The prison facility, like all top secret facilities, did not look so much like a prison. In fact, it resembled a rather ordinary building from the outside. It was when one looked for the tell-tale signs that one found the many overlapping sensors, the strategically placed soldiers, the embedded laser, fire, and ion security systems all designed to augment the already impressive inner systems.
Grand Marshall Kaine moved unperturbed through the maze of corridors after passing two security checkpoints, several scanning devices and a mechanical verification station. Such measures kept those embarrassing figures off the galactic scene… at least those embarrassing figures that the Empire felt it might gain from at a later date.
A stormtrooper met Simon at the beginning of one corridor and accompanied the Marshall as he walked on in silence. The white armor of the trooper as well as the sterile looking gunmetal walls seemed to clash with the Grand Marshall’s black uniform, his signature gloved hands still held firm in the pockets of his black leather overcoat. The weather outside was quite cold.
This prison facility, though, while meeting the high standards set by the new protocols of Daemon Hyfe’s New Order, was a far cry from the typical facility in that this prison housed it’s occupants quite comfortably.
After descending several levels, stopping at one nondescript door marked ‘59854’ in the middle of a miscellaneous hall, the Marshall set about entering the rather long code that would open the door to the inner occupant.
The security panel beeped once, a light blue indicator lighting up, and the door slid open letting a wall of rather warm air strike Kaine for energy was not wasted in heating the individual halls but the individual rooms. Such a design significantly cut down on the amount of environment duct-work system running throughout the facility.
“Close the door, please.” Came a woman’s voice, rather soft and the Marshall turned to nod to the stormtrooper before stepping in. The trooper stationed himself outside the door as it slid shut and Simon Kaine found himself in a rather small room, complete with a standalone computer reader and one niche designed with all the comforts of a refresher facility.
The room’s only resident was a woman of striking appearance though about a decade older than Kaine.
“Dr. Breen.” He stated in his rather soft voice, his eyes intent on the other. She was seated on her bed, half her body under the covers, her back up against a traditional Alderaan-made headboard. She had been reading a book on the unearthed works of the “Prophecies of Xa-Kra.”
“Grand Marshall Kaine.” The woman replied, a hint of amusement in her voice, though her eyes also hinted at a harried, tired quality. As if she had resigned herself to wasting away slowly with the light of hope for her cause extinguished.
“May I?” he asked politely, pointing to a chair set under a desk.
The woman showed surprise that the Imperial allowed her a choice within the framework of her answer. I wonder what he would do if I said no? she thought with some perverse relish at the Grand Marshall of the Empire acting in a manner she prescribed.
Instead she responded, “I’ll give you leave to act as you will if you give me my freedom.”
A hint of a smile came to the Marshall’s lips as her fiery spirit gave the appearance of strength. Such a display in view of her prolonged captivity said much for her character.
It was a shame she was not Imperial.
She saw his lips want to smile at the remark and suddenly, with a tired wave of her hand she gestured for him to take the seat.
As he moved he noted the many papers written on set in a haphazard manner. He knew that the interrogators go over everything she had written in the façade of privacy given her. “New project?” he inquired politely.
“My acceptance of the Peace Prize once the Empire is defeated and the galaxy liberated.” She quipped and Kaine then did laugh.
It was not a mocking laugh but one that truly admired her spirit. Still, his laugh did not reach his eyes and she could feel his gaze boring through her skull, as if he could pluck her very thoughts and scrutinize them as under a microscope.
He found that there was a tension forming in her eyes. She did not know why he was there.
“I understand,” he started as the silence after the laugh began to lengthen, “that the interrogators finished their last session with you.” He smiled warmly, “You’ve been very cooperative.”
The tension in her eyes grew more distinct though it did not show in her voice…yet. “I did not have much choice in that did I, Marshall?”
“We are not barbarians, Dr. Breen.”
“Our definition of barbarian then is certainly different.” She shot back, bitterness hardening her voice suddenly.
Simon Kaine looked at her in puzzlement for a few seconds. Dr. Breen was not a doctor in the “physician” sense but, rather, she held a degree in journalism from a former prominent New Republic advanced school. She was one of the more prominent writers within the republic sometimes commenting on political, military as well as civil issues. And while her knowledge was not specialized in any specific sense, her general knowledge was broad. It needed to be and helped the Empire paint a portrait of the New Republic from the defeat at Endor to the Last Gamble of Gash Jiren in the attack of the ‘New Empire’.
He looked at her and knew she was hiding something. But what, he could not fathom just yet.
“Did your interrogator’s forget to ask me a particular question?” she asked sardonically.
She truly did not know why he was there.
“No, Dr. Breen. I am here to return your cooperative spirit.”
Now she was truly bewildered. “W..what do you want, Marshall. Look around. I have nothing left to offer.” Her voice was truly bitter at this point.
Such a change in demeanor so quickly sent warning signals through Kaine’s mind but he held firm and simply waited. “Calm yourself, Dr. Breen.” He said softly.
“Are you hungry? Would you like something to drink?” he suddenly asked, and before she answered he talked briefly into a personal comlink.
“You want to get me drunk, Marshall?” she commented, her breathing returning to normal.
“Something to warm the body, Dr.” he replied and she noticed from his clothing that it was, indeed, very cold outside. Kaine usually wore his black and gray uniform along with his gloves that she thought nothing of it. She was tired if she missed details like that. It irked her greatly.
They sat in silence for a bit, the woman studying the leader of the Empire’s Armed Forces. He was not as she had expected a high ranking officer of the Empire to be. It unsettled her.
A knock at the door and it slid open, another trooper arriving with a strange looking bottle with two glasses. When the trooper left, she noted that the other still remained outside the door. Simon took the bottle and poured two drinks and moved closer to hand it to the doctor. She accepted and when Kaine moved back to his seat, she seemed to relax.
Taking a sip, she felt a soothing warmth flow through her body as it went down. “From Alderaan.” She whispered to herself. Looking up, anger flashed into her eyes, “Trying to make a point regarding the Imperial culture?”
Now it was Kaine’s turn to look amused. “Not at all doctor. I merely wanted something warm and I wanted the best for you. As it turns out, they had this. It is quite good.”
His answer lacked the Imperial pompous dialogue, the self centered bragging the Empire was known for and that frightened her though she did not know why.
“So what do you mean by ‘returning my cooperative spirit’ then?” she asked after taking another sip.
“Dr. Breen. I respect you. I’ve read much of your work, I’ve heard your interrogation sessions, I’ve listened to your opinions.” He started out drawing surprise the further he got. “I may not agree with your opinions or your conclusions but I found your intellect to be quite formidable as well as stimulating.”
The tension around the eyes was back when he mentioned, ‘stimulating’. He kept talking.
