AN: For those of you that are enjoying my other story Intervention, do not worry this will not prevent me from continuing it. Enjoy this foray into the past!
"Mr. Palpatine, what do you have to say for yourself?" the stern headmaster said to the fourteen-year-old boy before him.
"Nothing sir, I had a goal and pursued that goal," Ian said.
"Are you unrepentant?" the headmaster asked.
"Why should I be? My plan would've accomplished the goal in the real Senate and no one would've been the wiser," Ian said.
"May the Force forbid you ever reach the status of Senator, Mr. Palpatine," the headmaster said.
"I swear to you, sir, that I will be a senator someday," Ian said, his anger rising.
"Not from Naboo you won't be, you are hereby expelled from this program. Your lack of ethics and moral fiber is ill suited to being a Senator in the Galactic Republic, especially one from Naboo. You would be a stain on our planet's honor," the headmaster said.
"I don't need this program to achieve my goals. I take my leave of this program and its stupid rules," Ian shouted and stalked out of the headmaster's office. He walked down to his locker and started cleaning it out of his things. His parent's would not be pleased with this turn of events at all. It had been a great honor to his family that he had been accepted. Even if it was the lowest ranked opening, it was still prestigious to be accepted at all. Even if only girls were allowed to hold the royal title that would not prevent him from serving in other capacities, such as council member or even Senator. Ian had shared their excitement initially, until the rules started dragging him down. Now here he was, in disgrace cleaning out his locker. He was deep in these dark thoughts when his nose picked up the one thing in this completely dreadful place that had ever made him happy.
"Chamise, shouldn't you be in class, my dear?" Ian asked the approaching figure without looking up. She was his age, just beginning to fill out her form, which was already lovely and promised a future of beauty that would move a tree's soul.
"The chime sounded not half a minute ago, silly," Chamise said.
"Well, I've been preoccupied," Ian said.
"Not preoccupied enough to miss my approach," Chamise said.
"Well, I've gotten myself into a bit of a mess, its true, but no amount of trouble would distract me from you," Ian said.
"Ian Palpatine, why didn't you tell me you were in trouble?" Chamise said.
"I just did," Ian said,
"You know what I mean, I could have helped," Chamise said.
"There was nothing you would've been able to do, my dear. There was only one way I could achieve the goal and now, I have been expelled, for 'lack of ethics and moral fiber' according to our esteemed headmaster. He told me that if I would ever rise to the rank of Senator I would be a stain on our planet's honor," Ian said.
"That is awful. It's also not true. You just focus so hard on goals that you let other considerations go by the wayside," Chamise said.
"You understand me so much better than any other, sweet Chamise. My only regret is that now I will not be graced by your presence anymore. Other than that, I will miss nothing of this place," Ian said.
"I will miss you too, Ian," Chamise said as the chime sounded again.
"You'd better get on to class, my love, we don't want to get you into trouble too," Ian said.
"Call me when you get home," Chamise said, kissed his cheek and walked down the hall. Ian looked after her and sighed before going back to his task.
A week after his expulsion from the political program Ian had returned home, the reunion with his parents went about as he had expected. He had been disowned and thrown out on the street in disgrace. He took a job in a restaurant and found that between shifts he had little to do. Therefore, he explored the wilderness outside of the city proper. It was on one of these expeditions that he fell into a hole. He rose, dusted himself off and found himself in a hallway.
It was dark in the hallway and the dust made Ian cough. He saw many doors. None of them had power. He continued his exploration until he came upon what had to be a common area and saw a statue of a Jedi, the lightsaber obvious.