Saga Wife of Deceit: In Love and Truth--The Fall of Lady Palpatine--Winner of Best OC Female

WOW - that was intense!

You really nailed the manipulative side of Palpatine when he "shared" his frustrations with the Trade Federation, Queen Amidala and the Chancellor.

I wish Amne didn't trust him so blindly. I half hoped the attack would have her asking some questions but alas, the wedding plans continue.

Great update

 

Dang, Palps is scary sometimes... A wonderful, tense post, Ish. The attack was so sudden!

Still liking Cos, here. Weird typing that, too.

 

("Cos")

That was a GREAT post!!!!

His voice was choked off by the anger, his eyes going dark. If the wrath had not been on her behalf, she might have been frightened by the sudden change. As it was, the transformation was unsettling.

Heh...heh...heh.

Or more like

It's so common for people to see the danger signs prior and proceed with the wedding anyway. Although, that there wuz a pretty strong warning.

Poor Amne. She is in sooooo much trouble.

I take it she and Palpatine are waiting until after marriage?

Can't wait for you to post more of this!

 

I've been eagerly waiting for this update! Nice to see that they agreed on this rule:

Early on in the engagement, they had agreed to ban datapads from meals. They shared tht was occasionally difficult to have a quiet breakfast and having distractions such as newsfeeds and communiques hardly made things easier.

A sensible idea. I liked Palpatine's biased view of the events leading up to TPM:

?The Trade Federation has escalated their protests against the route taxation,? Cos explained in the same tone as before, erasing her smile. ?They are appealing directly to the Senate for intervention, but since the law was ratified by the congressional body, I doubt it will have an impact.?

?As I understood it, there is nothing unconstitutional about the act,? Amne recalled. ?What do they have to protest??

?Only the expectation that they conduct their affairs in a legal manner,? he responded with the first hint of contempt that she had heard from him all week. ?They are not the first to be disgruntled by the price of doing business in the Naboo system, but they are certainly the most foolish thus far.?

?But that is not what has you worried,? she observed, slipping her fingers into his palm to give him an anchor to her. ?I have never heard you call foolishness unconscionable.?

Cos' eyes narrowed either in amusement or annoyance. ?I have been diplomatic,? he murmured.

She did not answer that, but fixed him with a look that expressed how much difficulty he would have avoiding the subject. He instead glanced back at the darkened datapad.

Nice to see that Amne's an intelligent woman! She certainly caught him out there! I liked their conversation about her interview:

?The interview was well-done,? he commended. ?I particularly enjoyed your comment on family.?

?I thought it might be a good idea to dispel any rumors that we were overeager to start one while ensuring that I said that we wanted one,? Amne stated.

?'Though it is not likely that we will be adding members to the family in the first year, I have no qualms about raising a child in the legacy of such a great man,'? he quoted smoothly. ?You nearly made me blush, dearest.?

?You have it memorized?? she accused.

?Not all of it,? Cos rejoined as he tightened his grip on her fingers. ?I think I missed a few words during your accurate statement on the media coverage. Was it 'contemptible, invasive, intrusive and misguided' or 'feckless, contemptible, invasive, misguided and unfounded?'?

Then she returns to the subject of wanting him to share what's happening in his political career:

She pulled a straight face immediately as she recalled what they had been discussing before he had deftly steered the conversation in a different direction. ?Cos,? she said, ?please don't.?

His expression remained impassive. ?I beg your pardon??

?Please,? Amne reiterated. ?I am not blind to how difficult this is for you. I do not want you to bear this alone, no matter how strong you have to be in the political arena.?

?It is not your world,? he said in a slightly dismissive tone.

?It will be someday,? she retorted, ?and it is yours. There is little I can do to help on a practical level, but I want to do more than stand by your side through this. I want to know what you are thinking.?

She certainly got more than she expected:

?What I am thinking,? he said tersely, ?is that we should not let a child rule our planet and a fool rule our Republic.?

?She is only fourteen years old,? Amne sighed. ?I wonder if she has any idea of what experience she should have gained before taking the office.?

?The experiences necessary to rule a world effectively are the ones that I did not realize until I was nearly thirty,? Cos scoffed. ?I do not wonder if she should have more experience. She is young and naïve and that lends itself to impulsiveness. We cannot have an instinctively reactionary figure choosing our priorities when we are threatened with a war.?

