Star Wars the Last Jedi, but with a happy ending after a long political conversation. Starts in the throne room scene after Kylo makes his "We can rule together" speech.

Chapter Text

"It won't work."

"What?"

"This new government, this new galaxy, you're trying to build will never work. In another generation, it'll be just another evil empire overthrown and we'll be right back where we started. I know why, I know how you can stop it, just stop killing my friends and I'll tell you."

"A bluff, to let the Resistance escape."

"Where would a bluff get me? If I were lying, you'd simply open fire again and they'd be destroyed. There's no plausible way for them to escape. Here's my proposal: you stop firing at them. I explain why you need them alive. If I fail to convince you, you kill the Resistance. If I do, you let them go."

An expression of conflicting emotions (so his normal look, really) was on Kylo's face as he considered the proposal. There was a possibility that she was just stalling for their escape. But if she wasn't.... if she were telling the truth, then this was information he needed to hear. The Resistance was barely a threat, they had an infinitesimally small chance of stopping him. If his dream of a new, open future for the galaxy free from this needless generational drama would die without this secret Rey claimed to know, then it was worth that infinitesimal risk to hear that information. "All units, cease fire. Tell the Resistance that Rey is representing them in the negotiation of their right to survive." Then, to Rey, his voice taking a degree of menace: "This had better be good."

"It is. The main reason the Empire fell, the same reason the New Order fell, the same reason whatever you establish will fall, is twofold. One, in all cases the entire system is built around a single ruler. When the Emperor died, the Empire fell within years. When Snoke died you took over instantly. The dictator is so essential to the system that the system literally cannot survive without him. Compare that to the Republic, which was still fighting after the entire government was blown up, and you see a clear and obvious weakness."

How could he have missed this, it was so obvious when she put it like that, he exploited this weakness why wouldn't he prepare for it..... "Did you really think so little of me that I would fail to cover a weakness that I myself used? That I would...." He decided not to mention killing Snoke in case someone like Hux was listening, "take advantage of an opportunity and not prevent it from happening to me? That was the first thing I was going to change after eradicating the Resistance."

"Then you still miss the second weakness. The most important reason that the Empire fell was the lack of popularity."

"You must be joking."

"I'm serious. Everyone felt so oppressed by the Empire, was so desperate to see it gone, that there was not a planet in the Galaxy that didn't celebrate the night the Emperor died. Every system supported the Rebellion as much as they safely could, and sometimes more. In depriving their citizens of their freedom, the Empire deprived themselves of any approval or popular support. How stupid must you be to make that many enemies? That is why your government would die. Because if it kept in power the Imperial way, it would lose power the Imperial way."

"We can't go back to the corrupt, weak, ineffectual Republic."

"And we can't go on with the militant, oppressive, fragile Empire. We need something new. Something that's never been done before, something with neither flaw. Something between a single fascist dictator and an unnecessarily large and slow bureaucracy. Something with the strengths of both and none of the weaknesses. What were the good qualities of the Empire?"

"It was efficient. When it wanted to get something done in 8 weeks, it finished in 6."

"That's good. We can use that. Of course, much of that efficiency must have come from the oppression of the people and the unquestioned rule of the Emperor, but we take what you can. The Imperial/First Order structure for carrying out decisions should be kept. On the other hand, the Republic's democratic/republic system would be better at making decisions, though there would need to be some improvements."

"Most of the Empire's strength came from fear. Everyone was pushed not to fail, for fear of death."

"That is the worst idea I've ever heard. Putting all your officers under that much stress would kill them. At the very least it would make them more likely to screw up or make it harder to sleep, and all the really smart people would be in the lower ranks trying to stay under the radar. You'd end up with only the people with ambition and stress management skills but no regard for their own life at the top. The smart officers would cover up their mistakes, giving the Empire the wrong information to work with. And don't get me started on the stormtrooper program. All the psychological detriments alone, and who taught them how to shoot- Really, it's like the Emperor didn't WANT the Empire to outlive him." An epiphany came as she said that, so many pieces fell into place- "He didn't! He wanted to be absolutely necessary to keep the system running so he would stay in power, so he deliberately sabotaged his own government so it would never function without him! He needed to be so important no one could replace him without the Empire falling into ruins. Everyone able to get into position to take over from him would be able to figure it out, they'd know that the system is broken and the whole thing would fall apart from the initial political turmoil, he deliberately made the Empire weak so that no one would ever be able to replace him! How else would he survive in a government that by nature encourages suicidal ambition? How else would he keep all his lieutenants in line without having to kill his best underlings? He played them all, made sure that everyone in the position to dethrone him would know that they would lose all their power? It's the perfect trap. His subordinates would rise through the ranks with ambitions of becoming Emperor themselves, and when they reach the best position to overthrow him, he takes them aside and warns them that the Empire would never survive his death, that all the generals and admirals and Moffs would be jostling for a slice of the Empire for themselves and that isn't it better to be second in the galaxy then tied for umpteenth place? And then they'd serve as well as possible, to keep themselves in their position of power, and defend themselves by defending the Emperor from any threats. The Emperor gets an unchallenged reign with loyal and capable subordinates who would never betray him. Palpatine was a genius."

