"Killing the Emperor himself," he admits, "Thought that would be a much more short term solution. As I mentioned, the Emperor's illegitimate nephew is the closest thing he has to a legitimate heir. This is because the Empire is exclusively agnatic in inheritance - only men may rule. If this were not the case, the Emperor's legitimate niece, Princess Shera Arming, would be his heir. 

"He had a daughter, at one point, as well," he adds, "But she was sickly, and was never presented to the court. The Imperial Family are carriers of the mana sickness, an inherited disease which causes extreme sensitivity to mana. Those born with the disease invariably die within, at most, a few years of their birth. Adult carriers often have trouble getting pregnancies to term, as the unborn will fail in the womb from exposure to their own mother's mana." 

He pauses, coming back to his point, "At any rate, if the Emperor were to die at this point, the Empire would face a succession crisis. Some number of distant cousins would likely make the attempt to take the throne, but I would be willing to bet that the eventual winner would be Princess Shera. It would take her time, both to win and to consolidate her position given the sexism rampant in the Imperial Nobility, enough to deal with our own crisis, but, well. The Princess Shera at the helm of the Empire, once she had it properly under control, would be far more terrifyingly effective than it is under Emperor Reginald." 

I don't object to efficiency, as long as her goals are acceptable.

    Shera is in charge of the emperor's army, ma'am.

She nods. I expect I'll object to her goals, then. And I'd rather gut the nobility there than here, but it's never a very reliable approach. What else?

He nods at DZ's words, "She would at the very least continue the war as he has done, but more likely she would change their policies to make them even more efficient at conquering." 

"The last idea I have had is attempting to learn what exactly turned the Emperor to war in the first place, and if anything can be done to return his priorities to what they were before. I don't know that this would be possible, not knowing his reasons, but it would be the most peaceful option, if it could be done." 

Nod. Do you know what kinds of defenses he has?

"Some," he nods, "I know he has a force of elite guards, each bearing a highly compatible Artefact. I do not know whether they guard him at all times, but they are always at his side in public. 

"The wards around the Palace are extremely extensive. They allow no living or minded being inside without authorisation. 

"The only other places he spends time at are a pair of pre-Seal ruins, both in the Heartlands - one stands on the peak of Mount Chec, above the Imperial Capital. The other is remote, within an area called the Deadlands. Both are well guarded, and he will have his guard with him in both locations." 

I expect I can make that work - I can read humans' minds, too, at a decent range, it's just that Forceblind humans can't hear me. I expect I can figure out how to get past the wards given a little time. The main problem is that I wouldn't be able to take DZ with me.

He nods, "A combination of the first and third idea, perhaps?" He suggests. "Meet with the Rebellion, such that you can use their safe houses, which would allow her to wait somewhere safe, yet close by. Discover what it is that turned the Emperor to war, and if it seems unsolveable, assist the Rebellion in drawing the Imperial army's attention." 

Sounds good. What does that mean in the immediate term?

"You require more time to recuperate, yes? You are more than welcome to use the rooms here to regain some measure of your full strength. Since we last spoke I have spoken with the Commander about the length of my stay here, and we have decided between us that my brother and I will leave in three weeks. At that time, if we follow this plan, you could leave with us, and we would take a detour to meet with one of my contacts from the Rebellion on the way back to Fort Helen." 

Nod. I'll be ready.

(Jaim nods)

Stormsinger stirs, offering concern, You will not be at full strength then, will you? He asks. 

Close, though. Enough that I won't hurt myself pushing it, I expect, and that's the important part.

Acknowledgement, and agreement, Yes, that is true enough. And perhaps there may be more time once you reach these Heartlands. Finding a way through the wards will take time, if that is the method you choose, and I doubt he leaves very often, if you choose to wait for him to do so. 

"I should return to the Command Center," Jaim says, standing. "You have my gratitude, for listening to me." 

I appreciate the information, she nods. Feel free to come find me if you'd like to talk again.

He nods in reply, offers DZ a nod as well, and then leaves them be. 

Deskyl sits for a minute, just resting, idly watching the fort go about its business, before turning her attention back to her responsibilities.

How's your battery doing, Love?

    Low but not dangerously low, ma'am, I have two or three days of charge.

All right. I want to get that corpse taken care of, and we'll see how I feel after - wait until tomorrow, probably.

Telepathically: Do you want to sit this one out? It's probably going to be pretty gross.

Nothing I haven't seen before, I'm sure, he sends in return, Though I would not mind the chance not to repeat the experience, with your senses on top, he admits. 

Entirely reasonable. Do you mind DZ carrying you, by the way? Not that I expect it to come up much. She heads back toward the room.

Your companion? Not at all, he tells her, She is quite interesting to my senses - I can feel her approaching at the very limit of them, as the movement of electricity within her is unlike anything I have felt before.

I expect so - it's not exactly like blood for her but that's the closest analog.

It's quite amazing, he muses, Is this a common technology, where you come from? 

Extremely common; we use it for everything. We basically don't use, say, fire, anymore. Or animals, for work or transportation. Even our books and tools are powered by electricity. She sends memories: the environmental control panel from her old quarters, a speeder, a datapad, the inner workings of a lightsaber.

He devours these, metaphorically, his mind lighting up with interest at the lightsaber, and the mention of their books. I expect you know of countless tales, writings, and musics the likes of which I have never heard, he comments. He feels very gleeful at the thought.

DZ moreso than me, for that. She never forgets anything; her memory works the same way as writing something in a book. I'll ask her to recite us something later.