H

 

*tackle hugs DarthIshtar* A new POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOST!!!!!!!

Awww...I love to hate how you tug with my heart on this one! DARN you Palpatine! I LOVE you Cos!! Hahaha

*slaps freaky lady across the face* You WEIRDY! She doesn't know what she's doing! Go give Palpatine weird marks, not Amne!!!

Oh...dang....they were WATCHED?????

I....*gasp*....neeeeeed.....*gasp*....A NEW POST!!!!

 

Sorry it took me so long to get to this- I was finally in the mood to do some R/Ring

Wow. I did not expcect Amne to get attacked like that. Sadly, I do think her attacker had a point- but I guess I do have that viewpoint advantage of knowing who he really is. I actually gasped aloud when I read that!

Also intersesting to note... Palpy was married before? *Looks through previous posts* Did I miss something... or was that just a big revelation? Nevertheless, I am pleasantly startled by that one. It would make sense... him being a wealthy and powerful senator... the odds of him having remained single is small. I wonder what happened to her? (Though I suspect the comments about him having killed her are probably true. Now I'm wondering how the attacker knew this... and what all she knows. I hope she comes into the story again).

I loved this: ?All set,? she replied. ?Who's hungry?? Unimagined disaster has happened, yet this is the subject changer.

At this rate, Amne will be lucky to get married at all- an assasin might pick her off, and the Trade Federation is causing such troubles.

Ooh... I love how you're working what we discussed into this! This next post looks very promising!

Great Updated!

AF

 

Finally a new post!

Great! That's all I can say! Keep up the good work and post again soon!
I can't wait for more!

 

KELIA--Thanks. The manipulative side of Palpatine is less difficult than figuring out the cause and effect of his manipulations. I'm glad it worked out well. Yes, his frustrations with the Trade Federation are going to set a standard for things later on in this story. And I'm hoping to explain some of the whole "vote of no confidence thing" along the way. I think she trusts him so implicitly because, like Anakin, she has known him far too long to think that he could be using her. She responds to the attack by trusting the person who will prevent it from happening again. Thanks!

RK_Striker_JK_5--He was very scary to me in this last post. Thanks for liking the tension. Perhaps there's something to the fact that it was a sudden attack. Very directed. Glad you still like my Cos. Of course it's weird, but really funny.

LLL--LOL, you need to get used to that, darling. Thanks!!!!! He has those creepifying instincts, but they can be a double-edged sword. And yeah, more like . I have personal experience with being blinded to danger signs by intense love. She is in intense trouble, but it won't manifest itself for a while yet. Yes, they're waiting after marriage. She's an Alderaanian and, by my fanon, there's a law of chastity in place as a result for her. So sorry for making you wait!

Kevin_Solo--I'm glad you were eager about it. My parents had that rule with phones and work and I liked it. Probably the only thing they agreed on. He has a very biased view of those events and he's already trying to gain a posse of sorts, convincing others that his rationale makes sense. I'm also happy that you find her to be as intelligent as I tried to write her. The interview conversation took several drafts simply because I wanted to put in the entire thing and then thought that it would make the pacing drag too much. She mostly wants to share in what is important to him, like any good girlfriend. It might bite her in the butt, proverbially. I'm glad I've nailed his manipulative side and created an ineresting contrast. I think because this is a basically arranged marriage, she overlooks such things because she wants this to work. It's to her disadvantage. Yes, it could be said of many. I think that he has a lot of enemies for his political position and ambition. I like her friends. Jes is very strongly based on my best friend, named Jess. Yes, that is something familiar to all of us. Good point. I think he wanted to have his colleague seen as in opposition so that he might be viewed as a weak political force, but the intention of the conversation was not to lure Amne. Poor Amne indeed.

Jedi_Eruanne--LOL, I'm glad you're happy about it! I love it when people love to hate me and my characters. LOL, that's quite a contrast. The freaky lady I would like to have a side note of some kind on who she was and why she attacked. Palpatine does need to be the one in the line of fire. Here's a new post!

