Chapter Text
POV Grogu
Grogu woke up to find himself not nestled in the safe arms of Buir or under the steady gaze of the Nice Master Skywalker, but rather on the back of a rather surprised Twi’Lek girl with blue skin. She seemed rather out of sorts, that was understandable however. The Good Voice was very excited after all and Grogu knew that it could be a bit weird to feel. After all, it took one as good at listening as him a long while to get used to it. Buir was very confused though when he kept bouncing off the walls to calm down.
Oh hey it’s Nice Master Plo over there. He hadn’t seen the man since the No Good Very Bad night. He seems happy, all doubled over laughing at the poor Twi’Lek on the ground. Was Nice Master Plo real? He had to check.
Hopping off the girl Grogu had landed on, he ambled over to the still cackling Kel’Dor man, patting the man on the leg gently at first and then with slightly more vigor; not that his body could give a lot in the first place. At the contact, Nice Master Plo slowly stopped laughing at the now once more upright girl and instead directed his gaze down to Grogu.
“Patoo. Ieebuh Buuhhr. Aabby wun.” Stupid mouth muscles. Let him talk like Buir or Nice Master Skywalker. How is he supposed to tell them to jump from wall to wall to deal with the extra light like this?! He’d even take talking like Old Master Yoda if it meant helping the others with the Very Happy Light.
“Ah, Initiate Grogu. Was Knight Secura an adequate landing platform?“Yes, yes she was, thank you for asking. “You do know you are supposed to be in your clans’ Arts&Crafts class right now, yes?” He is aware, but they are still jittery from the Very Happy Light and obviously need his help with it. So once more with gusto.
“Patoo.” Dank Ferrik.
Buir likes to say that when things go wrong and he thinks Grogu can’t hear him. Grogu is reasonably sure that its one of those naughty words the Old Master warned him of. Good thing he knows this so that he can say it for Buir. It would be sad if Buir was the only naughty one. That seems lonely and lonely is bad. Where was he again? Oh right, the Very Happy Light making everyone jittery.
“Well then, I suppose I will just have to take you back. My sincerest apologies Knight Secura, it seems we will have to delay our meditation session while I take the Initiate back to his clan.” Both Grogu and Secura knew that Nice Master Plo just wanted an excuse to spend time with the Initiates. That is why they call him Nice Master Plo after all.
“Of course Master Koon, please do greet the Initiates for me. I should probably get moving anyway, see what that Disturbance was.” Grou thought Secura could do to try harder to keep the grin out of her voice, only Auntie Fennec can pull that off right.
Well enough at any rate, his clan could use help with bouncing. They were very clumsy from what he still bothered to remember about what he thought would only ever be nightmares of the Armored Friends going blank. Quite clumsy, yes yes. Also Nice Master Plos arms are very comfortable. Not as good as Buir but that was a given. No one is as gold as Buir except Buir. He hopes Buir is alright. Buir can’t rely on the Nice Light dropping him on top of a squishy person and the ground is much too hard for Buir.
That settles it; the moment his clan and the other Nice Masters are calm again, Grogu would go and find Buir. Tiny fists clenched, a feeling of Protective-Determined-Eager eminated from his tiny body, to the immense amusement of Nice Master Plo.
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POV Din Djarin
As soon as the echo of the three’s exclamations dissipated, the still pained looking human seemed to gather his wits before adopting a pensive expression, then addressing the sheepish looking Ithorian, if Din’s read on Ithorian body language was accurate.
“It was my impression that the Twin Treaties of Dac outlawed a succession by force? Was I mistaken in my assessment?” Whatever these Treaties of Dac were, Din sincerely hoped that they were applicable to his situation. He would take almost anything over ruling yet another people by accident. His own people were bad enough but this Republic seemed a lot more expansive than the handful of remaining clans he dealt with before. More clans meant more talking, more talking that he could really do without.
“While that would normally be the case, Master Windu, the Treaties of Dac were part of the legislature that was repealed with the Emergency Powers Act, since they also contained several limits to the Executive power of the Chancellor.” So the human was called Windu, that was good to know. Hang on, Emergency Powers Act? What emergency was it? And why did he have the feeling it would be his problem soon?
The Ithorian appeared finished with their brief pause. “With them repealed, the law of succession reverts to the procedure of the Fifth Treaty of Obroa-Skai, in which we found a sub-clause that allowed a hostile takeover of the Republic if it occurred before a full assemblage of the Senate with at least one Jedi observer present. More specifically, to activate this sub-clause a claimant must kill the Supreme Chancellor and Vice Chancellor with a delay no greater than 72 hours. This is why, prior to the Treaties of Dac, the Supreme Chancellor and Vice Chancellor were never in the Senate Rotunda at the same time. From what records still remain of that time, we learned that this measure was implemented to allow the Jedi a legal means of deposing a Chancellor under Sith thrall without needing to give them warning by going through the courts, but no requirement for Jedi action was written into the text besides the need for a Jedi observer.”
The longer the Ithorian spoke, the more incredulous Din grew. What Manda forsaken luck did he have to just so happen to perfectly kill a man at just the right time to usurp him legally? What, by the Ka’ra, did he do wrong to find himself leading two people in crisis? And of course he can’t just not rule this Republic, he took the throne for himself, even if unwillingly and on accident. In the end the effect is the same: by their laws he is in charge and by the Manda he will try his best. He just hopes that the best of an Outer Rim Bounty Hunter is enough. Din wouldn’t think so, but what does he know of ruling? What’s a Chancellor supposed to do anyway? Is it like being Mand’alor?
“Um, what exactly is the duty of the Chancellor? And how soon can I legally give the position away?” the uncertain waver was not something Din was proud of but sue him, this is very confusing and not at all something his training prepared him for.
His question looks to catch the Ithorian off guard, but the man quickly gathers his wits. Apparently people not knowing what the Chancellor does is a more common occurrence than Din thought. “The Supreme Chancellor is the Head of State of the Republic, responsible for ensuring the Legislature of the Senate remains in compliance with the tenets of the constitution, elevating critical matters to higher priority and forms the highest echelon of the Republic’s Executive branch encompassing the Senate Commandos and Republic Judicial Forces. Ina more abstract sense, the Supreme Chancellor is the Protector of the Republic, tasked with captaining the ship of state through whatever waters it finds itself in. With the Emergency Powers Act in effect, the Chancellor may further force any piece of Legislation onto the debate floor, though the Senate must still approve of these laws before they can be signed into effect. To answer your second question, the EPA removes the traditional term limit and has suspended elections until this current crisis has passed. Instead, the next elections have been set for just after the end of this crisis. When this is was not clear. You may still be deposed by a Vote of No Confidence, but there is a limit of a grace period of one year before such a vote may be had.” So Din was in charge for one year. He could do that. Keep this Senate on track and be in control of enforcing laws. Make sure there still is a Republic at the end of the year for his successor to inherit.
“Alright, I think I get it. As Chancellor until I am replaced, I am effectively under contract to safeguard the Republic from whatever threatens it. Is there some protocol for the ‘guiding the Senate’ part? Also could you let me out of this cell and maybe give me back my weapons? This cell is rather nice but not exactly made for, you know, being in charge.” Din really hoped there was a protocol in place, he’d hate to make something up in the heat of the moment. The reading would likely give him a headache but that is honestly preferable to the embarrassment he would face if he were to accidentally break more laws than he already did.
This is going to be a long year, Din can already tell.