Coruscant- Friday

[notconflicted]

If Sia didn't enjoy sitting in meetings to begin with, she really didn't appreciate it when she knew that no matter what decision they came to, the others were going to do whatever they wanted anyway. By the time she was free of those for the day- at least until someone or something interrupted again about another crisis- she went back to her office, just reveling in the quiet for a moment.

And then pulled out a datapad to start checking into anything she might have missed while she was in those meetings. There was always something.


[For one!]

Comments

[notconflicted]

"You don't understand what being a Knight means, apparently," Sia countered, "and I don't think you care. But all right, let me vent to you."

[craftyladyparts]

"No, I don't understand," Jessica admitted. "And it's not that I don't care, but I do have different values than the Imperial Knights." She did think it was notable that Yalta Val was one of the leaders of the assault, but she figured there was a good chance he was in trouble for that role.

[notconflicted]

He was in trouble for a lot of stuff.

"And what is it exactly that you want me to say?" Sia wondered. "You couldn't be bothered to talk to me before it happened, you clearly think you're right and I'm wrong, so, what would you have me do here?"

[craftyladyparts]

"The mission moved quickly from the time I was asked to join and, yes, I thought it was the right thing to do," Jessica said. "I told you a couple weeks ago that if I thought I had the opportunity to help people, I would, immediately. I want you to say what you feel you should, or what you need to. But I also want you to understand why I did what I did."

[notconflicted]

"Someone gave you information he didn't tell us and so everyone involved cut out two of the leaders of this galaxy like it was nothing because it was the right thing to do?"

There were a lot of ways in which this situation sucked, but the lack of a heads up from her best friend was the part that hurt the most.

[craftyladyparts]

"If it only ended in that many saved lives because we acted so quickly? Yes," Jessica said. "I'm sorry if the process wasn't as thorough as it could have been, but the people we saved are more important than process to me."

In fairness, she was a professional vigilante back home.

[notconflicted]

"This isn't just about process. You're one of my trusted advisors, you lead some of my troops, and you can't come to me with something like this?"

That 'trust' part was quickly dwindling through this conversation.

[craftyladyparts]

"In this case? I think you would have stuck to saying no, and I think that would have caused a delay that would have had a much worse result," Jessica admitted. "And you would have had good, rational reasons to say no. Reasons I would disagree with, but reasons I can understand. But I still have a responsibility to those people."

[notconflicted]

"And you think I don't? I'm their Empress, who's spent the last year killing herself trying to do the best thing for everyone while people pull things like this behind my back."

The fact that it worked this time just made it worse, and now she got to look even worse for being upset.

[craftyladyparts]

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't think you were doing an amazing job overall, probably a better job than anyone has any reason to expect," Jessica said. "And I'm sorry to make things more difficult, but you can't tell me that saving those beings wasn't worth the price."

[notconflicted]

Sia didn't answer, because she wanted to think on that.

Instead, she paused. "If this happens again, what do you do? Do you come to me and let me make an informed decision if I promise to listen?"

[craftyladyparts]

"If you promise to listen? I'll come to you first," Jessica said. "But if I can't convince you to go along and you can't convince me to hold off, I can't promise not to do what I think is right. But you'll know about it first."

[notconflicted]

"That's fair," Sia decided, carefully.

[craftyladyparts]

"Good," Jessica said with a small sigh of relief. "I have to get back to my squad, but it was important to me to get to this as soon as I was back. Are we good for now?"

[notconflicted]

"We're better," she said.

She was still mad. But she'd have a much easier time getting over it.