“So I am here, Doctor, to repay you in kind. I am here at your disposal. Ask of me what you will. Anything, save what we have classified, and I shall answer to your satisfaction.”
The woman hand’s seemed to let go of the book as the Grand Marshall spoke. His answer seemed to stun her the implications slowly trickling into her mind until a flood of possibilities broke thru.
“Do you know what you are saying, Marshall?”
Kaine grinned. “There are no listening devices or holovid recorders here. What is spoken between us will remain between us.”
Unless I am freed!
Her breathing began to pick up as Kaine simply sat there sipping his drink. “How long?” she asked hesitantly.
“As long as you need, though, I am only here for tonight. I must leave for the Palace on Imperial Center in the morning.”
She looked at the Marshall, trying to find a catch. “You are very generous, Marshall Kaine.”
The Grand Marshall raised his hand and said, “Please. Call me, Simon.” The informality of the situation caused the captive woman to blush and she responded in kind, if for no other reason than to show good form. Whatever was said of her, she remained determined to show her class. “Call me Phyllisia, then Simon.”
Her mind began to set about laying a mental outline as thousands of random questions came to mind when she looked up into Kaine’s amused eyes.
“Is there a certain format you would like me to follow?” she suddenly asked and he nodded.
“Yes. You ask your questions and I shall answer.” Which drew a smile from the woman. A genuine one.
Yes, this Simon Kaine was different. His enigmatic personality left shadows into who he was as a character. Who he was as a person.
When she thought about it further, she noted that nobody really did know anything about Grand Marshall Kaine except what was heard in rumor and INS reports. How had the leader of the Imperial Armed Forces remain successful at keeping such a shroud of mystique?
He seemed to sit there in such quiet confidence though the typical Imperial arrogance she had seen on others was strangely absent.
When the Empire does not act like the Empire, … worry.
She sat a little straighter in her bed the weariness washing away as she set down her glass.
“Very well, Simon. Who were your parents? Are they still alive?” she asked quite suddenly. She wondered how far she should probe when a thought struck her. He’s offering free information. Take what you can for as long as you can. What can he do but withhold it if he doesn’t want you to know?
Kaine leaned back in his chair as if knowing this would take a while. For a second his eyes darkened at the memories that his mind had begun to dig up. “No, they are not alive. My Mother was the daughter of an Imperial Senator and my father was a commander of an Imperial Cruiser.”
“An Imperial family then.” The doctor commented.
“In the beginning, yes. My memories of that time are vague impressions and scattered images. I hardly can recollect what my mother (or my father for that matter) looked like anymore.”
“They died when you were young?”
“My mother died when I was five or six. My father died when I was around 20.”
“So you were raised by your father..” and Kaine let out a bitter laugh of his own..
“You had better sit back doctor. The story of my life has never been told to anyone and only those soldiers who came with me to the Empire know anything about it.”
“Came with you to the Empire? I don’t understand..”
“I was born into a loving family. I may hate my father now but I do remember a time..or rather, I remember a ‘feeling’ when I knew I held his approval and his love. There was never a question of my mother’s devotion.”
“What happened?”
“The Rebellion happened.” Kaine’s voice though quiet was hard.
“It seems that a group of dissidents, perhaps holdovers from the Clone Wars, attributed evil intent on the dissolution of the Republic and the creation of Empire. Apparently, this movement grew through the years, the militant feelings among the people spilling over into the military service. The Imperial Navy began to grow in the numbers of deserters causing the Emperor to crack down.”
Kaine paused to take a sip of his drink.
“I don’t know what exactly happened but I remember my father coming home one night arguing with my mother. I do not know what they were arguing about but I do know it was partially about me. When I thought about it much much later, I came to the conclusion the argument had to do with my father joining the Rebellion, for the next day, he shipped out on patrol and his vessel fell to the Rebel Alliance.”
“And you were allowed to live?” the woman asked surprised. “Emperor Palpatine had issued decrees regarding the families of those rebelling and those decrees were particularly harsh.”
“They had to be. The unrest was threatening to Civil War of a scale larger than the Clone Wars ever was. In any event, my mother was arrested and my grandfather pulled every favor he had and resigned his position as a Senator to keep his daughter from the capital punishment reserved for the families of the traitors. But there was no provision for me and so I imagine I was to be executed for my father’s disloyalty.”
“And this does not bother you?”
“If there is no accountability for breaking the law, Dr. Breen, of what good is the law?” Kaine simply answered. “It bothers me that my father turned into a coward and went off to fight a war against the Empire.”
“That is not what really bothered you about it though, is it?”
Kaine’s eyes were dark. “No, Doctor. What bothered me the most is that my father… my good, loving, caring father chose aliens over his own family! He chose their lives over ours! And while my grandfather resigned and paid an unknown amount of credits to save his daughter’s life, he could do nothing for me. And, as it turned out, I was what my mother truly cared for. To spare my life, she gave her’s in exchange. She was executed and I was spared.”
“I remember trying to do some research on you, Simon, and I found nothing regarding you in the Imperial Archives.”
“That is not surprising. My mother, in a great show of loyalty that was given to her, kept the name Kaine and was cremated, her ashes put in a crypt in the lower levels of the city. My grandfather spent all I had to spare the disgrace of her name and could not afford the burial afforded to Senators and their posterity. My father’s name, as well as all traitor’s names were stricken from the general records or given over to Imperial Intelligence or the ISB to weed out the dissidents from within.”
Kaine’s eyes went suddenly soft.
“My grandfather and I were the only one’s at her burial site when she was interred. At that point he was a broken man for my mother was his only daughter. I never saw him after that day.”
Kaine paused, as if to collect dark memories.
“I was put into an orphanage and shipped out to a colony world. As it turned out, the colony was nothing to speak of but a haven for the drunks and dregs of the Empire to collect. It fell prey to attacks from pirates and the manipulations of greedy criminals. Many of the children were taken and sold as slaves to unscrupulous aliens. Usually the girls were sold first while we were left to wander through the streets of a colony that didn’t give a damn about us.
I don’t remember how old I was at the time, but a particular pirate with an unforgettable pair of red eyes and a bluish tint to his skin came to our colony, taking it quickly. He remained there for about two months and then left.”
The hatred in Kaine’s voice was very evident.
“For sport, he killed my only friend in that hell-hole. But when he was gone, we realized that he had left us with a gift: a particular parasitic, reptilian creature not native to our world. Our water supply was infested with their eggs and soon they were striking colonists as if they were mere food.
The creatures were small but vicious little devils. Soon whatever colonial organization had remained was broken as people began to move away from infested areas striking it on their own. Unfortunately, the creatures spread as well. They were fast but could be killed quickly by slicing off their head.
