Family Dinner with a Simmering Platter of Drama

Palpatine felt better with a new change of clothes, yet he wasn't hungry. The last time the majority of the Palpatine's had eaten a meal together was at Predune's wedding. That was three years ago. Now, here they were again. Palpatine had forgotten how much he had longed to hear that faint hum of chatter and clinking of silverware.

His father and grandmother were seated at the opposite ends of the table avoiding eye contact after their heated argument in the garden. His mother was seated with Palpatine's maternal grandfather, and they were speaking with Lady Palpatine. Officer Girris was seated with Palpatine's grandmother, their heads bow in deep conversation. Palpatine was seated towards the middle of the table. Stuck with the younger crowd, which was Predune, Hearth, Bratte, Mairda and her fiancée Jim. Hearth kept getting up and down bringing in more platters.

"Relax, Hearth sit down and eat. There's enough food already." Predune deterred his husband who was about to get up again and placed a hand on Hearth's shoulder. Hearth grumbled something that Palpatine didn't catch but he listened and sat down again. "You should be more like Bratte." Bratte laughed and they began talking.

Palpatine's gaze shifted to Jim who was sitting next to Mairda. Jim stared at Palpatine, pushing his glasses up his nose and fidgeted with his hands. So, this is my soon to be in law? A nervous little technician? Palpatine had yet to truly meet this…Jim.

Mairda and Jim were quite the pair. Mairda was fairly calm. She was leaned back with one hand draped over the back of her fiancée's chair and she sipped a glass of wine. Jim on the other hand appeared as though he would faint any minute. His eyes were wide, and he appeared paler than even sickly looking Palpatine.

"So…you're Jim." Palpatine stated, one hand twirling his glass. "Mairda's told me a thing or two about you."

Jim let an awkward laugh escape him. "Good things I expect." He cleared his throat and tried to collect himself. "You're Sheev. Mairda's little brother."

Palpatine's mouth formed a tight-lipped smile, "How intuitive." he not so bluntly asked. "It's curious that your family is not attending this dinner, Jim."

Jim answered casually, "I have none."

"So, you're an orphan?" he went on, "No…support whatsoever."

"Sheev." Mairda said in a warning tone.

Jim squared his shoulders and leaned back. "I've done quite well on my own. I design raceships. I have raceships sold in Coruscant, Corellia, Canto Bight, Malastare, and Tatooine. You'd be surprised how much credits the racing industry pays." He glanced over at his fiancée with a small smile. "And of course, Mairda never loses. My engineering and her skills—as a team we're unbeatable."

Palpatine restrained a scoff, yet he arched an eyebrow, "So I see. But otherwise, no inheritance? No familial wealth?"

"Being an orphan means nothing, you know Sheev? Bratte could be considered one." Mairda placed her glass on the table and leaned forward.

Palpatine scoffed, "Well, Bratte's not. Auntie Deivé and Uncle Tracid are simply off doing…who knows what. If your parents are alive, you are not an orphan."

"Did someone say my name?" Bratte blurted out, "I swear it wasn't me! I didn't break the upstairs bay window!"

Predune cut in. "The bay window is…what?"

Bratte realized everyone was staring at him and he let out a nervous laugh, "Uh…never mind."

Mairda put a splayed hand to her face. "I'll deal with it later." She inhaled deeply and asked Bratte, "Sheev was wondering how your mom was doing."

Palpatine's eyes went wide, and he used his hands to motion deterring signals, but the words had already escaped her lips.

"Oh, yes, mommy." Bratte sighed deeper than needed, "Ah, well, mommy said she'd be back soon. The last time she'd sent me a HoloGram was two months ago. And you know, I didn't know someone could spend that much time on a vacation. She said she was coming back soon, and she said that her and daddy will stay together for good this time…" Bratte's explanation droned on for an inordinate length of time.

Palpatine cupped his cheek with his hand trying to stay awake at the dinner table. Mairda mouthed to him from across the table, "You asked for this."

"No, I didn't. You did!" he mouthed back. Mairda rolled her eyes and glanced back at Bratte.

Jim seemed genuinely interested and kept asking questions which dragged the conversation along. Predune and Hearth were having a whisper argument about something Palpatine couldn't quite make out.

Bratte finally finished up, "Well, anyways, she said she'd come to this wedding. Isn't that crazy! I can't wait to see her!" Bratte gushed. Not farking likely.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up." Palpatine muttered. Everyone else at the table seemed to share his assessment apart from Bratte.

