrew an object that sat in her hand. She passed it over to Jax, who took it in his own hand. It was a small device, broken around one side, and heavily damaged from some unknown trauma. As Jax considered the object, Leia continued her explanation. "The doctor removed this from your spinal cord. Our technicians analyzed it, and it has some capacity to interfere with nervous system functioning."

Jax's gaze looked up from the device back to Leia, and he asked, "Does that mean. . ."

"You may not have been fully in control of your actions." Leia paused, giving him an appraising look, then she continued, "Fifty years ago, the Republic's clone army suddenly turned on the Jedi. We later learned that each of the clones carried an inhibitor chip that overrode their free will. We suspect the same may have happened to you."

Jax examined the object pensively. All the horrible things he had done – the killings, the destruction, the violence – much of it had occurred without his will. Yet, some of it must have been his own doing. And even then, he had still done what he had done. He could not forget it, even with this new knowledge that the inhibitor chip had tampered with his will. There were still the memories, and there was still the death.

Leia smiled, shifting the subject away from the inhibitor chip that the doctor had removed, saying, "Luke saw a sliver of the truth about the Order of Ren. I believe Luke. But I need to know from you how great the danger is."

Jax looked up into her soft, brown eyes lined by years of careful diplomacy, strategy, and stress. Even though he could not sense any of the Force radiating from her, he could sense she could see through him. He settled on the truth – or at least as much as he knew. "I've been fighting for them for years, mostly beyond the Gap. . ."

"The Gap?" Leia asked, confused.

"Yes, it's what we call the passage between the maelstroms that separate our part of the galaxy from yours," Jax explained.

"You're Chiss," Leia said. Jax recognized it as a statement, not a question.

"That's what Kit called me," Jax said. "She seemed angry about it."

"Yes, she would be," Leia said, and suddenly Jax became aware of how tired the woman seemed. She rubbed her eyes momentarily, giving Jax the impression that it had been some time since she last slept. Leia continued, saying, "Years ago, a Chiss by the name of Thrawn – a former Imperial Admiral – nearly overthrew the Republic. Kit's father died trying to stop him. You're the first of his kind we've seen since. I imagine she was alarmed, but she seems to have accepted you now."

Jax felt a measure of relief at the explanation and the reassurance, as well as for the context Leia provided regarding Kit's initial antagonism. Leia scrutinized him silently, and Jax had the sense that she was rapidly sifting through hundreds of puzzle pieces.

"Are you from the Unknown Regions?" Leia asked.

"We don't call it that," Jax answered, curtly. "There are thousands of systems there."

"Yes, of course. Forgive me. It is unknown only to us." Leia gestured for him to continue, and he resumed his explanation.

"I don't know exactly how big our forces are, but what I've seen is massive. Over the last three years, I've been stationed out of a star cruiser positioned on your side of the Gap. They've been building something. Or, developing. I don't know; I mostly stand guard and run missions," Jax explained.

"And the creature known as the Acronemsis?" Leia continued, and she registered the shadow that passed over his face when she said the word.

"Enforcers for Veryx. They use what Skywalker calls 'The Force.' Everybody is terrified of them," Jax explained, looking as if he did not want to describe them further. Leia sensed she was verging on dangerous territory, but she felt compelled to press on.

"And who is Veryx?" she asked.

"He commands our battalion. We run interference for him. We're. . . we're a distraction. Cannon fodder." He explained, finishing with a note of bitterness that surprised him. He registered a brief flicker of surprise that he had never felt that emotion when thinking that thought in the past.

Leia surveyed him, noting the fear and anger in his eyes as he described Veryx. Jax watched her in turn, and he could tell she was mulling over information to which he was not privy. Finally, she broke the silence. "Can you tell me where we can find the cruiser you alluded to?" she asked.

"I don't know coordinates, but I can describe the area," Jax acknowledged.

Leia rose from her chair and stepped to the window to observe the city. In the silence, Jax could hear the muted noise of protests below. "The admirals and generals will be reluctant to act without concrete information. The cabinet will deliberate. Much time will be lost. . ." after another pause, she turned back to Jax and asked, "Would you be willing to help my friend, Han, find this base?"

Jax hesitated. The last thing he wanted to do was get closer to the Order of Ren. Every instinct in his body told him to get as far away as possible. He looked toward the fragment of Alderaan sitting on its pedestal and then back to the Chancellor. There was something warm, but sad in her eyes. As he regarded her, he thought of Kit, who gave the impression of somebody who would stop at nothing to protect the galaxy. He saw the same thing in Leia's eyes, as well. Knowing that he had done terrible things already, a voice inside him admitted it was now on him to undo what had been done. However, deeper beyond that voice, terror was pulling him in the opposite direction. He shook his head.

She frowned, disappointed but understanding. Then she smiled, saying kindly, "Yes, I'm sure you've seen enough. Here's my offer. Provide us with your best description, and we will investigate. In return, I can have you relocated to a quiet planet far from the Outer Rim where you can live your life how you see fit."

