Chapter 35

'Rallying Cry'

'The Blind Admiration Society'

'Dark Ambition'

There was a lot to do this semester. Dantius has papers to write, exams to take, and a career to consider. He wonders if the other students on campus took their future as seriously. Maneuvering through the crowds of protesters during the weeks leading to finals, one would think not. The protests, aside from the increased size, are becoming louder.

The endless flyers and occasional demonstrations in front of the dean's office were 'cute' at first, but that was when he met Sigrid. The 'Gang of Five' has new recruits. He recognized a few of the faces but not others. Magnus has since graduated and makes only occasional appearances at the sign-up table outside the dining hall. Dantius remembers seeing him addressing crowds at a few of the rallies on the steps of the plaza outside the dean's office. Magnus is a charismatic speaker but Dantius is not interested in listening to him or any of the other organizers or the celebrity supporters.

What Dantius secretly hopes is to catch a glimpse of Sigrid. He still secretly pines for her. He hated himself for feeling this way. She does not feel the same aching desire for him. Perhaps if she was not so attached to her friends and this crazy cause she might be able to see him…not just his face in the crowd. For now, he would be satisfied just to see her face.

There are too many people on the plaza and the guards are on hand for crowd control in case things get out of hand. Dantius cannot locate Sigrid and pushes through the throngs of demonstrators. The rallying cry for change grows louder.

The elder Palpatine heard about the on-campus demonstrations. He warned Dantius, on one of his rare visits home, that he had better not take part in the demonstrations. Mr. Palpatine added that he was not paying tuition for his son to attend rallies and cut classes. He would not tolerate Dantius sullying the honorable family name. Dantius was tempted to defy his father just to get a rise out of the old man. Fortunately, for Mr. Palpatine, Dantius could never bring himself to do it. It was one of the rare moments. He agreed with his father. He would never outwardly admit it. These radicals could bring down the government and there has to be order. Dantius had to keep his student record clean. He is an intern for the Galactic Senate. He has a career to consider. If change is to be had, then getting involved in this program is the only way to go about it.

There was nothing remarkable about his internship when he started. It was his senior year and nothing was happening. As he settled in, he soon discovered a way to move into the spotlight during his internship at the Galactic Senate.

During a mid-term break, Dantius was able to spend all of his time on Coruscant. It was a fascinating place. It is more exciting than Naboo. Galactic City was home to a huge theatre district, numerous cultural venues, and elegant restaurants. The mid-term intern orientation luncheon is held at Manarai II, the newer facility, not far from the Galactic Senate House. It was more modern than Manarai I but catered to the same, snobbish clientele who wanted to be seen but not bothered.

For some of the interns, this was a first-time visit to such an elegant restaurant. Finis Valorum assured them that this would be the ultimate dining experience. It was. Most were looking to see what celebrities would show up. At the last minute, Finis has a holovid conference call and cannot make the luncheon. The students are chaperoned by three of his colleagues.

All of the young fresh faces at the dining table are happy to be there and are eager to impress their hosts with their intelligence and ambition. There is a general desire to make friends along the way. The group is diverse, something Dantius found uncomfortable. The only Korun in the group seemed to make friends easily. The other interns embraced him. His name is Evan Cyr. He possessed a deadpan sense of humor and had great leadership qualities. A cocky Corellian, Axel Paol, thought that they would make a great team. They both liked to use colorful language and were popular with the ladies who pretended to be shocked by their disarming behavior but secretly enjoying it all the while.

Dantius, on the other hand, does not intend to forge any 'friendships', especially with anyone from Korun. Evan and the others were useless to him. He also wanted to eliminate anyone who could pose a threat to his advancement. He proves this by force choking one of the male interns.

His target is the most unbearable intern in their group. The boy had an opinion about everything, much to the annoyance of Dantius. The student prided himself for being the top student at Alderaan University for every semester and made known his aspirations for political office after graduate school. Some of the female students found him 'dreamy.' The senate mentors found him brilliant and an asset to the program. He is the darling of the Galactic Senate Intern Program. Dantius considers him a bore. Something had to be done.