Kylo was taken aback. It all made so much sense..... but what did it mean? That the Empire only fell because of the Emperor's selfishness and fear of death? But it made sense. From all accounts, he was a competent ruler. If he wanted the Empire to outlive him, he would've made it. The fact that it didn't implied that he didn't want it to, and considering how Rey made it seem so beneficial for him to do this.... any Sith would do anything for power, and Snoke had taught him about all the experiments the Emperor had done, all the lengths he had gone to, to not die. This was perfectly in character for him. In fact, he was impressed by the gambit; it was perfect by the Dark Side standards and motives. Then he remembered all he had done to try to bring back the reign of the Empire, in the name of the great Sith Emperor, all to learn that the empire fell in the first place by the Emperor's hand. All that time wasted because of the actions of one he looked up to.

While the new Supreme Leader- who wouldn't be the leader for long if Rey played her cards right- processed this bombshell, Rey tuned the display screen to the Resistance's wavelength. Poe answered, "Rey! Good to see you! Whatever you're doing, it's working. You bought us a lot of time."

"That's what I'm calling about, actually. Don't try to escape. If you do, these negotiations end, and they'll track you down and kill all of you."

"What could you possibly give them that would make them spare us?"

"A history lesson. I'm not joking, do NOT try to get out. Could I speak to the General?" "Right now, I am the general." "What? What happened to General Solo?" No, this couldn't be happening, she couldn't have died.... "Oh, she's alive, just unconcious. Long story." "Then how'd you become general?" "I kind of pulled a mutiny-" "You WHAT?" "It seemed like a good idea at the time! There didn't seem to be any plan, we were gonna die and no one would listen to me! How could I have known there was a plan all along?" "Did you ruin the Resistance's chances of survival for an ego trip?" "Can we change the subject? Because I don't think this is helping anyone. Speaking of helping people, what the heck are you doign over there?"

"I'm convincing Kylo Ren to reform the First Order, beginning with not killing all their enemies, by pointing out how ineffective all of its policies are."

Poe cracked, "That's impossible! You can't change people's minds with well-reasoned political debates!"

"I can lift things with my mind and you don't think I can do the impossible?"

"Understood. Get back to whatever magic you're working on then, don't let me keep you. You are telling me the entire story next time we meet!"

"I promise." She hung up.

Kylo had finally finished processing. "So what replaces the Emperor in this version? How would we make the galaxy more stable?"

"The Senate. Matters concerning the entire Galaxy would have meetings of the Senate, while anything else only involves the governments of each individual system. They can take care of most of the small stuff, potentially influenced by the Empire's policies. Meanwhile, it would have an Empire-esque army, though smaller and more humane. Finally, the Senate would have rigorous protocol and investigation to sniff out all corruption- perhaps this would be the role of the Jedi. Each Senator would be forbidden from visiting or contacting any other Senators, with their role being entirely limited to the few times something affecting the whole galaxy pops up. We'll hammer out a full constitution later, involving the role of the Jedi Academy, safeguards against the Jedi going the way the past 2 orders did, etc. However, we can't do this on our own. We need public support, and most people hate you and don't know me. What we need is the support of a popular and well-loved public figure. Luke probably needs to be there, but politics aren't his thing and everyone knows it."

"I presume this is why I absolutely had to leave the Resistance alive?"

"Yes. If you blew them up, you'd have killed the only person capable of giving our plan public support. We need someone universally trusted to back up our plan. Someone beloved throughout the Galaxy, someone known for political skill, someone who can put us on the right track and get us the approval of the public."

"Do you mean..... are you talking about....."

"Of course. The only one who can put your dream into motion is your mother, General Organa-Solo."

And so it was that the constitutional convention that ended the cycle of violence, the reformation of the First Order that put an end to the Dark Side and brought peace to the galaxy at last, the end of the war forever and escape from corruption and fascism, was also the most uncomfortable family reunion ever.