And that’s how I survived. By killing these creatures one at a time. You had to move fast and if you were caught in a nest, you were dead. But one at a time, you could definitely kill them.”
“Is that the infamous necklace of Kaine, I heard about—“
Kaine had reached into a pocket and pulled out necklace made of the small skeletal skulls of the creatures.
“It is all I carried with me from the planet. An Imperial Charter was sent to investigate the planet and they found me among others. We were taken back to the Empire. I was, at that point, a wild, uncivilized, and generally primitive person. Amazingly, I was conscripted into the Imperial Army at a young age. Apparently the war of the Rebellion was moving into the height of it’s conflict, the Rebels shortly thereafter destroying the first Death Star. I attacked my recruiting officer and it was he that stayed the stormtroopers hand that nearly shot me.
He took me to Carida and for a good many years, drilled my body and mind with everything Imperial.”
“What happened to your father?”
Kaine slipped the necklace back into his overcoat’s pocket and sighed. “I was a very good organizer and found myself in the Office of Military Logistics and rose to the Rank of Colonel. It was a rank without combat merit for I had yet to fight. I simply excelled at paperwork and figured out the tricks of ‘office advancement’. When I was around 20, I figured out why I was not given a combat assignment.”
“Your father.”
“Correct, Doctor. Apparently, I was under investigation and the only thing sparing me was my old Academy Recruiter and mentor. I don’t know what happened but I was sent to a planet to aid (or so I thought) the Imperial Commander in his fight to keep the planet from falling to Rebel forces also located there.”
“The Commander was incompetent and had incurred great losses to the demoralized army and combat wings. The officer in charge of the Star Destroyer delivering myself and needed supplies to the forces there saw this and remedied it by …removing the Commander from his position permanently.”
“Nice promotion system.”
“It was war, Doctor. I was young and I was not sure why I was given command of the battalion until I learned who was leading the Rebel forces there.”
The expression on Kaine’s face was unreadable.
“It was my father. A ‘General Kaine’”
“Why didn’t the Captain of the Star Destroyer assume command of the situation?”
“Because the Imperial Fleet was being recalled to set a trap for the Rebels. Some secret plan though I figure the Captain thought he would return and relieve me. So, I set out to making the 256th, mine and we fought the rebels. Our luck held and I was able to defeat my father’s forces.”
“Did you..?”
“I never saw him the whole time I was there, Doctor. And the sands covered over the last battlefield his body remaining hidden from me.”
“So then what?”
“Endor. We were forgotten. The warlords rose, the New Republic drove the Empire to Bastion, took Coruscant, survived Thrawn and the creation of rogue Sith groups. When the Eternal Rogue Order took Coruscant from the New Republic, Regent Exceron took over the leadership of the Empire, such as it was, and that was when the 256th and I made our way back to the Empire.”
“That is a lot of unaccounted for time, Simon. From Endor to Exceron… what did you do for that entire time?”
Kaine smiled for the first time since his tale began. “Those years are marked with too much activity to recount. We had to turn the 256th into something that would help the Empire so we concentrated on organizing ourselves into a viable force of strength.”
“Exceron must have welcomed you with open arms.”
“Not at first. Records were a mess and we were unknown variables. I was placed under Admiral Daemon Hyfe’s command aboard his Victory Star Destroyer. We worked together to bring Muunilist back into the Empire.”
“That’s where you first met Seamus Arliss and his cronies.”
“Yes. He had no love for the Empire. He still doesn’t but he was made to come around to our reasoning.”
Phylisia smiled. “How did you do that?”
“At the time, Seamus Arliss had fronted enough capital to expand his business on an intergalactic scale, which was risky given the fractioned state of the galaxy as he was solidifying his hold on Muunillist with rival businessmen.
Basically, we divided his company into to separate entities. Arliss Towers and Arliss Industries. The Towers retains all Muunilist based business while Industries maintains all off world facilities. The Towers was to be run by his daughter, Jenice Arliss, whom there is no love lost.”
“So Seamus Arliss was able to keep half his company.”
“And his life. He is a brilliant businessman and a good asset to have. The Empire has profited from having him under our wing, though he’s tried to get out from under it once or twice.”
The woman paused slightly, seeing that Kaine had relaxed a bit as the subject move away from his parents and childhood.
“I had heard a rumor on Coruscant before the Empire came of you having a liaison with Ms. Arliss. Are you two an item?”
That question took Kaine by such surprise that he involuntarily grinned. It made him look young and the intensity of his eyes lessened.
“No.” he said, chuckling, “We are not an item. After the Conquest of Coruscant, my office has been here and removed from Muunilist. During the Wrath and New Empire debacle, we lost touch.”
“Do you ever think you will ever settle down?” the woman asked, the thought coming to her out of the blue.
“Well, I’ve not given it any thought really. I’m a soldier, not a courtier of ladies. My ability lies in the planning and execution of battles. But perhaps, when the Imperial Flag flies over the galaxy…”
“So you are saying you’ll never settle down?”
Simon laughed out loud. “You are incorrigible, Ms. Breen. But I am not cut from the same cloth as Fearsons. I just don’t have time for diddling.”
The woman laughed too. “Yes, I’ve heard it commented that the Emperor Fearsons did love his woman companions… which brings me to your dealings with the leader of the Rogue Empire…and later the Jutraalian Empire. Was attacking them personal?”
“Of course it was personal. We had formed the most powerful alliance the galaxy had seen and were poised to strike the death blow to the New Alliance and the Republic. We attacked the New Alliance as per our terms of that agreement but the Rogue Empire could not stomach it.”
“I understand that they claimed the Empire plotted to attack them. Was this true?”
“Not during the alliance. Before, there were plans drawn up. After, certainly. And so, they withdrew their armies leaving our forces engaged. It was only with luck and skill that we were able to extricate ourselves from that delicate situation. But the Republic attacked and struck at Dantooine, as did the New Alliance and, amazingly enough, the Rogue Empire.”
“There is a rumor that you almost died in that attack?”
“That is true.”
“So you would say that Gash Jiren is a better tactician than you?”
Kaine smiled. “Perhaps. He certainly is older and has more experience. But it is not about tactics in these situations. If we had overwhelming forces attacking his planet, I am sure he would do the same, putting himself in harm’s way. Would that mean I am better than him if he did that? Not necessarily. Remember, I’ve had to bring myself up to speed on fighting with Naval units. My specialty lies with ground actions. I have to push myself to meet the standards of my enemy counterparts. I owe it to my men and the warships I direct into danger. I never put them in a position I wouldn’t put myself in.
I could very well have been blown to bits. My ship was crippled and had to be towed into drydock once the New Republic retreated back to their space.”