AnakinsFavorite--Quite all right. You've got kids, after all. :0) We like you R/Red (rested and relaxed or reading and reviewing, whichever you like). The attack was quite audacious even for someone in a high profile. Yes, her attacker had a point. We'll know more about the attacker's accusations later. Yes, Palpatine has married before. He mentions it in the proposal scene. It is unlikely that he would have remained single in that context. And as I said, we'll know more later. Mwahaha. And the attacker...we'll see. Glad you liked that subject change. The second fear is more justified. I'm glad you liked that I worked that stuff in. Thanks!

Kyana-Morgaine--Yes, finally! Thanks! I'm glad you're looking forward to more!
*****
She hated to make her first trip to Naboo on an impulse, but it was only an eight-hour journey and this sort of thing was best explained in person. She left within an hour of the release of a news feed that showed her ?illicit and intimate dealings with a leading politician of the Republic.? It covered everythin

 

Nice to see another update here!

This bit was sadly expected:

She hated to make her first trip to Naboo on an impulse, but it was only an eight-hour journey and this sort of thing was best explained in person. She left within an hour of the release of a news feed that showed her ?illicit and intimate dealings with a leading politician of the Republic.? It covered everything from her late-night visit to his bedroom to the cover-up that Cos was staging of an attempt on her life.

If Palpatine had, in the future, confined torture to paparazzi, he would have had no popularity problems, quite the opposite!

This bit was interesting:

Night was falling on Naboo by the time her transport was given clearance to land at the Theed spaceport and Cos was waiting behind the blast shield when she exited the ship. He moved purposefully across the space between them and embraced her so tightly that it was momentarily impossible to breathe.

If this story was not so well-written, the idea of Palpatine embracing a woman with affection would have made me feel sick. Also him kissing her and offering her his arm.

We have more details on the stories against her:

?That is better than what Coruscant Premiere says,? Amne shot back. ?They think that I am a threat to you and vice versa. The District Tribune has a statement from Taia-knows-which Alderaanian official that I am a prostitute hired by the Alderaanian delegation to foil your hopes of running for Chancellor. And the sludgenews is convinced that you hired my assailant to attack me because I was causing too much scandal for you.?

He nodded with an expression that indicated that this was not news to him. ?Guardsman Sanerrie sent me copies of the news feeds as soon as you left Coruscant so that I would be forewarned of your motive. This is not new...?

?It is the first time that such attacks have not come from sludgenews,? she retorted.

I would have been telling her to talk to a lawyer about the possibility of suing that official for slander. Also, she should be complaining to his superiors.

I liked the fact that she did not want to cause Palpatine any embarassment:

This was where it would become more difficult. He was not flippant in regards to her distress or the dangers that she had faced, but he was much more accustomed to that sort of thing than she. He might not understand her reasons.

?You have already heard my reasons,? she stated, tightening her grip on his hand. ?I have not said anything of the consequences.?

Cos glanced down at the ring on her finger and seemed to be slightly relieved that it was still in place. She could not tell if he had a serious concern or if he was trying to lighten the mood. After a moment, he nodded solemnly.

?I am listening.?

?I want to proceed with the wedding,? she said immediately. ?No amount of slander could prevent that. What I do not want is to cause you more trouble than I already have.?

After the last round of difficulties, she had forbidden him from claiming that she was causing him trouble. It had become the most oft-repeated phrase of their relationship after ?I love you.? He smiled slightly in acknowledgment of his usual protest.

Pauses to feel queasy at the phrase 'I love you' being associated in any way with Palpatine. I have to say that I'm really getting to like Amne as a character. If only she hadn't married him.

After hearing about her plan on how to ensure she doesn't cause him any 'further distractions', we hear this:

?I think you have a valid point,? he conceded. ?We have little time left before the wedding and much as I would like to have you within reach or available for a midnight dessert, I would much rather prevent further incidents. In addition, that would tend to make you happy and that is one of my primary aspirations.?

She was so relieved that he had not put up a fight that she ac

 

Yay! Good to see this updated again.

Man... it's weird how much I like Cos here. You give him a likability that's not evident, but it also seems natural. Great post.

 

DarthIshtar,

I first read this story when you began it several months ago. I didn't comment then, but I should have done. It's a great story.

Again, the idea of Palpatine being nice to a woman is a little........well, off...... - but you have written it extremely well, so he actually does seem to be reasonable and ok.

