Palpatine arrived a little before dawn in the Youth Senator Apartments floor 66 longue. Only a few of the other Youth Senators were awake. Those who were there had either accidentally fallen asleep the night before or were already beginning their duties at said ungodly hour.
There was a small dining area set off to the side with a few tables and chairs. A droid prepared breakfast at the mini restaurant. Palpatine was on the verge of collapsing despite the very exciting night that had just occurred. Very few people could say they had become a Sith apprentice in less than a day.
"May I please have a Raging Rancor?" he asked the droid. Palpatine leaned on the counter with only the pure will of getting a Raging Rancor keeping him awake. The droid gave an affirmative beep before disappearing into the kitchen.
His were eyelids were drooping shut when the droid finally returned. The droid told Palpatine politely, "My apologies, Youth Senator of Naboo, there is currently no Raging Rancor left in stock."
"None!?" Palpatine blinked a few times.
How is that even possible? I made sure there would be enough! I asked the supervisor specifically to ensure there would be enough Raging Rancor!?
"Look again." He insisted. The droid obeyed.
It returned again, again empty handed. "My apologies, sir, would you like another quencher perhaps—"
Palpatine interrupted the droid. "I would like a caf. Extra sugar."
The droid left and came back with the quencher, sliding it across the counter. "The cost of the caf will be ten credits."
Palpatine dropped the credits into the droid's outstretched mechanical hand. He had been using his credits sparingly due to his budget, leaving it only for meals and transportation. The thought of credits made him anxious. He would have to eventually have to tell his mother the unfortunate news about the Model GR. About the damage he had caused and about the hefty cost they would have to pay.
The droid went on with its standard advertising spiel. "Thank you for using the Youth Senatorship Apartments meal supplier—" Palpatine walked away with his caf.
Palpatine took a sip and made a sour face. Even with sugar it still tastes bitter. He kept drinking it since it would still give the same effect as the Raging Rancor, but it was...much less preferred.
Palpatine walked by most of the stragglers on the way to his room. His mother was about to Comm him in twenty minutes and he was hoping he could rest for a bit. Perhaps read a book quietly or surf on the HoloNet, yes, that would be nice. Although something caught his eye, he took a few steps back.
He spied Ovirelt by a magnificent indoor fountain pouring something into the water. She had two empty cartons beside her and a half empty third one. Palpatine read the logo on the side of the carton. Blood rushed to his cheeks. He downed the rest of the bitter caf and tossed it into a nearby disposer. Then he stalked over to the fountain.
"What in the blazes are you doing, Ovirelt?" Palpatine demanded as she poured another can full of Raging Rancor into the fountain.
"Simply purging my apartment complex of this sugary junk." Ovirelt told Palpatine with a bite in her voice.
Ovirelt took the last can of the Raging Rancor and opened it. Palpatine made a grab for it, but Ovirelt was quicker. She dodged his hand and let the Raging Rancor Palpatine so dearly loved flow down the drain.
"So, you bought out all of the Raging Rancor. For what purpose? Just to spite me?" Palpatine forced a laugh trying not to seem as angry as he was. "You amuse me, Ovirelt."
"Indeed, I did." Ovirelt admitted waving a maintenance droid over to take the cartons away. She walked away from the scene of the crime and Palpatine followed.
"Well, your attempt to upset me is futile. I'll simply order another carton and I'll get to it before you do." Palpatine told her. "You wasted your credits for nothing."
Ovirelt stopped walking and turned around. "Oh, I'm afraid that will not be the case, Palpatine." She leered at him. "A very concerned individual has demanded the irreversible ban of Raging Rancor in this Apartment Complex. It is too powerful a simulant to be safe in such a civilized environment."
Palpatine was in shock. "This is outrageous. It's unfair!" he huffed. "It's in Naboo elementary schools for crying out loud. This won't stand, Ovirelt," he veered off and started towards a hall to his right.
"Where are you going, Palpatine?" Ovirelt demanded.
"Where do you think, Ovirelt?"
Ovirelt rushed after him. "No. No, you're not going there. If you think the supervisor will listen to your outlandishness, think again."
"I think she'll change her mind once I tell her that you contaminated the apartment complexes' water with what you believe is sugary junk." Palpatine countered.
Ovirelt started sprinting for the supervisor's office and Palpatine followed suit. They both burst into the office.
A very disgruntled Kel Dor perked up. She was sprawled on her desk appearing to have been fast asleep. "What now?" the supervisor, Ms. Chail, inquired sleepily.
They both began jabbering about their very different stories. They talked over each other and steadily the volume increased. Ms. Chail motioned for silence multiple times so she could speak but they continued to argue relentlessly over the Raging Rancor ban.
Ms. Chail stood up and slammed her fist on the table, "COOL IT!" Palpatine and Ovirelt fell silent. Ms. Chail breathed easier and commanded them smoothly, "Sit." She gestured with her hand to the two sickly green chairs in front of her desk.
