Catching Up (Alric Kuhn)

[Hailyn]

It had been a few weeks since Lily had last been with her father, a bit longer still since she'd seen the rest of the family, but in that short period of time a lot had came to pass. Koros had suddenly gone from the back-burner to the forefront of her attention, what with so many sales, auctions, and now even major contracts springing up. In the past, a while before she'd reconnected with her dad, Lily might have tried to rub this smugly in her father's face, but she was quite a bit different now - they'd more than made up, and Alric was certainly more than a good father in her eyes.

That didn't mean she didn't want to share the good news with her dad, of course. The man that had put her in the galaxy was on his way to her little apartment, though from what she'd understood there was a chance he could have shown up late - not that she'd have any room to complain about that, though. Humming a quiet tune to herself, Lily was spending the time waiting for Alric by painting her toenails, her pretty-in-pink fingernails having been done an hour or so prior. "Hmhmmhmhmhhhm." She hummed, her head bobbing from right to left, the short hair that framed her face shaking along with it.

She hadn't told her dad about the hair cut yet, she figured it would make for an added bonus surprise when he got here - here being a cozy apartment in Cinnegar, having opted to temporarily move out of the home for a while. Plus she figured being upbeat and keeping her dad's mood there would keep the conversation from drifting toward's the more unsavory topic of how incredibly strict the One Sith's new government was, now that the death of their 'Dark Lord' had triggered a sudden spike in extremism. Only a few days prior Lily had heard a rumor that even the upper class, once defended by the Sith for mutual interests, were being targeted by this new "Inquisition" for any suspected dissent with the Sith. Being a vocal young woman, this didn't sit well with her.

It was partially the reason she'd insisted that she didn't want to talk about some of the stuff over the holonet or hyperspace comms - she didn't want anyone eavesdropping and getting turned in herself. Paranoid, perhaps, but justified based on the way the world was changing around them. And, really, it was always a great day when her father came to visit - and even better when he wasn't just doing it via holocall.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

He hadn't been to Empress Teta in quite some time, not since both of the twins had met Danger for the first time. It wasn't that he disliked his homeworld, it was simply the circumstances that now encumbered Empress Teta made things rather difficult for him. The One Sith had claimed control of the sector for nigh on two decades now, it's Empire drawing closer and tighter around his home for all of that time. He hadn't minded at first, not really, the Sith were just another governments to deal with and he had dealt with them expertly in his time. That however had changed when he had retracted himself from the galaxy, and now things had changed for the worse.

The government was becoming more radical, and with that shift Alric found dealing with the higher politics of the situation...unpleasant.

He didn't worry about any danger to himself or to his daughters of course, even the Sith weren't foolish enough to strike at him. Despite his retirement Alric still had the pull, and the resources to combat most galactic governments, that along with the connections that his wife had and well...no idiot would ever really dare do anything to Alric Kuhn or his family. That didn't mean however that they wouldn't posture to do so, and Alric simply didn't have the time, nor the enthusiasm for posturing.

Taking that into account, there was one thing that could lure him to his former home, his daughter.

Alric would brave the galaxies worst worlds in order to see his children. That was a simple fact of who he was, and as his shuttle touched down on the apartments landing bay he couldn't help but look around himself. Cinnegar was a city that never really changed, even after fifty years of life. He smiled for a moment more, then began to exit his ship.

He had left Danger back at home, Myra of course having stayed with her. The little girl had objected at first, but Alric and Danger had lured her into acceptance with the promise of girl time and shopping of some sort. The Old Tetan knew that Danger would enjoy the time alone with Myra, and he was looking forward to hearing all about it when he got back. For now however his focus lay upon a single thing, Lily.