The interns were enjoying the selections on the exclusive menu. There were no prices listed so they were free to order anything, which made for some interesting dining choices. The monthly stipend that the interns would receive was low; however, the Galactic Senate meal and entertainment budget was generous. The important thing was to keep the student with the most promise. The financial compensation and luxurious housing accommodation would come after graduation. Dantius knew that in order to guarantee a place after graduation, he had better cut out the competition.

The student from Alderaan enjoys his meal but he enjoys talking himself up even more, the others would humor him because he seemed insecure. They let him ramble on if it relaxed him, but it surprised everyone at the table when he began to turn blue and choke on the Giant Ithorian snail in flounut butter entrée he ordered.

He thought that this would be a cool thing to order. As they were reading the menu, Axel jokingly asked him if his mother prepared all of his meals when he lived at home. Apparently, the answer was 'Yes.' It was something Axel and Evan laughed about when they were placing their orders. It was not intended to be mean-spirited; they thought every intern at the table was good for a laugh but this choking incident was not funny. It was a terrifying thing to witness.

Tears stream down the intern's face and his nose is running. The maitre'd and two waiters rushed to the table to assist. The patrons at the surrounding tables craned their necks to see what the ghastly noise was, while others within direct viewing distance witnessed the horror. No one noticed, just moments earlier, Dantius pretending to listen to his competition speak about his lofty goals and namedrop famous officials he has met. They did not notice Dantius holding a fork and stroking it just above the tines using his thumb. The deliberate thumb strokes along the platinum fork conjure a horrific gasp. The intern's throat begins to bulge.

As the restaurant staff gathered to administer first aid, the female interns are screaming and covering their mouths. Evan and Axel attempt to loosen their colleague's collar when the waiters clumsily tend to him. Evan shoves one of the waiters out of the way. An ambulance arrives just in time. The medic presses on the chest of the choking victim. A small fragment of the snail shell spills from his mouth in a strand of spittle. The medics whisk him away for medical attention with one of the mentors in tow.

Dantius calmly resumes his meal.

Upon his return to the Galactic Senate building, Dantius stops by Finis Valorum's office. Valorum is on a conference call. He sees Dantius walk pass the glass door of his office. He interrupts his holovid conference and waves for Dantius to enter.

"Dantius! Dantius! Come in!"

"Yes, senator?"

"Sorry I could not attend the luncheon with you and the other interns. How did it go?"

"It was quite nice. Thank you."

"You're welcome…so….tell me, what did you think? Did you learn anything?"

Valorum is half listening in on the conference call as Dantius speaks.

"Well…there were things I wanted to know, such as, when we will get to sit in on a session in the Galactic Senate…but one of the interns suffered a terrible accident…"

"Really? What happened?"

"I believe he choked while he was talking. It was startling to watch. It almost made me stop eating. The EMS arrived to take him to the hospital."

"Oh dear, no! That's terrible! I should make a call. I am so sorry that your luncheon was ruined. "

"It's fine. The meal was superb. Thank you."

"You're the only one here? Where is everyone?"

"Everyone is fine…"

Valorum is no longer listening to Dantius. He presses the mute button on his COM speakerphone while the holovid-conference call continues without him. He then picks up his tel-com handset. He rubs his temple then signals for Dantius to wait.

"One moment, Dantius." Finis speaks into the handset. "Is Ric back?...I need to speak to him immediately." Just at that moment. A nervous looking man in his mid- twenties hurries into the office. "Never mind." Finis hangs up and waits for the man to calm down. Beads of sweat pulsate from the man's forehead.

"Finis, I was just on my way in to tell you what happened."

"I'm listening."

"Sheld Qel-Droma had a choking incident today."

"An 'incident'? I have a student standing here when I expected you to be the first one in my office. I shouldn't be hearing this from him!"

"Well, he choked. It was a horrible moment for all of us but the doctors said he would recover. They are checking to make sure he didn't inhale any more shell fragments. He has some bruising and an inflamed larynx. He may require surgery."

"Oh, good grief!" Finis sinks in his chair as if a close relative has fallen ill. Did anyone call his parents?"

"I'll get right on it, sir."

"Now, before they sue us." Finis appears calm now but his words carry weight.

Ric is still rattled by the day's series of events. He has not totally processed the fact that Dantius sabotaged him, even as he instructed the interns to wait in the conference room upon their return. As he turns around on his way out, he remembers something.

