Chapter 5
His bed no longer felt like his bed. It would never feel that way as it had before. He had avoided going to bed early on Sunday night to catch up some rest and for minimize his recent lack of sleep. Instead he waited to be overthrown by tiredness but since his thoughts were rooming in his mind, teasing him, he did not even felt the tiniest bit of an upcoming exhaustion.
Acting in front of his advisors as if nothing had happened was easy for him, but he also got suspicious if someone of them might have seen something that had not been for their eyes. But Pestage kept silent.
No questions, but also no conversation about last night's ball at all.
After the event he had to tell that his advisor had indeed recognized his odd behaviour yesterday, but did not mention it to keep privacy.
He was just a man after all. A simple human being behind the mask of a Sithlord or the beloved Chancellor. A man with needs.
They probably supposed to add his strange behaviour and his night with a female senator to his little affairs that had to be hidden before the public but would not last for very long.
Normally he had always arranged that he had been the one who had been left by the women. This was easier to handle because the ladies would not contact him on their own incentive later on. He had played the heart broken part of the relationship quite well every time it was needed. No scandals.
But this here had been no affair at all!
Mothma and I didn't act of affection but because of alcohol…or even drugs. It was a One-Night-Stand the actors can't even remember!
We can try to act normal, but this night will always be present between us. It'll poison any good communication even from the beginning.
He sighed loudly and finally sat on his bed. The place of his doom.
Their doom.
I suppose we can't erase the event, but we must understand it.
We need memories to end a non-existing relationship.
Palpatines plan was finally set. A simple plan, but pretty effective for the both of them if Mothma agreed to cooperate. By instinct he was sure she would, and just after he had sent her a message via his com to her private estate he got an answer back. The senator supported his plans.
She isn't able to forget as well. If we don't learn what exactly happened, if we don't reconstruct yesterday's events minute by minute, we aren't capable of finishing this.
Now everything he had to do was pumping Pestage without getting caught or getting to much attention. Pestage knew him well, quite too well in this case, but he had also been a trustfully friend to him. For decades.
"I'd covered your departure with her as best as possible" Pestage finally told him. First his friend had denied recognizing the Chancellor's upcoming affection for a certain very young female senator from Chandrila, but finally he had nodded. When observing that the woman his master seemed to desire for the night was supporting his actions he just went on with covering.
"We'd led you out the hall unnoticed. Why didn't you mentioned before that Mothma and you were…well…"
Palpatine waved a hand to make him stop speaking. This was enough to learn for now. He had a lot to work with; some information quite valuable.
A treasure.
"May I ask you a question?" Pestage suddenly started again.
The Chancellor looked startled in his direction. He was well aware what might come. People were always interested in other people's intimacy and private life; Pestage was not different!
"As a friend or my advisor?"
"I start with friend first, maybe I don't need that advisor's option."
"Well, go on" he tried to force a smile on his thin lips, but failed. For sure Pestage was able to read him correctly and look behind his mask easily.
"Is this ongoing?"
"Name this, please."
"Mothma. Is this a serious matter that needs special arrangements for you?"
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