capeandcowllogs | Tea with the Emperor [Closed]

Tea with the Emperor [Closed]

WHO: Marisa Coulter, Palpatine
WHERE: A lovely little cafe.
WHEN: 13th October, midday
WARNINGS: Don't think so.
SUMMARY: Mrs Coulter gets to meet Emperor Palpatine. If only she knew how epic this was.
FORMAT: Paragraph to start, whatever after.

Mrs Coulter had only just been released from prison, but she had no intention of sitting back and doing nothing until the trial. Palpatine had intrigued her, and she didn't want to miss an opportunity to make a potentially valuable contact. She knew politicians. And more importantly, she knew how to use them.

She was sitting at her favourite table by the cafe window, idly stirring her tea. The golden monkey crouched beside her, mostly hidden by her chair. He was to keep quiet and still, at least for the moment. Taking a sip of her tea, Mrs Coulter glanced towards the door, waiting for an older man to enter.

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Mrs. Coulter may have been expecting an older man, but when Palpatine walked into the door of the cafe, he appeared ancient. At least, what little of her she would be able to see at first. He wore long black robes that concealed most of his form, except for his pale, white hands, one of which gripped a gnarled, wooden cane as he slowly made his way over to the table that she sat at. What might be overwhelming was his mere presence - back in his own universe, even those who were not sensitive in the Force could detect the darkness surrounding him, and were put off by it. Palpatine wasn't sure if it was the same way here, but even the way he walked indicated that behind his frail exterior, there was a vast amount of power.

When he finally sat across from her, more of his face was revealed - sunken, seemingly ravaged by time. The pale skin was contrasted by only the yellow glint in his eyes as he appraised the woman seated across from her. "Mrs. Coulter, I presume?" he said, his voice different from before - harsh, contemptuous. As if there was insurmountable rage behind his supposedly weak visage.

He was older than she had expected. Frail, even, but as he approached, the golden monkey's fur stood up on end, and the daemon lightly pressed his claws against her leg. It was a warning that Mrs Coulter didn't need. She had chosen a public place for a reason; she didn't know yet what powers the Porter had given him.

She smiled and graciously extended her hand towards him. "Yes. And you must be Palpatine. I hope it wasn't difficult for you to get here?"

"Not at all," He took her hand for a moment, before releasing it. His teeth would also appear yellowed and slightly decayed upon the closer look being at the same table afforded her. There was a slight look of amusement on his face as he regarded her.

"While there seem to be several people from my own universe here, I would prefer to get information about this place from an outside source. I have found lately that the people I know are very...unreliable. I hope that you don't prove to be the same."

Mrs Coulter couldn't help but feel slightly repulsed by his appearance, though none of that showed on her face.

She paused to take a sip of her tea before replying. "Unreliable? What do you mean?"

"It seems as if my apprentice, Lord Vader, has been hiding things from me," he replied. "I will deal with him in time. And the rest of them are not to be trusted - they are traitors to the Empire." A small smile crept across his features, as he could slightly sense her revulsion of his appearance.

"Surprised at my appearance?" he asked her, his voice showing a hint of bemusement as well.

"It's rather unusual to see a man wearing black robes," Mrs Coulter replied. She smiled. "Though with the number of people wearing costumes of all kinds, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

She looked across the cafe. The service here was usually good, but nobody had come over. A nervous-looking waiter glanced sideways at them, but it seemed that he didn't quite dare to approach Palpatine.

"Well," she went on, looking back at Palpatine, "it sounds as though you arrived to find your enemies also here. That must be discomfiting."

"Perhaps; however, it is convenient that they are all gathered into one place," he mused. "Once I remind Lord Vader where his loyalties lie, they can be dealt with. Then, all that remains is where to go from there..."

Seeing the waiter look over at him nervously, but not approach, Palpatine laughed slightly - a disturbing sound; harsher still than his voice. "I just hate it when the employees of a restaurant are so rude." His eyes moved to the side, looking over at the man, and suddenly, the waiter dropped his tray, both of his hands moving to his throat as he began to gasp for air unable to breathe.

"What do you think, Mrs. Coulter? Should he die for his arrogance, or should I merely teach him a lesson?"

Mrs Coulter looked between the waiter and Palpatine, her chest suddenly constricted. So this was his power - or one of them. Beneath the table, the golden monkey paced between the chair legs. They were both uneasy - she was on bail, she had certain conditions to fulfil, and it certainly wouldn't look good if a man dropped dead in the cafe while she was there. And besides all that, she was sure this was for her benefit - was he trying to intimidate her?

"Release him," Mrs Coulter said steadily. "There is no use to either of us in harming him - or in causing a panic."

It might be a bit late for the panic, as the other people in the cafe were already starting to notice. She hoped they wouldn't realise what was going on.