Of course, we all know he really is the opposite..........

This is really great. Keep it up!

 

?When a woman protected by the Consulate decides to spontaneously leave the planet, it causes something of a stir.?



It's rather amusing Amne thought she could slip off Coruscant quietly, not in a bad way because obviously she has more important things on her mind.

I loved that she was worried about causing Palpatine any trouble.

Great update

 

Well, you know, guys, the thing with most bad guys is that they actually are people.

*"Cos"=*

I really love the affectionate little touches here. It's sad when you think of what's probably going to become of these two as a couple. Palpy could really be happy here, if he'd just let himself.

In, "After the last round of difficulties, she had forbidden him from claiming that she was causing him trouble," that doesn't quite sound right. Do you mean, "that she wasn't causing him trouble?"

Lovely segment, it's just too short!!

More!! More!!

 

More! More!

Oh my, I love this story!

 

Kevin_Solo--Thanks! Yes, that was to be expected. One of those "I wish it were under better circumstances..." moments. I'll have to consider that torture of paparazzi as a plot device. Don't forget that the affection is all objective, so you may be right to feel sick. He is putting up a convincing front. I think she would be within her rights to sue in that situation. And don't worry, he'll be taken care of. I'm glad you liked her not wanting to cause embarrassment. LOL, I think I'm guaranteed to give everyone in this thread a need for a barf bag. I'm glad you really like Amne. Yes, poor girl for wanting to marry him. Good point about his real plans... I haven't seen United 93, but am familiar with that story. I'm interested by what comparison you see. Thanks!

RK_Striker_JK_5-- Glad it's good to see it updated. That is pretty weird, but I'm glad I'm writing him convincingly enough for him to be likable.

NATIONALGREATNESS--Why, thank you for commenting and for being so kind. LOL, would you prefer that he be that nice to a man? Glad it seems reasonable and ok. We all know better. The question is when she'll figure it out. Thank you again!

KELIA--LOL, that was amusing to write. She does have more important things on her mind, but she's a little naive at times. Glad you loved that. Thanks!

LLL--Yeah, pesky humanity! LOL *hands over barfbag* You should get medication for that. I never pretended this would have a happily-ever-after for them, unfortunately. He could be happy, but he has too many layers of distance emotionally for it to be really viable. Yes, I meant that and fixed it. This is 10 pages longer this time.

Kyana-Morgaine--Here! Here! I'm glad you love this story.
******
Amne's transport left early the next morning, but by the time she had left, they had expanded what they called the 'ground rules.' She returned to Coruscant confident that things were well in hand.

Either the Consulate staff had not been apprised of her decision to move out or Cos had warned them to leave the packing to her this time. After classes had let out for the day, she allowed her guards to accompany her back to her quarters, where she reluctantly and hastily packed her clothes, books and the few personal effects that she had brought from Alderaan into carrying cases. She placed three calls?one to her parents and one each to Jes and Delani?and then returned to the speeder for the journey to her new apartment.

Jes met her at the staff hangar and grabbed a case before she could even say hello. ?I already talked to the housing coordinator,? she said brusquely. ?They were going to put you next to the math teacher, but I met the man last time I was out here and I moved you to the east end of the dorm.?

?Who lives there?? Amne asked with a broad smile.

?The utility closet and the philosophy instructor,? her friend said confidently. ?One's inanimate and the other one enjoys meditation techniques. We thought it would be perfect.?

The pronoun meant that Delani was lurking somewhere in spite of her insistence that she could manage this on he own. Amne favored the closest guard, Mari, with an exasperated smile and followed Jes into the dormitory proper.

Delani met her at the door to her quarters and allowed her to put the case on the twin bed before pulling her into a tight embrace. ?I didn't see the newsfeeds until you were off-planet,? she apologized. ?You didn't do anything drastic, did you??

?Such as beating the holographer to a bloody pulp?? Amne suggested.

?Such as eloping,? Jes added. ?Since you're an Alderaanian, we thought of that first.?

?No,? Amne assured them, pulling back to let Mari pass. ?I went to talk to him about what had happened. It helped me cool down so that I no longer felt the need to beat the holographer to a bloody pulp.?

?Good,? Delani responded. ?I wouldn't blame you if you decided to elope at this point, but if you failed to invite us, I probably wouldn't forgive you for a while.?