The offer was greater than Jax could have hoped for. He stood, filled with gratitude, and said, "Of course. I'll tell you everything I can."

"Tomorrow, there will be an important vote in the Senate. Director Specks is currently overseeing the protests outside. When he is done, he will depose you. Afterward, he will send you to Sargon, a peaceful agrarian planet." As if recognizing the end of the conversation, the golden protocol droid shuffled around the Chancellor's desk and came to a rest at Jax's side. She spoke to the droid, "Threepio, please notify Captain Solo and Officer Antilles that I will see them now."

The golden droid sprung to life immediately, "As you wish, your highness." He then shuffled to the door.

"Thank you, Jax, for telling us this." She paused, appraising him once again. She then gestured toward the door, smiling, but tired. She dismissed him, saying, "May the Force be with you."

Jax glanced toward the chunk of Alderaan on the pedestal and back toward the Chancellor. He looked to her and hesitated for a moment. Something about her made him want to abandon all caution and fear and join whatever cause she asked him to join. She had that power about her. Yet, he wanted his part in this story to be over, and he was relieved that she would help. He turned and walked to the door. After passing through, he saw Han Solo and Kit sitting outside, talking quietly. Threepio stood by the door, beckoning Han and Kit inside. Kit nodded at him as he passed. Jax thought he saw Han roll his eyes at the droid as he stood. Jax turned and walked away from the Chancellor, wondering whether Sargon was as full of life as Yavin.

***

"No, absolutely not." Han said, slouching back in his chair in a posture of defiance.

"Surprise, surprise," said Kit, sarcastically.

"Han, something is going on within our command chain. I don't know who I can trust," she implored him, while also feeling her aggravation rise. He had always had a way of pushing her buttons, and she knew he was trying to pull the same stunt now. "To be honest, my trust doesn't go beyond the two people in this room."

"Look, sweetheart," Han continued, and he felt a slight thrill as he saw the scandalized look on Kit's face and the inch-high rise in Leia's eyebrows. "I fought the war for you. I cleaned up the galaxy for you. You let me rot in a basement with Voon for the last three years. I think it's time I enjoyed my retirement."

Leia crossed her arms and scowled, unable to contain her irritation anymore. She knew he was trying to get a rise out of her – trying to break her dignified poise. And she knew he was doing it to get back at her for his perceived abandonment. "I told you, Han. Voon was not reporting to me. Something is going on there," she explained.

"Fair enough," he replied, leaning backward and putting his feet up on her desk "But it's all the same. The Wookie government gave me a place to land when I retire. I've seen enough fighting. I'm done."

Leia stared at him, torn between aggravation and empathy. She had seen Han dig his heels in like this before, and she knew that he would dig his heels in harder to spite her. She could not blame him either; there was a part of her that longed to walk away from galactic politics, but the knowledge that she was holding the entire enterprise together through sheer will also set off a wave of resentment toward his willingness to walk away. She recognized they were at an impasse. She was surprised when he said, "If I can make a suggestion, your worship, why not put Kit in charge?"

Kit's head jerked away from the view out the Chancellor's window, and in surprise, asked, "Me?"

Leia considered her, and Han could see the wheels turning. "Why not?" asked Han. "It wasn't me that led us to Xarthax. It hasn't been me piecing everything together on all the weird stuff going on out there. You've been knee deep in everything for years. If you ask me, Leia should have put you in charge instead of Specks."

Kit blushed in gratitude at his confidence. She had thought he was annoyed by her for years now, merely tolerating her. She was moved by his respect. She looked up to Leia who appeared deep in thought. Leia looked to her, studying her, noting her eagerness. Finally, Leia spoke, "Yes, Han, I suppose you're right." Kit's excitement surged, and Leia continued, "After the vote, I'll get you in touch with Secretary Madine to put together your team. Secretary Ackbar can assign an escort force in case of any threats."

"So, you're still going through with the vote?" Han asked, mildly incredulous.

She looked at him, more annoyed than ever. "What do you think?"

"Well, with all that going on out there. . ." Han gestured toward the window.

"Han, if you think I spent the last twenty years sacrificing everything in my life to turn back on this now…" she added angrily.

"Yeah," Han said, pausing. There was a stoniness in his voice, and Kit felt tension flood the room. She knew a bit about their history, and she was certain that her presence was the only thing preventing a shouting match. "Well, don't let anything stand in your way, then," Han said bitterly as he stood, and turned to go.

Kit looked up at Leia and saw the pain in her eyes. Kit had no way of knowing what her endless hours of diplomacy and political maneuverings truly cost her, but she knew at least that it had cost her marriage with Han and had seemed to strain her relationship with her son. Leia looked down at Kit, embarrassed at her display of emotion. She quickly recovered her sense of dignity as Han left the room. "Congratulations, Commander Antilles. Please report directly to me with any new discovery you make."

Kit, filled with gratitude at the show of confidence from her heroes, bowed. "I won't let you down, Chancellor." And with a massive grin, Kit bounced out of the room in high spirits.