Chapter 5
He didn't knew exactly why he came here…and what this Jedi wanted from him. He entered the Council Chambers and looked around, but he was alone. There was nobody in there but him. He waited for some minutes. Nothing happened. Nobody entered to Chamber to meet him. There was just silence,…and the wind that howled around the high tower of the Temple.
Suddenly without any warning the holonet-cam in the middle of the chamber sprang to life again. After all those years…
He was surprised. This Jedi wasn't a fool, he or she was very careful. The holo showed a hooded person that wore typical Jedi robes, including a lightsabers. But he wasn't able to decide whether the Jedi was male or female nor whether species he or she belonged to nor which age he or she might be. He didn't know anything. But he assumed the Jedi had to be male. A female wouldn't be that stupid to show herself on Coruscant and endanger her…, would she?
It was a recorded message, not a live one. This Jedi is really clever…
"Good evening, Palpatine", started the Jedi. He or she didn't call him by his title, ignored it, "I assume you have chosen to join this little game of mine. You got something, a little cist, that can't be open to anyone but me. I want it back! As a reward I'll open it for you and show you the inside. But that's just the goal of our game. The way to this goal is quite more difficult. It is a game as I have mentioned before…I'm going to give you little jobs, little enigmas in each meeting you need to solve. So, we're going to know each other a bit better…you'll get hints who I am. My first job for you is to name all Council Members at the time the purges started. We're going to meet again tomorrow. Same location, same time. Good night!"
Pardon? He was more than surprised, nearly angry. His face whitened. A game? What for?
He remembered that little cist very well and, yes, he wasn't able to open it. There had to be something very important in it if the Jedi wanted it back after all those long years that have passed by. The cist was brought to him when the Temple was plundered, but the officer couldn't tell him where it was found. So this cist became a mystery to him and had stayed a mystery.
His fury increased second by second.
A game? You want to play with me? You're already dead by now, Jedi, but you don't know it yet!
Palpatine reassured himself slowly. After arriving in the Imperial Palace he withdrew to his private quarters. He wasn't tired, he never was.
It was very easy for him to name all the Council Members just by his memory. As Supreme Chancellor he had been in touch with them daily by that time. The Jedi led the armies of the Republic in the years of the Clone Wars while he was in his office at the senate watching his plans working out well.
He climbed into his bed after changing his clothes, freezing. He covered himself and the room fell into the dark of the night. Sleep didn't come and time just slowly passed by.
After an hour he lightened his bedroom again and started reading on his datapad. If there was sleep to be found there was no excuse why to let time pass by without working, without learning.
In the next morning Kimea got an assignment with some other senatorial aides about the so-called rebels. The intention of this assignment was that the aides should spy on their bosses, the senators. Kimea listened nut was of course loyal to Sona and would stay loyal to him; as loyal all or most of the aides would be to their senators. Everyone did know that if the Senator was involved in rebellious tasks or actions it was nearly impossible the senatorial aide of this Senator wasn't involved in too.
Does the Empire think we're that dumb?
She just got out of his Majesties sight b/c she could prove she hadn't further contact to Mothma herself than these little few conversations on Chandrila. It was obvious that the Empire seemed to be a bit helpless in handling with the upcoming Alliance. Thanks to Mothma…and thanks to a few other not yet caught senators.
For diner she visited an old friend of her father, Dexter Jettster, who was the owner of a little cantina. Dex's Diner. The cantina seemed to have stayed as it has been in the Republic. Here her parents had met each other regularly while their love affair, while her mothers pregnancy and then to play family after little Kimea had been born. Here the Council hadn't had an eye on them because her parents weren't allowed to have further contact to each other than the normal one as typical between Jedi. It was a miracle her mother, Siri Tachi, was allowed to raise her daughter personally and it was a miracle her parents weren't spelled from the Jedi Order. Maybe it was because of Kimeas high average of midi-chlorians. She was straight after Skywalker in that scale.
She asked for Dex at the bar and was led to the kitchen where Dex was cooking for his guests. Aliens as well as humans. His cantina was known and famous all over Coruscant, even on some other nearby planets.
Dex started to smile all over his alien face when seeing her and welcomed her more than friendly.
"How's your father?"
"He's fine, Dex, thanks. He told me you could help me…if I need help…or support."
"Of course, lil' Kimmy. Is it really that long ago when you were stumbling through my cantina?"
"I guess so", she laughed shyly.
"You're searching for a job?"
"Ahm, no…I'm a senatorial aide…but I need the help of your cantina for an evening. I'm going to await a special guest and maybe I'm allowed to help you out in the kitchen at this evening…?"
"You're welcome."
"Thanks. Are you still very active in the information-business?"
"If you'd call it a business, yes. Which information do you need?"
"Everything you get to know about activities against the rebels and, more important, against the Jedi."
Dex was surprised to be asked for this special service. He looked deep into her yes, tried to focus on her.
"Rebels I do understand. But the Jedi? Does the Empire know about a Jedi, about you being one?"
"Not yet. That's because I'm asking you to have your ears open."
"How can I reach you then?"
Kimea asked for some paper and wrote down a number.
"It is an answering machine", she explained to him, "But I'm going to check it every hour, I promise."
"Ok. And you're sure you don't need a fair job?"
Kimea started to laugh.
"Oh, maybe I'm looking for one very soon. But I'm also looking forward to have of that fantastic Ragout of yours."
"Then please take a seat here, so we can talk in between. Hope, you're hungry, hun, you look way too thin. Don't you get enough food in those expensive restaurants at the Palace?"