“The infamous Galactus.”
“She is undergoing a massive refit at the moment.”
The woman smiled as the Imperial reflected on his ship. “So, you seek to destroy all alien cultures with his ‘New Order’ of yours?”
“Come now, Dr. Breen. You know that is not true.”
“But your anti-alien biases are well known..”
“Anti-traitor biases, doctor. The Empire holds to no good or evil definitions. There are simply acts brought on by necessity.”
“What necessity?”
“The necessity of natural selection. Humanity is in an evolutionary competition with other alien races. We have to maintain our dominance or be supplanted as a race. The Republic seemed bent on simply giving away that dominance, especially after the aliens tore the Republic apart with the Clone Wars.”
“I thought Senator Palpatine did that?”
“Here’s a question for you, Ms. Breen: If Palpatine had not lived, you are saying that the Clone Wars would not have happened?”
“Perhaps there would have been no Grand Army of the Republic.”
“Then when the aliens separated from the Republic, who would have fought on the Republic’s side? The decadent Jedi of that age? The Republic would have splintered and dissolved into hundreds of squabbling little factions.”
“You sell the Jedi short, Simon.”
“No. They do pose a danger but only because of their force abilities. To counter their influence the Empire has had need of employing force users of our own.”
“The Sith?” the woman’s question was slightly mocking.
“Well, the Jedi refused the Empire’s invitation,” Kaine shot back dryly. “We use what we have at hand.”
“And what makes you think the Sith will not turn on the Empire. Try to ‘supplant’ you?”
“They wouldn’t try it.”
“Why not? They have in the past. What makes you confident?”
“Because they will answer to the Emperor.” Kaine gave a slight smile.
“I must congratulate you on your INS. They have a way to spin bullshit into the crown jewels of Hapes.”
Simon nodded at the compliment. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You see, these aliens attacking the Empire feel justified and they keep throwing the same excuse out there over and over..”
“You attacked first..:”
“Just so. We will smash their reasonings to bits and paint them as such villains that not even their own people will believe what their leaders say.”
“You will eventually fall Kaine.” The woman’s voice held a certain conviction.
“Perhaps doctor. Perhaps. But what is important is that the Empire will not.”
“Don’t be too secure. You can only fool the population only so long. I’ve never seen Alderaan brought up so much… even when it happened. I would like to ask you what your personal opinions are of Alderaan?”
Kaine thought for a minute. “The Empire believes that the ends justify the means. The extreme actions it takes are born by necessity. Necessity. Personally, I believe we are all accountable for our actions. The Rebellion stemmed from leaders in the Alderaanian Royalty. As such, the planet forfeited any rights and fell under the jurisdiction of Moff Tarkin.”
“They had no weapons, Kaine.”
“And as you know doctor, there are many ways other than with weapons to fight a war. The destruction of Alderaan robbed the Rebel Alliance of several million credits.”
“Your act forced worlds to the Rebellion.”
“Those weak minded alien worlds, yes. But it also ensured a larger part of those worlds not take part in this civil war. In the end, more lives were spared than what the total population of Alderaan boasted.”
“You are a brutal man, Simon Kaine.”
“No doctor. I am an angry man. I am tired of retreading old ground. I am tired of retaking planets because the damned inhabitants can’t get it through their head that their waging war with the Empire will not usher in a new golden age. I will settle for blasting them all to kingdom come if it will mean they will not try to kill me tomorrow.”
“Freedom is a powerful addiction, Simon.”
Kaine looked at the woman’s eyes. “Yes, doctor, it is. My father wanted that freedom offered by the aliens. Freedom from family responsibilities. He acted without thought to consequence. The Alderaanians wanted freedom and acted without thought to the consequences. There is a cost of being selfish doctor…when you think of “me, me, me”. If you want your selfish freedoms then you be prepared to pay the price or shut the hell up.”
“Why don’t you trust the people to make the right decisions..”
“For the same reason I don’t put a child in charge of a Star Destroyer. They don’t know what they are doing and they think only to satisfy their own physical needs. Sounds like a New Republic Senator.”
“And you will bring these aliens to heel? Natural selection will select humans? You are positive on this?”
“As positive as I can make it. And if not, there are plans in place to ensure our continued place.”
“Plans?”
Simon smiled cryptically. The Star Destroyer Insidion had signaled. They were enroute and Captain Merrik would be making his report in person. The status of the Project would be updated but Merrik seemed to indicate that all was well. In fact it was better than well.
He glanced at the woman and thought, The New Order is coming doctor. Faster than you might think.
And so he told her why.
*
“You are a monster, Simon Kaine.”
“Maybe so doctor. But a hopeful one.”
“You killed a good many good people.”
“This war has done that on both sides. And it will get worse before it get’s better.”
And the tension around Phylisia’s eyes came back. “That’s exactly what he said.” She whispered.
Simon Kaine knew something was wrong. “What happened to you Ms. Breen?”
She answered him by throwing open her bed sheets and blankets.
“When you leave, it will start up again.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll have that man’s head.”
“I don’t know who it was…I just know what happens..”
That the woman was caused pain made Simon’s fist clench. There was no purpose. There was no underlying necessity for this!
Power was heady stuff and Simon would visit hell upon this facility. Of that he vowed.
There is control and there is domination. And then there is stupidity.
Simon simply said, “Come doctor. It will not happen again.”
“You cannot protect me, Simon. You have too many responsibilities to worry about an aging Republic journalist.”
The resignation in her voice cut at Simon and he seemed to come to a decision.
“Since this is my last night here, what may I grant you for this evening?”
The woman looked at the Grand Marshall as he stood. “I should like to see the stars… I’ve seen nothing but these walls for over a two years…” her voice trailed.
“Keep those blankets wrapped about you then..” Kaine said and wrapped on the door. It opened to the trooper and the woman walked slowly forward, her eyes betraying an anxious look as she neared the exit hall.
Going through the checkpoints she was outside and the cold wind began to whip at her blankets she clung desperately too.
There were tears in her eyes as she stared up at the blackness of space. She could not tell what planet she was on but that did not matter. For she saw the stars.
She would hold onto that memory when those men… when they…
“Your Empire is evil, Simon.” She said as quietly as she gazed at a star formation that seemed familiar.
Is that? I wonder!
If I am that close perhaps I will be rescued. Perhaps what I know of Simon Kaine will prove useful to any remaining New Republic forces.. Perhaps..
She smiled, her body ignoring the biting wind.
I wonder what other secrets Kaine is hiding..?
Per….
Simon’s outstretched hand holding his personal blaster held steady for a few seconds more before he returned it to his other outer coat pocket. One shot through the head.