Just as Palpatine said that, the front doors swung open and the impossible came striding through. "HELLO THERE!" a very loud yet elegant voice echoed through the living space, the vowels dragged out.

Palpatine saw his father stand up, his fork clattering on his plate. "Deivé?" he asked with pure astonishment. Auntie Deivé tossed back her obviously dyed red hair perhaps to hide the white hairs. She was wearing an ostentatious fur coat and the sparkles on her silver dress were blindingly tacky.

"It is I, my dear brother." Deivé regarded her brother giving him a deep bow. A man trailed in behind her, carrying an obscene number of bags. He was dressed shabbily, very unlike Deivé. There were purple bags under his eyes. She grabbed the front of the man's shirt, kissing him nosily which made everyone turn away and then she withdrew. "Ah, yes, my brother despite the odds Tracid and I's love always prevail. Surprised, are you that we are back together again?"

Mairda mouthed at Palpatine, "Back together again. You owe me ten credits." Palpatine sighed, he had thought the divorce was a safe bet with his sister.

"Pleasantly so, sister." Aronder replied indifferently. "So, did you divorce him or take a break this time? I'll tell you this before you ask: I cannot afford another wedding."

Deivé held Tracid's hand and declared, "Just a bit of a break." She turned to Tracid again and deeply kissed him once more, which made everyone else cringe. Deivé told Tracid, "Be a dear and put away the bags, Tracid." Tracid's eyes appeared delirious, nodded and without another word swept away.

Bratte looked adoringly upon his mother, "Mommy?"

Deivé sat down beside her brother. Ignoring Bratte's greeting she avoided eye contact with him.

Bratte got up and reached out to his mother. "Oh Mommy. I've missed you so much."

"Bratty." Deivé said sternly with one hand up. "Mommy will discuss it later."

"Understood, Mommy." Bratte said yet he hesitated. "Can I hug you, Mommy?"

"No touchy, Bratty. You know Mommy doesn't like being touched. Only Daddy can touchy Mommy." Deivé waved him away.

Palpatine blinked a few times and tried to purge those words from his mind.

"Is Ron also Daddy?" Bratte asked bitterly.

Deivé's lips curled, "In a sense…" she paused. "Ron is my Sugar Daddy."

"Okay Deivé!" Palpatine's father put up his hands. "Thank you. Bratte go sit. And Deivé please! Our mother is right there."

Deivé rolled her eyes. "She doesn't care. She never does. She never has." She pointed at their mother who sat at the far end of the table. Their mother looked unconcerned and looked unbothered by her daughter's obscene behavior.

"So Deivé please spare me. You didn't invite Ron to the wedding as well, correct?"

"No, no. Of course not. Not after that stunt he pulled on Boonta Eve. I specifically told him I didn't want to bring anyone else into the relationship. And what do you know. I walk into my hotel room and—"

"I'm going to stop you right there, Deivé." He paused, "This is my daughter's wedding rehearsal dinner. Let's focus on her happy day." Palpatine's father interrupted his sister and sighed deeply. He cut his steak particularly aggressively. Aronder looked up to his children who were staring wide eyed at their aunt. "So, kids, what's going on?" He seemed desperate to change the subject.

Predune said glancing at his husband, "Actually Hearth and I have something to announce, Father."

Aronder's eyebrows raised, and he set down his utensils. "So, you do, my son." He straightened himself. "By all means go ahead."

Predune stood up raising a glass of wine and clinked it with his spoon. The hum of chatter was silenced, and everyone looked at him. Predune whispered to his husband, "Get up, Hearth." Hearth stood up and looked around, a sheepish look on his face.

Predune cleared his throat. He beamed at all of them. "Hearth and I are proud to announce that there is going to be an addition to the Palpatine Family." Everyone stared at them, befuddlement on their faces. Mairda's lips were pursed.

"HEARTH AND I ARE ADOPTING!" Predune cried out. What? WHAT?

It took everyone a minute to comprehend the words that Predune had uttered. Then the Palpatines' all began to clamber about and started surging towards the couple. Officer Girris remained seated at the table, appearing very confused and uncomfortable.

Palpatine's mother flung her arms around her son and kissed him on the cheek, "Oh my goodness! Oh, my little Predune, you're going to be a father!" She gave Hearth a quick hug. Then she looked her son and son in law in the eyes, "This is the happiest day of my life. I'm going to be a grandmother!"