Palpatine waited a few more moments before his eyes left the waiter, and he crumpled to the floor, rubbing his throat and gasping to fill his lungs once more. Palpatine laughed quietly, sensing her unease at the situation.

"The best way to keep a person, or a galaxy, in line is through fear," he said simply, the slight smile still gracing his features. "We will get our service now, because the waiters fear what will happen to them if we do not." As if on cue, another waiter approached their table to take their drink orders.

Once he had left, Palpatine returned his gaze to her. "So, you seemed to have some interest in my political career?"

Mrs Coulter considered. What she was about to say was risky, but she disliked being intimidated.

"If I might give you some advice, Mr Palpatine," she said, leaning forward. "Forgive me for speaking so candidly, but you're not an Emperor here. You start, as everyone does, at the bottom. And I would have to disagree with your methods. Fear is not the solution to everything. You could have simply asked that waiter to serve you, and he would have, and you would not have risked attracting unwanted attention. That power you have just so kindly displayed for me might allow you to force obedience, but there are many others in the City with powers of their own, and they will resist, and they will threaten you just as your enemies from home do. And if you want me to help you, then I suggest that you don't nearly strangle one of my favourite waiters."

"Of course we start at the bottom," he replied. "I'm not quite as much of an idiot as you make me out to be. I started at the bottom in my own galaxy as well." He gave a dismissive wave of his hand; the rest of the patrons seemed to immediately shift their attention away from their table, and what they had seen before, as if they had completely forgotten.

"Attention is only gained if there is much to be remembered. And in their case...well, if they remember anything of what they've seen here, I'll be surprised. Most of them don't even know that we're sitting right here." It seemed to be true; the rest of the patrons didn't even glance over in their direction anymore. "The Force can do incredible things, when wielded precisely."

"Now, what I want to know, Mrs. Coulter," he said, leaning forward slightly, his yellowed eyes meeting her own, "Is whether you are willing to work with me."

She looked around again as Palpatine spoke. The behaviour of the other people in the cafe confirmed his words. So there was another power he had, one that was both useful and dangerous. And he was obviously used to this Force, which meant these abilities weren't new to him.

"I see," Mrs Coulter said, and in the short pause before she spoke next, her mind was racing, calculating the advantages and disadvantages she might gain from this now she knew what he could do. "Yes, I think so. I believe we can come to a mutual understanding."

"Excellent," he replied, leaning back slightly from the table, his mouth turned into a slight smile once more. "I assume that we both have enemies here in the city," he continued. "And, perhaps, additional allies to be gained? While Lord Vader is more than a match for most, he cannot do everything by himself, and neither can I."

"And what of you?" he asked her. "What can you bring to a partnership like this?"

"Of course," she said. And since they were apparently unnoticed now, she allowed the golden monkey to swing up the chair and onto her lap. Mrs Coulter relaxed a little as she stroked her daemon's head. "We have powers of our own, which have proved very useful. You'll find that I'm a very persuasive woman, though perhaps in a gentler way than the manner to which you are accustomed." She smiled faintly. "But if there's something you want, I can get it for you, if I can find the right person to ask."

Palpatine laughed slightly. "Excellent. I have no doubt about that." He shifted in his seat, his eyes flicking down to the monkey for a few moments, before returning to Mrs. Coulter. "Then we are in agreement."

"Now, tell me more about these so-called heroes. I find myself quite interested in them."

"They have a curious culture here," she replied. "Most of the heroes are no more than vigilantes who like to dress up. The fondness for costumes extends to many of those they like to catch as well. The one thing they all have in common is powers."

"Then perhaps this place will be more amusing than I thought," he replied, a bemused expression on his face. "We may be starting at the bottom here, Mrs. Coulter, but I will not accept that for long. I hope that you are of the same mindset."

Palpatine stood, his cane once again hitting the ground as he supported his weight on it. "I am sure that we can be of mutual benefit to each other," he said, looking over at her. "Perhaps sooner rather than later. I will be in touch."

He started to leave the cafe, still no one really noticing his presence. "If anyone asks you who you may be working with, you may refer to me as Lord Sidious." He cackled before exiting the cafe, and then he was gone, as if he'd never been there. All of a sudden, the rest of the cafe seemed to notice Mrs. Coulter's presence again.

She nodded. "I look forward to it."

Once he had gone, she leaned back and sighed. Lord Sidious. Maybe it was time she started using these ridiculous 'hero' names as well. Though having a secret identity would be rather difficult when her daemon would always give her away.

"He didn't even finish his tea," she murmured.

The monkey nudged her, looking around warily. She was visible again. Well, she had better finish her own tea fast before any of them remembered what had happened.

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Tea with the Emperor [Closed]

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