“Maybe doctor,” he replied quietly. “But a necessary evil.”
You will be tormented no longer…
“Let’s go…” Simon told the guard as he walked past the fallen woman.
Grand Marshall Kaine moved unperturbed through the maze of corridors after passing two security checkpoints, several scanning devices and a mechanical verification station. Such measures kept those embarrassing figures off the galactic scene… at least those embarrassing figures that the Empire felt it might gain from at a later date.
A stormtrooper met Simon at the beginning of one corridor and accompanied the Marshall as he walked on in silence. The white armor of the trooper as well as the sterile looking gunmetal walls seemed to clash with the Grand Marshall’s black uniform, his signature gloved hands still held firm in the pockets of his black leather overcoat. The weather outside was quite cold.
This prison facility, though, while meeting the high standards set by the new protocols of Daemon Hyfe’s New Order, was a far cry from the typical facility in that this prison housed it’s occupants quite comfortably.
After descending several levels, stopping at one nondescript door marked ‘59854’ in the middle of a miscellaneous hall, the Marshall set about entering the rather long code that would open the door to the inner occupant.
The security panel beeped once, a light blue indicator lighting up, and the door slid open letting a wall of rather warm air strike Kaine for energy was not wasted in heating the individual halls but the individual rooms. Such a design significantly cut down on the amount of environment duct-work system running throughout the facility.
“Close the door, please.” Came a woman’s voice, rather soft and the Marshall turned to nod to the stormtrooper before stepping in. The trooper stationed himself outside the door as it slid shut and Simon Kaine found himself in a rather small room, complete with a standalone computer reader and one niche designed with all the comforts of a refresher facility.
The room’s only resident was a woman of striking appearance though about a decade older than Kaine.
“Dr. Breen.” He stated in his rather soft voice, his eyes intent on the other. She was seated on her bed, half her body under the covers, her back up against a traditional Alderaan-made headboard. She had been reading a book on the unearthed works of the “Prophecies of Xa-Kra.”
“Grand Marshall Kaine.” The woman replied, a hint of amusement in her voice, though her eyes also hinted at a harried, tired quality. As if she had resigned herself to wasting away slowly with the light of hope for her cause extinguished.
“May I?” he asked politely, pointing to a chair set under a desk.
The woman showed surprise that the Imperial allowed her a choice within the framework of her answer. I wonder what he would do if I said no? she thought with some perverse relish at the Grand Marshall of the Empire acting in a manner she prescribed.
Instead she responded, “I’ll give you leave to act as you will if you give me my freedom.”
A hint of a smile came to the Marshall’s lips as her fiery spirit gave the appearance of strength. Such a display in view of her prolonged captivity said much for her character.
It was a shame she was not Imperial.
She saw his lips want to smile at the remark and suddenly, with a tired wave of her hand she gestured for him to take the seat.
As he moved he noted the many papers written on set in a haphazard manner. He knew that the interrogators go over everything she had written in the façade of privacy given her. “New project?” he inquired politely.
“My acceptance of the Peace Prize once the Empire is defeated and the galaxy liberated.” She quipped and Kaine then did laugh.
It was not a mocking laugh but one that truly admired her spirit. Still, his laugh did not reach his eyes and she could feel his gaze boring through her skull, as if he could pluck her very thoughts and scrutinize them as under a microscope.
He found that there was a tension forming in her eyes. She did not know why he was there.
“I understand,” he started as the silence after the laugh began to lengthen, “that the interrogators finished their last session with you.” He smiled warmly, “You’ve been very cooperative.”
The tension in her eyes grew more distinct though it did not show in her voice…yet. “I did not have much choice in that did I, Marshall?”
“We are not barbarians, Dr. Breen.”
“Our definition of barbarian then is certainly different.” She shot back, bitterness hardening her voice suddenly.
Simon Kaine looked at her in puzzlement for a few seconds. Dr. Breen was not a doctor in the “physician” sense but, rather, she held a degree in journalism from a former prominent New Republic advanced school. She was one of the more prominent writers within the republic sometimes commenting on political, military as well as civil issues. And while her knowledge was not specialized in any specific sense, her general knowledge was broad. It needed to be and helped the Empire paint a portrait of the New Republic from the defeat at Endor to the Last Gamble of Gash Jiren in the attack of the ‘New Empire’.
He looked at her and knew she was hiding something. But what, he could not fathom just yet.
“Did your interrogator’s forget to ask me a particular question?” she asked sardonically.
She truly did not know why he was there.
“No, Dr. Breen. I am here to return your cooperative spirit.”
Now she was truly bewildered. “W..what do you want, Marshall. Look around. I have nothing left to offer.” Her voice was truly bitter at this point.
Such a change in demeanor so quickly sent warning signals through Kaine’s mind but he held firm and simply waited. “Calm yourself, Dr. Breen.” He said softly.
“Are you hungry? Would you like something to drink?” he suddenly asked, and before she answered he talked briefly into a personal comlink.
“You want to get me drunk, Marshall?” she commented, her breathing returning to normal.
“Something to warm the body, Dr.” he replied and she noticed from his clothing that it was, indeed, very cold outside. Kaine usually wore his black and gray uniform along with his gloves that she thought nothing of it. She was tired if she missed details like that. It irked her greatly.
They sat in silence for a bit, the woman studying the leader of the Empire’s Armed Forces. He was not as she had expected a high ranking officer of the Empire to be. It unsettled her.
A knock at the door and it slid open, another trooper arriving with a strange looking bottle with two glasses. When the trooper left, she noted that the other still remained outside the door. Simon took the bottle and poured two drinks and moved closer to hand it to the doctor. She accepted and when Kaine moved back to his seat, she seemed to relax.
Taking a sip, she felt a soothing warmth flow through her body as it went down. “From Alderaan.” She whispered to herself. Looking up, anger flashed into her eyes, “Trying to make a point regarding the Imperial culture?”
Now it was Kaine’s turn to look amused. “Not at all doctor. I merely wanted something warm and I wanted the best for you. As it turns out, they had this. It is quite good.”
His answer lacked the Imperial pompous dialogue, the self centered bragging the Empire was known for and that frightened her though she did not know why.
“So what do you mean by ‘returning my cooperative spirit’ then?” she asked after taking another sip.
“Dr. Breen. I respect you. I’ve read much of your work, I’ve heard your interrogation sessions, I’ve listened to your opinions.” He started out drawing surprise the further he got. “I may not agree with your opinions or your conclusions but I found your intellect to be quite formidable as well as stimulating.”
The tension around the eyes was back when he mentioned, ‘stimulating’. He kept talking.
“So I am here, Doctor, to repay you in kind. I am here at your disposal. Ask of me what you will. Anything, save what we have classified, and I shall answer to your satisfaction.”