Predune was bubbling with happiness. Hearth was happy but he had a sheepish smile on his face.

Palpatine gave his brother a hug and shook his brother-in-law's hand. "Congrats, Predune and Hearth." He honestly didn't know how to feel. Children? Palpatine was going to be an uncle? It was a crazy idea to comprehend.

Predune approached his sister and his soon to be brother-in-law. Mairda had her arms crossed firmly over her chest and her fiancée had a nervous look on his face. "Hey, Mairda, why the glum face?"

"Oh, I don't know." Mairda threw her brother a scathing glance. "Excuse you Predune Big-Headed Palpatine have you forgotten that it's my wedding? It's my week! It's the one week I get to be celebrated and now you go announce you're adopting a baby."

"Actually, its two babies." Predune corrected his sister, "They're twins. A boy and a girl."

"Twins!" their father exclaimed as he approached his son, "My oh my. Predune that's quite a plateful but you're capable my son. You and Hearth will be wonderful parents!" he took a sip from his glass. Palpatine had never been on the receiving end of a smile as big as the one their father was giving Predune. Their father turned around at the call of his wife, "Ah yes, your mother is quite excited Predune." He sighed happily and walked away. "Grandchildren, wow."

Mairda inhaled deeply. "Twins. Even better." she said sarcastically. "Predune couldn't this have waited until after my wedding?"

Hearth gave Predune a look. Predune grimaced at his sister. "Come on, Mairda. I was…I was just so excited I couldn't keep it in. We got the call today and I was just bubbling with excitement."

"I told you we should have waited." Hearth whispered.

"Hearth, my love. You're supposed to be on my side!" Predune turned back to his sister, "Isn't there enough celebration to go around?"

"You're unbelievable Predune." Mairda spat and spun around on her heel. Jim followed after her, fidgeting with his hands.

Predune called after her, "But why do you care? You yourself said this was all a formality! All you wanted was a good race and to get the paperwork done!"

Mairda pivoted and glared at her brother. "Yes, but Predune you could have let me have this. You get enough attention already. You didn't have to upstage me." She tossed back her hair and climbed the stairs without turning back.

Predune shook his head and turned to Palpatine who had been watching the encounter. "She's overreacting. Right, Sheevy?"

Palpatine sighed deeply and looked at his retreating sister before his gaze shifted back to his brother. "Mairda does have a point." He paused. "This announcement could have waited. You should have listened to Hearth."

"Really, Sheevy? You too?" Predune put a hand to the bridge of his nose. "You know what, its fine. I was just excited that I was going to be a father to two wonderful human beings. Apparently, that's too much to ask for!" Predune's face flushed, and he stormed off towards the patio.

Hearth watched as his husband stalked away and he shook his head. "I told him, and he didn't listen." He sighed.

Palpatine shrugged. "You tried. That's all you can do."

"I know. I just fear that this has stirred up more drama than needed for this wedding." Hearth lamented to himself, putting a hand to his forehead.

Palpatine laughed emptily. "Even after three years you still don't see, Hearth?" Hearth looked up. Palpatine continued, "The Palpatines' will always find a way to stir up unnecessary nonsense."

Hearth laughed, and he looked past Palpatine's shoulder. "Unnecessary nonsense such as inviting a police officer to a family dinner?"

Palpatine smiled. "Indeed." He spun on his heel to look towards Officer Girris who hadn't moved from the dinner table. "Wouldn't you say so, Officer?" As Palpatine laid eyes on the officer, his brows furrowed.

Officer Girris was slumped over on the table. Her tendrils dipped into the Jiu soup. Her arms were splayed over the dinner table. "Officer Girris?" Palpatine inquired as he approached the officer. He shook the officer's stiff shoulder, yet she didn't stir.

Hearth came from behind. "Is she okay?"

"I am unsure." Palpatine answered as he peered at the officer. He shook her shoulder again. No response. "Hearth, you're a nurse, correct? Do you know what's wrong with her?"

Palpatine stepped out of the way as Hearth pushed past, "Yes, I am. Let me see." He studied the unmoving officer and placed a hand on her upper back. "Perhaps…" he trailed off. Hearth put two fingers to her neck. He pressed gently for a few seconds then gasped.

"She's dead."