 

[Hailyn]

Spoiler: Visual

While her apartment had been soundproofed, there was absolutely no way she couldn't hear the sound of a small starship landing right outside - she didn't care what the construction company had said, the roar of an engine was unmistakable and impossible not to notice. Being careful not to get any nail polish on her expensive leather couch, Lily slid off the seat and slipped her still-drying feet and toes into sandals that left them exposed to air. "I wonder if he has had anything to drink." She muttered, sliding her feet across the tile floor on her way to the kitchen on the other side of the room, close to the front door. Glancing out through the glass door that led into the balcony, Lily reached up to the cabinet and retrieved a couple of glasses for waters. She had no doubt in her mind that her father would probably prefer something with a little more alcohol content in it, but she wasn't particularly in the mood at the moment for anything else.

After placing the glasses on the counter, Lily grabbed her water pitcher - which was conveniently placed beneath the cabinet for instances that company were coming over, such as today - and sat it under the tap, which had a brilliant filter on it, to fill it with water. A moment or two after putting ice into either cup and filling the pitcher with water, she left the two glasses and the pitcher sitting side-by-side on the table behind the counter and made her way to the front door. Though the platform, which had been placed on the building on her insistence - and through the persuasion of her credits, was on the top floor alongside the penthouse apartment she was living in, it was still a bit a ways away in terms of walking distance - what with all the new fire and safety regulations, not wanting people to crash into people's homes and all that. This translated into a good chance that she'd at least make it to the door before Alric, if not around the same time.

Opening the door, exposing her climate-controlled apartment to the elements of the outside, the crisp cool air rushed up against her, probably pushed towards the door from the landing her father had made a handful of minutes ago, and she stepped outside with an excited smile. Being that it was most certainly the season for wearing casual clothing, and short casual clothing at that, Lily hadn't hesitated to re-stock her wardrobe a week ago with the newest and hottest of her favorites in fashion. A white halter-top blouse, black shorts, and her slightly-unmatched brown sandals - shoes she'd worn just to let her nails dry, not quite for trendy purposes - were carefully selected, besides the sandals, along with the headband that kept her short hair in check.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

He hugged his daughter almost seconds after he reached her, not hesitating to pull her into a tight embrace. If there was one thing that had always been true about his relationship with his daughters it was that he never feared to show them affection. From their birth to their eldest birthdays Alric had never shied away from hugging, holding, or kissing his daughters. They were everything to him, his world, his pride, his very future. He held them in the highest regard, and it was difficult for either of them to ever do anything wrong within his eyes. That had lead to both of his girls being somewhat spoiled, but both in the end had ended up alright, or so he thought at least.

"Lily." Alric's voice dripped with warmth.

He was very proud of his eldest daughter, not the least because of what she had accomplished as of late. Everything had finally turned up well for Lily, the way she behaved, her business, everything that she had achieved over the last few months. He shone with pride when he thought about it, and whenever he spoke about Koros or anything that Lily did it was clear that she could not have done a better job. In the tales that he told Myra of her two sisters Alric always made Lily out to be the more cunning one, smart as a whip and intelligent enough to exhibit growth of character.

Of course Rose held the more adventurous tales, but both of his twin daughters were always exhibited with lights of gold.

It was really the only way that Alric could talk about them, the only way he knew how. "It's good to see you."

 

[Hailyn]

If it was one thing that Lily was happy she could share with her father, it was the smile that had broadened across her face. A few months ago were a rough time for her, but with Alric's help she'd overcame those problems and was both a better person and happier for that. "Dad!" She said with excitement noticeable in her voice. The hug was welcomed, though she couldn't help but grin at his tone - he sounded a bit like he'd aged in the week or so since they last saw each other. That was probably to be expected, she'd heard about something from her half-sister (right before that same sister stole one of her dropships and dove it into the surface of Denon) that sounded like stress, but it was a little comical nonetheless. "It's good to see you too." Lily replied, stepping aside to usher him through the door - wanting to get out of the doorway and into comfort to show off her little hideaway.