Before Amne could

 

An awesome post, Ish! Amne and Delani near the beginning was great and natural. *Stands up and waves arms* I object! For the love of God, I object! I don't care if it's not part of the ceremony.

Palps in the rehearsal dinner... man! Slime was dripping off of him. And at the end... yeah. You knew about the blocakde. *Kicks him in the shins-hard*

 

GAAAH!....I HATE HIM! *hugs Poor Poor Amne*

*dashes off to do her laundry*

 

*Whew!*

Well, we've gotten past the stuff we could more or less guess had to happen. Now for the Unknown Regions! I can't wait to see where this is going to go now.

Poor Amne, she'd better enjoy what she can of Palps while he's still in a comparatively decent mood.

*standard "Wife" thread signature*

Cos=

(Although, I did just think of an alternate pronunciation for that: "Cuss." With that pronunciation, the name is entirely appropriate...especially since he's just married an innocent young girl in not-so-good faith.)

 

Why am I not surprised the honeymoon got cut short?

I can appreciate Amne's support for Palpatine to return to work and I'm sure he's thrilled to be getting back to his grand manipulations

If she could simply survive the next weeks, most of her troubles would be over

If only....

Great update

 

*has a thought*

I wonder what they did on their honeymoon? (Besides the obvious.)

What was Palpy like? Was he distant, starting to pull away already? Or not?

I mean, I know how I'd do him, but it's sometimes fascinating to read someone else's vision of him.

 

So Palpy and Amne get married! Did I just try to make their names rhyme?

Amne now has to cope with her new 'fame', including finding a new place to
stay. It's very good to see that she has friends like Jes and Delani to help her:

Jes met her at the staff hangar and grabbed a case before she could even say
hello. ?I already talked to the housing coordinator,? she said brusquely. ?They
were going to put you next to the math teacher, but I met the man last time I
was out here and I moved you to the east end of the dorm.?

?Who lives there?? Amne asked with a broad smile.

?The utility closet and the philosophy instructor,? her friend said
confidently. ?One's inanimate and the other one enjoys meditation techniques. We
thought it would be perfect.?

The pronoun meant that Delani was lurking somewhere in spite of her insistence
that she could manage this on he own.

Amne is lucky to have those two! I liked Jes's remark about
Palpatine here:

Jes grinned at a holocube of them at graduation, but did not look up. ?He
makes even romance sound like an act of congress,? she observed.

?It is his habit,? Amne agreed.

I like this woman! Does she get to survive the Clone Wars and the Civil War?

A nice reference to Bail Organa here:

?Which reminds me,? Mari interjected, ?the newly inducted Senator Organa
left a message with us. He has apparently located the 'source' of that quote and
terminated the man's employment. He said that it was his way of apologizing for
not buying you an engagement present.?

?Can you remind me once we're done here to comm him with my thanks?? Amne
requested.

?Yes, milady.?

Very much in character for Bail!

I felt sad when I read this:

If she could simply survive the next weeks, most of her troubles would be over.



Good to see that these rules seem to have worked:

While the stories did not stop emerging from the ranks of the holoshills, the
new Rules served one crucial function. They forestalled the need to be
constantly looking over their shoulder. None of the stories brought up fresh
accusations and no one seemed to have heard anything in regards to the
accusations that Amne's attacker had made. They had done what damage control
that they could and they left the rest to the Consulate's public relations
office.

I'm sure they decided to chase some new scandals. Like the one about the
high-ranking official who had to resign because of adultery with prostitutes;
and then the successor and his wife both had to confess that they had
themselves committed adultery. (This is of course fiction, and would never
happen in real life!)

Nice to see Amne's family arriving:

Valeria was the first to go to her, bounding down the ramp with an energy
that Amne could barely remember ever having. In typical twelve-year-old
fashion, she had either grown too much in the past three months or Amne had
somehow forgotten that she was on the verge of surpassing her in height.

?I'm guessing you missed me?? she teased.

?No,? Vali teased back as she pulled away. ?I just thought you'd forget me if
you didn't see me soon.?

It was true that Vali had been the one member of the family who was unable to
come to the engagement party. As a result, it had been nearly four months since
they had seen each other in any way other than over a comm connection.