The woman hand’s seemed to let go of the book as the Grand Marshall spoke. His answer seemed to stun her the implications slowly trickling into her mind until a flood of possibilities broke thru.
“Do you know what you are saying, Marshall?”
Kaine grinned. “There are no listening devices or holovid recorders here. What is spoken between us will remain between us.”
Unless I am freed!
Her breathing began to pick up as Kaine simply sat there sipping his drink. “How long?” she asked hesitantly.
“As long as you need, though, I am only here for tonight. I must leave for the Palace on Imperial Center in the morning.”
She looked at the Marshall, trying to find a catch. “You are very generous, Marshall Kaine.”
The Grand Marshall raised his hand and said, “Please. Call me, Simon.” The informality of the situation caused the captive woman to blush and she responded in kind, if for no other reason than to show good form. Whatever was said of her, she remained determined to show her class. “Call me Phyllisia, then Simon.”
Her mind began to set about laying a mental outline as thousands of random questions came to mind when she looked up into Kaine’s amused eyes.
“Is there a certain format you would like me to follow?” she suddenly asked and he nodded.
“Yes. You ask your questions and I shall answer.” Which drew a smile from the woman. A genuine one.
Yes, this Simon Kaine was different. His enigmatic personality left shadows into who he was as a character. Who he was as a person.
When she thought about it further, she noted that nobody really did know anything about Grand Marshall Kaine except what was heard in rumor and INS reports. How had the leader of the Imperial Armed Forces remain successful at keeping such a shroud of mystique?
He seemed to sit there in such quiet confidence though the typical Imperial arrogance she had seen on others was strangely absent.
When the Empire does not act like the Empire, … worry.
She sat a little straighter in her bed the weariness washing away as she set down her glass.
“Very well, Simon. Who were your parents? Are they still alive?” she asked quite suddenly. She wondered how far she should probe when a thought struck her. He’s offering free information. Take what you can for as long as you can. What can he do but withhold it if he doesn’t want you to know?
Kaine leaned back in his chair as if knowing this would take a while. For a second his eyes darkened at the memories that his mind had begun to dig up. “No, they are not alive. My Mother was the daughter of an Imperial Senator and my father was a commander of an Imperial Cruiser.”
“An Imperial family then.” The doctor commented.
“In the beginning, yes. My memories of that time are vague impressions and scattered images. I hardly can recollect what my mother (or my father for that matter) looked like anymore.”
“They died when you were young?”
“My mother died when I was five or six. My father died when I was around 20.”
“So you were raised by your father..” and Kaine let out a bitter laugh of his own..
“You had better sit back doctor. The story of my life has never been told to anyone and only those soldiers who came with me to the Empire know anything about it.”
“Came with you to the Empire? I don’t understand..”
“I was born into a loving family. I may hate my father now but I do remember a time..or rather, I remember a ‘feeling’ when I knew I held his approval and his love. There was never a question of my mother’s devotion.”
“What happened?”
“The Rebellion happened.” Kaine’s voice though quiet was hard.
“It seems that a group of dissidents, perhaps holdovers from the Clone Wars, attributed evil intent on the dissolution of the Republic and the creation of Empire. Apparently, this movement grew through the years, the militant feelings among the people spilling over into the military service. The Imperial Navy began to grow in the numbers of deserters causing the Emperor to crack down.”
Kaine paused to take a sip of his drink.
“I don’t know what exactly happened but I remember my father coming home one night arguing with my mother. I do not know what they were arguing about but I do know it was partially about me. When I thought about it much much later, I came to the conclusion the argument had to do with my father joining the Rebellion, for the next day, he shipped out on patrol and his vessel fell to the Rebel Alliance.”
“And you were allowed to live?” the woman asked surprised. “Emperor Palpatine had issued decrees regarding the families of those rebelling and those decrees were particularly harsh.”
“They had to be. The unrest was threatening to Civil War of a scale larger than the Clone Wars ever was. In any event, my mother was arrested and my grandfather pulled every favor he had and resigned his position as a Senator to keep his daughter from the capital punishment reserved for the families of the traitors. But there was no provision for me and so I imagine I was to be executed for my father’s disloyalty.”
“And this does not bother you?”
“If there is no accountability for breaking the law, Dr. Breen, of what good is the law?” Kaine simply answered. “It bothers me that my father turned into a coward and went off to fight a war against the Empire.”
“That is not what really bothered you about it though, is it?”
Kaine’s eyes were dark. “No, Doctor. What bothered me the most is that my father… my good, loving, caring father chose aliens over his own family! He chose their lives over ours! And while my grandfather resigned and paid an unknown amount of credits to save his daughter’s life, he could do nothing for me. And, as it turned out, I was what my mother truly cared for. To spare my life, she gave her’s in exchange. She was executed and I was spared.”
“I remember trying to do some research on you, Simon, and I found nothing regarding you in the Imperial Archives.”
“That is not surprising. My mother, in a great show of loyalty that was given to her, kept the name Kaine and was cremated, her ashes put in a crypt in the lower levels of the city. My grandfather spent all I had to spare the disgrace of her name and could not afford the burial afforded to Senators and their posterity. My father’s name, as well as all traitor’s names were stricken from the general records or given over to Imperial Intelligence or the ISB to weed out the dissidents from within.”
Kaine’s eyes went suddenly soft.
“My grandfather and I were the only one’s at her burial site when she was interred. At that point he was a broken man for my mother was his only daughter. I never saw him after that day.”
Kaine paused, as if to collect dark memories.
“I was put into an orphanage and shipped out to a colony world. As it turned out, the colony was nothing to speak of but a haven for the drunks and dregs of the Empire to collect. It fell prey to attacks from pirates and the manipulations of greedy criminals. Many of the children were taken and sold as slaves to unscrupulous aliens. Usually the girls were sold first while we were left to wander through the streets of a colony that didn’t give a damn about us.
I don’t remember how old I was at the time, but a particular pirate with an unforgettable pair of red eyes and a bluish tint to his skin came to our colony, taking it quickly. He remained there for about two months and then left.”
The hatred in Kaine’s voice was very evident.
“For sport, he killed my only friend in that hell-hole. But when he was gone, we realized that he had left us with a gift: a particular parasitic, reptilian creature not native to our world. Our water supply was infested with their eggs and soon they were striking colonists as if they were mere food.
The creatures were small but vicious little devils. Soon whatever colonial organization had remained was broken as people began to move away from infested areas striking it on their own. Unfortunately, the creatures spread as well. They were fast but could be killed quickly by slicing off their head.
And that’s how I survived. By killing these creatures one at a time. You had to move fast and if you were caught in a nest, you were dead. But one at a time, you could definitely kill them.”
