Chapter Text
“Well, Miss Lumisol … we need speechwriters quickly, and you do have extensive experience with Senator Kim, even though you are low-level …” said the Bothan, her violet eyes skimming Sereine’s resume. “Have you ever been responsible for drafting an entire speech for the Senator?”
Five years out of college with a degree in political science, concentration in media, from the University of Theed, Sereine had been mostly a proofreader and editor. She had chafed in that role, but more senior people always got the Senator’s important speeches. She knew she could do more, but would she ever get the chance?
She leaned forward, cursing herself for not putting her red, curly hair up. Her fair skin and her freckles made her look too young. But this call had been a surprise; she had made up an excuse and run right over. “I usually got the special interest speeches Senator Kim gave at home. Special occasion speeches, like the reopening of Theed University Library, things like that.” Why had she tacked that on? That didn’t sound polished at all. What was she thinking?
Valorum had won his primary, that’s what she was thinking. If she got this job, she’d be writing speeches for a candidate for Supreme Chancellor. Even if they didn’t let her do any more than she was doing now, at least it was a step somewhere. But Valorum impressed her. She liked his platform; she especially thought someone who studied and admired the Jedi Order would do the Republic untold good. She had said so. She hoped it mattered.
Araci Korvalla, Valorum’s Bothan chief of staff, closed Sereine’s resume on her datapad. “All right. You’re hired,” she said.
“I—I am?” Sereine could hardly keep the excitement out of her voice. “Thank you, Ms. Korvalla!” Who would more than likely become Vice Chair, if Valorum won the Box.
“When can you start?” Korvalla stood, signaling the end of the interview. Sereine stood as well.
“I should give Senator Kim two weeks. But … I can put several hours in here at night during that time … if you need me,” said Sereine.
“That would be advantageous,” said Korvalla. “Of course, you’ll only meet evening campaign staff at first. They’ll all be as new as you are.” Korvalla moved to the door, and Sereine followed suit.
“If I might ask,” she said, and Korvalla turned. “I thought Tappan and Associates was managing the campaign. Why do you need writers so suddenly? Doesn’t the campaign manager handle speeches and writing?”
Araci paused; her violet eyes snapped briefly to the wall on her left. “You’re hired, so I might as well tell you. The Senator is terminating Tappan and Associates’ services. He’s going to run his campaign in-house.”
Sereine blinked. Everything she’d learned in school and about the business told her that was a stupid move. Whatever Broi Tappan had done to piss off Finis Valorum, it had to be bad.
“One of the other candidates is sure to snap Tappan right up, and that won’t do Senator Valorum any good,” she said.
“And that’s why we need your best work. I want to see you here at the nineteenth hour this evening.”
Sereine bit her lip. She would have to cancel dinner with Dal to do that. And she had a feeling it was to have been a special dinner. She had caught a look at his datapad two nights ago.
Rings. Large diamond engagement rings.
“I’ll be here,” she said.
***
She found herself at the Naboo Delegation from the eighth hour to the seventeenth, and the Coruscant Delegation from the eighteenth hour to the twenty-second. Sleep was hard to come by, as the Valorum campaign made her a fact-checker as well as proofreader and speech editor. It was work she wasn’t used to doing, and she scrambled to keep up. She hardly saw Dal. He left for his position as an AI specialist for the Intergalactic Banking Clan very early, and by the time Sereine crawled into bed, he was asleep.
On her second night at the Coruscant Delegation, an important flutter of activity at the bullpen door caught her attention—and there was Senator Valorum. Dressed as he always was in plain, neutral robes with a cummerbund, he walked into the office with Araci and down the rows as she introduced him to all the new staff.
He reached Sereine and, close up, his big, crystal blue eyes rendered her speechless. Of course, she had seen holos of Valorum in his younger days and knew he’d been incredibly handsome, but …
He was still incredibly handsome.
Araci was saying, “…from Theed University, Naboo. She’s doing your fact-checking and proofreading.”
Friendly crinkles appeared around those eyes as the Senator offered her his hand. Sereine stood and offered a curtsy, as she would on Naboo, then shook his hand. “I am so pleased to be able to do this for you, sir.”
“I’m grateful to have you,” said Valorum, and moved on down the line. She listened to him, watched him. His eyes spoke sincerity, his gestures, his posture, but that gruff voice … He needed some sort of vocal exercises, she couldn’t think what. And whoever dressed him in dull browns without a hint of blue needed their head examined.
He seemed to feel her watching him and glanced back at her. He moved farther down the line. As she sat down, she saw him glance back at her again.
Sereine had it. Were she his campaign manager, she’d have him read Berenko’s Inferno until his voice resonated with the emotions in the story.
If she were manager. She would never get the chance.