**Chapter 867: The Vote of Destiny**
**Scene 1: Galactic Senate Chambers – Dagon POV**
Galactic Senate Chambers.
Dagon POV.
'Girls, remember the plan. Trust your instincts with what I am about to do,' Dagon said through the mind bond.
"Order! We shall have order! The chair recognizes Grand Master Dagon Marek of the Jedi Order," Mas Amedda said.
"Senators, I stand before you today not as the Grand Master but as a soldier of this Republic. As you no doubt have noticed, the time for peace has long since passed the moment the Separatists unleashed the blue shadow virus on Naboo and the nuclear attack on Coruscant. But despite what has happened, the Senate seems to continuously want either peace or quiet. And right now I wish to undo a grave injustice, the abolishment of the Ruusan Reformations," Dagon said.
The Senate chamber fell into stunned silence for a brief moment before erupting into chaos. Senators shouted over one another, some rising from their seats in outrage.
"This is madness!" one Core World senator bellowed. "The Jedi cannot be allowed to seize political power!"
"You would undo centuries of reform for your own ambition?" another cried. "This is tyranny disguised as necessity!"
Mon Mothma stood tall, her voice cutting through the noise. "Grand Master Marek, you speak of justice, yet you propose to dismantle the very safeguards that prevent another Jedi dictatorship. The Ruusan Reformation exists for a reason—to protect the Republic from those who wield the Force as a weapon of control!"
Bail Organa's face was pale with anger. "We have fought this war to preserve democracy, not to trade one tyrant for another. The Jedi are guardians, not rulers. This proposal is an insult to everything the Republic stands for!"
Riyo Chuchi's golden eyes flashed with concern. "Dagon, please reconsider. Many of us respect you as a military leader, but this… this crosses a line that cannot be uncrossed."
Dagon remained standing at the center of the chamber, his dark armor gleaming under the lights. He raised a hand for silence, but the uproar continued.
"Quiet!" Dagon yelled, his armor enhancing his voice into a thunderous boom that echoed through the massive hall. The senators fell silent, some clutching their seats in fear.
"Now listen. If I wanted to, I could kill you all and seize control right now. History prefers legends to men. It prefers nobility to brutality, soaring speeches to quiet deeds. History remembers the battle, but forgets the blood.
Four score and one thousand years ago our ancestors brought forth on this planet, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all sentient beings are created equal.
Now we are engaged in another great Galactic war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.
'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.' You all know the true end result of this war, so I ask—vote now and vote wisely," Dagon said as he finished his speech.
The chamber was deathly quiet. The weight of his words hung in the air like a storm about to break.
**Scene 2: The Voting Begins**
"As stated in the Galactic Republic charter, to overcome the vote at the current numbers of 16,000 senators, 15,500 senators must agree to overturn and grant Dagon Marek his request. The vote will be repeated 3 times and after that its final result," Mas Amedda stated.
'Girls, now,' Dagon said as they started meditating.
The senators shifted uneasily as the voting process began. Mas Amedda activated the central holoprojector, displaying the running tally in real time. The girls—seated strategically around the chamber—closed their eyes, their minds reaching out through the Force to subtly influence the undecided and fearful.
The first round of voting began. Senators pressed their approval or disapproval buttons, their DNA signatures ensuring the votes were legitimate. The chamber was tense, whispers and murmurs filling the air as the numbers climbed.
**Scene 3: The Final Tally**
Bail Organa.
'Hah, as if they would even win the vote. 3000 senators still fight for peace,' Bail thought as he entered his vote.
"The results of the first vote are 15,700 for, 300 senators against, point 1 to Dagon," Mas Amedda said.
'What? Impossible. Unless we are stuck with traitors. No matter, 2 more votes left,' Bail thought.
"The results of the second vote are 15,767 for, 223 against, point 2 to Dagon," Mas Amedda said.
"This is outrageous! I believe the votes are being falsified!" Bail shouted.
"Senator Organa, everything is done only by access to your specific DNA approval. You should be careful where you type then. Third and final vote," Mas said.
'We must not let him. The Jedi are peacekeepers, not soldiers,' Bail thought.
"Third and final results: 15,950 for, 50 against. 3 points to Dagon. As stated, Supreme Chancellor is now turned to Dagon Marek, Grand Master of the Jedi Order, Supreme Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and now High Lord of the Republic," Mas Amedda said.
Cheers and several quiet objections came with the applause.
The Senate chamber erupted in a mix of celebration and disbelief. Many senators rose to their feet, applauding the historic decision. Others sat in stunned silence, the weight of the moment sinking in. Bail Organa's face was pale, his hands clenched at his sides. Mon Mothma looked defeated but resolute, already planning her next move.
Dagon stood at the center of the chamber, the new High Lord of the Republic. The girls opened their eyes, their meditation complete. The Force had guided the vote, but the real work was only beginning.
The Republic had a new leader. The age of the Jedi had returned.