What Lies Beneath

Chapter 23: Bridges Built, Bridges Burnt

As soon as the Naboo pod moved back into docking position, Chancellor Valorum called for a recess, and Sereine slipped out of the Alderaan pod with a quick thank you to the Bails and sprinted. She found Palpatine in the Naboo holding office, almost at the door, patting down his nose and his forehead with tissues he kept hidden there for the purpose.

He turned to her and raised his brows. "Well?"

She bustled close, but not close enough to touch, mindful of the holocams gathering at the door. "You incredible, incredible thing," she said, her voice low. "You incredible, beautiful thing." The door slid open to admit Tomal as Palpatine stepped closer and slipped one arm around her in a quick hug. She dared one quick kiss on his cheek and stepped back again, hearing holos beep.

"I think we're going to have to do an impromptu press conference outside," she said. "Are you up to it?"

A haggard look passed over his face and he made a tired-sounding grunt. "What do you think?"

"I think you're in the news already. Only I think it's more about what you flipped at Mas Amedda than anything else."

A communicator screen on the wall beeped, and an aide walked over to investigate. "Senator," he said.

Palpatine walked over and looked, and Sereine heard him laugh. "What?" she said.

He pointed and she walked over and read. It was a short note from Sly informing him that several Senators and various lay people had commed the Naboo Delegation, offering him credits to help pay his fines. Then Sly sent a second missive: "Chancellor Valorum is sending you 100 ditaries."

Palpatine sighed. "I think we'd better go meet the press," he said.

Sereine lowered her brows and fired off, "Senator Palpatine! What was behind your disgraceful gesture to the Vice Chair this morning?"

Palpatine raised a hand to his forehead in an attempt to look abashed, and she said, "Uh-uh-uh. That looks forced and planned. Keep your hands down out there. Now, are you sorry, or not?"

They batted a few responses around and then opened the holding office door to about fifteen beings with holocams.

"Senator Palpatine! What was behind your disgraceful gesture to Vice Chair Amedda this morning?"

Instinctively, Palpatine's hand started to travel to his forehead, and then he remembered and stopped mid-gesture. An exasperated look crossed his face, and then he said, "Perhaps I should keep my hands down for the remainder of the afternoon."

Laughter rippled through the press corps, and Sereine knew they had friendly fire.

***

The session was scheduled to reconvene after lunch. Sereine gobbled a quick snack, toggling through press coverage with Palpatine and members of his staff, and looked in on the Alderaan Delegation, where Jedi Masters Dooku and Qui-Gon Jinn were debating with Organa whether or not to play the incriminating series of holocron transmissions and whether they really needed Master Jinn to speak or not. In the end they decided that if they didn't play the transmissions, then Master Jinn should answer a few questions, posed by Bail, about his own treatment at the hands of the Council, but if they did play the transmissions, those spoke much more specifically than Master Jinn, and Qui-Gon probably wouldn't be needed.

The two masters faced one another. "I agree the messages are going to be the most effective," said Master Jinn, "but the ramifications for you in the Temple, if you use them ... It's hard for me to advocate that, for that reason."

"Blame me," said Bail. "They're in my possession. I 'acquired' them."

"That won't fly in the Temple," said Jinn.