"He was to give his honors presentation tomorrow. What do you want to do, Finis?"

"That's the least of our problems, Ric. Get his parents on the phone immediately. Send Cal and Wedge in here."

Finis is anxious to hear from the other two mentors who were chaperones to the interns. He wants to know what they were doing while an intern was almost choking to death. Ric is still trying to discuss the presentation but Finis is focused on the parents.

"Yes, sir…but we still need the intern presentation. The secretary for the Galactic Council on Government Affairs needs to make a change to the calendar."

"Give me a moment to think this through, please? Get that boy's parents on the line now! I want to speak to them before you muck that up too."

"Yes, sir."

Ric leaves the office. Dantius is still standing near the door with his hands folded behind him. He waits patiently. He does not let Finis see the crooked smile on his face as Ric hurries out of the office and down the hall. Dantius believes Ric is incompetent and will never rise in the ranks of the Galactic Senate. He also relishes in the fact that the mentor was humiliated in the presence of an intern.

Finis mutters to himself as he scans his E-pad for data. He can hear the meeting, still in progress, on the COM. Finis realizes that he cannot remain on the call, and signs off. It is only then that Dantius realizes the seriousness of the matter. Would Finis have continued his conference call had the accident involved any other intern? He believes not.

"COM off…save meeting."

The COM responds in a soft male voice. 'Conference saved and signing off, sir.'

Finis releases an exasperated sigh before looking across the office at Dantius.

"This is going to be a long…long day, Dantius."

Dantius is still facing the hallway through the open door. He takes a deep breath as he turns to Finis.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I feel useless standing here."

"Thank-you, Dantius. I will manage. That poor boy."

"If it's a presentation you need, I could stand in for Sheld."

"That's very thoughtful of you, Dantius but Sheld was the Galactic Senate Honors winner. His work is being heralded. I can't submit another student's work to the committee."

"But…hear me out…I could study the work and present it as if Sheld was giving it himself."

Finis ponders for a moment, massaging his forehead as he listens to Dantius plead his case. It is not totally a bad idea. He is still getting to know Dantius and wants to make certain he is making the correct decision. He folds his hands close to his lips as if in prayer. Dantius does not like this long silence. Finis studies Dantius for a moment before he speaks.

"I don't make exceptions like this, but given the circumstances, I will allow you to give the presentation on Sheld's behalf. Ric has worked closely with Sheld so he will guide you. A statement will have to be made to explain the sudden change…I will handle that."

"It would be an honor to do this…on Sheld's behalf of course. You won't be disappointed, I promise."

"I am entrusting you with this task, Dantius. Don't let me down."

"I won't. I promise."

Dantius is instructed to meet with Ric in a small conference room down the hall. Ric sets folder containing the presentation on the table. Dantius opens the folder. It is a masterful work. Dantius almost regrets asking to perform the task. He cannot believe such genius came from a conceited, annoying little bore as Sheld. The theories and structure were things Dantius never thought of or even put into words. These were complete thoughts transcribed directing to hardcopy. There were no edits, and all in Sheld's handwriting. The copy he was holding is the original. Dantius is envious.

Ric rehearses the document with Dantius. It has been hours and they had to have supper delivered to the office. Dantius is growing tired and fights to stay awake.

"Dantius, this is going to be a challenge to pull this off. I cannot even fully grasp every theory, and I worked closely with Sheld. It is important that you get this right."

"Can I take the copy and study it in my room?"

"No. There are no copies. This is the master."

"But I can't possibly remember all of these dates and theories without taking it with me to study."

"Dantius, you're a talented student or else you would never have been chosen for the intern program. Do you realize how many students we turn down? We're not looking for a student seeking a free pass just so he or she could add it to a resume. We want people who will live and breathe the Galactic Senate day and night. The future depends on it. Are you sure you're up to the challenge?"

"Yes."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes…yes, I am. I can do it."

The entire evening, the Ric and Dantius stay up and dissect Sheld's presentation. It is grueling but Dantius believes that he could learn from it.

The night turns to morning faster than Dantius would have liked. He gets less than three hours sleep. Ric rings his room so that they could work over breakfast. They regroup in the meeting room.

"Explain the 'Planetary Security Forces' dynamic and how the Republic maintains the checks and balances for the incoming senate."

