A Turn of the Wheel

"But the problem is not with as you would say in Osaka, 'kawaii~' Empress, but with the system in general. Why does she determine fates of ever human in this space?"

Brightstar stood upon the bridge of the mercenary ship of the strange, green-haired, woman who by turn became his captor and the party responsible for the destruction of Centerpoint Station.

"She didn't choose to become Empress. The Old Man put her there whether he liked it or not," he responded. The green-haired woman rolled her eyes at Brightstar as she sighs.
Brightstar pulled off his best impression of the Knight-Aegis returning her eye roll with a blank, bored, face.

"Oh I see I am losing you.” She began as she looked at Brightstar. “Want to see a parlor trick though?"

"So now you'll lecture me on the values of democracy and how the Jardinist are not a bunch of corrupt asshats pretending they are better?" She looked at him somewhat disappointed with his lack of attention.

"No?”

"Please, amuse me Miss."

One of the bridge crew called out that all ships were in position and in that moment she flashed Brightstar a grin.

"Right."

Brightstar’s eyes widen in horror a soft, soothing, song flooded his mind… A song similar to the one he heard at Luxor…

‘No… No…’ was all Brightstar could think as a soft greenish-white fire consume his vision and then, as soon as it begun, his vision cleared and he viewed a rusting hulk that could’ve been the twin to the Starforge surrounded by a fleet of ships flying the flag of the Free Star League upside down.

Brightstar ran a hand through his hair before giving a snort. ‘And I thought we’d be in Jardin Space…’

"The League?"

"Well not the League,” she began obviously proud of herself, “but individual citizens who are free and wanting to see the local space not dominated by inbred nobles."

"Our nobility is not inbred Miss, but I would hazard to say you wouldn’t know that seeing as you much rather prefer the constant chaos of the League. I am however, impressed by that." He pointed at the hulk.

"The League is full of free people Mr Brighstar, and is one of the three founding nations of this colonization effort, you and the Jardines keep on forgetting it."

Brightstar allowed himself a small smile.

"We forget it because you can't keep your nation together for longer than five seconds on a single matter... It’s a miracle no one has rolled over the League yet, but then why bother."

"We're aware of that fact Mr Brighstar, but your empire is falling apart now. How long do you think the people will start to turn on the freak that can open wormholes, or wonder if they will be next?"

"How long do you really think you can keep this up? The Rebel thought they could and we beat them back and they had the Jardines with them and to be frank, they are pretty superior to the League in all regards. The Empire is strong, if it wasn't it would have collapsed already. A phoenix is always reborn out of fire and chaos strong than before. And you have, sadly, added yourself to pyre."

"True,” she began grinning again, “but they didn't have two things… First me, I am pretty special, I can open wormholes these days. Two, they didn't have you, I want you join me, you’re an honest righteous man, and you would be the best person to help rebuild your people." Brightstar took a step back blinking, did this woman who just murdered over two million Imperial citizens just asked him to make common cause with her by appealing to his better nature?

"I guess I am an honest and righteous man.” Brightstar began choosing his words carefully, “That's why the Old Man wouldn't have won me over even if he had more time. The problem isn't the Empire... It’s the people in charge. I will fix that but not at the price of billions. So if you want to space me I guess now is the time since I will not betray the Empire which rewarded my family for their service, nor my family, or Tahminah... And I most certainly will not for the League of all people."

“But we're not the League!” The green-haired woman protested. "We're the Space Revolutionary Army!"

"Oh ho even better,” said Brightstar with a laugh.

"And the problem is the Empire, Mr. Brightstar, it keeps putting those men in charge," she said with as a slight smile crept across her face as she slowly walked behind Brightstar in a half circle, "You laugh, but you wonder, don't you in the moments you don't think. Maybe that things could have gone the other way, if you had joined your mentor. That's what you thought didn't you when you cradled his body in your arms as he died."

The strange woman leaves that last sentence as a statement rather than a question, Brightstar’s blood ran cold as he turned to fix this green-haired witch with a glare that would kill even the Knight-Aegis.

"I've asked before, but who are you?"

That now familiar grin, a mixture mischievous and malevolent, returned as she puts her hands on her hips quite proud of herself.

"Well to my troops I am Gadsen, but to my friends, and maybe enemies, I am Fiona mac Rognvald. "Yes that mac Rognvald!"
Brightstar stared at her for a moment before blinking.

"I'm sorry, who?"

“Never mind,” she said as her face falls into a pout.

And then the memory comes back to Brightstar, Wu has once mentioned a mac Rognvald as example of how not to effect change. Slightly over hundred years ago a President mac Rognvald attempted to centralized the Free Star League into a more responsive state which led to the death of his wife, his exile, and even further chaos in the League which ultimately created Reaver Space.

"You know,” Brightstar said as she looked at him, “a true heir to President mac Rognvald would be more concerned with the League that was left to rot than the Empire. Also, there are many rumors about me and the Old Man… Some say they found me cradling his body, other that I was praying, some others had me kicking around his with head with the Knight-Aegis on the Commons and others that have me…”

“Oh please,” mac Rognvald said cutting off Brightstar, “I know you cradled his body.”

With that she grabbed Brightstar’s hand. Brightstar felt a jolt and then the true horror began as mac Rognvald starts reciting Brightstar’s confrontation with Wu during the retaking of Luxor. Brightstar fought back against the anger, sadness, disappointment that flooded his memories as he was forced to relive that episode; only managing to regain control at the end.

“Goodbye son,” mac Rognvald recites with the same sad look on her face that Wu carried to the grave.

Brightstar staggered back in shock and propped himself up against a bulkhead.

"I... If there's a monster here its you Miss mac Rognvald!"

Mac Rognvald moved over to Brightstar and easily entered into his personal space while fixing him with oddly kind look in her eyes.

"Even cowering in fear you're still polite. It’s adorable," she said as she rubbed Brightstar’s head like cat before running her hand down his jawline before he batted it away. “Pretty adorable.”

"I..." He stuttered unable to process.

"I'll let you on another secret.” She said obviously pleased with her work. "Your Empress has mind controlled her court."

"W..What?"

"It’s one of the abilities she has, and in fairness, so do I, but I am firm believer in sanctity of free will.”

"No. Impossible,” Brightstar tries to get the words out but then he remembers the sudden change that came over Duke al-Gamont and the reality of what he has fought for and what he served sunk in.

"Why do you think your friend fled? Montfort I believe?"

All Brightstar looked on as mac Rognvald stepped back with arms stretched backwards with that grin on her face.

"How do I know you're not just fucking with my mind?" Brightstar asked, unsure of an answer either way.

"You want me to show off? I could make you love me with thousand percent of your heart."

Mac Rognvald then walked back and stared directly into Brightstar’s eyes.

“There a revolution coming. A true revolution and you can be a big help. You’re a good man. An honest man. A virtuous man. I know that better than anyone in universe… You can be the good surrogate son to the Old Man that you always tried to be... You can save a lot of people including your family and including that woman what was her name… Oh yeah, Tahminah.”

Brightstar looks back at mac Rognvald.

"So how about it partner?" She asked as she grabbed Brightstar’s hand. “Work with me, let’s bring peace and freedom to the universe and at the end of the day you can shoot me in the head if you can.”

“I… I… Yes… I accept. I’ll work with you.” Brightstar whispered as he felt something disappear from within him.