?You are not that lucky,? she said. ?How was the flight??

?Boring,? Vali groused. ?When do I get to see my dress??

?As soon as we've all settled at Cantham House,? Mother interjected, stepping
around Vali to greet Amne with a kiss to the cheek and a quick embrace. ?Are
you doing well??

?I am,? she confirmed. ?I have everything out of the way until after the
wedding and my family's here. Even without the happiness of getting married
tomorrow, I think I could last on that for a week.?

Mother smiled slightly a

 

Great chapter!

I really had to remind me it was still the future Emperor and not someone else! I wondering how a human can change that much...or wearing a mask even before his own wife!

 

Cos insisted on continuing with the honeymoon, since it was to be the last time that either of them had to spend away from their day-to-day duties for quite some time. Understandably, however, it was difficult to focus on being carefree newlyweds when the groom's homeworld was being blockaded. He checked in each night before they retired, but during the day, he was distracted.

They had just returned from a concert by the Chandrilan Symphony when the concierge knocked on their door and hand-delivered a datacard. Cos thanked him absently and closed the door behind him. Amne looked up from her seat at the table where she was removing her earrings and froze at his look of dark intensity.

?From the Chancellor?? she guessed.

?And the Queen,? he corrected as he set the datapad on an endtable. ?One confirms that the Jedi have arrived in the system and the other alleges that the Jedi have not been sent.?

She finished removing the stud and held the earring in her hand for a long moment as if she had forgotten that it was there. Finally, she allowed herself a frown and set the earrings down.

?Either there is a miscommunication, one of them is lying or there is a more sinister reason why the Jedi have not made contact,? she guessed.

?None of those options is out of the question,? Cos agreed grimly. ?I must use the long-range communications equipment to investigate this further.?

Amne resisted the urge to go to him, recognizing his need for concentration. Cos would be better served by her allowing him to do his work first and worry about his personal needs later. Instead of going to embrace him, she nodded and stood up.

?I'll pack.?

When she had offered before, he had smiled grimly and assured her that it was not necessary to do something so drastic. This time, he merely nodded and reached for his traveling cloak. That was the familiar sign that he would not be returning for some time?the long-range holocomm was in a building across the compound and he would not make such a journey unless he intended to browbeat someone on the other end of the communication.

?Thank you,? he said in a distracted tone. ?I will return shortly.?

Amne made her way to the bedroom before shucking the dark-green gown that she had chosen for the evening. She replaced it with a pair of grey slacks and a tailored white tunic that would allow her to move freely and work quickly.

She had finished packing her clothes and toiletries into her traveling case by the time he returned. She had not heard the door close, so it was not until he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind that she realized that he had finished his communications.

Amne immediately sagged against him, letting her arms rest on top of his. He held her for a long moment before pulling away and crossing to his own storage cubicle. She waited nearly a minute for him to speak before taking her own initiative.

?What did they say??

?The Chancellor gave me his assurances that the pilot of the craft had confirmed landing on the Trade Federation's primary vessel,? he said in a flat, controlled tone. ?I was unable to...fully corroborate the story with the Queen.?

Her brow furrowed as she closed the latches on her case. ?She did not speak with you??

?On the contrary,? he growled. ?I was in the midst of speaking to her when the communication was disrupted.?

She turned immediately to look at him, but his face was impassive. He had his politician's sabacc face on so that he would be able to keep himself under control. The only indicators of his tension were his tone of voice and the furrow that had appeared between his eyebrows.

?Is that common??

?Only when an invasion is in progress,? he answered grimly. ?I have asked for the transport to be ready within twenty minutes.?

?All right.?

He did not speak again until the storage cubicle was empty and he had commed for a speeder to the spaceport. With that business taken care of, he returned to the sitting room where she was waiting for him and offered a tensely apologet

 

Hmm, I wonder who he was... calling in the first part of the post.

Love her catching the look on Cos' face, Ish. Love the interactions too. He is such a devious little Sith Lord, lol. Can't wait for more!

 

Ooo, what a little sneaky Sith! Dang, do I DESPISE him! You've gotta admit, though, he is a FANTASTIC actor. To not only convince most of the GALAXY, he also has his WIFE convinced...but how long that will last is another thing.