"Uhm…He says that the each security force does well in defending their respective star systems, they must be sure to keep corruption within these systems in-check. . ." Dantius flips back and forth between the pages. He is bothered by what he reads. "How could he know this? He believes that dark forces will threaten the security of the planetary systems and governments will change the course of world order. Do you believe this?"

"It's his theory, Dantius. Let's hope that these events never come to pass but he has never been wrong before. He's a veritable wunderkind… He wrote a paper in middle school about the Trade Federation. No one took it seriously because he was a child…the Jedi listened. The boy is astutely intuitive. I suggest you prepare yourself for this presentation. You are looking for answers you will not get. If anyone can answer these questions, it is Sheld and he is unavailable."

"In order to understand his work, wouldn't it help to understand the author?"

"Just read, Dantius."

Dantius is silent for a moment as he studies the text. He looks across the table at Ric.

"Is he a Jedi?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"You said that the Jedi follow his work."

"Enough. We only have a few hours before the conference…but since you asked, the consensus is, if he were an adult, he could be chancellor by now. He has a brilliant mind."

The two men study and rehearse Sheld's presentation up to 30 minutes before the event. Dantius consumes more caffeine than he has ever consumed during finals. He begins to regret putting himself in this position of volunteering to present someone else's work. He is not being lauded today. It is Sheld Qel-Droma Admiration Day. Let the senators grill him instead. Then he remembers…he did this. Dantius thinks back on the past 24-hours. Perhaps he should have shown restraint when he sent Sheld to the emergency department of Coruscant Hospital.

Dantius selects his best attire for the dinner tonight. The other interns arrive at the senate ballroom and sit at their assigned tables.

The dinner is served shortly after the guests arrive. The food is exquisite. Dantius was looking forward to a good meal after such a difficult time going over Sheld's presentation. Unfortunately, karma comes back ten-fold. Dantius looks at his plate but cannot eat a bite. This will possibly be the most elegant meal he will enjoy all year and his stomach is too nervous to enjoy it.

He takes occasional sips from his water glass. His heart is pounding.

A few speakers step up to the podium to welcome the interns and guests and make opening statements. Finis is the last to approach the podium to present the Senate Award to Sheld in absentia. He then invites Dantius up to make the presentation.

"This event is something I look forward to each year. It is when we present the best and the brightest minds from universities across the galaxy to show them democracy in action. But more than this, it is to give these young minds a chance to express their ideas. It was not so long ago that I was chosen to give my award-winning presentation. I was full of wonder and green at the gills when I walked on the floor of the senate auditorium. I could never imagine that anyone would want to know what I thought at such a young age, or more specifically, what I thought the Galactic Republic meant to me. I was young and idealistic…perhaps I still am today. At least I hope so. The workings of the Galactic Senate have not jaded me yet. I still feel good things are still in store for us, even in our bleakest moments. Sometimes, out of dark times come good. The winner of this years' Senate Award, Sheld Qel-Droma, was to speak today; unfortunately, he was taken ill shortly after his arrival. He is expected to recover and join us during the rest of his internship. Luckily, you will still hear his presentation. One of his fellow interns has graciously volunteered to give the presentation on his behalf. This is another one of the impressive students to come to us to learn and, perhaps he will become a driving force to the building of a magnificent future for the Galactic Republic. I present to you, Dantius Palpatine of Theed University."

Dantius joins Finis at the podium. He is nervous after bowing to his new mentor and turns slowly towards the audience. He hesitates for a moment. His words are tentative at first. Suddenly a voice in his head urges him on.

'You have something to say, Dantius. Get on with it.'

The presentation starts well enough as he reads Sheld's words and visions of the future of the Galactic Republic. Something however is pushing him in another direction. It is a force, deep down inside.

'Do not let this moment define you. Be your own messenger.'

Just as he ends the presentation, he sees a hand go up on the room.

"Brilliant presentation. I wish Mr. Qel-Droma could be here to expound on his theories. Young man, what are your thoughts on your colleague's' prognosis of the present condition of our government?"

Dantius stammers a bit, surprised that someone wants to hear his views.

