The president of the entire Republic sat, drinking coffee, listing to his favorite jazz track. Unbeknownst to him, fifty white troopers surrounded his building, while another hundred where attacking his guards inside his monstrous house. At first he did not notice the lasers because of the music, but his trained ear finally picked them up.

    "Holy-" He started but cut off when his COM buzzed. "What the hell is going on down there?" He yelled, as soon as he saw the chief guard's face.

    "Sir, armed terrorists, dressed in white have invaded the building. Only remnants of the guards remain... I would suggest you get out on your emergency shuttle."

    "But can't we radio for help?" Asked a stunned president, "I mean we have the best equipment in the galaxy."

    "They are jamming us, please just get out Mr. President!"

    "But..." The great man stuttered and stopped. "I will evacuate immediately. Take care of the troops, and try to get as many of them out as possible! Understand?"

    "Yes sir. I will see-"

    The image blacked out into snow, but audio continued, and the president wished it had not.

    "He was a good soldier, and a nice person. Pity he should have to go this way..." Thought the president.

    He then realized he himself might not live too much longer if he was not careful. He made his way to his emergency escape vehicle, reaching into a drawer and withdrawing his hand with a blaster.

    He had been trained in the operation of the small craft, but that had been years ago and the president now realized he had forgotten about most of the controls. He just hoped he could get the ship out of the building.

    He powered up the thrusters, burning his office, and lifted off gently. He brought the ship around and crashed threw one of the huge Plexiglas windows, designed for an emergency break, and sped off catching several blows from a laser cannon mounted on the ground.

    The president looked at his console, groaned, looked again, and groaned louder. The blasts had taken out everything but the starboard engine, leaving him flying crooked.

    "As if it already wasn't enough!" He yelled aloud, frustrated.

    He pulled the craft around, punched the accelerator, and zoomed off towards the reserve spaceport, filled with his own guards as well as other military men. He knew that if he could make it there he would be safe- at least momentarily.

    All hopes of escape vanished when two strange ships, both shaped like a bow tie, fell in behind him. He accelerated, but the ships matched his speed. They were incredibly fast for ships of their size, as the escape shuttle was designed for speed. Even at top speed- 120 kph- they managed to keep up with him.

    The ships had four points sticking out from their end; each showed off a blaster cannon. They where painted blue, with tinted glass at the front, giving the pilots great vision towards the front but none to the sides.

    "Obviously predators," pondered the president. "Let's test their maneuverability."

    He then wondered why they had not annihilated him yet, as it was obviously inside their power. He swerved violently off onto a side street, hoping to lose his pursuit, however they countered for the maneuver and pulled back behind him.

    "Damn!" He cussed aloud.

    The pilots of the strange ships then saw the tiny craft in front of them pull up, hard, forcing to much g-force upon the small shuttle. It started breaking apart- first the thrusters fell from the vessel, then the cockpit. The engine didn't let anything else move, as it exploded seconds later, causing a chain reaction that set the building next to the craft on fire.

    "Maybe I should have taken that class on flying last week..." Thought the president as the cockpit fell towards the ground at ever increasing speed. That was the last thought that past his head. The pilots of the fighter craft might have thought this humorous had they known, as they both cared for ironic stories.

    "Citizens of the galaxy, the one and only senator Palpatine!"

    The second introduction in two days, and soon just as many stunned listeners. Trillions of listeners this time around; his speech was being broadcast to all the planets with holo vid technology within the known galaxy.

    "People of the Republic, and otherwise," He began, "As I expect you have already heard, brutal terrorists invaded and destroyed the senate building yesterday. They brutally murdered all the senators save myself, as I had left to make an appointment."

    "Unfortunately today I bring more sad news... The President himself has been killed in the same manner." He paused for effect. "His house was under siege yesterday for over a standard hour. When finally his guard force had been destroyed he evacuated in a small air craft."

    "Upon lift off he received several blows from a mounted turbo laser, cutting of most of his systems. He managed to maneuver himself out of the vicinity, and he headed towards his emergency spaceport, no doubt seeking refuge from the crazy activities." He paused again, and looked down, seemingly shy.

    "Two craft, of unknown origins and design," he continued, "pulled in behind him and followed him, forcing him to take extreme evasive maneuvers, putting more stress on the hull of the shuttle then it could hold, breaking it apart."

    "We have been unable to find his remains, as an explosion ripped through the ship just before it broke apart, knocking him unconscious. It probably also disintegrated his body..." Palpatine waited for a minute before continuing, asking for a cloth, and wiping his eyes.

    "I received a communication from the President just before he evacuated, naming me the next president. I at first argued that I wasn't fit for the job, but my affiliates have convinced me to take the job."

    He waited for the sudden squawking among his live crowd to quite down. "I have therefor picked more senators, which will now be called moffs, plus my vice president: Anakin Skywalker!

    He stepped aside, letting Skywalker make a small speech, and stepped back to the podium, announcing his new senate. He went on to talk about his plans, and how they would affect the people of the galaxy. Palpatine finished by issuing an oath to track down the murders of the President and punish them severely.

    The new president talked with such force, and the forged vid of the prior president handing office to Palpatine looked so real that almost everyone believed him. Still many feared a change at the base of their nation, and wished only that Palpatine would act as his predecessor had.

    Of course, Palpatine would never think of acting within reason...