The Coruscanti and the Naboo both sat. Palpatine edged his seat over to the left away from Ovirelt and Ovirelt did likewise, moving to the right.
Ms. Chail took a deep breath before she sat down and steepled her hands. "So, it's only day two and you guys already have a history? Great."
"What history?" Ovirelt inquired innocently. "I was simply concerned about the health of my fellow peers."
Palpatine snapped. "You didn't seem that concerned for my health when you lunged across a pod and attempted to smack me in the face, did you?"
Ovirelt countered. "Oh, so, you're my peer now? My friend?" she snorted. "I can assure you, Palpatine, you're the farthest thing from it." Palpatine didn't contradict her.
Ms. Chail put her face in her hands. "It's 0430 in the morning for kriff's sake." She waved them away. "Get out of my office. The Raging Rancor ban is final. I am not changing it."
Palpatine leaned forward in his chair and insisted, "You cannot be serious, Ms. Chail. It's not a health hazard. It's just a quencher. It's harmless."
Ms. Chail explained with weariness in her voice, "Look, Palpatine, Miss. Ovirelt told me earlier this morning that she is extremely allergic to Karu which is an ingredient in Raging Rancor. Even the slightest whiff or drop on her skin could be deadly. Apparently, its an exceedingly rare allergy she has." He scoffed.
Ovirelt got up earlier than 0400 just to do that? Is she out of her mind?
Ms. Chail wasn't done. "Palpatine, if I were you I would stop drinking that stuff. Apparently if you have fifteen of those it's enough to send you to the hospital. Just...you know, a warning."
"Where's her doctor's note?" Palpatine changed the subject abruptly.
Ovirelt withdrew it from a pocket of her ostentatious robes, "Right here, Palpatine. You may see it if you so wish." She extended the note lazily toward him but then she let it slip from her grip. "Oops." she said wryly.
Palpatine let out an exasperated sigh and tried to reach for it from his chair, but his hand couldn't quite reach it. He got up, crouched down to retrieve it, and stood up again. Palpatine threw her a scathing gaze before reading the note.
"It's a forgery." He declared. Palpatine slapped the note on the table so the supervisor could see it for herself.
"How so?" Ovirelt asked.
"It's renowned all doctors' handwriting is illegible." He glanced down at the note and then to the two women. "This note is perfectly readable so therefore it's a forgery."
Ovirelt arched an eyebrow. "Playing on stereotypes, are you, Palpatine? Your evidence is absurd and frankly pitiful." She stood up and regarded the supervisor. "I believe we're done here. Is that correct, Ms. Chail?"
Ms. Chail nodded. "That is correct." She spun around in her seat and grabbed a HoloPad. "You are dismissed."
Palpatine tried to speak. "But I—"
"Dismissed." Ms. Chail firmly said.
Palpatine saw Ms. Chail pull up a long running space serial his own mother particularly enjoyed (the rest of his family members refused to watch it including himself). Season 66, Episode 14: The Tragic Star-Crossed Lovers, the Duchess Auvo & Prince Sayorn.
The last Palpatine heard about that show was when his mother babbled about the most recent episode to him on a recent Holonet chat. He could see over her shoulder that Ms. Chail was a few episodes behind and was likely binge watching to keep up.
As he exited the office, he casually said to Ms. Chail, "The mysterious new neighbor is the original prince's stepbrother's friend who is having a star-crossed relationship with the mafia boss's daughter." he smiled. "Oops...sorry...did I ruin the surprise?" She whirled around in the chair to yell at him, but he had already closed the office door behind him.
He honestly felt ashamed that he even was caught up with the insane serial. Palpatine shook his head as he followed Ovirelt down the corridor.
Palpatine hissed in Ovirelt's ear. "This isn't over, Ovirelt. I'll get you for this."
Ovirelt laughed. "I'd like to see you try."
Palpatine was about to spit something back when his HoloComm went off.
Ovirelt passed a remark as she walked on, "It seems the loser hotline is calling, Palpatine, you better answer."
Now it was Palpatine's turn to laugh. "You call that an insult? You're pathetic."
"At least I'm less pathetic than you are." She called back. Palpatine scoffed at that.
Ovirelt took a left and went into her quarters. Palpatine made a mental in his mind that her quarters was Number 2758. Yes, it was quite a creepy thing to do but for Palpatine, it was simply a reflex thing to know where his enemy lives...just in case.
Palpatine took a seat in the longue on a couch that overlooked Coruscant. The night was beginning to fade and the sun's rays bleed into the sky. He answered the Comm. "Hello, mother." He greeted her somewhat cheerfully. However, his face fell when he saw her face was drawn into a grim expression.
"What exactly happened at the Model GR, Sheev?"