"I, um, cut my hair." She said with a shake of her head - as if to demonstrate - while she led her dad by the hand towards the couch opposite the kitchen. A hundred thoughts ran through her mind - her decision to go through with taking leadership over Teta after a good two years of putting it off, the business growth she'd been experiencing through the last few weeks, and several other things of much less importance. "Sit down, I'll get you some water." Lily said, walking back into the kitchen to grab the pitcher she'd filled earlier. What should she bring up first? Work? Politics? She shrugged, filling up both of the glasses she'd selected for them, and walked back over to hand one to him.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

Alric was nearly overwhelmed by the sudden burst of activity that came from his daughter. Before he could say or do anything Lily and dragged him inside lead him to the couch and handed him a glass of water. He was startled for a moment, blinking once or twice and looking around the apartment as he tried to get his bearings. She had changed things from the last time he was here, things were a lot more...homely than they had been the last time.

He liked it.

"I see you changed the apartment." That was all he could really think to say for the moment, mostly because Lily looked like she was about to burst out of her own skin with excitement. It was clear that she wanted to tell him something, or multiple somethings. At the back of his mind he begged some invisible force of nature that she wasn't sharing the news of a boyfriend...or worse, pregnancy.

Rose had recently taken to a boy, and even though both of the girls were well into their twenties Alric had found the news to be absolutely horrifying. The thought of his daughters dating was still...well horrifying. He wasn't so naive to think that neither Lily nor Rose had interest in the subject before, specifically Lily, but it wasn't really a thought that a father wanted to linger on. The idea that either of his daughters could be in a serious relationship? For some odd reason that was worse for the old Tetan. Perhaps it was because it was a sign that they were growing up, that they wouldn't need him.

A silly thought, that.

 

[Hailyn]

As her father remained seated - thankfully so - Lily joined him on the couch, legs crossed, with her body turned towards him. It was one of the body language etiquette lessons she'd learned during her various holovid classes on business management. Engage the target, make them comfortable. Many people were very robotic in their interactions, or too familiar on the opposite end of the spectrum. What better way to see if the lessons paid off than to try them on a captive audience? "Oh?" She asked, then caught herself as what she heard was processed. "Yep! I moved some of the furniture around and had new lighting put in. It's a bit more open now, makes walking from the kitchen to my room way easier than making my way around a bunch of chairs and tables. The only thing I miss is being able to sit down and look out the window before supper, but I guess efficiency comes at a cost.." Lily said, picking up from her question without missing a beat - almost as if she'd intended to ask the question.

"I was trying to see if Liz would stop by for once, but she ended up just taking off with one of my ships." She added, still a little caught up in her own little world - rambling on - and sounded more than a little annoyed with how her older half-sister had gone and done exactly what seemed to happen every time Lisette was near a ship belonging to the family. Not quite hijacking them, but more or less stealing and destroying them in some dumb suicide mission out in the middle of a war zone. "She did mention that she wanted to be there for your big day, but something apparently came up - I'm assuming something big, considering stealing a drop ship and then dive-bombing a city seems to be no big deal for her." A brief pause followed the off-handed comment, probably racking her brain for something else to say. "How have you and Danger been?" She asked, shifting gears to have her dad talk for once - quite aware that she was hogging their time to talk all about herself.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

He smiled at the mention of his wayward step-daughter. He'd never really gotten to know Lisette, at least not in the way that he had wanted, but he'd always maintained a rather open door policy with the girl. A ship or two offered up for sacrifice every now and again was hardly a financial burden, in fact more often then not it was a tax right off. He had always wanted to make sure that Lisette had everything provided for her and it seemed that her sisters thought the same way. He mused for a moment more on the subject, thinking about how they could possibly get all the girls together in one room. Perhaps with that allure it would bring Lisette to the table.

"Well." Alric said in answer to her question. "After everything that happened with Myra, things are changing a bit of course."

Lily would know all about Myra, the little girl that he and Danger had rescued on Dromund Kaas. He had made sure to tell both of his daughters all about their new adopted sister, almost hours after they had managed to save the girl in the first place. Both of the twins knew exactly what had been going on with the little girl, and bother had offered up a small amount of advice on what to do and how to make her more comfortable. "She's getting better though, more trusting."

