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Post by Knight Captain Cousland on Oct 4, 2020 15:46:56 GMT -5
Hirani Fenn listens to the group, her expression beginning to crack. She doesn't speak again until Sam and Nick have had their say. Before she can speak, Janette pipes up.
"Captain Milla, Nick, you can't move against him - not now." she tells them urgently. "You don't understand the situation - Chiren's been too careful for you to just think about that kind of thing."
Admiral Hirani Fenn catches Janette's gaze, but remains quiet. She clasps her hands behind her back, and nods at the Commander.
"Go on then, Commander Ors." Hirani says evenly.
"...Chiren's put loyalists in charge of the fleet and army. People loyal to him. And he's worked extremely hard and long to ensure it." Janette tells them. "This isn't a matter where you can just call him out as a Sith - the rest of the New Empire's military already knows he is. Chiren made an announcement months ago - and no one challenged him. No one even got mad about it - the New Empire follows him loyally, because he's leading them from the front lines. He's not sitting on some throne, he leads everything personally, and is highly respected."
She turns to Sam.
"Your father's Empire is gone, Sam. The New Empire is not the same Empire your father led - you don't have a legitimate claim to the throne unless Chiren puts his support behind you." Janette continues.
"Which, if you recall Commander Ors, Chiren has already made clear with the Admirality Board." Hirani speaks up. She turns to Sam, glaring at him for his words earlier. "But you didn't know that. You weren't meant to know that yet. Chiren doesn't want the Emperor's dusty old throne - he wants revenge, and only revenge."
Hirani looks at Nick, but glances briefly at Kaden.
"You love your wife, yes?" Hirani says flatly. "Chiren loved his too. Why do you think he wants revenge against Vor? He told me everything - assassins in the night came for him. They tried to kill him, but killed his wife when she pushed him out of the way of their blasters. And she was pregnant when that happened. You can imagine what happened to the assassins after that. Consider what the Sith have taken from him, before you judge his path taken for power."
Hirani looks at Sam.
"And you - does my following Chiren automatically make me evil in your eyes? Am I to be mistrusted, shot, and jettisoned because I do not share your beliefs that his being a Sith makes him automatically the enemy?" Hirani challenges them.
Janette looks at Nick.
"...Chiren told me he was a Sith about a year ago... I don't remember if that was before or after when we helped you off Murakam. But he's kept his every word up to now." Janette tells the Jedi. "I don't trust him. Not entirely, but I think that if he's right about Vor Essen, then the Corellian Union needs to fall first. What happens to Chiren after that is between the three of you - I won't have any part of an internal uprising."
"Nor should you. Neither of us will aid you, Captain Milla, Master Cousland, if you choose to attack him. You will be on your own." Hirani warns them. "Should you fall, you will both be held to Imperial Law, yes even you Captain Milla. Your heritage does not protect you from Imperial Law regarding mutiny. No matter how you try to spin it, the New Empire was built by Chiren's hands and his allies, not yours nor your father's. If he wanted to call himself Emperor, he would have done so by now."
Hirani turns and walks towards the door.
"That said, I will not try to stop you either. If you succeed, I likely will be answering to you. But if you fail, that is on your heads." Hirani continues. "Consider, strongly consider, your next actions. Ask yourselves if you are prepared for the consequences if you fail, because if you do - death will most likely not be your fate."
Hirani looks at Sam.
"Remember that Chiren has particular plans for you. And consider whether your little mutiny would be better served now, when you have no support, or when Chiren acts on his plan to support you as the legitimate ruler of the New Empire." she tells the young man. "I'd advise both of you to be careful from now on. I will stay quiet this time - but if I ever hear of this again once I walk through this door, you will all be staring down the barrels of an execution line."
With that said, Admiral Hirani Fenn leaves, and returns to the bridge, leaving Commander Ors alone with Nick and Sam. Nick sighs and looks at Janette, still feeling irritated and slowly nods his head. "So everyone knows he's a Sith Lord then." He shakes his head. "Great, that will complicate matters." He leans back in his chair and smirks. "He's bloody brilliant, a tactician. I'll give him that." He looks at Sam and then back at Hirani. "Revenge, it's always about revenge. Go figure." He shakes his head in disgust.
When Hirani asks him if he loves Kaden, he raises an eyebrow and nods his head. "Yes, I do. I'd do anything to keep her safe." When he hears her explain what happened, he slumps in the chair slightly. "That explains a lot. I had no idea." He shrugs his shoulders. "If that happened to Kaden, I probably would have done the same thing. Now I don't blame him one bit."
He glances at Janette and slowly nods his head. "You're right, we do need him, otherwise we have no hope of defeating the Corellian Union." He shakes his head. "I don't trust him, but he is still our best bet of defeating them." He looks at Hirani and shakes his head. "No, I won't do anything to stop him...for now. Not until after the Corellians are dealt with."
He leans forward in his chair. "Not as long as Centerpoint Station is still in their control." He says quietly remembering when it destroyed the world of Tion. He watches as Hirani moves towards the doors and shakes his head. "Don't worry, it won't come to that for now. We need him, as you say." When she walks out of the conference room, he looks at Sam and smiles slightly. "Thank you for that Sam. We'll see what happens in the days to come. Now, I don't think I can return to the Order, neither can Kaden."
He looks at her and she shakes her head. "No, we can't, not now. To them, we're conspiring with the enemy. We'd be banished from the Order if we try to go back." Nick sighs and nods his head. "She's right. We're done with them now." He comes to his feet and walks over to Sam and lays a hand on his shoulder. "Hearing you say that, I thank you. You're father was a brave man, he'd be extremely proud of you."
He then watches Sam leave the conference room and then he looks back at Janette. "Well, what now? Are you expecting Chiren to return anytime soon? And if so, what will he do with Kaden and I?"
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