"We…well, I am still learning but while Sheld sees urgency in restoring balance, I see great hope…I see great people coming forward to restore order. The demonstrations we see now, on campuses across the galactic Republic, are nothing to be concerned about now. Some of my contemporaries are simply misguided. While it is unsettling to see students protesting in the town plazas and at our government facilities, this too will ebb and give way to constructive dialogue."

"Well, that is refreshing to hear…and you are? I'm sorry; I forgot your name, young man…"

"Dantius…Palpatine."

"Well, Mr. Palpatine, I'm sure we'll be hearing more from you in the future. Perhaps you will someday bring your public service to us on Coruscant."

"Thank-you, Senator, I am truly humbled by your words of encouragement."

Dantius leaves the podium to modest applause. Dantius turns to look at Finis. A senator seated next to Finis whispers in his ear. Finis appears to nod in agreement. Neither man is smiling.

Finis applauds but he is not impressed with his mentee's impromptu remarks.

There is an informal gathering at the conclusion of the dinner and presentation. The senators do a 'meet and greet' with the new interns, Dantius is listening as one of the senior senators addresses the students. Someone walks up behind Dantius and grabs him by the arm. It is the senator from the audience.

"Dantius Palpatine. I knew you looked familiar. I cannot believe I did not place the face. You may not remember me but I know your father. He used to bring you to the Theed Club when you were a boy. I am Senator Vidar Kim. I spoke to him just days ago. He never told me that you would be speaking today. Cosinga must be proud."

"Oh, I don't know about that."

Dantius gushes. He cannot recall his father ever showering him with praise. If his father did praise him, it was to push an agenda to improve the family's standing. The elder Palpatine would pretend to be a proud father of a son he privately thought was a big failure.

Dantius basks in the praise he was receiving this evening. He finally had validation that someone believed in him. It was proof that he could achieve a lot without these so-called mentors and masters. He basked in this glorious moment. He had to, since it would not last.

Finis was the first to burst his 'euphoria bubble' the next morning.

"No one wanted to hear your views. You were supposed to read Sheld's presentation."

"But they asked me…"

"And I am asking you to show some restraint. This was supposed to be Sheld's moment."

Dantius stands his ground. His response is smug and defiant.

"Well, he wasn't there. I did what I thought was appropriate."

"Your arrogance will get you into trouble. Dantius, during your internship here, you will have the opportunity to shine as will every other student. Please be patient."

"I apologize. I was caught up in the moment. I forgot myself. It won't happen again."

Finis sees that Dantius regrets overstepping his bounds. He pats Dantius on the shoulder.

"Good things are in the wings for you, Dantius…good things."

The other interns are not so forgiving. They visit Sheld in his hospital room and gossip about Dantius stealing the spotlight at a time that was meant for him.

A few days pass after the dinner. Sheld is released from the hospital. His first day back at the senate office he visits with Valorum to pick up his award. He then heads down the hall to Ric's office. Dantius is sitting across the hall at Sheld's intern desk. Dantius is reviewing the presentation to understand why it is such a brilliant piece of work. He does not notice Sheld approaching the desk when a hand reaches in front of him and snatches the document away.

"Excuse me! I believe this is mine."

In an instant, Sheld tucks the document under his arm and leaves. Dantius sits dumbfounded.

Upon their initial meeting during orientation, Dantius knew he did not like Sheld but this moment sealed it for him. He detested this creature. Everyone loved Sheld. Dantius never could comprehend the blind adoration everyone had for Sheld. His internship had barely taken off and already there was a favorite. Every senator wanted to invite Sheld to sit in on meetings. The girls loved him to the point that they almost lost track of their own careers as future lawmakers. If they obsessed anymore, they would have formed a fan club.

In addition, Finis Valorum, who Dantius thought was his personal mentor, was so busy with work and completing his doctorate, that he dropped Dantius from his workload. Dantius was handed off to Senator Vidar Kim. Finis thought that this was a good fit. Kim was from Naboo and a friend of the Palpatine family; it seemed natural. Kim was just as surprised to hear about the change as much as Dantius and just as disappointed. Neither expressed these sentiments outwardly but Dantius knew he was not Kim's first choice.

Finis never realized what a mistake this was until years later.

All of these methodical chess moves were to accommodate the golden boy Sheld. Dantius saw this as a great inconvenience and an insult. It dawned on Dantius, that for this reason, Sheld should die