Neither of the girls had met Myra yet, at least in person.

"I want you both to come meet her soon." He didn't want to pressure either of his daughters, but Lily and Rose were central to his life, just as Myra and Danger now were. He wouldn't keep them separate. "When you have the time, I know you're busy now."

Alric said those words with more than a little pride in his tone, knowing what steps Lily had taken as of late.

 

[Hailyn]

She smiled at the mention of the little girl she'd heard so much about, but never met. While her father had certainly managed with his two now-adult children, a sudden addition in a pint-sized package was most certainly something that was going to require him to be as active as he was when he was younger - he kind of reminded her of an old man now. Like a grandfather of sorts - although she had never met her own. "I'd be more than happy to come visit." She said, toying with the idea of what taking care of children would be like in the first place.

"I'm wrapping up a few deals in the next week, so after that I should have a free window for a while." Lily explained, a little smile starting to form as she thought of something a bit humorous. "Nobody can provide a better wardrobe for dress-up than me, after all!" She said with a smirk. She wasn't certain if her father would find the thought funny, or if it'd just be her, but the idea of bringing a suitcase full of expensive designer wear for a child to parade around in for a faux-fashion show was rather amusing to her. Though perhaps it was just because she had always wanted to do that as a kid.

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

He smiled at that.

Myra was actually in desperate need of clothes, something that Danger was taking care of while he was gone. The little girl had been rescued from Dromund Kaas, and neither Danger nor Alric had really had any clothes for her. Of course they had gotten some initially, but now that she would be staying with them permanently it was important that Myra was allowed to have some sort of identity, some choice. It was difficult with how she was, but Alric was sure that Danger could coax some decisions out of her at the very least.

"We'll have to set a day then." They were home most days now, just because going out wasn't really an option.

Both he and Danger had mostly stopped working, retirement fitting them well.

"How are you?" He leaned forward, smiling slightly. "With everything I mean."

She'd answered the question in part already, but Alric wanted more detail. He was Lily's father after all, of course he was curious, and of course he would ask.

 

[Hailyn]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

She beamed back at him in response to his jovial reply, glad to be able to at least ease that tension there - she knew how much of a fuddy duddy her father could be when it came to spending money. Flashbacks to prom would ensue - like the several hundred thousand credit dress she had wanted that he had made her improve her test scores before he'd buy it for her - which really only served to fuel the mild amusement at the idea of marching around a mansion being lead by what she envisioned, currently, was little older than a toddler in extremely expensive and extravagant hand-me-downs. A two million credit hair pin made of aurodium that had gone out of style three seasons ago? Check.

"How am I?" She repeated, seemingly puzzled herself. She was juggling the return to trying to push the company forwards while also finally giving into the planet's local senate's demands that she go through etiquette lessons so that she'd be able to act like royalty and less like an entrepreneur - "a failed one at that" they'd said. She let the inward frown show involuntarily at that memory, but shook her head free of the expression not more than a moment later with the briefest of nods. "Soo.. I've decided I'd stop putting off taking responsibility for running the planet - Teta - and I'm going to organize the right to ascension stuff that I was told I'd need to do in order to take the position mother left behind." Lily answered, although she wasn't certain if that was the right answer she was looking to give.

"Assuming the paperwork and stuff is done soon, there should be an official coronation in the coming months. I'd be very appreciative if you could come, and maybe drag that twin sister of mine here with you too." She added. There was more to divulge, but that was probably the biggest piece of information that she'd been struggling to share. She valued her father's opinion, and she was rather curious as to what his thoughts on her decision were - though she was sure that he would have guessed that this would have happened eventually.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

"I see." Alric said as he slowly leaned back into the Sofa.

