notconflicted | The Jagged Fel- later Monday

It wasn’t that Sia didn’t get emotional ever, it was that she usually couldn’t, not in public. And when she had just seen her father killed after he turned to the dark side, suddenly leaving her with the job she’d always dreaded having to take, she really couldn’t lose it in front of anyone.

Well, maybe Antares, but there were many reasons she didn’t want to.

She handled things, with help from him and Treis. It was easy to blame Darth Maladi for Roan’s death and say that he had sacrificed himself to rid the galaxy of a Sith threat, because from a certain point of view, it was true. Maladi couldn’t defend herself anymore. Krayt's death had caused a shift in the battle, with Sith soldiers losing it without him controlling them, and their splintering forces had ended up going their separate ways in the middle of everything. Sia did get in touch with Cade to confirm that Krayt really was dead; he was, and his body had been flown into a sun, just to make entirely sure. She’d contacted Stazi and K’krukh, letting them know what had happened and announcing that she would be taking things over from her father.

Most Force sensitives fighting would have felt the deaths of Krayt and Roan. Still, Sia had had to deliver the message to the returning forces that both things were true. And then she excused herself to her quarters, where she could lock herself away for a while and not face anyone except those who she would actually want to see.

She’d taken off her armor, leaving just the black garments underneath, and was sitting on the bed with a datapad, making notes of all of the things she still had to do or find out. Maybe it was just busy work. Eventually, she was sure she’d feel something again, but right now she was just numb. But numb was good. Numb would get her through the day.

[Feels a little weird to not have this family trauma in late summer for once. For those hanging out in the GFFA!]

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"If the actual story makes it out it will be a problem," Sia sighed, hugging her back.

She'd sort of worried about anyone trying to do that, like maybe it might trigger a breakdown she didn't want to have in front of anyone, but no, nothing.

"That sounds ominous. What happened?" Jessica asked.

The good thing was, there were very, very few people that she would ever have to tell about this. It also meant she was still figuring out how to talk about it.

"My father worked with an imprisoned Sith to create a toxin that would kill all life on Coruscant in order to kill off the Sith," she said slowly. "He had to be killed before he did it."

"Huh." Jessica said, clearly stunned. "While there were a ton of us down there? Thanks for not letting him. I'm sorry about all of that, but I'm also really glad it didn't go the even worse way."

"He would have killed all our troops, all our allies, anyone who stood against him, because he wanted Krayt dead more than anything else," Sia sighed, not looking directly at Jessica. Once again, she was stuck cleaning up the messes that came from his terrible decisions. "I couldn't do much. Antares picked a good day to start acting like himself again."

"And I owe my life to Draco. Awesome," Jessica sighed. It was mostly so she didn't have to focus on the larger issues for a moment, but she still wasn't thrilled with the idea.

The Oz in her system could probably beat a Sith toxin eventually, right?

"Anyway, I'm glad the good guys won up here, too. Do you have the cover story to explain how your father was one of the good guys, too?" Sia mentioned hiding the truth earlier. She assumed that was so the Empire wouldn't hear that the 'True' Emperor was willing to murder an entire planet needlessly. That kind of spoiled public trust.

It reeeeeally did.

"Darth Maladi was on board for quite some time," Sia recited. "She was obviously planted there to assassinate my father in all the chaos of battle, he fought bravely, but was avenged by Antares."

Everything about today was messed up.

"Got it," Jessica said. "Is there anything I can do to help with... well, not the coverup. I'm not great with coverups. But anything else at all?"

"Just don't say anything," Sia told her. "I don't know. I've been on autopilot, getting things settled. The memorial will be tomorrow, and I suppose I'll have to be announced there. If you wanted to run interference for me, I wouldn't mind."

Not much had gotten a reaction out of her yet, but people walking around calling her "Empress" might do it, and no.

"Of course," Jessica said. "I'll web mouths shut if that's what it comes to. You don't have an official freedom of literal speech here, do you? That would spoil my mouth web plan."

"It's the Empire. We really don't," Sia said, and walked over to the sitting area to take a seat. "Things don't feel real yet."

"They won't. But eventually you'll get used to it," Jessica promised.

"I'm not sure I'll get time to get used to it," Sia said. "You see, on the same day my father probably would have killed me and all my friends and I had to watch him die, I have already had to start putting together a new government."

Things about today that were especially messed up: lines of succession in a monarchy.

"You will get used to it. And you'll put together a hell of a government," Jessica said. "You're Marasiah Fel and you're one of the strongest, most competent people I've ever known, and I've known some pretty amazing people. If anyone can make all of this work somehow, it's you. And I'll help however I can."

"Good, because you're going to have to be one of my advisors," Sia told her. "I'm sure I'll be complaining to you enough for it."

"Just don't ask me to make space policy," Jessica suggested. "I can do anything else. Tactics, research, sciences, personnel analysis. But the closest I ever came to making high level group decisions was when I somehow became head cheerleader."

"Most importantly, I will need you to tell me when I'm being an idiot," she said seriously.

Buckle up, Jessica, you would probably have to do that more than you think.

"Oh, no problem there," Jessica said. "You've heard my snide remarks about your ex-boyfriend and that was just your love life."

"I stayed with him anyway," Sia pointed out. "You may have to be more snide."

"You also weren't looking for advice with him," Jessica said. "And I was being relatively nice because of that."

"That was nice?" Sia asked.

"Everything's relative," Jessica shrugged.

"He might be better now," she said with a shrug. "He doesn't have to worry about divided loyalties anymore. He's proven he can do his job again."

Which was good, since she was still going to have to work closely with him. She had no idea what that relationship was going to be like anymore.

"Better as a Knight, maybe. Not as a boyfriend," Jessica said. Just to make sure the point was clear.

"Not as a boyfriend," Sia confirmed. "The red flags are still red flags."

Re: Before Atton

craftyladyparts - 2018-01-09 05:08 (UTC) - Expand

notconflicted - 2018-01-09 05:12 (UTC) - Expand