“Is that the infamous necklace of Kaine, I heard about—“
Kaine had reached into a pocket and pulled out necklace made of the small skeletal skulls of the creatures.
“It is all I carried with me from the planet. An Imperial Charter was sent to investigate the planet and they found me among others. We were taken back to the Empire. I was, at that point, a wild, uncivilized, and generally primitive person. Amazingly, I was conscripted into the Imperial Army at a young age. Apparently the war of the Rebellion was moving into the height of it’s conflict, the Rebels shortly thereafter destroying the first Death Star. I attacked my recruiting officer and it was he that stayed the stormtroopers hand that nearly shot me.
He took me to Carida and for a good many years, drilled my body and mind with everything Imperial.”
“What happened to your father?”
Kaine slipped the necklace back into his overcoat’s pocket and sighed. “I was a very good organizer and found myself in the Office of Military Logistics and rose to the Rank of Colonel. It was a rank without combat merit for I had yet to fight. I simply excelled at paperwork and figured out the tricks of ‘office advancement’. When I was around 20, I figured out why I was not given a combat assignment.”
“Your father.”
“Correct, Doctor. Apparently, I was under investigation and the only thing sparing me was my old Academy Recruiter and mentor. I don’t know what happened but I was sent to a planet to aid (or so I thought) the Imperial Commander in his fight to keep the planet from falling to Rebel forces also located there.”
“The Commander was incompetent and had incurred great losses to the demoralized army and combat wings. The officer in charge of the Star Destroyer delivering myself and needed supplies to the forces there saw this and remedied it by …removing the Commander from his position permanently.”
“Nice promotion system.”
“It was war, Doctor. I was young and I was not sure why I was given command of the battalion until I learned who was leading the Rebel forces there.”
The expression on Kaine’s face was unreadable.
“It was my father. A ‘General Kaine’”
“Why didn’t the Captain of the Star Destroyer assume command of the situation?”
“Because the Imperial Fleet was being recalled to set a trap for the Rebels. Some secret plan though I figure the Captain thought he would return and relieve me. So, I set out to making the 256th, mine and we fought the rebels. Our luck held and I was able to defeat my father’s forces.”
“Did you..?”
“I never saw him the whole time I was there, Doctor. And the sands covered over the last battlefield his body remaining hidden from me.”
“So then what?”
“Endor. We were forgotten. The warlords rose, the New Republic drove the Empire to Bastion, took Coruscant, survived Thrawn and the creation of rogue Sith groups. When the Eternal Rogue Order took Coruscant from the New Republic, Regent Exceron took over the leadership of the Empire, such as it was, and that was when the 256th and I made our way back to the Empire.”
“That is a lot of unaccounted for time, Simon. From Endor to Exceron… what did you do for that entire time?”
Kaine smiled for the first time since his tale began. “Those years are marked with too much activity to recount. We had to turn the 256th into something that would help the Empire so we concentrated on organizing ourselves into a viable force of strength.”
“Exceron must have welcomed you with open arms.”
“Not at first. Records were a mess and we were unknown variables. I was placed under Admiral Daemon Hyfe’s command aboard his Victory Star Destroyer. We worked together to bring Muunilist back into the Empire.”
“That’s where you first met Seamus Arliss and his cronies.”
“Yes. He had no love for the Empire. He still doesn’t but he was made to come around to our reasoning.”
Phylisia smiled. “How did you do that?”
“At the time, Seamus Arliss had fronted enough capital to expand his business on an intergalactic scale, which was risky given the fractioned state of the galaxy as he was solidifying his hold on Muunillist with rival businessmen.
Basically, we divided his company into to separate entities. Arliss Towers and Arliss Industries. The Towers retains all Muunilist based business while Industries maintains all off world facilities. The Towers was to be run by his daughter, Jenice Arliss, whom there is no love lost.”
“So Seamus Arliss was able to keep half his company.”
“And his life. He is a brilliant businessman and a good asset to have. The Empire has profited from having him under our wing, though he’s tried to get out from under it once or twice.”
The woman paused slightly, seeing that Kaine had relaxed a bit as the subject move away from his parents and childhood.
“I had heard a rumor on Coruscant before the Empire came of you having a liaison with Ms. Arliss. Are you two an item?”
That question took Kaine by such surprise that he involuntarily grinned. It made him look young and the intensity of his eyes lessened.
“No.” he said, chuckling, “We are not an item. After the Conquest of Coruscant, my office has been here and removed from Muunilist. During the Wrath and New Empire debacle, we lost touch.”
“Do you ever think you will ever settle down?” the woman asked, the thought coming to her out of the blue.
“Well, I’ve not given it any thought really. I’m a soldier, not a courtier of ladies. My ability lies in the planning and execution of battles. But perhaps, when the Imperial Flag flies over the galaxy…”
“So you are saying you’ll never settle down?”
Simon laughed out loud. “You are incorrigible, Ms. Breen. But I am not cut from the same cloth as Fearsons. I just don’t have time for diddling.”
The woman laughed too. “Yes, I’ve heard it commented that the Emperor Fearsons did love his woman companions… which brings me to your dealings with the leader of the Rogue Empire…and later the Jutraalian Empire. Was attacking them personal?”
“Of course it was personal. We had formed the most powerful alliance the galaxy had seen and were poised to strike the death blow to the New Alliance and the Republic. We attacked the New Alliance as per our terms of that agreement but the Rogue Empire could not stomach it.”
“I understand that they claimed the Empire plotted to attack them. Was this true?”
“Not during the alliance. Before, there were plans drawn up. After, certainly. And so, they withdrew their armies leaving our forces engaged. It was only with luck and skill that we were able to extricate ourselves from that delicate situation. But the Republic attacked and struck at Dantooine, as did the New Alliance and, amazingly enough, the Rogue Empire.”
“There is a rumor that you almost died in that attack?”
“That is true.”
“So you would say that Gash Jiren is a better tactician than you?”
Kaine smiled. “Perhaps. He certainly is older and has more experience. But it is not about tactics in these situations. If we had overwhelming forces attacking his planet, I am sure he would do the same, putting himself in harm’s way. Would that mean I am better than him if he did that? Not necessarily. Remember, I’ve had to bring myself up to speed on fighting with Naval units. My specialty lies with ground actions. I have to push myself to meet the standards of my enemy counterparts. I owe it to my men and the warships I direct into danger. I never put them in a position I wouldn’t put myself in.
I could very well have been blown to bits. My ship was crippled and had to be towed into drydock once the New Republic retreated back to their space.”
“The infamous Galactus.”
“She is undergoing a massive refit at the moment.”