He would not object to Lily taking the throne, why would he? His family had been in line for the Throne for thousands of years, since the Krath had ruled Empress Teta originally. That lineage had been carried on, and although their claim had never been too strong, the fact was that the name Kuhn had been synonymous with the nobility of Empress Teta for quite some time. The fact was that this was Lily's birth right, as were the Dukedom that Alric himself still held.

"You know you can't do it all." He said to her, a slight hint of worry in his tone. "Running a planet is a lot of work, more work than running a company that's for sure. Doing both will mean that one or the other will suffer in some way."

The Titan would of course support Lily in whatever she wanted, but there was truth to her words. "Even your mother experienced that."

Silara had been a great woman, capable of many things, but she couldn't be everywhere at once. It was in large part why both of them had retreated for a number of years while raising Lily and Rose. They had known that their children needed their attention, not the corporations and worlds they ruled over.

 

[Hailyn]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

Lily nodded, well aware of the stress the title would bring her - doubly aware of how it had effected her parents, though that was a thought that she forcibly shoved from her thoughts. There were also other things that were on her plate, coupled with this development in her life, most of which dealt with the Krath - and it wasn't something she was extremely willing to tell her father about, but she trusted him to be civil with the news that was to follow.

Nobility, in some form or another, had been with her family for generations that went further back than many families, nowadays, could trace their lineage. She'd been told some bits and pieces involving the manner of how her mother was raised, where she was raised, and though she had made it fairly well financially, and politically, she was still effectively a peasant that had wooed the rich noble. Now, that wasn't something Lily held prejudice for, but if genetics and parenting had anything to do with it, being raised an orphan on some backwater planet in the middle of Mandalorian air space for the first half of her life didn't exactly translate well into her balancing act between politics, finances, and being what amounted to a soldier.

Call it arrogance, call it pride, but Lily felt - knew - that she was going to do the job her mother couldn't quite handle. She'd do it well. And she wasn't going to just be another name on a wall, either. Heir to the throne now, but she'd bring back the notoriety that the system had when it was unified by the first Empress of Teta. "I appreciate the worry, father, but I'm confident that everything will turn out for the best." She said with a soft smile. She had a plan for the company, too - with the line of succession moving into the Kuhn family, at long last, she would place the company in the same hands as the planet, system, by nationalizing it. There was a good chance that the Sith would try to seize even that from her, but she was prepared to do something daring if it ever came to that - rebellion always rode on the curtails of tyranny, and tyranny never lasts. She would see to that.

"How much do you care to hear about the Krath?" Lily asked. It was one question that she wasn't entirely certain if she should have asked, a question that could turn their happy talk into an argument if she wasn't careful. Alric wasn't exactly an angry man - he was generally fairly calm, or at least with his children - but her late mother had told her a story about the day she and her father had removed the Krath from power. The way her mother had told it, it was mostly romanticized. She doubted much of it was actually true - how does a Sith Lord get subdued by normal thugs on a bright day? - but the way she'd described her father as passionate and understanding, as well as full of rage with the people that had put her - and her unborn twin children - at risk was the single story that had acted as a deterrent for her and relationships.

Simply put, the expectations there were too high.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

The Krath. There was an organization that he could do without. Alric knew them well of course, he had dealt with them all of his life and his family had been involved with the cult on some level for Millenia. It was impossible not to be, given how ingrained they had become within the society of Empress Teta. There was a special distaste that Alric had for them however, in no small part due to their interactions with his wife. The organization of course had eventually been brought to hell, something that he and Silara had worked together on, though it had been mostly her doing.

He shifted slightly on the couch, leaning back and resting his face against three of his fingers.

"I don't care to hear anything about them." He answered truthfully. If he had his way he would have wiped the group from the face of the galaxy two decades ago. He would have used the considerable military force he had at the time and simply done away with them. They were in essence a plague, an organization made up of individuals who really only cared about themselves. That was of course what most Sith groups were, but the Krath...well they hit closer to home.

Of course, he also knew that if Lily chose to get involved with the politics of her homeworld, the Krath were and inevitability.

"But..." Alric began before she could say something. "If you're getting involved with them then I need to know everything."

That was the simple truth, and he would have it no other way. The Krath were a dangerous organization, even when they were pushed to the edge of thought. Alric knew this from personal experience, and he knew that in order to control them a heavy hand would be needed. He trusted Lily to understand that, trusted her to deal with it, but everyone should have a back up plan. For Lily, that backup plan would be him. Alric had an army at his disposal, one geared towards fighting nearly any threat, and if his daughter needed that army then she would have it.

 

[Hailyn]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

As she'd expected, that concern her father showed whenever there was a chance that she might be in danger cropped up at her implication that she might be involved with the Krath. Not that she wasn't - she most certainly was - but it was going to be quite the friction-filled discussion if it went as she expected it might. "Promise you won't overreact?" She asked, quite aware that any time she prefaced something with those four words that it generally gave everyone the impression that what followed was either very important or exactly as precarious as she was trying to insist it (in this case presumably the Krath or her relation with them) was not.

"I had my little conflicts with the Krath, here and there, right around the time you came home, and it's kind of what caused me so much trouble early on." Lily began. "But as I slowly assimilated with the government and Teta's economy they started to recede, kind of back off. Eventually the only tangible form of them I'd met, very recently, offered me a deal." She paused, her eyes scanning her father's face. What she was saying was basically the stereotypical scenario of a naive girl giving in to the suggestions of the proverbial villain. The difference, here, was that she'd actually been given a good deal rather than some sly trick.

A deep inhale followed and she continued. "The Krath is aware that I can't be taken out of power, and that opposing me in any serious way while I took over would basically be a nail in their coffin, or maybe the last one - I'm not really sure how well they've been doing, just that they had been bothering me leading up to my acceptance of the inheritance stuff - so they've came up with a compromise of sorts. Right now they don't have centralized leadership, it's all disorganized and everyone kind of does their own thing in their own areas of Cinnegar, and they really want some kind of influence on Teta's way of life and the economy..."

Her voice trailed off, and she was pretty certain the point was pretty obvious now. Take over Empress Teta and the Krath's central leadership becomes her - at the expense of catering to the group in various scenarios. She knew this meant they wanted her to stay with the Sith and not work against them, and she was sure that Alric would probably assume the same - though perhaps his insight would be different, she wasn't entirely certain. "So I become their figurehead.. a leader, I guess.. and represent their collective needs and desires when the situation arises. In return, I don't cause an anti-terrorist war with the group in Cinnegar streets and they get to sleep easier at night knowing they aren't being hunted down for being a threat..." Lily explained.

"What are your thoughts?"

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

"I see." Alric said again.

It was a political move, a good one, but a dangerous one.

Alric knew well how deceptive the Krath could be. They were sundered, fractured now, but they weren't beaten. The old Tetan knew well the games that would play, and in reality his daughter was still incredibly young. The Emperors and Empresses of Teta tended to be on the older side, not just because of tradition, but because it took that much time to accumulate enough power and wealth to actually take control of the planet. Lily had the advantage of her name coupled with the windfall of her mother. She had the opportunity, and one that truthfully Alric would have taken as well had it been presented to him at the same stage of life.

The Krath however, would still be a problem.

She had to rule over this world for the next five decades, probably more, that meant she would have to balance power, business, and the Krath for all that time. They were weak now, but five years from now? Ten? It was very likely their influence would grow, it always did. His lips thinned for a moment as he thought of every possible scenario, the ideas of what could happen. Of course, this was without factoring in the One Sith or any other external input.

"You have to be careful." Alric said, stating the obvious. "Even if they don't have that much power now, they will. Empress Teta is old, Lily, we have more traditions then even I remember. The Krath is central to half of what this planet does. A lot of people would deny it, they would say that it was a silly notion that their father's or grandfathers followed, but the truth is...everyone is involved to some degree. Your aunt's..."