The woman smiled as the Imperial reflected on his ship. “So, you seek to destroy all alien cultures with his ‘New Order’ of yours?”
“Come now, Dr. Breen. You know that is not true.”
“But your anti-alien biases are well known..”
“Anti-traitor biases, doctor. The Empire holds to no good or evil definitions. There are simply acts brought on by necessity.”
“What necessity?”
“The necessity of natural selection. Humanity is in an evolutionary competition with other alien races. We have to maintain our dominance or be supplanted as a race. The Republic seemed bent on simply giving away that dominance, especially after the aliens tore the Republic apart with the Clone Wars.”
“I thought Senator Palpatine did that?”
“Here’s a question for you, Ms. Breen: If Palpatine had not lived, you are saying that the Clone Wars would not have happened?”
“Perhaps there would have been no Grand Army of the Republic.”
“Then when the aliens separated from the Republic, who would have fought on the Republic’s side? The decadent Jedi of that age? The Republic would have splintered and dissolved into hundreds of squabbling little factions.”
“You sell the Jedi short, Simon.”
“No. They do pose a danger but only because of their force abilities. To counter their influence the Empire has had need of employing force users of our own.”
“The Sith?” the woman’s question was slightly mocking.
“Well, the Jedi refused the Empire’s invitation,” Kaine shot back dryly. “We use what we have at hand.”
“And what makes you think the Sith will not turn on the Empire. Try to ‘supplant’ you?”
“They wouldn’t try it.”
“Why not? They have in the past. What makes you confident?”
“Because they will answer to the Emperor.” Kaine gave a slight smile.
“I must congratulate you on your INS. They have a way to spin bullshit into the crown jewels of Hapes.”
Simon nodded at the compliment. “You haven’t seen anything yet. You see, these aliens attacking the Empire feel justified and they keep throwing the same excuse out there over and over..”
“You attacked first..:”
“Just so. We will smash their reasonings to bits and paint them as such villains that not even their own people will believe what their leaders say.”
“You will eventually fall Kaine.” The woman’s voice held a certain conviction.
“Perhaps doctor. Perhaps. But what is important is that the Empire will not.”
“Don’t be too secure. You can only fool the population only so long. I’ve never seen Alderaan brought up so much… even when it happened. I would like to ask you what your personal opinions are of Alderaan?”
Kaine thought for a minute. “The Empire believes that the ends justify the means. The extreme actions it takes are born by necessity. Necessity. Personally, I believe we are all accountable for our actions. The Rebellion stemmed from leaders in the Alderaanian Royalty. As such, the planet forfeited any rights and fell under the jurisdiction of Moff Tarkin.”
“They had no weapons, Kaine.”
“And as you know doctor, there are many ways other than with weapons to fight a war. The destruction of Alderaan robbed the Rebel Alliance of several million credits.”
“Your act forced worlds to the Rebellion.”
“Those weak minded alien worlds, yes. But it also ensured a larger part of those worlds not take part in this civil war. In the end, more lives were spared than what the total population of Alderaan boasted.”
“You are a brutal man, Simon Kaine.”
“No doctor. I am an angry man. I am tired of retreading old ground. I am tired of retaking planets because the damned inhabitants can’t get it through their head that their waging war with the Empire will not usher in a new golden age. I will settle for blasting them all to kingdom come if it will mean they will not try to kill me tomorrow.”
“Freedom is a powerful addiction, Simon.”
Kaine looked at the woman’s eyes. “Yes, doctor, it is. My father wanted that freedom offered by the aliens. Freedom from family responsibilities. He acted without thought to consequence. The Alderaanians wanted freedom and acted without thought to the consequences. There is a cost of being selfish doctor…when you think of “me, me, me”. If you want your selfish freedoms then you be prepared to pay the price or shut the hell up.”
“Why don’t you trust the people to make the right decisions..”
“For the same reason I don’t put a child in charge of a Star Destroyer. They don’t know what they are doing and they think only to satisfy their own physical needs. Sounds like a New Republic Senator.”
“And you will bring these aliens to heel? Natural selection will select humans? You are positive on this?”
“As positive as I can make it. And if not, there are plans in place to ensure our continued place.”
“Plans?”
Simon smiled cryptically. The Star Destroyer Insidion had signaled. They were enroute and Captain Merrik would be making his report in person. The status of the Project would be updated but Merrik seemed to indicate that all was well. In fact it was better than well.
He glanced at the woman and thought, The New Order is coming doctor. Faster than you might think.
And so he told her why.
*
“You are a monster, Simon Kaine.”
“Maybe so doctor. But a hopeful one.”
“You killed a good many good people.”
“This war has done that on both sides. And it will get worse before it get’s better.”
And the tension around Phylisia’s eyes came back. “That’s exactly what he said.” She whispered.
Simon Kaine knew something was wrong. “What happened to you Ms. Breen?”
She answered him by throwing open her bed sheets and blankets.
“When you leave, it will start up again.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll have that man’s head.”
“I don’t know who it was…I just know what happens..”
That the woman was caused pain made Simon’s fist clench. There was no purpose. There was no underlying necessity for this!
Power was heady stuff and Simon would visit hell upon this facility. Of that he vowed.
There is control and there is domination. And then there is stupidity.
Simon simply said, “Come doctor. It will not happen again.”
“You cannot protect me, Simon. You have too many responsibilities to worry about an aging Republic journalist.”
The resignation in her voice cut at Simon and he seemed to come to a decision.
“Since this is my last night here, what may I grant you for this evening?”
The woman looked at the Grand Marshall as he stood. “I should like to see the stars… I’ve seen nothing but these walls for over a two years…” her voice trailed.
“Keep those blankets wrapped about you then..” Kaine said and wrapped on the door. It opened to the trooper and the woman walked slowly forward, her eyes betraying an anxious look as she neared the exit hall.
Going through the checkpoints she was outside and the cold wind began to whip at her blankets she clung desperately too.
There were tears in her eyes as she stared up at the blackness of space. She could not tell what planet she was on but that did not matter. For she saw the stars.
She would hold onto that memory when those men… when they…
“Your Empire is evil, Simon.” She said as quietly as she gazed at a star formation that seemed familiar.
Is that? I wonder!
If I am that close perhaps I will be rescued. Perhaps what I know of Simon Kaine will prove useful to any remaining New Republic forces.. Perhaps..
She smiled, her body ignoring the biting wind.
I wonder what other secrets Kaine is hiding..?
Per….
Simon’s outstretched hand holding his personal blaster held steady for a few seconds more before he returned it to his other outer coat pocket. One shot through the head.
“Maybe doctor,” he replied quietly. “But a necessary evil.”
You will be tormented no longer…
“Let’s go…” Simon told the guard as he walked past the fallen woman.