He trailed off for a moment, remembering his sisters. Alric had told both Lily and Rose about them of course, they had always been a central part of his life and it was important this daughters knew of the greatest influences in his life. "Your aunt's, before their deaths, were being groomed to work for and eventually take over the Krath. Every family on Empress Teta, every important family anyway, has some connection to the Krath. Right now those connections are forgotten, or hidden, but eventually they'll be dug up. They always are, and once they are, the people who want power the most will make a grab after it."

That was simply inevitable.

 

[Hailyn]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

She nodded as her father responded. The brief acknowledgement of the choice without immediately addressing the choice meant that he saw the benefit of her choice, it also - to her - meant it wasn't the wrong choice, assuming she could keep herself on top of the Krath. Luckily she'd came into quite the position of influence without even meaning to, a wealthy and influential father, Sith Lord of a mother (though that did little good now), and a step-mother that had practically forced the Republic to bend at the knee for seizing her assets in their air space.

What did the Krath have? Assassins and gang lords? When she thought about it realistically, without the mysticism often associated with those thieving cretins, Lily could almost see herself as superior in every way. She knew, however, that it was the same kind of thinking that got powerful people killed. Alric's cautionary tale addressed this, and went further than she'd gave the situation thought. Lily had forgotten that her aunts had been so heavily involved with these kinds of politics, easily as much as her mother and father had been, and part of her wondered just how many generations of the family, following her, too, would be involved with the Krath before they disappeared altogether. Or if they would disappear, at all.

"I know they're just trying to bide their time until they can surge up and replace me, or make me their pawn or whatever." She said after a concentrated moment of silence, looking her father directly in the eye. She wanted to make sure he was completely aware that she knew what kind of a dangerous issue this could become, that she knew just how risky her choice was. "I, however, am going to act first. It won't be good enough to get the members of the group on my side, and it won't be enough to be a champion of the people - if it even comes to that. I'll have to get my hands dirty every once and a while.." Lily explained, letting her voice trail off as she struggled to think of a more clean way to put what she was actually saying. "I want to be good, Dad, I do. And I know that I have to be for the people to want me, even if I really don't need to be popular with them, but I also know that there are going to be singular people in the Krath that are going to try to go against the status quo to get rid of me and takeover the Krath again."

"I'm going to have to make a lot of tough decisions, and a lot of those decisions are going to end with me drinking a bottle of wine to get over it. Maybe two!" She chuckled, though it wasn't a happy one. She wasn't her mother, that was for certain, but she was very conscious of what being a ruler in this part of the galaxy, on this planet, with these kinds of aristocrats and nobles meant becoming. She couldn't change the game, and she was a piece on the board. "I'm going to keep trying to be someone you can be proud of, but I'm going to do a lot of things I - and you - won't be proud of to stay on top." That much was true. A piece on the board now, but she was going to work her damnedest to ensure she was the last piece left standing. It meant getting her hands dirty, it meant paying people off and having opposition silenced, and it meant sacrificing part of her integrity. She just didn't want to lose everyone close to her doing it.

"But you don't have to worry about grandchildren just yet, you old coot!" Lily blurted with a smirk, shifting the subject away forcefully. Part of the reason she'd arranged the get together was to talk politics, and she hated doing it with family, but the biggest reason was to have another happy memory with the man that had raised her. And keep his worries of boyfriends and lovers at bay. "No boyfriend, yet, either. Well, not recently, anyways." She teased. "I can't say the same about that twin of mine, though - boys always flocked after that tomboy." She grumbled with a roll of her eyes. She wasn't wrong, it was something she'd chided her sister about when they'd still stuck together everywhere they went. Part of her missed that.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

He didn't think about anything else for a moment. He caught Lily trying to steer the conversation towards happier things, that was only natural, but in truth his focused was still entirely on the matter of the Krath and Lily ruling this world.

"I've always been proud of you." Alric said suddenly. "Both of you. Your sister and you, Lily."

They had made their mistakes, but so had he. "I know how hard you've worked these last few months and I know how much you still want to do. You know the dangers that you'll have to face, and I know you'll do whatever you think is best. Don't think I'll ever be disappointed in you."

Alric let out a loud sigh.

"No one is perfect, I'm certainly not." It was hard for a father to admit that to his children, especially when it came to matters of morality. "When I ran Titan Industries, before your mother and I were even together there were some things that I did, or rather things that I ordered that I would never want to see the light of day. Titan took down other companies, assassinated rival's, burned down villages, even took over entire worlds simply because it benefited business. Some claim that I didn't know about that, try to save my face in public, but the truth was that I controlled the Company, I knew everything that was going on, sometimes I even ordered it."

He shook his head slightly. "We all have our dark moments. The things we did that we're not proud of, but, my history with Titan. The technology I developed there, the money I made. It eventually allowed me to be what I am today. It allowed me to meet your mother, it allowed me to create the Eve Foundation, it allowed me to save millions of lives with Vanir and now Arkuhn."

Alric frowned for a moment.

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" The former Titan bade her. "There is dark, but just make sure that in the end...the light comes out."

 

[Hailyn]

[member="Alric Kuhn"]

If she had been the kind of girl to shuffle her feet when she was uneasy or uncomfortable, the sudden praise would have triggered just that. Not that she was against the praise, it just made her feel a bit embarrassed to hear that she was worrying over perhaps nothing in that specific moment. Of course, as she was hoping, a sigh and a lesson followed. She nodded her head at Alric's admission, agreeing - though perhaps she was less hard on him than he was on himself, which was clear as he elaborated.

There were things about Titan that she had learned about, back a few years ago when she and Rose had been looking for clues on their parent's whereabouts, through ransacked offices on Teta and Coruscant alike. The full extent of what had gone on behind closed doors, however, had remained out of her grasp for the most part - that she could recall off the top of her head, anyways. She cast her father a sideways glance at the mention of assassination and world-building. Those were the kinds of things that people often said about large corporations that she'd never really gave enough thought to in order to actually believe strongly one way or another, so hearing her father speak about it as if he'd been the one responsible, directly, was pretty enlightening stuff.

But, in the end, she understood what he meant - or what he was trying to say, anyway. "I think I get it." She said with a slow nod, leaning back into the couch to think on that. "You'll be here for the ceremony, right?" Lily asked, putting the darker part of their conversation behind them to move on to the other things she was interested in talking about. No need to make the two of them more somber than they already were, after all. "I know you aren't really around Teta all that often, and I know you and Danger probably have a lot on your plate with Myra and business in general, but I would really appreciate it if the two - or three - of you would come." She said. Lily kind of expected Alric to decide to come regardless of if she had asked him or not, but it was both polite and something she wanted to ask.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

[member="Lily Kuhn"]

"I'll be there." Alric said, smiling slightly, though clearly still not finished.

"I'll bring Danger and Myra too, I know they'll want to come." Both his wife and his newest daughter would want to attend, though doing so would present it's own challenge. "I don't think they'll attend the ceremony...crowds are tough for Myra, and that crowd...well it's not going to be a small one. I'll go to the ceremony and be at your side, they'll stay back at the apartment and watch the holo-feed live. We can see them after the coronation, all together."

The little girl still had many troubles, and crowds was one of the biggest ones.

It was understandable really, given how Alric and Danger had found her and just what they had saved her from. Lily would of course understand the circumstance, since Alric had explained it to her, and what mattered in the end would be that he was there for her.

The old man didn't quite know what his roll would be at the ceremony, whether he would stand by Lily's side as the former husband of the Old Empress, as the father of the new one, or whether he'd just be one of the many Tetan Royals in the front row. In truth, he didn't particularly care. All that he wanted was to be there for his daughter, to stand before her and watch in pride as she was crowned, and perhaps hold her after it was all said and done.

The thought made him smile.